April, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Liam’s Map Filly Puts in Bullet Work for Flying Fish at OBS

A Liam's Map filly (Hip 1188) from the Flying Fish consignment looks to become the next star to come out of Art Fisher's training center after being one of eight juveniles to work a bullet in :9 4/5 during the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale under-tack show Saturday. The start of the sixth and final session was delayed until 9:30 a.m. due to storms in the forecast.

“The third time I breezed her, I called the guy who owns her and said, 'This filly is diseased with speed.' So, I kind of put in her in the freezer and I didn't have to do much with her,” said Fisher. “I couldn't have been more proud of her. She went out in :20 4/5 and she x-rays and scopes perfect. She has been very good the whole season.”

Bred by Edwin Anthony, Hip 1188 was purchased by Fisher's longtime client Tom Bozarth's Arch Bloodstock for $50,000 at Keeneland September.

“She has done great,” Fisher said. “She has grown probably two hands. She has gained a lot of weight, never misses an oat. She lays down a lot and is very smart around the barn, very sensible. Anybody can walk her. You can walk her with a kite string, but when you put the tack on her, she knows what the game is about.”

Flying Fish's Spring Sale consignment is comprised of nine horses this year with the Liam's Map filly being the fastest worker. The second quickest breezer is a Medaglia d'Oro colt out of MGSW Tin Type Gal (Tapit) (Hip 320), who belongs to another longtime client of Fisher, Len Riggio of My Meadowview. The colt went in :10 flat earlier this week.

“I broke Tin Type Gal for Mr. Riggio too,” Fisher said. “This colt is incredible. A friend of mine, who is in the Hall of Fame, came by and said this colt had the best work he has seen in the sale.”

Tin Type Gal is one of many talented runners to go through Fisher's program over the years. He broke, trained and sold MGISW Secret Circle (Eddington) at OBS March for $165,000; and conditioned the top two finishers in last year's GI Pennsylvania Derby, Mr. Money (Goldencents) and Math Wizard (Algorithm). Fisher also broke and trained consecutive GI Preakness S. winners in Pine Bluff (Danzig) and Prairie Bayou (Little Missouri), both of whom were owned by John Ed Anthony's Loblolly Stables.

Anthony has since changed his stable name to Shortleaf Stable, but he still works with Fisher and they have a chance at more Classic success with GI Kentucky Derby contender Caddo River (Hard Spun). Winner of the Smarty Jones S. earlier this year, the homebred most recently finished second in the Apr. 10 GI Arkansas Derby.

“After I breezed him five or six times, I called Mr. Anthony and said, 'I am afraid to breeze him anymore. He is just too fast. He needs to get off this training track,'” Fisher said. “So, we sent him up to Brad [Cox] and the rest is history. He is a lovely horse and I couldn't be more proud of him.”

The other seven juveniles to breeze in :9 4/5 Saturday were: Hip 1036, an Upstart colt (video); Hip 1068, a son of Bird Song (video); Hip 1099, a filly by red-hot sire Into Mischief (video); Hip 1115, a Kobe's Back colt (video); Hip 1118, a daughter of Frosted (video); Hip 1140, a colt by Union Jackson (video); and oftlineHip 1174, a filly by Dialed in (video). There was one colt to work a bullet quarter-mile in :20 3/5, Hip 1135, a son of freshman sire Connect (video).

The four-day OBS Spring Sale gets underway Tuesday with sessions beginning at 10 a.m.

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Silver State Rolls To Fifth Consecutive Win In $1-Million Oaklawn Handicap

With six horses spread across the track at the eighth pole and a million dollars up for grabs, Saturday's Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap looked to be almost anyone's race. But Silver State was going the best of all and drew off for a half-length victory under Ricardo Santana Jr., winning for the fifth consecutive time for trainer Steve Asmussen but making it a graded stakes first for the Hard Spun 4-year-old owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing.

Sent away at 9-2 odds, Silver State covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.56 on a track upgraded to fast after being listed as good much of the day. He paid $11.40 for the win, his sixth in 10 career starts.

Todd Pletcher-trained Fearless, coming off a G2 victory in the Gulfstream Park Mile, finished second, with 9-5 favorite Express Train, who shipped in from Southern California for trainer John Shirreffs, a length back in third in the field of eight older horses. Pacesetter Warrior's Charge was fourth.

“We've always loved his talent level,” Asmussen said of Silver State. “The five-race win streak and putting it all together against such a talented field today, significant race, extremely pleased with him. The horse has been training really well. He's figured out winning. I think what we saw in the two races here previously, he chose to win. They were very competitive. Watching the races, just like today, I think that's made all the difference in him.”

