December, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Jockey Paco Lopez Posts Five-Win Day Saturday At Gulfstream Park

Jockey Paco Lopez put the finishing touches on a five-win afternoon by guiding Patricia Generazio homebred Mid Day Image to a front-running 1 ¼-length triumph in the $95,000 Claiming Crown Emerald Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 1 1/16-mile Emerald was the last of nine starter stakes worth $810,000 in purses on the 23rd Claiming Crown program, being held at Gulfstream for the 10th consecutive year. For 3-year-olds and up which have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2020-21, the Emerald was the last of four turf stakes.

Created by the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the Claiming Crown rewards and pays tribute to the horses and horsemen that provide the foundation for day-to-day racing programs at tracks around the country.

Lopez, who shares the Gulfstream track record with seven wins on a single card, notched four of his wins in the Claiming Crown. He had consecutive victories with Joe Di Baggio ($6) in Race 2, Blue Steel ($9.40) in the $75,000 Iron Horse Kent Stirling Memorial, and Payntdembluesaway ($5.60) in the $90,000 Distaff Dash, and captured the $85,000 Rapid Transit with Miles Ahead ($4.60). He also finished second with Xy Speed in the $90,000 Canterbury and Hanalei's Houdini in the $125,000 Jewel, beaten less than two combined lengths.

“Not too bad a day. We had five wins and a couple seconds,” Lopez said. “My horses ran very well today.”

Mid Day Image entered the Emerald off back-to-back wins at Monmouth Parkin in Oceanport, N.J., the most recent coming Sept. 12, both in gate-to-wire fashion. The 5-year-old Midshipman gelding went straight to the lead from his rail post, posting fractions of :23.39, :47.73, and 1:11.22 chased by Clear Vision with 9-5 favorite Max K.O. looming in the clear in third.

Lopez and Mid Day Image maintained a clear advantage at the top of the stretch and continued on once set down for the drive, with Clear Vision unable to make up ground. Attentive came on late to get third, with Light Fury fourth and Max K.O. fifth. The winning time was 1:39.82 over a firm course.

“[Mid Day Image] has a lot of speed. Max K.O., I was scared of that horse because he's fast, too. I know that horse,” Lopez said. “I give credit to my horse. He's very, very good. He put me right there and [trainer Luis] Carvajal [Jr.] told me, 'Paco, that horse is ready today.'”

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Sweet Willemina Rallies To Win Claiming Crown Glass Slipper

Richard Ciavardone and Home Team Stable's Sweet Willemina ($18.60) emerged from a pack of horses in mid-stretch and rallied past Our Fantasy to capture Saturday's $80,000 Glass Slipper at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Scott Lake-trained 4-year-old daughter of Reason d'Etat, who was coming off her first loss in seven starts since being claimed by her connections for $32,000, rebounded with a last-jump decision over Our Fantasy in the mile starter stakes for fillies and mares that have run for a claiming price of $12,500 or less in 2020-2021.

Sweet Willemina, a Parx-based filly who broke her maiden for a $10,000 claiming price in September 2020, ran the mile in 1:36.68 under Silvestre Gonzalez to return to winning form after finishing second in an optional claiming allowance at Parx last time out.

“She's a beast,” Lake said. “Her last race when she got beat – Silvestre and I talked about it and thought he rode her over-confidently and didn't go after the lone speed,” Lake said. “We were a little worried coming in because she wasn't quite as sharp coming off that race. But she's been training great down here. Silvestre did a great job.”

Our Fantasy made a sweeping move to the lead coming off the stretch turn to open a clear early lead under Edgard Zayas but was unable to hold off Sweet Willemina by a head. Lets Be Honest finished third a length back.

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Twelve Volt Man Makes Late Charge To Upset Claiming Crown Jewel Stakes

Magic Cap Stable's Twelve Volt Man made a late charge along the rail to register an upset victory in Saturday's $125,000 Jewel at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Jewel, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up that have raced for a claiming price of $35,000 or less, headlined nine starter stakes in the Claiming Crown, an annual event that celebrates the blue-collar horses that support the daily programs of racetracks throughout the country.

Twelve Volt Man ($23.60) gave trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. his third Claiming Crown victory of the day. Joseph also visited the winner's circle with Face of Victory ($11) in the $75,000 Express in Race 5 and Sugar Fix ($8.40) in the $95,000 Tiara in Race 6.

“It's an amazing day. You come into these races and you can have thirds and fourths and go home with no wins. After we got the first one, I was thankful. Then, the second one happened Then, we got a hard beat and got the third one,” Joseph said. “All the horses showed up.”

Joseph-trained Girolamo's Attack, who was seeking his third straight stakes victory in the Jewel, was more highly regarded than Twelve Volt Man but wasn't a factor.

“Girolamo's Attack got beat. He doesn't like to be behind horses and dirt,” Joseph said.

Twelve Volt Man, who won his first two career starts before finishing far back in two subsequent stakes starts, was made eligible for the Jewel while winning an Oct. 14 optional claiming allowance while running for a $35,000 claiming tag. He tuned up for the Jewel with a fourth-place finish in the Showing Up over the Tapeta Course Nov. 6.

Twelve Volt Man raced between horses while tracking the pace along the backstretch a few lengths behind Hanalei's Houdini, who was sent after early leader Mo Hawk on the far turn before moving to the lead while racing extremely wide entering the stretch under Paco Lopez. Edwin Gonzalez sent Twelve Volt Man inside Hanalei's Houdini at the top of the stretch, and the two horses battled through the stretch while steadily drifting to the inside.

Twelve Volt Man won the battle nearing the wire to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

“I had a really good trip. I was saving ground around the first two turns. This is a really big horse. After the first time I rode the horse when he broke his maiden, I said to Saffie that this horse wants to go long,” Gonzalez said. “At the half-mile [pole], I followed the horse that finished second. At the quarter pole, when Paco moved, I moved with him. He drifted out with me and then I took my horse back inside and I think that won the race. When he got in a little bit tight, my horse got aggressive again. He's a nice horse. I feel great.”

Twelve Volt Man, a 3-year-old gelded son of Violence, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.92 to edge Hanalei's Houdini. Mo Hawk held on for third.

“The time was really good,” Joseph said. “Now, he's going to have to face proper older horses.”

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Blue Steel Holds On To Win Iron Horse Kent Sterling Memorial At Gulfstream

James Woodruff's Blue Steel showed his mettle while holding on to win Saturday's $75,000 Iron Horse Kent Sterling Memorial, a 1 1/16-mile starter stakes for 3-year-olds and up that have run for a claiming price of $8000 or less in 2020-2021.

Trained by Jeff Hiles in Kentucky, Blue Steel ($9.40) had won his last four starts on dirt by a combined 22 ¼ lengths at Indiana Grand in Shelbyville, Ind., Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., and Belterra Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, held on to win by a half-length after leading most of the way under jockey Paco Lopez. The 5-year-old gelding ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.61 to prevail over Zanesville, who finished 2 ½ lengths clear of Brasstown.

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