February, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Teena Ella Becomes Beholder’s First Winner

5th-Santa Anita, $69,000, Msw, 2-12, 3yo, f, 6fT, 1:09.42, fm, 1 1/4 lengths.

TEENA ELLA (f, 3, War Front–Beholder {Ch. 3-year-old Filly, 2x Ch. Older Mare, Ch. 2-year-old Filly, MGISW, $6,156,600}, by Henny Hughes), the third foal out of Beholder, became the champion's first winner while making her turf debut at Santa Anita Sunday. The 2-1 favorite broke alertly and was keen while in tight quarters between rivals battling for the lead in the early strides. She settled back just off the dueling leaders behind fractions of :22.76 and :45.71. Tipped out four wide at the top of the lane, the bay filly closed determinedly to win going away by 1 1/4 lengths. Irish Rose (Irish Surf) was second.

Teena Ella faded to sixth behind subsequent GI Starlet S. and GIII Las Virgenes S. winner Faiza (Girvin) in her six-furlong debut at Del Mar last November. She was most recently third going six furlongs over the main track at Santa Anita Jan. 6. Her victory capped a powerful hour for Spendthrift Farm, which was also represented by Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo), who took his record to a perfect two-for-two with a powerful victory at Tampa Bay Downs.

Beholder, a four-time Eclipse winner, has a 2-year-old filly by Bolt d'Oro and a yearling colt by Curlin. She was bred to Gun Runner, but was barren last year. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Lifetime Record: 3-1-0-1, $48,740.

O/B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella.

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Kingsbarns Puts in Royal Performance for Tampa Allowance Win

6th-Tampa Bay Downs, $25,500, (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 2-12, 3yo, 1m 40y, 1:40.78, ft, 7 3/4 lengths.
KINGSBARNS (c, 3, Uncle Mo–Lady Tapit {GSP}, by Tapit) made his first start against winners a successful one, dominating his rivals to win by 7 1/4 lengths as the public's 2-5 betting favorite. After scoring in his debut by 1 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park a month ago, the $800,000 Fasig-Tipton March Select 2-Year-Old in Training purchase was shipped a few miles north for a first start in allowance company, a choice that proved successful. The bay colt broke smartly from the gate but drifted back in the early going to track the pace set by longshot Sentir Zuliano (Lord Nelson) while in the three path around the first turn and then closer to the rail as he straightened out for the run up the backstretch. The early pacesetter opened up a clear lead on the field behind him and was a handful of lengths in front as he passed the half-mile mark in :46.33, but soon after Kingsbarns was launching his move and was challenging for the lead along the inside midway around the final bend. Angled back out toward the center of the track past the quarter pole, the Uncle Mo colt had easily taken control and remained in command to the wire, drawing away to the handy victory. Kingsbarns is out of a half-sister to GISW Gozzip Girl (Dynaformer), who also produced a 2-year-old colt by Union Rags, who was exported to Saudi Arabia last year, and a yearling half-brother by Gun Runner. Lady Tapit is expecting a Munnings foal this year. Sales Record: $250,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG; $800,000 2yo '22 FTFMAR. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $57,300. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Parks Investment Group, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

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Funny How Powers Last To First In Broadway, Earns First Stakes Victory

Adelphi Racing Club and Cutair Racing's Funny How, expertly piloted by Katie Davis, made her stakes debut a winning one in Sunday's $100,000 Broadway, a seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred fillies and mares 4-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Ray Handal, the 4-year-old Overanalyze bay won for the fifth consecutive start, rallying from the back of the pack to score by 4 1/4-lengths over graded-stakes placed Betsy Blue.

“When I warmed up with her, she threw a buck jump, so she was feeling really good,” Davis said. “She was eager to get out of the gate. I was OK that she didn't break as well. I kept her calm and relaxed and made that one move with her while all the speed goes.”

November Rein was hustled out of the inside post by Frankie Pennington to set fractions of :23.45 and :46.87 over the fast main track with Know It All Audrey keeping close watch from second position.

Funny How was last of six in the early running after tossing her head at the break and pinched back behind rivals, but advanced to the inside of Honey Money through the turn as November Rein clung to the lead. Funny How sustained her run out of the turn, cruising outside of Know It All Audrey and overtaking November Rein en route to a stylish score in a final time of 1:25.82.

