March, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Wild On Ice Springs 35-1 Upset In Sunland Park Derby

Frank Sumpter's homebred Wild On Ice outdueled a determined late challenger and got clear in the closing strides to capture the $600,000 Sunland Derby (G3) as the longest shot in the field Sunday at Sunland Park in New Mexico.

Sent off at 35-1 odds and ridden by veteran Ken Tohill, Wild On Ice tracked from third through six furlongs, then went six wide through the second turn before snatching the lead in upper stretch. He shook off a strong bid from Low Expectations and powered across the finish line 1 1/4 lengths clear of that rival, who was the second-longest shot at 21-1 odds.

Henry Q, who sprinted out to lead early, could not withstand the rallies from Wild On Ice to his outside and Low Expectations to his inside, and finished third in the six-horse field. Favorite Hard to Figure pressed Henry Q through the opening quarter mile before leading briefly into the home turn but had no closing kick and faded to last.

Trained by Joel Marr, Wild On Ice returned $72.80 after covering 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.39 on a fast track. It was the first career graded stakes win for both Marr and Tohill, the latter having ridden since 1979.

The Sunland Park Derby is a qualifying race for the Kentucky Derby (G1) and provided points on a 50-20-15-10-5 scale to the top five finishers,, respectively, toward eligibility for the May 6 classic at Churchill Downs. Wild On Ice was not nominated to the Triple Crown but his connections can submit a late nomination at a cost of $6,000 on March 27.

The Sunland Park Derby victory marked the first in a stakes for Wild On Ice, who was third in the Mine That Bird Derby Feb. 28 following a ninth-place finish in the Riley Allison Derby Jan. 29, both at Sunland Park, but Texas-bred Tapizar gelding was ready for a breakthrough and dug in when challenged to notch the lucrative win Sunday.

Wild On Ice, who is out of the Grand Slam mare Slamitagain, won for the third time from five career starts and boosted his overall earnings to $405,400 with the $356,400 winner's share of the Sunland Park Derby purse.

The post Wild On Ice Springs 35-1 Upset In Sunland Park Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Hometown Hero Wild On Ice Stuns In Sunland Derby

Once a year, a small track in New Mexico plays host to some big names as everyone chases points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in the GIII Sunland Park Derby. While Tim Yakteen scratched his transfer in Fort Bragg (Tapit) Saturday, the field still included Bob Baffert's Hard to Figure (Hard Spun) and Steve Asmussen's How Did He Do That (Good Magic), as well as local Mine That Derby winner Henry Q (Blame). But for all the big connections, it was the longest shot on the board that took home the prize –Texas-bred Wild On Ice (Tapizar) at 35-1.

After a brief gate delay caused by One in Vermillion (Army Mule), the speed took off with top choices Hard to Figure and Henry Q taking it to one another from the opening strides. Wild On Ice was three wide with that pair into the first turn but wisely took back under jockey Ken Tohill to race with Low Expectations (Nyquist) in the second flight. The first quarter blitzed by in :20.58 but the top four stayed compact with two rivals distanced out the back.

Kept outside in the clear the whole way, Wild On Ice stayed right off the favorite's flank into the far turn and pounced as the speed began to fade with a quarter to run. Low Expectations kept him honest to the line but Wild On Ice was clearly best to win going away. The gelding, who is not currently nominated to the Triple Crown, picked up 50 points for his effort.

Pedigree Notes:

GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Tapizar, who we tragically lost in 2020, is best known for siring dual Eclipse champion Monomoy Girl. Wild On Ice becomes the 7th individual graded-stakes winners for his sire who has one more crop of 2-year-olds to race. Dam Slamitagain, herself a half-sister to the dam of MGSP Pioppo (Brz), has now produced three winners from as many foals. This is also the family of GI Florida Derby and GI Fountain of Youth hero Vicar (Wild Again) as well as French Two Thousand Guineas winner Astronomer Royal (Danzig).

Sunday, Sunland Park
SUNLAND PARK DERBY-GIII, $600,000, Sunland, 3-26, 3yo,
1 1/8m, 1:51.39, ft.
1–WILD ON ICE, 122, g, 3, by Tapizar
          1st Dam: Slamitagain, by Grand Slam
          2nd Dam: Oonagh, by Wild Again
          3rd Dam: Escrow Agent, by El Gran Senor
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Frank
Sumpter (TX); T-Joel H. Marr; J-Ken S. Tohill. $356,400.
Lifetime Record: SP, 5-3-0-1, $405,400. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Low Expectations, 122, g, 3, Nyquist–Eloquent Tribute, by
Tapit. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($192,000
Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $17,000 RNA 2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-Reddam
Racing LLC; B-Mount Riga Bloodstock (KY); T-Antonio C. Garcia.
$130,680.
3–Henry Q, 122, c, 3, Blame–Lunar Empress, by Malibu Moon.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($125,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-The
Del Mar Group; B-Fred W. Hertrich lll & John D. Fielding (KY);
T-Todd W. Fincher. $59,400.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2HF, 6 3/4. Odds: 35.40, 21.00, 1.60.
Also Ran: How Did He Do That, One in Vermillion,
Hard to Figure. Scratched: Fort Bragg.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Road To Kentucky Oaks: Flying Connection Wins Sunland Park Oaks On Front End

Sunland Park leading trainer Todd Fincher's Flying Connection stamped herself a filly to watch for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) with a wire-to-wire romp in the Sunland Park Oaks (G3) Sunday in New Mexico.

