October, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Keeneland to Review Status of Crichton-Trained Runner for Spinster

Having been suspended at Gulfstream for allegedly violating rules regarding the use of clenbuterol, trainer Rohan Crichton may not be able to run his filly Bajan Girl (Speightstown) in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. to be run Sunday at Keeneland.

Keeneland released a statement Tuesday indicating that it is considering its options.

“We are in the process of obtaining information regarding the reported suspensions from Gulfstream Park so Keeneland is in a position to make an informed decision about race entries,” it read. “As you know, and as is clear from our actions for 85 years, Keeneland continues to work in furtherance of our mission to perpetuate the best in Thoroughbred racing, which definitely includes fair competition and integrity.”

“Right now she's being trained towards her next start,” Crichton told the Daily Racing Form. “Preferably we'll be able to run her in the Spinster. Our second option is the Beldame. I've been very forthcoming with Keeneland and have asked if they will take my entry. There is also the possibility they would let my owners enter her with one of the other trainers they use in Kentucky.”

The Spinster is a “Win and You're In” race for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.

So far as the GII Beldame S. at Belmont, also scheduled to be run Sunday, goes, NYRA spokesman Pat McKenna said the matter is under review.

It was announced last week by Gulfstream that Crichton was among five trainers that were suspended after they were found to be in violation of house rules at the Florida track regarding the use of clenbuterol. The others were Georgina Baxter, Daniel Pita, Peter Walder and Gilberto Zerpa. The finding came after out-of-competition testing, which included hair and blood samples, was performed.

Crichton was suspended by Gulfstream and not by the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, which means his status is not clear cut. Unlike a suspension issued by a racing commission, a suspension by one racetrack does not have to be upheld by another. However, as first reported by the Paulick Report, there is a clause in the Keeneland condition book listed under “special notices” that appears to cover the Crichton situation. It reads: “At the discretion of the stewards, and without notice, the entries of any person, or acceptance or transfer of any entries, may be refused.”

Keeneland's barn notes on Sunday and Monday listed Bajan Girl as a probable starter in the Spinster. Tuesday's notes did not include her name among a list of potential starters.

Owned by Robert Slack and Daniel Walters, Bajan Girl was fourth in the Love Sign S. at Colonial Downs in her most recent start and is three-for-13 lifetime.

A native of Jamaica, Crichton was the leading trainer at the 2020 Gulfstream Park West meet. He is 33-for-161 on the year for a winning percentage of 20%.

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Keeneland November Sale To Feature Draft Of Mares From Gary And Mary West

Keeneland has announced that the 2021 November Breeding Stock Sale, from Nov. 10-19, will mark the start of an annual reduction of broodmares from prominent owners and breeders Gary and Mary West during the auction.

Paramount Sales will serve as agent for the consignment, which this year will catalog 31 broodmares and broodmare prospects with broodmares in foal to Hard Spun, Union Rags and The Factor, as well as to the Wests' champions Game Winner, Maximum Security and West Coast and Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed American Freedom.

As the Wests' colts and their Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner New Year's Day were retired to stud, the couple acquired a large number of mares specifically to breed to them.

“We just can't keep them all,” Ben Glass, the Wests' Racing Manager, said about the mares. “It's amazing how quickly we accumulated broodmares. We're up to 100, and we only try to have 50-60. You just have to move those mares down the line. It's a tough decision. For all we know, we're selling the dam of another Grade 1 winner.”

The mares cataloged as part of the Wests' annual reduction represent a diversity of bloodlines, providing breeders with a variety of options for future matings. Included among the sires of their mares are prominent stallions and/or top broodmare sires Candy Ride (ARG), Curlin, Distorted Humor, Giant's Causeway, Into Mischief, Macho Uno, Medaglia d'Oro, Mineshaft, Quality Road, Smart Strike, Speightstown, Storm Cat, Street Cry (IRE) and Uncle Mo.

The Wests have been longtime patrons of Keeneland sales.

