January, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Heavy Favorite Ice Dancing Kicks Clear To Santa Ynez Triumph

With 4-5 morning line favorite Justique scratched earlier, Richard Mandella's Ice Dancing inherited the role of heavy favorite in Sunday's $200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita and she did not disappoint, rallying for a decisive 3 ¼-length win.

With Flavien Prat breaking his stakes drought on day eight of the current Classic Meet, Ice Dancing covered seven furlongs in 1:22.78.

An aptly named gray daughter of Frosted, Ice Dancing broke sharply from the far outside in a field of five sophomore fillies and settled nicely into stride in the run up the backstretch. Last, about 3 ½ lengths off pacesetter Fast and Shiny midway on the turn, Ice Dancing was well within herself as she angled three-deep at the top of the lane and took command leaving the furlong marker to win as much the best.

Third three starts back in the Grade I Del Mar Debutante, Ice Dancing came off a gate-to-wire one-mile maiden win Nov. 25 and was off as the 1-2 favorite today, returning $3 for the victory.

“She jumped well out of there and it felt like the pace was really strong, so I kind of kept myself off of the pace a little bit and it felt like she was traveling well,” said Prat, who was aboard for the maiden win at Del Mar. “She responded well when I asked her to make her move.”

Owned and bred in Kentucky by Perry and Ramona Bass, Ice Dancing, who is out of the Henny Hughes mare Welcome Dance, picked up $120,000 for the win, boosting her earnings to $219,600 from an overall mark of 2-0-2 from five starts.

“She's a big, strong filly, so the Las Virgenes (Grade 3, one mile on Jan. 28) is a big possibility,” said Mandella when asked about her next engagement. “More than likely…We'll have a look.”

Ridden by Edwin Maldonado, the Doug O'Neill-trained Satin Doll rallied well at the rail through the lane and finished second by a head over Fast and Shiny.

One of three Bob Baffert entrants, Fast and Shiny, who was off at 11-1 with Ramon Vazquez, finished seven lengths in front of stablemate Parody. Huntingcoco completed the order of finish.

Fractions on the race were :22.02, :44.68, and 1:09.29.

The Santa Ynez is a qualifying race to the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 5 at Churchill Downs and provided points on a 10-4-3-2-1 basis to the five finishers.

The post Heavy Favorite Ice Dancing Kicks Clear To Santa Ynez Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Laurel’s Spectacular Bid Draws 24 Nominees, 3YO Stakes Kicks Off Maryland’s Lead-Up To Preakness

Undefeated stakes winners Post Time and Recruiter and Grade 3-placed Prove Right top 24 nominations to the $100,000 Spectacular Bid for newly turned 3-year-olds Saturday, Jan. 21 at Laurel Park.

The seven-furlong Spectacular Bid, named for the Maryland-based Hall of Famer whose 26 career wins included the 1979 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1), is one of six stakes worth $550,000 in purses on the program.

It is the first in Maryland's series of stakes for sophomores leading up to the 148th Preakness (G1) May 20 at Pimlico Race Course, followed by the $100,000 Miracle Wood going one mile Feb. 18, $100,000 Private Terms at about 1 1/16 miles March 18 and $125,000 Federico Tesio April 15. Once again, the 1 1/8-mile Tesio will serve as a 'Win and In' qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the Preakness.

Hillwood Stable's Post Time, by Frosted, ran his record to 3-0 with a 3 ¾-length triumph in the seven-furlong Maryland Juvenile Dec. 3, his stakes debut, against fellow Maryland-bred/sired horses. His first two wins, by 8 ¾ combined lengths, came against open company.

Lynch Racing and Nick Sanna Stables' Recruiter is a Florida-bred son of Army Mule that won each of his three juvenile starts capped by the six-furlong James F. Lewis III at Laurel. He began 2023 with a 2 ¾-length score in the seven-furlong Parx Juvenile Jan. 3.

Trained and co-owned by James Chapman, Prove Right finished third after setting the pace in the Nashua (G3) last November at Aqueduct, and capped 2022 with a one-length optional claiming allowance victory sprinting 5 ½ furlongs Dec. 11 at Laurel. Last out he pressed the pace and wound up fifth in the Turfway Prevue on the all-weather surface at Turfway Park.

