December, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Hall Of Famer Gary Stevens Back At Oaklawn As Jockey’s Agent

In addition to Calvin Borel, there's now another Hall of Fame jockey roaming Oaklawn's barn area.

Gary Stevens, who permanently retired from riding in 2018, returned to Hot Springs Dec. 1 to begin laying the groundwork for the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting as the agent for Southern California-based jockeys Geovanni Franco and Tiago Pereira.

Stevens, 58, said he represented Corey Nakatani “during one of my retirements” and most recently had the book of Hot Springs native Drayden Van Dyke.

“So, not new at it,” Stevens said.

Stevens rode 46 career winners at Oaklawn, the first coming in the $500,000 Arkansas Derby (G1) in 1985 aboard Tank's Prospect for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Stevens' last major Oaklawn victory came in the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) in 2018 aboard Sassy Sienna for trainer Brad Cox. Stevens retired for a third and final time later in 2018 because of a neck injury. He represented Van Dyke earlier this year and continued to work as a racing analyst for Fox Sports and the New York Racing Association.

Now, he'll be wearing two hats (agent and analyst) the next few months in Hot Springs.

“Tiago and I had been thinking about getting together for a long time,” Stevens said Dec. 3, opening day of Oaklawn's meet. “He was wanting to make a change, get out of California. I got a phone call from here at Oaklawn that they were running kind of short of riders, that some of the guys who normally rode here decided to stay in Kentucky. Geovanni, I know he had some real good success here in 2017, won some stakes and rode for the right people. Geovanni was wanting to make a new start. Just a good opportunity to come out here with two guys that can really ride and are hard workers.”

Franco, who missed opening weekend to ride in Puerto Rico, is named on five horses Friday, Day 4 of Oaklawn's scheduled 66-day live meeting that ends May 8. Stevens said Pereira is taking care of “some personal stuff” in his native Brazil and will arrive in Hot Springs Dec. 26. He will begin accepting mounts Dec. 31, Stevens said.

Franco rode regularly in 2016 and 2017 at Oaklawn, amassing 61 victories, including four stakes, and $2,573,621 in purse earnings. He rode 16 winners in his 2016 debut and 45 in 2017 to tie for third in the standings.

Franco capped his 2017 meeting by guiding Inside Straight ($41.40) to an upset victory in the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses for trainer Robertino Diodoro. Franco won three other stakes races in 2017 at Oaklawn – $125,000 King Cotton for older sprinters aboard Storm Advisory for Diodoro, $125,000 Gazebo aboard for 3-year-old sprinters aboard Rockshaw for trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs and the $150,000 Purple Martin for 3-year-old female sprinters aboard Golden Mischief for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

A native of Mexico, Franco relocated to Southern California shortly after the 2017 Oaklawn meeting ended. He won the $400,000 Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) for fillies and mares aboard Secret Spice for trainer Richard Baltas in 2019 at Santa Anita and finished second aboard Lieutenant Dan for trainer Steve Miyadi in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

Pereira won the $10 million Dubai World Cup (G1) in 2010 aboard Gloria de Campeao. He also won the $1 million Pacific Classic (G1) Aug. 21 at Del Mar aboard Tripoli for trainer John Sadler.

Stevens and the still-active Borel were members of the 2018 Oaklawn riding colony. Stevens rode 26 winners to finish sixth in the standings. Stevens said he's tentatively scheduled to work for Fox throughout the expanded 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting, adding Franco and Pereira also plan to stay until the end.

“We'll be here until they chase us out,” Stevens said.

Stevens won more than 5,000 races in his career, including nine Triple Crown events. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1997 and won an Eclipse Award in 1998 as the country's most outstanding jockey. Injuries led to his three retirements.

Stevens' son, T.C. was an exercise rider for Diodoro at the 2020 Oaklawn meeting.

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Robby Albarado On Ky Racing Spotlight Friday; Damon Thayer, Gene McLean Also Join Jennie And Joe

Robby Albarado, rider of two Horses of the Year and two Preakness Stakes winners, will be in studio for the second edition of Kentucky Racing Spotlight presented by the Kentucky HBPA this Friday from 6-7 p.m. ET on Louisville's ESPN 680/105.7.

Albarado's final mount in a career spanning 34,113 races, 5,222 victories and more than $221 million in purse earnings will be Saturday at Turfway Park. He retires from a career that began in 1990 and saw the jockey capture the 2020 Preakness Stakes on the 3-year-old filly champion Swiss Skydiver. Albarado's career highlights include the 2007 Preakness and Breeders' Cup Classic and 2008 Dubai World Cup with two-time Horse of the Year Curlin and riding 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft.

Program co-hosts Jennie Rees and Joe Clabes will talk with Albarado about his career and future plans. Also joining this Friday's show will be Kentucky Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer and Louisville Thoroughbred Society co-founder Gene McLean.

In addition to airing on ESPN 680-AM/105.7 FM, the region's sports-talk leader, Kentucky Racing Spotlight will be streamed live at espnlouisville.com, on the ESPN 680 app and the TuneIn and iHeart apps. The replay will be available on espnlouisville.com under the podcasts tab and posted on Kentucky Racing Radio's Facebook and Twitter accounts.

