August, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Gun Runner’s Disarm Fires a Big One at the Spa for ‘Rising Star’ Honors

Disarm (c, 2, Gun Runner–Easy Tap, by Tapit), a visually impressive rallying third behind subsequent GIII Sanford S. winner Mo Strike (Uncle Mo) going 5 1/2 furlongs on debut at Churchill Downs June 19, took a big step forward to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors in his second trip to the post at Saratoga Saturday.

Drawn on the fence in this seven-furlong affair, the Winchell homebred traveled nicely on the inside in fifth through an opening quarter in :22.77. The 9-5 second-choice was tipped out three deep leaving the quarter pole and powered home in style down the stretch to graduate by 6 1/4 lengths over Arthur's Ride (Tapit). Crupi (Curlin), part of the Todd Pletcher-trained favored entry, came flying late from another zip code to just miss second.

“Lots of talent–he was highly touted coming from mom and dad's,” winning trainer Steve Asmussen said on FS2's Saratoga Live. “High expectations. Didn't do much correctly first time out, just because he's a big boy. Looks like he's gonna stretch out beautifully. We will definitely get to dream with him for a while.”

Disarm becomes the fifth 'Rising Star' for last year's record-setting freshman sire Gun Runner.

The Gun Runner over Tapit cross–two of the best to ever carry the maroon-and-white Winchell silks–is already responsible for last term's GII Adirondack S. heroine Wicked Halo, Monomoy Girl S. winner Society and Texas Turf Mile S. winner Red Run.

Disarm's dam Easy Tap–a $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling purchase–won one of five starts for the Winchells and Asmussen. The 12-year-old has produced Tap Daddy (Scat Daddy), a winner of Pimlico's James W. Murphy S. and runner-up in the GIII Dixiana Bourbon S. for these same connections. He was also a champion stayer in Venezuela after being sold privately. Easy Tap is also responsible for the multiple stakes-placed Total Tap (Candy Ride {Arg}) and a Gun Runner colt of this year. Easy Tap was bred back to Silver State for 2023.

For more on Disarm, click here for a recent column in Steve Sherack's 'Second Chances' series.

6th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-6, 2yo, 7f, 1:24.51, ft, 6 1/4 lengths.
DISARM, c, 2, by Gun Runner
                1st Dam: Easy Tap, by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Easily, by Vicar
                3rd Dam: White Jasmine, by Whitesburg
Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $69,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. *1/2 to Tap Daddy (Scat Daddy), Ch. Stayer-Ven, SW & GSP-USA, MSW-Ven, $252,384; Total Tap (Candy Ride {Arg}), MSP, $221,112.

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Study: Acetaminophen Delivers Rapid Improvement In Equine Lameness, Heart Rate

Acetaminophen is often used to treat musculoskeletal pain in horses, either alone or in conjunction with other non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.

To determine the efficacy of acetaminophen, Dr. Melissa Mercer induced lameness in nine healthy mares using a reversible sole pressure horseshoe. She tested the mares with four different medication options: two different doses of acetaminophen (20 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg), phenylbutazone (2.2 mg/kg), and a placebo.

Mercer then took plasma concentrations and recorded heart rate and heart rate variability. The horses were also scored by boarded equine surgeons on the American Association of Equine Practitioners lameness scale.

After analyzing the results, Mercer found that Acetaminophen at the 30 mg/kg level produced the most rapid improvement in heart rate and lameness scores compared to the other treatments tested.

Belmont Oaks Top Two Rematch in Saratoga Oaks to Highlight Sunday Graded Action

A half-dozen 3-year-old fillies, topped by the one-two finishers in the July 9 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S., will do battle in Sunday's GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S., one of three graded stakes taking place on the first Sunday in August.

