March, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Like the King Sizzles in Steaks

M Racing Group LLC's Like the King (Palace Malice) parlayed a farther back than normal trip into a breakout victory in Saturday's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park, earning 100 GI Kentucky Derby qualifying points in the process. Off at 7-1, the Wesley Ward pupil broke cleanly from the rail but was unhurried by Drayden Van Dyke and settled into a midpack spot while hugging the fence around the first turn. Dropping farther back down the backside behind a strong pace, he was switched out for clear sailing heading into the home bend and was one of five or six in with a chance at the top of the lane. He bumped with a pair foes in upper stretch, but kept on kicking to score by a length over Sainthood (Mshawish), whose rider launched an objection against the winner that was disallowed. California invader Hockey Dad (Nyquist) completed the trifecta.

“I got together with my agent (Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens) and [trainer] Wesley [Ward] and we decided to change up the tactics a bit today,” said Van Dyke, who hadn't ridden Like the King before and was previously based in California. “We went back and watched some replays of this horse and thought he doesn't really like to be up in the race. It ended up working out well for us. With moving my tack to Kentucky, this is a huge confidence booster going into the Keeneland meet.”

A well-beaten second on debut at Belterra last July, Like the King stretched out and switched to turf at that Ohio oval to graduate by 7 1/2 lengths in September. He was a distant third in a rained-off Keeneland allowance Oct. 24 before taking a local optional claimer over a flat mile Dec. 4. The chestnut most recently finished second in the prep for this, the John Battaglia Memorial S. Feb. 26. He endured some stretch traffic that day behind Hush of a Storm (Creative Cause), who was scratched from the Jeff Ruby.

“We spaced out some of his races and I think it's helped because he's a big, rangy colt,” Ward said. “He's always shown an affinity for grass and that's why we kept him on the Tapeta surface this winter with this race in mind. I'm glad this came through and worked out with Gary. Now that he became an agent for Drayden, it's special to partner to win this race. Growing up, I always idolized Gary and it was a good combination to get us to this win today. We were in the Derby once before but had post 20 and Mr. [Michael] Tabor wanted to scratch (Pablo Del Monte, 2014). Now that we're here again it's very exciting.”

Saturday, Turfway Park
JEFF RUBY STEAKS-GIII, $240,040, Turfway, 3-27, 3yo, 1 1/8m (AWT), 1:50.22, ft.
1–LIKE THE KING, 123, c, 3, by Palace Malice
                     1st Dam: Like a Queen (SP, $125,125), by Corinthian
                     2nd Dam: Arcanum, by Unbridled
                     3rd Dam: Twin Bet, by Bet Twice
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($28,000
Wlg '18 KEENOV; $170,000 Ylg '19 OBSOCT). O-M Racing
Group, LLC; B-Horseshoe Racing, LLC (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward;
J-Drayden Van Dyke. $145,700. Lifetime Record: 6-3-2-1,
$203,880. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
2–Sainthood, 123, c, 3, Mshawish–Lemon Hero, by Lemon Drop
Kid. ($100,000 Ylg '19 KEEJAN; $90,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP;
$62,000 Ylg '19 OBSOCT). O-WinStar Farm LLC and CHC INC.;
B-Edward Taylor & Springland Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$47,000.
3–Hockey Dad, 123, c, 3, Nyquist–Ann Summers Gold, by
Yankee Victor. O/B-Reddam Racing, LLC (CA); T-Doug F. O'Neill.
$18,800.
Margins: 1, HD, 2 3/4. Odds: 7.00, 10.90, 7.50.
Also Ran: Hard Rye Guy, Gretzky the Great, Moonlite Strike, Dyn O Mite, Awesome Gerry, King's Ovation, Smiley Sobotka, Tarantino. Scratched: Hush of a Storm. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Pedigree Notes:
Like the King was the third topper at the 2019 OBS October yearling sale when selling for $170,000 (see Rainbows Find Pot of Gold at OBS). He becomes the fourth graded winner from second-crop sire Palace Malice, whose own sire Curlin was also well represented on the Derby trail Saturday by GI Curlin Florida Derby hero Known Agenda. He is the first graded winner out of a mare by Corinthian. Dam Like a Queen was stakes-placed at two on the turf before eventually moving down the class ladder. Like the King was her first foal. She has a Maclean's Music 2-year-old gelding and a Fast Anna yearling colt and was most recently bred back to Palace Malice.

