April, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Frosted Filly Comes Out Flying to Kick off Keeneland Meet

1st-Keeneland, $56,787, Msw, 4-2, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :52.15, ft, 3 1/2 lengths.
BOHEMIAN FROST (f, 2, Frosted–Toast of Mayfair, by Speightstown) blasted out of the gate and never looked back to become the first winner at Keeneland's spring meet Friday afternoon. Having prepped for this with a :46 2/5 bullet from the gate here Mar. 21, the grey was pounded down to 9-5 into the face of a 4-5 Wesley Ward shot and soon proved why. With Ward's runner Dream Fly (American Pharoah) missing the break from the rail, Bohemian Frost was almost instantly clear and the grey buzzed along from there en route to a 3 1/2-length victory. Just Fly rallied for second. The winner's dam, who is a daughter of GISW juvenile Appealing Zophie (Successful Appeal), was a five-length debut winner at two herself. Toast of Mayfair, who sold for $325,000 at KEENOV '18 while carrying Bohemian Frost, is also a half to GI Belmont S. winner Tapwrit (Tapit), MGSW Ride a Comet (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Inject (Frosted), a sharp Ellis debutante last summer who garnered 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Toast of Mayfair has a yearling filly by Candy Ride (Arg) and most recently visited West Coast. Trainer John Innis was able to build his arsenal of 2021 juveniles after selling County Final (Oxbow) for a sale-topping $475,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton July sale. The $9,500 KEESEP bargain buy took his turf sprint debut at Churchill last June before finishing second in the GIII Bashford Manor S. West Point Thoroughbreds and partners bought him at Fasig and turned him over to Steve Asmussen linebefore a victory in Monmouth's Tyro S. Sales history: $42,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-47 Roses, LLC, Sean Speck & John Ennis; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-John Ennis.

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Former Jockey, Racing Official George Taniguchi Passes At Age 94

George Taniguchi, believed to be America's first Japanese-American jockey and later a highly respected Southern California racing official, passed away at age 94 following a brief illness at his home in Palm Springs in early March, according to his niece Donna Johnson, who had served as his caretaker.

Born in 1926 in the farming community of El Centro, CA, Taniguchi's family moved to Los Angeles following World War II and he quickly became enamored with acting—which led to a chance encounter with major league horseracing at Hollywood Park in 1950.

In search of a producer whom he hoped would give him a leading role in MGM's “Go for Broke,” Taniguchi high-tailed it to the Track of the Lakes and Flowers, only to be denied entrance to the Turf Club. Although dejected, Taniguchi soon liked what he saw on the track and was told to contact a quarter horse trainer in Bakersfield named Jimmy Monji—who would later train quarter horses for Ed Allred, who would later become the owner of Los Alamitos Racecourse.

According to Taniguchi, in a story published in Discover Nikkei on Aug. 10, 2020, it was Monji who taught him how to ride with a horse, not just on a horse. His experience with Monji in Bakersfield led to him becoming a freelance exercise boy at Hollywood Park in 1952 and then a licensed jockey in 1954.

Hollywood Park's leading apprentice and a winner of a career-high 230 races in 1954, Taniguchi more than held his own riding at tracks around the country with the likes of John Longden, Bill Shoemaker, Eddie Arcaro, Ray York, Milo Valenzuela, Bill Boland, Donald Pierce, Jerry Lambert and other top riders of the 1950s and 60s. With 203 wins in 1959, Taniguchi enjoyed his best money-won year, as his mounts earned $934,711, placing him 12th nationally.

A multiple leading rider on Pomona's half mile bullring, Taniguchi, who retired from the saddle in 1968, booted home a total of 1,597 winners from 11,354 mounts.

“My dad loved George and he won a lot of races with him at Pomona,” said trainer Gary Stute in reference to his father, the late Mel Stute. “My dad always said nobody rode that bullring out there better than George. He was fearless and a great judge of pace. I can tell you this, he was a great racing official also. He knew the game and he respected everyone.”

Among his biggest wins, as reported by Steve Andersen in Daily Racing Form, were the $218,940 Arlington Futurity in 1960 aboard Pappa's All, with whom he also won that year's Hollywood Futurity.

