June, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘It Means A Lot To Me’: Peter Walder Wins 1,000th Race At Gulfstream

Trainer Peter Walder collected his 1000th career victory Friday at Gulfstream Park when Big Daddy Dave captured the Race 7 feature, a mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up on the main track.

Walder, watching from New York, hardly had to sweat out No. 1000, as Big Daddy Dave romped to an 11 ½-length victory under Miguel Vasquez as the 1-2 favorite.

“It feels awesome. We were 0-for-6 weeks when we were stuck on 997. Everyone knows I'm as streaky as all heck. We went 0-for-6 weeks and then we win three in a row,” Walder said. “I didn't think it was a big deal, then as it got closer, I started getting nervous. Like [Gulfstream announcer] Pete Aiello said, it's hard to win one let alone 1000. Now we'll have to work on 2000.”

Walder, a Montreal native, attended Niagara University on a baseball scholarship but went on to work as a groom for Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield at Woodbine upon sustaining an injury that derailed his pitching career. After obtaining his training license, Walder notched his first victory with his fifth starter, Irish Gal, at Woodbine on Nov. 30, 1994.

The 54-year-old trainer, who has campaigned in the Mid-Atlantic and South Florida for many years, is currently splitting his time between South Florida, New York and the Mid-Atlantic.

“It was really nice to do it at Gulfstream. Gulfstream's my home track. It's forever in my heart,” Walder said. “I've supported that place as long as I've been training. I'm glad I got it there. It means a lot to me.”

Walder has distinguished himself as an astute claiming trainer, who has achieved considerable success in improving the performances of horses acquired via the claiming route. Perhaps more impressive than his career win total is the 22-percent winning percentage he has compiled from his 4468 starters.

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Smile Sprint: Willy Boy Hoping To ‘Rebound’ On Home Track, Favored Dean Delivers Always Gives His ‘A’ Game

When last seen at Gulfstream Park, Lea Farms LLC's Willy Boi rallied from off the pace to capture the Smile Sprint (G3) by a length. His professional score came as no surprise to bettors, who had made the Jorge Delgado trainee their 4-5 favorite.

One year later, Gulfstream fans aren't likely to support Willy Boi at the mutuel windows or on their XpressBet apps with nearly as much enthusiasm for Saturday's $100,000 Smile Sprint (G3), considering the 5-year-old gelding hasn't visited a winner's circle since last year's triumph in the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up.

Although Willy Boi did finish third in the A. G. Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga in his subsequent start, the Florida-bred gelding has gone winless in his six races since last year's Smile.

“He's always been training well in my opinion. He hasn't changed, I know he hasn't had the best results in his last few starts, but he's keeps acting the same and doing the same as last year when he was having more success,” Delgado said. “I haven't lost any hopes in him. I'm hoping he can rebound at some point and be the horse he was last year.”

Willy Boi hasn't raced at Gulfstream since his Smile score, which was preceded by a dominating 5 ¼-length victory in the Big Drama stakes at Gulfstream. His past fondness for the Gulfstream Park surface encouraged Delgado to ship the son of Uncaptured back to South Florida from Monmouth Park.

“That's the main reason we sent him there. We know he loves the track. He's been super on that surface,” Delgado said.

Rated at 8-1 on Saturday's morning line, Willy Boi will seek a return to form that propelled him to victory last year.

“It was his career-best race against a good group of horses, and he did it in good fashion,” Delgado said. “Hopefully he can do the same this year.”

Jose Batista has also ventured from Monmouth Park to ride Willy Boi.

Stonehedge LLC's Dean Delivers has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday's $100,000 Smile Sprint (G3) at Gulfstream Park. Whether or not the 4-year-old gelding can come out of the 6-furlong 'Summit of Speed' headliner with a victory, bettors will be confident that the Michael Yates trainee will give it his all.

Dean Delivers has finished first or second in 11 of 15 career starts, which include a third-place finish, two fourth-place finishes and one fifth-place finish.

“He's danced every dance. He's an exciting horse to be able to train. He's a lot of fun,” Yates said.

Dean Delivers was graded stakes-placed twice during the Championship Meet, finishing second in the Harlan's Holiday (G3) behind Sibelius, who went on to win the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) in his next start; and third in the Fred Hooper (G3) behind Endorsed, who went on to win the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2), in which the Yates trainee finished fourth.

“When he runs, the next day he's tired. He's given you his 'A' game. He's a good sound horse. I think we've figured out what he wants to do between races. He doesn't require a lot of breezing,” Yates said. “He just keeps marching out there day in and day out and lets you know when he's getting sharp. We just try not to do too much with him and stay out of his way.”

Dean Delivers was sharp for his most recent start in the Big Drama, in which the son of Cajun Breeze closed from off the pace and drew away to a 3 ¾-length triumph.

“Looking back on it, I would say he got a little bit of class relief in his last race,” Yates said. “I think he put together a winning race.”

Emisael Jaramillo, who was aboard Dean Delivers for the first time, has the return mount Saturday.

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The Curragh: “She’s Ready to Rock and Roll.” Is Pretty Polly-Bound Via Sistina the Real Deal?

