October, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Dr. Schivel Overcomes Adversity and Runs Them Off Their Feet

Broken right rein, no problem for Flavien Prat.

Dr. Schivel (Violence), already guaranteed a spot in the starting for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint via a win in the GI Bing Crosby S. July 31, added a second straight 'Win and You're In' tally over his elders in Saturday's GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S.

Drawn on the fence while facing five rivals, last term's GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity S. winner showed much more speed than usual, forcing the issue from an inside–and tight second–in the early stages and had to tap on the brakes slightly at the five-eighths marker when Prat's right rein came undone from the strap.

Undeterred, the 9-5 favorite took charge through an opening quarter in :21.87, began to edge away approaching the quarter pole, and, with Prat, essentially riding with one rein and giving his charge right- and left-handed reminders, had five lengths in the stretch before being geared down late in an ultra-impressive performance.

“I had just the left rein after we left the chute at around the five and half mark,” said Prat. “It was kind of scary. This has never happened to me before. The horse was very proficient. Everything was normal otherwise. I let the other jock [Abel Cedillo, aboard Vertical Threat] know that I only had one rein and to stay out of the way. Everything worked out great and we got home safely.”

A maiden winner at third asking for former trainer Luis Mendez and for his co-breeders William A. Branch and Arnold R. Hill,

Red Baron's Barn, Rancho Temescal and William Dean Reeves joined the ownership group ahead of his score in Del Mar Futurity and was given the balance of the year off.

Programmed for a late-season sophomore campaign under the tutelage of Mark Glatt, he returned to action with a tough neck victory in a six-furlong Santa Anita allowance June 18 prior to his Bing Crosby score.

Pedigree Notes:

With his Futurity victory late last summer, Dr. Schivel became the third of three Grade I winners in 2020 for his sire, joining 'TDN Rising Star' No Parole and Volatile. One of 32 stakes winners (12 graded) for Violence, he is the only black-type winner from a daughter of former Jeff Bonde trainee Mining for Money (Mining), a half-brother to MGSW Intrusion (Top Command), who was a maiden winner and stakes placed in two trips to the post. A half-sister to GI Clement L. Hirsch S. winner Ultra Blend (Richly Blended), Lil Nugget is the dam of the 2-year-old colt Barsini Red (Midshipman), did not produce a foal in 2020 or this year and was most recently bred to Anthony's Cross.

Saturday, Santa Anita
SANTA ANITA SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP S.-GII, $200,500, Santa Anita, 10-2, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:09.44, ft.
1–DR. SCHIVEL, 122, c, 3, by Violence
                1st Dam: Lil Nugget, by Mining for Money
                2nd Dam: Ankha, by Desert Classic
                3rd Dam: Distant Runner, by Distant Day
($37,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEEJAN). O-Red Baron's Barn LLC,
Rancho Temescal LLC, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing & William
Branch; B-William A. Branch & Arnold R. Hill (KY); T-Mark
Glatt; J-Flavien Prat. $120,000. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 7-5-1-1,
$536,000. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Flagstaff, 126, g, 7, Speightstown–Indyan Giving, by A.P. Indy.
($475,000 Ylg '15 FTSAUG). O-Lane's End Racing & Hronis
Racing LLC; B-Summer Wind Farm (KY); T-John W. Sadler.
$40,000.
3–C Z Rocket, 124, g, 7, City Zip–Successful Sarah, by Successful
Appeal. ($800,000 2yo '16 OBSOPN). O-Altamira Racing Stable,
Madaket Stables LLC, Gary Barber & Tom Kagele; B-Farm III
Enterprises (FL); T-Peter Miller. $24,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, NO, 7. Odds: 1.80, 3.80, 2.40.
Also Ran: Colt Fiction, Collusion Illusion, Vertical Threat.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Going To Vegas Holds Off Luck In Rodeo Drive Stakes

Like a casino sending gamblers home empty handed, Going to Vegas refused to let the furious rush of Luck prevail on Saturday in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

Going to Vegas, a 4-year-old Goldencents filly got out early in the 1 1/4-mile turf race, and quickly got to the rail under jockey Umberto Rispoli, and she crossed over from the downhill course to the main oval ahead of Dogtag on the inside and longshot Neige Blanche on her outside hip.

Going to Vegas held a comfortable 1 1/2-length lead over Neige Blanche after an opening quarter-mile in :24.35 seconds, and she maintained that margin as the field went past the finish for the first time. The top three positions went unchanged as they headed into the backstretch, with Rispoli keeping Going to Vegas under light restraint.