Taniguchi also rode Hall of Famer Round Table to victory in the 1957 El Dorado Handicap at Hollywood Park and in 1958, he won Santa Anita's San Felipe Stakes aboard Carrier X. A multiple stakes winner at Pomona, Twenty One Guns and Taniguchi also won the Del Mar Handicap in 1959.

Following his retirement, Taniguchi worked as a racing official at all major California tracks and served as Assistant Racing Secretary at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Del Mar.

“George was a good friend and a tremendous official,” said longtime Santa Anita Placing Judge, Bob Moreno. “He was always upbeat and he made the job fun. He was professional at all times and he knew the game thoroughly. A first class man in every respect.”

George Taniguchi is survived by his son Ryan and niece, Donna Johnson.

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Battaash’s King’s Stand Bid In Jeopardy

Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire})'s bid to defend his G1 King's Stand S. title could be in jeopardy, with the 7-year-old's return to trainer Charlie Hills's yard delayed after he picked up an injury while wintering at Shadwell.

Battaash sustained a small fracture over the winter, however he is back cantering and is expected to return to Hills in a matter of weeks.

“He just had a tiny little fracture in a joint during the winter and we've had to give him plenty of time off. He's had a pin put in it,” said Angus Gold, Shadwell's racing manager. “He's been back cantering for five weeks now and he seems fine at the moment and we will give him two more weeks cantering there and then, all being well, he will go back into training at that stage. Obviously the horse's welfare is our main concern.

“He'll be a month later going into training than normal, but [the late] Sheikh Hamdan did say to try him again as long as he was sound. Because he is going back in later than normal, it's not guaranteed he'll get to Royal Ascot. Hopefully he will, but we will see how he goes when he gets back in. He's seven years old and we need to make sure he's in one piece.”

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Saturday’s Racing Insights: Half to California Chrome Debuts at Keeneland

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

3rd-KEE, $79K, Msw, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 2:12 p.m. ET
OXO Equine LLC's Primary Endpoint (Pioneerof the Nile) makes his debut in a salty-looking Keeneland maiden special weight Saturday. The $600,000 Fasig-Tipton November '18 weanling is a half to none other than two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit). Brad Cox has been preparing the bay at Fair Grounds for this. Curlin Lane (Curlin) was a $500,000 KEESEP yearling buy by Albaugh Family Stables. The Dale Romans pupil is out of a SW/GSP mare who has already produced two stakes winners, including SW/GSP Street of Gold (Street Sense). A number of runners enter off of solid debut runs: Shadow Matter (Macho Uno) earned a field's-best 75 Beyer Speed Figure when finishing second at Fair Grounds Mar. 4–one slot ahead of $500,000 OBSAPR pick-up and grandson of Silverbulletday K C Rocket (Kantharos); $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad Recidivist (Into Mischief) was runner-up at Turfway Mar. 4; and Mr Annoying (Kitten's Joy) goes turf to dirt after rounding out the trifecta at Gulfstream Feb. 26. TJCIS PPs

SPEIGHTSTER TURNED BACK AFTER OBS IN AT SANTA ANITA

4th-SA, $76K, Msw, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 4:39 p.m. ET
Bobby Bo (Speightster), the $100,000 SARAUG yearling turned $1.1-million OBSAPR juvenile who was subsequently turned back, reportedly for cribbing, makes his debut on the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby undercard for Bob Baffert and Little Read Feather Racing's pinhooking partnership, Solana Beach Sales. The powerful :20 4/5 breezer is out of a MSP mare who was a big-figure, 6 1/2-length debut winner as a November juvenile. Baffert also entered Juddmonte homebred Laurel River (Into Mischief), who was fifth on debut here last October as the 13-10 chalk. He's out of a full-sister to MGISW Emollient (Empire Maker). Secret Weapon (Candy Ride {Arg}), a $650,000 KEESEP buy, will be saddled by Simon Callaghan on behalf of Qatar Racing and his breeder Peter Blum. He hails from the family of GSW Multiple Choice, MSW Inspired, SW Initiation and GISW Well Chosen. Bender (Curlin) cost $575,000 at Keeneland September. The Richard Mandella-trained dark bay is half to the MGSW millionaire Clearly Now (Horse Greeley) and GSW Bendable (Horse Greeley). TJCIS PPs

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