Highly-regarded McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}), named after trainer Chad Brown's first employee when he struck out on his own, was an impressive debut winner last summer at the Spa, but went winless in her next three starts while placing in the GII Miss Grillo S., GII Edgewood S. and GIII Regret S. Stretching out to 10 furlongs in the Belmont Oaks, the bay kicked clear strongly in deep stretch to earn a 1 3/4-length victory. The runner-up that day, Godolphin's With The Moonlight (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), has stayed in America for Charlie Appleby since and breezed four times in an 11-day span at Saratoga in preparation for her rematch with McKulick. William Buick, who rode the homebred to a 4 3/4-length romp in the Betfair Pretty Polly S. May 1 at Newmarket, takes the reins back from Frankie Dettori, who flew in for the ride last out.

“Hopefully, she'll settle a little more into the race,” Appleby's traveling assistant Chris Connett told the NYRA notes team. “She jumped real handy last time and just was a little bit on the muscle going into the first turn and might have done just a little too much, but she still ran hard. If she can reproduce that, she should be right there.”

Filling out the short but high-quality field are Walkathon (Twirling Candy), who most recently bested McKulick in the Regret to keep her turf record perfect at three-for-three, Contemporary Art (Dubawi {Ire}), a super impressive 4 1/2-length maiden victress June 17 at Belmont, New Year's Eve (Kitten's Joy), a 'TDN Rising Star' who took down McKulick in the Edgewood before finishing a non-factor eighth in the Belmont Oaks, and Oakhurst (Mr Speaker), a close second in the June 15 Wild Applause S. behind Eminent Victor (Mr. Z), who came back to just miss by a nose with a troubled trip in the local GIII Lake George S. July 22.

Earlier in the card, D. Wayne Lukas will have a significant favorite in the GIII Adirondack S. when he sends out Naughty Gal (Into Mischief), a 9 1/4-length second-out winner July 4 at Churchill. The $350,000 OBS March grad earned a 75 Beyer for that effort, while none of her five opponents have topped 64.

Out west, the GIII La Jolla H. will run as the feature in race five of an 11-race card at Del Mar, with Richard Mandella's streaking Sumter (War Front), winner of the Pasadena S. and Singletary S. earlier this year at Santa Anita, coming off a four-plus month layoff in a six-horse field that includes Armagnac (Quality Road), who will make his turf debut upon return to the Bob Baffert barn. The $210,000 Keeneland September buy was last seen setting the pace in the May 21 GI Preakness S. before retreating to finish seventh.

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Great Britain And Ireland Take The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup

The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup went to Team Great Britain and Ireland at Ascot on Saturday. They earned 132 points and won five of the eight races. Second in the standings was the Ladies' Team at 81 points, with Team Rest of the World at 72 points and Team Europe at 51 points.

Jockey Neil Callan, part of the winning team, was awarded the Alistair Haggas Silver Saddle Award after riding two winners on the day–Orbaan (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the Dubai Duty Free Full Of Surprises Classified S. and Adaay In Asia (GB) (Adaay {Ire}) in the nightcap, the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint.

Callan said, “There is nothing to dislike about the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, it is brilliant. There is great prize-money and Ascot make it a family event to come and watch. It is a great day at our premier track and the fields are competitive.

“This is my third time and I have been on the winning team every year, so I am going to have to retire now. And it is great to have my family here.

“I have ridden with a lot of the international jockeys here over the years, all over the world. It is nice to ride against them on a competitive stage.

“The whole concept is great. Look how much coverage there is and people come to watch–it is not just racing people, and betting and punting and all that, it is families here with kids. They are the next generation–this is what we need to be pushing towards.”

The Dubai Duty Free Ride Of The Day Award went to Joanna Mason for her victory on Amanzoe (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the first race of the day, the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Curtain Raiser Classified S.

The Ladies' Team representative said, “The whole day has just been amazing and there has been good team morale. It's an honour to be picked to represent the girls and we have given it our best shot. We thought we would have a really good chance today and we have come second, so everyone has done themselves proud. We have won three races and done well.

“I have loved the team side of it, too, it adds a different dimension. To get the chance to ride with some famous and well-known jockeys when you never would normally–Emma-Jayne Wilson, who is a sensation in Canada, Kerrin McEvoy, Christophe Lemaire. And to get my first winner at Ascot, on a Saturday–I am loving it.”

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