Month: May 2021

Smooth Like Strait Likely Favorite In Monday’s ‘Win And You’re In’ Shoemaker Mile

Cannon Thoroughbreds' consistent Smooth Like Strait heads a field of seven 3-year-olds and up in Monday's Grade 1, $300,000 Shoemaker Mile, one of three Grade 1 stakes on a nine-race Memorial Day program at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

A Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, the nominated winner of the Shoemaker Mile will be entitled to an automatic entry to the 2021 Breeders' Cup Mile Turf, to be run at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Smooth Like Strait, a four-time graded stakes winner on turf, will face stiff competition, headed perhaps by Phil D'Amato's Say the Word, who was supplemented at a cost of $6,000.

A 4-year-old colt by Midnight Lute, Smooth Like Strait comes off a pair of neck defeats—a third place finish in the G1 Turf Classic at 1 1/8 miles on May 1 at Churchill Downs and in the G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita on March 6.

A three-quarter length winner of the G2 Mathis Brothers Mile three starts back on Dec. 26, Smooth Like Strait, dating back to his 2 ½-length win in the G2 La Jolla Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 9, has been favored in six of his last seven starts, all graded stakes, and he's won three of them.

With regular rider Umberto Rispoli back aboard, Smooth Like Strait, who earned a best last-out Beyer Speed Figure of 100 in the Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, is 14-6-3-2 overall with earnings of $753,823.

An impressive 1 ½-length winner of the G2 Elkhorn Stakes going 1 1/2 miles over a soft turf at Keeneland April 17, Say the Word was second, beaten three quarters of a length two starts back going the same distance here in the G3 San Luis Rey Stakes on March 20.

A 6-year-old Ontario/Canadian-bred gelding by More Than Ready, Say the Word, who will be cutting back to a flat mile for the first time since Sept. 1, 2019, will be making his fifth start for D'Amato on Monday.  With Flavien Prat engaged, he's well-spotted for owners Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm.

A G1 winner in his final start at Woodbine Race Course on Oct. 18, Say the Word brings an overall mark of 29-6-3-5 and earnings of $609,292 to Monday's Shoe Mile.

GRADE 1 SHOEMAKER MILE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS

IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

  1. Next Shares—Trevor McCarthy—122
  2. Smooth Like Strait—Umberto Rispoli—124
  3. Crossfirehurricane—Mario Gutierrez—122
  4. Restrainedvengeance—Tyler Baze—122
  5. Raymundos Secret—Juan Hernandez—124
  6. Whisper Not—Geovanni Franco—122
  7. Say the Word—Flavien Prat—124

First post time for a nine-race card on Monday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Wicked Warrior Among Best Of Ohio Winners At Belterra Park

Despite a heavy rain and muddy track, five $100,000 Ohio Thoroughbred Race Fund (OTRF) stakes went off without a hitch on Best of Ohio day at Belterra Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Friday, May 28.

Capturing the Sydney Gendelman Stakes was the 9-5 choice Wicked Warrior, a Benny Feliciano trainee owned by Bruce Tallisman. Wicked Warrior demolished his competition by more than 10 lengths.  The 4-year-old bay gelding by Wicked Strong covered the 1 1/16 miles for Registered Ohio-breds, 3-year-olds and up, in 1:43.68 with Ricardo Feliciano in the saddle. Wicked Warrior now has $215,790 in career earnings from six wins, four seconds and one third in 13 starts. Forewarned (6-5) was second for Sonny Leon, with 18-1 Mobil Solution (Erik Barbaran) third and 90-1 Candy Exchange (David Haldar) fourth.

Altissimo won the Palacious Memorial, a six-furlong sprint, for the third straight time (having won this stake in 2018 and 2019). Owned by Nancy Lavrich and Ronald Zielinski, the homebred 8-year-old son of Noble Causeway is trained by Richard Zielinski and now has $894,534 in earnings from 19 wins, eight seconds and six thirds in 48 career starts. Altissimo was clocked in 1:10.42 with rider Ronald Dale Allen, Jr., in the irons, with 19-1 Chief Randel (Fernando Becerra) second, 9-2 Going with Style (Sonny Leon) third and 9-2 I Wanna Win (Erik Barbaran) fourth.

Buckeye Magic captured his third career start in five tries as the 6-5 favorite by whipping his rivals in the Green Carpet Stakes. The son of Trappe Shot–Lady Buckeye, by Quiet American covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.92 over the slop for rider John McKee.  Thomas Drury, Jr., trained the winner for owner-breeder Maccabee Farm. Buckeye Magic upped his career earnings to $142,220 with this latest victory. Henry Mac (Luis Batista) was second at 40-1, while 8-1 Big Truck was third for Perry Ouzts and 3-1 choice Brig was fourth for Christian Pilares.