The daughter of Nyquist, ridden by Alfredo Juarez Jr., set a pressured pace early before opening a clear lead in the stretch and winning by 2 1/4 lengths from 19-1 longshot Love Tank.

Don't Get Pickled, the longest shot in the seven-horse field at 37-1, rallied from last for third, 6 1/2 lengths behind Love Tank.

Flying Connection paid $4.60 after finishing the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:43.90 on a fast track.

Favorite Doinitthehardway pressed a half length behind Flying Connection through an opening quarter mile in :22.89. The winner opened clear lead over that rival has the half went in :46.09 and six furlongs in 1:11.14, but Doinitthehardway had no rally when called upon and finished fifth while Love Tank was up from next to last to take second.

Flying Connection, who entered off wire-to-wire 9 ¼-length romp in the Island Fashion Stakes Feb. 28 at Sunland Park, won for the fourth time in seven career starts. Sunday's win marked her second from three starts this year.

The Sunland Park Oaks is a Kentucky Oaks qualifying race, providing points on a 50-20-15-10-5 scale to the top five finishers. Fincher said after the race Flying Connection would go to the Louisville race if his filly emerges from Sunday's effort in good order.

Bred by in Kentucky by Liberty Road Stable, Flying Connection was produced by the Quiet American mare Free Flying Soul. She is campaigned by a partnership group that includes Brad King, Randy Andrews, Lee Lewis, and Jim Cone, who bought her for $250,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale, where Gainesway consigned her.

The $176,000 winner's share of the Sunland Park Oaks' $300,000 purse increased Flying Connection's lifetime bankroll to $294,700.

The post Road To Kentucky Oaks: Flying Connection Wins Sunland Park Oaks On Front End appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Nyquist Filly Goes Gate to Wire in Sunland Park Oaks

Locally based Flying Connection turned in a powerful front-running performance Sunday to stamp her ticket to the GI Kentucky Oaks. The bay closed out last season with a convincing tally in the Zia Princess S., and resurfaced in the local Borderplex S. to be third at 30 cents on the dollar. She bounced back while stretching out to best Love Tank by more than nine lengths in the Island Fashion S. Feb. 28, but had to contend with Bob Baffert-trained invader Doinitthehardway this time.

Able to seize a narrow advantage into the first turn from the hard-ridden odds-on Doinitthehardway, Flying Connection posted splits of :22.89, :46.09 and 1:11.14. She was all by herself at that point, and kept on kicking to pick up 50 Kentucky Oaks points.

Nyquist also sired last year's GIII Sunland Derby winner Slow Down Andy, and the runner-up in this year's renewal. The winner's dam raced almost exclusively in sprints on synthetic, including when third in the 2009 GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint. The daughter of MGSW Ruby Surprise (Farma Way) has a 2-year-old colt named Laugh for Sul (Practical Joke, $40K KEESEP), and a yearling colt by McKinzie. She most recently visited Constitution.

SUNLAND PARK OAKS, $300,000, Sunland, 3-26, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:43.90, ft.
1–FLYING CONNECTION, 121, f, 3, by Nyquist
1st Dam: Free Flying Soul (MSW & MGISP, $423,177), by Quiet American
2nd Dam: Ruby Surprise, by Farma Way
3rd Dam: Santa Rosalia, by Bold Bidder
($250,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-King, Brad, Andrews, Randy,
Coleman, G. Chris, Cone, Jim, Kirby, Suzanne and Lewis, Lee;
B-Liberty Road Stables (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher; J-Alfredo J.
Juarez, Jr. $176,400. Lifetime Record: 7-4-0-1, $294,700.
2–Love Tank, 121, f, 3, Kitten's Joy–Perichole (Brz), by Fahim
(GB). ($30,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $55,000 2yo '22 KEENOV).
O-Judge Lanier Racing and Drought, James L.; B-Bonne Chance
Farm LLC (KY); T-Nancy Summers. $64,680.
3–Don't Get Pickled, 121, f, 3, Misremembered–C C's Pride, by
Successful Appeal. ($9,500 Ylg '21 ARZNOV). 1ST BLACK TYPE.
O-Stable H. M. A.; B-Harry K Keshian & Cheryl Keshian (CA);
T-Miguel L. Hernandez. $29,400.
Margins: 2 1/4, 6HF, 3/4. Odds: 1.30, 19.90, 37.60.
Also Ran: Una Palabra, Doinitthehardway, Cairo Moon, Foolish Delight.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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