August, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Acorn Trifecta Wheels Back In Saturday’s Longines Test

The top-three finishers from June's Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park – featuring winner Search Results, runner-up Obligatory and Make Mischief – will again comprise a talented field in a prestigious stake for 3-year-old fillies in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test at seven furlongs at Saratoga Race Course.

The 96th edition of the Longines Test, slated as Race 8 on the 12-race docket, is one of five stakes on a loaded card, headlined by the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney for 4-year-olds and up that is a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Breeders' Cup Classic. Also on tap will be the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby as the middle jewel of the Turf Triple series for 3-year-olds, as well as the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls for older fillies and mares on the turf and the $120,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure for older horses on the Mellon turf course.

Klaravich Stables' Search Results, who posted a half-length win in the Acorn going a one-turn mile on Belmont Stakes Day June 5, has won four of her five career starts for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown. The daughter of Flatter did not race as a juvenile but started her sophomore year with three straight wins, building on a debut victory in January at Gulfstream Park with a pair of stake wins at Aqueduct Racetrack in the one-mile Busher Invitational in March and the 1 1/8-mile Grade 3 Gazelle in April.

That victory at the Big A spring-boarded Search Results' appearance in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on April 30, where she was forwardly placed and challenged Malathaat in the stretch before settling for second, just a neck off the winner. Five weeks later, Search Results fended off Obligatory and Make Mischief's late charge to win the Acorn, earning an identical 95 Beyer Speed Figure she achieved in the Kentucky Oaks.

Irad Ortiz, Jr., aboard for the Gazelle and Kentucky Oaks, will return to ride Search Results, drawing post 7.

Brown will also send out Three Chimneys Farm's Always Carina, who won her first two starts before running second to fellow Test participant Zaajel in the Grade 2 Mother Goose going 1 1/16 miles on June 26 at Belmont. The lightly raced daughter of Malibu Moon will make her Saratoga debut, drawing post 5. Flavien Prat has the call.

Gary Barber's Make Mischief won her debut in June 2020 at Belmont before posting a pair of runner-up efforts in graded stakes at the Spa, finishing behind Dayoutoftheoffice in the Grade 3 Schuylerville and the Grade 2 Adirondack.

Trainer Mark Casse, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame across the street from Saratoga Race Course on Friday, sent Make Mischief to Chris Englehart to start her 3-year-old year, which included a victory by a neck over Brattle House in the one-mile Maddie May in February at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Returning to Casse for the spring, Make Mischief has been a contender when facing top-flight divisional competition again, running third in the Grade 2 Eight Belles in April at Churchill Downs at the Test distance before running third in the Grade 1 Acorn. The Into Mischief filly ran a competitive fourth in the Grade 2 Mother Goose last out and will return to Saratoga with Tyler Gaffalione set to ride from post 6.

“When we broke her, I told Gary I thought she was a pretty good filly,” Casse said. “I think she just needed a little more ground and a little bit of time to grow up. Her races this year have been good. I kept her with Chris Englehart over the winter since we didn't have any horses in New York at that time. He ran her right away and she won and he did a great job with her.”

Make Mischief, bred in New York by Avanti Stable, is the field's most experienced entrant with 12 starts, compiling a 4-3-2 record with earnings of $365,750.

Her stablemate, Live Oak Plantation's Souper Sensational, notched her first graded stakes win last out, displaying a strong closing kick to draw away for a 3 1/4-length score in the Grade 3 Victory Ride going 6 1/2 furlongs on July 10 at Belmont.

Casse campaigned the daughter of Curlin in a series of Kentucky Oaks preps at Fair Grounds to start 2021, and she responded with a runner-up performance in the Silverbulletday. After an off-the-board effort in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra in February, Souper Sensational returned to the same track to earn third in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks also going 1 1/16 mile in March.

Souper Sensational returned to sprinting in April, finishing fourth in the Eight Belles, and last out earned a career-best 95 Beyer for her Victory Ride win over a Big Sandy track rated good.

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Casse said Charlotte Weber, owner of Live Oak Plantation, helped select the $725,000 purchase at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale.

“She is by Curlin out of an Indian Charlie mare, but if you look at her she's more a sprinter type,” Casse said. “She [Weber] helped pick this one out. We bought her here in Saratoga. She's a really good horsewoman herself, she knows what she's looking at. We go around at the sale and she usually picks out one or two and that's how we got her.”

Ricardo Santana, Jr. will ride Souper Sensational for the first time, drawing post 2.

Juddmonte's Obligatory also was a filly who benefitted from cutting back in distance, going from a fourth-place finish in the Fair Grounds Oaks to a one-length win in the Eight Belles in her first stakes sprint for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

After earning a 94 Beyer for her second to Search Results in the Acorn, the fellow Curlin filly will compete at Saratoga for the first time, drawing post 4 in tandem with Jose Ortiz, who won this race in back-to-back years aboard American Gal and Separationofpowers from 2017-18.

Shadwell Stable's Zaajel garnered a 96 number for her 1 1/4-length Mother Goose win for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Zaajel made her turf debut in the Grade 2 Edgewood the race prior, finishing seventh in April over the Churchill grass, before Pletcher moved her back to dirt and running her around one turn.

