February, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Road To The Kentucky Derby: Favorite Newgate Bests Trio Of Stablemates In Robert B. Lewis

Bob Baffert couldn't lose. The trainer of all four horses in Saturday's $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita, the white-haired Hall of Famer watched favored Newgate gradually get the best of longshot Hard to Figure in winning by a neck under Frankie Dettori.

The Into Mischief colt covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.11 on a track rated as fast.

Under considerable restraint while last by about 2 ½ lengths heading to the far turn, Newgate ambled alongside leaders Arabian Lion and Hard to Figure leaving the quarter pole and under aggressive handling from Dettori, got the job done in getting his first graded stakes win.

“We had good pace in the race, we came back in good time,” said Dettori, who was aboard Newgate for the second consecutive time today. “Today, we moved sharper and we beat some good horses. He was a little slow with his lead changes, but he ran well.”

Most recently second, beaten a neck in the Sham Stakes (G3) going a flat mile Jan. 8 at Santa Anita, Newgate was off at even money and paid $4 for the win.

“Frankie Dettori has been teaching him how to just sit back, relax, and come with a punch and that's what he did today,” said Baffert. “…Newgate, before when we were sending him, he wasn't finishing. I wasn't sure how far he wanted to go…I was actually nervous before the race, worried that something weird might happen, but I can relax now.”

An $850,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase from Taylor Made Sales Agency, the colt is out of the Majestic Warrior mare Majestic Presence. Newgate is owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, et al.

With the Robert B. Lewis winner's share of $120,000, Newgate increased his earnings to $241,975 and improved his overall mark to 2-2-0 from six starts. The race is a Kentucky Derby qualifier and Newgate earned 20 points for his victory.

Hard to Figure, who broke sharply while adding blinders from his outside post, pressured Arabian Lion to the furlong marker and gave way grudgingly late in a big effort.

Ridden by Ramon Vazquez and off at 12-1, Hard to Figure finished 1 ¾ lengths in front of Worcester.

For his part, Worcester, off as the third choice at 5-2 with Juan Hernandez, sat third to the quarter pole and finished 3 ¼ lengths better than Arabian Lion.

Fractions on the race were :23.87, “47.76, 1:11.98, and 1:36.65.

The post Road To The Kentucky Derby: Favorite Newgate Bests Trio Of Stablemates In Robert B. Lewis appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Spendthrift’s Major Dude Powers To Kitten’s Joy Victory

In the reverse of his prior start, where he was unable to find running room until too late, Spendthrift Farm's Major Dude got an ideal trip under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and powered through the stretch to overtake pacesetting stablemate Dude N Colorado and capture Saturday's $175,000 Kitten's Joy (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The 1 1/16-mile Kitten's Joy was the second of five graded stakes for 3-year-olds and the first of two on the grass preceding the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3), the next step on Gulfstream's road to the $1-million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) April 1.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Major Dude settled in fourth while Dude N Colorado, exiting a front-running maiden triumph Dec. 24 on the Tapeta at Gulfstream, raced through a quarter mile in :23.09 and a half in :47.24, pressed by Boppy O. Six furlongs went in 1:10.88 with the leaders unchanged, but Ortiz able to tip Major Dude outside and in position for a clear run down the lane, getting up inside the eighth pole and drawing clear.

Candidate, unbeaten in three previous turf starts including the Jan. 7 Dania Beach at Gulfstream over Major Dude, got up to be second ahead of Dude N Colorado. They were followed by Boppy O, Souzak, Congruent, Lights of Broadway, and Moon Cat.

Major Dude, by Bolt d'Oro, made his first three starts on dirt last summer, running third in the Sapling at Monmouth Park. He won the Pilgrim (G2) at Aqueduct in his turf debut and has remained on grass since, finishing ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) and second in the Dania Beach.

It was the third win of the day for Pletcher, following 3-year-olds King's Fortune ($14.40) in Race 5 and Tapit Trice ($4.60) in Race 8.

Major Dude was bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms. Spendthrift Farm bought him from Taylor Made Sales Agency for $550,000 at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale.

Kitten's Joy (G3) Quotes

Trainer Todd Pletcher (Major Dude, 1st; Dude N Colorado, 3rd): “Dude N Colorado, he won wire-to-wire last time so we were going to kind of let him run away from there and see how the race unfolded. He was able to make a pretty comfortable lead. Major Dude, we just wanted to focus on getting him out in the clear a little sooner. The last time he just got bottled up a little too long behind a slow pace. He closed well that day, he just ran out of time.

“[Jockey] Irad [Ortiz Jr.] was able to maneuver him out into the clear and give him plenty of time to put his run together and he finished very well. He's a super nice colt, very consistent. I'll talk to the guys at Spendthrift. We're kicking around the idea of putting him on the dirt at some point. We'll see when that opportunity comes up.”

Winning Irad Ortiz Jr. (Major Dude): “I had a perfect trip. I broke good. I took a little hold following some nice horses, saving ground the whole way. He did the rest.

The post Spendthrift’s Major Dude Powers To Kitten’s Joy Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Unbeaten Oscar Performance Filly ‘Ready’ Off the Bench

Ashbrook Farm and Upland Flats Racing's Red Carpet Ready picked up right where she left off Saturday, dominating Gulfstream's GIII Forward Gal S. to stay unbeaten and earn eight GI Kentucky Oaks qualifying points.

Belying almost 37-1 odds when she aired in the Churchill slop first out Oct. 30, the dark bay handled the next step with aplomb, taking the Nov. 26 Fern Creek S. by daylight over a next-out allowance winner back under the Twin Spires.

