June, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Bolshoi Ballet ‘Very Sore’ Following Cazoo Derby

Coolmore partners' Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who sustained a cut to his hind leg in the G1 Cazoo Derby before finishing seventh, is reported to be 'very sore', but that the injury will not take significant time to heal. The dual Group 3 winner was favoured at Epsom on Saturday.

“He was very sore this morning,” said trainer Aidan O'Brien. “We played back the videos of the race. At the top of the hill he had it, so he obviously got it in the first 150 yards. Usually with a horse if that happens late in a race it doesn't affect them much because their blood is up, but this happened very early so it suggests it was a good reason for a disappointing run. It was just off the tendon at the back. The lads thought seven to 10 days is when we should be able to do something again with him.”

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Hot Rod Charlie Full Of Energy After Belmont Try

Even though he set the blistering pace in Saturday's Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets and got into a heavyweight battle with Essential Quality down the lane before losing the 1 ½ mile “Test of the Champion” to that one by only 1 ½ lengths, Hot Rod Charlie was full of energy and enthusiasm the morning after at Belmont Park, Elmont, N.Y.

“He looks awesome, just awesome,” said trainer Doug O'Neill before jetting back to his Southern California base. “He ate up everything and licked his feed tub. We scoped him after the race, and he scoped clean. He was definitely a little rubber-legged after the race, but, by the time he got back to the barn area, he had already recovered. He recovered quickly. He's amazing.”

O'Neill, who was seeking his first Belmont win, said that how quickly this colt bounced back is a sign of how fit he is.

“Look at his dapples. He's so dappled it's unbelievable. His coat is still beautiful. He's full of energy and is just great this morning,” said the trainer while showing off his charge.

In 2012, O'Neill saw his hope of winning the Triple Crown with Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Preakness Stakes winner I'll Have Another dashed when that colt was scratched on the eve of the race, and then he had to withdraw 2016 G1 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist from Belmont consideration when the colt spiked a fever two weeks before the race.

Twelve hours after watching Hot Rod Charlie, the winner of the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, come so close in the 2021 Belmont, he'd had time to put the performance into perspective.

“We're so proud of him. Super proud of Charlie,” he said of his team in the barn and the ownership group of Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, William Strauss, and Gainesway Stable. “We all feel so blessed to be connected with a champion of a racehorse. The whole crew would do this with him even if there was no purse money. To compete at the highest level and see Charlie and Flavien Prat connect on the biggest stage and give such a monstrous effort, we're going to carry that for days and weeks and months. We're still buzzing.”

Hot Rod Charlie, by 2013 G1 Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow out of the Indian Charlie mare Indian Miss, has tangled with G1 Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality twice before. In the G1 Kentucky Derby, he was third, finishing in front of Essential Quality (fourth). In last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Essential Quality finished first but just ¾ lengths in front of “Charlie.”

O'Neill said a rematch in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes on Augusta 28 at Saratoga is possible.

“I think that's very logical,” said O'Neill. “The great thing about this group of guys is that they're so patient. I'm sure we'll talk about that in the next week or two, but just knowing the way this journey has played out, and hopefully, there are plenty more chapters in the Charlie tale, we probably won't decide for another three weeks or so. But it is the most logical next spot. If he takes us there.”

The Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar Race Track in Del Mar, CA is also a possibility for the 3-year-old.

Hot Rod Charlie was scheduled to fly back to O'Neill's stable early next week.

“When you look as good as Charlie does this morning, when you scope as clean, and when his appetite is this good, and you've got a great horse, it's a great journey,” he said.

The post Hot Rod Charlie Full Of Energy After Belmont Try appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Joseph Targeting Grade 1 Stakes At Saratoga For Drain The Clock, Mischevious Alex

Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig's Drain the Clock kept an unbeaten record around one-turn intact when outdueling Jackie's Warrior to capture the Grade 1, $400,000 Woody Stephens presented by Nassau County Industrial Development Agency on Saturday's Belmont Stakes day card at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The chestnut sophomore son of Maclean's Music arrived at the seven-furlong event off an in-hand victory in the Grade 3 Bay Shore on April 3 at Aqueduct.

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said Drain the Clock emerged from his third graded stakes score in good order and will now target the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial on August 25 at Saratoga Race Course.

“He came out of the race well. He ran a big race yesterday,” Joseph said. “That was the first time he got involved in a duel and the horse he dueled with normally doesn't get beat when he duels. It was a gutsy performance.”