The race started to percolate after the three-quarters mark in 1:13.49, with jockey Flavien Prat starting to rouse Luck from the middle of the field. Luck got up to third place behind Going to Vegas and Neige Blanche heading into the final turn, and she was in second after a mile in 1:36.35.

Rispoli started urging Going to Vegas in the straightaway with a right-handed crop, as they worked to hold off a pair of LNJ Foxwoods-owned runners in ground-saving Dogtag and outside-moving Luck.

Luck was gaining ground on Going to Vegas as the wire approached, but she ran out of time and real estate, finishing a head behind the winner. Stablemate Dogtag carried on for third.

Going to Vegas stopped the clock in 1:58.84 over a fast main track. She paid $4.20 as the post-time favorite.

Richard Baltas trains Going to Vegas for owners Abbondanza Racing, Medallion Racing, and MyRacehorse. Saturday's victory improved the filly's record to seven wins in 22 starts for earnings of $634,151.

Bred in Kentucky by J. Kirk and Judy Robison, Going to Vegas is out of the stakes-winning Johannesburg mare Hard to Resist.

To view the Equibase chart, click here.

The post Going To Vegas Holds Off Luck In Rodeo Drive Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Medina Spirit Cruises in WAYI Awesome Again

For 110 seconds on an unseasonably hot Saturday afternoon in Southern California, all was right in the world of Zedan Racing Stables' Medina Spirit (Protonico).

Having given last Saturday's GI Pennsylvania Derby a miss, the blue-collar colt was rerouted to Saturday's GI Awesome Again S. and a first try against some accomplished older horses. With a berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic on the line, the Florida-bred once again displayed the tenacity and raw ability that carried him past the post first in the GI Kentucky Derby, leading every step of the way to cement his status as one of the top choices when they enter the gate around 5:40 Pacific time on the afternoon of Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

As low as 3-5 in the wagering, Medina Spirit eased out to be off at 13-10 and his already-strong chances were amplified when the speedy Tizamagician (Tiznow)–a latest second to Tripoli (Kitten's Joy) in the GI TVG Pacific Classic–failed to break alertly from the inside gate, allowing John Velazquez an uncontested time of things atop Medina Spirit after edging to the front with a circuit of the Santa Anita main track to traverse. He had to do some work through the opening couple of furlongs in :23.34, but Medina Spirit came back nicely to Velazquez and went the next internal quarter-mile in a more manageable :24.38, with Tizamagician having gained ground to be second.

He was able to get some more air into his lungs with the next two furlongs timed in :24.02 and Medina Spirit traveled ears-pricked into the final three-eighths of a mile. Tizamagician and Tripoli, who was three and four wide the trip, tried to make a race of it in upper stretch, but Medina Spirit had plenty left and kicked home a decisive winner. Iowa Derby winner Stilleto Boy (Shackleford), third to Medina Spirit last time in the Aug. 29 Shared Belief S., ran a blinder to be second at 54-1, two lengths better than Express Train (Union Rags) in third.

“I'm happy for Zedan and what we have had to deal with,” said trainer Bob Baffert, winning the Awesome Again/Goodwood for a record-extending seventh time. “We stayed focused on the horses. The fans came out to see this horse and they are rooting for him. I could tell by the crowd noise. They are all pulling for him. It's an emotional win for us. Johnny V. can do whatever with the horse. He can wait, stalk, whatever. This horse keeps getting better and better.”

Medina Spirit was the refuse-to-lose winner of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Jan. 30, an effort that was sandwiched between runner-up efforts to 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in the GIII Sham S. and GII San Felipe S. before disappointing fractionally when second to Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI Santa Anita Derby Apr. 3. Those who kept the faith got odds of 12-1 for the GI Kentucky Derby, where his fighting qualities were on display yet again, clawing his way to a half-length defeat of 'Rising Star' Mandaloun (Hot Rod Charlie), with future Pennsylvania Derby hero Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) third and champion 'Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit) fourth. Allowed to participate conditionally in the May 15 GI Preakness S. in the immediate aftermath of the betamethasone positive that remains a cloud over the Derby five months later, Medina Spirit was no better than third behind Rombauer (Twirling Candy). After skipping the summer's major 3-year-old events, he was not among the original nominees to the Shared Belief, but was supplemented at entry time and reversed form with Rock Your World in that Aug. 29 event.

Pedigree Notes:

Medina Spirit is one of seven winners from two crops to race by the Giant's Causeway stallion Protonico, a four-time graded winner and twice placed at Grade I level, each time behind the Baffert-trained Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday). He is the only foal to date for Mongolian Changa, who was covered this year by Giant's Causeway's son Not This Time. Medina Spirit's third dam Holy Niner was a half-sister to GISW High Yield (Storm Cat).

