October, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Baffert Quartet, Tamara Among Breeders’ Cup Hopefuls On Santa Anita Work Tab

Prince of Monaco and Speed Boat Beach were among a quartet of Breeders' Cup prospects trained by Bob Baffert to record timed workouts at Santa Anita Sunday.

Prince of Monaco and Speed Boat Beach each worked six furlongs from the gate. Prince of Monaco, pointed to the $2-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 3, went six furlongs in 1:12 flat. Speed Boat Beach, headed to the $2-million Sprint (G1) Nov. 4, blitzed through his work in 1:11 flat. It was the fastest of seven moves at the distance.

Prince of Monaco will try and provide a sixth Juvenile win for Baffert, which would break a tie with D. Wayne Lukas for most all time. Prince of Monaco, by Speightstown, is a perfect 3-for-3 including wins in the Best Pal (G3) and Del Mar Futurity (G1), both at Del Mar. The 1 1/16-mile Juvenile will be his first time going two turns.

Speed Boat Beach will go for a sixth win in the Sprint for Baffert, who already owns the record for most all time. On Sept. 30, the 3-year-old colt by Bayern returned from a nearly 10-month layoff Sept. 30 and finished a game second in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) behind Dr. Schivel, who also worked Sunday.

Also working for Baffert were Adare Manor (5f, :59.60) for the $2-million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) on Nov. 4 and Eda (4f, :46.80), who is possible for the $1-million Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) Nov. 4.

Adare Manor has won five straight races including the Zenyatta (G2) on Oct. 1. Eda last time out had a seven-race win streak snapped when a disappointing third as the favorite in the Chillingworth (G3) Sept. 29.

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella worked Tamara, the likely favorite for the $2-million Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 3. The daughter of Bolt d'Oro out of Hall of Fame mare Beholder went six furlongs in 1:12.60. Tamara is a perfect 2-for-2, including a win the Del Mar Debutante (G1) going seven furlongs Sept. 9. The Juvenile Fillies will be her first time going two turns.

Working for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen were Clairiere (5f, :59.80) and Private Creed (4f, :48.40). Clairiere was fourth in last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland. She is 2-2-1 in five starts this year, which includes wins in the Apple Blossom (G1) at Oaklawn and Ogden Phipps (G1) at Belmont Park. Most recently, the 5-year-old daughter of Curlin was a lackluster fifth in the Personal Ensign (G1) at Saratoga Aug. 25.

Dr. Schivel worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 for trainer Mark Glatt. It was his second work since winning the Santa Anita Sprint Championship. In 2021 at Del Mar, Dr. Schivel was second by just a nose in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Buttercream Babe, a candidate for the $1-million Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) Nov. 3 for trainer Michael Maker, worked four furlongs in :51.20. The daughter of Twirling Candy was most recently second by a neck in the Surfer Girl (G3) won by Dreamfyre on Oct. 8.

Rounding out Sunday's Breeders' Cup workers were Gold Phoenix and Balladeer, both candidates for the $4-million Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) Nov. 4. Balladeer, front-running winner of the John Henry Turf (G2) Oct. 1, went five furlongs in 1:00.00 for trainer George Papaprodromou. Gold Phoenix, fifth in the John Henry, worked five furlongs on the training track in 1:01.80.

Pre-entries for the 40th Breeders' Cup will be announced on Wednesday at 9 a.m. (PT).

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Forte Arrives At Spendthrift Farm, To Stand In 2024 For $50,000

Retired champion Forte has arrived at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington where he will take up stud duty in 2024. His introductory fee will be $50,000 S&N and he is available for inspection by appointment.

“The first thing I think about Forte is just how much of an honor it is for us to bring a horse like him to Spendthrift,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “He's the fifth champion we've been fortunate enough to add to our stallion ranks since 2020, and that's a testament to what (B. Wayne) Hughes built and the commitment that Eric and Tammy Gustavson are now carrying forward.

“While we are disappointed for Mike (Repole) and Vinnie (Viola) that Forte wasn't able to end his great career like a champion deserves to, we are very grateful for our partnership with them. Forte is the first 2-year-old champion to retire to Spendthrift in more than four decades, since the likes of Seattle Slew, Affirmed, and Lord Avie. That's some pretty special company, and we couldn't be more excited about his future.”

Owned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable, Forte had a distinguished campaign as a 2-year-old a year ago. He broke his maiden by 7¾ lengths on debut going five furlongs at Belmont, earning “Rising Star” honors by the Thoroughbred Daily News. The striking dark bay colt went on to capture 3 consecutive Grade 1 victories, including Saratoga's biggest juvenile race, the $300,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1) by three lengths going away, and Keeneland's biggest juvenile race, the $600,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) in his first try around two turns.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Forte punctuated a championship season with a win in the $2-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland, earning him the 2022 Eclipse Award for Champion 2-Year-Old Male. His 243 votes represented the most for any horse in any category, including Flightline.