Following victories in the Limehouse and Grade 3 Swale at Gulfstream Park, Drain the Clock stretched out in distance in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, where he finished second beaten 1 ½ lengths to Greatest Honour. Following such an effort, Joseph cut him back to one turn.

“It paid off yesterday and justified for not pushing the issue,” Joseph said.

Primarily based at Gulfstream Park year round, Joseph said Drain the Clock would most likely remain at Belmont Park for the time being.

“He'll breeze in three weeks, that's what we did last time,” said Joseph. “That was the first time we had so many breezes into a race and he seems to thrive off that. I would say most likely he'll stay here, but it's not set in stone yet.”

Later on the card, Joseph saddled Mischevious Alex to a close third in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap. Although the son of Into Mischief captured the Grade 3 Gotham in March 2020 going a one-turn mile, Joseph said the horse's better runs are going an eighth to a quarter of a mile shorter. He plans on targeting the Grade 1, $350,000 A.G. Vanderbilt on July 31 and the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego, both at Saratoga Race Course, are the next goals moving forward.

“I think a mile might be stretching him at top class,” Joseph said. “I truly believe that going six or seven furlongs he's one the best in the country. He ran his race, and we'll aim for the two Grade 1 races at Saratoga and then hopefully the Breeders' Cup Sprint.”

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Bullet Work for Quality Road Colt at OBS Sunday

A colt by Quality Road (hip 856) turned in the fastest furlong work of Sunday's final session of the under-tack show for next week's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds when he became the third juvenile of the show to work in :9 4/5. The bay is consigned by McKathan Bros. Sales, agent, on behalf of breeders Fred Hertrich, III and John Fielding.

“He's been fast all year and I thought he'd go fast today. He held up his end of the bargain,” said consignor Kevin McKathan.

The colt, who RNA'd for $100,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale, is out of graded-placed Tulira's Star (Congrats), a half-sister to graded winner Mountain General (Mountain Cat).

“He is a really, really pretty colt,” McKathan said of the youngster. “He's medium-sized, which I think you get with a Quality Road. But he's a really pretty horse on the end of the shank. He looks plenty fast and hopefully the pedigree will carry him on out.”

Three horses shared Sunday's fastest quarter-mile work of :20 4/5.

A colt by Quality Road (hip 816) out of stakes winner Surfside Tiara (Scat Daddy) worked in :20 4/5 for de Meric Sales. Bred by Bridlewood Farm, the bay worked a furlong in :10 flat before RNA'ing for $400,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale in March.

A colt by Distorted Humor (hip 827) worked in :20 4/5 for Top Line Sales. The bay is out of stakes-placed Tally Ho Dixie (Dixieland Band) and is a half to stakes winner and graded placed Kyriaki (Scat Daddy). Purchased by Phantom Bloodstock for $80,000 at last year's Keeneland January sale, the juvenile RNA'd for $95,000 following a :10 2/5 work at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale.

A son of first-crop sire Practical Joke (hip 835) worked in :20 4/5 for Wavertree Stables. Out of Tessie Flip (Grand Slam), the dark bay is a half-brother to stakes winner and graded placed Jo Jo Air (Scat Daddy). He was purchased by Ron Fein's Superfine Farms for $225,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

Through five sessions, three horses shared the fastest furlong breeze time of :9 4/5. A filly by Shackleford turned in the fastest quarter-mile work of :20 3/5 and four shared the second fastest quarter-mile time of :20 4/5. A filly by Neolithic (hip 344) turned in the week's fastest three-furlong drill of :32 4/5.

“As usual this track is tougher later in the day,” McKathan said of conditions during the week. “As it heats up, it gets a little tougher to get over. But I do think that it helped to shorten the days and get started earlier. It felt fair, as fair as they could be. Obviously, if you're going out in the first set, you felt better about it then leading them out there in the end. But really, horses were breezing well throughout the day, so it was hard to gripe too much about it.”

The June sale brings the curtain down on what has been a very strong 2-year-old sales season.

“I think all of the sales have been so competitive, it feels like a lot of people are still unable to get the top-quality horses anyway,” McKathan said. “You had to get in there and really fight for them. I think, as always, the higher-end horses will be well shopped and then hopefully, the market holds right through. I think it's been a great year and everyone has been kind of excited to get back at it or at least get everything back on a regular time frame. We are hoping to get that middle market held up better here, we'll see what we get. But I believe the market will be good.”

The OBS June sale will be held Wednesday through Friday. Bidding begins each day at 10:30 a.m.

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