April, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Janney Homebred Posts Flashy Keeneland Allowance Win

5th-Keeneland, $109,450, Alw, 4-16, (NW1X), 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.75, gd, neck.
LIMITED LIABILITY (c, 3, Kitten's Joy–Hold Harmless, by Blame) had just one rival beat for the opening six furlongs of his July 31 debut over the Saratoga turf, only to shoot past the rest of his rivals to graduate by 2 3/4 good-looking lengths. A pace-compromised third as the odds-on choice behind Coinage (Tapit) in the Sept. 1 GIII With Anticipation S. at the Spa, the homebred raced handier to the speed in the Oct. 3 GII Pilgrim S. at Belmont, but could do no better than third. Adding Lasix for this 3-year-old unveiling, Limited Liability was off at a very generous 4-1 and immediately dropped out the back as they went a moderate clip up front. Held together on the turn and still last as they raced inside the final quarter of a mile, the gray was switched out and covered his final 2 1/2 furlongs in a slick :28.57 per Trakus to take best 5-1 Freedom's Way (Declaration of War) by a deceptively comfortable margin. Favored Credit Event (Not This Time) saved ground for the opening six panels and was ridden for luck by Tyler Gaffalione in the stretch, but he was hopelessly locked away passing midstretch and never recovered, finishing 10th. Limited Liability is out of a winning full-sister to GSW Onus, whose daughter Gun Boat (Wait A While) was placed in the grassy Wait a While S. last year at two. The colt's third dam includes MGSW/GISP Ironicus (Distorted Humor),MGSW On Leave (War Front) and GSWs Norumbega (Tiznow), Hunting (Coronado's Quest) and Quiet Harbor (Silver Deputy). Hold Harmless is the dam of a yearling filly by Runhappy and a Ghostzapper filly that was foaled Feb. 1. Lifetime Record: MGSP, 4-2-0-2, $159,233. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O/B-Stuart S Janney III (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III.

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Zippy Chippy Dead at 31

Edited Press Release

Zippy Chippy, horse racing's most loveable loser, has died.

A retiree at Old Friends at Cabin Creek in Greenfield Center, NY., a satellite of Kentucky's Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement, the son of Compliance was 31.

Campaigned by owner-trainer Felix Montserrate–who acquired the horse in 1995 by trading a Ford Truck–Zippy is known more for losing races than winning them. In 100 starts, he never crossed the finish line first. But he earned fame in other ways–for being cantankerous and for putting on carnival exhibitions where he once raced against a baseball player.

In 2000, People Magazine even voted Zippy Chippy one of the year's “Most Intriguing Characters.”

Banned from numerous track due to such antics as refusing to break from the gate, Zippy finally retired from racing in 2004 and had a brief second career as an outrider's pony at his home track, Finger Lakes in New York.

In April 2010, the aging campaigner found a home at Old Friends at Cabin Creek. Under the guidance of Cabin Creek owner and manager JoAnn Pepper, Zippy finally found solace with a paddock mate, Red Down South, a chestnut New York-bred gelding.

In recent years, they were the stars of Cabin Creek.

“Zippy was our main character here, and he lived his life his way,” said Cabin Creek's Pepper. “He was so content, and would not do anything he wasn't in the mood for. He taught me so much about life, and I'll miss him forever.”

“Zippy found his greatest success as a retiree,” said Old Friends founder and President Michael Blowen. “Joann and all of the volunteers at Cabin Creek adored him, and he attracted hundreds of fans to the farm each year. He was finally a star. Our thanks to Joann and Mark Pepper and everyone at Cabin Creek for the wonderful care they gave Zippy,” Blowen continued. “I know he will be deeply missed by all.”

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Longtime California Owner, Breeder Millard Dies

Longtime California owner/breeder Marianne Millard, co-founder of Here Tis Ranch in Hemet, has passed away at the age of 91, according to a post on the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association website..
Best known as the co-owner and breeder of the multiple graded stakes winning and unbeaten California-bred Champion Melair, Millard, along with her late associate Bea Rous, were active California owners/breeders for several decades.

Melair, who garnered national attention on July 5, 1986 when she defeated an outstanding field of colts that included Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Snow Chief in the Silver Screen Handicap (G2) going a one-turn mile at Hollywood Park, was trained by John Sadler and ridden by Patrick Valenzuela.

Following her Silver Screen triumph, Melair sustained a bout with colic and retired unbeaten in five starts with earnings of $336,500.

A foal of 1983 by Debonair Roger out of the Viking Spirit mare Melrose Nugget, Melair is honored by Santa Anita annually with the $150,000 Melair Stakes for 3-year-old California-bred fillies at 1 1/16 miles. This year's Melair will be run on Saturday, May 28.

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Asmussen Hits 800 Oaklawn Wins, Edges Closer to Holthus Record

It was a good Friday for Steve Asmussen, who became just the second trainer in Oaklawn history to reach 800 career victories when favored Chakra ($4.20) won the sixth race under Ricardo Santana Jr.

The late Bob Holthus, based on Daily Racing Form chart results and statistics from Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization, had a record 867 training victories at Oaklawn before his death in November 2011.

Asmussen, a 2016 inductee into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, collected his 799th Oaklawn victory in Friday's second race with favored Hightailing ($3.40), who also was ridden by Santana.

After finishing seventh with his next starter Friday, Ottoman Empire in the fourth race, Asmussen reached the milestone with class-dropping Chakra, who beat older $10,000 female sprinters by 1 ¼ front-running lengths for owners Troy and Mike Langford of Jonesboro, Ark.

“On our way, you know,” Asmussen said following Friday's ninth and final race. “We feel like we're in the middle of it and it's a great milestone, but we've got a lot of winning left to do at Oaklawn.”

Based on volume and win rate, Asmussen should threaten Holthus' Oaklawn record next season. Friday's double pushed Asmussen's 2021-2022 meet-leading total to 45. He had 14 horses entered Friday and Saturday.

Asmussen is an 11-time Oaklawn training champion, capturing titles in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021. Asmussen and the late Hall of Famer Henry Forrest share the Oaklawn record for career training titles with 11. Holthus won nine Oaklawn training titles.

Asmussen started his first horse at Oaklawn in 1989 and won his first race Feb. 9, 1996, with Honest J. The following day, Asmussen won the Mountain Valley Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters with Valid Expectations, who was ridden by the trainer's older brother, French champion jockey Cash Asmussen.

Steve Asmussen has said the success of Valid Expectations, who won the Bachelor Stakes later in the 1996 Oaklawn meeting, opened doors to better stock because the colt was the first nationally prominent horse he trained.

“He was everything for us,” Asmussen said.

Asmussen entered Saturday with 800 victories, including 96 stakes, from 3,965 starts and purse earnings of $44,836,693 in his Oaklawn career. The stakes victories and purse earnings are Oaklawn records.

Asmussen set a single-season Oaklawn record for purse earnings at the 2021 meet ($6,057,877) and has at least one stakes victory at every Oaklawn meeting since his first with Valid Expectations in 1996. The 26-year stakes streak also is an Oaklawn record.

Asmussen became the all-time winningest trainer in North American history last August and entered Saturday with 9,710 in his career, according to Equibase. Asmussen had 9,712 worldwide because Equibase doesn't recognize Curlin's two victories in 2008 in the United Arab Emirates.

Asmussen, 56, started his first horse and saddled his first winner in 1986. He was honored with Eclipse Awards as the country's outstanding trainer in 2008 and 2009.

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