January, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Stakes Next, ‘Talented’ 3-Year-Old Filly Munnys Gold Makes Successful Return For Pletcher At Gulfstream

Robert and Lawana Low's Munnys Gold, unraced since her eye-catching debut victory last summer, made a triumphant return at Gulfstream Park with a front-running open allowance triumph in Wednesday's feature race.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, Munnys Gold ($2.20) overcame an awkward start to lead through splits of 22, 45.36 and 57.67 seconds, covering six furlongs over a fast main track in 1:10.78.

A 3-year-old daughter of multiple graded-stakes winner Munnings, who was also trained by Pletcher, Munnys Gold had been breezing steadily since late October at Palm Beach Downs for her return.

“She'd been training well,” Pletcher said. “She was great in her debut. She didn't off to a great start today. She kind of broke sideways and brushed the side of the gate, but once she got corrected she showed that natural speed she has and looked good from there.”

Munnys Gold was purchased for $300,000 as a yearling in July 2021 and was patiently brought along, unveiled in a 14 ½-length maiden special weight race last June at Monmouth Park. The runner-up in that race, Alma Rosa, graduated in her subsequent start and later took the White Clay Creek at Delaware Park.

“She had a little issue we had to give her a break for and then by the time we got started back there wasn't a race for her so it's taken a little while,” Pletcher said. “We had the choice of going to a stake at Tampa and then this race came up, and we decided it's been a long time since she ran so we wanted to do the right thing by her. She's a very talented filly.”

Pletcher said Wednesday's effort earned Munnys Gold a step up for her next start.

“We'll go in a stake, we just don't know [which one] yet,” he said.

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Remsen Winner Dubyuhnell Tops Nominees To Feb. 4 Holy Bull

West Paces Racing LLC and Stonestreet Stables LLC's Dubyuhnell, who captured the Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct in his final juvenile start, heads a list of 30 nominees for the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3), scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 4 at Gulfstream Park.

The Holy Bull, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds on the Gulfstream's Road to the Triple Crown, will headline a program with four other graded stakes for 3-year-olds – The $175,000 Kitten's Joy (G3), $175,000 Sweetest Chant (G3), $125,000 Claiborne Swale (G3) and $125,000 Forward Gal (G3).

Trained by Danny Gargan, Dubyuhnell pressed the pace in the 1 1/8-mile Remsen before edging away to a half-length victory. The son of Good Magic, who debuted with a fourth-place finish in a seven-furlong sprint at Saratoga Sept. 3, rallied from off the pace to graduate Oct. 2 at a mile at Aqueduct before capturing the Remsen.

The first three finishes in the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man, the first stakes on the road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1), are nominated to the Holy Bull. Daniel Walters, Dennis G. Smith, Anthony Smith and trainer Rohan Crichton's Legacy Isle, Aldana Gonzalez Racing LLC and Lisa and Steve Ballou's Dreaming of Kona and Vegso Racing Stable's Lord Miles finished 1-2-3 in the one-turn mile Mucho Macho Man. Legacy Isle, who had easily won his first two career starts, was disqualified for drifting out in the stretch and placed second. Aldana Speith-trained Dreaming of Kona was placed first.

The Holy Bull has been a target for Albaugh Family Stables LLC and Castleton Lyons' Cyclone Mischief since the son of Into Mischief's dazzling 5 ¾-length optional claiming allowance win Jan. 6 at Gulfstream. The Dale Romans trainee broke his maiden in his second career start by 5 ¼ lengths at Keeneland before setting the pace into the stretch run of Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs before weakening late.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is represented on the Holy Bull nominations list by Whisper Hill Farm LLC's Classic Catch and Tapit Twice, Three Diamonds Farm's Dude N Colorado, Spendthrift Farm LLC's Kingsbarns and Major Dude, Centennial Farm's Litigate, and Robert LaPenta's Shesterkin.

Classic Catch, Tapit Twice, Dune N Colorado, Kingsbarns, Litigate and Shesterkin are all promising maiden winners, while Major Dude captured the Pilgrim (G2) on turf and most recently finished second in the Dania Beach on turf at Gulfstream.

Gary Barber's Classic Car Wash has been nominated to the Holy Bull following back-to-back wins at Gulfstream. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the son of Noble Bird broke his maiden at seven furlongs in his second career start before stretching out around two turns on Tapeta to score an impressive 2 ½-length optional claiming allowance.

