April, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Gufo Returns Running In Pan American

Though he was the clear class of the seven horses signed on for Saturday's GII Pan American S. at Gulfstream Park, Otter Bend Stables' Gufo (Declaration of War) had a November layoff and some off form at the tail end of last season to overcome. But in the end, there was very little to worry about, as the fans on hand for the Curlin Florida Derby were treated to perhaps the most polished performance in the already-productive career of the 5-year-old, who took the 12-furlong test with a fair bit of authority.

Racing with blinkers off in the Pan Am, Gufo fell out of the gates as is his custom and was allowed to lob along near the tail of the field as longshot Tide of the Sea (English Channel) galloped them along at a solid-enough tempo for the distance. A path or two off the inside as they reached the halfway point in 1:14.40, Gufo always traveled well within the grasp of Joel Rosario and was handy enough three furlongs out, but with some traffic up ahead of him. Held together on the turn as chief market rivals Abaan (Will Take Charge) and Temple (Temple City) got the jump on him, Gufo was steered out and around the latter five deep into the lane, found further acceleration with a couple of Rosario reminders, grabbed Abaan a sixteenth of a mile from the finish and proved a much-the-best winner. Abaan, who gave the winner two pounds, easily held second ahead of Novo Sol (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Brz}), who took full advantage of a ground-saving trip throughout.

“It was perfect. He wasn't too far back,” said winning trainer Christophe Clement. “When he asked him to quicken on the outside, he was there for him. We were not thrilled with the blinkers in his last two races last year. Looking back at it, I probably should have [removed them] earlier, but that's OK. We live and learn.”

After turning in too-little, too-late efforts in the GI Man O'War S. and GI Manhattan S. last season, Gufo was equipped with blinkers for the first time and ran out a comfortable winner of the Grand Couturier S. last July. Given a savvy ride by Rosario in the GI Sword Dancer S. in August, the handsome chestnut proved a neck better than Ballydoyle's Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in August, but the season ended on a bit of a sour note, with a third in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S. Oct. 9 ahead of a never-in-it 10th in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Clement indicated that Gufo would attempt to go one better in the 11-furlong Man O'War, a $700,000 event to be contested at Belmont Park Saturday, May 14.

Pedigree Notes:

One of 43 black-type and seven top-level scorers on three continents for his expatriated sire, Gufo is a half-brother to the versatile fan-favorite Hogy (Offlee Wild) as well as a yearling filly by Preservationist. Floy was most recently bred to another Danzig-line stallion in the form of Hard Spun.

Saturday, Gulfstream
PAN AMERICAN S. PRESENTED BY ROOD & RIDDLE-GII, $200,000, Gulfstream, 4-2, 4yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:27.28, fm.
1–GUFO, 122, h, 5, by Declaration of War
                1st Dam: Floy, by Petionville
                2nd Dam: Risen Miss, by Peteski
                3rd Dam: Eddie's Star, by Risen Star
O-Otter Bend Stables, LLC; B-John Little & Stephen Cainelli
(KY); T-Christophe Clement; J-Joel Rosario. $121,520.
Lifetime Record: MGISW, 15-8-2-4, $1,360,030. *1/2 to
Hogy (Offlee Wild), MGSW-US, SP-Can, $1,339,782. Werk
Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross
pedigree.
2–Abaan, 124, g, 5, Will Take Charge–Anchorage, by Tapit.
($280,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners
& Alex Daigneault; B-Rosilyn Polan (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher.
$39,200.
3–Novo Sol (Brz), 118, h, 5, Agnes Gold (Jpn)–Quebra-de-
Braco (Brz), by Wild Event. O-Daniel Alonso; B-Stud
Eternamente Rio (BRZ); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. $19,600.
Margins: 2, 2 3/4, 2. Odds: 1.30, 2.30, 8.80.
Also Ran: Temple, Bakers Bay, Mid Day Image, Tide of the Sea.
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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Tampa Bay Downs: Storm Knocks Out Saturday’s Final Four Races

Torrential rain and nearby lightning forced the cancellation of today's last four races at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla. Action is expected to resume Sunday, with a nine-race card slated to kick off at 12:14 p.m.

There will be no turf racing, with the second, fifth, seventh and ninth races to be switched to the main track.

Refunds will be provided to bettors on the late Pick-5, Ultimate 6 and late Pick-4 wagers, as well as single-race win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta and Super High-5 wagers. Consolation payoffs will be made on daily double and Pick-3 wagers.

Count jockey Elione Chaves among those thankful the extreme weather stayed away until mid-afternoon. Chaves is a new face in the Tampa Bay Downs jockeys' room, but he is no stranger to winner's circles around the world.

The 38-year-old Brazilian added the United States to his victory log in today's third race, riding 3-year-old gelding Ludo to a 3 ½-length victory from Benny's Fiddle. The race was contested at a distance of a mile-and-a-sixteenth on a fast main track after being switched from the turf due to the wet grounds.

Ludo is owned by Endsley Oaks Farm and trained by Rafael Schistl, a former jockey from Brazil who Chaves competed against in their homeland. The victory came in Chaves's sixth U.S. start, the first three coming at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas.

Chaves has ridden more than 1,400 winners worldwide, including 735 in Sweden, where he has been champion jockey six of the last eight years. He has won a combined 382 races in Norway and Denmark; the three Scandinavian nations are also where Schistl achieved most of his success in the saddle. Chaves has 267 victories in Brazil.

