November, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cordmaker’s Richard Small Win Gives Him Lead In MATCH Series

Hillwood Stable's Cordmaker, a mainstay in the Maryland stakes ranks for several years, pulled away late to win the $100,000 Richard Small Stakes at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., Nov. 27 and in the process took the lead in the overall standings for the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships (MATCH) Series heading into the championship leg Dec. 26 at Laurel.

With regular rider Victor Carrasco aboard, Cordmaker broke well in the 1 1/8-mile stakes and found himself in a good spot in third behind Workin On a Dream and Shackqueenking, who raced one-two, respectively, until a duel developed on the far turn. Cordmaker, nursed along by Carassco, rallied three-wide on the turn, reached the front in the final eighth of a mile, and pulled away to win by 1 3/4 lengths for his third stakes victory of the year.

Workin On a Dream, a blowout winner of an allowance race at Laurel in his last start for owner Steven Walfish and trainer Robin Graham, held gamely for second under jockey Forest Boyce. Shackqueenking, who had won his last two starts in allowance company at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del., for owner Pocket 3's Racing and trainer Gary Capuano, easily held for third under Jaime Rodriguez as the favorite.

Cordmaker, who cleared the $700,000 mark in career earnings with his 11th win in 33 starts, paid $12.40 to win as the fourth choice in a field of 10. The 6-year-old Maryland-bred gelding by Curlin was bred by Robert Manfuso and Katy Voss and purchased as a yearling for $150,000 by Hillwood Stable, which is operated by longtime Maryland Thoroughbred owner Ellen Charles.

“I wanted him to stay close early,” trainer Rodney Jenkins said after Cordmaker won his second MATCH Series stakes in the 3-Year-Olds and Up Long—Dirt division in 2021. “I didn't want him to have a lot of ground to make up. I told Victor, 'Keep him up there and make them run.' This is a great result for the horse, the barn and Mrs. Charles.”

Cordmaker, who has started in all five legs thus far in his division, won the Victory Gallop Stakes at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., in August. He returned in the Polynesian Stakes at Laurel in September and crossed the finish line in second but was disqualified and placed sixth for drifting out near the three-sixteenths pole. Despite the setback, he picked up 5 MATCH bonus points in the Polynesian and padded his division lead.

“He broke well and we had a great trip,” Carrasco said. “I followed (Shackqueenking) because I thought he was the only horse who could beat us. As soon as we passed the five-sixteenths pole, I said, 'Go,' and he responded nicely. He got the job done.”

Cordmaker entered the Richard Small with 24 points. He earned 10 points for the victory and another 2 bonus points for making his fifth start in the division. That gives him 36 points, nine more than Hello Beautiful, who leads the Filly and Mare Sprint—Dirt division with 27 points.

The division winners and the overall champion will be decided at Laurel the day after Christmas, when the final stakes for each of the MATCH Series' four divisions will be run.

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Beyond Brilliant Goes Gate To Wire In Hollywood Derby

Jockey Kent Desormeaux followed up victories in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup and the Cary Grant Stakes with a gate-to-wire winning ride on Beyond Brilliant in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

In a full field of 14, Desormeaux put Beyond Brilliant on the lead right out of the gate, setting early fractions of :23.96 and :49.23 as he strode out to a length and a half lead. On the far turn, Team Merchants challenged, shrinking Beyond Brilliant's lead to a half-length as the field hit the top of the stretch. The son of Twirling Candy repelled the challenge, increasing his lead to a length as Desormeaux set his mount down for the stretch drive.

Beyond Brilliant was clear of the field until the last sixteenth of the mile when Subconscious and then Santin came on with their final rallies for the lead, Santin shrinking Beyond Brilliant's lead down to a neck at the wire. Cathkin Peak (IRE) was third and Public Sector fourth.

The final time for the 1 1/8 miles over the firm turf was 1:48.84. Find this race's chart here.

Beyond Brilliant paid $23.80, $11.80, and $7.40. Santin paid $15.80 and $8.20. Cathkin Peak paid $4.60.

“All credit for this win goes to the barn. They've done wonders with this horse over the past month. When I rode him last time (October 31 at Santa Anita), he was a handful to control. Today he was easy. He was dry as a bone in the paddock and he was happy out on the racetrack. His mind was right. And he showed he can sprint that last part,” jockey Kent Desormeaux said after the race.

