July, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Improving 3-Year-Old’ Masqueparade Works Toward Jim Dandy

FTGGG Racing's graded stakes-winner Masqueparade breezed a half-mile in 49.23 seconds over Saratoga's fast main track Friday in preparation for the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy on July 31 at the Spa, a race in which he'll likely face Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality.

The Al Stall, Jr.,-trained son of second crop sire Upstart has made a gradual climb up the ladder since being elevated to first via disqualification from his fourth career start on March 20 at Fair Grounds.

Masqueparade followed with an 11 ¾-length optional-claiming win going nine furlongs at Churchill Downs before defeating graded stakes winners King Fury, Keepmeinind and Promise Keeper in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Ohio Derby on June 26 at Thistledown.

“He's an improving 3-year-old mentally, physically and figure wise and that's why we're taking our chance in a race like the Jim Dandy,” Stall, Jr. said. “He's easy on himself. He won't grab the bit and go down there in 47 and change and gallop out in a minute, which is good at this point in time. It might help his longevity.”

Stall, Jr. said he had considered the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on July 17 at Monmouth Park and the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby on 7 at Mountaineer, but decided the Jim Dandy provided the best opportunity.

“I think with natural selection they'll sort themselves out,” Stall, Jr. said of the 3-year-old crop. “There's plenty to choose from. The Haskell will tell us a lot, the Jim Dandy will tell us a lot, West Virginia might tell us something moving forward. The Haskell came up too close, but honestly, we just want to give this horse a chance to improve. He keeps on moving forward, so he belongs in this group.”

A $180,000 purchase from the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Masqueparade is out of the Any Given Saturday mare Cry War Eagle. She has a 2020 colt by Collected and a 2021 filly by Cairo Prince.

Jockey Miguel Mena, who has piloted Masqueparade in all six of his lifetime starts, will retain the mount for the Jim Dandy.

Stall, Jr. added that Bal Mar Equine's Dalika is possible for the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls on Aug. 7 at Saratoga.

The gray or roan German-bred mare earned her first graded stakes triumph last out in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial on July 10 at Delaware Park. She will return to the Spa after recording stakes efforts the past two seasons, finishing second in the Riskaverse in 2019 and fifth in the Caress last year.

“She's kind of hard to ride against because if you have a horse lengths ahead of you, it takes so much to catch up to her,” Stall, Jr. said. “She got overaggressive in the Caress and she'll do that. She's the type of horse that you cannot fight her. You've got to let her do her thing. That's why Miguel [Mena] fits her so well. We don't send her one inch, she just trains that way.”

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Maxfield ‘Back In The Swing Of Things’ With Half-Mile Breeze At Saratoga

Godolphin homebred Maxfield, a multiple graded stakes winner, breezed a half-mile in 49.09 seconds Friday morning on Saratoga's Oklahoma training track in company with maiden-winning filly Longpants Required [49.37] in preparation for the nine-furlong Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on Aug. 7 at the Spa, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Maxfield, trained by Brendan Walsh, was caught by NYRA clockers through splits of 25.3 and out in 1:01.1, galloping out strong through the turn outside of his workmate.

“I just wanted them to start out nice and easy and pick it up as they went,” Walsh said. “It was a good work. I just wanted to get him back in the swing of things again. He looks like he's doing great. I was delighted with him yesterday when I got up here. He looked as good if not better than ever.”

A winner of seven-of-eight career starts with purse earnings in excess of $1.2 million, the 4-year-old Street Sense colt captured the 2019 Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland.

Maxfield suffered his only career defeat in March when third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap. In his last two starts, Maxfield has taken a big step forward, garnering triple-digit Beyers, winning the Grade 2 Alysheba [105] on April 30 and the Grade 2 Stephen Foster [103] on June 26 both at Churchill.

Walsh said he was pleased with the colt's first breeze back since his Stephen Foster score.

“It's three weeks since he ran and it worked out fine,” Walsh said. “I wasn't in a rush to work him back with the shipping. It's just a question of keeping him happy and keeping him healthy.”

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Nunthorpe, Flying Five On The Radar For Golden Pal After Saratoga Win

After returning victorious in Saratoga's Opening Day Quick Call, trainer Wesley Ward said Golden Pal will take his talents overseas for his next engagement.

A winner of his last three starts, Golden Pal was in command throughout the entire 5 ½-furlong journey for sophomores and was wrapped up by jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the final sixteenth of a mile, garnering a career-best 95 Beyer for the three-length win.

Ward said he plans on shipping Golden Pal back to Keeneland in the next couple of days to prepare for a possible start in either the Group 1 Nunthorpe on Aug. 20 at York in England or the Group 1 Flying Five on Sept. 12 at the Curragh in Ireland. Both races offer the winner an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in November at Del Mar.

“I was planning on going this morning, but he ran such a big effort I'll keep him here for a couple of days,” Ward said. “Right now, when he's this good and you want to try and make him a sire, you have to hook into a Group 1 somewhere.”

Ward said the Nunthorpe might be coming up a little sooner than ideal.

