September, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Country Grammer Leads Four Baffert-Trained Entrants In Awesome Again

Company kept is certainly one of the biggest factors in racing and although he was beaten some 19 ¼ lengths, nobody kept better company than Bob Baffert's Country Grammer in his most recent start. Fast forward to Saturday and on the relative strength of his second place run to the mighty Flightline in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic Sept. 3 and overall resume, Country Grammer is the horse to beat as a field of eight 3-year-olds and up go a mile and one eighth in the Grade 1, $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita.

Should he win, Country Grammer would earn a fees-paid berth into the Classic and a likely re-engagement with Flightline as the Awesome Again is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier.

A handy 1 ¾ length winner of the Group 1, $10 million Dubai World Cup three starts back on March 26, Country Grammer, a 5-year-old horse by Tonalist out of the Forestry mare Arabian Song, will shorten up an eighth of a mile on Saturday and be ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez.

With Flightline knocking down a 126 Beyer Speed Figure in the Pacific Classic, Country Grammer, whose top career 108 Beyer came from a close second place finish in the Grade 2 Californian at Santa Anita in April of 2021, checked in with a 100 Beyer at Del Mar.

Owned by Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, LLC, Winstar Farm, LLC and Zedan Racing Stables, Inc., Country Grammer, has a win and a second from two starts at Santa Anita and by virtue of his win in Dubai, is by far the leading money earner in the field with $11,097,320 from an overall mark of 12-4-4-1.

Third, beaten 26 ¼ lengths by Flightline in the Pacific Classic, Brazilian-bred Royal Ship, who defeated Country Grammer by 2 ¼ lengths in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap two starts back on July 30, will hope to bounce back with a top effort for Richard Mandella on Saturday.

A close second to Country Grammer in the Hollywood Gold Cup seven starts back on May 30, 2021, Royal Ship is 4-2-1-1 at Santa Anita. A 6-year-old gelding by Midshipman, Royal Ship, a Group 1 winner at age four in his native Brazil, is owned by Fox Hill Farms Inc. and Siena Farm, LLC and is looking for his first North American Grade 1 victory.

A half length back of Royal Ship in the Pacific Classic, C R K Stable's Express Train has outstanding lifetime numbers at Santa Anita and was a winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap three starts back on March 5. Trained by John Shirreffs, Express Train, took a total of three graded stakes here this past Winter and is 11-4-4-2 at Santa Anita dating back to a fourth place finish at age two in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes in September, 2019.

A 5-year-old horse by Union Rags out of the Mineshaft mare I'm a Flake, Express Train, who was third in last year's Awesome Again to top 3-year-old Medina Spirit, will be ridden back by Victor Espinoza.

One of four Baffert entrants, Defunded, who was a close second in the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita three starts back on May 30, enters the Awesome Again off a pair of sub-par efforts at Del Mar—in the seven furlong Pat O'Brien Aug. 27 and in the G2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on July 30.

A 4-year-old gelding by Dialed In, Defunded, who has two wins and a pair of seconds at Santa Anita, is owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. He will be ridden for the first time by Edwin Maldonado.

THE GRADE 1 AWESOME AGAIN WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 10 – Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Azul Coast—Hector Berrios—124
Royal Ship—Mike Smith—124
High Connection—Abel Cedillo–118
Country Grammer—Juan Hernandez—124
Tripoli—Ramon Vazquez—122
Defunded—Edwin Maldonado—122
Express Train—Victor Espinoza–124
Slow Down Andy—Mario Gutierrez–120

First post time for a 10-race card that will also include five other stakes on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m.

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Leading Rider At Los Al, Ramon Vazquez Planning To Stay In Southern California

Ramon Vazquez, leading jockey at the recently concluded Los Alamitos Thoroughbred Meet, plans to remain a prominent presence at Santa Anita when the 18-day Autumn Meet begins Friday. The 38-year-old native of Puerto Rico is here to stay according to his agent Bill Castle, who has Vazquez booked to ride seven of nine races on opening day.

