April, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Lookin At Lucky’s Eyeing Clover Rebounds in Hot Springs

Fresh off a fourth-place finish behind Raise Cain (Violence) in the Mar. 4 GIII Gotham S. at Aqueduct, Eyeing Clover (c, 3, Lookin At Lucky–Floral Park, by Forest Wildcat) got a black-type win of his own in Oaklawn's Hot Springs S. Saturday. It was blinkers off for the chestnut, who encountered his share of trouble throughout. He broke like a shot, leaping straight to the early lead for a few brief strides until the pair of Rocking Rocket (American Pharoah) and Cactus (Twirling Candy) hounded him with the latter coming over and appearing to step straight into his path. Eyeing Clover steadied and looked to turn a bit rank but didn't throw in the towel. As the first quarter and half ticked by in :23.01 and :46.85, he regained his rail position, shifted outside when he found some room, and moved disdainfully by the original duo that caused him trouble. Eyeing Clover took control, drifted slightly in the lane, and was chased home by Gun Pilot (Gun Runner), whom he held comfortably at bay by a length. It was another 6 1/2 lengths back to Cactus.

“He broke very sharp, put me in a good spot,” said winning pilot Florent Geroux. “I let those two horses in front of me go, dictate [the pace]. The first turn was a little bit messy to be honest. Nice trip down the backside, relaxed. When those horses in front of me started getting tired, I just took over and took command. He was brave. [Gun Pilot] was making a nice run and my horse held him off…. He ran good. A mile, to be honest, is probably about as far as he wants to go.”

Prior to his unplaced Gotham, Eyeing Clover was unbeaten. After a sharp debut over six furlongs Dec. 31 at Oaklawn, he shipped to Fair Grounds for an optional allowance Jan. 28 at the same distance to romp by 9 3/4 lengths and register an 86 Beyer Speed Figure. The Gotham, at the same mile distance as the Hot Springs, was his first start beyond six furlongs.

Eyeing Clover is the fourth black-type winner for his dam, whose GSW Heavenhasmynikki (Majestic Warrior) sold for $775,000 in foal to Into Mischief at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale and was sent to Japan after Katsumi Yoshida signed the ticket. The mare has a yearling filly by American Pharoah and was bred back to Uncle Mo for this spring. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

HOT SPRINGS S., $200,000, Oaklawn, 4-1, 3yo, 1m, 1:39.45, ft.
1–EYEING CLOVER, 117, c, 3, by Lookin At Lucky
               1st Dam: Floral Park, by Forest Wildcat
               2nd Dam: Floral Beauty, by Gone West
               3rd Dam: Chelsey Flower, by His Majesty
($55,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Ten
Strike Racing; B-Mike Abraham (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent
Geroux. $128,050. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $230,650. *1/2
to Dougs Buddy (Badge of Silver), MSW & GSP, $213,959;
1/2 to Floral Sky (Sky Mesa), SW, $206,732; 1/2 to
Heavenhasmynikki (Majestic Warrior), GSW, $426,730.
2–Gun Pilot, 119, c, 3, Gun Runner–Bush Pilot, by Smart
Strike. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC
(KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $39,400.
3–Cactus, 117, c, 3, Twirling Candy–Gypsy Judy, by Kitalpha.
($52,000 Ylg '21 EASOCT; $300,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR).
1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Ronnie Patterson; B-James A Hibbert
(MD); T-Randy L. Morse. $19,700.
Margins: 1, 6HF, 3/4. Odds: 1.80, 1.20, 5.10.
Also Ran: Powerful, Rocking Rocket. Scratched: Carmel Road, Frosted Departure.

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Eyeing Clover Shakes Free In Hot Springs For First Stakes Win

Ten Strike Racing's Eyeing Clover, who won at first asking at Oaklawn Dec. 31, returned to the track to win Saturday's inaugural running of the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes for 3-year-olds at one mile.

Eyeing Clover was fourth early as longshot Rocking Rocket set the pace of :23.01 and :46.85 for the first half mile. The winner came up the rail entering the turn to inch closer to the leaders, was moved out by jockey Florent Geroux, and closed determinedly to win by one length over 6-5 favorite Gun Pilot. Cactus finished third.

The winning time was 1:39.45 for one mile on a track rated as fast.

Eyeing Clover, who was exiting a fourth-place finish in the Gotham Stakes (G3), improved his record to three wins from four starts while posting his first stakes triumph. The Lookin At Lucky colt out of the Forest Wildcat mare Floral Park, trained by Brad Cox and bred in Kentucky by Mike Abraham, has $230,650 in lifetime earnings. He returned $5.60 as the 9-5 second choice.

