In his regular gambling blog, John Piassek presents his top picks for the upcoming weekend in horse racing, offering betting options at different budget levels. Piassek’s Plays is brought to you by Horseplayers.com, the official online qualifying site of the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) and National Horseplayers Championship (NHC).
Month: March 2022
‘A Running Machine’: Secret Oath Fires Bullet Toward Arkansas Derby
Jockey Geovanni Franco had a chance to compare rides Thursday morning at Oaklawn, breezing Secret Oath for a scheduled start against males in the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 2 and another potential starter in Call Me Jamal.
One ride went considerably faster than the other.
Secret Oath, the most dominant horse during the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting, recorded a five-furlong bullet (:59.40) just after the track opened at 7 a.m. (Central) for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and Briland Farm of breeder/owners Robert and Stacy Mitchell. The surface was rated fast.
Clockers caught Secret Oath covering her first eighth of a mile in :12, a quarter-mile in :23.80 and 3 furlongs in :36 before galloping out 6 furlongs in 1:12.40. It was the fastest of 34 works registered at 5 furlongs. It also marked the first time Franco had been aboard Secret Oath, who has won her three starts at the meeting, including two stakes, by a combined 23 lengths. She is scheduled to face males for the first time in the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby.
“The filly, that's a running machine, man,” Franco said moments after breezing Call Me Jamal. “She was nice. That's a great experience for me. I was the work rider for Lukas and I'll do it again if he needs me. She felt good. That's a good feeling, man.”
Franco, who returned to Oaklawn this season after a four-year absence, is represented by agent Gary Stevens, the retired Hall of Fame rider and a close friend of Lukas. As a trainer and jockey, they teamed to win the 1985 Arkansas Derby with Tank's Prospect and the 1988 Kentucky Derby with another filly, Winning Colors.
Lukas tapped Franco to breeze Secret Oath because her regular rider, Luis Contreras, was out of town.
“Luis went home for a couple of days to be with his family and I know he'll be sick that I worked her without him,” Lukas said about 90 minutes after Secret Oath's work. “But having said that, the day came up and I thought he was going to be back, but he doesn't get in until 10 o'clock this morning. Geovanni did a beautiful job. He did a good job. He filled in nicely. I told Franco, I said: 'Luis owes you one now.'”
The five-furlong drill marked the second work for Secret Oath since her 7 ½-length victory in the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies Feb. 26. From the first crop of deceased champion Arrogate, Secret Oath won a Dec. 31 allowance race by 8 ¼ lengths and the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Jan. 29 by 7 ¼ lengths.
Secret Oath already has secured a spot in the Kentucky Oaks – the nation's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies – after collecting 60 points for victories in the Martha Washington and Honeybee. Both races were 1 1/16 miles.
Secret Oath had been a candidate for Oaklawn's final Kentucky Oaks prep, the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles April 2, before Lukas opted for the Arkansas Derby. Lukas won the 1984 Arkansas Derby with Althea, a week after she finished second in the Fantasy.
Lukas said Thursday's breeze will be the most taxing for Secret Oath leading up to the Arkansas Derby. She worked a half-mile in :48.40 March 8 and is scheduled to have her final pre-race breeze March 25, Lukas said.
“A little sharper than the next one,” Lukas said. “We let her finish a little bit. I think she went the last quarter in :23 and change, so you know we saw her skip through there. But she did it the right way. It was a really solid work. These are ways of measuring where you're at and it's a measuring stick, these works. We're not concerned at this point on conditioning. We're trying to find out how sharp we've got her and everything showed up that way. So, now we just have to keep her happy.”
Roughly two hours after breezing Secret Oath, and immediately following the surface renovation break, Franco climbed aboard Call Me Jamal for a five-furlong work. Like Secret Oath, Call Me Jamal breezed by himself and covered the distance in 1:01. Clockers caught Call Me Jamal, a gelded son of Malibu Moon, in :37.40 for his opening 3 furlongs and galloping out 6 furlongs in 1:14.
“I think he keeps improving and today I felt like he worked good,” said Franco, aboard for both of the gelding's victories at the meeting. “Hopefully, he keeps improving and keeps on getting his heart bigger.”
Call Me Jamal's two 1 1/16-mile victories at Oaklawn include a sharp entry-level allowance score Feb. 26. Trainer Mike Puhich said moments after the work that Call Me Jamal remains under consideration for the Arkansas Derby and the $1 million Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles April 9 at Keeneland.
“I'm leaving the door open both ways, but I'm probably leaning more towards here,” Puhich said. “The Blue Grass is going to come up just as tough. I think Lukas' filly is the best 3-year-old I've seen run all year, in my opinion, from a fan's standpoint.”
Puhich said he was pleased with Call Me Jamal's work, which marked his second since the allowance victory. Call Me Jamal broke his maiden Dec. 18. The third-place finisher from that race, the Lukas-trained Ethereal Road, returned to break his maiden in eye-catching fashion Jan. 29 and finish second, beaten a half-length, in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 26. The Rebel is the final major local prep for the Arkansas Derby. Ethereal Road is pointing for the Blue Grass, Lukas said.
“He did everything we asked,” Puhich said. “He did great. I just told him (Franco) to let him work on his own the first part, then gallop on out. If he liked the way he felt, let him finish up a little bit. Everything was perfect. If we stay here, there's always a chance we can beat Lukas. But I'm not going to be able to outdress him.”
Nominations to the Arkansas Derby close Friday, with post positions to be drawn March 27. The Arkansas Derby will offer 170 points (100-40-20-10, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility to the Kentucky Derby, which is limited to 20 starters.