Very few elite contests are won in the style that Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) displayed in last month's G2 Dahlia S., but Becky Hillen's star mare has to do it again at the next level in Saturday's G1 Yulong Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh. Granted more ease in the ground, trainer George Boughey is intent on pitching her against the best of the Irish in the 10-furlong test. “I've never seen her look so well and she's been training super, so it's all systems go as long we get a little bit more rain,” the trainer said of the former Joseph Tuite-trained 5-year-old, who signed off last season with a win in the G3 Prix Fille de l'Air. “She's travelled over good and she's ready to rock and roll. It's been the plan for a while and we look forward to taking them on.”

Joseph O'Brien, who was responsible for two of the last four winners, saddles TDN Rising Star Above The Curve (American Pharoah), who took all of the attention away from Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) when winning last month's G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud. Last year's G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner is one of two Coolmore hopes alongside Ballydoyle's Never Ending Story (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) who is backed up 13 days after after her second in the G1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly.

Al Riffa In International Return…
It has taken a while, but Jassim Bin Ali Al Attiyah's G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. winner Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is back in action in the G3 Paddy Power International S. on the Pretty Polly undercard. Not sighted since winning the track's juvenile feature in September, he is giving Joseph O'Brien all the right vibes as he faces another long-absent colt in Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Alfred Munnings (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), last seen finishing a disappointing sixth in the Listed Chesham S. at last year's Royal Ascot.
While Alfred Munnings has to dust off the cobwebs, stablemate and fellow TDN Rising Star Matrika (Ire) (No Nay Never) is back just eight days after her runner-up finish in the Royal meeting's G3 Albany S. as she takes in the G2 Airlie Stud S. Three of Aidan O'Brien's last four winners of this had also been in action in Berkshire, but if this proves too quick a turnaround it may be that it benefits another with Coolmore involvement in the Joseph O'Brien-trained Grand Job (Justify) who was second in Matrika's course-and-distance maiden last month.

Return Acts At Newmarket…
The July Course's season got underway on Thursday and the action there on Saturday is not to be missed, with Charlie Appleby taking the wraps off last year's G3 Gordon S. winner and promoted G1 St Leger runner-up New London (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Listed Fred Archer S. “New London has had wind surgery since his last run and we have been very pleased with him at home,” his trainer said. “He has been for two racecourse gallops and this looks a good starting point for a campaign that should progress through the summer and into the autumn.”

The Fred Archer also sees the comeback of Shadwell's talented Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who looks to become the latest in a sequence to defy a lengthy lay-off having been sidelined since his win in Ascot's Listed Buckhounds S. last May. Interestingly, William Haggas also brings back another of Sheikha Hissa's stars missing in action of late in Aldaary (GB) (Territories {Ire}) in the card's G3 Criterion S.

“We need soft ground for Aldaary, I declared him when it was raining,” Haggas said of last year's impressive Listed Spring Trophy winner who has been off for the same 420-day stretch as Al Aasy. “The ground is on the slow side at Newmarket, but whether that remains the case we'll see. We can make a decision as late as we need to, but as long as it's not fast I'd say he'll probably run because he needs to get going. Al Aasy is the same, he likes a bit of cut in the ground, but he needs to start. They've both been training well, so I'm hopeful they'll run well.”

In the fixture's opening Listed Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies' S., Charlie Appleby tests the waters with TDN Rising Star Star Of Mystery (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) who dazzled at Haydock 16 days ago. She faces Ballylinch Stud's What A Question (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a key member of the Charlie Johnston juvenile academy who was impressive at Goodwood on her debut a day after her Godolphin rival.

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Forte Returns To Work Tab; Nest, Tapit Trice Also Breeze

Reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) resumed his work schedule on Friday morning over the Belmont Park training track by traversing a half-mile in 50.40 for trainer Todd Pletcher.

With exercise rider Hector Ramos aboard, Forte worked following the 9:30 a.m. renovation break and breezed in company with MGSW Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro), who is slated to run in next Friday's GIII Manila S. at Belmont. The move was Forte's first since finishing second in the GI Belmont S.

“We were just looking for an easy work back and I thought that was accomplished today,” said Pletcher's Belmont-based assistant Byron Hughes. “I thought he was moving well within himself. He looked comfortable and happy. You couldn't ask for anything more than that at this point.”

Another 'TDN Rising Star', GISW Tapit Trice (Tapit), breezed a solo half-mile in 48.03 seconds Friday with exercise rider Fernando Rivera in the irons. It was the colt's second work since finishing just behind his stablemate in the Belmont S.

“I thought he breezed really well,” Hughes said. “It was a good gallop out for him. He looked pretty sharp today and came out of the Belmont in good shape. He's maybe a little sharper now this time of year than he was last year. But that's what you see in these Tapits. It seems like the older they get, the sharper they get.”

Following Forte's breeze, last year's Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Nest (Curlin) took another step towards her 2023 debut in what DRF first reported as the GII Shuvee S. July 23 at Saratoga. Going five furlongs in 1:01.22 in company with Too Boss (El Padrino), the filly began her preparations starting in mid-May.

“I think she's progressed well with each breeze,” Hughes said. “She seems to be getting fitter and fitter and responds well to the breeze. With each breeze you can tell that she gets a little sharper every week.”

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