April, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Perform Up In Time To Take Federico Tesio At Laurel

It took Woodford Racing, Lanes End Farm, Phipps Stable, Ken Langone and Edward Hudson Jr.'s Perform six tries since last summer to break his maiden, racing against competition that included some of the top point-earners for the Kentucky Derby (G1).

He needed only one more start, 35 days later in his stakes debut, to make a return visit to the winner's circle.

Ridden by Feargal Lynch for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, Perform ($22) sprung a 10-1 upset of Saturday's $125,000 Federico Tesio at Laurel Park, making a dramatic rush in the final sixteenth of a mile and sticking his head out at the wire to edge a game Ninetyprcentmaddie.

The 42nd running of the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio anchored four stakes worth $450,000 in purses on the first of back-to-back Spring Stakes Spectacular Saturdays that continues April 22 with five $100,000 stakes, including the first three of the season scheduled for Laurel's world-class turf course.

Named for the noted Italian breeder, owner and trainer whose homebreds Nearco and Ribot dominate Thoroughbred bloodlines around the world, the Tesio for an eighth straight year served as a 'Win and In' qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated 3-year-olds to the 148th Preakness Stakes May 20 at historic Pimlico Race Course.

Perform, bred in Kentucky by Michael Orem and JB Lane Orem from the Tale of Ekati mare Jane Says, is not among the six Triple Crown nominees in the Tesio from a field of nine. He can be supplemented to the Preakness on entry day for a cost of $150,000.

“It's a shame he's not [automatically] in the Preakness,” Lynch said in winning his first race of the year, in his fifth start, following his annual winter vacation. “This is a nice horse.”

Multiple stakes winner Coffeewithchris, made eligible for the Triple Crown races by the late March 28 deadline, broke alertly from his rail position and took up residence on the lead, going a quarter-mile in :24.47 with Ninetyprcentmaddie, another late nominee, pressing to his outside in second and early nominee Fletcher tracking in third. Stakes winner Prince of Jericho, the 9-5 favorite also looking to punch his ticket to the Preakness, raced in fifth with Perform trailing the field.

Coffeewithchris maintained his lead through a half in :48.48 with Ninetyprcentmaddie still glued to his flank and Fletcher tagging along behind. Lynch maintained his course on the inside and was gaining ground around the turn but still needed room to run. Ninetyprcentmaddie put away Coffeewithchris at the eighth pole and began to clear as Lynch tipped Perform out from behind Prince of Jericho and a tiring Fletcher to make a run at the leader.

“I was expecting him to be keen. Shug said, 'You've got to get him to relax,'” Lynch said. “[Jockey] Irad [Ortiz Jr.] said the last time at Tampa he got him switched off and he came home good. When Johnny [Velazquez] rode him in his maiden at Keeneland he was quite keen and strong. He's always been a nice horse, but the key's been getting him to relax.”

Lynch moved back down inside around Prince of Jericho past the sixteenth pole and, instead of taking the opening to Ninetyprcentmaddie's left, he darted back to the outside and was able to get up in time after completing the distance in 1:51.28 over a fast main track. It was 1 ¼ lengths back to Summer Cause in third.

“I thought I was in trouble down the back, to be honest. He just wasn't handling the track. I got in behind Sheldon and he was getting braver and braver and just kept picking it up and I knew at the half-mile pole, I've just got to figure out a way through here. That's going to be the hardest part,” Lynch said. “When we came into the straight and I saw Paco coming off the rail I thought, I don't want to go up the inside on him. So, I went around him and hoped that I had time.”

Eldest Son, one of two horses in the Tesio for Laurel winter meet-leading trainer Jamie Ness, was fourth. Coffewithchris, Prince of Jericho, Circling the Drain, Time to Cruise and Fletcher completed the order of finish.

“I knew with all that speed up ahead in front there were always a few horses that were going to press the pace. It was going to be a quick pace and it was going to set up for a horse coming from behind,” Lynch said. “The horse I was worried about was [Summer Cause]. I thought he was a nice horse, too. He was a bit close to the pace. I thought he'd be further back with me and he'd be a horse to jump onto, but I never saw him.”

Perform fetched $230,000 as a yearling in September 2021 and ran second in debut last July at Belmont Park to subsequent Sapling winner Lost Ark. He was fourth behind Disarm second time out and third to eventual Gotham (G3) winner Raise Cain at Keeneland in October. Raise Cain and Disarm, the Louisiana Derby (G2) runner-up that ran third in Saturday's Lexington (G3), have 64 and 56 points, respectively, on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard.