The post Like the King Sizzles in Steaks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Banner Day for Liam’s Map Continues in GP Oaks

Winless since last August, 'TDN Rising Star' Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) marked her return to the winner's circle in style, taking Saturday's GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. Sent off at 5-2 while searching for her first graded stakes victory, she was settled at the back of the compact field as 6-5 choice Con Lima showed the way through initial fractions of :24.16 and :48.69. Rallying from the back as the field compressed approaching the quarter pole, the Ken McPeek trainee strode through the center of the group and continued to gain momentum as Millefeuille took over from Con Lima at the quarter pole. Four-wide turning for home and with only Millefeuille to catch, Crazy Beautiful took over midstretch and kicked clear to give McPeek his second consecutive victory in the filly prep for the GI Kentucky Oaks. McPeek won last year's race with Swiss Skydiver, who went on to win the GI Preakness S.

A winner of her first two career starts at Ellis, including last summer's Rising Star performance in the seven-furlong Debutante S., the grey finished runner-up in Churchill's GIII Pocahontas S. followed by the GI Alcibiades S. at Keeneland before capping off the term with a sixth in the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Shelved for the rest of the season, she returned with a second, beaten 6 1/2 lengths, by the high-flying front-runner Wolebodemeister (Bodemeister) in the Gulfstream Park Oak prep, the Feb. 27 GII Davona Dale S.

Pedigree Notes:
Crazy Beautiful is the fifth graded stakes winner for GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song), who will be represented by his fourth crop of racing age in 2021. Liam's Map also was represented by Sir Shackleton S. winner Basin and Churn and Burn, victorious in the GII Pan American S., earlier on the Florida Derby Day card.

Indian Burn, a half-sister to graded placed Christmas Away (Skip Away), produced her most recent live foal in 2019, a filly by Midnight Lute.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
GULFSTREAM PARK OAKS-GII, $200,000, Gulfstream, 3-27, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:44.41, ft.
1–CRAZY BEAUTIFUL, 122, f, 3, by Liam's Map
1st Dam: Indian Burn (SW & GSP, $236,158), by Indian Charlie
2nd Dam: Christmas Affair, by Black Tie Affair (Ire)
3rd Dam: Anna Lisa Beth, by Topsider
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($250,000 Ylg '19
FTKOCT). O-Phoenix Thoroughbred III; B-Carolyn R Vogel (KY);
T-Kenneth G. McPeek; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $121,520. Lifetime
Record: GISP, 7-3-3-0, $388,365. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Millefeuille, 122, f, 3, Curlin–Bandana, by War Front.
O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-William I. Mott. $39,200.
3–Competitive Speed, 122, f, 3, Competitive Edge–Shopped
Out, by Mineshaft. ($50,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP; $5,000 2yo
'20 OBSOPN). O-John C. Minchello; B-White Fox Farm (KY);
T-Javier E. Gonzalez. $19,600.
Margins: 2 1/4, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 2.00, 4.30, 18.10.
Also Ran: Con Lima, Pens Street, Bow Bow Girl, Len Lo Lady.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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War Like Goddess Up In Final Jump To Beat Always Shopping In Orchid

George Krikorian's English Channel filly War Like Goddess came with a relentless run through the stretch and nailed even-money favorite Always Shopping on the wire for a thrilling nose triumph in Saturday's $100,000 Orchid (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 57th running of the 1 3/8-mile Orchid for fillies and mares 4 and up on turf was the ninth of 10 stakes, six graded, worth $1.85 million on a blockbuster 14-race program, immediately preceding the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa, one of the country's premier Triple Crown preps.

War Like Goddess ($13.20), making just her fourth career start, gave Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and jockey Julien Leparoux their third win on the program. Mott also won the Cutler Bay with Annex while Leparoux previously won the Pan American (G2) with Churn N Burn.