“Riding full time at Santa Anita is a first for us,” said the 58-year-old Castle, a native of New York City who earned his keep on Wall Street for 20 years before retiring to become an agent going on two decades now, learning the ropes under agent Steve Rushing (Irad Ortiz, Ramon Dominguez, Edgar Prado).

“He was so kind to me. I've known Steve since 1987 and he let me sit with him for 2 ½ years to watch how he did his work.

“Ramon and I left Oaklawn which had been his base many years and have been in Southern California about five months.

“Del Mar was phenomenal. We were really blessed with the support from the owners and trainers. It continued at Los Alamitos, but it's not about winning the titles. It's about the day-to-day work, the repetition, and that was successful the last two meets, and coming into Santa Anita, we'll have a very robotic schedule, the same thing, day in, day out.

“Those meets are behind us, so every morning you get up, it's a new chapter. For Ramon to win five races at Los Alamitos closing day finishing with a win in the Capote Stakes, you just say, 'Wow!' No one's ever done that before.

“We're looking forward to Santa Anita very much, but the question I get hit with day in and day out is: “Are you staying?'

“We took a six-month lease on an apartment in Monrovia, so we're really here to stay and we're not looking to leave, not with so many Grade 1 and Breeders' Cup opportunities.

“We're very happy here; we're not leaving.”

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Life Is Good Faces Just Four Rivals In Two-Turn Woodward

WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s multiple Grade 1-winner and $4-million earner Life Is Good headlines Saturday's 69th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

This year's edition of the prestigious nine-furlong test for 3-year-olds and upward will mark its first running at Aqueduct Racetrack since 1967 when Hall of Famer Damascus bested champions Dr. Fager and Buckpasser. Initially run at Belmont Park in 1954, the Woodward called Saratoga Race Course home from 2006-20 and made a return to Big Sandy last year.

The Woodward co-headlines an action-packed program which also includes the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne – a “Win And You're In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland. Also on the card is the Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo, a “Win And You're In” for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint.

Life Is Good's sensational record includes seven graded stakes victories, three at Grade 1 level, as well as nine triple digit Beyer Speed Figures. His lone non-triple digit number came in his 9 1/2-length debut romp at Del Mar in November 2020, where he recorded a 91.

A 4-year-old bay son of Into Mischief, Life Is Good has banked $4,086,700 through a 10-8-1-0 ledger, which includes a last out two-length victory in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Whitney on August 6 at Saratoga Race Course over Grade 1-winners Happy Saver and Hot Rod Charlie, which garnered a 107 Beyer. He displayed the same frontrunning fashion to victory in his prior effort in the seven-furlong Grade 2 John A. Nerud on July 2 at Belmont Park, which saw a career-best 112 Beyer.

Life Is Good capped a prominent 3-year-old season with a victory in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar, before commencing this year's campaign with a triumph over last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year Knicks Go in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup on January 29 at Gulfstream Park.

Life Is Good has remained in Saratoga this month following the summer meet, where he has continued to impress Pletcher with his strong morning training. On Saturday, he breezed five furlongs in 1:00.76 over the Spa main track.

“He's a very consistent and impressive horse to watch train,” said Pletcher, who previously won the Woodward with Lawyer Ron [2007], Quality Road [2010] and Liam's Map [2015]. “He's basically done that every single time we've breezed ever since he came to us. You always want things to go smoothly. He's an extremely talented horse. We just always hope that everything goes according to plan. It doesn't ever surprise me, but it is just remarkable how consistent he's been every single day he's out there. Every breeze is impressive and that's just what we've come to expect of him.”

With the Woodward being held at the Big A this fall, the race will be contested around two turns as opposed to Belmont's one-turn configuration for the nine-furlong distance.