Last year's Galbreath Memorial winner Alexandria, notched her fifth lifetime triumph in her ninth start in the Norm Barron Queen City Oaks, a 1 1/16-mile test for Ohio-registered 3-year-old fillies. The chestnut daughter by Constitution-Spring Water, by Spring at Last is conditioned by Tim Hamm for her breeders and owners WinStar Farm, Blazing Meadows Farm and Michael Lewis. To date has Alexandria has amassed earnings of $261,945. She was clocked in 1:45.03 as the 2-5 choice with Santiago Gonzalez riding.  Shez Shacked up (David Haldar) was second at 40-1, with 25-1 Angel's Sassy (Frank Reyes) third and 25-1 Lemon Deelite (John McKee) fourth.

Esplanande obliterated her rivals in the fourth running of the six-furlong Diana Stakes for Ohio-registered fillies, 3-year-old and up. The dark bay daughter of Daredevil–Southern Silence, by Dixie Union was clocked in 1:10.58 for trainer by Tim Hamm for breeders-owners Winstar Farm, Blazing Meadows Farm and Michael Lewis. This homebred, who left the gate at 2-5 odds, now has career earnings of $281,880. Drillit was second at 9-2 for Christian Pilares, with 14-1 Valley of Mo'ara (Frank Reyes) third and 18-1 Edge of Night (Ronald Dale Allen, Jr.) fourth.

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Californian Winner Royal Ship Faces Express Train, Rushie In Hollywood Gold Cup

Formerly a turf specialist, Richard Mandella's Royal Ship appears ready for his close-up on dirt, as he heads Monday's Grade 1, $300,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.  Originally run and won in 1938 by Seabiscuit at Hollywood Park, Monday's renewal has attracted a field of seven 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/4 miles and will mark the 83rd renewal of one of North America's most prestigious races for handicap division horses.

Prominent among those who will try to deny Royal Ship is the John Shirreffs-trained Express Train, who returns to Santa Anita following a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap and the Michael McCarthy-trained Rushie, who was beaten a nose in the ungraded Oaklawn Mile on April 10.

A 5-year-old gelding who was making only his third start on dirt, Brazilian-bred Royal Ship stalked the pace proved gamest late in taking the Grade 2, 1 1/8 mile Californian Stakes by neck on April 17.  A Group 1 winner on grass in Brazil, Royal Ship, a 5-year-old gelding by Midshipman, had been winless in four starts for Mandella prior to the Californian.

In winning the iconic Gold Cup prep, Royal Ship earned a Gold Cup-best last-out Beyer Speed figure of 108 and will hope to stretch his current form to a mile and a quarter—a distance that's he's never tried.

Owned by Fox Hill Farms, Inc. and Siena Farm, LLC, Royal Ship is 12-6-1-2 and will be ridden by Mike Smith for the sixth consecutive time.

A rousing 3 ¼-length winner of the G2 San Pasqual Stakes three starts back on Jan. 30, Express Train opened up turning for home in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6, but was overtaken late to be defeated by a half length by Idol.

A 4-year-old colt by Union Rags, Express Train was subsequently made the 9-5 favorite in the G2 Oaklawn Handicap, but finished third, beaten 1 ½ lengths.  Owned by Lee and Susan Searing's   C R K Stable, Express Train, who is 10-3-4-1, rates a huge chance with regular rider Juan Hernandez back aboard.

A one-mile maiden winner in his second start eight races back on Feb. 1, 2020, Rushie has raced out of town in his last four races, finishing second by a nose on April 10 at Oaklawn Park, seventh by 6 ½ lengths in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland Nov. 7, winning the G2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs by 1 ¾ lengths on Sept. 5 and running third, beaten 8 ¼  lengths, in the G2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on July 11, 2020.

With newly relocated Trevor McCarthy set to ride for the first time, Rushie, a 4-year-old Florida-bred colt by Liam's Map who will be trying a mile and a quarter for the first time, will run out of his own stall for the first time since finishing third in the G1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on June 6, 2020.  Owned by Jim and Donna Daniell, Rushie is 9-3-2-2 with earnings of $583,151.

GRADE 1 HOLLYWOOD GOLD CUP WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS

IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9  Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

  1. Royal Ship—Mike Smith—124
  2. Country Grammer—Flavien Prat—122
  3. Brown Storm—Umberto Rispoli—122
  4. Heywoods Beach—Tyler Baze—122
  5. Rushie—Trevor McCarthy—124
  6. Two Thirty Five—Abel Cedillo—122
  7. Express Train—Juan Hernandez—124

First post time for a nine-race card on Memorial Day, Monday, is at 1 p.m.  Two other Grade I stakes, the Gamely and the Shoemaker Mile, will highlight the day's racing.  For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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