Also among the nominees are Coffeewithchris, Post Time's stablemate Prince of Jericho and Riccio, the top three finishers from the seven-furlong Heft at Laurel Dec. 30; Maryland Million Nursery runner-up Heldish, third to Recruiter in the Lewis; and B West and My Blue Eyes, each riding two-race win streaks.

Morris Kernan and Jagger Inc.'s Maryland Million Lassie winner Chickieness, Tommy Town Thoroughbreds' Golden Gate Debutante winner Sally's Sassy and Robert Rutherford's We'll See, unbeaten in two starts, top 17 nominees to the $100,000 Xtra Heat for 3-year-old fillies.

The Xtra Heat is followed in Maryland's 3-year-old filly series by the $100,000 Wide Country Feb. 18 at seven furlongs, $100,000 Beyond the Wire going one mile March 18 and $125,000 Weber City Miss April 15. The 1 1/16-mile Weber City Miss offers the winner an automatic berth in the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 19 at Pimlico.

Most popular among horsemen was the $100,000 Fire Plug for 4-year-olds and up sprinting 6 ½ furlongs with 34 nominees including Daniel Abramowitz's Greeley and Ben, last out winner of the six-furlong Fall Highweight (G3) in November at Aqueduct; Factor It In, front-running winner of the six-furlong Dave's Friend Dec. 30 at Laurel, and fellow multiple stakes winners Alwaysinahurry, Beren, Double Crown, No Cents, Shake Em Loose, Threes Over Deuces and Repo Rocks, the latter third in the 2022 Jan Nerud (G2) at Belmont Park.

Tsunebumi and Sekie Yoshihara's 2022 Fantasy (G3) winner Yuugiri, a front-running allowance winner Dec. 30 at Oaklawn Park in her first race since the Kentucky Oaks (G1); Beguine, beaten a neck in the Fantasy; and multiple stakes winners Buy the Best, Disco Ebo, Dontletsweetfoolya, Fille d'Esprit, Malibu Beauty and Swayin to and Fro head 22 nominations to the $100,000 What a Summer for fillies and mares 4 and up sprinting six furlongs.

Rounding out the stakes action are a pair of $75,000 events for Maryland-bred/sired horses, each at one mile – the Jennings for 4-year-olds and up and Geisha for fillies and mares 4 and older.

Several horses from the Fire Plug are cross-nominated to the Jennings including 2021 Maryland Million Sprint winner Air Token and 2021 Robert Hilton Memorial winner Exculpatory, as well as stakes winners Galerio, Local Motive, Ournationonparade and Vance Scholars.

Fille d'Espit and Malibu Beauty are among 18 nominees to the Geisha, joined by such horses as Acadian Girl, a winner of four straight races by 19 ½ combined lengths; Intrepid Dream, riding a three-race win streak; and Sweet Gracie, third to Fille d'Esprit and Malibu Beauty in the Maryland Million Distaff.

The post Laurel’s Spectacular Bid Draws 24 Nominees, 3YO Stakes Kicks Off Maryland’s Lead-Up To Preakness appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘He’s Finally Developed Into The Horse We Always Thought And Hoped He Could Be’: Proxy Drills For Pegasus World Cup

Godolphin's 5-year-old Proxy earned his first career stakes victory in Churchill Downs' Clark (G1) Nov. 25 in his most recent start. Now he seeks his second in another Grade 1: the $3-million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

Proxy powered five-eighths of a mile in 1:00 in company Saturday at the Fair Grounds as trainer Mike Stidham picked up the son of Tapit's training. The time was the second-fastest of 46 timed moves at the distance Saturday at the New Orleans track.

“It was a great work,” Stidham said by phone. “He had a workmate (Godolphin's maiden winner Global Sensation) in front of him as a target. He finished up really nice, the gallop-out was strong. He galloped out three-quarters of a mile in :12-and-3. Couldn't have gone any better. Came out of it in great shape. This was the first work we've asked him to finish stronger and gallop-out strong since his last race. He's had a series of works, but this was the first stiff work we've put into him.”

Off an almost five-month layoff, Proxy came into the 1 1/8-mile Clark with five career seconds and a pair of thirds in stakes company before winning his start in a Grade 1. Overall, he's 4-5-2 in 13 starts, earning $971,220.