In his sophomore opener, Perform ran fourth behind Mage, who would come back to be second to 2-year-old champion and Derby favorite Forte in the Florida Derby (G1) April 1 at Gulfstream Park. Mage sits on the Derby leaderboard with 50 points.

“They thought the world of him as a baby. He went off favored as a 2-year-old at Keeneland with Johnny V. and he broke the gates and was just doing too much,” Lynch said. “Two nice horses beat him, and the horse that beat him down at Gulfstream was second to Forte. You can't get any more solid form than that.

“He was pulling when I was warming him up. He's not a big strong horse or anything. I couldn't believe this was the same horse that I was watching on all the replays this morning,” he added. “I was expecting having to wrestle with him and get him to relax but he was good.”

Lynch, 45, returned to riding March 31 at Laurel, finishing second on Dover Bluff, after spending the winter in Spain with his parents. He also ran second Saturday with Grade 1-placed Pass the Champagne in the $100,000 Heavenly Cause.

“I take the winter off and it keeps me fresh. I think at my age I enjoy it more coming back for these races, especially. It really lights me on fire,” he said. “These are the days I want to be here for.”

A total of 22 Tesio winners have gone on to run in the Preakness, the last being Alwaysmining in 2019 with Maryland-bred Deputed Testamony (1983) the only horse to sweep both races. Last year's winner, Joe, was named Maryland's male division champion for a second straight year and is nearing his return to the races.

Happy Saver won the Tesio in 2020 for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher as a prelude to his next-out victory over older horses in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). Runners-up Ruler On Ice (2011) and Monday Morning Qb (2020) respectively went on to capture the Belmont Stakes (G1) and Maryland Million Classic.

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Cats Inthe Timber Notches First Stakes Win In Weber City Miss, Gains Black-Eyed Susan Berth

After her stablemate was forced to scratch for the second straight race with a nagging foot issue, Haymarket Farm homebred Cats Inthe Timber stepped up with a gusty half-length victory over Crypto Mama in Saturday's $125,000 Weber City Miss at Laurel Park.

The Weber City Miss for 3-year-old fillies going about 1 1/16 miles and gives the winner an automatic berth to the 99th Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 19 at historic Pimlico Race Course. Of the six previous winners that went on to Pimlico, Lights of Medina came the closest to sweeping both races when she was second by a head in 2017 for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

Jockey Jevian Toledo, riding Cats Inthe Timber for the first time, won his second Weber City Miss following Las Setas in 2019. It was the first for trainer Brittany Russell, who one race earlier ran second by a length to Alwasyinahurry with Hello Hot Rod in the $100,000 Frank Y. Whiteley.

“That was a nice surprise. It's been a rollercoaster of a day,” Russell said. “This filly is tough. She's just game. You put her beside a horse and she's going to fight.”

Cats Inthe Timber was unhurried in the early going saving ground early as multiple stakes winner Girl Trouble, the 3-5 favorite, loped through easy splits of :25.03 and :50.98 chased by Crypto Mama and 50-1 long shot Cynergy's Electra. Toledo tipped out on the backstretch to give his filly clear run, and she responded kindly to get into a contending position.

“To be honest I was hoping to break better and be right there the whole way, following [Crypto Mama] and [Girl Trouble]. They were the horses to beat. They kind of slowed down so I came over on the first turn then I took her to the outside on the backstretch to keep her close,” Toledo said. “When my filly got some dirt in the beginning, she didn't really like it much so I just kept her in the clear on the backstretch and on the turn. I kept her face clean and when I asked her, she was pretty brave.”

Once Girl Trouble began to drop back along the inside on the far turn, Toledo set his sights on Crypto Mama who had taken the lead at the top of the stretch. The two battled side-by-side through the final furlong with Cats Inthe Timber edging clear late to finish up in 1:47.42 over a fast main track.

“[Crypto Mama] kind of came out and bumped me and she kept fighting. My filly is a tiny filly, but she's got a big heart. She fought all the way to the wire,” Toledo said. “She impressed me a lot. I know it was a short field, but you had some decent horses in there and she'd run against less company. We always ride to win the race. We were hoping she'd run a good race and she ran more than good. She ran great.”

It was 1¾ lengths back to Six the Hard Way in third, followed by Cynergy's Electra, Ginger Girl and Girl Trouble. Pharoahs Baby Gyal, who was also withdrawn from the March 18 Beyond The Wire and is now unraced since her 10 ½-length victory Jan. 13, was the lone scratch.