The Arkansas Derby field continues to take shape, with Secret Oath, Un Ojo for trainer Ricky Courville, Barber Road (John Ortiz), Chasing Time (Steve Asmussen), We the People (Rodolphe Brisset) and Cyberknife (Brad Cox) among the projected starters. Un Ojo, Barber Road and Chasing Time finished 1-3-5, respectively, in the Rebel, while We the People is unbeaten in two career starts the meeting. Cyberknife was a sharp allowance winner Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds in his last start. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert also is expected to be represented in the Arkansas Derby.
Oaklawn-based Barber Road is scheduled to work Saturday morning, trainer John Ortiz said.
The post ‘A Running Machine’: Secret Oath Fires Bullet Toward Arkansas Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Brad Cox-Trained Pair Of Millionaires Look Tough In Essex Handicap
Already millionaire multiple Grade 3 winners, stablemates Plainsman and Warrior's Charge finally meet for the first time in the $500,000 Essex Handicap (G3) for older horses at 1 1/16 miles Saturday at Oaklawn.
Probable post time for the Essex, which goes as the ninth of 10 races, is 5:10 p.m. (Central). First post is 1 p.m., with the infield open, weather permitting. The card also features the $200,000 Whitmore Stakes (G3) for older sprinters.
Plainsman, 7, and Warrior's Charge, 6, are both trained by two-time reigning Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox and have strong Arkansas connections.
Plainsman, the 2-1 program favorite and 122-pound height weight, races for John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs, the winningest owner in Oaklawn history. Plainsman won the $600,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses Feb. 12 at Oaklawn in his last start. Warrior's Charge won the 1 1/16-mile Razorback, a major local prep for the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 23, in 2020.
Warrior's Charge is co-owned by Ten Strike Racing, which was founded by Marshall Gramm and Arkansas native Clay Sanders and considers Oaklawn its home track. Warrior's Charge, the co-7-2 second choice in the program, exits a powerful 9 ¾-length allowance victory at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 28.
Plainsman and Warrior's Charge are expected to enter stud in 2023. Each horse has 10 career starts at Oaklawn. Warrior's Charge has recorded four victories and bankrolled $674,200 in Hot Springs. Plainsman has three victories and $521,992 in earnings.
“Both horses deserve the opportunity,” Cox said. “They're both doing good. They both won the Razorback, so that's kind of cool. Now, we need one of them to step up and win the Essex and be 1-2. We'll see. They're both doing really well.”
The projected eight-horse Essex field from the rail out: Thomas Shelby, David Cohen to ride, 118 pounds, 7-2 on the morning line; Title Ready, Brian Hernandez Jr., 117, 12-1; Warrior's Charge, Florent Geroux, 119, 7-2; Plainsman, Joel Rosario, 122, 2-1; Popular Kid, Francisco Arrieta, 116, 6-1; Rated R Superstar, David Cabrera, 118, 8-1; Beau Luminarie, Ricardo Santana Jr., 118, 8-1; and Hanalei's Houdini, Ramon Vazquez, 117, 10-1.
The speedy Thomas Shelby bids for his first career stakes victory after three near misses at the meet for 2020 Oaklawn training champion Robertino Diodoro and M and M Racing (Mike and Mickala Sisk), Oaklawn's leading owner the last four years.
Thomas Shelby finished second, beaten three-quarters of a length by stablemate Lone Rock, in the inaugural $200,000 Tinsel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles Dec. 18; was third, beaten three-quarters of a length by Rated R Superstar, in the $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses at 1 mile Jan. 15; and was second, beaten a neck by Plainsman, in the Razorback.
“As hard as he ran last time, and the way he keeps getting better and better at it – it's not like he's 3 years old – and gives 110 percent effort, he's definitely a horse that deserves a nice stake win, that's for sure,” Diodoro said.
Thomas Shelby broke from post 6 in the Tinsel and Razorback and from the rail in the Fifth Season. Thomas Shelby beat Warrior's Charge a nose in an Oct. 24 allowance race at Keeneland and finished well ahead of him in the Tinsel.
“Not as concerned with (the rail) routing,” Diodoro said. “I hate it sprinting, but routing it's OK.
Danny Caldwell's millionaire Rated R Superstar won the Fifth Season in his 9-year-old debut and finished fifth in the Razorback in his last start. The gelding won the 2019 Essex for co-owner/trainer Cipriano Contreras and finished second, beaten a neck, last year by future Grade 1 winner Silver State in his second start after being claimed by trainer Federico Villafranco on behalf of Caldwell, a four-time leading owner at Oaklawn.
Beau Luminarie and Title Ready finished third and sixth, respectively, in the Tinsel. Title Ready finished eighth in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park in his last start for trainer Dallas Stewart.
Trainer Rodolphe Brisset said Beau Luminarie was freshened following the Tinsel, walking 30 days, before returning to the work tab in late January. He has had seven published workouts this year at Oaklawn in advance of his 2022 debut.
“We were happy with his last work,” Brissett said of half-mile drill in :48.20 March 11. “The weight, I think, is not bad. He's got 118. It's not an easy spot to bring him back off the layoff, but we've got to start somewhere. If he runs 1-2-3, we could have strong look at the Oaklawn Handicap. If he needs a race, then we can go back to Keeneland.”
Brisset won the 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn Handicap in 2019 with Quip.
The post Brad Cox-Trained Pair Of Millionaires Look Tough In Essex Handicap appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Free Horse Racing Tips Friday 18th March
Bet to win.
Fakenham 3.05 Hiway One O Three – win bet