“To make the first stakes win be a Grade 1 was a real bonus,” Stidham said. “But he had it coming. He was always just kind of a little bit behind maturity-wise as a 3-year-old. And he was running against arguably the best 3-year-olds in the country, having run against Mandaloun, Midnight Bourbon and all those horses on the (Kentucky) Derby trail. He ran very well, competitively. He was always cut out to be a nice horse, but he was always just a step behind. Now he's finally caught up. He's matured both physically and mentally. He's finally developed into the horse we always thought and hoped he could be.”

Joel Rosario will ride Proxy in the Pegasus. Stidham said the colt will work the next two Saturdays before shipping to Gulfstream on Sunday Jan. 22

Plans call for Proxy to run through the year, with the ultimate goal being the $6-million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita.

The post ‘He’s Finally Developed Into The Horse We Always Thought And Hoped He Could Be’: Proxy Drills For Pegasus World Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Ice Dancing Skates Clear Late To Take Santa Ynez

Finally out from under And Tell Me Nolies's (Arrogate) shadow, ICE DANCING (Frosted) broke through for her first graded-stakes win in two prior tries and earned 10 points on the road to the Kentucky Oaks with a 3 1/4-length closing performance in the rescheduled GIII Santa Ynez S. Third behind the daughter of Arrogate when debuted at Del Mar Aug. 14, she rebounded with another third second-time out in the GI TVG Del Mar Debutante S. but had to settle for fourth in her first try at the Great Race Place in the GII Chandelier S. Brought back to Del Mar Nov. 25, Ice Dancing led gate-to-wire to break her maiden in maiden special weight company before returning to Arcadia, CA for the Santa Ynez.

The 1-2 post-time favorite given the Friday scratch of 'TDN Rising Star' Justique (Justify), Ice Dancing, breaking widest of the field, took back to let a trio of horses from the Bob Baffert barn go by on her inside. Paced up the backstretch run by a dueling Parody (Distorted Humor) and Fast and Shiny (Bernardini), the grey sat two and then three wide up the backstretch run. Fast and Shiny, already on the lead, kicked on into the far turn, gaining separation from Parody as the remaining quartet grouped up behind her. Ice Dancing, still three wide, loomed from last and came with a sweeping move to engage the pacesetter past the quarter pole. The top pair turned for home together but Ice Dancing had more to give and overtook her rival with a furlong to run. Satin Doll, the longest shot on the board at 12-1, ran up the rail to pass Parody for second but Ice Dancing was already home.

“She jumped well out of there and it felt like the pace was really strong, so I kind of kept myself off of the pace a little bit and it felt like she was traveling well,” said winning jockey Favien Prat, who was aboard for the maiden win at Del Mar. “She responded well when I asked her to make her move.”

“She's a big, strong filly, so the GIII Las Virgenes is a big possibility,” said trainer Richard Mandella when asked about her next engagement. “More than likely…We'll have a look.”

Pedigree Note:
With Sunday's victory, Ice Dancing becomes the fifth graded winner for her sire, MGISW Frosted. A half-sister to MGSP Fredericksburg (Speightstown), SW Dancing To Town (Speightstown) and GSP Goliad (War Front), dual stakes winning Welcome Dance failed to produce a live foal in the last two seasons.

Sunday, Santa Anita
SANTA YNEZ S.-GIII, $200,000, Santa Anita, 1-8, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:22.78, ft.
1–ICE DANCING, 120, f, 3, by Frosted
              1st Dam: Welcome Dance (MSW, $164,442),
                                by Henny Hughes
              2nd Dam: Choreograph, by Dynaformer
              3rd Dam: Dance for Vanny, by Sovereign Dancer
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Perry R
Bass II & Ramona Bass; B-Bass Stables, LLC (KY); T-Richard E.
Mandella; J-Flavien Prat. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-0-2,
$219,600. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk
   Nick Rating: A.
   Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Satin Doll, 120, f, 3, Congrats–Cliff's Secret, by The Cliff's
Edge. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($60,000 Ylg
'21 KEESEP). O-The Del Mar Group; B-Upson Downs Farm (KY);
T-Doug F. O'Neill. $40,000.
3–Fast and Shiny, 120, f, 3, Bernardini–Spotted Heart, by Lion
Hearted. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($150,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Michael Pegram, Karl Watson &
Paul Weitman; B-Douglas Scharbauer (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
$24,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, HD, 7. Odds: 0.50, 12.50, 11.10.
Also Ran: Parody, Huntingcoco. Scratched: Justique.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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