“I don't think it hurts,” Pletcher said. “I think we probably would have ended up in the Woodward even if it were run at Belmont Park this year around one turn. But I do like the two turns. It gives him the opportunity to get another two-turn race under his belt prior to the Breeders' Cup.”

Bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West, Life Is Good is out of the Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk and was bought for $525,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Paramount Sales. Beach Walk has a yearling colt by Candy Ride as well as a full brother to Life Is Good born this year.

Irad Ortiz, Jr., the pilot aboard all three of Life Is Good's Grade 1 victories, will retain the mount from post 1.

Pletcher has also entered Cypress Creek Equine, Arnold Bennewith and Spendthrift Farm's Grade 2- winner Keepmeinmind, who was last seen finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 3 at Saratoga. The 4-year-old son of Laoban made his first start in 11 months two starts back when besting nine-furlong allowance company on July 22 at the Spa in his debut for Pletcher.

Pletcher saddled both Keepmeinmind and Dynamic One in the 10-furlong Jockey Club Gold Cup with both horses hampered by a slow pace set by Tax and the pace-pressing winner Olympiad.

“He's doing well. He came out of the Jockey Club in good order,” Pletcher said. “Unfortunately, he and Dynamic One were last and second last turning up the backside and there wasn't much pace. Hopefully, he can make a step forward this time.”

Initially campaigned by Robertino Diodoro, Keepmeinmind broke his maiden in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club in November 2020 at Churchill Downs following a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland. Although winless in seven starts at three, he enjoyed a prosperous year which included finishing second to Essential Quality in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga and a close third in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown.

Joel Rosario, who piloted Yoshida to victory in the 2018 Woodward, will ride Keepmeinmind from post 4.

Dual surface stakes winner Law Professor enters the Woodward off a winning debut for trainer Rob Atras in the restricted Tapit on September 1 over the turf at Kentucky Downs.

Owned by Twin Creeks Racing Stable, the 4-year-old Constitution gelding ended his 3-year-old year on a winning note in an off-the-turf edition of the Grade 2 Mathis Mile at Santa Anita while under the care of trainer Michael McCarthy.

Breaking from post 2, Law Professor will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

Trin-Brook Farm's graded stakes winner Informative will try to spring yet another upset for owner-trainer Uriah St. Lewis. The 5-year-old son of Bodemeister lit up the Monmouth Park tote board in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile last June, going off at 79-1 odds. He enters off a 14-1 victory in the Grade 3 Phillip H. Iselin on August 20.

Informative, who breaks from post 5, will be piloted by Dexter Haddock.

Completing the field is the David Jacobson owned and trained Thomas Shelby [post 3, Dylan Davis], an 11-time winning Curlin gelding who enters off an allowance optional claiming victory on September 10 at Monmouth Park.

Previously conditioned by Diodoro, Thomas Shelby proved himself competitive at stakes level when second in the Grade 3 Razorback on February 12 at Oaklawn Park.

The Woodward honors the late chairman of the Jockey Club [1930-50] and proprietor of Bel Air Stud, who campaigned Triple Crown winners Gallant Fox and Omaha as well as champions Nasrullah, Nashua, Granville and Johnstown. The Woodward is carded as Race 7 on Saturday's 11-race program. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of every day of Belmont at the Big A on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Be Your Best Headlines ‘Win And You’re In’ Miss Grillo

Michael J. Ryan's Irish homebred Be Your Best will vie for her second stakes score and first at the graded level for trainer Horacio De Paz in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for juvenile fillies, at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

The Miss Grillo is one of two Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” qualifying races on Saturday's lucrative card, offering the winner a berth into the Grade 1 Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Keeneland. Also featured are the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne, a one-turn mile qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile; the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward for 3-year-olds and up traveling nine furlongs; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs over the lawn.

Be Your Best, a daughter of Muhaarar, enters from a strong stakes score in the P.G. Johnson going the Miss Grillo distance on September 1 at Saratoga Race Course. There, she broke well from post 6 and tucked in along the rail under a confident Jose Ortiz to save ground throughout and wait for racing room. The bay filly was able to find a seam at the top of the lane under expert piloting from Ortiz and secured the victory by 3 3/4 lengths over good footing.

