March, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cezanne Dispatches Rivals For Clear San Carlos Win

Lightly raced Cezanne, the 3-5 favorite, drove clear in the stretch and took the $200,000 San Carlos Stakes (G2) for older runners Saturday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Eager to start, Cezanne was first from the gate with Flavien Prat aboard, but Canadian Pride asserted himself to narrowly lead through a half mile in :45.42. Cezanne dueled for command with that rival and Principe Carlo around the turn, then grabbed a half-length advantage into the stretch. Principe Carlo was full of run and dug in but Cezanne was ready to run and drew away in midstretch for a 2½-length triumph.

Cezanne, trained by Bob Baffert for Coolmore Associates and co-breeder St. Elias Stable, finished seven furlongs in 1:23.45. He returned $3.

“I was traveling well and he responded well when it was time to make a move,” said Prat. “Bob was telling me he was going to be really sharp today, and that was the case. I thought I was in a good spot towards the end, and he gave himself a very good chance to win the race.”

Principe Carlo was six lengths back in third.

The win was the first for Cezanne since capturing the Kona Gold Stakes (G3) last April at Santa Anita in his only start of 2021. In his comeback and only previous start this year, the 5-year-old son of Curlin was third as the 3-5 favorite in the Palos Verdes Stakes (G3) Jan. 29 at the same track, but clearly benefitted from the outing as well as from several recent workouts. Dating back to Feb. 7, he has worked four times, with his last three moves, two at five furlongs and his most recent at six furlongs on Feb. 27 in a bullet time.

Cezanne's career line stands at 4-0-1 from six starts and earnings of $267,000.

“We missed our timing with him,” said Baffert. “He had a few setbacks, otherwise he would have been in the [Santa Anita Handicap (G1)]. He's a good handicap horse. He showed his class. I think he is a mile and a quarter horse. We'll keep him going and look toward the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). I like what I saw today. …”

Kentucky-bred Cezanne, also co-bred by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, was a $3.65 million purchase by Coolmore's M. V. Magnier at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Florida select 2-year-olds in training sale. His dam is the winning Bernardini mare Achieving, whose dam, Teeming, is a half sister to champion Rags to Riches. Third dam is 2007 Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour.

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American Pharoah Colt Takes No Prisoners in San Felipe

MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm's Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah) ran off from his rivals at the start and never looked back, dominating Santa Anita's GII San Felipe S. Saturday while picking up 50 GI Kentucky Derby points. Last seen besting GISW and next-out Saudi Derby scorer Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) in the seven-furlong GII San Vicente S. here Jan. 29, the even-money faorite out-footed two foes into the first turn and zipped along through splits of :22.66 and :45.90 as Armagnac (Quality Road) gave chase a few lengths behind and very far in front of the rest of them. Forbidden Kingdom's advantage was approaching double digits rounding the home bend, and while for a stride or two there was at least a question of whether Doppelganger (Into Mischief) could possibly reel in his rival, Forbidden Kingdom rode the leader out with just hands and heels to cruise under the line 5 3/4 lengths to the good.

“I was anxious to see this race and see if he would get two turns. He looked even better,” Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella said. “I was a little nervous when I saw the :45 on the board for the first half. He just did what he likes to do. The next step is the [GI Runhappy] Santa Anita Derby next month.”

Hernandez said, “It worked out pretty well. Mr. Mandella had the horse ready. He's really fast. A couple of jumps after we broke, he was in front already. I let him run because if you fight with him he tries to go faster… I let him have fun. I turned him loose and he never stopped, he kept going the whole race. He proved how good he is today.”

A debut winner in fairly fast time at Del Mar last August, Forbidden Kingdom tried a turf dash when third in the local Speakeasy S. in October before returning to the main track to complete the exacta behind highly regarded Messier (Empire Maker) in Del Mar's GIII Bob Hope S. Nov. 14. He earned a strong 92 Beyer Speed Figure when taking the San Vicente off the bench.

