August, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Piedi Bianchi Gets First Career Turf Win In Smart N Fancy At Saratoga

Jay Oringer, Jack Bick, Al Bianchi Racing, Adam Bayroff, and Mike Maturo's Piedi Bianchi notched her first career turf win in Saturday's $120,000 Smart N Fancy, a 5 ½-furlong Mellon turf sprint for older fillies and mares at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Carlos Martin, the 6-year-old Overanalzye mare, making just her fifth appearance on turf in 26 starts, demonstrated a strong turn-of-foot under Tyler Gaffalione down the lane to overtake pacesetter Robin Sparkles and post a 2 1/4-length score.

Robin Sparkles, with Jose Ortiz up, surged to the lead with Piedi Bianchi tracking in second position as Lead Guitar saved ground under Luis Saez in third through a quarter-mile in :23.09 seconds on the yielding turf.

Piedi Bianchi edged closer to the pacesetter late in the turn as Lead Guitar waited patiently for racing room along the hedge through a half-mile in :46.93. Robin Sparkles, the 4-5 mutuel favorite, attempted to open up on her rivals once straightened for home but was soon overtaken by Piedi Bianchi, who powered home in a final time of 1:04.95.

Lead Guitar squeezed up the rail to complete the exacta by 2 1/4-lengths over Robin Sparkles with Hydra, who leaped at the start and trailed throughout, completing the field. Pacific Gale was scratched.

Piedi Bianchi made a pair of starts on turf last year, including a fourth-place finish in the My Charmer in December at Gulfstream Park. She finished a prominent second in the Grade 3 Intercontinental sprinting seven furlongs over the Belmont grass in June.

Martin credited his owners for persisting with turf ambitions in Piedi Bianchi's 2021 campaign.

“I give the owners credit. When she went to Florida last year, I asked 'Do you really want to run this mare on the turf? She's so good on the dirt',” Martin said. “We got back together and we ran her on the turf and she ran a big second in the Intercontinental. Today, she just loved the going. It made a big difference. The other horses are great horses. I'm not taking anything away from our victory, but it worked out perfectly for us today.”

Gaffalione secured his fifth stakes score of the meet, adding to a ledger that includes wins in the Coronation Cup [Goin' Good], Grade 3 Troy [Fast Boat], Grade 1 Fourstardave [Got Stormy], and Skidmore [Averly Jane].

“Out of the gate, I took a nice hold and was getting over the ground well,” Gaffalione said. “Coming into the stretch, when I asked her, she gave me everything she had. She really relished the course today.

“It was a nice tempo in front of us,” he added. “It gave us a nice target, and when I asked, she finished up well.”

The victory marked the fourth career stakes win for the Indiana-bred, who previously captured the 2018 and 2020 editions of the Frances Slocum at Indiana Grand and last year's Correction at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Out of the Tactical Cat mare Adore You, Piedi Bianchi is a half-sibling to 3-year-old colt Outadore, by Outwork, who is a stakes winner on turf and synthetic and finished third in last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland.

Piedi Bianchi banked $66,000 in victory while improving her record to 26-7-6-5. She returned $11.80 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card featuring the $120,000 Summer Colony, a nine-furlong main track event for older fillies and mares who have not won a graded stakes race in 2021. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

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Lope de Vega’s Duke de Sessa Makes It A Rising Star Hat-Trick At The Curragh

Newtown Anner Stud's homebred 2-year-old colt Duke de Sessa (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) made good, and then some, on the promise of a fast-closing July 26 debut third over seven furlongs at Galway with a blistering performance upped to one mile for Saturday's Coolmore Arizona Irish EBF Maiden at The Curragh. Finding cover along the fence in fifth after a sharp getaway, the 6-4 favourite cruised into contention on the bridle once past halfway and powered clear in hand once gaining an edge at the quarter-mile marker to easily outclass Adonis (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) by a mightily impressive 4 3/4 lengths.

“He's a lovely colt, he did what we expected him to do and did that very nicely,” said trainer Dermot Weld after overseeing his second Rising Star performance of the day and sixth for the sire. “He was probably unlucky not to win in Galway, but he's progressed from that and learned from that day. You could call him the winner from a long way down today. He'll have one more run this year in a Group race and I'll speak with Maurice Regan and see which one we'll pick. He's a very smart colt and a lovely horse to look forward to and a potential [G1 2000] Guineas horse for next year.”