The P.G. Johnson came on the heels of another impressive performance when she scored on debut in a 1 1/16-mile maiden on July 31 at the Spa, defeating a field that included next-out winner and returning rival Free Look.

“She placed herself forwardly in the P.G. Johnson and the main thing we got out of her maiden win was Jose's confidence in her,” said De Paz. “He put her on the rail [last time] and waited for something to open up. To be able to kick clear is something that shows she moved forward from her first race. It was nice to see.”

De Paz said he is confident Be Your Best, the only stakes winner in the field of six, will continue to show her class and maturity in the Miss Grillo.

“She fits great in this spot,” De Paz said. “She's won twice and going long, so the distance shouldn't be a problem. Hopefully the weather stays together and we don't get a lot of rain, but even if we did get some rain, she's a horse that likes turf with a little give as well. Everything is very positive for her. She overcomes things.”

Ortiz will return to the irons from post 6.

Klaravich Stables' Free Look will face her familiar rival again and hope to build upon a strong last-out maiden score on September 4 at the Spa as she makes her stakes debut for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.

Free Look, who finished third on debut behind Be Your Best, earned her maiden win despite some trouble at the start when she broke inwardly, made contact with a foe and raced 8 1/2 lengths off the pace at the half-mile call. She went four-wide in the final turn of the 1 1/16-mile route and displayed an impressive turn of foot to overtake the lead just past the eighth pole and secure the 2 1/2-length victory in a final time of 1:42.02.

Brown said the daughter of Tapit, who breezed a half-mile in 49.55 seconds on Sunday at Saratoga's Oklahoma training track, is “doing good and training fine.”

Out of the unraced Medaglia d'Oro mare Wild Mint, who is a full-sister to Grade 1-winning and producing sire Violence, Free Look was a $300,000 purchase at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Flavien Prat has the call from post 2.

Also looking to add to a last-out Spa maiden score is Georgees Spirit, a daughter of Mor Spirit trained and co-owned by Jorge Abreu with Robert Photos and Sportsmen Stable. The dark bay was last seen taking a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on September 1 in her turf debut, closing from seventh-of-10 to kick on down the lane and score a gutsy half-length victory in 1:05.25. The win was a great improvement from her debut when an even sixth in an off-the-turf sprint on July 21.

Georgees Spirit will stretch out considerably from her first two outings, something Abreu said he is looking forward to.

“She came out of the race in pretty good shape and I think she wants to go a little farther than five and a half than the way she ran,” Abreu said. “We'll give it a try and see what happens.”

The $80,000 OBS October Yearling Sale purchase breezed a half-mile in 48.46 over the Belmont Park inner turf on Saturday.

“She had a very good breeze and a great gallop out,” said Abreu. “She's well put together and she's got a great head.”

Georgees Spirit will emerge from post 1 with Manny Franco aboard.

Abreu will also saddle Lawrence Goichman's Alluring Angel, who was last seen finishing a heartbreaking second in the Untapable on September 13 at Kentucky Downs. The daughter of Fastnet Rock rated close to the pace throughout under Irad Ortiz, Jr. and took a narrow advantage at the stretch call in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint, battling on valiantly down the stretch to be bested a nose by Danse Macabre.

One start prior, Alluring Angel was an off-the-pace winner on debut sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on August 4 at the Spa, rallying to score by a half-length under Ortiz, Jr. Jose Lezcano will pick up the mount in the Miss Grillo from post 4.

Completing the field are two last out maiden winners in Chester and Mary Broman's New York-bred Im Just Kiddin [post 5, Joel Rosario] for trainer John Kimmel; and Emory Hamilton's Pleasant Passage [post 3, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.

The Miss Grillo is slated as Race 8 on Saturday's 11-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

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