March, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Weather Forces OBSMAR Scheduling Changes

Extreme weather conditions have prompted OBS officials to delay Sunday's OBS March breeze show, which will now begin at 10:00a.m. The third breeze session was originally slated for Saturday, however, forecasts of heavy precipitation prevailing in the area prompted the late change in plans. A tornado also reportedly tore through the Ocala area Saturday, although sales' officials confirmed that the OBS grounds were largely not impacted. Temperatures, expected to plummet Saturday evening giving rise to a chilly Sunday morning, in the vicinity of 30s. Additionally, Daylight Savings Time begins overnight Sunday. As a result of the delays and in an effort to accommodate buyers, Tuesday's initial session of the two-day sale will begin at 1p.m. However, Wednesday's second session will remain at its originally scheduled time of 10:30a.m.

For more information on the OBS March sale, visit www.obssales.com

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Obligatory Swoops From Last To Win Hurricane Bertie

Juddmonte Farm homebred Obligatory made a triumphant return to action Saturday at Gulfstream Park, winning her first start of the 2022 racing season in the $100,000 Hurricane Bertie Stakes (G3) at the Hallandale Beach, Fla. track.

The Hurricane Bertie, a 6 ½-furlong sprint for older fillies and mare, co-headlined Saturday's 12-race program with the $100,000 Captiva Island, a five-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares that was transferred from turf to the Tapeta track.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Obligatory was making her first start since winning the Nov. 20 Chilukki (G3) at Churchill Downs.

The 4-year-old daughter of Curlin trailed the six-horse field as Bramble Berry showed the way under Edwin Gonzalez through fractions of :22.40 and :46.26 for the first half mile over a sloppy track.

Obligatory, the 6-5 second betting choice ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, made steady progress along the rail on the far turn and on the turn into the homestretch to loom as a threat to the loose-on-the-lead pacesetter at the top of the stretch.

Bramble Berry continued to lead into midstretch before finally succumbing to the late kick of Obligatory, who drew off to win by three lengths.

“We knew she would come from behind. We were hoping there was enough speed in front of her,” Gaffalione said. “Bill said she normally doesn't take the turn well, but today she was taking it the whole way.”

Obligatory broke her maiden at Gulfstream Feb. 7, 2021 and went on win the seven-furlong Eight Belles (G2) at Churchill Downs and finish a close second in the mile Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park, as well as finishing second in the two-turn Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx.

Obligatory and 6 ½ furlongs in 1:17.92 to win her second race at Gulfstream in as many starts. Bramble Berry finished second, 2 ¼ lengths ahead of even-money favorite Four Graces.

The post Obligatory Swoops From Last To Win Hurricane Bertie appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Unbeaten Bleecker Street Draws Off In Hillsborough

Peter Brant's blossoming turf star Bleecker Street stormed from off the pace to win the $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes (G2) in handy fashion Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs and remain undefeated.

The 4-year-old Quality Road filly, ridden by Hector Diaz Jr., won by 3 3/4 lengths from stablemate Rocky Sky and covered the 1 1/8 mile turf race for older fillies and mares in 1:48.21 on a course rated as good.

Gladys, who set the early tempo, finished third.

Relaxing off the pace, Bleecker Street raced along the rail into the far turn before angling out four wide approaching the upper stretch and racing clear as the 9-5 favorite.

“I rode her really confident because I know what she is capable of doing,” Diaz said. “No pressure. I was just waiting for the moment to switch outside because I knew she was going to run. She's really easy to ride. The last two starts she's been a different horse. When you ask her to go, she accelerates. She has an amazing turn of foot. The course was softer than she likes. That tells me how good she is.

“She can overcome any type of situation. When you ask her, she's going to respond. That's what separates the good horses from the great horses. The sky is the limit with her.”

Bleecker Street's victory was her fifth in as many career starts, all on turf, and followed her triumph in the Endeavour Stakes (G3) at the Oldsmar, Fla. track in her stakes debut Feb. 5

The top two finishers are trained by Chad Brown, who snagged a fifth victory in the Hillsborough.

