April, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Go Bears Go Back To Business In The Pavilion

Sent off the 5-4 favourite as the class act in Wednesday's G3 Merriebelle Stables Commonwealth Cup Trial at Ascot, Amo Racing and Peter Waney's Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) was able to make his edge tell as Rossa Ryan kept it simple from the front. Looking to add to his tally which includes last year's G2 Railway S., the David Loughnane trainee had Ehraz (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) on his case approaching the final two furlongs but shook him off to assert for a 1 1/2-length success from Hierarchy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). Admirably consistent at a level a notch higher than this at two, Go Bears Go was runner-up in the G2 Norfolk S. and GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint over five and third in the G1 Phoenix S. and fourth in the G1 Middle Park S. over this six-furlong trip but Loughnane is not ruling out going over further at the Royal meeting. “I think he could go to either the Jersey or the Commonwealth Cup,” he said after admitting nerves watching this contest traditionally known as the Pavilion S. “If the Jersey was a group 1, we would go there.”

Wherever Go Bears Go heads over seven furlongs at Royal Ascot for the group 3 Jersey or heads to the course-and-distance group 1 for which this is named, his tenacity will stand him in fine stead. Loughnane was quick to pay tribute to his stable star's chief quality. ” He is honest as the day is long and he would run through a brick wall for you,” he added. “We've done enough to make sure we could get the job done today, but he is still not fully furnished. We believe he is a group one horse and he's entered himself now as a future stallion. He's won on soft ground and he's won on fast ground, so I don't care what the ground is. I have so much faith in this horse it is not even funny.”

It is unsurprising that Go Bears Go looks as if he will comfortably go further than sprint trips, given that he hails from a family with stamina over middle distances. He is the last known foal out of In Dubai (Giant's Causeway), a daughter of the G2 Ribblesdale S. and G3 Musidora S. winner and G1 Epsom and Irish Oaks-placed Bahr (GB) (Generous {Ire}). She produced the G1 Prix de l'Opera and GI Flower Bowl Invitational heroine Nahrain (GB) (Selkirk), who is in turn the dam of the G1 Dubai Turf, G1 Caulfield S. and G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis hero Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). One speedy member of the family is Bahr's descendant, the G3 Palace House S. winner Far Above (Ire) (Farhh {GB}).

Wednesday, Ascot, Britain
MERRIEBELLE STABLES COMMONWEALTH CUP TRIAL S. (REGISTERED AS THE PAVILION S.)-G3, £80,000, Ascot, 4-27, 3yo, 6fT, 1:12.46, g/f.
1–GO BEARS GO (IRE), 127, c, 3, by Kodi Bear (Ire)
1st Dam: In Dubai, by Giant's Causeway
2nd Dam: Bahr (GB), by Generous (Ire)
3rd Dam: Lady of the Sea, by Mill Reef
(£50,000 Ylg '20 TATIRY; 150,000gns 2yo '21 TATBRE). O-Amo Racing Limited & P Waney; B-Micheal D Ryan (IRE); T-David Loughnane; J-Rossa Ryan. £45,368. Lifetime Record: GSW & G1SP-Ire, GSP-US, 8-3-2-1, $376,101. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Hierarchy (Ire), 127, c, 3, Mehmas (Ire)–Cheworee (GB), by Milk It Mick (GB). (€5,000 RNA Wlg '19 GOFNOV; £9,000 RNA Ylg '20 TATIRY; 105,000gns 2yo '21 TATBRG). O-Mr David Howden & Qatar Racing; B-Mountain View Stud & Tally Ho Stud (IRE); T-Hugo Palmer. £17,200.
3–Ehraz (GB), 127, c, 3, Showcasing (GB)–Exrating (GB), by Exceed and Excel (Aus).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP TYPE. (135,000gns Wlg '19 TATFOA; 180,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud (GB); T-Richard Hannon. £8,608.
Margins: 1HF, 1 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 1.25, 8.50, 3.30.
Also Ran: Wings of War (Ire). Scratched: Space Cowboy (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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NYRA Hearing Officer Recommends Two-Year Suspension for Baffert

Judge O. Peter Sherwood, the retired New York Supreme Court justice who served as the hearing officer in NYRA's dispute with Bob Baffert, issued his report Wednesday, recommending that Baffert receive a two-year suspension.

