February, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saturday Insights: GISW Max Player Makes 2023 Debut At Oaklawn

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

3rd-OP, $106K, OC, 4yo/up, 1 1/16m, 2:03 p.m.

Last seen checking in fourth in last July's GII Suburban S. at Belmont, MAX PLAYER (Honor Code) makes his 6-year-old debut Saturday in an optional claimer at Oaklawn. The picture of consistency throughout his career, the Steve Asmussen trainee was a Triple Crown contender in 2020, placing third behind Tiz the Law (Constitution) in both the rescheduled GI Belmont S. and the GI Runhappy Travers S. before finishing fifth behind future Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief) in the GI Kentucky Derby. He was not a factor in the 2021 G1 Saudi Cup but returned to home soil a winner two starts later in the GII Suburban S. before posting a career-best effort with a win in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup with a 102 Beyer Speed Figure. Never better than fourth in his next four starts, Max Player was benched after trying to defend his title in the Suburban.

Breaking just to his inside, Caddo River (Hard Spun) will make his first start for Hall of Famer D Wayne Lukas after three years with trainer Brad Cox. TJCIS PPS

4th-OP, $90K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 2:34 p.m.

A Calumet Farm homebred also out of the D Wayne Lukas barn, GAME KEEPER (Honor Code) is a half-brother to G1 Emirates Airline Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 winner Capezzano (Bernardini). Dam Cableknit is herself a half to champion sprinter and leading sire Speightstown (Gone West) as well as MGSW & MGISP Irap (Tiznow). Her half-sister Amour d'Ete (Tiznow) would go on to produce GI Preakness S. winner Early Voting (Gun Runner). TJCIS PPS

3rd-FG, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 7 1/2fT, 3:15 p.m.

Out of GI La Troienne S. winner Molly Morgan (Ghostzapper), KID KETCHUM (Tapit) is a Triple Crown-nominated colt racing out of the Brad Cox barn. Bred by Stonestreet Farm and owned by a large syndicate group of which Stonestreet remains a part of, the $200,000 Keeneland September yearling picks up jockey Marcelino Pedroza, Jr. for his debut. TJCIS PPS

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Lord North Returns In The Winter Derby

There is a faint scent of the approaching Flat season in the air on Saturday as the Gosdens' stalwart Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) enjoys his seasonal bow in Lingfield's G3 BetUK Winter Derby. Not seen since finishing a close fourth in the G1 Eclipse at Sandown in July, the 7-year-old is at the scene of his defeat in this 12 months ago warming up for a third consecutive G1 Dubai Turf.

Robert Havlin will be on board the consistent performer and he said, “Lord North seems really well. I have ridden him in his last two pieces of work and I think he is a little sharper than he was coming into the race last year. We are using this as a prep for the Dubai Turf again but I am hoping for a real big run. He just feels that bit more switched on than he was this time last year. He is the best horse in the race by far and hopefully he can show that.”

Also representing the Gosdens is the 2021 winner Forest Of Dean (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Harrovian (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {GB}) who races for Lord North's owner HH Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing. The former will be partnered by South African jockey Collen Storey, while Roger Varian pitches in Flaxman Stables' 2022 Easter Classic runner-up Tyrrhenian Sea (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

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Investigators Conference Opens Sunday

Officially sold out, the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) opens its 27th annual training conference with a reception for attendees on Sunday evening at the Lodge in the Desert in Tucson, Arizona.

The ORI Conference includes a dozen speaker sessions scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, as presenters cover a variety of topics, including money laundering, regulatory oversight, medications, ethics, the media, human trafficking, licensing, drugs and alcohol on the backstretch, employee retention and barn surveillance. The final speaker on Tuesday will be Shawn Loehr, Director of Investigative Operations for the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU), who will give an overview of his office's program.

“We are extremely excited to welcome everyone to this year's ORI event and we want to thank all of our sponsors,” said Chairman Juan Estrada. “We expected around 45 to attend and we more than doubled that, so the interest and understanding about how important our network is can be interpreted as better than ever.”

To go along with this lineup, Monday afternoon will be devoted to a series of case studies and practical searches at Rillito Racetrack, which will be overseen by ORI Board Members. As an onsite teaching classroom, the setting will give participants a first-hand look into the latest techniques when it comes to investigation.

With students from the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program serving as volunteers during the conference, Chair Robert Hartman will deliver remarks at a dinner on Monday evening, which will be followed by author Melisa Del Bosque's keynote address. An awards ceremony intended to highlight the accomplishments of ORI members will conclude the banquet.

Click here, for the ORI Conference Program.

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Luis Saez Wins International Jockeys Challenge At Saudi Cup

Leading US-based rider Luis Saez lifted the International Jockeys Challenge presented by stc at Riyadh racecourse on Friday.

It had turned out to be the ideal culmination for the competition with five of the 14 male and female riders from around the world still in with a chance of winning by the time of the last of the four legs.

Saez, who had ridden at the meeting before, ended up winning one race and finishing second in two others, including the Round 4 finale.

“It's super exciting, I want to say thank you to everybody for this magnificent moment-my family, well everybody, I'm pretty happy,” he said.

“Over here I don't understand the form too much, I could only see how my horses ran last time and so I studied every horse, which was a bit difficult. But I had a good feeling, I have a lot of faith in my horses, I feel like they are going to run good and every horse ran pretty good so I'm pretty happy. I rode the horses like they told me, pretty much. When you break from the gate, when you are in a good position, be kind, be confident and try and win the race.

“This place is very special for me, I really love this course, I love the dirt, I love everything here, the people, I feel like this is home here.”

Yuga Kawada filled the runner-up sport while British-based rider Joanna Mason, who gave an exhibition from the front in Round 2 aboard Medbaas (KSA) for Saad Bin Khiood, took the bronze medal.

“To come second in the last and win this has been amazing,” Mason after victory aboard Medbaas. “I just got told simple instructions, jump out, get to the rail because he likes being in front and push on from the 600m, he's all speed. That's what he did and he went on again.

“When the horse came to me he pulled out that bit extra. I'm not experienced on the dirt but it rides beautifully, I've been on a first and a second, I really can't complain!”

An amateur rider from as far back as 2006 who has also competed in jumps races, Mason has made a striking impression in a couple of full seasons as a professional, steering home 46 winners in Britain last year and has been clocking up many miles in the car during the current domestic all-weather season.

She continued, “To even be picked to be out here, as much as representing the UK and the rest of the world and the females, to have a second and a winner, I couldn't have asked for anything better. It's a dream come true, everyone has been so hospitable.”

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