Unlike Churn N Burn, who won the Pan American on the front end, Leparoux settled War Like Goddess far back in the Orchid, ahead of only one horse as 18-1 long shot Sister Hanan took the nine-horse field through splits of 23.93 seconds, 48.55 and 1:13.83. While Always Shopping ranged up to take the lead entering the stretch, Leparoux tipped War Like Goddess out to the center of the track to make her run, closing furiously to get up in 2:12.34 over a firm course.

Always Shopping, a graded-stakes winner on dirt and turf, was a tough-luck second attempting to give jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. his Championship Meet-record 137^th victory. Sorrel, racing first time in North America, was third.

Leparoux was winning the Orchid for the first time, while Mott earned his fourth Orchid triumph following Dress Rehearsal (2016), Crockadore (1992) and Gaily Gaily (1989).

$100,000 Orchid (G3) Quotes

Winning trainer Bill Mott (War Like Goddess): “Timing was important there. She just got up in the last jump. I just told [jockey] Julien [Leparoux] to let her get her feet under her and make a run. I kept it simple.”

Winning jockey Julien Leparoux (War Like Goddess): “Just in time. I didn't know if I got it or not at the wire. No matter what happened, she ran good. I'm glad I got the win. She's the kind of filly who comes from behind, so on this track you have to worry about that a little bit, but she had a nice kick at the end so she made it fun.”

“I think he probably needed one last time, but today she felt really good, awake before the race. She was traveling throughout the race the whole time and I was happy where I was. I know I was coming very fast to Irad [Ortiz Jr., aboard Always Shopping], but it was a matter of if I had time or not. She was running very hard at the end. She's a nice filly. She's won three races out of four and I think she can improve.”

The post War Like Goddess Up In Final Jump To Beat Always Shopping In Orchid appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Constitution’s Annex Remains Unbeaten in Cutler Bay

Annex took his record to three-for-three with his second straight stakes victory in Gulfstream's Cutler Bay S. Rallying to victory in his career bow over course and distance Jan. 16, the 'TDN Rising Star' captured the Palm Beach S. in Hallandale next out Feb. 27 and was favored to repeat here. Sitting a bit closer to the pace in a joint fourth, the flashy chestnut raced off the fence through a :24.06 opening quarter and :47.78 half-mile. Swung out three wide turning for home, the even-money favorite surged up alongside Fulmini and It Can Be Done in late stretch and out-boxed those foes to the wire for a narrow success.

“It's always a special to race for Mr. Mott,” said winning rider Junior Alvarado. “He lets you do what you think is right in a race. Today, there wasn't much pace on paper. He broke good. He put himself in a good spot and I wasn't going to take anything away from him. After that, I just kept picking it up little by little. He's still very green, which makes my job a little challenging, but he got it done.”

The winner's dam You Make Me Sing is a half-sister to MGISW and multi-millionaire You (You and I), who produced GSW You and I Forever (A.P. Indy) and SW & GSP Causeway's Kin (Giant's Causeway). She produced an Honor Code colt in 2019 and a filly by that sire in 2020. She was bred back to Mitole. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

CUTLER BAY S., $100,000, Gulfstream, 3-27, 3yo, 1mT, 1:34.33, fm.
1–ANNEX, 120, c, 3, by Constitution
                1st Dam: You Make Me Sing, by Unbridled's Song
                2nd Dam: Our Dani, by Homebuilder
                3rd Dam: Lovely Briar, by Briartic
($65,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-LNJ Foxwoods and Eclipse
Thoroughbred Partners; B-William Harrigan & Mike
Pietrangelo (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $60,140.
Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $144,280. 'TDN Rising Star'
2–Fulmini, 118, c, 3, Overdriven–Gina's Kitten, by Kitten's Joy.
O-Bell Racing, LLC; B-Gina D'Amato (FL); T-Carlos A. David.
$19,400.
3–It Can Be Done, 120, g, 3, Temple City–Gotham City Girl, by
Freud. O/B-Red Oak Stable (KY); T-Gregory D. Sacco. $9,700.
Margins: NK, NO, 3/4. Odds: 1.10, 29.60, 12.70.
Also Ran: Lucky Law (Ire), Hyperfocus, King of Dreams, Fighting Force, Step Dancer. Scratched: Whatmakessammyrun.

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