“It's unbelievable,” said MyRacehorse founder and CEO Michael Behrens. “We were at the Derby and Breeders' Cup with Authentic [in 2020] and that was amazing. But to have this one and pick this horse as a baby. To go through the whole journey. To watch Mandella see him through his maturation and control his brilliant speed…And to do this today with all of these people, it's a touchdown.”

Saturday, Santa Anita
SAN FELIPE S.-GII, $401,000, Santa Anita, 3-5, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.98, ft.
1–FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, 120, c, 3, by American Pharoah
1st Dam: Just Louise (GSW), by Five Star Day
2nd Dam: Kings Lynn, by Mt. Livermore
3rd Dam: Til Forbid, by Temperence Hill
($300,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-MyRacehorse & Spendthrift Farm
LLC; B-Springhouse Farm (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella; J-Juan J.
Hernandez. $240,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-1, $434,000.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Doppelganger, 120, c, 3, Into Mischief–Twice the Lady, by
Quiet American. 'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST
GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($570,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-SF Racing
LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Masterson, Robert
E., Schoenfarber, Jay A., Waves Edge Capital LLC, Donovan,
Catherine M., Golconda Stable, Siena Farm LLC; B-WinStar
Farm, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $80,000.
3–Happy Jack, 120, c, 3, Oxbow–Tapitstry, by Tapit.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($0 RNA Wlg '19
KEENOV). O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $48,000.
Margins: 5 3/4, 4 3/4, 5. Odds: 1.00, 1.70, 26.30.
Also Ran: Beautiful Art, Cabo Spirit, Armagnac, Worse Read Sanchez. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
Forbidden Kingdom is one of 13 graded/group winners for Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year American Pharoah, who was represented later on the card by GI Beholder Mile heroine As Time Goes By. Five Star Day is the broodmare sire of five graded/group winners.

Dam Just Louise took the 2010 GIII Debutante S. before selling for $270,000 in 2012 and then to Gabriel Duignan for $150,000 while in foal to Malibu Moon at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton November sale. The half-sister to MGSW Sara Louise (Malibu Moon) has provided a solid ROI for Duignan under his Springhouse Farm banner and through his Paramount Sales consignment–an Orb colt fetched $300,000; a Malibu Moon filly cost $310,000; and, following Forbidden Kingdom, a Bolt d'Oro colt cost $275,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. Just Louise produced a filly last year by the white hot Not This Time, and most recently visited Tiz the Law.

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Favored Speaker’s Corner Continues Upward Trajectory In Gulfstream Park Mile

Speaker's Corner has improved in each of his last three starts and continued the trend on March 5 with an easy daylight victory in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile. Speaker's Corner, with Junior Alvarado up, broke a step slow from the gate at the top of the chute and initially faced competition for the early lead from rivals Ny Traffic and Injunction. The field set a blistering early quarter of :22.87.

Alvarado kept 6-5 Speaker's Corner along the rail and challenged Injunction for the lead a few strides after the first quarter, then gradually drew away through the final turn. The pair found another gear in the stretch, drawing off from Fearless and Endorsed for an easy win by five and a half lengths.

The final time for the mile was 1:33.84 with fractions of :45.10, 1:09.02, and 1:21.14. See the full chart here.

Speaker's Corner is trained by Bill Mott for owner/breeder Godolphin. The 4-year-old came to the race off a decisive win in the G3 Fred Hooper. Prior to that, he had been a close second in the Discovery Handicap, having easily won an allowance optional claimer in preparation.

Mott said he would discuss the horse's next steps with Godolphin, but the G1 Met Mile is a possibility.

Speaker's Corner is the son of Street Sense and Bernardini mare Tyburn Brook.

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Classic Empire’s Morello Remains Unbeaten in Gotham

The unbeaten Morello (Classic Empire) pressed and pounced his way to a dazzling 4 1/2-length victory in Saturday's one-turn mile GIII Gotham S. at the Big A.

