July, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘It Would Mean The World To Me’: Trainer Matt Hebert Ships From Texas To Saratoga For Quick Call

It's a long journey from Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas to Saratoga Race Course – 1,444 miles to be exact – but trainer Matt Hebert said he has enough confidence in Rebel Posse to send the two-time winner for Thursday's Opening Day's Grade 3, $120,000 Quick Call at Saratoga.

“I like him a lot. It's a lot to ask a horse to ship that far, but I think we fit in there,” Hebert said.

When stepping up to graded stakes company for the first time in the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for sophomores, Rebel Posse faces a salty group which includes highly-regarded Golden Pal who runs for the first time since capturing last year's Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland. He also will take on stakes-winner Jaxon Traveler, who has never finished worse than second in seven lifetime starts.

Rebel Posse, owned by C J Thoroughbreds, Mike Renfro and Francis Hartman, is unbeaten when sprinting on the grass. He broke his maiden at third asking when making his turf debut at Sam Houston on March 4. After a close second in an off-the-turf allowance event at Lone Star, Rebel Posse returned to the green with vigor when defeating winners traveling five furlongs on June 6 at the Texas oval.

Hebert said the extra half-furlong should suit Rebel Posse.

“I think the extra distance compared to the five eighths is going to be good,” Hebert said. “With that extra sixteenth of a mile, he should have something to run at. The way he runs and can relax a bit, it should be beneficial.”

Before going out on his own, Hebert worked as an assistant to recently retired Kentucky horseman Buff Bradley, for whom he helped oversee the campaign of dual Breeders' Cup-winner Groupie Doll.

Hebert, who sends out his first starter at a NYRA track in Rebel Posse, said it would be a thrill to win a race at Saratoga.

“It would mean absolutely everything. It would mean the world to me and everyone who helped me get to this point. This will be my first trip up here, so it's super cool,” Hebert said. “I worked for Buff for about six or seven years at Churchill, Keeneland and Gulfstream in the winter. After he sold Groupie Doll, he gave me a couple of his homebreds and said, 'Good luck.'”

Since going out on his own, Hebert has been primarily based on the southwest circuit. He recently completed the Lone Star Park meet, which finished on July 11, with a 33-5-5-5 record.

“It was kind of circumstantial,” Hebert said of how he got plugged into the Texas circuit. “We wintered at old Evangeline in Louisiana and would ship to Houston and did pretty well. When they tore the old Evangeline down, we had to stable at Houston and we just fell into the circuit. I've done Lone Star the past two years, and we did Remington this year. We did well in each spot and we picked up some clients along the way.”

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Belmont Park Meet Generates $632,208,251

The Belmont Park spring/summer meet generated $632,208,251 in all-sources handle, a 20.6% increase over the 2019 spring/summer meet and 63.5% above the 2020 spring/summer meet, which was abbreviated to just 25 days because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The spring/summer meet, which began Apr. 22 without spectators in attendance before reopening to a limited number of spectators May 1, boasted 59 stakes races worth $16.95 million in total purse money.

Average daily handle over the 48 days of racing was $13,171,005, a 20.6% increase over 2019. The abbreviated 2020 spring/summer meet saw average daily handle of $15,466,198.

This year marked the return of the GI Belmont S. to its customary spot on the racing calendar and its famed distance of 1 1/2 miles. In 2020, a readjustment to the stakes schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic saw the “Test of the Champion” run without spectators in attendance and as the opening leg of the Triple Crown series for the first time in history.

The June 5 Belmont Stakes Day card, highlighted by Essential Quality (Tapit)'s victory in the Belmont, generated all-sources handle of $112,725,278, a NYRA record for a non-Triple Crown year.

On-track handle for the 13-race Belmont Stakes Day card, which included eight Grade I races among nine total stakes, was $7,532,571.

A total of 454 races were run during the spring/summer meet including 243 on dirt and 211 on the turf. A total of 33 races were taken off the turf due to weather. Average field size over the 454 races was 7.6. This compares to 448 total races run in 2019, including 260 on dirt and 188 on turf. A total of 46 races were taken off the turf due to weather that year. Average field size in 2019 was 7.0.

A total of 248 races were run during the abbreviated 2020 spring/summer meet including 128 on dirt and 120 on the turf. A total of five races were taken off the turf due to weather last year. Average field size over the 248 races was 8.6.

Total on-track handle for the 2021 spring/summer meet was $49,343,664.

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Norm Casse ‘Hoping For A Little Bit Of Luck’ With Pretty Birdie In Opening Day Schuylerville

Trainer Norm Casse said he is hoping to start the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on a high note when he sends out Pretty Birdie on Saratoga's Opening Day this Thursday in the Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville.

