September, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Going To Vegas Proves Best In Del Mar’s John C. Mabee

Going to Vegas and Del Mar's leading rider Flavien Prat sat a perfect trip Saturday in the nine-furlong John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar, then pulled clear at the top of the stretch and could not be caught in scoring a 2 1/4-length triumph in the Grade 2 headliner at the seaside track north of San Diego, Calif.

The winner, a 4-year-old filly by Goldencents, was winning the sixth race of her career and the $120,000 winner's share of the $201,000 purse increased her earnings to $454,151. The bay Kentucky-bred is trained by Richard Baltas.

Going to Vegas is owned by three racing groups – Abbondanza Racing, Medallion Racing or MyRacehorse. An estimated post-race crowd of 250 of her owners filled Del Mar's winner's circle to capacity, and then some.

Finishing second in the grass test was LNJ Foxwoods' Dogtag, who had a length and a quarter on Calvin Nguyen's Bodhicitta.

The winner, the 19-10 race favorite, returned $5.80, $3.20 and $2.60. Dogtag returned $2.80 and $2.40, while Bodhicitta paid $2.80 to show.

This was the 64th running of the Mabee, named for one of the founders of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

Post-race quotes:

FLAVIEN PRAT (Going to Vegas, winner) – “I had a good post and a good break. I got right where I wanted to be and we weren't going that fast. When I asked her, she had a really good turn of foot. She was a winner all the way today.”

RICHARD BALTAS (Going to Vegas, winner) “She was where she wants (second, stalking position) from the start. She'll rate now, she used to not rate. I'm very proud of the horse coming back fairly quickly from the (allowance win) at the start of the meet to win a mile and an eighth graded stakes. (On the overflow crowd of owners in the winner's circle) This is great. They're all having fun and that's what it's all about.”

FRACTIONS: :24.20 :47.80 1:12.41 1:36.60 1:48.14

The victory was the 11th of the meet for rider Prat and his fifth score in the John C. Mabee. He now has 68 stakes wins at Del Mar, tied for 11th most in track history.

The victory was the third of the meeting for trainer Baltas, but his first win in the John C. Mabee. He now has 20 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owners are Abbondanza Racing (Bing Bush of Del Mar), Medallion Racing (Philip Shelton of Nicholasville, KY) and the large ownership group of MyRacehorse.

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Longshot Look Presented By Kentucky Downs: Ransacking The Opening Day Card

Opening day of the FanDuel meet at Kentucky Downs is here, and so is our new Longshot Look video segment, examining a horse poised to hit for a price on the day's card.

For each card of the six-day meet, J.D. Fox of the Champagne and J.D. Show will single out a price play with his reasoning for what makes the horse worth a look when they might go overlooked.

On Sunday's opening day card, Fox turns his attention to Race 3, a one-mile starter allowance for 3-year-olds and up who have started for a claiming tag of $10,000 or less in the past year. His pick is 20-to-1 on the morning line, but as Fox explains, the horse's past form suggests he stands a strong chance of outrunning his odds.

Kentucky Downs' 2021 meet takes place Sept. 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, and 12. First post each day is at 12:20 p.m. Central.

Watch today's Longshot Look presented by Kentucky Downs below:

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Quality Road OBS April Topper Lives Up to Hype, Earns ‘Rising Stardom’

Corniche (c, 2, Quality Road–Wasted Tears, by Najran), the $1.5-million OBS April topper earlier this spring, lived up to his lofty reputation with a 'TDN Rising Star' debut performance for Bob Baffert at Del Mar Saturday evening.

The 1-2 favorite caught a flyer beneath Hall of Famer Mike Smith and cleared the field from his wide draw in post 10. He led them comfortably through early fractions of :21.72 and :45.13, kicked for home in complete control and cruised under the wire after a shake of the reins to a facile 4 1/4-length victory. Apprehend (Arrogate) was second.

The final time for 5 1/2 furlongs was a sharp 1:03.01. Corniche becomes the 10th 'Rising Star' for Quality Road.

The son of six-time GSW and GI Matriarch S. runner-up Wasted Tears (Najran) was led out unsold on a bid of $385,000 at KEESEP last year, but turned in a smooth sales breeze in :10 flat to become one of two horses to eclipse the seven-figure barrier in Ocala.

Wasted Tears, also responsible for the late stakes-placed Coffee Crush (Medaglia d'Oro), had a filly by Mendelssohn in 2020.

Speedway Stables and Baffert also teamed up for a win with Quality Road's 'Rising Star' Roadster in the 2019 GI Santa Anita Derby and a runner-up finish in the GI Malibu S.

10th-Del Mar, $72,500, Msw, 9-4, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:03.01, ft, 4 1/4 lengths.
CORNICHE, c, 2, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Wasted Tears (MGSW & GISP, $941,463), by Najran
2nd Dam: Wishes and Roses, by Greinton (GB)
3rd Dam: Anniversary Wish, by Beau's Eagle
Sales history: $385,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $1,500,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Speedway Stables LLC; B-Bart Evans & Stonehaven Steadings (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

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Joker Boy Best In I’m Smokin’ At Del Mar

Brown, Klein, and Lebherz's Joker Boy shook off several challenges and drew away late to win by three and a half lengths in the $100,500 I'm Smokin' Stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds Saturday at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The colt by Practical Joke had Edwin Maldonado in the irons for trainer Brian Koriner as he picked up a winner's check for $57,000 to enhance his bankroll to $99,000 and his record to two-for-two. He ran the six furlongs in 1:10.77.

Finishing second in the stakes was Lovingier, London, or Zondlo's Rock N Rye, the 7/5 race favorite, and running third was Lovingier, Beckerle or Carrillo's Thirsty Always.

The winner paid $19.80, $6.20 and $3.60 across the board. Rock N Rye returned $3.20 and $2.40, while Thirsty Always paid $2.60.

The race is part of the $4.35 million Golden State Series for California breds that consists of 36 races at five different tracks around the state. Del Mar hosts eight of them.

EDWIN MALDONADO (Joker Boy, winner) – “I told Brian (trainer Koriner) that we were going to be the real deal today. This horse is special. When I first got on him I didn't think he was a 2-year-old. He acted like an old horse. I took a hold of him the other day (when he came from far back to win his first start); today I just let him run out of there. He can run on, this horse. I have no doubt about that. He's the real deal.”

BRIAN KORINER (Joker Boy, winner) “After he won we thought of this race. We thought he might be good enough to go in the Futurity. But then you've got Bob Baffert freaks in there so we opted for the easier spot and it worked out. Now on Breeders' Cup Day they have a Cal-bred race for $150,000 or $200,000 (it is the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile Stakes at seven furlongs) and that will be next. It should be no problem for him.”

FRACTIONS: :22.03 :45.29 :57.71 1:10.77

The stakes win was the first of the meeting for rider Maldonado and his first in the I'm Smokin'. He now has nine stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the first of the meeting for trainer Koriner and his first in the I'm Smokin'. He now has nine stakes wins at Del Mar.

The owners are Rusty Brown of Irvine, Alan Kline, and Phil Lebherz.

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