“It's close together, but when you're talking about going over to England and off a layoff, I like to give them some time so I'm not 100 percent certain he'll go to the Nunthorpe,” Ward said. “I would say, looking at his energy and his workouts, that will determine whether it's there or if he'll run in Ireland. I've never run one in Ireland.”

Both the Nunthorpe and the Flying Five are contested at five furlongs, a half-furlong shorter than the Quick Call.

“He's much better going five-eighths,” Ward said.

Golden Pal, owned by Coolmore partners Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Westerberg, was a dazzling 3 ½-length winner of the Skidmore at Saratoga last summer before capturing the Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland. He arrived at the Quick Call off eight months rest.

Golden Pal's next start will not be his first international endeavor. In his second outing, he was second beaten a neck in the Group 2 Norfolk last June at Royal Ascot.

While Golden Pal takes his show on the road, Ten Broeck Farm's five-time stakes winner Kimari will target the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss on July 28 at Saratoga.

The daughter of Munnings captured the Grade 1 Madison on April 3 at Keeneland last out, defeating graded stakes-winners Estilo Talentoso, Bell's the One and Sconsin.

The 4-year-old bay filly, who has never finished worse than fourth in 10 career starts, seeks a second stakes victory at the Spa. She earned her first stakes triumph when taking the Bolton Landing in August 2019.

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Racing Insights for July 17

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5th-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 3:23 p.m. ET

Annette Allen and Helen Alexander's Montauk Point (Violence) makes his first start for the Shug McGaughey barn here. The $550,000 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Showcase grad–the priciest yearling by his Hill 'n' Dale sire to sell last season–is half to none other than 2019 GI Test S. and GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint heroine Covfefe (Into Mischief), who garnered both champion 3-year-old filly and champion female sprinter honors for that campaign. The chestnut hails from the uber deep family that traces back to Broodmare of the Year Courtly Dee.

Uninvited Guest (Distorted Humor), a $400,000 KEESEP yearling, was second at 8-5 in his Monmouth unveiling June 20. He's out of MSW/GSP turf router and 'TDN Rising Star' Interrupted (Broken Vow). Interrupted is a daughter of of MSW/MGSP Alternate (Seattle Slew), making her a half to GISW Higher Power (Medaglia d'Oro) and millionaire MGSW Alternation (Distorted Humor).

Chattalot (Midnight Lute) is a somewhat surprisingly short 8-5 on the morning line for Steve Amussen, who unveiled freaky 'Rising Star'-earning filly Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) on opening day. Chattalot was a $4,500 FTKOCT RNA turned $110,000 OBS April purchase off a :10 flat breeze. The bay, who is co-owned by Bloom Racing Stable of Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) fame, along with David Bernsen, is half to SW/GSP A Red Tie Day (Indygo Shiner) and GSP Alydarla (Henny Hughes). TJCIS PPs

8th-SAR, $103k, Alw, 3y/up, 7f, 5:03 p.m. ET

Book-ended by 'TDN Rising Stars', this is one of those vintage allowances you'll only find at Saratoga that could easily have a grade next to it. Shadwell Stable's wide-drawn Mahaamel (Into Mischief) gets a tepid nod on David Aragona's morning line at 5-2. He was a close second on debut at Belmont Apr. 24 to fellow 'Rising Star' and recent GIII Dwyer S. hero First Captain (Curlin), and broke through himself by 3 1/4 lengths going this trip in the Belmont mud June 4. The $700,000 KEESEP yearling, out GSW Hot Stones (Bustin Stones), earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure for his maiden breaker.

Stonestreet homebred Beau Liam (Liam's Map) will have to work out a trip from the rail in just his second attempt. The son of GSW Belle of Perintown (Dehere) is half to GSW Strike It Rich (Unbridled's Song) and MSW/MGSP Tomlin (Distorted Humor). He aired by 7 1/2 lengths and received a 94 Beyer for his unveiling under the Twin Spires May 29.

Chad Brown has two signed on. Crowded Trade (More Than Ready) was beaten a nose in the GIII Gotham S. in March, third in the GII Wood Memorial S. Apr. 3 and fifth last out in the GI Preakness S. May 15. Witsel (Nyquist), meanwhile, was purchased privately by Peter Brant and Bob LaPenta after a 13 1/4-length romp as a late season 2-year-old at Tampa Dec. 9 for trainer Carlos Munoz. He earned a solid 84 Beyer for that outing, but the subsequent efforts by the field he beat that day have been hit or miss. The fourth finisher did take a state-bred stakes, however, after breaking his maiden for $25,000. Witsel was a $72,000 KEESEP RNA and is a grandson of Grade II-winning sprinter Golden Gale (Summer Squall).

Courtlandt Farms's $410,000 KEESEP buy Ten for Ten (Frosted) was last seen finishing a neck second in the nine-panel GII Remsen S. Dec. 5. The grey is out of a half-sister to GISWs Creative Cause (Giant's Causeway) and Vexatious (Giant's Causeway) as well as GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner and GI Belmont S. runner-up Destin (Giant's Causeway).

TJCIS PPs

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