“She's fine. She just has a foot that's been niggling her,” Russell said. “We came in this morning and it wasn't as good as it was yesterday so we just made the decision that the right thing to do is forget today and let's get it right.”

Russell and the owners have another decision looming, whether to step Cats Inthe Timber up to graded company in the $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan on the eve of the 148th Preakness Stakes (G1).

“Yeah, I'd like to think we'd take a swing. She's taking the right steps forward, so I'll talk to the team and see what they would like to do,” she said. “There's not a lot to her but she has a big stride. When you watch her train in the morning, she covers a lot of ground. She handled today really well.”

Weber City Miss won the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) and Hilltop and finished second in the Alabama (G1) and third in the Ladies Handicap (G1) to be named Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old filly of 1980. Nine of her 17 career wins came in stakes, including the 1982 Beldame (G1). As a broodmare, her first foal was multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Slew City Slew.

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In Italian Storms To Front-Running Jenny Wiley Triumph

Peter Brant's In Italian took charge at the start and was never headed to win the $600,000 Jenny Wiley (G1) Saturday at Keeneland.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., the 5-year-old British-bred Dubawi mare was winning for the sixth time in 10 career starts while making her season debut.

With The Moonlight was second, and White Frost finished third.

In Italian returned $3.50 for the win after covering the 1 1/16 mile on turf in 1:39.71.

Italian set fractions of :23.63, :47.29 and 1:10.66 through six furlongs while being tracked by Queen Goddess with White Frost and With The Moonlight racing a joint third. On the far turn, Queen Goddess began to retreat as With The Moonlight took up the chase but never threatened the winner.

In her previous start, In Italian was the runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) Nov. 5 at the Lexington track but roared back to victory with a tour-de-force performance Saturday for trainer Chad Brown, who won the Jenny Wiley for a sixth time.

Brant won his third Jenny Wiley following Sistercharlie in 2018 and Regal Glory last year.

Bred by Fairway Thoroughbreds, In Italian was a $609,434 yearling purchase at the Tattersalls October sale by Brant's White Birch Farm. Her dam is the Redoute's Choice mare Florentina.

This story will be updated.

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Trainer Capuano Wins First Stakes With Alwaysinahurry In Laurel’s Frank Whiteley

Mopo Racing's Alwaysinahurry drove past Hello Hot Rod down the stretch Saturday to give trainer Phillip Capuano his first career stakes victory in the $100,000 Frank Whiteley at Laurel Park.

A 5-year-old son of Great Notion, Alwaysinahurry won the Concern Stakes in 2021 and Howard and Sondra Bender Stakes in November when trained by Dale Capuano, Phillip's retired uncle. Coming into the Whiteley, Alwaysinahurry had troubled trips in his three prior starts. But Saturday he had no problems driving outside Hello Hot Rod down the stretch under jockey Jorge Ruiz while covering seven furlongs in 1:24.05.

“He's definitely had a couple lackluster trips,” Capuano said. “The last start, on the inside, checked, swung six wide, came running at the end. But he always trains good and right there knocking on the door and today he burst through.”

On his first stakes victory, Capuano said, ““It's nice. I have so many people rooting for me. I wish I had the time to thank everybody. It feels good knowing that people want to see me succeed and do well. It's a humbling feeling, very humbling, and I'm very grateful for everything.”

“It's been such a blessing to have this opportunity for the owners Mopo to bestow this horse and everyone else upon me,” he continued. “I can't thank them enough. This horse has been training so good. It's just very humbling to have this opportunity and to win my first stakes.”

Off at 9-1, Alwaysinahurry was rated fifth early by jockey Jorge Ruiz past a :23.27 opening quarter behind the pacesetter Kenny Had a Notion. Hello Hot Rod took the lead entering the stretch from Kenny Had a Notion but Alwaysinahurry moved four wide entering the stretch and took a clear lead inside the final sixteenth, returning $19.20. Hello Hot Rod held second while Yodel E.A. Who was third and Bankit fourth. Witty was a late scratch.

The Whiteley honors the Centreville, Md. native best known as of the trainer of Ruffian, ranked among the greatest fillies of all time, as well as fellow superstars Damascus and Forego and 1965 Preakness winner Tom Rolfe. Whiteley joined Ruffian and Damascus in racing's Hall of Fame in 1978 and was followed by Forego in 1979. He retired in 1984 after a career spanning six decades and died in Camden, S.C. in 2008 at age 93.

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