“I'm happy to get my first win in the United States for Rafael, because he asked me to come to Tampa,” Chaves said. “We started riding together 16 years ago, and he is also the one who brought me to Sweden.”

Chaves said he plans to ride at Tampa Bay Downs through the conclusion of the meeting proper on May 7. He is weighing an offer to accompany Schistl to Monmouth Park, with a return to Sweden also possible.

Ludo won today in his fifth career start and his first since being claimed by Schistl and Endsley Oaks for $16,000 from a Feb. 23 third-place finish. “For me, winning here is very big,” Chaves said. “To get my first win in this country and to get it for Rafael, I'm very happy.”

In the fifth race, Native Hawk broke a 16-way tie atop the meet's Thoroughbred win standings, defeating Fortunate Friends by a length-and-a-quarter for his fourth victory this season. The 10-year-old gelding is 4-for-7 this season and 18-for-67 for his career.

Jose Batista has been aboard for all of Native Hawk's victories at the meet. The son of Flower Alley is owned and trained by Juan Arriagada. Batista also won the second race on first-time starter Tindari, a 3-year-old Florida-bred filly owned by Establo Heluce and trained by Juan C. Avila.

Tampa Bay Downs races on a Wednesday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday schedule through May 7, with the exception of Easter Sunday, April 17, when the track is closed, and May 1, when the Thoroughbred action is limited to simulcasting.

Otherwise, the Oldsmar oval is open every day for simulcast wagering, no-limits poker action and tournament play in The Silks Poker Room and (most days) golf fun and instruction at The Downs Golf Practice Facility.

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Gufo Takes Flight Late To Win Pan American

Otter Bend Stables' Gufo saved his best punch for last, turning in a powerful finishing kick to chase down and overpower Abaan to win the $200,000 Pan American Stakes (G2) Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Away from the races since early November when the 5-year-old was 10th in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1), Gufo showed no signs of rust, settling toward the back of the pack in the 1 1/2-mile grass stakes before mounting a late charge to blow past Abaan and win in a hand ride under jockey Joel Rosario. Novo Sol was third.

Gufo, the Christophe Clement-trained homebred son of Declaration of War was ahead of just one horse most of the way as Tide of the Sea led the before tiring in the final turn. Abaan took over at that point, opening up a two-length lead.

But Gufo went storming past in midstretch, giving him his first victory since last August when he won the Sword Dancer (G1) at Saratoga. Final margin of victory was two lengths. The 3-10 favorite, he returned $4.

“It was a good trip. He broke good,” Rosario said. “That's the way he is – show some speed and then take his time. The pace was pretty good. I tried to save as much ground as I could and turning for home, he had a nice kick.”

The victory improved Gufo's career mark to eight wins in 15 career races and he remained at unbeaten at Gulfstream, where he is now 4 or 4.

“I thought it was very impressive. I'm delighted. He belongs to a gentleman, Mr. (Stephen) Cainelli who is a wonderful man, so I'm thrilled,” Clement said. “This was his first race of the year. The idea is to go to the Man o' War (Stakes [G1] May 14 at Belmont Park) and we'll go from there.”

Clement added that Gufo's trip was perfect.

“He wasn't too far back. When he asked him to quicken on the outside, he was there for him. We were not thrilled with the blinkers in his last two races last year. Looking back at it, I probably should have (removed them) earlier, but that's OK. We live and learn.”

Assistant trainer Miguel Clement said: “The whole stable is very fond of the horse. He's been with us since the very beginning. Except for his last start, he's always been incredibly consistent. He's just a top-class horse. We have lots of big races mapped out for him already.”

Cainelli bred Gufo with longtime friend Dr. John Little. A Kentucky-bred, he is out of the Petionville mare Floy.

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1/ST Racing Issues Statement On Baffert Suspension

The following statement was issued by 1/ST Racing, which operates Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., concerning the 90-day suspension of trainer Bob Baffert for a betamethasone positive test in Medina Spirit following the horse's first-place finish in the 2021 Kentucky Derby. The suspension goes into effect on Monday, April 4, after the Kentucky Court of Appeals opted not to issue an emergency stay of the ban that had been requested by Baffert's attorneys.

The California Horse Racing Board announced on Saturday, April 2 that “[trainer Bob Baffert is now suspended pursuant to CHRB Rule 1484].” California has thus reciprocated the suspension against Bob Baffert imposed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, which will begin on April 4, 2022. Because of the CHRB's ruling, any trainer on the grounds at Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields, San Luis Rey Downs or Los Alamitos Race Course who may be the transferee of horses from the Baffert barn will be required to apply for stalls for those horses from the Santa Anita or Golden Gate Fields racing offices, as applicable, for review and approval. A Change of Trainer form will also be required to be submitted in order to enter races following such transfer. Horses that are not transferred to a trainer in California will be required to leave the grounds prior to April 4.

Because the suspension is over 60 days, under CHRB rules, during the term of the suspension Mr. Baffert will be banned from all enclosures under the jurisdiction of the CHRB and Mr. Baffert shall not be permitted to be involved in the training of horses who have previously been under his care. Any trainer who may apply for stalls in anticipation of a transfer will be required to comply fully with any applicable restrictions.

The CHRB rules require Baffert to vacate his barn at Santa Anita Park prior to the start of the suspension on April 4, along with removing all signage, colors and training equipment belonging to the trainer. The closing day of Santa Anita's winter-spring season on June 19, 2022. The 90-day suspension from the KHRC concludes the following week.

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