June, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Three Godolphin Runners Top First Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings Of 2021

Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield, dominant winner of the Saturday's Stephen Foster Stakes (G2), leads fellow Godolphin stars Mystic Guide and Essential Quality in the first week of tabulated votes for the 2021 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings. The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings are a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), which will be run at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 6.

Maxfield, a 4-year-old son of 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Street Sense, topped all Classic contenders with 13 first-place votes and 269 total votes. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Maxfield earned a “Win and You're In” berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic with a runaway 3 ¼-length triumph in the 1 1/8-mile Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs. The victory was Maxfield's third this year, which also includes wins in the Mineshaft Stakes (G3) at the Fair Grounds and the Alysheba Stakes (G2) at Churchill. His only defeat in eight starts was a third-place finish in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) in March.

Mystic Guide, trained by Mike Stidham, is in second place with 17 first-place votes and 261 total votes. A 4-year-old son of 2004 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Ghostzapper, Mystic Guide is two for two this year, winning the Razorback Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park and the Dubai World Cup (G1) at Meydan. Mystic Guide is slated to start in this Saturday's Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park, a “Win and You're In,” for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. The Suburban will be broadcast live on NBC (5 p.m. ET) as a part of the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In presented by America's Best Racing.”

The Brad Cox-trained 3-year-old Essential Quality, winner of the Belmont Stakes (G1), is in third place with 245 votes. A son of Tapit, Essential Quality, last year's TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) winner, and champion 2-year-old male, has won three of four starts this year.

Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing and William Straus's 3-year-old Hot Rod Charlie, a hard-fought second to Essential Quality in the Belmont, is in fourth place with 160 votes. Trained by Doug O'Neill, Hot Rod Charlie, a son of Oxbow, won the Louisiana Derby (G2) in March, and finished third in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's 4-year-old Silver State, unbeaten in four starts this year, is in fifth place with 118 votes. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Silver State won the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and Belmont's Metropolitan Handicap (G1), a “Win and You're In” for the $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1). Asmussen saddled Curlin and Gun Runner to Breeders' Cup Classic victories.

The undefeated Happy Saver, owned by Wertheimer and Frere, is in sixth place with 106 votes. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Happy Saver, a 4-year-old son of Super Saver, won an allowance optional claiming race at Belmont Park on May 28 in his lone start this year. Winner of last year's Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), Happy Saver is also expected to start in Saturday's Suburban Stakes.

WinStar Farm's 4-year-old Country Grammer, also expected to start in the Suburban, is in seventh place with 100 votes. In his two starts at Santa Anita Park this year, Country Grammer, a son of Tonalist, was second in the Californian Stakes (G2) and then won the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1). Country Grammer is now trained by Pletcher.

Mandaloun, second in the Kentucky Derby, is in eighth place with 78 votes. Owned by Juddmonte and trained by Brad Cox, Mandaloun, a 3-year-old son of Into Mischief, won the Risen Star (G2) at the Fair Grounds and the listed Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park in his most recent start on June 13.

St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska is in ninth place with 71 votes. Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska has won four of five starts this year, including Saturday's powerful 5 ¾-length victory in the Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) at Churchill.

Rounding out the top 10 is Fox Hill Farms and Siena Farm's 5-year-old gelding Royal Ship (BRZ). Trained by Richard Mandella, Royal Ship (60 votes), a son of 2008 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Midshipman, won the Californian and finished second in the Hollywood Gold Cup.

The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers and members of the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. Rankings will be announced each week through Oct. 11. A list of voting members can be found here.

In the Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – June 29, 2021*

Rank	Horse	Total Votes	First-Place Votes
1	Maxfield	269	13
2	Mystic Guide	261	17
3	Essential Quality	245	1
4	Hot Rod Charlie	160	0
5	Silver State	118	0
6	Happy Saver	106	0
7	Country Grammer	100	1
8	Mandaloun	78	0
9	Letruska	71	0
10	Royal Ship (BRZ)	60	0

*Note – The Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Breeders' Cup Classic.

The 2021 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 ¼ miles on the main track, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC.

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O Besos Camp ‘Really Confident’ Heading Into Indiana Derby

Trainer Greg Foley has been on a roll, and he hopes that translates into O Besos rolling into the $300,000, Grade 3 Indiana Derby winner's circle at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino on July 7.

O Besos, who finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby and second in Churchill Downs' Matt Winn (G2), had his final serious training move Tuesday morning at the Louisville track. With Indiana Grand's meet-leader Marcelino Pedroza aboard, the chestnut colt powered five-eighths of a mile in 1:00.20 in company right after the track opened for training at 5:30. The work was designed to start at the half-mile pole and end at the seven-eighths pole past the wire.

“I put a horse with him just to get him to focus and have a good work,” Foley said. “I wanted a good, solid work this morning, a good gallop out. The other horse broke off probably two, three lengths in front — a little further than I intended to — but it went great. They didn't go real quick the first quarter. But the half went in 48 (seconds), the five-eighths in a minute-and-change and three-quarters in 1:12-and-two, I believe. The jock liked it a lot. He said, 'We're ready to go.'”

Pedroza confirmed that assessment.

“He galloped out just like he was before the Derby, galloped out really strong,” he said. “I'm really confident in him now, the way he worked today. I like him a lot.”

Foley's horses won four races in a two-day span during Churchill Downs' closing week, including 2020 Indiana Derby runner-up Major Fed in an allowance race and Bango in the $110,000 Kelly's Landing Stakes as part of a three-bagger on June 25. Two days later, Yes It's Ginger took the $75,000 Chicken Fried Stakes at Lone Star Park near Dallas. Overall, the stable won 10 races, with another 12 seconds, while earning more than $1 million in purses at the recently concluded Churchill meet.