Off as the narrow second choice behind multiple local stakes winner Atomically–last seen finishing seventh in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies–Red Carpet Ready broke on top but was reined in by Luis Saez to stalk in a close-up third. She mounted her three-deep challenge and took over rapidly into a :45.98 half, but had Chad Brown-trained debut romper Undervalued Asset breathing down her neck as they straightened for home. Red Carpet Ready slammed the door on her pursuer as soon as Saez asked her for more, and she strode out nicely from there to prevail with room to spare. Undervalued Asset held off Atomically for second.

“I had a pretty good trip,” Saez said. “She broke from there running and she's pretty fast. We just tried to have a target in front and eveything came out so perfect. She's a pretty nice filly. She has everything. She can run from anywhere, in front or behind, and she keeps going.”

Trainer Rusty Arnold said, “She's answered the bell every time we've run her. She's pretty special… I'd be shocked if she doesn't go long. I was more worried that she wasn't a sprinter… Luis said she wanted to break so sharp, she her lost her footing a little bit, but after she recovered, she did everything right.”

Ashbrook Farm patriarch Glenn Bromagen passed away in June. His son Bo manages stable operations. Past standout fillies conditioned by Arnold for Ashbrook include 2016 GI Central Bank Ashland S. winner Weep No More (Mineshaft, $120,000 OBSMAR); and 2019 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. heroine Concrete Rose (Twirling Candy, $61,000 FTMMAY turned $1.95-million KEENOV '20 Topper).

Red Carpet Ready was bought back for $100,000 at last year's OBS April sale after breezing in :10 1/5.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
FORWARD GAL S.-GIII, $125,000, Gulfstream, 2-4, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.54, ft.
1–RED CARPET READY, 120, f, 3, by Oscar Performance
                1st Dam: Wild Silk, by Street Sense
                2nd Dam: Spun Silk, by A.P. Indy
                3rd Dam: Spunoutacontrol, by Wild Again
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($180,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG;
$100,000 RNA 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Ashbrook Farm & Upland
Flats Racing; B-Lynn B. Schiff (KY); T-George R. Arnold, II; J-Luis
Saez. $74,400. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $265,470. Werk Nick
Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Undervalued Asset, 118, f, 3, Speightstown–Hard Headed
Temper, by Hard Spun. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK
TYPE. ($150,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-Speightstown Syndicate & Cloyce C. Clark, Jr. (KY); T-Chad C.
Brown. $24,000.
3–Atomically, 120, f, 3, Girvin–Shesunbelievable, by
Uncaptured. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Eclipse
Thoroughbred Partners, Michael G. Bernard & Harry Colburn;
B-Tracy Pinchin & Michael Bernard (FL); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$12,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 1, 7 3/4. Odds: 2.30, 2.70, 2.20.
Also Ran: Positano Sunset, Apropos, Flakes, Twice as Sweet, Arella Star, Adeliese's Smile. Scratched: Lynx. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Red Carpet Ready is the second graded winner from the first crop of talented turfer Oscar Performance (Kitten's Joy). The Mill Ridge Farm inmate's other GSW, Andthewinneris, returned a winner himself last week in Sam Houston's Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile. Street Sense is the broodmare sire of a dozen graded/group winners worldwide. His one highest-level winner to date is Roaring Lion, by Oscar Performance's sire Kitten's Joy.

Red Carpet Ready is out of a half-sister to GISW sprinter Joking (Distorted Humor) and from the deep female family of Tale of the Cat, Fed Biz, et al.

Unraced Wild Silk, purchased for $70,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale, has a 2-year-old full-sister and yearling full-brother. The filly was a $65,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred sale acquisition by Deuce Greathouse's Pura Vida. Wild Silk is due this year to Not This Time.

The post Unbeaten Oscar Performance Filly ‘Ready’ Off the Bench appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Surprisingly Rallies For First Graded Stakes Victory in Endeavour

Phipps Stable homebred Surprisingly benefited from a ground-saving trip under Paco Lopez, then unleashed a powerful stretch rally to nail Scotish Star and favored Marketsegmentation in Saturday's Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.

Winning a graded stakes for the first time in her seventh career start for trainer Shug McGaughey, the 4-year-old filly by Mastery out of the Arch mare Vagabond covered 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:40.08 and paid $9.40 to win.

Argentine-bred Scotish Star held second, a neck behind the winner, after battling with Marketsegmentation down the stretch, the latter finishing three-quarters of a length back in third. Panama Red, an Irish-bred making her first U.S. start for trainer Arnaud Delacour, finished fourth after setting fractions of :47.61 and 1:10.88 for the opening six furlongs. Spirit and Glory finished fifth in the field of 11 fillies and mares, 4 and up.

Lopez saved ground aboard Surprisingly while racing near the back of the field. Approaching the far turn, he moved her closer into contention, then came off the rail briefly to pass a tiring rival before dropping back to the inside turning into the stretch. She swung four wide at the top of the lane and rallied relentlessly in the final sixteenth to get the victory.

“I saw (Scotish Star) was a couple of lengths in front, but I had better position and I could feel my horse picking up speed,” said Lopez. “She ran very fast at the end. She was flying.”

“I thought she ran great and I thought Paco (Lopez) rode her great, and that made the difference,” said McGaughey.”He saved ground around both turns and swung her outside so she could finish, and they both did a great job. It's her first graded race and her first time against older horses, so we didn't really know what to expect. I thought she could be competitive, but there were a lot of competitive horses in the race. We took a shot, and it worked.”

Surprisingly was winning for the fourth time, with one second, from seven starts. She came off a close second to Candy Light in the Tropical Park Oaks at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 26.

The post Surprisingly Rallies For First Graded Stakes Victory in Endeavour appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post