July, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Hard Love Likely Starter In Saratoga Derby

After finishing a distant seventh after setting the pace in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Derby on July 10, Robert V. LaPenta, Augustin Stable, and Madaket Stable's Hard Love is likely to seek redemption in the $1 million Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational, the second leg of the Turf Triple Series, on August 7 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The bay sophomore son of Kitten's Joy previously showed tactical speed, laying in second at every call down the backstretch in his five prior starts before the Belmont Derby.

After a first-out maiden win in October at Belmont Park and a second-place finish in the Central Park at Aqueduct the following month, Hard Love returned to action with vigor when taking the Woodhaven on April 17 at the Big A. In capturing the 1 1/16-mile event, he defeated subsequent stakes winners It's a Gamble and Original as well as Sifting Sands, an impressive allowance winner on Saturday at Saratoga.

Following the Woodhaven, Hard Love defeated a salty group of elders in a nine-furlong allowance event at Belmont Park ahead of the Belmont Derby.

“It's a goal along with some other things, but we'll just let the horse dictate in his training what we're going to do with him, but we're certainly going to keep an eye on it,” Thomas said.

Thomas said Hard Love, who was piloted by Manny Franco, could have been a little more aggressive earlier in the race. He also added that the Belmont Derby winner and Saratoga Derby invitee Bolshoi Ballet is in a league of his own.

“Hindsight is always 20-20 and I wish I had asked Manny to be a little more assertive,” Thomas said. “He went 1:17 for three-quarters and slowed it down. He doesn't possess a massive turn of foot so ideally; we would have gone on a little bit. Another thing is that it was a different group of horses. The winner was exceptional, so not taking anything away from the field. You could even make a case that the filly [Santa Barbara] could have won the Belmont Derby had she run. They were legitimate horses.”

Thomas said Hard Love is likely to appear on the work tab next weekend.

“He just shipped up [Saturday] and possibly will be back on the work tab next week depending on how the weather treats us,” Thomas said.

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Bing Crosby Nominations Promises Deep Field Of Sprinters At Del Mar

Seventeen horses, encompassing virtually all the top sprinters on the West Coast, have been nominated to Saturday's $300,000 Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes, assuring that the field will be a stellar one when it is set and post positions are drawn on Wednesday.

Trainer Mark Glatt finished first and third in the 2020 Crosby with Collusion Illusion and Law Abidin Citizen. He has those two plus Dr. Schivel nominated and said Sunday he might run all three.

Other marquee speedsters on the nomination list include 2020 Pat O'Brien winner C Z Rocket for Peter Miller; the trio of Ax Man, Eight Rings, and Gamine from the Bob Baffert barn; graded stakes winner Flagstaff from the John Sadler stable; and the double-quick Cal-bred Brickyard Ride out of the Craig Lewis barn.

Sadler said Flagstaff will skip the Bing Crosby and instead go in the seven-furlong Pat O'Brien here on August 28.

Baffert said the 4-year-old filly Gamine, a winner of six graded stakes in her last seven starts – four of them Grade 1s – is more likely to continue competing against her own gender elsewhere than take on males in the Bing Crosby.

But Gamine is one of 11 older fillies and mares nominated to next Sunday's Clement L. Hirsch, as is stablemate As Time Goes By. A 4-year-old daughter of Baffert-trained Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, As Time Goes By is one of three stakes winners at Santa Anita that are possibles for the Hirsch, a 1 1/16-mile main track event that usually determines the top older filly or mare of the meeting.

The others are Venetian Harbor and Warren's Showtime.

The 6-furlong Bing Crosby is a “Win & You're In” qualifier for the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar on November 6. The Clement L. Hirsch is likewise designated for the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff that same day.

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United, Madone Target Del Mar Handicap, Oaks For Next Starts

United and Madone came out of their respective Grade 2 wins in the $250,000 Eddie Read and $200,000 San Clemente Stakes at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., on Saturday in fine fettle, their trainers reported Sunday morning.