Betsy Blue, who was last at the half-mile call, rallied to complete the exacta by a head over Bank Sting with Know It All Audrey, Honey Money, and November Rein rounding out the order of finish.

Handal praised the gritty Funny How for finding ways to win.

“She's a filly that's just overcome adversity from Day One. She had some setbacks when she was younger,” Handal said. “She had a soft tissue [issue] in her back ankle and we gave her the time off and she overcame all that. She just has tenacity and a will to win and an amazing fight to her. She's overcome trips. She overcomes bad breaks like she did today.”

Funny How, who finished third in each of her first two outings, is undefeated since graduating in September sprinting six furlongs against open company at Belmont at the Big A. She followed with a pair of state-bred allowance wins to close out her sophomore campaign at the Big A.

Funny How entered from a rallying nose allowance score traveling seven-furlongs against open company on January 7 here over a good main track with Davis in the irons for the first time.

Handal said Funny How could stretch out further in the future.

“I always thought she would be fine at the middle distances from seven-eighths or even a mile. She won the sprints just because she's so talented,” Handal said. “We'll let the dust settle, see what kind of figures she runs and see what options we have going forward. We're not discouraged from anything. This was a massive performance today.”

The victory marked the first stakes score in New York for Davis, who had previously notched stakes wins at Laurel Park and Charles Town.

“It's super exiting,” Davis said. “I looked at the TV screen and saw just me and said, 'This is awesome!'”

Davis credited Handal and the ownership group for their patience in progressing Funny How.

“Every time I get on her and breeze her, she just keeps improving. Fillies sometimes go the wrong way, but this one just keeps improving,” Davis said. “They did it right with her. They took the steps and moved her forward and didn't break her heart. They really got the most out of her and she's still doing amazing.”

In victory, Funny How bested a pair of formidable graded-stakes placed foes in Bank Sting and Betsy Blue, who finished second and third, respectively, in the Grade 3 Go for Wand here in December.

Betsy Blue, a three-time stakes winner, entered from consecutive wins in the Garland of Roses in December and Interborough in January; while Bank Sting, a five-time stakes winner, is the reigning New York-bred champion older dirt female and New York-bred champion female sprinter.

A $120,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale, Funny How, out of the multiple stakes-winning Distorted Humor mare Heavenly Humor, is a half sister to graded stakes-placed Funny Guy, stakes-winner Super Humor, and the multiple stakes-placed Three Jokers.

Bred by Hibiscus Stable, Funny How banked $55,000 in victory while improving her record to 7-5-0-2. She returned $12.60 for a $2 win ticket.

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Jorge Hernandez Wins First U.S. Race

Jockey Jorge F. Hernandez captured his first win in the United States when guiding Queen Cadence to victory in the first race at Laurel Park Sunday.

A multiple group-stakes winning jockey in his native Chile, the 33-year-old Hernandez's first domestic win came in his 27th mount. He also finished fourth on Shoulda Had It for owner-trainer Mario Serey, Jr. in Sunday's second race.

“I am really happy. I was waiting for it. After having five seconds in a month, I wanted to get that first win out of the way,” Hernandez said through fellow jockey Angel Cruz. “It's special.”

Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, both also named Jorge, Hernandez began riding at the age of 16 prior to entering the Blanco Encalada Riders School. Standing just 4-foot-7, Hernandez quickly became one of Chile's top riders and earned the nickname, 'El Bomba.' He said he won 960 races in his home country, including Group 1, 2 and 3 stakes.

“My career was awesome over there, but I wanted to try something different in the United States,” Hernandez said.

Brought to Laurel by Claudio Gonzalez, Maryland's overall leading trainer six straight years who also hails from Chile, Hernandez had five seconds and one third from his first 26 mounts. He made his North American debut Jan. 6, finishing fifth on Gonzalez-trained God is Love. Seventeen of Hernandez's mounts have come for Gonzalez.

“Claudio brought me from Chile,” Hernandez said. “I want to thank Claudio and all the other trainers that have given me the opportunity since I've been here. I'm so happy for the opportunity Claudio gave me. He opened the door for me to come here.”

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