January, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

MGSW Lone Rock May Target Dubai World Cup

Flying P Stable and R. A. Hill Stable's Lone Rock (Majestic Warrior), winner of the 13-furlong GII Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance S. on the Breeders' Cup undercard at Del Mar Nov. 6, is a possible candidate for the G1 $12-million Dubai World Cup Mar. 26, according to trainer Robertino Diodoro. If all goes well in the 7-year-old gelding's next start, the GIII Razorback H. at Oaklawn Feb. 12, the Dubai World Cup will likely be next.

“I don't know if we have to win [the Razorback],” Diodoro said. “We are shortening up to a mile and a sixteenth in the Razorback. As long as he shows up again and runs like he's been running, then we're going to give it [Dubai World Cup] some serious consideration, for sure.”

Lone Rock closed out his 2021 campaign, which also included wins in Belmont's GII Brooklyn S. and Saratoga's Birdstone S., with a Dec. 18 score in Oaklawn's 1 1/8 mile Tinsel S. He won seven of nine last year after being claimed by Diodoro for $40,000 in his last 2020 start, a Churchill win at one mile. It was the second time in four months–and four starts–that Diodoro had claimed the bay. The conditioner began stretching Lone Rock out and the gelding responded with five wins at 1 1/2 miles or more.

The Razorback, held at 1 1/16 miles, would be Lone Rock's first start at less than 1 1/8 miles since an allowance victory at the Razorback distance in his 2021 debut last February at Oaklawn. The Dubai World Cup is contested at about 1 1/4 miles. Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) won the 2017 Razorback before finishing second in Dubai in what ultimately culminated with a Horse of the Year title. Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) won last year's Razorback prior to a Dubai World Cup win.

“After talking with the owner and stuff, I think [the Razorback] lines up good,” said Diodoro. “Got lots of space between the Tinsel and the Razorback… I keep saying as soon as this horse is telling us he needs a break, we're going to go give him a break. But right now, he keeps telling us he's ready to go and take one step at a time.”

Lone Rock worked Friday morning at Oaklawn, breezing a half-mile in :49.60 under regular rider Ramon Vazquez.

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Bettor Suing Baffert Leaving the Racing Game

Michael Beychok has been one of the most visible horseplayers in the sport for a while. He's a winner of the National Handicapping Championship, a horseplayer advocate and a public handicapper for the New Orleans Times-Picayune who has spent the better part of his life betting on the horses. Just not for much longer.

Beychok, who is the leading figure in a class-action lawsuit filed by gamblers who say they would have made money on the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby had it not been won by Medina Spirit (Protonico), says he has grown so disillusioned by the sport that he will stop betting on a regular basis after attending this year's National Handicapping Championship. His future bets will be limited to the handful of times he attends live racing.

“I'm just fed up with the drug cheating,” he said. “I'm fed up with the takeout. I'm fed up that we apparently can't get into a position to implement new and better drug testing. I have more outlets now to gamble. I live in Louisiana, which was a state, up until last year, where the only thing available was horse racing. Now, there is daily fantasy sports, which I enjoy, and the takeout is much, much better. Soon we will have on-line sports betting. I am a consumer. I have just found better products.”

Beychok made headlines last year when filing a suit against Baffert, contending that he would have made more than $50,000 on the Derby had the race been won by Mandaloun (Into Mischief). Mandaloun finished second behind the Baffert-trained Medina Spirit, who tested positive for the banned race-day medication betamethasone. He wants the court to rule that Baffert must compensate gamblers involved in the suit who would have cashed if Medina Spirit did not win.

“My first motivation was as a gambler,” he said. “I was kind of pissed off when it was announced he was positive for a banned race-day drug. Looking back on what had happened in the past with some of Baffert's positives in major races, I just knew that nothing was going to happen. I felt I had to do something because I didn't think anyone else would. I decided I wasn't going to take it anymore. I was going to do something not only for myself but for the more than 250 other bettors who have joined our class action. We're tired of being defrauded by Bob Baffert. In big races, his horses keep turning up positive.”

Beychok insists this isn't about the money.

“Any money that I get from this lawsuit, I'm donating to Thoroughbred aftercare,” he said. “I'm not putting a penny of this money into my pocket. Hopefully, I do get paid. But what I'm trying to do is to raise the point that we cannot, in a game of chance, on a game of gambling, let anybody, be it Bob Baffert, Jason Servis, Jorge Navarro, defraud us as bettors.”

Baffert's legal team has fought back and is seeking to have Beychok's suit thrown out. In a court filing last week, Baffert said Beychok's allegations were libelous and called his actions a matter of a “tinfoil conspiratorial premise.”

“That was for public consumption,” Beychok said. “That's all. I just laughed at it. The judge will look at the law and decide if applies in this case or if it doesn't.”