Owned by Marylou Whitney Stables, the homebred juvenile daughter of Bird Song won at first asking on June 18 at Churchill Downs, leading at every point of call and extended her advantage throughout the five-furlong journey to win by 3 3/4 lengths.

Casse said he noticed something special in Pretty Birdie since she arrived at his barn from Ocala, where she was broken by Randy Bradshaw.

“We've always been high on her,” Casse said. “She came up from Randy Bradshaw with other Whitney babies. It was pretty obvious from day one that she was the most precocious. She's professional, fast, loves to run and just has all the kind of qualities you look for in a racehorse. So, she's earned her spot in this race. We're just hoping for a little bit of luck.”

Despite displaying frontrunning tactics on debut, Casse said Pretty Birdie would likely track the pace under Luis Saez, given the amount of speed in the field of nine juvenile fillies.

“It seems like there's a ton of speed in there,” Casse said. “I just hope we break sharply from the rail and forwardly placed in the pace. At some point hopefully Luis can find a way out and we can make our run.”

Casse learned his craft as an assistant from his father, Hall of Famer Mark Casse. He now seeks his first graded stakes triumph at the Spa since going out on his own in 2018, and his second graded stakes victory overall of his career. In 2019, he saddled Hard Legacy – also owned by Marylou Whitney Stables – to a score in the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill Downs.

“To win the Schuylerville on opening day at Saratoga, with everything going back to normal after the pandemic, would be amazing,” Casse said. “Obviously, it's a privilege to be associated with the Whitneys and John [Hendrickson], knowing what they mean to the town of Saratoga.”

Casse, who has 16 stalls at the Spa for the meet, expressed excitement in running some of his talented juveniles at Saratoga this summer.

“We're really lucky to have a bunch of nice 2-year-olds, so we thought it would be the right time to come back up here,” Casse said.

Some juveniles for Casse that are possible for stakes action later this meet include Ontheonesandtwos who was a last out second in the Debutante on June 26 at Churchill Downs and could race in the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack on August 8.

Glacial, third in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor on June 26 at Churchill Downs, is possible for the Grade 2, $150,000 Saratoga Special presented by Miller Lite.

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Frankel’s Hurricane Lane Lethal In The Grand Prix De Paris

Unbeaten other than when losing both front shoes in the G1 Epsom Derby, Godolphin's Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) continued his rampage through the European calendar with an emphatic six-length success in Wednesday's G1 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp. Given a tow to the two-furlong marker by Ballydoyle's The Mediterranean (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the impressive G1 Irish Derby hero set sail by that rival there and powered to the line as Wordsworth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) followed him at almost the same distance as he had when third in the June 26 Curragh Classic. Third was the G2 King Edward VII S. winner Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}), 1 1/4 lengths away with the best of the French being the fifth-placed Baby Rider (Fr) (Gleneagles {Ire}). “What a horse,” jockey William Buick said. “First of all, I'd like to thank France Galop and all the medical team for allowing us to come–we weren't quite sure we were going to make it on Monday with the situation, but they got us through. The horse is a superstar and it was very smooth, smoother than Ireland as there was a much better rhythm. For him, the pace felt normal which is the sign of a good horse and you could see from the 400-metre marker his turn of foot. He has a very good mind and is a beautiful horse. This track is perfect for him and he liked the ground, which is on the easy side of good–it's taken the rain very well–so I'm sure the team will consider him for the Arc in October.”

Now that Hurricane Lane has upped the ante, it will take a special performance from stablemate Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in next Saturday's G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco S. to elbow him out of the picture for the Oct. 3 showpiece and send him to the G1 St Leger instead. Since changing distance in 2005, this has become a key stepping stone to the big one over the same course and distance but interestingly only the 2006 winner Rail Link (GB) has doubled up. Arguably none have entered this contest with the profile of Hurricane Lane and very few have exited with as much upside as the chestnut who eclipsed the wide-margin wins of Zambezi Sun (GB) (Dansili {GB}) in 2007 and Montmartre (Fr) (Montjeu {Ire}) the following year. ParisLongchamp was hit with 45mm of rain since the start of Tuesday and so he proved himself adaptable here, with his Irish Derby win coming on a lively surface.

Hurricane Lane's debut over a mile on heavy ground at Newmarket in October was the sole piece of evidence that he possessed Classic quality heading out of the winter, but he enhanced his credentials when staging a winning return in the Apr. 16 Newbury conditions event that has featured Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), Star of Seville (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) and Light Shift (Kingmambo) in recent times. Beating Maximal (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Tasman Bay (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) in that 10-furlong contest, he increased his stock with a gutsy display in York's G2 Dante S. over that trip May 13 before failing to give his true running at Epsom and finishing well adrift of Adayar and Mojo Star (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). Showing that to be an aberration, he left the latter for dead at The Curragh and it was the form of the Kildare highlight that shone through here with Wordsworth providing back-up.