“We're really happy about the 1-2 finish with Bleecker Street and Rocky Sky,” Brown said. “(Bleecker Street) really ran well. We were on the fence about sending her because I wasn't that confident how she would handle soft turf, but by the time we loaded them from Payson Park this morning it looked like the rain was moving through quicker than had been forecast and the wind might dry out the course. She really loves Tampa, so we decided to give it a shot. She was super impressive and handled the give in the ground well. It certainly looked like the added distance didn't bother her, so hopefully she can keep stepping up.”

A $400,000 purchase by Brant's White Birch Farm at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale, Bleecker Street was produced by the Exchange Rate mare Lemon Liqueur.

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Bleecker ‘Streets’ Rivals in Hillsborough

Peter Brant's Bleecker Street (Quality Road) continued her rapid ascent through the turf distaff division with a thoroughly dominating performance in the GII Hillsborough S. at Tampa, easily accounting for her commonly owned stablemate Rocky Sky (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) to remain unblemished from five starts.

While 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown) held the early call as the Hillsborough field galloped past the stands for the first time, it was Gladys (Medaglia d'Oro), the own-sister to Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, who took up the running into the clubhouse turn, as Rocky Sky fell into the box seat. The weak-in-the-market Bleecker Street–who eased from 9-5 out to 12-5 at the off–was comfortable in seventh. Switched off beautifully through the middle stages beneath Hector Diaz, Jr. Bleecker Street raced in hand on the second turn and was angled out sharply at the quarter pole. Briefly following the move of Rocky Sky in upper stretch, Bleecker Street was switched off heels and into the clear and was off and gone despite racing on her incorrect lead through the final eighth of a mile. Rocky Sky was clearly second ahead of Gladys, who picked up some valuable graded black-type in third.

Given a comparatively soft introduction to the races last year, Bleecker Street won starts at Monmouth and the Meadowlands before resuming with a fast-finishing half-length allowance tally at this venue Jan. 8. An overlaid 7-1 when testing stakes waters for the first time in the GIII Endeavour S. Feb. 5, the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad was the recipient of a similarly patient ride from Diaz, Jr. and whooshed home with what has become a devastating finish to best Lady Speighspeare by a firm 1 1/2 lengths.

Pedigree Notes:

One of 57 stakes winners and 31 graded winners for Lane's End's Quality Road, Bleecker Street is bred on the cross over Danzig-line mares responsible for Illuminant, winner on the grass of the GI Gamely S. Bleecker Street is the first foal for her stakes-placed dam, who was purchased by Branch Equine for $75,000 in foal to Honor Code at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale. The filly's dual stakes-placed second dam is a half-sister to Nan (High Yield), dam of GIII Selene S. winner Power Gal (Jpn) (Empire Maker). Lemon Liqueur, who was RNAd for $19,000 when offered not in foal at KEENOV in 2018, is the dam of a 2-year-old filly by Always Dreaming, a yearling filly by Flatter and is due to the in-demand Not This Time this season.

Saturday, Tampa Bay Downs
HILLSBOROUGH S.-GII, $200,000, Tampa Bay Downs, 3-12, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8mT, 1:48.21, gd.
1–BLEECKER STREET, 118, f, 4, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Lemon Liqueur (SP), by Exchange Rate
2nd Dam: Limoncella, by Lemon Drop Kid
3rd Dam: Trip Around Heaven, by Halo
($400,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-Peter M Brant; B-Branch Equine
LLC (KY); T-Chad C Brown; J-Hector Rafael Diaz Jr. $120,000.
Lifetime Record: 5-5-0-0, $285,900. Werk Nick Rating: C.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Rocky Sky (Ire), 118, f, 4, Rock of Gibraltar (Ire)–Road Tosky
(Ire), by Elusive City. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Peter M
Brant; B-Eadling Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Chad C Brown. $40,000.
3–Gladys, 118, f, 4, Medaglia d'Oro–Lotta Kim, by Roar.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Dede
McGehee; B-Heaven Trees Farm (KY); T-Kelsey Danner.
$20,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 2.40, 4.70, 11.50.
Also Ran: Lady Speightspeare, Lovely Lucky, Runaway Rumour, Jezebel's Kitten, Take Charge Ro, Nantucket Red. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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