Hot Springs Stakes Quotes:

Florent Geroux, winning jockey, Eyeing Clover: “He broke very sharp, put me in a good spot. I let those two horses in front of me go, dictate (the pace). The first turn was a little bit messy to be honest. Nice trip down the backside, relaxed. When those horses in front of me started getting tired, I just took over and took command. He was brave. Steve's horse (Asmussen-trained Gun Pilot) was making a nice run and my horse held him off. … He ran good. A mile, to be honest, is probably about as far as he wants to go.”

The post Eyeing Clover Shakes Free In Hot Springs For First Stakes Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Arrogate’s Affirmative Lady Upsets Gulfstream Park Oaks

A year after Secret Oath gave her late sire Arrogate a first winner of the GI Kentucky Oaks, the stallion looks to have a legitimate chance to add to that total posthumously in the form of Affirmative Lady (Arrogate), who made multiple runs to cause an 8-1 upset in Saturday's GII Gulfstream Park Oaks.

A breakthrough maiden winner with first-time blinkers over track and trip at first asking Feb. 26, the AMO Racing USA colorbearer got a good spot at the fence through the early exchanges as Flakes (Frosted) took advantage of her innermost draw to set the pace from Infinite Diamond (Bee Jersey) and a three-wide last out GII Davona Dale S. upsetter Dorth Vader (Girvin).

Quietly ridden down the backstretch by Luis Saez, Affirmative Lady had about three lengths to find entering the turn and was ridden aggressively inside of a weakening Infinite Diamond to be in striking position turning for home. Pulled out into the three path, she found yet another gear and raced over the top of rivals en route to a two-length victory over a game Sacred Wish (Not This Time). Flakes held for third, while Dorth Vader could do no better than fourth.

“When she broke her maiden here five weeks ago, I thought it was really impressive and the timing was good,” winning trainer Graham Motion said. “I think she really wants to go further. I think she'll really appreciate a mile and an eighth, to be honest.”

Affirmative Lady came within a neck of earning her diploma at third asking in the GII Demoiselle S. at Aqueduct Dec. 3 and added a third-place finish, still as a maiden, in the Busanda S. in South Ozone Park Jan. 14. She recorded co-career high 70 Beyer Speed Figures in the Demoiselle and her last-out maiden victory.

Affirmative Lady earned 100 points in the Gulfstream Park Oaks to seal her spot in the starting gate for the GI Kentucky Oaks.

“There's a big race going a mile and an eighth in May, so we'll think about that,” Motion said. “Look, if she comes out of it OK, we have to [run]. That's what she wants to do.”

Pedigree Notes:

Affirmative Lady, a $210,000 KEESEP yearling turned $400,000 OBS April breezer (:10 2/5), becomes the seventh stakes/fifth graded winner for the gone-too-soon Arrogate. Broodmare sire Stephen Got Even is now responsible for 17 stakes/five graded winners. MSW & MGSP Stiffed, a $320,000 purchase by Affirmative Lady's breeder Alastar Thoroughbred Co. while in foal to Pioneerof the Nile at the 2018 KEENOV sale, produced a filly by Nyquist in 2021 ($170,000 KEESEP yearling) and a filly by Connect this year.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
GULFSTREAM PARK OAKS PRESENTED BY FANDUEL TV-GII,
$255,000, Gulfstream, 4-1, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:44.69, ft.
1–AFFIRMATIVE LADY, 122, f, 3, by Arrogate
          1st Dam: Stiffed (MSW & MGSP, $256,559), by Stephen
                Got Even
          2nd Dam: High Noon Nellie, by Silver Deputy
          3rd Dam: Full and Fancy, by Marfa
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($210,000
Ylg '21 KEESEP; $400,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-AMO Racing
USA; B-Alastar Thoroughbred Co, LLC (KY); T-H. Graham
Motion; J-Luis Saez. $150,350. Lifetime Record: 6-2-1-2,
$270,568. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report &
5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sacred Wish, 122, f, 3, Not This Time–Indian Wish, by Indian
Charlie. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($80,000
Wlg '20 KEENOV; $70,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $50,000 2yo '22
EASMAY). O-Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables,
Steve Adkisson, Christopher T. Dunn and Anthony Spinazzola;
B-John R. Penn (KY); T-George Weaver. $48,500.
3–Flakes, 122, f, 3, Frosted–Tell a Great Story, by Bluegrass Cat.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($50,000 2yo '22
OBSAPR). O-BC Racing LLC; B-Arindel (FL); T-Juan Alvarado.
$29,250.
Margins: 2, HD, NK. Odds: 8.50, 9.10, 30.50.
Also Ran: Dorth Vader, Miracle, Infinite Diamond, Atomically,
Just Katherine.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Angel of Empire Shines in Arkansas Derby Victory

For the connections of a vast majority of 3-year-olds, it's the mile-and-a-quarter distance of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve that causes palpitations. But for Angel of Empire, it is the more the merrier.