They purchased Maximum Security's sire, New Year's Day, at Keeneland's 2012 September Yearling Sale. They purchased the champion's dam, Lil Indy, in foal to Pioneerof the Nile at the 2014 January Horses of All Ages Sale and resold her carrying a full sister to Maximum Security at the 2018 November Sale.

The Wests also acquired American Freedom, Game Winner and West Coast at the September Sale, along with Dream Lady, who produced their G1 Central Bank Ashland dead-heat winner Room Service.

Glass said the choice of the November Sale as the venue for the Wests' annual reduction of broodmares stemmed from their working relationship with Keeneland and the sales company's broad international buying base.

“We have a good working relationship with Keeneland,” Glass said. “They have always done a good job for us. There is a buyer there for every mare.”

While each mare cataloged to this year's November Sale has a lot to offer, Paramount's Pat Costello said several have attributes that will attract enhanced attention from buyers:

Sweet Sweet Annie (Hip 684), a 6-year-old mare by Curlin produced from multiple stakes winner Song for Annie and in foal to West Coast, is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Successful Song.
Applaud (Hip 751), a 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro also is in foal to West Coast.
Media Circus (Hip 948), a 3-year-old by Mineshaft, descends from the female family of Grade 1 winner and sire Tapizar.

“Sweet Sweet Annie is a fine mare with good size and is from a hell of a family,” Costello said. “Applaud is a lovely individual from a real deep family that goes back to Hold That Tiger and Editor's Note. Media Circus is also another nice mare, and she is from the family of Tapizar.”

Costello reiterated that the Wests are trying to trim their numbers with the reduction.

“They can't keep them all.” Costello said. “They have a tremendous broodmare band and have fillies they race coming off the track and adding to it.”

“The Wests are passionate Thoroughbred owners and breeders, who have been very loyal patrons of Keeneland and have realized some of their greatest triumphs in racing thanks to horses they acquired here,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “We are grateful for the opportunity to annually offer mares from such a successful operation as an added attraction of the November Sale.”

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Pair Of Juvenile Stakes Highlight Friday’s Card At Woodbine

A pair of competitive $150,000 two-year-old stakes, the Clarendon Presented by HBPA of Ontario, and the Shady Well Presented by Pepsi, share the spotlight on Friday's eight-race card at Woodbine.

Each set for 5 ½-furlongs over the Tapeta, the Clarendon and Shady Well, for Ontario-bred rookies, will be featured on Racing Light Live, to be broadcast from 7-9 p.m. ET on TSN.

The card also includes the final leg of the Woodbine Turf Endurance Series, which drew 11 hopefuls for the 1 ¾-mile marathon on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Trainer Andrew Smith has cross-entered the filly Silent Resent in both stakes.

A dark bay daughter of Silent Name (JN), the dark bay, bred and owned by Joey Gee Thoroughbreds, made her debut on Aug. 7 a winning one.

Sent on her way at 14-1, Silent Resent converted a head advantage at the stretch call of the six-furlong Tapeta race into a four-length win in 1:11.33.

“It was a nice win,” said Smith. “I'm not sure about the caliber of horses we beat, but she won quite easily. I thought she'd run a good race first time out because she had shown quite a bit in the morning.”

In her most recent start, the one-mile Victorian Queen Stakes contested on the Toronto oval's Inner Turf, she finished sixth, six lengths back of the winner.

“She was pretty rank early and that was kind of the end of the race for her,” offered Smith. “Had she rated a little better, I think she would have run a little better. I thought she was going to run better, so I was disappointed there. I thought she'd stretch out, but she didn't relax for us. That was the main problem. Had she relaxed she would have been able to finish better.”

Smith, who is enjoying a solid 2021 campaign, believes the filly will come back with a stronger effort on Friday.

“She's heading into this next start doing pretty good. She's certainly sharp and I think she'll like the cut back in distance. Around the barn, she's very aggressive. She wants to train hard all the time and is go, go, go all the time.”

Trainer Katerina Vassilieva will send out first-time winner My Girl Sky in the Shady Well.