And with those lucrative first steps taken, the connections are eyeing even bigger things on August 21 as part of the five-stakes mega card for TVG Pacific Classic Day. For United, it's the $300,000 Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap, a “Win & You're In” qualifier for the $3 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf here on November 6. For Madone, it's the $300,000 Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks.

In defending his Eddie Read title United, a 6-year-old gelded son of Giant's Causeway, rebounded from a lackluster last-of-four effort in the Charles Whittingham on May 29 at Santa Anita. That effort had his Hall of Fame trainer mystified until a small bruise was found under a shoe.

Under Flavien Prat on Saturday, United went willingly between rivals on the far turn and prevailed by a neck in a stretch duel with even-money favorite Smooth Like Strait.

United covered the 1 1/8 miles over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course in 1:49.49 which compared to 1:46.71 in the 2020 victory.

“Different race, different horses,” Mandella said.

“He went back to his old form,” said Prat.

A year ago, the G2 Eddie Read win prompted Mandella to toy with the idea of entering United in the TVG Pacific Classic. After a few days of thought, and also becoming aware that the Classic purse had been dropped from $1 million to $500,000, Mandella opted for the Del Mar Handicap. United was second by a head to Red King in that one.

Mandella's focus is entirely on the G2 Del Mar Handicap this time.

“We're not on the roll we were last year,” he said.

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In the G2 San Clemente, Madone made amends for a no-factor performance from a wide trip in the Honeymoon at Santa Anita on May 22. That race was three weeks after a victory in the Senorita and trainer Simon Callaghan shouldered responsibility for the disappointment.

“I ran her back too soon,” Callaghan said. “She bounced, simple as that.”

Madone's victory ended a five-race win streak for Going Global, the 2-5 San Clemente favorite. Trainer Phil D'Amato said the Irish-bred filly came out of the race well and a rematch should be forthcoming in the Del Mar Oaks.

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March To The Arch Scores Big In Niagara

March to the Arch chased down the pacesetters to win the $100,000 Niagara Stakes on Sunday afternoon over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course at Woodbine Race Track in Toronto, Ontario.

The stakes feature for four-year-olds and up was run at a distance of about 1 1/8 miles.

With Patrick Husbands up for leading trainer Mark Casse, multiple graded stakes winner March to the Arch settled back in fifth early on behind Belichick and Theregoesjojo as a front-end duel ensued between Admiralty Pier and Primo Touch.

The battle for the lead persisted through early fractions of :23.14 and :45.32, and continued all the way into the stretch, with the top pair as much as 10 lengths in front of rivals approaching the turn.

However, March to the Arch saved ground on the bend then rallied outside of Belichick down the stretch. He reeled in the tiring leaders and went on to score by a widening 4 ½ lengths in 1:45.15 over the 'good' course, with Belichick finishing second.

Theregoesjojo edged out Primo Touch in a photo for show a half-length back while Current was fifth followed by Sir Sahib, Admiralty Pier, Woodbridge, and Mnemba Island.

“He's classy. Everybody would like to ride a horse like him,” said Husbands. “He's got a serious, serious turn of foot.”

Fresh off a runner-up performance in the Grade 3 Dominion Day at the start of July to open his six-year-old campaign, March to the Arch was sent postward as the 6-5 favorite here and paid $4.40 to win.

“In the last race, from reading the Form, I could see that there was no pace and he's a closer. When we got to the first turn, I saw it and I thought 'Oh my God.' So I had to press that horse [winner Mighty Heart] the whole way and he still hung in there, you know,” said Husbands in reference to March to the Arch's season's debut when he forced the pace early down the backstretch. “It wasn't his style, but he still came back today and showed you he was a good horse.”

Owned by Live Oak Plantation, the homebred Arch-Daveron gelding won the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes over the E.P. Taylor turf last year prior to his second-place effort in the Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile. Today, he notched his eighth career win from 27 starts while pushing his bankroll over the $1 million mark in Canadian earnings.

Live Thoroughbred racing continues at Woodbine Racetrack on Thursday with a 1:10 p.m. post time for the eight-race card.

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