August, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Technical Analysis Moving Onward And Upward Into Lake Placid

Klaravich Stables' Technical Analysis took a step up last time with her first career stake win and will look to go 2-for-2 this summer at Saratoga Race Course in headlining a six-horse field of sophomore fillies in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Lake Placid going 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf course at the Spa.

The 38th running of the Lake Placid, carded as Race 9, is one of three stakes on the 11-race card that features a 1:05 p.m. Eastern first post. The $120,000 Smart N Fancy for older fillies and mares sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the Mellon turf will go off as Race 3, while the 141st running of the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/4 miles on the main track will take center stage in Race 10.

In the Lake Placid, Technical Analysis will look to duplicate her effort from the Grade 3 Lake George on July 23 over the Saratoga inner turf, where she tracked in third position before kicking away from Fluffy Socks to win by 1 1/4 lengths in a one-mile contest. The Chad Brown trainee has compiled a 3-0-1 record in five starts but did not face stakes competition until her sixth-place effort in the 1 1/8-mile Grade 3 Wonder Again on June 3 at Belmont Park.

After winning at a mile, the Irish-bred daughter of Kingman will be stretched back out, drawing post 2 with Jose Ortiz aboard for the fifth straight start.

“We're going in there getting her back to a mile and a sixteenth. She seems to be doing well,” Brown said. “We've always thought a lot of her.”

Spanish Loveaffair faced top-flight competition last out, running last-of-8 in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational in the opening leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series on July 10. Entering off a two-month respite, the daughter of Karakonite has alternated between solid stakes efforts and disappointing finishes in her four 2021 starts, which started when she crossed the wire first in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride in February at Gulfstream Park but was disqualified and placed fourth for interference.

After a bump near the start caused a sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 Appalachian in April at Keeneland, Spanish Loveaffair again encountered trip troubles in the Grade 3 Regret but overcame it to run second, just three-quarters of a length back to Gam's Mission, on May 29 at Churchill before her Belmont Oaks performance.

Spanish Loveaffair, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Hernon and Barber, is trained by newly inducted Hall of Famer Mark Casse. Ricardo Santana, Jr. will be in the irons from the outermost post 6.

Lawrence Goichman's New York-homebred Runaway Rumour won her first three starts for trainer Jorge Abreu, including an off-the-pace half-length victory in the Wild Applause in June at Belmont Park going one mile. After running fourth in the Lake George in her first run over the Saratoga grass, the Flintshire filly will return to the Spa, where she has worked since June, including a four-furlong work on the Oklahoma training track on August 7 in 50.83 seconds.

Runaway Rumour drew post 4 with Jose Lezcano set to ride.

Reiko and Michael Baum's Illiogami stepped up to stakes company for the first time in her last start when running fifth in the Grade 2 Mother Goose on June 26 at Belmont. The Tapit filly, a $400,000 purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, made her first two starts on turf before trainer Rusty Arnold moved her to the main track for her last four races, starting with a runner-up performance in November at Churchill to cap her juvenile campaign.

Back-to-back wins in April at Keeneland and Churchill, respectively, prompted the class elevation in the Mother Goose. Now, Illiogami will make her first turf start in nine months, drawing the inside post with Manny Franco aboard.

“She's doing well; she didn't run that well in the Mother Goose, which was a disappointment, but her first two races started off good,” Arnold said. “We're hoping it's a case where she just didn't handle the dirt. We got her here in Saratoga but we weren't ready for the first opportunity, and this one just set up a little bit better. We really didn't have a break based on any intentions, it's just the way it worked out.

“She's been good since she's been here,” Arnold added.

Rebecca Hillen's Ego Trip ran second in her first North American start, finishing one length back to Rastafara in a one-mile maiden special weight on July 24 at Saratoga. The Irish-bred daughter of No Nay Never made her first start in March, also finishing as the runner-up at Newcastle for trainer Kevin Ryan, before being transferred to Brendan Walsh's care when arriving in the United States.

Ego Trip will have Tyler Gaffalione in the irons from post 3.

Godolphin homebred Lovestruck, winner of the Tepin in November at Aqueduct Racetrack for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, will be making just the second start of her campaign after finishing eighth in the Wild Applause.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez will have the call from post 5.

Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Technical Analysis Moving Onward And Upward Into Lake Placid appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Five Fast Femmes Face Off Friday In Fiftieth Rancho Bernardo ‘Cap

Five extra quick fillies and mares will put the pedal to the metal at Del Mar Friday afternoon in the 50th edition of the Grade 3, $100,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at six and one-half furlongs.

Favoritism in the dash will be an interesting contest all its own. Three of the fillies are eligible to step into that role off recent efforts – LNJ Foxwoods or La Providencia's Scotish Star, Don Alberto Stable's Stellar Sound and Hronis Racing's Edgeway. All are 4-year-olds, all carry topweight of 123 pounds and all have shown exceptional “lick” in sprint races.