A daughter of graded stakes winner Dynamic Sky, My Girl Sky overcame a less-than-ideal start in her career bow on September 5th at Woodbine.

“She's got a lot of heart and determination,” said Vassilieva. “She has that will to win. She had every excuse not to run well after having sort of been bumped at the break and missing a step. But she came flying home. I think she's a gutsy filly and it's worth taking a shot in a spot like this.”

Vassilieva wasn't quite sure how the grey filly would respond the rest of the way after the tough beginning.

“I was surprised that she had that kind of a break because when Steve [jockey, Bahen] worked her from the gate – there were two other horses in with her that day – she broke the fastest and the sharpest. I think both myself and Steve were expecting her to, if not be on top, to be somewhere in the mix of things early – very close to the pace or on the lead.”

The conditioner's expectations on where My Girl Sky, owned by Kevin Drew, would eventually finish changed throughout the course of the race.

“When that (breaking sharply) didn't happen, I hoped she would have a good experience and learn something from it. As the race went on, I thought we had a chance to hit the board. Then, I realized we actually had a chance to win. That's when it got exciting. She had a really good closing kick and she really ran on when Steve called on her. That was nice to see.”

Vassilieva has enjoyed working with her young charge.

“She's a sweetheart. She loves people and she's very kind. She loves attention and she loves her work. She's all business on the track. She loves to train and seems to enjoy being a racehorse, I would say.”

Dan Vella, who won consecutive editions of the Shady Well, in 1994 with Honky Tonk Tune and one year later with Heavenly Valley, is represented by Marie MacKay in this year's running

Bred and owned by Track West Racing and Donald Whalen, the daughter of Noble Mission (GB) debuted on September 11 at Woodbine, finishing second at 14-1 to Aubrieta in the 5 ½-furlong race on the Tapeta.

Aubrieta, a two-year-old daughter of Speightster, trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, looked impressive in that 1 ¾-length score last month.

The Conrad Farms' homebred will once again be ridden by Patrick Husbands in the Shady Well.

Six contenders, including Simcoe Stakes champion, Ironstone, will vie for top spot in the Clarendon.

The Shady Well is slated as race six. The Clarendon is scheduled as race seven on Friday's 4:45 p.m. program.

Fan can watch and wager on all the action with HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.

$150,000 SHADY WELL STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Aubrieta – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

2 – My Girl Sky – Steven Bahen – Katerina Vassilieva

3 – Silent Resent – David Moran – Andrew Smith

4 – Ya Mar (S) – Antonio Gallardo – Mark Casse

5 – Shanghai Shamrock – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

6 – Marie MacKay – Justin Stein – Daniel Vella

7 – Silver Magnatized – Gary Boulanger – Kevin Attard

$150,000 CLARENDON STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Silent Runner – David Moran – Michael Doyle

2 – Silent Resent – Antonio Gallardo – Andrew Smith

3 – Ironstone – Ademar Santos – Willie Armata

4 – Bossy Holiday – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll

5 – Drop a Caribou – Daisuke Fukumoto – Robert Tiller

6 – Repeat the Heat – Rafael Hernandez – Michel De Paulo

The post Pair Of Juvenile Stakes Highlight Friday’s Card At Woodbine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Tarnawa A ‘Definite Possibility’ To Defend Her Title In Breeders’ Cup Turf

Last year's Breeders' Cup Turf winner Tarnawa may return stateside to defend her title at Del Mar in November, reports the Racing Post. The 5-year-old Shamardal mare ran most recently in Sunday's Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and was defeated just three-quarters of a length by 72-1 longshot Torquator Tasso over heavy ground at Longchamp.

In her other two starts this season, Tarnawa won the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes and ran second to St Mark's Basilica in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes.

Trainer Dermot Weld said there was a “definite possibility” Tarnawa will make her next start in the Breeders' Cup Turf, racing against males again.

“She tried hard and we've got no excuses but you saw the stamina of Tarnawa, not the speed, which was nullified on the testing ground,” Weld explained. “If we hadn't had so much rain on Saturday night, we'd have won.”