Duke de Sessa, full-brother to a yearling colt, is the third of four foals and becomes the second scorer from as many runners for G3 Give Thanks S. runner-up and Listed Galtres S. third Dark Crusader (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), herself kin to Listed Yeats S. winner and G3 Stanerra S. placegetter Naughty Or Nice (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). The March-foaled homebred bay's third dam Mosaique Bleue (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}), who threw GI Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup H. victor Subtle Power (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), is a half-sister to G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Muncie (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and G1 Prix Royal-Oak victrix Mersey (GB) (Crystal Palace {Fr}). Duke de Sessa hails from the family of G1 Prix de Diane-winning champion Madelia (Fr) (Caro {Ire}) and G1 Prix du Moulin-winning sire Monsanto (Fr) (Breton {GB}).

3rd-Curragh, €17,500, Mdn, 8-21, 2yo, 8fT, 1:42.26, sf.
DUKE DE SESSA (IRE), c, 2, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Dark Crusader (Ire) (GSP-Ire & SP-Eng, $141,387), by Cape Cross (Ire)
2nd Dam: Monty's Girl (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire)
3rd Dam: Mosaique Bleue (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $14,034. (£60,000 RNA Ylg '20 GOFOR). O/B-Newtown Anner Stud Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Dermot Weld. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Classic Empire Gets His First Stakes Winner

First Empire, fittingly trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, became the first stakes winner for freshman sire Classic Empire with a win in Saturday's Soaring Free S. at Woodbine. He dueled and tired to fifth in his debut over the all-weather July 4, then dueled free when switched to grass to graduate here Aug. 1. Backed as the second choice in this one, First Empire forced the issue from an outside second, began to shake clear rounding the far turn and gamely kept finding after switching to his left lead in the stretch to post a career high.

Progeny in the pipeline for the winner's dam include: a West Coast colt of 2020 and an Uncle Mo colt of this year. She was bred back to Good Magic.

SOARING FREE S., C$140,250, Woodbine, 8-21, 2yo, 6 1/2fT, 1:15.44, fm.
1–FIRST EMPIRE, 120, c, 2, by Classic Empire
                1st Dam: Silsita (GSW, $213,873), by Macho Uno
                2nd Dam: Naturally Wild, by Wild Again
                3rd Dam: Nat's Lea, by L'Natural
($75,000 RNA Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $60,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT). 1ST
BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Harlequin Ranches; B-Saintsbury Farms
Inc. (ON); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Patrick Husbands. C$90,000.
Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $122,207. *First stakes winner for
freshman sire (by Pioneerof the Nile).
2–Degree of Risk, 120, c, 2, Cairo Prince–Wipe Out, by Hard
Spun. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Eoin G. Harty. C$25,000.
3–Heaven Street, 120, c, 2, Street Sense–Heavenly View, by
Congrats. ($275,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Siena Farms, LLC
& Asmussenequine.com; B-Siena Farms LLC (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen. C$13,750.
Margins: 1 3/4, 7 1/4, 3HF. Odds: 2.90, 9.30, 5.25.
Also Ran: Twenty Four Mamba, Concealed Carry, Silent Farewell. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Morny and Romanet Share Centre Stage On Sunday

Deauville offers a double act to savour on Sunday, with the G1 Darley Prix Morny and the G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet the latest in the catalogue of top-level contests to be staged at the Normandy venue. In the former, Al Shaqab Racing are represented by another of their star 2-year-olds in Armor (GB) (No Nay Never) who moves up to this six-furlong trip for the first time following his emphatic win in the G3 Molecomb S. on soft ground at Goodwood July 28. “Armor is in great form and it looks like there is some rain on the way which will help him,” Hannon said. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' G2 Queen Mary S. winner Quick Suzy (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) comes back off a break after that June 16 Royal Ascot contest in the race that favours fillies with three of the last six winners from that sex. “She's in good shape and we're happy with her,” trainer Gavin Cromwell said. “The ground is good-to-soft and potentially could be good ground come Sunday. Either way it's fine. Stepping her back up to six furlongs shouldn't be a problem–it's an easy six in Deauville as well.”

Also successful at the Royal meeting, Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) produced a rattle in the five-furlong G2 Norfolk S. June 17 and everything that could go wrong did when he subsequently finished just over a length behind Asymmetric (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) when fifth in the G2 Richmond S. at Goodwood July 29. Trainer Alan King said of the latter, “He's been very good since Goodwood and has arrived safely. He's obviously the quickest 2-year-old I've ever trained. The forecast looks quite encouraging–the better the ground, the better I think he'll be, so it's very exciting.”