Silver State was coming off a neck win in the $500,000 Essex Handicap and prior to that won the Fifth Season Stakes by a nose – both this year at Oaklawn. He began his streak with a seven-length allowance win last October at Keeneland, then added a November allowance/optional claiming race at Churchill Downs.

In the Oaklawn Handicap, Silver State carried 118 pounds, four fewer than highweighted Express Train.

Breaking from the rail, Silver State saved ground most of the trip racing in mid-pack as Warrior's Charge set fractions of :22.73, :47.06 and 1:11.67.

Santana tipped Silver State five wide into the stretch, and after passing the mile marker in 1:37.23, there were six runners within about a length of each other. Silver State emerged from the pack and went on to victory.

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Saez Guides Say The Word To Elkhorn Stakes Victory

Say the Word, a Grade 1 winner of the Northern Dancer Stakes for trainer Gail Cox at Woodbine last year, picked up his first victory since being transferred to California-based Phil D'Amato in Saturday's Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland racecourse in Lexington, Ky.

Ridden by Luis Saez, the 6-year-old son of More Than Ready defeated another 6-year-old turf veteran, Channel Cat, by 1 1/2 lengths while covering 1 1/2 miles in 2:28.26 on a course labeled “good.” Crafty Daddy finished a neck back in third, with Fantasioso fourth in the field of eight older horses.

Say the Word, who on Thursday was named champion turf male in Canada's Sovereign Awards, paid $7.20 as second wagering choice behind 2-1 favorite Tide of the Sea.

Say the Word raced in mid-pack in the early going as Tide of the Sea set the pace. He made a wide move running down the backstretch, reaching contention at the quarter pole, then drawing off late for the victory.

Bred by Sam-Son Farm, Say the Word joined D'Amato's stable after Mark Martinez bought into the horse from Sam-Son late last year in the name of his Agave Racing Stable. He ran three times for D'Amato prior to the Elkhorn, finishing third in the G2 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar, 11th in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park and second to United in the G3 San Luis Rey at Santa Anita.

The win was the sixth for Say the Word in 29 career starts. He was produced from the Giant's Causeway mare Danceforthecause.

Post-race quotes:

Luis Saez (winning rider of Say the Word): “He just found a good spot (on the backstretch), and he picked up the bridle. I didn't want to let him go too early, so I tried to relax him. When we came into the straight (on the run to the finish), he was pretty good. He took it away, and he won the race.”

Josh Flores (assistant to winning trainer Phil D'Amato, who is based at Santa Anita in California): “The only instructions I gave to Luis was just get him to settle early. For a second we were a little concerned when he picked up the bridle on his own. Luis did a great job to get him to settle. Down the lane, the horse really dug in and put up a good fight.”

Corey Lanerie (rider of runner-up Channel Cat): “We were forwardly placed right behind the favorite (Tide of the Sea). The eventual winner was right on my hip and I just could not hold him off. My horse ran great. Going a mile and a half, the pace might have been a little quicker than I thought we would be going, but he handled it the whole way.”

Jack Sisterson (trainer of Channel Cat): “He ran a very good race. We were optimistic going in to this race. We backed off since his last race (fifth in Jan. 23 William L. McKnight-G3 at Gulfstream Park). We decided to point to the Elkhorn here at Keeneland – this is home for him. If horses could talk, he was telling us he was going to run a big race. It was good to see him run back to the form he had when he was trained by Todd Pletcher.”

On Channel Cat's next race: “We might look at something like the Manhattan (G1 at Belmont Park June 5) or the United Nations (G1 at Monmouth Park July 17). I think he is better than a Grade 3 horse.”

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Trio Of West Coast Runners Prep At Santa Anita For Kentucky Derby

Rock Your World, impressive undefeated winner of the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3, worked five furlongs Saturday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., in :59.60 for the G1 Kentucky Derby on May 1.

The son of Candy Ride went in company with stablemate Tripoli, who was clocked in 1:00.20. Trainer John Sadler plans to have one more breeze at Santa Anita for Rock Your World, likely next Saturday, before shipping to Kentucky.

“I had him going a minute for five furlongs with Serapio Figueroa riding, in company with Tripoli,” Sadler said. “It was a pretty effortless work, just smooth and relaxed. I was very happy.”

Also working this morning for the Run for the Roses were Dream Shake, third in the Santa Anita Derby, who went five furlongs with Flavien Prat aboard in a bullet :59.20 for trainer Peter Eurton, and G2 Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie, who went six furlongs in 1:14.20, also with Prat up.

“It was a pretty comfortable work,” Eurton said. “He was well within himself. I'm very pleased.”

Dream Shake's time was the fastest of 72 at the distance, the average time of which was 1:01.60.

“He looked solid,” O'Neill said of Hot Rod Charlie, who will be ridden on May 1 by Prat. “So far, so good.”

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