April, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Love Targeting Mooresbridge

Last year's champion 3-year-old filly and dual Classic winner Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is among the entries for Saturday's G3 Alleged S. at The Curragh, but trainer Aidan O'Brien has indicated that the chestnut is likely to wait for the G2 Mooresbridge S. at the same venue on May 3. Love's stablemate Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), a multiple Group 3-winning 5-year-old, is likely to deputize in the Alleged.

“Broome is likely to run in the Alleged at The Curragh on Saturday,” O'Brien said. “He's already had a run, and Love might wait for the Mooresbridge. It's a long year, and we might wait a bit longer with her.”

Love made seven starts at two in 2019, the highlight being a win in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. She stepped out just three times last year but won on each occasion at Group 1 level: the 1000 Guineas, Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks. Love was withdrawn from the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October on account of the testing ground just prior to Ballydoyle's remaining runners defecting after a feed contamination.

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All Eyes on Craven Bounty

Thursday at Newmarket means the G3 bet365 Craven S. and all the rush of excitement that accompanies it, with the Suffolk faithful hoping they see the subsequent G1 2000 Guineas hero moving through the gears. At this stage, with form from 2020 to guide, Charlie Appleby's Master of the Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) appears the most obvious one to emerge with a target on the main prize given how impressive he was in the G2 Superlative S. at the July meeting here. There was much to take from his fourth, when probably launched too soon, in a hot renewal of the G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. at The Curragh in September and he has enjoyed a warm-up for this when second to Wednesday's Listed European Free runner-up Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Feb. 25 Listed Meydan Classic.

“He is a horse that we went to Dubai with knowing that our aim was to be here for the Craven,” Appleby said. “It is a long season and whatever he was going to do out there, we were hopeful that we would see plenty of improvement which we have. He has come out of the race well and has done well. He shipped back into England a week ago and we are looking forward to the Craven. He has got some great form. He won his maiden here then he won the Superlative on the July Course and he wasn't disgraced in the National S., where I feel he didn't show his true running as he was very keen early on. This was always going to be our plan. The mile suits him and he was doing his best work towards the end at Meydan–he kept on nicely towards the line.”

Appleby also supplies 'TDN Rising Star' La Barrosa (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who captured the G3 Tattersalls S. over seven furlongs here in September before dead-heating for fifth in the G1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud the following month.

“One box he does tick is that he is already a course winner and the mile will suit him,” he said. “I think you can put a line through that last run of his in France, as it was in very soft ground at the backend of the year. His preparation has gone faultlessly. He looks great. They are two horses that both bring group-race form into it and on 2-year-old form they are the two picks. It got a bit tight on the rail in the group three here, La Barrosa showed a bit of class and acceleration to get his head in front.”

Ballydoyle's 3-year-old class have hardly been pulling up trees so far here this week and it is hard to know what to expect from the unexposed duo of Khartoum (Pioneerof the Nile) and Sandhurst (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), with Aidan O'Brien using the Ryan Moore and Frankie Dettori link-up which worked so well last term. Moore is on the $1-million Keeneland September graduate Khartoum, who broke his maiden over seven furlongs on soft ground at The Curragh in October, but he admitted to being in the dark about his prospects. “I would have happily ridden either, but I get on Khartoum,” he said. “Both clearly have a lot to find with horses who have done well in Group 1 company, but that is what these trials are all about.”

Amo Racing Limited and Arjun Waney's Devilwala (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was 100-1 when fourth in the G1 Dewhurst S. over seven here in October and lost all chance when blowing the start in eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Trainer Ralph Beckett said, “Devilwala is not a flashy work horse, but he is fit and ready to go. Although this is a drop in grade, he will still need to be on top of his game in what looks a competitive race. We know he handles the track as he was fourth in the Dewhurst and though conditions are different he has won on quick ground and I'm confident he will get the mile.”

Ryan Moore was impressed by Edward Ware's Royal Air Force (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) when he partnered him to score by seven lengths on his sole start in a seven-furlong novice contest at Yarmouth in June. Ed Crisford is aware of the magnitude of this test on his belated return and said, “I think it is a very ambitious task, as it looks a hard race but he has been doing well and he deserves to be there. He was impressive at Yarmouth and though it was only a small-field novice, he did it nicely and Ryan liked him that day. He has been off for a long time, as he had a little setback and we were going to run at the end of the year but we decided not to. He appears to have strengthened up as a 3-year-old and hopefully he will improve again.”

The Craven is preceded by the long-established Wood Ditton Maiden S. for unraced 3-year-olds and the G3 Abernant S. for the older sprinters, with last year's winner Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}) back for more Newmarket glory having also landed the G1 July Cup. Last seen finishing seventh in the Feb. 20 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, the lightly-raced 5-year-old will be more at home back on grass. “In these sprints, I don't think ratings matter and although he is top on ratings and the best horse in the race you still need a bit of luck and everything to go right,” trainer Roger Teal said. “He took the trip to Saudi Arabia fine and we just paid the price for trying to chase the pace on the dirt. The weather has been different to out there and it has been brutal, but he seems in good shape.”

