January, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mandella Considering Las Virgenes For Ice Dancing

Perry and Ramona Bass's homebred Ice Dancing served notice in the 3-year-old filly division Jan. 8 when rolling to a dominant 3 ¼-length victory in the Santa Ynez (G3) going seven furlongs at Santa Anita.

The victory could set up a potentially juicy matchup in the Las Virgenes (G3) going one mile on Jan. 28 between Ice Dancing, Starlet (G1) winner Faizan, and highly regarded stakes winner Justique among others.

The Santa Ynez was originally scheduled to be run on Jan. 1 but was postponed a week when inclement weather forced the cancellation of that day's racing program. The delay may preclude Ice Dancing from wheeling back in the Las Virgenes, Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella said.

“She is doing great and we will think about the Las Virgenes, but it might be too soon for her,” Mandella said.

In the Santa Ynez, Ice Dancing was last of five after an opening half mile in :45.12. She then proceeded to take aim at the leaders on the turn under Flavien Prat and surged to the front in the final furlong to win going away in a final time of 1:23.26.

Both the Santa Ynez and Las Virgenes are Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifiers. Ice Dancing currently sits fifth on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard with 12 points.

The expectations for Ice Dancing have been high since her arrival in Mandella's barn last summer. After finishing third in her debut at Del Mar in August, she was sent straight to the Del Mar Debutante (G1) where she again finished third. The daughter of Frosted remained in graded stakes company when fourth in the Chandelier (G2) going 1 1/16 miles before returning to the maiden ranks and scoring at Del Mar on Nov. 25.

“She always gave us the feeling she's a pretty good filly and hopefully she's getting better,” Mandella said.

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‘We’ve Been Riding Really Good Horses’: Jockey Hernandez Dominating At Santa Anita

The early-season dominance of jockey Juan Hernandez at Santa Anita was on full display again on Friday when with six mounts, the 30-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico booted home three winners that included a sweep of the early daily double.

Hernandez entered Sunday having won at a 30 percent clip during the Classic Meet and his 16 wins are more than triple that of his next closest pursuers in the jockey's standings. The fast start at Santa Anita, which includes six stakes wins with two Grade 1s, follows what was a breakout season in 2022 for the jockey.

“It's been great,” Hernandez said Friday after riding Brutto to victory for Bob Baffert in the day's second race. “We've been riding really good horses. The owners and trainers have supported me a lot.”

Last year, Hernandez won his first riding title at Santa Anita and followed that up by winning the Del Mar summer meet. According to Equibase statistics, he finished 2022 ranked ninth nationally in both wins (211) and purse earnings ($15,018,55). In addition, his 30 graded stakes wins last year surpassed his previous career total of 26.

Hernandez is represented by Craig O'Bryan, a veteran jockey's agent who has worked with some of racing's legendary riders. He made a lofty comparison when discussing Hernandez Friday morning.

“He's just a really good rider,” O'Bryan noted. “I would like to say I'm shocked or surprised, but he's just so cool. He reminds me of another jockey I had. Eddie Delahoussaye. They rise to the occasion.” Delahoussaye won 6,384 races during a Hall of Fame career including two Kentucky Derbys and seven Breeders' Cup races.

“The good ones, I can't really put my finger on it, but they just don't make mistakes,” O'Bryan said. “He's riding with a lot of confidence and riding for a lot of the right people.”

For Hernandez, the ascent has been fast since he moved his tack south in 2020 after being a runaway leading rider at Golden Gate Fields in Northern California.

“When I came from Mexico, the first time I got here my goals were to ride with the best jockeys and win the best races,” Hernandez said. “Sometimes when you move to a new track it can take a while (to find success). It's not easy. We have a really good colony of riders. I'm just happy to be riding with them because you learn from them.”

O'Bryan noted that such a thoughtful outlook has been a key factor to Hernandez's rise to national acclaim.

“In any sport, the ones that tend to get to the top are smart. They just get it and Juan gets it,” O'Bryan said.

As he looks ahead, Hernandez said he still has some goals that are as-yet unfulfilled. Most notably, winning a Breeders' Cup race and Kentucky Derby. Hernandez has never ridden in the Kentucky Derby and is 0-for-9 with two runners-up at the Breeders' Cup.

