July, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘We Stepped Down A Notch Today’: Chasing Artie Holds Back Favorite The Virginian To Win Bob Umphrey Sprint At Gulfstream

Chasing Artie, a homebred of Ken Ramsey and the Estate of Sarah Ramsey, rebounded from a poor Grade 1 stakes performance with a professional victory by three-quarters of a length in the$100,000 Bob Umphrey Sprint Sunday at Gulfstream Park.

The Bob Umphrey Sprint, a 5 ½-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up on Tapeta, wrapped up Summit of Speed Weekend in which Michael McCarthy-trained Ce Ce defended her title in the $300,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G2) in sensational style and Jorge Delgado-trained Willy Boi established himself as a rising start in the $100,000 Smile Sprint (G3) with a thoroughly dominating victory on Saturday's card.

Chasing Artie, who was never a factor in the Jaipur (G1) June 11 on Belmont Park's turf course last time out, stalked the early pace set by Warrior's Pride into the stretch before taking over at the top of the stretch and holding off 9-5 favorite The Virginian. The 4-year-old son of We Miss Artie ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:04.71 after stalking fractions of :22.78 and :46.02 seconds for the first half mile, providing jockey Edgard Zayas with his first stakes victory since recently returning from a six-month recovery from shoulder surgery.

Chasing Artie, a two-time stakes winner on turf last year, came off a nine-month layoff to win an April 1 optional claiming allowance in his first start for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The Kentucky-bred gelding went on to finish a troubled eighth in Churchill Downs' Turf Sprint (G2) May 6 before running poorly in the Jaipur.

“At Churchill he ran sneaky good after he missed the break. We got ambitious and took a chance at Belmont. He didn't fire that day,” Joseph said. “We stepped down a notch today and he was able to win.

Chasing Artie, who returned $8.20, is likely to race next on turf at Saratoga, Joseph said.

The Virginian finished second under Miguel Vasquez, 1 ½ lengths ahead of Tape to Tape.

Earlier on Sunday's card, jockey Ismerio Villalobos rode his first winner in the U.S., guiding Parkland ($6.60) to victory in Race 5 at Gulfstream. Parkland was the Venezuela native's 10th U.S. mount.

The post ‘We Stepped Down A Notch Today’: Chasing Artie Holds Back Favorite The Virginian To Win Bob Umphrey Sprint At Gulfstream appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Lightnin Runner First Winner For Florida Stallion Battalion Runner

Lightnin Runner ran to her name in her career debut, winning a maiden special weight event at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races on Saturday and became the first winner for Florida-based stallion Battalion Runner.

Ridden by Antonio Lopez, Lightnin Runner broke alertly in the 4 ½-furlong race and dueled for the early lead down the backstretch. She surged clear in deep stretch to score comfortably by one length. The bay filly was produced from the winning Mineshaft mare My Lightnin Strike. Bred in West Virginia by Ronney and Nicole Brown, Lightnin Runner is campaigned by George Nyren and is trained by Angel Rodriguez.

Battalion Runner, a Grade 2-placed son of Unbridled's Song, finished a clear second to Irish War Cry in the 2017 Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct, defeating subsequent Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Cloud Computing. He also finished third in the Dwyer Stakes (G3), missing second by just a neck.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Battalion Runner won a maiden special weight by a dominating 8 ¾ lengths at Gulfstream in his second start at two and then captured his 3-year-old bow and two-turn debut going 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream.

A $700,000 Keeneland September yearling, Battalion Runner is out of the Tapit mare Tamboz, a full sister to Tapizar from the deep female family of Grade 1 winners Olympio, Untapable, Cuvee, and Paddy O Prado.

Battalion Runner stands at Ocala Stud.

The post Lightnin Runner First Winner For Florida Stallion Battalion Runner appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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With 90-Day Suspension Over, HOF Trainer Baffert Gets Back To Training

Sunday at Santa Anita marked the return to training duties for embattled Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert following a 90-day suspension for a medication violation detected in a post-race test on 2021 Kentucky Derby (G1) first-place finisher Medina Spirit, Daily Racing Form reports.

Baffert's suspension started April 4. Owner Amr F. Zedan's Medina Spirit, who tested positive for betamethasone after the Derby, was disqualified from his win and his share of the purse money was redistributed, with second-place finisher Mandaloun declared the official winner..

Although Baffert fought the suspension with Kentucky racing regulators as well as in court, the Kentucky Court of Appeals rejected his motion for emergency relief from the ban, which ended Saturday.

Baffert oversaw morning training at the Arcadia, Calif., track on Sunday. Several runners were preparing for racing at Del Mar, which starts July 22.

“I'm just trying to get caught up,” he told the Form toward the end of the day's training session. “It feels like the first day of school.

“I've got a lot of 2-year-olds here,” he added.

During Baffert's suspension, his stable raced primarily for trainer Sean McCarthy, while some were trained by Tim Yakteen, a former assistant to Baffert. McCarthy's wife, Kim, is Baffert's office manager.

“They did a good job,” Baffert said of Yakteen and McCarthy. “I'm proud of them. They kept it together.”

Despite the end of the suspension, Baffert is still banned from racing at the New York Racing Association tracks of Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course, through January 25, 2023. On another front, Churchill Downs Inc. has banned him from having runners at its tracks through the end of the 2023 spring-summer meet at Churchill Downs. He is fighting that in federal court.

To read the full story at Daily Racing Form, click here.

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