March, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Concert Tour, Caddo River Head 3yo Worktab Saturday

Heading the likely cast of contenders in the Apr. 10 GI Arkansas Derby, undefeated Concert Tour (Street Sense) worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 under Juan Ochoa at Santa Anita Saturday morning.

“He went great; he looked fantastic,” said trainer Bob Baffert. “He couldn't have looked any better. He just cruised around there in a minute and change.”

Taking over as top dog in the Baffert barn following the injury of Life Is Good (Into Mischief), Concert Tour a perfect three-for-three this season, including wins in the GII San Vicente S. and GII Rebel S.

Also working ahead of the Arkansas Derby, Caddo River (Hard Spun) breezed a half-mile in :48 after Oaklawn's first surface renovation break under Fernando De La Cruz. Caddo River, working with stablemate Joe Frazier, who credited with the same time. Clockers had the Brad Cox-trained duo galloping out five panels in 1:00, six furlongs in 1:13 and 7/8ths in 1:27.60.

A homebred for John Ed Anthony, Caddo River was a record-setting 10 1/4-length winner of the Smarty Jones S. Jan. 22 before finishing fifth in the Rebel.

Also at Oaklawn, Rebel sixth Keepmeinmind (Laoban) breezed after the second renovation break under regular rider David Cohen. Keepmeinmind went five furlongs in 1:00 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.60, according to clockers. The colt is expected to make his next start in either the Arkansas Derby and GII Blue Grass Stakes Apr. 3 at Keeneland and a decision on the colt's next start is expected by Monday.

“If it's the Blue Grass, he's going to miss a little bit of serious training, shipping over there and stuff,” trainer Robertino Diodoro said. “I gave him a stiff work today. If we run him next weekend, he's not going to be doing a whole bunch from now until then. We'll jog him, little easy gallop. If he stays here for the Arkansas Derby, then we'll probably come back next weekend with a real easy half.”

Prepping for this season's Classics on the West Coast, a host of sophomore's posted their final major works ahead of next weekend's GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. Saturday's worktab included GII San Felipe S. third Dream Shake (Twirling Candy), who went five furlongs in :59.80 and Roman Centurian (Empire Maker), second in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. and fourth in the San Felipe, who negotiated the same distance in 1:00.40 for Simon Callaghan. San Felipe fifth-place finisher The Great One (Nyquist) worked six furlongs in 1:14.20 for Doug O'Neill. The Louisiana bred finished runner up in last season's GII Los Alamitos Futurity.

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Want To Read Your Horse’s Mind? Researchers Create A Headband That Can Help

Horsemen spend a lot of time trying to figure out whether their horses are stressed — a difficult task, given that they can't speak English. A team of French scientists have created a new tool that could help shed light on equine emotions.

The magazine Science recently reported on the process undertaken by Dr. Martine Hausberger to create a mobile headband that detects equine brainwaves, offering insight into their emotions.

Hauseberger was investigating whether stressed horses had a harder time learning how to open a sliding door, when he noticed that animals confined to cramped spaces had a more difficult time paying attention to lessons. He hypothesized that the confined animals might be depressed.

Hauseberger wanted to use an electroencephalogram (EEG) on the horse to better understand his state of mind. An EEG machine measures electrical impulses in the brain and have been used to study sleep patterns and epilepsy in humans for over 100 years. More recently, EEGs have been used to decipher brain waves related to anxiety, depression, and contentedness.

Hausberger and neurophysicist Dr. Hugo Cousillas modified a wearable human EEG headband to fit the equine head. It includes just four electrodes and has no wires, making it usable up to 60 feet away from the receiver. The duo engaged the help of Dr. Mathilde Stomp and used the new EEG on 18 horses. Half of the study group lived outside in a herd and half lived in stalls.

The groups had very different EEG readouts: the horses kept in stalls exhibited 2.5 times more of the waves that indicate distraction, depression, and anxiety than their turned-out counterparts. The turned-out horses had more of the brain waves that indicate calmness and attentiveness.

Though equine brain waves can't be interpreted in the same manner as human brainwaves, it's an interesting way of measuring equine mental health.

Caravaggio Colt Carries Expectations at Naas

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday's observations features the first Ballydoyle juvenile runner of 2021.