Saturday, Santa Anita
AWESOME AGAIN S.-GI, $301,500, Santa Anita, 10-2, 3yo/up,
1 1/8m, 1:49.67, ft.
1–MEDINA SPIRIT, 122, c, 3, by Protonico
                1st Dam: Mongolian Changa, by Brilliant Speed
                2nd Dam: Bridled, by Unbridled
                3rd Dam: Holy Niner, by Holy Bull
($1,000 Ylg '19 OBSWIN; $35,000 2yo '20 OBSOPN). O-Zedan
Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Gail Rice (FL); T-Bob Baffert; J-John R.
Velazquez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 9-5-3-1, $2,525,200.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: B.
2–Stilleto Boy, 118, g, 3, Shackleford–Rosie's Ransom, by
Marquetry. ($420,000 3yo '21 FTKHRA). O-Steve Moger;
B-John Kerber & Iveta Kerber (KY); T-Ed Moger, Jr. $60,000.
3–Express Train, 124, c, 4, Union Rags–I'm a Flake, by
Mineshaft. ($500,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-C R K Stable LLC;
B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY); T-John A. Shirreffs. $36,000.\Margins: 5, 2, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.30, 54.80, 6.70.
Also Ran: Tripoli, Tizamagician, Idol, Azul Coast, Midcourt.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Plainsman Out Duels Favored Beau Liam To Take The Ack Ack

Shortleaf Stable's Plainsman rallied from off the pace, grabbed the lead with a furlong to run and out-kicked 1-2 favorite Beau Liam to the wire to win Saturday's 29th renewal of the $300,000 Ack Ack (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs by one length.

Plainsman, a 6-year-old son of Flatter, ran one mile on a fast track in 1:33.85, which was just .07 off Pants On Fire's 2013 stakes record (1:33.78) and .59 off Fruit Ludt's 2014 track record (1:33.26).

Joel Rosario rode the winner for trainer Brad Cox, who swept the Saturday stakes at Churchill Downs. Two races earlier, Knicks Go won the G3 Lukas Classic.

For Rosario it was his fifth win on the day, which marked the 72nd time a jockey has accomplished that feat and the first since Florent Geroux won five races from nine mounts on Sept. 4, 2020. Rosario's nine mounts earned a hefty $603,170 on the day.

Atoka, with Mr Dumas in tow, led the field of nine older horses down the backstretch in the one-turn mile through fractions of :22.65, :45.21 and 1:09.15 with Plainsman sitting off the pace and in clear.

Leaving the turn after a three-wide move, Plainsman was in fifth behind the leaders and ducked inside to split Mr Dumas on the rail and Atoka on his outside. He grabbed the lead with an eighth of a mile to run and turned back favored Beau Liam, who made his stakes debut after winning his first three starts.

“I was able to sit a good trip for most of the race,” Rosario said. “I knew turning for home I'd have a decision to make whether to keep him inside or go out. I knew I had a lot of horse underneath me and the race developed well for him.”

The first prize was $178,800 and hiked Plainsman's bankroll to $729,207 with a record of 8-6-3 from 25 starts. It was his fourth career stakes win. Previously he won the 2018 G3 Discovery at age three and prevailed in the $50,000 Jim Rasmussen at Prairie Meadows and $85,000 Michael G. Schaefer Memorial at Indiana Grand earlier this year.

“This horse has been in great form this year,” Cox said. “I think two turns is probably his best distance, but today he was able to sit a good trip from off the pace at the one-turn mile. He showed a lot of adversity today and ran a good effort.”

Six of the last eight Ack Ack winners – Pants On Fire (2013), Tapiture (2015), Tom's Ready (2016), Awesome Slew (2017), Seeking the Soul (2018) and Mr. Money (2020) – used the race as a springboard to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, which is scheduled for Nov. 6 at Del Mar with a $1 million purse. Cox non-comital to Plainsman's next start.

Plainsman paid $13.60, $3.80 and $3.20 at odds of 5-1. Beau Liam, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., paid $2.60 and $2.40. Atoka was another 2 ¾ lengths back in third under Rafael Bejarano and paid $8 to show.

Rushie, South Bend, Mr Dumas, Guest Suite, Exculpatory and Mo Mosa completed the order of finish. Ebben and Aloha West were scratched.

Plainsman, out of the Street Sense mare S S Pinafore, was bred in Kentucky by Joseph Minor.

The race is named in honor of Cain Hoy Stable's 1971 Horse of the Year Ack Ack, who is enshrined in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. In his only Churchill Downs appearance, Ack Ack won the 1969 Derby Trial in 1:34.40 which was a track record for one mile that has since been eclipsed.

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