April, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Family Way Sweeps From Last To First In Orchid

Hunter Valley Farm, Debra O'Connor and Marc Detampel's Family Way, outfinished when second in last month's The Very One (G3) in her prior start, swept to the lead on the far outside and passed her rivals through the stretch to become a graded stakes winner in the $150,000 Orchid Stakes (G3) Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

The 58^th running of the 1 ½-mile Orchid for older fillies and mares was the first of 10 stakes, six graded, worth $2.2 million in purses on a blockbuster 14-race program anchored by the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

Rather than press the pace as she did in the 1 3/8-mile The Very One March 5, Family Way settled at the back of a six-horse field under patient handling from Tyler Gaffalione as 16-1 long shot Champagne Ivy led the way through the opening quarter-mile.

Scarabea, fourth by a half-length in the 1 ½-mile La Prevoyante (G3) Jan. 29 at Gulfstream, was eager to go after running third early on and found herself on the lead approaching the stretch for the first time tracked by Champagne Ivy with Harajuku saving ground on the rail and Beautiful Lover in the clear three wide.

The order stayed that way until they straightened for home and Gaffalione set Family Way down for a drive to the wire, forging a short lead past the eighth pole and drawing clear to win by 1 ¾ lengths in 2:29.08 on firm turf. She returned $5.

Harajuku held second over Beautiful Lover, followed by Sister Otoole, Scarabea and Champagne Ivy.

Family Way, trained by Brendan Walsh, is a 5-year-old daughter of champion Uncle Mo who made her first three starts in France in the fall of 2020 before coming to the U.S. She won the Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon last September, and came up a length short of Virginia Joy in the The Very One.

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SLIDESHOW: Fun Times, Fine Weather and Derby Dreaming at Oaklawn Park

Elite racing and an abundance of excitement were on hand on April 2 at Oaklawn Park as fans flocked to the tracks to witness Kentucky Derby contenders in the Arkansas Derby. Enjoy this slideshow of a spectacular day in Hot Springs from the talented photographers at Eclipse Sportswire.

Ward Aims For Another Keeneland Spring Training Title

Keeneland-based trainer Wesley Ward will bid for his fourth consecutive training title of the annual spring meet when the season opens Friday. Ward won the title last year with 20 wins, including four stakes, and is optimistic about how his stable will perform this April at the Lexington track.

“I'm feeling great,” Ward said. “We've got a lot of horses in various different categories – a lot of nice stakes horses. The 2-year-olds are always fun to see which ones blossom. This is the highlight of opening up my year to see how we're going to progress. We're really looking forward to it – as is everyone who comes to Keeneland in the spring. It's a great place to be – the only place to be.”

On Saturday, Ward worked a number of horses in preparation for opening weekend.

On the fast main track, Gayla Rankin's Central Bank Ashland (G1) hopeful, Happy Soul, covered 6 furlongs in 1:11.20. The filly has won her past three races, including the Feb. 19 Dixie Belle at Oaklawn Park. She won the 6-furlong stakes by 3 lengths as the even-money favorite.

Ward said Happy Soul will be ridden in the Ashland by John Velazquez, who has been aboard the filly in all four of her races. Velazquez won the 2001 Ashland with Fleet Renee.

Working five furlongs on the turf course labeled good were Ward's two 2021 Breeders' Cup winners – Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's Golden Pal and Stonestreet Stables' Twilight Gleaming – who are preparing for their 2021 debuts on opening weekend.

Golden Pal (1:01.20), who won the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) and 2021 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1), is to start Saturday in the $350,000 Shakertown (G2).

Twilight Gleaming (1:01.40), who took last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, is to run Sunday in the listed $200,000 Palisades.

Another notable Ward turf worker was Stonestreet's Campanelle, a two-time group winner at Royal Ascot in England (five furlongs in 1:02.40). Ward said she would make her 2022 debut April 16 in the listed $200,000 Giant's Causeway.

Campanelle won the 2020 Queen Mary (G2) and 2021 Commonwealth Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot.

“We're focused on sending her back to Ascot – three in a row,” Ward said.

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Jockey Cohen, Agent Castle Parting Ways; Bredar To Book Mounts At End Of Oaklawn Meet

Jockey David Cohen is ending his longtime business relationship with agent Bill Castle and teaming up with Doug Bredar after the current Oaklawn meet in Hot Springs, Ark., ends on May 8.

Bredar will continue to represent Florent Geroux, with both riders to be based at Churchill Downs in Kentucky for the spring-summer meet. Castle recently announced that Ramon Vazquez, who he's also been representing, would move his tack to Southern California starting April 8.

Vazquez is currently fourth in the Oaklawn jockey standings, with 38 wins from 263 mounts going into Saturday's races. Cohen is sixth in the standings, with 23 wins from 204 mounts.

“Billy and I have been together so long,” said Cohen, 37, who began riding in 2004 and missed several years due to complications from an injury between 2014 and 2017. “We're very good friends; more family than business partners. He's an ex-Wall Street guy who knows how to work the phones. When I was leading rider at Philadelphia Park (now Parx Racing) and Delaware Park in 2008-'09, I didn't see him much. COVID changed the game, changed the dynamics (at many tracks, agents were restricted from being in the stable area), but things are getting back to normal and it's good to have someone hit the pavement and go through the barns.

“Doug is out there every morning working his butt off, and he is well liked and has strong connections in Kentucky,” Cohen added. “That's where my home is and where I want to be. In order for me to get the best opportunity, i needed someone that knew that circuit really well.”

Cohen said Castle will book his Oaklawn mounts through the end of the meet though he may have occasional opportunities at Keeneland.

“I'm very excited about the opportunity when David came to me,” said Bredar. “I'm looking forward to putting him on some winners.”

Bredar has had dual riders previously, including Martin Garcia most recently. “I also had Florent and Sheldon Russell one summer at Arlington,” Bredar said. “They were about to go 1-2 in the standings until Sheldon got hurt.”

Cohen said he plans to ride at Saratoga at the conclusion of the Churchill Downs meet.

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