If Kentucky Racing Spotlight should get pre-empted for breaking news – as happened last week — the show will be pre-recorded and air Saturday morning at a time to be determined. Check out Kentucky Racing Spotlight's Facebook page (@Kentucky Racing Spotlight radio) and Twitter (@KyRacingSptlght) for any updates.

The Kentucky HBPA, the show's presenting sponsor, represents about 6,000 licensed owners and trainers at all five Kentucky thoroughbred tracks. Other sponsors include Louisville Thoroughbred Society, NKYTribune.com and Davis Innovation.

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Messier Takes Next Step at Los Al

'TDN Rising Star' Messier (Empire Maker) will look to take his talent around two turns as a prohibitive favorite in Saturday's GII Los Alamitos Futurity. A $470,000 FTKSEL buy by the powerful ownership conglomerate nicknamed The Avengers, the bay settled for second at 1-2 in his local unveiling July 27. He resurfaced at Santa Anita Oct. 22 after a minor foot issue, and blew away his competition by 6 1/2 lengths. The son of MSW router Checkered Past (Smart Strike) made similarly short work of Del Mar's GIII Bob Hope S. over seven panels Nov. 14, and trainer Bob Baffert now puts the blinkers back on that he took off for that start. The Avengers will also be represented by Barossa (Into Mischief), who graduated third out over a mile at Santa Anita Oct. 15 before wheeling back quickly to finish ninth behind stablemate Corniche (Quality Road) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 5. Baffert has won each of the seven runnings of this race since it was moved to Los Al and owns 13 victories in it overall.

Trainer Doug O'Neill has two chances at his first Futurity win. Durante (Distorted Humor) ran Barossa to a half-length two back, before earning his diploma Nov. 14. Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) was a sharp debut winner sprinting against fellow Cal-breds Oct. 9, and was a close second as the chalk in the Golden State Juvenile S. on Breeders' Cup weekend Nov. 5.

Longshot Olympic Legend (Street Boss) rounds out the field of five coming off a distant third in the restricted Capote S. here Sept. 18.

The post Messier Takes Next Step at Los Al appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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O’Brien-Trained Mogul Returns To Defend His Title In Sunday’s Hong Kong Vase

Last year's G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m, or 1 1/2 miles) winner Mogul returns on Sunday (Dec. 12) to defend his title and leads a three-pronged attack on International Day at Sha Tin from the formidable Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore training and riding combination.

Mogul, a 4-year-old son of Galileo, has not won in four starts since last year's Hong Kong success. However, that victory was his third from as many runs right-handed at 2400 metres on good ground and jockey Moore believes his 2021 performances can be excused.

“He's had a quiet year,” Moore said. “He started in Dubai and ran respectably and (then) ran a good race in Paris in the Prix Ganay (G1, 2100m) before the ground was very soft at Epsom for the Coronation and he didn't like it and it was the same again when he went back to Deauville.

“A few things haven't gone quite right for him through the summer, so he's been lightly raced. His work's been good at home and he looks great. We know he likes Sha Tin and he likes quick ground. I believe Aidan's very happy with him, so we're hoping that he can step back in the right direction.

“He showed a couple of times last year he's very talented. He's a handsome horse with a great pedigree and I still have faith that he can get back on track. Aidan would like to have put a run in him but that didn't happen but we think he's in good shape. I suppose Mogul would look our best chance on paper.”

Moore and O'Brien, of course, combined with the most recent multiple Vase winner Highland Reel who scored in 2015, was second in 2016 and won again in 2017 immediately before his retirement to stud.

Zoffany filly Mother Earth, a dual Group 1 winner in 2021, represents the stable in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) and Moore says she can be forgiven a last-start Breeders' Cup Mile failure and be competitive in what he describes as a “very strong” edition of the Group 1.

“She's a wonderful filly. She's strong and she's been very busy, on the go all year and late on as a two-year-old as well,” Moore said. “The race in Del Mar (G1 Breeders' Cup Mile), she drew in the middle and didn't get away that quickly, the pace was steady and it was impossible to make up ground in that very short straight there.

“She's been consistent all year. The race on Sunday is very strong with Golden Sixty and a live Japanese contingent. It's going to be tough for her but she's got a nice draw, gets a nice weight pull and she usually runs a good race. I think Sha Tin will suit and she'll enjoy the quick ground.” Moore said.

Bolshoi Ballet returns to 2000 meters (1 1/4 miles), after two failures at 2400 metres, in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and the drop in trip may be key to his prospects, according to the jockey.

“He won a Grade 1 in America at ten (furlongs) and his two wins at the start of the year were over the ten furlongs (2000 metres). He's obviously very happy at that distance. I had high hopes for him and (while) he hasn't run bad races lately I would like to have seen a little bit more from him.

“The quick ground will be in his favor and I don't think Sha Tin will be any problem. The two Japanese fillies (Lei Papale and Loves Only You) bring a high level of form and will be tough to beat but he (Bolshoi Ballet) is a nice type of horse and I still believe there's a good horse in there. He's a Group 1 winner and hopefully can run a respectable race,” Moore said.

Recently crowned LONGINES World's Best Jockey, Moore also picks up the ride on Hot King Prawn for trainer John Size in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m, six furlongs).

“He's very consistent horse and obviously a Group 1 winner around Sha Tin. He's got a nice draw. Pixie Knight might be a level above but I'm very much looking forward to riding him (Hot King Prawn). He's had his prep race and hopefully will come forward. He's in there with a definite chance,” Moore said.

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