Scotish Star will be making her second U.S. start for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. The Argentinian miss by the Deputy Minister stallion Key Deputy won twice easily in her native land as a 2-year-old and then just missed in her six-panel North American debut at Del Mar on July 29. She gets leading rider Flavien Prat back in the boot for the Rancho Bernardo.

Stellar Sound, a gray by Tapit, beat Scotish Star in that July 29 race, getting up in the last jump to win by a neck. She's a three-time winner who has been stakes-placed on several occasions and trainer Mike McCarthy has designated rider Juan Hernandez to handle her once more Friday.

Edgeway is a daughter of Competitive Edge who has won four of her seven outings and banked $319,200. She captured the Carousel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in April and has the sort of speed that could put her on the lead as the fastest of the fast in this lineup. Trainer John Sadler has designated Joe Bravo as his filly's pilot.

Here's the full field in post position order with riders and morning line odds:

Scotish Star (9/5)
Hronis Racing's Candura (Umberto Rispoli, 10-1)
Stellar Sound (2-1)
Edgeway (8/5)
Gem Inc or Kagele's Proud Emma (Mike Smith, 8-1)

The Rancho Bernardo goes as Race 6 on an eight-race card. First post for the day is the usual Friday 4 p.m. start.

The post Five Fast Femmes Face Off Friday In Fiftieth Rancho Bernardo ‘Cap appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Keri Brion Honors Mentor With Trifecta Finish In G1 Jonathan Sheppard

Trainer Keri Brion already notched a Grade 1 steeplechase win during the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course. She upped the ante in Wednesday's opener, saddling the trifecta as The Mean Queen, Baltimore Bucko and French Light crossed the wire 1-2-3 in a prestigious race named after her mentor in the Grade 1, $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard contested at 2 3/8 miles.

The 80th edition of the race formerly known as the New York Turf Writers Cup was contested as the Jonathan Sheppard for the first time, honoring the Hall of Fame trainer who won the race a record 15 times and trained at least one winner at Saratoga every year from 1969-2015. Brion, who was Sheppard's assistant before his retirement, saw The Mean Queen overtake stalemate and pacesetter Baltimore Bucko in the final, flat portion of the race, drawing away for a 4 3/4-length victory.

Buttonwood Farm's The Mean Queen already made history when the 5-year-old Irish-bred Doyen mare won in her native country in April at Wexford, making Brion the first U.S.-based conditioner to capture an Irish hurdle race.

She was set to win the Jonathan Kiser Novice in July at Saratoga before jockey Thomas Garner was unseated in the stretch. Returning to Saratoga's inner turf track, The Mean Queen and Garner had no such issues closing this time, completing the course in a final time of 4:40.14 to give Brion a sweep of the two Grade 1 steeplechase contests on the Saratoga slate after Baltimore Bucko won the A.P. Smithwick on July 22.

“I remember when they said that this race was going to be named after him, I was still in Ireland and I was thinking, 'I hope I just have one,”'Brion said. “Jonathan won the Turf Writers 15 or so times, so now that it's the Jonathan Sheppard, I hope I can win it 15 times.”

Baltimore Bucko, one of four Brion entrants in the eight-horse field, led through all nine jumps over a course labeled yielding. The British-bred Baltimore Bucko held that advantage under jockey Richard Condon before The Mean Queen overtook him from the outside at the top of the stretch. The field's lone mare, who carried 147 pounds, faced no late challenge, besting the boys to improve to 5-1-0 in seven career starts.

“I was just a passenger, really,” Garner said. “She was doing a little bit too much for the first mile and a half. She was running through the bridle a little bit and when I got her settled, she traveled so great and jumped so great. She's everything you want in a filly. I couldn't be happier.

“She's only 5 and realistically hasn't had a lot of racing,” he added. “This time last year, she hadn't even had a run. She was still getting prepped to run in a point-to-point in Ireland. To come here and run in a Grade 1 eight or nine months after her first race is a massive achievement.”

Garner also said he took the outcome of the A.P. Smithwick personally but was glad to earn redemption less than a month later.

“I know a lot of people would have had a lot of money on her at those odds, but there wouldn't have been anyone more gutted than I was,” Garner said. “I walked to the weighing room, got in the car and went straight home. I didn't want to speak to anyone. I didn't want to see anyone because this is what I love doing. I love riding winners and for that to happen, especially at a place like this which I love, it was actually heartbreaking. I know a lot of people on social media and close to the horse think I jumped off it, and that's probably an uneducated view of the race. I'm just glad that I made it better today. There was no one more gutted or upset about the last day than me.”

Off as the 4-5 favorite, The Mean Queen returned $3.60 on a $2 win bet.

“I guess this is how it was always supposed to be. She redeemed herself,” Brion said. “I had no doubt that she would run a huge race. Today, we learned a bit more about her. I think she's a very special animal.”

Baltimore Bucko and French Light, who finished 1-2 in the A.P. Smithwick, again dueled in the rematch, with the former edging his stablemate by a nose for second as the 156-pound highweight.

