April, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Knock On Wood, We’re Heading The Right Way’: Prat Aboard As Hot Rod Charlie Breezes For O’Neill

HOT ROD IN SHARP WORK FOR KENTUCKY DERBY

Grade 2 Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie worked five furlongs Saturday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., in company with stablemate Hammering Lemon, after which Doug O'Neill had high praise for the son of Oxbow as he prepares for the Kentucky Derby on May 1.

“He worked really, really well,” said O'Neill, in pursuit of his third win in the Run for the Roses, having won it in 2012 with I'll Have Another and 2016 with Nyquist.

“I think the clockers gave him 1:01 and two, breezing (the actual time was 1:01.20, breezing),” said O'Neill, who had Flavien Prat aboard. “Breezing” is a rare designation given to horses by clockers in Southern California, who typically designate workouts as being done “handily.”

“Charlie had company with a horse named Hammering Lemon (clocked in 1:01.60) who broke off in front of him. They both finished up good but Charlie was the better of the two.

“Knock on wood we're heading the right way.”

Bob Baffert, seeking his seventh win the Kentucky Derby, plans to work Runhappy Santa Anita Derby runner-up Medina Spirit “next weekend.”

The post ‘Knock On Wood, We’re Heading The Right Way’: Prat Aboard As Hot Rod Charlie Breezes For O’Neill appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Classic Clues in Abundance on Sunday

There is no doubt that the Flat is back on Sunday, with the action at Leopardstown and ParisLongchamp featuring several Classic contenders jostling for position. In the G3 Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” 1000 Guineas Trial at the Foxrock venue, Coolmore hold a strong hand with last year's G1 Moyglare Stud S. heroine Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) saddled with just a three-pound penalty despite those exploits. Ryan Moore has picked her over Aidan O'Brien's promising maiden winners Empress Josephine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Joan of Arc (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), with their illustrious pedigrees suggesting there could be plenty to come as 2021 rolls on. Joan Brosnan's Loch Lein (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was impressive when winning a six-furlong maiden at Cork in September and represents the Jessie Harrington yard, while Shadwell's Mehnah (GB) (Frankel {GB}) looked a filly with a bright future when scoring on her debut over seven furlongs at Dundalk in September.

While the Listed Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” 2000 Guineas Trial S. lacks the same strength as the fillies' version, there is nevertheless intrigue with a clutch of aspiring Classic protagonists attempting to meet the form standard of Shadwell's G2 Beresford S. runner-up Monaasib (GB) (Bobby's Kitten) and Jim Bolger's G3 Killavullan S. scorer Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}). Of the Ballydoyle trio, Ryan Moore has opted to ride the Mar. 21 Curragh maiden scorer Horoscope (Ire) (No Nay Never) while in the 10-furlong G3 P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax S. he is on Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who was fifth in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud in October. Another of Rosegreen's Derby types is the Dundalk maiden winner Lough Derg (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), while the Harrington stable puts forward Fiona Carmichael's Naas maiden scorer Taipan (Fr) (Frankel {GB}). There is also the G3 Eyrefield S. first and second Flying Visit (Ire) (Pride of Dubai {Aus}) and Wuqood (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), with the latter carrying TDN Rising Star status for Shadwell and Dermot Weld.

At ParisLongchamp, the 10-furlong G2 Prix d'Harcourt boasts Jean-Claude Seroul's high-class Skalleti (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) bidding for a seventh Pattern-race success as he meets Jean-Louis Bouchard's returning G2 Prix Greffulhe winner and G1 Grand Prix de Paris third and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe fourth Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}). The card's nine-furlong G3 Prix la Force sees G1 Prix du Jockey Club hopefuls go to post including Godolphin's Erasmo (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who captured Chantilly's seven-furlong Listed Prix Saraca in October, while in the G3 Prix Vanteaux over the same trip the cast of fillies is headed by Miguel Castro Megias's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and G3 Prix Francois Boutin winner Tiger Tanaka (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}). Only second in Saint-Cloud's Listed Prix la Camargo Mar. 21, she faces Juddmonte's exciting Petricor (GB) (Frankel {GB}) who won her sole start over 7 1/2 furlongs at Deauville in August when the Camargo winner Sweet Lady (Fr) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) was last. In the G3 Prix Noailles over the Jockey Club trip of 10 1/2 furlongs, Bernard Giraudon's progressive Pretty Tiger (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) looks to re-establish his dominance over another Juddmonte representative in Media Stream (GB) (Frankel {GB}) with the pair separated by seven lengths when first and third in the Listed Prix Francois Mathet at Saint-Cloud Mar. 21.

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Paco Lopez Scores 3,000th Career Win Via Disqualification

Jockey Paco Lopez notched his 3,000th win Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., reaching the career milestone via the disqualification of the first-place finisher in Race 2.

After notching win 2,999 aboard Our Little Devil ($5.20) in Race 1, Lopez was awarded the 3,000th victory of his career by the stewards, who placed Heart of God ($6) first in Race 2 following the disqualification of the first-place finisher. The 35-year-old journeyman came right back to win Race 3 aboard Eamonn ($5.60).

“It's exciting to make the milestone with my agent Cory Moran, who was with me from the beginning. It's also exciting to win my 3,000th race in South Florida, where I started,” Lopez said. “I won a lot of races in Mexico with the quarter horses, but to win 3,000 races in America with the best horses and the best jockeys, I'm feeling very lucky to be here.”

After riding quarter horses in his native Mexico from a young age, Lopez ventured to South Florida in 2006. Lopez rode his first winner July 13, 2007, at Calder. He won 229 races and nearly $4 million in purse earnings on his way to winning the Eclipse Award as champion apprentice in his first full season in 2008.

Lopez won back-to-back Championship Meet riding titles at Gulfstream in 2010 and 2011. He also won the 2019 Gulfstream Park West crown and owns 11 riding championships in New Jersey, eight of them at Monmouth Park, where he spends the summer and early fall.

Lopez was joined in the winner's circle for a special presentation by his wife Renata and two young sons.

“I'm very excited and I thank God for my family and for the chance to ride in America,” Lopez said.

Lopez has won 89 career graded-stakes, eight of them Grade 1, including his first in the 2014 Whitney (G1) with South Florida-based Itsmyluckyday and the 2018 Breeders' Cup Sprint aboard Roy H.

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Hot Rod Charlie Tunes Up at Santa Anita

Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), front-running winner of the GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby in his most recent trip to the races, prepped for the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby with a five-furlong breeze Saturday morning over the Santa Anita main track. The half-brother to champion Mitole (Eskendereya) stopped the clock in 1:01.20 to the satisfaction of trainer Doug O'Neill.

“'Charlie' had company with a horse named Hammering Lemon (Square Eddie) [clocked in 1:01.60] who broke off in front of him,” the two-time Derby-winning trainer commented. “They both finished up good, but Charlie was the better of the two. Knock on wood we're heading the right way.”

Winner of his maiden in his first try at a dirt route last October, Hot Rod Charlie spiced up the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile exacta, going down by 3/4 of a length to 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit) as a 94-1 outsider. The dark bay was a troubled third to Medina Spirit (Protonico) when making his seasonal debut in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Jan. 30, but led every step of the 9 1/2 furlongs of the Louisiana Derby to punch his ticket to the big dance.

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