In the Bet365 British EBF Confined Novice S. over 10 furlongs, Ed Dunlop reintroduces Anamoine's John Leeper (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), the son of Snow Fairy (Ire) (Intikhab) who shaped with such promise when fourth on his sole start at Doncaster in September. Second on that occasion was Cordouan (Fr) (Shalaa {Ire}), who was an impressive winner this week, and Crossford (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) who had that rival in second when scoring at Newcastle in October. Ryan Moore rides John Leeper–before partnering the Charlie Hills-trained Crossford in the closing mile handicap–and he said, “He is a horse I want to see do well, as a son of Snow Fairy. The step up to a mile and a quarter must surely be a positive for him and, while he meets some good horses, he at least gets seven pounds from the three winners.”

Click here for the group fields.

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Bloodlines Presented By Mill Ridge Farm: ‘Stock’ Is Rising For Breeders’ Futurity Grads

Last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland is looking more and more like a key race for the classics this year. The winner was last year's champion juvenile colt, Essential Quality (by Tapit), who is still unbeaten and is the solid favorite for the Kentucky Derby next month.

The second-place finisher in the Breeders' Futurity was Keepmeinmind (Laoban), who won the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs in his next start, although he has not found his best form so far this season.

Farther back in the Futurity were a pair of well regarded colts who have taken a step forward, however, and they specifically did so over the weekend. Of those, Super Stock was third in the Breeders' Futurity, and the bay son of Dialed In dimmed some classic dreams with a victory by 2 1/2 lengths in the G1 Arkansas Derby over the previously unbeaten Concert Tour (Street Sense) and the well-regarded Caddo River (Hard Spun).

The Arkansas Derby was the first graded stakes victory for Super Stock, who was bred in Kentucky by Pedro Gonzalez and P.J. Gonzalez and then sold at the 2019 Keeneland September yearling sale to Erv Woolsey and Keith Asmussen for $70,000.

That was a solid price for a yearling by the good young sire Dialed In (Mineshaft), who also sired classic prospect Gunnevera in his first crop. Likewise, Dialed In was a classic contender during his own 3-year-old season with victories in the G3 Holy Bull Stakes and the G1 Florida Derby.

Super Stock comes from his sire's fifth crop and is one of 15 stakes winners by the stallion, who stands at Darby Dan Farm for $15,000 live foal. Dialed In's other 3-year-olds include Papetu, who ran third in the G2 Fountain of Youth; Get Her Number, who was fourth in the Arkansas Derby; and Exogen, who was second in the Cicada at Aqueduct.

Super Stock is the fifth foal and fourth winner from his dam, the Closing Argument mare Super Girlie. She is also the dam of Boujie Girl (Flashback), who was third in the G1 Del Mar Debutante. Super Girlie was barren in 2019 and has a bay yearling colt by Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy).

Super Stock's broodmare sire, Closing Argument, was second in the 2005 Kentucky Derby, beaten a half-length by Giacomo. So there are classic elements in the pedigree, although the dominant classic contributor would appear to be the male line from Seattle Slew, A.P. Indy, and Mineshaft.

Coming to the Arkansas Derby, Super Stock was already G1-placed from his finish in the Breeders' Futurity, giving him significant form against the best of his crop, and if he maintained that level, he should have been a major force in the race, which proved to be the case.

That was not the status of another racer from the Breeders' Futurity who returned to competition in the G3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on Saturday. King Fury (Curlin) had been beaten into eighth place in the Breeders' Futurity after going wide on both turns, but the chestnut son of the 2007-2008 Horse of the Year had come back 22 days later and won the listed Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs over Super Stock.

Attempts in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes had suggested that King Fury wasn't yet at his best, but the Lexington was the colt's seasonal debut and delivered results that have inclined trainer Kenny McPeek to favor a possible attempt at the Preakness Stakes in mid-May, which the colt's sire won in 2007.

Bred in Kentucky by the Heider Family Stables LLC, King Fury is the only foal out of G1 winner Taris (Flatter). Consigned to the Saratoga select yearling sale in 2019 through Hill 'n' Dale, King Fury brought $950,000 and races for Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm.

Taris was bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider and then was sold for $90,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale to Commonwealth New Era Racing. After winning the G2 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland, Taris sold to Coolmore for $2.35 million at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November sale. The next year, Taris won another graded stakes and was third in the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly Sprint. At five, she won the 2016 G1 Humana Distaff and later was sold privately to the Heider Family Stables. Taris was retired for breeding in 2017 and died after foaling King Fury in 2018.

With his victory in the Lexington, King Fury made a significant step toward fulfilling the high hopes held for a racer of his pedigree and excellent physical character.

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‘Extremely Fortunate’ Charlie LoPresti Has Stepped Back From Training Racehorses

Though his last starter came in late October last year, trainer Charlie LoPresti told the Daily Racing Form that he “didn't want to make a big deal” about his retirement from the racetrack. The 63-year-old is now enjoying spending more time with his wife, their bird dogs, Quarter Horses, and Angus cattle.

LoPresti's most well-known charge was two-time Horse of the Year and Breeders' Cup Mile winner Wise Dan. The 14-year-old is living out his retirement at his trainer's 200-acre Forest Lane Farm in Athens, Ky.

From the start of his career in 2003, LoPresti compiled a record of 310 wins and over $20 million in earnings.

“The racetrack takes up a whole lot of your time, and if you're not careful, you'll never get to do some of the other things you want to do with your life,” LoPresti told DRF. “I'm extremely fortunate because racing was so good to me. Not only did we have Wise Dan in our barn, but we also had stakes winners like his brother, Successful Dan, and good horses like Turallure and Here Comes Ben. Those were great years, and I take a lot of good memories away from it.”