Courtlandt Farms' General Jim, who finished fourth as the favorite in the Mucho Macho Man following back-to-back wins and a third-place stakes finish in New York; Imaginary Stables' Howgreatisnate, who is undefeated in four starts in the Mid-Atlantic; and the Bill Mott-trained trio, Bruce Lunsford's Classic Legacy, Frank Fletcher Racing Operations Inc's Rocket Can and Peachtree Stable's Shadow Dragon; are also prominent on the Holy Bull nominations list.

The Kitten's Joy, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes, attracted 22 nominations, including Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson's Bluebirds Over, an undefeated son of English Channel who captured the Grey (G3) at Woodbine last time out; John Oxley and Breeze Easy LLC's Bobby O, who captured the With Anticipation (G3) at Saratoga; Spendthrift Farm LLC's Major Dude, who won the Pilgrim (G2) at Aqueduct; and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Ari Gold, who captured the Pulpit over Gulfstream Park's turf last time out.

The Sweetest Chant, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for fillies, also drew 22 nominations, including Repole Stable and Town and Country LLC's Cairo Consort, who captured the Ginger Brew at Gulfstream Jan. 7 after winning the Catch a Glimpse Stakes and finishing second in the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine during her juvenile season; and Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, Seventh Sense Stable and E5 Racing Thoroughbreds LLC's Anna Karenine, a stakes winner in France who has yet to make her U.S. debut.

The Claiborne Swale, a seven-furlong sprint, attracted 17 nominations, Lea Farms LLC's Super Chow, who finished third in the Saratoga Special (G2) at Saratoga before winning four straight races (three stakes); AM Racing USA's New York Thunder, who has won his first two career starts with authority at Gulfstream; Spendthrift Farm LLC's Major Dude, a graded-stakes winner on turf who broke his maiden at first asking over Saratoga's main track; .and K and R Racing Stable and Town Branch Racing's Two of a Kind, the Tremont winner at Belmont before coming off a six-month layoff to finish third behind Super Chow in the Limehouse.

The Forward Gal, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies, attracted 19 nominations, including Stonestreet Stables LLC's Julia Shining, who captured the Demoiselle (G2) after breaking her maiden at first asking; Ashbrook Farm and Upland Flats Racing's Red Carpet Ready, who is unchallenged in two career starts; and Klaravich Stables Inc.'s Undervalued Asset, a sharp 8 ¼-length debut winner at Aqueduct.

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Back At Fair Grounds, Jockey Aubrie Green Off The Mark Quickly With Pair Of Longshots

Earlier in January, jockey Aubrie Green moved her tack back to Fair Grounds from Tampa Bay Downs. She made her first mount a winning one on Friday Jan. 13. Soon after she returned to the winner's circle on Friday Jan. 20. Nine mounts in, she is 2-1-1, and her horses have been outrunning their odds.

First it was Powderhorn Racing's Zion, winning at 17-1 for trainer Nathan Hatcher on Jan. 13.

“I wasn't even supposed to ride the horse,” Green said. “Nathan (Hatcher) told me (Zion) hadn't been breaking well. He said, 'I want to put you on because I know you can break this horse hard and get him out of the gates.'”

That's exactly what Green did, breaking in third and maintaining that spot throughout to put Zion in position to run down Available Star and Coach Kenny in the stretch.

It was a similar story on Friday, Jan. 20, when Green took the reins of Fifteen Love Back for trainer Cesar Govea. She turned a horse who had been double-digit lengths back through the opening calls of both previous races at Fair Grounds into a well-positioned stalker, no more than four lengths behind through the early calls. Fifteen Love Back won at 12-1.

Riding professionally since 2015 and in the jockey colony at Fair Grounds since 2017, Green has impressed local connections and quickly became a fan favorite. In 2021-2022 she finished 11th in the jockey standings with 25 wins in 232 mounts, earning $717,275.

At Tampa, she rode two winners in 32 mounts but had six seconds and three thirds.

“Tampa was alright, a little slow,” Green said. “There were some really good riders, a big colony.

“My agent there, she wasn't on the grounds. So I decided to head back to (Fair Grounds). I'm sure I'll be riding for 'Bunky' (trainer Corale Richards) and Andrea Ali. I just talked with Shane Wilson and he said he would get with me. I'm just going to be hustling, getting on for everybody I can.”

Green's agent is the 1998 Fair Grounds' Hall of Fame inductee, Ronald Ardoin. Spanning a career where he won six riding titles at Fair Grounds, the retired jockey Ardoin won 5,226 races.

One of the Idaho-native's highest profile mounts on the Louisiana circuit came aboard Pound for Pound. Green won both the 2019 Louisiana Champions Day Classic and the 2021 Star Guitar Stakes aboard the Andrea Ali-trained horse who had over a half-million in career earnings.