1.15 Naas, Mdn, €14,000, 2yo, 5fT
TENEBRISM (Caravaggio) is Ballydoyle's first juvenile runner of 2021 and carries significance as his exciting first-season sire's potential first winner. Representing a partnership between Coolmore, Georg von Opel's Westerberg Limited and John Moores and Charles Noell's Merriebelle Stables, the March-foaled bay is a son of the G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois heroine Immortal Verse (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) who was purchased by Merriebelle for 4.7million gns at the 2013 Tattersalls December Mares Sale.

1.55 Doncaster, Novice, £5,300, 3yo, 7f 6yT
GURU (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is back with the moniker of 'TDN Rising Star' hanging around his neck after his taking debut win over seven furlongs at Newbury in July. Subsequently disappointing when only fifth in a Kempton novice in August, Lady Bamford's homebred son of the G2 Prix de la Nonette winner and multiple grade I-placed Dream Peace (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) represents the in-form John and Thady Gosden combination as he gives seven pounds to all including Juddmonte's newcomer Thaler (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a Sir Michael Stoute-trained son of G1 Falmouth S. winner Timepiece (GB) (Zamindar).

4.35 Naas, Mdn, €14,000, 3yo, f, 8fT
EMPRESS JOSEPHINE (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is another significant debutante on the card for Ballydoyle, being the latest progeny out of the G1 Coronation S. and G1 Matron S. winner Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) which makes her a full-sister to the stable's six-times Group 1 and G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Minding (Ire). Seamie Heffernan takes the mount on the February-foaled bay, whose 18 opponents include some intriguing potential Classic prospects such as the Joseph O'Brien-trained Walk This Way (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), another Susan Magnier representative whose half-sister Alluringly (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) was third in the G1 Epsom Oaks and who descends from Urban Sea (Miswaki).

The post Caravaggio Colt Carries Expectations at Naas appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Even With Top Colt Sidelined, Life On Triple Crown Trail Is Still Good For Baffert

Medina Spirit, twice runner-up to unbeaten stablemate Life Is Good, is scheduled to have his final major work Sunday for the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, a race trainer Bob Baffert has won a record nine times, starting with California-bred Cavonnier in 1996 and culminating to date with Roadster in 2019.

Even with the defection of early Kentucky Derby favorite Life Is Good due to a small chip in his left hind ankle, Baffert still has three other Triple Crown hopefuls, among them undefeated San Vicente Stakes and Rebel Stakes winner Concert Tour, who worked five furlongs Saturday morning in 1:00.80 under Juan Ochoa for the Arkansas Derby on April 10.

“He went great; he looked fantastic,” the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer said of the son of Street Sense owned and bred by Gary and Mary West.

“He couldn't have looked any better. He just cruised around there in a minute and change.”

Runhappy Santa Anita Derby candidates working Saturday included Dream Shake for Peter Eurton, five furlongs in 59.80, Roman Centurian, five furlongs in 1:00.40 for Simon Callaghan, and The Great One, six furlongs in 1:14.20 for Doug O'Neill.

The 68-year-old Baffert is closing in on fellow Hall of Fame member D. Wayne Lukas for the lead in Grade 1 wins from Jan. 1, 1976 through yesterday. The 85-year-old Lukas has 219 wins from 1,390 starts; Baffert is one back with 218 from 915 starts.

With 896 career wins at Santa Anita (not including Oak Tree), Baffert also is nearing the record for most races won at The Great Race Place, 21 behind the late Bobby Frankel's 917.

The Runhappy Santa Anita Derby headlines six stakes this Saturday, four of them graded and two showcasing California-bred or sired runners.

In addition to the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, they are the G2 Santa Anita Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles; the G2 Royal Heroine for fillies and mares 4 and up at one mile on turf; and the G3 Providencia Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Also, the two Golden State Series races, the $150,000 Echo Eddie Stakes for three year olds at 6 ½ furlongs and the $150,000 Evening Jewel Stakes for three-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs.

Saturday's local weather forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, zero percent chance of rain, and a high of 77 degrees.

The post Even With Top Colt Sidelined, Life On Triple Crown Trail Is Still Good For Baffert appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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