“When I was a little kid and a 'bug boy' I always dreamed of riding in the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup,” said Hernandez, who was raised on a farm in Mexico. “I've had the opportunity to ride in the Breeders' Cup for four years. I haven't won, but I've been close. I'm going to keep working and hopefully get one of those soon.”

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Cox Confident In Cyberknife Ahead Of Pegasus World Cup

Two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox says he's as expectant of a big performance on Jan. 28 by Gold Square LLC's Cyberknife in Gulfstream Park's $3-million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) as he was with Knicks Go the past two years.

Knicks Go won the 2021 Pegasus to kick off what proved to be a Horse of the Year campaign and was second last year behind Life Is Good, a finalist for 2022 Horse of the Year.

“It's going to be a good race,” Cox said by phone from New Orleans. “We felt confident with Knicks Go both times. He ran two great races. Obviously, one was a winning effort and the other was second to a very, very good horse. I feel every bit as confident with this horse as I did with Knicks Go the two previous seasons.”

The 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup for 4-year-olds and up headlines a program featuring eight stakes, seven graded, worth $5.3 million in purses including the $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) and $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G1).

Cox loves what he's seeing in Cyberknife's training since the likely Pegasus favorite finished second by a head behind favored Cody's Wish in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland, including another powerful workout Sunday morning at the Fair Grounds.

With jockey Florent Geroux aboard, Cyberknife worked five-eighths of a mile alongside multiple stakes winner Warrant in 1:00.60 before working on past the wire to finish in 1:12.60 for six furlongs.

Cox said Cyberknife galloped out seven-eighths of a mile in 1:25.40. Warrant's official five-furlong time of 1:00.60 was the fastest of the morning among 44 works at the distance. Cyberknife was the only horse to work three-quarters of a mile.

“I feel we're right where we need to be for him to run a big race,” Cox said. “We've got one more work here at the Fair Grounds, and then we plan on shipping that following Monday.”

The Pegasus will be the career finale for Cyberknife, a son of 2017 Horse of the Year and 2018 Pegasus winner Gun Runner, before retiring to stud at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington. The 4-year-old colt will try to tack on another Grade 1 to go with victories in the Arkansas Derby and Haskell Invitational. He also was second in the Travers (G1) and third in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) while bankrolling $2,087,520 for the year.

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‘Today Was The Day’: $3.55-Million Purchase Hejazi Wires Maiden Field In Breakthrough At Santa Anita

A $3.55 million 2-year-olds in training sale purchase last May, trainer Bob Baffert's Hejazi, idle since Oct. 8, served notice he's ready for the Kentucky Derby trail as he broke his maiden in impressive fashion on Sunday at Santa Anita.

After taking serious pace pressure from his rail post, the colt won by 1 1/4 lengths and stopped the clock in 1:14.58 for 6½ furlongs on track listed as good.

Sent from the gate with Mike Smith aboard, Hejazi, a New York-bred colt by Bernardini out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare G Note, was shadowed by the John Shirreffs-trained Sully to the top of the lane through fractions of :21.97, :44.28 and 1:08.41 and shook clear three sixteenths of a mile from home while holding stablemate Worcester at bay late.

“We gave him some time, gave him a chance to reboot,” said Baffert of Hejazi, who had been idle since finishing a well-beaten third going 1 1/16 miles in the American Pharoah (G1) Oct. 8 at Santa Anita. “We wanted to get some weight back on him. We put him through a pretty ambitious (three-race sequence). Now he's got a chance…He's got his weight back on, and Mike got him to relax a little bit. Today was the day. Once I saw him out there cruising… . We're gonna have fun with him.”

Second, while favored in a pair of maiden sprints at Del Mar on Sept. 10 and Aug. 20, Hejazi was off as the heavy 1-2 favorite in a field of seven sophomores and paid $3 for the victory.

Owned by Zedan Racing Stables Inc., Hejazi picked up $40,200 for the win, and while Baffert did not indicate what's planned for his next start, it's expected he'll stretch out for the second time in what will be his fourth start.

First-time starter Worcester, the second of two Baffert trainees in the field, was an attentive third early under Juan Hernandez and finished like a horse who will relish a route of ground. Off at 8-1, he finished 3 ½ lengths in front of Sully, who tired through the drive under Victor Espinoza.

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