Coolmore and Westerberg's recent acquisition Velocidad (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}) looks to build on her success in the G2 Airlie Stud S. over this trip at The Curragh June 27, while those partners also have the Andre Fabre-trained Trident (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) who was third to Have a Good Day (Ire) (Adaay {Ire}) in the course-and-distance G3 Prix de Cabourg Aug. 3. Joseph O'Brien's crop of 2-year-old fillies include Saturday's G2 Debutante S. winner Agartha (Ire) (Caravaggio) and he said, “Velocidad has been a brilliant filly so far, making a winning debut at Fairyhouse prior to winning the Airlie Stud S. at The Curragh last time. This looks a far stronger contest, but she has earned her shot at it and it will be interesting to see how she stacks up against the colts. It would be hard to be confident, given the size of the step up she is taking but hopefully she'll represent us well.”

In the Romanet, Emma Banks's sensation Lady Bowthorpe (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) bids for back-to-back Group 1s having conquered Goodwood's G1 Nassau S. over just shy of this 10-furlong trip July 29. Her 1 1/2-length defeat of the 3-year-old Zeyaadah (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) there was undermined by the runner-up's performance in Saturday's G2 Prix de la Nonette, but that was too bad to be true. “Everything is going according to plan and I'm very much looking forward to her running,” trainer William Jarvis commented. “She seems to have come out of her Goodwood run very well. It's a pretty strong renewal of the Prix Jean Romanet, so we're taking nothing for granted, but we're hopeful. Ever since she won the Dahlia S. I was keen for her to go to 10 furlongs, but the races didn't really present themselves. She has shown she gets the 10 furlongs very well and depending on how she gets on at Deauville, we could look at the Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp on Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe day.”

Fifth and disappointing in the Nassau, Alison Swinburn's Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) who first sprang to prominence when causing a 48-1 upset in this 12 months ago needs to bounce back from that momentum-stopping effort. She was James Fanshawe's third winner of this race which was inaugurated in 2004 and he is the leading trainer as a result, which is a remarkable statistic given his general lack of firepower compared to the major racing establishments. On her win in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland in November and return second in the G1 Prince of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot June 16, Audarya is at least on a par with Lady Bowthorpe and Fanshawe is expecting an improved display.

“She seems really well after Goodwood and nothing came to light after the race. I'm hopeful she can put that run behind her,” he said. “It's a tougher race than last year, but she seems in good form in herself.”

Shapoor Mistry's Thundering Nights (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) comes here on the back of a career-best success in The Curragh's G1 Pretty Polly S., where the subsequent GI Belmont Oaks and GI Beverly D. S. heroine Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and the re-opposing Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and Insinuendo (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) filled the next three places in that June 27 highlight. There is no mistaking that is strong form, with the latter going on to take the G2 Kilboy Estate S. also at The Curragh July 18. “Thundering Nights has been a brilliant filly for all of us and gave us a day to remember when winning the Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh last time,” trainer Joseph O'Brien said. “Getting the better of Santa Barbara as she did certainly reads well now, given her exploits in America since then. This is the race we've had in mind for her since then, as we wanted to give her a bit of time until her next run given her run at The Curragh had come quite quickly after her trip to America.”

Cayenne Pepper's trainer Jessica Harrington is aware of the task in hand. “It's the best race of the whole year for those fillies. It's an incredible race,” she said. “She's in good form and we've had it in mind all year this is the race we wanted to go for, but we didn't quite expect it to be quite as hot is it is.” Adding to the heady mix is The Aga Khan's May 2 G3 Prix Allez France and May 26 G2 Prix Corrida winner Ebaiyra (Distorted Humor), who drops back in trip having finished a length runner-up to Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in the July 4 G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

On the receiving end of beatings by Ebaiyra in both the Allez France and Corrida, Shadwell's Raabihah (Sea the Stars {Ire}) goes back up in trip for the 12 1/2-furlong G2 Darley Prix de Pomone on the card. Last year's G3 Prix de Psyche winner and G1 Prix Vermeille runner-up was also fifth in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, so it may be that this extra stamina test is what she needs as a 4-year-old. Standing in her way is another Aga Khan homebred in Valia (Fr) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), who had this card's G2 Darley Prix Kergorlay favourite Skazino (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) a head back in second in the 14-furlong G2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil at ParisLongchamp July 14. Runner-up to Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) in the G3 Prix Minerve over this course and distance 12 months ago, Valia was eighth in the Vermeille before moving up to staying distances to win the G2 Prix Chaudenay and finish second in the G1 Prix Royal-Oak also at ParisLongchamp. Al Shaqab Racing's progressive still-unexposed Katara (Fr) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is on the up after her success in the Listed Pontefract Castle Fillies' S. over a mile and a half June 20, while the duo of 3-year-olds are the June 4 G1 Epsom Oaks runner-up Mystery Angel (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) and Coolmore's Aug. 1 Listed Grand Prix de Clairefontaine winner Joie de Soir (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}).

Click here for the group fields.

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