Charlie Appleby has a quandary now as he plots the course of his two star 3-year-old colts. “He's obviously been a very exciting horse to deal with and he's only been beaten once in his life and that was in the Derby when I felt inexperience caught us out,” he said. “Today's performance has franked him as one of the best 3-year-olds in Europe and he's an exciting horse. As we always do, we'll allow the dust to settle but you would have to be thinking about him as a serious contender for the Arc. We'll give him a bit of a break now, because he's run in an English Derby, an Irish Derby and then backed it up two and a half weeks later in a Grand Prix de Paris.”

“He deserves to have a break, but whether he can give himself a break is another thing,” Appleby added. “He ran in the Grand Prix because he'd come out of the Irish Derby so well. He has a great constitution. He has a great mind and he shows his wellbeing in the mornings. A huge team effort goes into the way the horses are running at the moment and I'm delighted for his Highness Sheikh Mohammed.”

Olivier Peslier said of Wordsworth, who continued to build an admirably consistent profile in the race his full-brother Kew Gardens (Ire) won in 2018, “He has ran well, despite not taking me along early. I had to shake him along to get him to follow the winner, to make sure I didn't get caught for toe. After that, he was very courageous and put in an excellent effort to finish second. He will be better suited by something a bit longer like the St Leger. He needs a little time to get going, but he is quite talented.”

James Doyle said of Alenquer, “The draw wasn't ideal. As we know, it's not easy historically from the wide draw at Longchamp over a mile and a half. I rode him to come home and he's finished off very well. We were on the back foot a little bit and I had a little look up around the 800 metres out and I thought we had a bit of a mountain to climb. If the pace had held up, it would have given me a chance but they did sort of steady at halfway and made it very difficult for me to get into it. But I'm very proud of him, he's run a solid race and he's got the trip well.”

Hurricane Lane is the second foal out of the Listed Prix Denisy winner Gale Force (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}), with the first being his full-sister Frankel's Storm (GB) who was runner-up in the Listed Junioren-Preis as a juvenile. The second dam Hannda (Ire) (Dr. Devious {Ire}) was responsible for the G1 Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares S. heroine Seal of Approval (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), who in turn produced the G3 March S. and G3 Princess Royal S.-placed Promissory (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), and also the G3 Oak Tree S. third Instance (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

Hannda is a half to the G3 Concorde S. winner Hamairi (Ire) (Spectrum {Ire}), the Listed Testimonial S. scorer and G3 Ridgewood Pearl S. runner-up Hanabad (Ire) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) and to the dam of the G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial winner Hamariyna (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) and G3 Prix Bertrand du Breuil winner Hunaina (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}). The third dam Handaza (Ire) (Be My Guest) is a half-sister to the G3 Blue Wind S. scorer Hazarista (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}) and the G3 Athasi S. winner Hazariya (Ire) (Xaar {GB}), who is in turn the dam of the G1 Epsom and Irish Derby hero Harzand (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). Gale Force's unraced 2-year-old colt by Harzand's sire is named Sweet William (Ire), while she also has a yearling filly by Australia (GB).

Wednesday, ParisLongchamp, France
GRAND PRIX DE PARIS-G1, €600,000, ParisLongchamp, 7-14, 3yo, c/f, 12fT, 2:33.59, vs.
1–HURRICANE LANE (IRE), 128, c, 3, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Gale Force (GB) (SW-Fr & SP-Eng), by Shirocco (Ger)
2nd Dam: Hannda (Ire), by Dr Devious (Ire)
3rd Dam: Handaza (Ire), by Be My Guest
(200,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Normandie Stud Ltd (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. €342,840. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Ire, GSW & G1SP-Eng, 6-5-0-1, €1,183,050. *Full to Frankel's Storm (GB), SP-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Wordsworth (Ire), 128, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Chelsea Rose (Ire), by Desert King (Ire). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €137,160.
3–Alenquer (Fr), 128, c, 3, Adlerflug (Ger)–Wild Blossom (Ger), by Areion (Ger). (€18,000 Wlg '18 ARQDE; 80,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-M M Stables; B-Gestut Romerhof (FR); T-William Haggas. €68,580.
Margins: 6, 1 1/4, HD. Odds: 1.70, 17.00, 2.90.
Also Ran: The Mediterranean (Ire), Baby Rider (Fr), Bubble Gift (Fr), Northern Ruler (Ger), Cheshire Academy (Fr), Saiydabad, Cash Equity (Fr), Sir Lamorak (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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