Asked if he believes in mojo, Foley said, “I really do. When it's going good, it's just funny the way things go. It just seems like you can't do anything wrong. And when it goes the other way — I've been on the end of that, too — it just seems like you can't do anything right. But right now, we're rolling along. We've got some good horses, though, the best I've had in a long time. That helps more than anything.”

Foley is hoping that O Besos can top last year's second-place finish by Major Fed in the Indiana Derby won by Shared Sense. O Besos already has improved on Major Fed's 10th in the 2020 Kentucky Derby.

O Besos will again face Matt Winn victor Fulsome, trained by 2020 Indiana Derby winner Brad Cox.

“We're going over there to run good,” Foley said. “We're not just going over there to run. The horse that beat us in the Matt Winn is going to be over there, so we've got to turn the tables on him.

“I thought our horse was a little keen that day, a little wired up for some reason. We've been working on that, to get him to relax a little more. That's kind of why we wanted the company today. Marcelino said he did that really well, finished up the work good and galloped out really good.”

Trainer Bret Calhoun also worked his Indiana Derby horse (Mr Wireless) and Indiana Oaks filly (Lovely Ride) very early Tuesday at Churchill. Calhoun wasn't wanting either horse to do much, and he got his wish. Lovely Ride, going first, was clocked going an easy half-mile in 50.60 seconds. Mr. Wireless went more leisurely, to where the move was more of a “two-minute lick” than a workout, which Calhoun said was fine with him.

Gabriel Saez was aboard both horses. He rides Allied Racing's Lovely Ride in the Indiana Oaks, where she seeks her fourth straight victory while making her stakes debut. Mr. Wireless comes into the Indiana Derby off of a close second in the Texas Derby under Ramon Vazquez, who will ride him at Indiana Grand.

“We intended it to be pretty easy,” Calhoun, who won the 2019 Indiana Derby with Allied Racing's Mr. Money, said of the works. “It was a hot, humid morning. We didn't want much. I think they're both fit and ready.

“Lovely Ride obviously is a bit more aggressive, but a nice easy work. Nice gallop out. Just smooth and easy. Mr Wireless, a little bit of pilot error there. He gets pretty strong going to the pole. Gabe had a pretty good hold on him and he didn't let him do too much this morning, which was fine with me. That horse had some hard races and shipped. So I was happy with everything.”

Fulsome will have his final workout Wednesday morning.

“He's coming up to this race real well,” Cox said. “He's going to breeze (Wednesday) and will ship up probably Sunday evening. But we're very pleased with how he's training.”

The 19th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing is now in progress and continues through Monday, Nov. 8. Live racing is conducted at 2:25 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, with first post on Thursday set at 3:25 p.m. A special Indiana Champions Day highlighting the state's top Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses will be held Saturday, Oct. 30, beginning at noon. More information about the 2021 racing season is available at www.caesars.com/indiana-grand.

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Shadwell Operation To Be Carried On By Sheikh Hamdan’s Daughter, Sheikha Hissa

The international Shadwell Farm operation will continue under the guidance of Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum, the daughter of the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Racing Post and Thoroughbred Daily News report.

Shadwell racing manager Angus Gold told the Racing Post that farm staff had been in discussions with Sheikha Hissa since Sheikh Hamdan's death in March, and that he'd recently visited Dubai to further review the future of the racing and breeding operations with her.

“She confirmed to me that she and her family are very keen to honor Sheikh Hamdan's legacy and keep the whole thing going, which is fantastic,” Gold told the Racing Post. “It's wonderful for his memory that she has the passion and her brothers are going to support her taking it forward and we'll do our best to do the same.”

Sheikha Hissa is a lifelong horsewoman who races a small stable of Thoroughbreds under her own name, including Haqeeqy, who won the Linclon Handicap at Doncaster shortly after Sheikh Hamdan's death. She is also the author of “Tajaarub: From a Horsewoman's Journey,” chronicling her life with horses.

Knicks Go Returns In Prairie Meadows’ Cornhusker Handicap

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and Pegasus World Cup winner Knicks Go will headline this Friday's Grade 3, $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows Racetrack in Altoona, Ia. The somewhat unusual spot for a two-time Grade 1 winner could be seen as a confidence-booster after a pair of lackluster efforts, as Knicks Go faded to fourth in both the Saudi Cup and in his stateside return earlier this month in the G1 Met Mile.

Despite his off-form record, Knicks Go has been made the even-money morning-line favorite in a field of seven expected for the 1 1/8-mile Cornhusker. Trained by Brad Cox, the 5-year-old son of Paynter will be ridden by Joel Rosario.

The second choice on the morning line at 4-1 is Last Judgement, the last-out winner of the G3 Pimlico Special for trainer Mike Maker. He won that race with a strong front-running effort, and could challenge Knicks Go for the early lead.

Should those two engage in a tiring speed duel, Bill Mott trainee Modernist may be perfectly poised to pick up the pieces. He won the G3 Excelsior at Aqueduct in April, then finished second to Last Judgement in the Pimlico Special in his most recent start.

Other classy older horses in with a chance include Rated R Superstar and Tenfold, trained by Federico Villafranco and Steve Asmussen, respectively.

The full field is as follows:

Drifting West – Joe Offolter – Walter De La Cruz
Dinar – Heath Lawrence – Alonso Quinonez
Tenfold – Asmussen – Ricardo Santana, Jr.
Last Judgement – Maker – Jose Ortiz
Knicks Go – Cox – Rosario
Rated R Superstar – Villafranco – David Cabrera
Modernist – Mott – Junior Alvarado

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