July, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Maxfield Prepares For Whitney, Pletcher Considers Next Start For Happy Saver

Godolphin homebred Maxfield, trained by Brendan Walsh, worked five furlongs from the gate Saturday under Jose Ortiz in preparation for the $1 million Grade 1 Whitney on August 7 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Spring, N.Y.

Maxfield, who breezed in company with 3-year-old maiden winner Business Model over the fast main track at 8:45 a.m., was caught by NYRA clockers through splits of :24.3 and :48.2, stopping the clock in 1:01.61.

“I just wanted the company to take him to the wire,” Walsh said. “I think the best part of it was the gallop out from the wire to an eighth out. I had him out in 1:13 and change. He's doing good. I couldn't ask for more than that.”

A winner of 7-of-8 starts, the 4-year-old Street Sense bay will enter the nine-furlong Whitney, a “Win and You're In” qualifier to November's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic, from 3 1/4-length Grade 2 scores at Churchill Downs in the 1 1/16-mile Alysheba on April 30 and the Stephen Foster on June 26.

Walsh said Maxfield is thriving ahead of his first Saratoga start.

“He's doing as well as he's ever done right now,” Walsh said. “I hope he can run at least as well as he's done these last couple times and maybe even a little bit better. He likes it up here and is in a great frame of mind.”

Shortly after the Maxfield breeze, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher sent out St. Elias Stable's multiple graded stakes winner Dr Post, last-out winner of the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup on July 17, in company with Wertheimer and Frere homebred Happy Saver to work a half-mile in :49.25.

Happy Saver, winner of last year's Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, is under consideration for a start in the Whitney.

Pletcher said he is also considering the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on August 21 at Del Mar for both Dr Post and Happy Saver as he looks to keep the pair separated with the 10-furlong Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, also a “Win and You're In' berth contest for the Breeders' Cup Classic, slated for September 5 at the Spa.

“I thought the work was solid,” Pletcher said. “We'll see how he [Happy Saver] bounces out of it. I haven't quite decided on the Whitney yet.

“There's also the Pacific Classic in-between,” he continued. “I just have to weigh my options. It might give me an opportunity to split the two of them up if I don't run Happy Saver in the Whitney.”

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Buick and Balding Top Qatar Goodwood Festival

Jockey William Buick and trainer Andrew Balding were named the Qatar Goodwood Festival Leading Jockey and Leading Trainer, respectively, on Saturday.

Buick, who gets married on Sunday, had previously won the award in 2014. The 33-year-old's best rides of the week were Suesa (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire})'s win in the G2 King George Qatar S. and Saturday's G2 Qatar Lillie Langtry S. heroine Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}).

Buick said, “I'm delighted to be leading jockey at Glorious Goodwood. I knew I had some good rides. It is always a week you look back on and think there are one or two races you would like to have a go at again but, all in all, it has been a great week.

“I am really pleased, Suesa and Wonderful Tonight being the highlights. I had some nice rides coming into the week and was quite positive.

“I've now got my wedding tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous now but it should be a brilliant day and we're getting married at a church opposite where we live. Now I have got to get my head into my speech–all week I have been focusing on my job, now I am going to focus on tomorrow! It should be a great day. James Doyle is my best man.”

Balding's horses won two races on Saturday, giving him a total of five wins at the meeting, good enough to take the trainers' title. The Kingsclere handler sent out Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) to scoop the G1 Qatar Sussex S. on Wednesday, the first time since Soviet Song (Ire) (Marju {Ire}) in 2004 a filly had won the iconic showpiece.

Balding said, “I thought we had a chance coming into today and we've had a couple of winners. We have targeted this meeting with the right horses. The ground suited most of them and it has been a good week.

“It was a special moment for us with Alcohol Free. She is a special filly and we really enjoyed it.”

At the conclusion of the five-day meeting, Jon Barnett, Goodwood Racecourse's Director, said, “We were delighted to have been the first major racing festival to welcome back full capacity crowds. The atmosphere on course has been fabulous throughout with a real buzz, particularly on Friday and Saturday where crowd levels were as good as we can remember with a sell-out capacity reached in a number of enclosures.

“The weather largely remained unsettled, but the racing stories and true 'Glorious Goodwood' experience shone through. Attendance for the week has reached 2019 levels, which was a fantastic year for us, with sales on food and beverage far higher than we would normally have anticipated as racegoers celebrated a return to the Festival.

“Finally, we must extend our sincere thanks to the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, who have been the headline sponsor for the seventh year. Without their support alongside our other official partners, including Unibet, this would not be possible.

The post Buick and Balding Top Qatar Goodwood Festival appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Beat Ray At Del Mar: Do You Believe In Luck?

Saturday's Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar is more than a Grade 1 race or a Win and You're In Breeders' Cup Challenge qualifier for the Sprint division when the world championships come to the seaside racetrack on Nov. 5-6.

The Crosby, named for the crooner who once owned Del Mar racetrack, is this week's Beat Ray Beach Boss event, where a guest handicapper takes his or her turn attempting to out-handicap me with a mythical $100 bankroll. So far, guests Scotty McKeever and Billy Koch have done very well, leaving me 0-for-2 and wondering if I'll ever find a winner.

British broadcaster Nick Luck, currently covering the Tokyo Olympic equestrian events for the BBC but well-known to American viewers of racing telecasts, joins host Michelle Yu and me this week to handicap the Crosby. While I'm relying on morning line favorite C Z Rocket to bail me out, Nick has done his due diligence on some of the other runners and come up with a pair of longshots he is backing.

It's not too late to sign up for the daily Beat Ray Everyday Beach Boss competition (sign up here) and qualify for the two VIP Breeders' Cup tickets awarded to the player with the largest bankroll at the end of the meet.

Watch the video below for Ray, Nick and Michelle's thoughts on this week's Bing Crosby.

The post Beat Ray At Del Mar: Do You Believe In Luck? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Diana Poser on Sunday

Sunday's G1 Henkel-Preis der Diana at Dusseldorf offers the usual puzzle, with Dr. Christoph Berglar's Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}), who was taken out of the G1 Prix de Diane due to her wide draw, possibly the standard-setter in the German Oaks. Successful in Hoppegarten's G2 Diana Trial May 23, the chestnut beat Noble Heidi (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) by 3/4 of a length on that occasion before finishing runner-up in the 11-furlong G3 Mehl-Mulhens-Trophy at Hamburg July 4.

First and second in this track's Listed Diana-Trial June 19, Palmas (Ger) (Lord of England {Ger}) and Normfliegerin (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) are unexposed members of the cast, while Gestut Auenquelle's July 4 G3 Hamburger Stutenmeile winner Reine d'Amour (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) and Gestut Rottgen's Listed Mulheim Diana Trial scorer Alaskasonne (Fr) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) are other key protagonists.

Click here for the group fields.

The post Diana Poser on Sunday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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