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Equinox Overwhelms Voting For Japan Racing Association’s 2022 Horse Of The Year Title

The Japan Racing Association will present its 2022 Horse of the Year title to 3-year-old colt Equinox, who secured 282 out of 288 votes for an outstanding year during which he dominated two prestigious Group 1 events—the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and the Arima Kinen—and achieved runner-up performances in both spring classics. The star colt was also selected Best 3-Year-Old Colt with 285 votes.

The annual JRA Awards, which recognize horses, trainers, jockeys and other individuals and organizations for their outstanding performances or achievements during the Thoroughbred racing season, will be presented on Jan. 30 (attendees limited to winning connections due to Covid).

Equinox was voted Horse of the Year and also was selected as Best 3-Year-Old Colt for his two outstanding Group 1 victories—the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and the Arima Kinen—as well as runner-up efforts in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby). The colt is currently registered to run in either the Dubai Turf (G1, 1,800m) or the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1, 2,410m) on March 25.

The son of Kitasan Black debuted in August of his 2-year-old season with an overwhelming six-length win and then claimed the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes (G2, 1,800m) by a comfortable 2-1/2 lengths. In the Satsuki Sho, his third career start and also the first of his 3-year-old season, Equinox sat three-wide around seventh from the widest stall, gradually made headway to enter the stretch in third and fought his way to the lead around the 200-meter pole, but then was pinned by the eventual winner before the wire to finish second. In the Tokyo Yushun, the brown colt also broke from the outermost draw and, after unhurriedly traveling third from the rear, launched his bid at the 400-meter pole just behind the winner, but despite being the fastest over the last three furlongs, was a neck short of the winner at the wire.

A well-rested Equinox began his fall campaign with the Tenno Sho (Autumn), where he was sent off race favorite. The colt ran patiently in 10th, so when the pacesetter expanded his huge lead to 15 lengths by the third corner, Equinox was still near the rear of the field coming out of the last turn. It was from there that the favorite unleashed a spectacular drive down the straight, picking off rivals one by one and finally swooping past the tiring pacesetter in the final strides to notch a one-length victory.

As the race favorite in the year-end Arima Kinen, Equinox eased back to around ninth and traveled wide in good striking position to make headway turning the final corners. Once taking the lead entering the lane, he responded willingly to the jockey's urging with a strong burst of speed that timed the second fastest closing speed, easily holding off the rest of the field to win by a 2-1/2-length margin and become the Arima Kinen titleholder with the fewest career starts ever.

Liberty Island was the unanimous choice for Best 2-Year-Old Filly and more than 95 percent of the votes were earned each by Best 2-Year-Old Colt Dolce More, Best 3-Year-Old Filly Stars on Earth and Best Older Colt or Horse Titleholder.

Best Older Filly or Mare Geraldina, Best Dirt Horse Cafe Pharoah and Best Sprinter or Miler Serifos received 83 percent, 64 percent and 54 percent of the maximum votes, respectively.

Oju Chosan earned his fifth Best Steeplechase Horse title in outdueling Nakayama Daishogai winner Nishino Daisy by just one vote.

In Best Trainer Awards based on accomplishments in JRA races and designated NAR and overseas races, Yoshito Yahagi again dominated the same two categories he has won many times before, earning his fifth Best Trainer title for Races Won and fourth straight for Money Earned. Mitsumasa Nakauchida defended his Winning Average title, his fourth total, and Tetsuya Kimura earned his second title for Training Technique.

In Best Jockey Awards based on accomplishments in JRA races alone, Yuga Kawada swept the flat-racing titles for Races Won, Winning Average and Money Earned to become the fourth Grand Prize winner, following Christophe Lemaire in 2018.

Shinichi Ishigami captured his third Best Steeplechase Jockey title and Seina Imamura was named Best Jockey (Newcomer) with 51 JRA wins in her debut year, becoming the first female jockey to claim this JRA Award. Keita Tosaki won his fourth Most Valuable Jockey title, which is based on combined points for wins, earnings, winning average and rides in JRA races and designated races held by NAR or overseas.

The Equine Culture Award was presented to Asahi Broadcasting Nagano Co., Ltd. for its television series about Kiso horse culture in Japan's Kaida Kogen region, “Kiso Uma to Ikiru; Kaze Wataru Sato, Kaida Kogen.” The Equine Culture Award Special Award was presented jointly to NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), Express Sports Co. Ltd. and NHK Global Media Services, Inc. for their television program, “Happy People Make Happy Horses; Kazuo Fujisawa's Last 400 Days as Trainer.”

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