The report has been sent to a three-person panel that has been convened to consider whether or not Baffert should be penalized by NYRA. Each side will have seven days to respond to the report. After the seven days, the panel will have 10 days to make a final decision.

The panel consists of attorney John Carusone Jr., New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association Executive Director Will Alempijevic and Humberto Chavez, who heads the New York Racetrack Chaplaincy of America program.

On May 17, NYRA suspended Baffert, but had to drop the ban when a federal judge ruled that NYRA could not take such steps without first holding a hearing for Baffert or for anyone else the racing organization sought to suspend. Because of its affiliation with the state of New York, NYRA, unlike privately owned tracks like Churchill Downs, does not necessarily have the right to ban someone without due process. Churchill's two-year ban of Baffert is currently in place.

The hearing commenced in January with NYRA attorney Henry Greenberg stating that Baffert had taken a “wrecking ball” to the sport's integrity because of his record of repeated drug violations. NYRA charged that during a 14-month span, Baffert-trained horses tested positive for prohibited medications seven times. The most high-profile offense occurred in the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby in which Medina Spirit (Protonico) tested positive for betamethasone.

In asking the hearing officer to recommend a suspension for Baffert, NYRA said that his conduct was detrimental to the best interests of racing, the health and safety of the horses and NYRA business operations.

NYRA released Sherwood's 54-page report Tuesday.

This story will be updated.

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Churchill Unveils New Derby Day Multi-Race Wagers

As part of its wagering menu for Kentucky Derby day May 7, Churchill Downs will offer an 'All 3-Year-Old' Pick 3 and an all-dirt Pick 5 wager, both of which close with the Run for the Roses.

The 3-year-old Pick 3 will have a minimum $3 stake and includes the $500,000 GII American Turf and the GII Pat Day Mile before concluding with the Derby. Like all rolling 50-cent Pick 3s, the wager will have a 22% takeout.

An all-dirt, all-stakes Pick 5 will have a 50-cent minimum and 15% takeout while including the $160,000 Knicks Go S., the $750,000 GI Derby City Distaff, the $750,000 GI Churchill Downs S., the Pat Day Mile and the Derby.

Along with the track's jackpot bet, the Derby City 6, Churchill will once again offer the two-day Oaks/Derby Pick 6 with a $2 minimum (2019 handle $479,561). The wager begins on Friday, May 6 with the $750,000 GI La Troienne S. and the $1.25-million GI Longines Kentucky Oaks before concluding on Saturday with the Derby City Distaff, Churchill Downs S., the $1-million GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic and the Derby.

There will be four traditional Pick 5 and Pick 4 wagers on Kentucky Derby Day. The third Pick 5 (2019 handle: $3,980,809) and third Pick 4 (2019 handle: $4,091,771) will feature an all-stakes sequence and culminate in the Derby.

Superfecta wagers will be a $1 minimum on Kentucky Derby and Oaks days but will be a 10-cent minimum on all other days.

For the full wagering menu and post times, click here.

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Verry Elleegant To Skip Arc For Champions Day

Champion mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}), who had been under consideration for the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, will instead target the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. over 12 furlongs at Ascot on Oct. 15.

The 2021 Australian Horse of the Year and 11-time Group 1 winner won the G1 Melbourne Cup in style at Flemington last November, and added the G1 Chipping Norton S. at Randwick two starts later on Feb. 26. She was then second in the G1 Ranvet S. at Rosehill in March and fifth in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. in heavy going at Randwick on Apr. 9.

“After a really good discussion with the ownership group, it has been decided that Verry Elleegant will have a five-week spell and resume pre-training to be prepared first up, for the Winx S.,” announced trainer Chris Waller on Twitter on Wednesday.

“Whilst running her in the Arc would be a dream come true for all of us, we just felt that it would come around too soon to enable her to have a proper spell and be fully prepared in Australia for the assignment. However, a trip to Europe a little later in the spring is still strongly on the cards providing she returns to the form she showed in the spring when dominating the Melbourne Cup.

“A race that we have identified as a prospective target is the 2400-metre Fillies and Mares Group 1 race on Champions Day at Ascot, one of the most prestigious race days in the world and a worthy stage to showcase her talents.”

Waller added of the mare's early-season targets at home, “It is likely that she will have three runs in Australia in the spring, with the Winx S., the Chelmsford, the Kingston Town and the Underwood all being considered prior to the decision being made on a Melbourne Cup defence or a trip to Europe.”

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