“That made some of the difference,” Pletcher said. “The race before that was an experiment on the turf that didn't pan out. The time before that in Louisiana she misbehaved in the gate, got off to a poor start and got a little rank in the first turn. I think she'll handle two turns down the road but we wanted to keep her and Malathaat separated for the time being, so backing up to seven-eighths makes the most sense.”

Joel Rosario, aboard for the Mother Goose score, will ride again from post 3.

Rounding out the field is Illumination, an eight-length winner to break her maiden at fifth asking last out in June at Santa Anita Park for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert [post 1, fellow Hall of Famer John Velazquez]; and Bella Sofia, who ran second in the Jersey Girl on June 6 for trainer Rudy Rodriguez [post 8, Luis Saez].

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.

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Ask Your Veterinarian Presented By Kentucky Performance Products: How Do Crushed Heels Happen?

Veterinarians at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital answer your questions about sales and healthcare of Thoroughbred auction yearlings, weanlings, 2-year-olds and breeding stock.

Question: How do crushed heels happen, and how might they impact an athletic horse (racehorse or sport horse)?

Dr. Scott Fleming: The modern Thoroughbred has been continuously refined for speed and this is reflected in the light, often thinner walled hooves they possess. A lighter hoof is more susceptible to forces acted on it at speed and can manifest itself in hoof deformation and eventual dysfunction of anatomical structures in the caudal or “back” part of the hoof. Crushed or significantly underrun heels are a hoof conformation fault encountered in all breeds, but very common in the Thoroughbred.

This condition typically develops over time and can be prevalent by early adulthood. There are varying degrees of crushed heels. Depending on the observer, you can describe the degree of heel dysfunction as “low heels” being milder and “crushed” being more severe. Crushed heels can be seen by the eye, but hidden within the hoof, there are often changes that take advanced imaging such as radiography, CT, or MRI to define. Often, crushed heels are accompanied by negative palmar (forelimb) or plantar (hindlimb) angles of the coffin bone, a broken back hoof-pastern axis, and degradation of the digital cushion which is the lifeblood of caudal hoof function.

A hoof is a functioning framework of bone, soft tissue and hoof wall/sole keratin all working together to support and provide traction for the horse. This highly specialized unit must endure tremendous load and stress whether at rest or speed. Proper development from an early age is critical to maintaining a healthy hoof into and throughout adulthood. Timely and attentive hoof care early in life along with activity providing impact/concussion while growing are very important factors for development. The wings of the coffin bone are very short in early life and grow caudally as the horse matures. Strong healthy wings are critical for maintaining health in the back of the hoof as they share load with the digital cushion. We often see underdeveloped or resorbing coffin bone wings with crushed/low heels.

Crushed heels can significantly impact performance through unsoundness or physical breakdown of the hoof with heel or quarter cracks. Often, these horses are heel sore and may have bruising or “corns” present. Low heels or negative palmar/plantar angles also increase stress that can lead to soft tissue injury further up the limb. A good physical exam of the hoof is an integral part of diagnosing a problem and formulating a treatment plan. While prevention is the best medicine, therapeutic shoeing/trimming protocols including bar shoes, sole support, and addressing mechanical needs of the hoof can all help with this problem. Unfortunately, the effects can often linger if severe.

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Scott Fleming, originally from Northeast Texas, grew up riding Western performance Quarter Horses and working with cattle. Upon graduating from high school, Fleming attended farrier school and maintained a quarter horse centric farrier business in Northeast and central Texas until moving to Lexington. He also served in the Marine Corps Infantry for four years.

Fleming graduated from veterinary school at Texas A&M University in 2013. He then completed an internship at Rood & Riddle in 2013-2014, continued at the hospital as a fellow, and is currently an associate veterinarian at Rood & Riddle.

Outside of Rood & Riddle, Fleming enjoys spending time on the farm with his wife, Tina and their two children, Callie and Case. A special interest for Dr. Fleming is participating in Equitarian Initiative trips to Central America to help working equids in the region.

Do you have a question for a veterinarian that you'd like to see in Ask Your Vet? Email natalie at paulickreport.com

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Hotdog! Yes It’s Ginger Giving Utley Ride Of A Lifetime

Mike “Hotdog” Utley wasn't sure what he was buying into when approached last year about acquiring part-interest in Yes It's Ginger, a winless 4-year-old filly who'd been off for a year. But he trusted trainer Greg Foley, who already planned to buy into the horse on behalf of a partnership spearheaded by his sons.

“We rolled the dice, and I tell you what, it was a good roll. A really good roll,” said Utley, who runs his family's Edward Utley Jr. Inc. beer and wine distributors in Henderson. “I've known Greg a long time. If he was going to get in it, as long as he was the trainer and we were going to be partners, I thought it was a good deal.”

Utley's faith in Foley has turned into the ride of his life as a racehorse owner. Yes It's Ginger won her first start for her new trainer and Brilliant Racing's new partners last summer at Ellis Park – and then won right back. Her fifth win came in her last start, taking Lone Star Park's $75,000 Chicken Fried Stakes by four lengths for Utley's first stakes victory.