Drawn wide in post nine, the even-money favorite Morello, a last out five-length winner of the local Jimmy Winkfield S. Feb. 6, was bumped hard at the start. Seemingly undeterred, he raced under a nice hold while a stalking second behind fellow two-for-two Dean's List (Speightstown) through an opening quarter in :23.47. He cruised up alongside the pacesetter approaching the quarter pole and set sail for the wire from there to win going away over that rival while earning 50 qualifying points for the GI Kentucky Derby. California invader Rockefeller (Medaglia d'Oro), winner of this track's GIII Nashua S. Nov. 7 and a runner-up in the GIII Sham S. at Santa Anita Jan. 1, was last of 10 after hitting the gate and stumbling at the start.

Morello was previously a sharp debut winner over this course Nov. 27.

“He got banged around coming out of there and [Rockefeller] came over on top of him, but he just overcomes it like always,” said Toby Sheets, assistant to winning trainer Steve Asmussen. “He just gets out and runs easy. He hasn't been hit by the stick yet.”

On being able to stretch out to two turns, Sheets added, “I don't see why not. He definitely acts like it.”

Winning co-owner Dave Lyon of Blue Lion Thoroughbreds added, “Galloping past the wire, the way he did it, we're starting to think about the first Saturday in May at this point. I'll let Toby and Steve make that decision but this group–you saw us celebrating–we're thinking about that.”

He continued, “We're dreaming now. This is a game changer, today. We'll book some hotels and cancel them if we have to. We think we might have a Derby horse here.”

Pedigree Notes:

Morello, the third-highest Classic Empire 2-year-old sold at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale when he brought $250,000 after working a furlong in :10 1/5, is out of a mare who once RNA'd for $1,500. Stop the Wedding eventually sold in 2020 at Keeneland January for $11,000 to Robert Tillyer–co-breeder of Morello–while in foal to Cairo Prince. Her offspring at the sales have been all over the place, with some RNA'ing for the low four figures, and another bringing $525,000 as a juvenile. Morello is her lone stakes winner to date. She's got two fillies in the pipeline–a 2-year-old by Cairo Prince and a yearling by Paynter–and was bred back to Classic Empire for 2022. Stop the Wedding is a half-sister to the dam of MGISP Social Inclusion, who is by Pioneerof the Nile, Classic Empire's sire.

Coolmore America stallion and sophomore sire Classic Empire gets his first graded winner with Morello's Gotham and he almost made it a double, with his Classy Edition finishing second in the GII Davona Dale S. earlier Saturday. Overall, the former champion 2-year-old has three black-type winners and another five stakes performers. Interestingly, both Morello and Classy Edition are out of A.P. Indy-line mares, with Morello's damsire Congrats the broodmare sire of an additional 15 stakes winners, including 2020 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil).

GOTHAM S.-GIII, $300,000, Aqueduct, 3-5, 3yo, 1m, 1:39.28, ft.
1–MORELLO, 120, c, 3, by Classic Empire
1st Dam: Stop the Wedding, by Congrats
2nd Dam: Wedding Jitters, by Runaway Groom
3rd Dam: Classy Tricks, by Hold Your Tricks
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($140,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $200,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $250,000 2yo '21 EASMAY). O-Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Taylor, Craig and Diamond T Racing; B-Robert B. Tillyer & Dr. Chet Blackey (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Jose Lezcano. $165,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $264,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Dean's List, 118, c, 3, Speightstown–Mildly Offensive, by Sharp Humor. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($220,000 RNA Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $60,000.
3–Golden Code, 118, c, 3, Honor Code–Jb's Golden Regret, by Banker's Gold. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($95,000 Wlg '19 FTKNOV). O-Calumet Farm; B-Barry R. Ostrager (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $36,000.
Margins: 4HF, 1, HD. Odds: 1.00, 5.50, 27.50.
Also Ran: Life Is Great, Glider, Runninsonofagun, Fromanothamutha, Noneedtoworry, Bold Journey, Rockefeller.
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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