Forte entered his 3-year-old season as a heavy early favorite for the Kentucky Derby (G1). He dominated the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream by 4½ lengths in his sophomore debut, before defeating eventual Kentucky Derby winner Mage in Gulfstream's prestigious $1-million Florida Derby (G1) – his fourth Grade 1 triumph in less than a year of racing.

Unfortunately, Forte was forced to miss the Kentucky Derby as the favorite due to a mild foot bruise that forced him to be scratched the morning of the race. He made his next start in the 1½-mile Belmont Stakes (G1) off a 10-week layoff, finishing runner-up to Arcangelo after a wide trip. Forte returned to Saratoga and got back to his winning ways, capturing the $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) over Grade 1 winners Saudi Crown and Angel of Empire. He earned a 105 Beyer for the performance, the co-fastest Beyer by a 3-year-old around two turns in 2023.

“Forte has given us the ride of a lifetime on the track and done everything asked of him and more under tremendous training by Todd Pletcher,” said Vinnie Viola of St. Elias Stable. “We are blessed to have raced such a talented horse in partnership with Mike Repole, and excited about his prospects as a sire at Spendthrift Farm.”

Mike Repole said: “Vinnie and I are so fortunate to be blessed with this ultra-talented colt. Forte's 2-year-old season, from breaking his maiden at five furlongs in May and winning three Grade 1s, including capping it off with a spectacular effort in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, left us in awe. To come back at 3 and win the Fountain of Youth, Florida Derby, and Jim Dandy, and run second in the Belmont at 1½ miles, was amazing. Forte is just a special horse.”

Forte retires with earnings of $3,029,830. A champion son of Violence, he joins reigning champion freshman sire Bolt d'Oro as another top-class descendant on dirt from the Medaglia d'Oro sire line standing at Spendthrift. Forte is out of the multiple stakes-winning Blame mare Queen Caroline.

“Forte just exuded class in everything he did, which is something you only see from those few special ones that come through,” Pletcher said. “Some probably won't quite appreciate how special he was because of the bad luck we faced this year. Obviously, the timing could not have been worse to have the foot bruise that kept him out of the Derby, and we have been battling a quarter crack on a different foot that was going to force us to miss the Breeders' Cup and all our goals for the fall and winter. I've been fortunate to train three colts that were champion 2-year-olds, but Forte is the first to win three Grade 1s at two. Horses like that don't come around often and we'll miss him in the barn.”

For more information about Forte or to set up an appointment for inspection, please contact Des, Mark, Brian, or Daniel at 859-294-0030, or visit SpendthriftFarm.com.

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Jockey Frank Alvarado Reaches 4,000th Career Win Milestone At Golden Gate Fields

Veteran jockey Frank Alvarado, a mainstay in Northern California throughout the 21st century, picked up his 4,000th career victory in Race 2 on Sunday at Golden Gate Fields aboard DNA Racing Stable's Shout It Out.

Shout It Out, a 5-year-old Boisterous mare, sat off a fast pace before nailing early leader Jays Angel in the shadow of the wire for victory by a nose. She paid $29.40 to win for the Kelly Bainum barn.

Alvarado, 54, had to wait out a photo finish before giving an exuberant fist pump when the order of finish was posted. He was greeted in the winner's circle by family, friends, racing officials, and fellow members of the Golden Gate riding colony.

Alvarado's mounts have accrued nearly $87.8 million throughout a long and successful career that began in his native Panama in 1984. His first career win came at Panama's Hipodromo Presidente Ramon Racecourse on April 2, 1984. He has been based in the Bay Area since 2000.

Among Alvarado's top mounts currently in training are Northern California sprinter Top Harbor and Santa Anita stakes-winning 2-year-old Grand Slam Smile.

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Catching Up with 2022 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf Winner Tuesday

Coolmore's late super sire, Galileo, added his sixth Breeders' Cup winner with Tuesday just last year. He is a joint second by winners, but stands alone as the leading Breeders' Cup sire by money won with nearly $16 million in purses–more than $4.5 million more than his closest pursuer.

Tuesday, who also captured the G1 Cazoo Oaks in 2022 and now holds the 1 3/16-mile course record at Keeneland after her Breeders' Cup win, was retired shortly after the race and bred to Into Mischief this spring.

“She was such a tough, consistent race filly–like all of the Galileos are,” said Ashford's Dermot Ryan. “She was expertly campaigned by Aidan and his team to win the Oaks on her 3-year-old birthday and to defeat a top-class field containing six Grade I winners and a Canadian Classic winner at the Breeders' Cup gave her owners/breeders and the whole team at Coolmore such a thrill.”

Tuesday (Ire) (2019 bay filly, Galileo {Ire}–Lillie Langtry {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire})

Lifetime record: GISW-U.S., G1SW-Eng, G1SP-Ire, 10-3-3-1, $1,828,827

Breeders' Cup connections: B-Coolmore (Ire); O-Westerberg Limited, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, and Derrick Smith; T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore.

Current location: Coolmore America/Ashford Stud, Versailles, Ky.

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