“He carried top weight. He's gone up a stone since he won here the last time and to go out there on the rain-softened ground and do what he did and stay on for second is a real performance,” Condon said. “The Mean Queen is quite a special mare and giving her nine pounds isn't easy. It was a great run from Baltimore Bucko.”

French Light was two-lengths clear of City Dreamer, trained by Hall of Famer Jack Fisher, for third.

“It's so exciting for two of the greatest people, Rod and Alice Moorhead [of Buttonwood Farm] and Irvin Naylor, who owns French Light, who was third. They've been so supportive and bought these horses off my recommendation,” Brion said.

Recent Revelations, Gibralfaro, Redicean and A Silent Player [also trained by Brion] completed the order of finish.

“All four of these horses came out of the same stable in Ireland [Baltimore Stable in Wexford, Ireland], which is pretty incredible,” Brion said.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Saratoga with a 10-race card featuring the $100,000 Union Avenue for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track in Race 9 at 5:39 p.m. Eastern.

The post Keri Brion Honors Mentor With Trifecta Finish In G1 Jonathan Sheppard appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

’22 California Schedule Could Include One-Week Break

As the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) begins the planning process for crafting 2022 race dates on both the Southern and Northern circuits, it appears as if there is some consensus for including a one-week break with no racing, although no exact time frame for any proposed hiatus has been publicly identified.

At Wednesday's monthly meeting, CHRB vice chair Oscar Gonzales updated the full board on the two-hour dates subcommittee teleconference that took place Tuesday and included representatives from tracks and horsemen's groups.

“We obviously didn't take a vote on any ideas or measures, although I felt that the groundwork was laid for the 2022 race dates,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales said to expect “mostly what we've seen over the last year or two in terms of dates layout. One of the issues that the board will be having to take up as we look to solidify that calendar will be the idea of a break, a week in which there will be no racing. That was communicated for a variety of reasons.”

Gonzales said that he wants “to make sure that any kind of a break does not happen arbitrarily, but rather with the full understanding of the impact” the time off will have on workers,” both backside and frontside.

To that end, CHRB executive director Scott Chaney said that the concept of breaks generated robust discussion among stakeholders and subcommittee members, including “whether they are effective, what they are for, and whether they should be mandated or association-determined.”

Gonzales also cautioned that the CHRB's planning for 2022 will still have to be mindful of potential COVID-19 contingencies as the global pandemic nears its 18-month mark with no definite signs of abatement.

Gonzales said it's imperative to note that “until we get the all-clear signal…we will be continuing to operate under the emergency rules and the guidelines handed down by the counties and the state.”

Sept. at Los Al Greenlighted

Race dates in California are doled out in blocks for an upcoming year, then the actual applications get approved by the CHRB as each track's race meet approaches.

Thus, the September Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos Race Course was approved unanimously by the CHRB at the Aug. 18 meeting.

But it was only nine months ago when debate raged within the CHRB over the course of two separate meetings about whether Los Al was a safe enough track to merit the granting of a year-round Quarter Horse license, as has been routine.

Amid concerns that Los Al wasn't doing enough to mitigate the 29 equine deaths that occurred at the track in 2020, the CHRB in December 2020 voted 5-1 to only grant the track a six-month license.

In the immediate aftermath of that controversial vote, Los Al owner Ed Allred had threatened to close his Quarter Horse track and develop the property for a purpose other than racing, which would also affect the Thoroughbred meets that Los Al hosts in June/July, September and December.

One month later, in January 2021, the CHRB took up the issue again, re-voting 4-3 to grant Los Al its customary full-year Quarter Horse license.

Even though that Quarter Horse license is separate from the Thoroughbred meet that got approved for Los Al on Wednesday, safety still percolated to the top of discussion, with Gonzales wanting to make it known that he now believes Los Al has worked diligently to make improvements.

“I have been part of the commissioners that really have raised the bar on Los Alamitos,” Gonzales said. “And I have seen what I would describe as improvement and the right commitment of leadership, resources and time on the part of Los Alamitos. If I were to ask a direct question about, 'Is Los Alamitos doing better than it has in the past?' I am very, very confident that the answer would be yes.

“Is there room for improvement? Always,” Gonzales continued. “That applies to not just California racing, but across the country. I just want to see continued improvement by the leadership of Los Alamitos. I believe that they have made all of the adjustments and honored the requests of this board. And again, I have gone on record as being among the toughest [safety critics]. But I also want to acknowledge leadership when I see it. And I have seen that effort being made.”

CHRB Chairman Gregory Ferraro, DVM, said that he would endorse what the vice chairman said.

The two commissioners haven't always been in agreement on how to handle Los Al's licensure.

Back in December 2020, Ferraro had been the lone dissenting board member in that 5-1 vote to issue only a six-month license. He said at the time that granting only a half-year license made no sense considering the CHRB has the power to halt any California track's Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred racing at any time over safety issues.

Gonzales, by contrast, had pushed hard for the six-month license and had said back in January that Los Al's safety needed to be more closely monitored.

The post ’22 California Schedule Could Include One-Week Break appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post