Yes It's Ginger will be entered in Sunday's $100,000 Kentucky Downs TVG Preview Ladies Sprint, running in either that 5 1/2-furlong turf race or three days later in Indiana Grand's $65,000 IU Hoosiers Stakes at five furlongs on grass.

Foley said the 5-year-old Yes It's Ginger will be entered in both races with a decision to be made later. The Ladies Sprint is one of four turf stakes Sunday, the second day of Ellis Park's Kentucky Downs TVG Preview Weekend, created as a launching pad to stakes at Kentucky Downs' September meet. Four stakes also will be held Saturday, three on turf as well as an overnight stakes on dirt.

Utley makes no secret that he hopes Yes It's Ginger runs at his hometown track, where he's a fixture at the races and also sells a lot of beer. But he said that call is completely up to the Foleys and Brilliant Racing.

“It's been a great ride,” said the 59-year-old Utley, who has been a regular at Ellis Park since first going with his dad about age 12. “All the guys in the group, we communicate, send out a text, keep everybody updated. Everybody's happy. They're all riding this good ride. Because I've been on some bad ones. I've been in it a long time. I had several horses back when my dad was living. The first horse I was actually part of was trained by Greg's dad, C. Wesleys Tiger. Greg's dad, Dravo, trained the stud, Tiger Lure. Goes back a long time with the Foleys.”

Brilliant Racing is a Louisville-based syndicate whose founding members include Churchill Downs and TwinSpires.com racing analyst Joe Kristufek. He approached Greg Foley's son and assistant, Travis, about buying half-interest in the filly, who was back in training after having arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone chip. The Foleys' Tagg Team Racing partnership – named for Travis, his brother Alex and dad Greg, with the last “g” being Group – agreed and the trainer then asked Utley if his group wanted to invest. They did, and got almost immediate gratification as Yes It's Ginger won — and won again — at Ellis Park's 2020 meet.

“Her form looked good,” Greg Foley said. “She was still a maiden but had run second and third, had a good chart. I went out and watched her gallop. She looked great. She's made a little money and now that she's got some 'black type' (stakes win or placing), she's got a little value to her as a broodmare.”

“The Henderson group had been wanting to get involved with us in some capacity,” Travis Foley said. “That was just the first opportunity. He said yes, and the rest has been a good year and a half. We've had a blast with her.”

Utley's group involves nine people from the Henderson and Evansville area. He said some are racing fans “and some aren't. But everybody is getting to know it. Everybody is getting to have fun. So everybody is a fan now.”

If Yes It's Ginger runs at Ellis, Utley estimates his partnership group alone will have 100 people in attendance.

“We may only own 25 percent, but we're having 100 percent of the fun,” he said. “It doesn't matter how much you own of it, hey, you feel like it's yours.”

Yes It's Ginger has earned most of her $237,266 in purses since Brilliant sold half-interest. Far from having any seller's remorse, Kristufek is thrilled how things have gone.

“This is our first horse with Foley, and it couldn't have gone any better,” he said. “Travis' group and Hotdog's group, the way things worked out for us to find such fantastic partners, I think we'll always be involved with them. They like to have a good time, they love racing, and what a great first horse to experience ownership with. It couldn't have worked out any better.”

Foley has two other horses under consideration for the Ladies Sprint in Skinny Dip and Dance Rhythms.

Skinny Dip has never raced on the turf, but it's not for lack of trying: She has been in three races taken on the grass and put on the main track, with two wins and a second.

“She's bred for the grass,” Foley said. “It's Mike and K.K. Ball's filly, and they've always wanted to try her on the grass at some point. She's a nice filly but hopefully will step it up a notch on the turf. Big, gorgeous filly. I got her this winter. She'd been laid up for a little while, and Mike asked if I'd take her to the Fair Grounds. I've loved her from day one.”

The 6-year-old Dance Rhythms, an eight-time winner, was third in last year's Ladies Sprint. She has two seconds and five thirds in nine races since then.

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GISW Dayoutoftheoffice Retired, to Sell at F-T NOV

Tim Hamm and Siena Farm's Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief), winner of last season's GI Frizette S. and GIII Schuylerville S., has been retired from racing and will be offered at the upcoming Fasig-Tipton November sale. The Siena-bred filly, who concluded her juvenile campaign with a runner-up finish behind Vequist (Nyquist) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland last fall, kicked off 2021 with a second in Churchill's GII Eight Belles S. Apr. 30 before finishing fourth in her most recent start in the GI Acorn S. June 5. The daughter of Gottahaveadream (Indian Charlie) recorded her latest work at Thistledown, Hamm's summer base, on July 31, when she went five furlongs in a bullet :59.

According to Siena Farm's Facebook post, “Unfortunately, she came out of this work slightly off and diagnostic x-rays revealed mild changes which will prevent her from making a start in this Saturday's GI Test S. at Saratoga.”

The statement continued, “Due to these changes, Dayoutoftheoffice will be retired from racing to Siena Farm and after days of deliberation, our team has decided to enter her in the Fasig-Tipton November sale.”

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