Beychok said he's not surprised that Baffert is putting up a good fight.

“Bob Baffert is very good at this and he has a very good PR machine,” he said. “He's good at it because he had to do it so many times over the last 15 years when his horses have tested positive. He's got to come up with an excuse, a PR campaign. He's good at this stuff and so are his lawyers.”

Beychok said he would like to see Baffert issue a mea culpa.

“My hope for this game that I do love is that he does what Lance Armstrong did,” Beychok said. “At some point, he needs to come clean and tell the truth. That might preserve some of his legacy.”

While about to step back, Beychok said he's willing to give horse racing another chance, that is if there are meaningful changes.

“I hope it changes because I love the game and the people in it,” he said. “I hope everything changes and I can say I am back. If I ever feel like this is a fair game I will come back.”

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Fast Draw Munnings Turns The Stables On Straight Up G In Cal Cup Derby

Soundly beaten by Straight Up G when last they met, the Jeff Mullins-trained Fast Draw Munnings turned the tables on his heavily favored rival in Saturday's $200,000 California Cup Derby at Santa Anita, as they battled head and head the final three sixteenths of a mile with “Fast Draw” gaining the advantage late to prevail by a neck. Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Fast Draw Munnings, a California-bred colt by the Kentucky-based stallion Munnings, got a mile and one sixteenth in 1:46.99.

The seeds of Straight Up G's defeat were sown early, as Highland Ghost, under Flavien Prat, gunned to the early lead from his rail post position with Straight Up G lapped on him to the five sixteenths pole, where he took the lead but was immediately tackled by the winner leaving the quarter pole.

“The main thing was hoping somebody went with the favorite, I mean that horse got away with an easy lead last time and we thought that if somebody goes with him, I told Drayden to make sure he gets a good jump out of there and be right off their heels,” said Mullins. “It worked out, the one horse went with the favorite and I think kind of softened him up and gave us the opportunity to get by.

“It's kind of waiting game most of the time, so we will just enjoy the moment now and see what comes up for him. Obviously, he's pretty versatile. I think he can go one turn, two turns and he may even like the turf. With these kind of Cal-breds you have to jump wherever you can and I think he's proved that he can.”

Bred in California by Glenn Porter and owned by Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal, Fast Draw Munnings is out of the Bedford Falls mare Zuzu's Petals. A first-out maiden winner going 5 ½ furlongs at Los Alamitos Sept. 17, Fast Draw Munnings was most recently third, beaten 5 ¼ lengths by gate to wire winner Straight Up G in the one mile King Glorious Stakes versus statebreds Dec. 12 at Los Alamitos.

Off at 4-1 in a field of six California-bred or sired sophomores, Fast Draw Munnings paid $10.40, $3.80 and $2.10.

“The main thing was to get a good break and hopefully (Straight Up G and Highland Ghost) battle like they did and just sit off of them and bide my time,” said Van Dyke. “That was exactly how it played out and we got lucky with the win. I knew it was going to be a good battle because (Straight Up G) kicked on when I asked my horse to go, but my horse dug in. I've always loved this horse, he's kind of a hard-headed horse, he doesn't give you all that he has but he showed what he could do today and I'm proud of him.”

In his fourth career start, Fast Draw Munnings notched his first stakes win and second overall victory. With the winner's share of $110,000, he increased his earnings to $170,600.

Straight Up G, off at 4-5 with Ricky Gonzalez, finished 3 ¼ lengths in front of Finneus and paid $2.60 and $2.10.

The second choice at 9-5 with John Velazquez, Finneus paid $2.10 to show while finishing 17 lengths clear of longshot Agador Spartacus.

Early pacesetter Highland Ghost tired badly and was distanced while checking in last.

Fractions on the race were 23.56, 48.01, 1:13.52 and 1:39.78.

Run as Saturday's third race, the Cal Cup Derby was the first of five stakes for California-bred or sired horses on a 10-race card.

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First Foal a Colt for GISP Caracaro

The first foal by TDN Rising Star Caracaro (Uncle Mo–Peace Time, by War Front) was born at Dr. Gilberto Lopez Giraluna farm in Ocala, Florida Friday. The colt is out of unraced Real Ruffian (Ghostzapper), dam of stakes-placed First Illusion (Plan). The Ontario-bred mare is a half to Grade III winner Temporary Saint (Awesome Again).

Caracaro was given Rising Star billing in his second start when winning by six lengths going a mile at Gulfstream before finishing runner-up in the GIII Peter Pan S. at Saratoga. In his final career start, he finished second behind GI Belmont S. winner Tiz the Law in the GI Runhappy Travers S. He entered stud in 2021 at Crestwood Farm and is standing the 2022 season for $6,500 Live Foal (S&N).

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