“This horse likes to be on the lead or close to the lead and obviously with a big field that's a good place to be. And Kent Desormeaux is riding great right now, isn't he? I'm gonna put Kent on more horses he's riding so well. I'm thankful for him doing it for us today,” trained John Shirreffs told the Del Mar Press Office after the Hollywood Derby.

Bred in Kentucky by Fred W. Hertrich III, John D. Fielding, and Robert L. Tribbett, Beyond Brilliant is out of the First Defence mare Summer On the Lawn. The 3-year-old colt is owned by C R K Stable LLC. Consigned by Kings Equine, the son of Twirling Candy was purchased by Mayberry Farm for $200,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale. With his win in the G1 Hollywood Derby, Beyond Brilliant has three wins in nine starts in 2021 for career earnings of $381,280.

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Freeport Joe Springs Upset In Berkeley Handicap

With an eighth of a mile to go, favored Camino Del Paraiso had the lead, looking every bit like he would hold on to win the Berkeley Handicap, but a rallying Freeport Joe caught the favorite in the race's final strides to take the Grade 3 stakes by a length.

On the all-weather course at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, Calif., Sash took the lead out of the gate in the 1 1/16-mile stakes, with Extra Hope and Camino Del Paraiso, fresh off a win in the Joseph T. Grace Stakes on Nov. 6, stalking. Down the backstretch, Sash maintained a one-length lead, the field bunched up behind him through early fractions of :23.98 and :48.53. Around the far turn, Camino Del Paraiso pulled even with Sash and then took over front runner status as the field entered the stretch.

Moving to the outside, Freeport Joe improved from last on the backstretch to third on the first turn, hitting the stretch in third as Camino Del Paraiso took over the lead. Freeport Joe rallied on the leader's outside, making up ground quickly as they approached the wire and catching Camino Del Paraiso in the last sixteenth of a mile. At the wire, Freeport Joe was a length in front, with Camino Del Paraiso, Sash, Big Fish, Jungle Cry, Extra Hope, and Wine and Whisky rounding out the order of finish.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:43.70. Find this race's chart here.

Freeport Joe paid $22.20, $7.80, and $4.40. Camino Del Paraiso paid $3.40 and $2.40. Sash paid $3.60.

Bred in California by Richard Barton Enterprises, Freeport Joe is by English Channel out of the Sadler's Wells mare Winds of March (IRE). He is owned by Larry Odbert and trained by Gloria Haley. Consigned by Barton Thoroughbreds, the 4-year-old gelding was purchased by his owner for $2,000 at the 2018 California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Sales Northern California Yearling Sale. With his win in the G3 Berkeley, Freeport Joe has four wins in 12 starts and career earnings of $141,056.

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$5K Bisphosphonate Fine for Sadler

Trainer John Sadler has been fined $5,000 by the Del Mar stewards, and has entered into a settlement agreement and mutual release with the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), for “knowingly” bringing a horse into a CHRB enclosure “that had been administered bisphosphonates within previous six months,” according to a ruling Friday.

The horse in question–as first reported by the BloodHorse–was GISW sprinter Flagstaff (Speightstown), who was recently retired at the age of seven.

Flagstaff tested positive for the bisphosphonate “clodronate” after finishing second in the 2020 GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship. The Santa Anita stewards subsequently disqualified him, requiring $40,000 in purse monies to be returned, according to a ruling dated June 19 this year.

Bisphosphonates are Food and Drug Administration approved for use in horses 4-year-olds and up for things like osteoarthritis and navicular disease.

But many in the industry have been concerned about the off-label use of these drugs, especially in young horses being prepared for the sales. That's because, rather than strengthening bones as intended, misuse of these drugs could make them weaker, more susceptible to fractures.

These drugs, however, have been notoriously difficult to regulate. Part of the conundrum is that too little is currently known about how long they remain in the horse's system. Bisphosphonates potentially stay in the bone for years.

Too little is also currently known about exactly how they behave for that duration.

As of July 1 last year, the CHRB put into effect a rule broadly prohibiting administration of bisphosphonates to any horse within any CHRB regulated facility. It also prohibits any horse from entering the grounds that has been administered the drug within six months.

Sadler's attorney, Darrell Vienna, stressed that the ruling did not constitute a fine for a medication positive. “If you look at the wording of the actual rule,” he said, “this is not a medication violation.”

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