November, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Queen Goddess Favored Off The Bench In Sunday’s Goldikova

Idle since finishing third in top company here on May 29, trainer Michael McCarthy's Queen Goddess looks plenty tough off the bench versus five rivals going one mile on turf in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Goldikova Stakes at Santa Anita.

Beaten one length as the 4-5 favorite going a mile and one eighth on turf in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes May 29, Queen Goddess is a two-time graded stakes winner over the Santa Anita lawn, winning the Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel at a mile and one eighth four starts back on Dec. 31 and the Grade 3 Santa Ana six races back on March 22, 2022.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber, Queen Goddess will likely show plenty of early zip off the bench and will be ridden again by Luis Saez, who guided her to her biggest payday—a 1 ½ length win in the Grade 3 Pegasus World Classic Filly & Mare Turf Invitational three starts back on Jan. 28 at Gulfstream.

Queen Goddess who has amassed earnings of $817,080, is a 5-year-old mare by Empire Maker out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Royal Story, is 13-6-2-2, with five of her wins coming on turf.

A runaway ungraded stakes winner in her most recent start at Pimlico Race Course, Maryland invader Full Count Felicia will cut back in distance a furlong and would appear to rate a huge chance in what will be her first start in Southern California.

Trained by Brittany Russell and owned by Al Gold's Gold Square, LLC, Full Count Felicia, a 4-year-old filly by War Chant, earned a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure in her Sept. 16 stakes score, which followed a 2 ¼ length allowance win at Colonial Downs Aug. 19.

With a win and a second from three tries at one mile on turf, Full Count Felicia, who is out of the Galileo mare Claire de Lune is 12-4-2-1 with earnings of $226,226 and will be ridden back by Russell's husband, Sheldon Russell.

Although she went gate to wire in her most recent win, Full Count Felicia has proven effective from off the pace as well, as she rallied for victory on three other occasions.

Harris Farms' homebred Closing Remarks, a 5-year-old California-bred mare by Vronsky, won a pair of Grade 2 turf stakes this past summer at Del Mar, the mile and one eighth John C. Mabee on Sept. 9 and the mile and one sixteenth Yellow Ribbon Handicap Aug. 12.

A Grade 2 winner at one mile on turf, Closing Remarks, who is trained by Carla Gaines and will be ridden back by Juan Hernandez, rates a big look in the Goldikova as she tries to build upon a year that has seen her win three Grade 2 stakes and bank $408,500.

With an overall mark of 23-6-5-4, she has earnings of $879,320.

THE GRADE 2 GOLDIKOVA WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 6 of 10 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT

Closing Remarks—Juan Hernandez—126
Lucky Girl—Joe Bravo—122
Eddie's New Dream—Mario Gutierrez—122
Hamwood Flier—Flavien Prat—122
Full Count Felicia—Sheldon Russell–122
Queen Goddess—Luis Saez—124

With both the Grade 3 Autumn Miss and the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes highlighting Sunday's 10-race card, fans are advised there will be early first post time on Santa Anita's Autumn Meet closing day card at 12 noon, along with mandatory payouts in all exotic wagers. Admission gates will open at 10 a.m.

The post Queen Goddess Favored Off The Bench In Sunday’s Goldikova appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Three-For-Four In California, Anisette Headlines Sunday’s Autumn Miss Stakes

A Grade I winner who has won three out of her four Southern California starts, English-bred Anisette heads a field of 11 sophomore fillies going one mile on turf in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes at Santa Anita.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partner and trained by Leonard Powell, Anisette, who was one for three in her native England, was most recently second, beaten 1 ¾ lengths by the talented multiple graded stakes winning Argentine-bred Didia, who figures prominently at 8-1 in Saturday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

A 2 ½ length winner of the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes at on mile on turf three starts back on July 22, Anisette was a subsequent 2 ¾ length winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks at a mile and one eighth on grass Aug. 19.

Unbeaten in two starts at one mile on turf, Anisette has a solid turn of foot and should be tough to beat under regular rider Umberto Rispoli. With four wins and two seconds from seven overall starts, Anisette has earnings of $406,871.

Idle since third by three lengths to Anisette in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks Aug. 19, Irish-bred Impact Warrior has a similar come from behind running style and could certainly improve in what will be her third stateside start with Phil D'Amato. Owned by Martin Schwartz, Impact Warrior, who has two seconds from three tries at one mile on turf, rallied to finish a close second at the trip in her U.S. debut, a first condition allowance at Del Mar July 29.

A winner of one of her four Irish starts, Impact Warrior is 6-1-2-1 and will be ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat.

Very much on the improve through five starts on dirt, Richard Mandella's Coffee in Bed, who comes off a smashing 3 ¼ length one mile first condition allowance win Oct. 9, earning a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure, retains the services of Juan Hernandez as she seeks her first stakes victory in what will be her first time on turf.

A $500,000 Keeneland September Yearling, Coffee in Bed, a daughter of Curlin out of the Hennessy mare Sumptuous, is owned by Spendthrift Farm, LLC.

An ungraded stakes winner three starts back going 7 ½ furlongs on turf at Gulfstream Park April 1, Christophe Clement's English-bred Breath Away has been idle since finishing fifth in an ungraded turf stakes June 24 and looms dangerous fresh with Joel Rosario riding back.

Owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco and Uniform Racing, LLC, Breath Away, a first-out maiden winner going 7 ½ furlongs on grass at Gulfstream, has two wins and as many seconds from five starts.

THE GRADE 3 AUTUMN MISS WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 10 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

Breath Away—Joel Rosario—120
Impact Warrior—Flavien Prat—120
Be Your Best—Hector Berrios—120
Anisette—Umberto Rispoli—124
Justique—Mike Smith—120
Alternate Rock—Kyle Frey–120
Star of the Night—Antonio Fresu—120
Coffee in Bed—Juan Hernandez—120
Free and Humble—Sheldon Russell—120
Tea N Conversation—Luis Saez—120
Ruby Nell—Edwin Maldonado–120

With both the Grade 3 Autumn Miss and the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes highlighting Sunday's 10-race card, fans are advised there will be early first post on Santa Anita's Autumn Meet closing day at 12 noon, along with mandatory payouts in all exotic wagers. Admission gates will open at 10 a.m.

The post Three-For-Four In California, Anisette Headlines Sunday’s Autumn Miss Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Inns Of Court Filly Shines At Goffs Autumn

An Inns Of Court (Ire) half-sister to Group 3 winner Caught U Looking (Ire) (Harzand {Ire}) topped the first session of the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale on Wednesday.

Part of The Castlebridge Consignment, the bay (lot 385) is out of Wild Mix (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and sold to Johnny Murtagh and Linehan Bloodstock for €50,000. Since the catalogue was published, Caught U Looking won the G3 Park S. Under the second dam are group winners Double Or Bubble (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and Mix And Mingle (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}).

Lot 447, a colt by Sottsass (Fr) offered by Treadstone Bloodstock, brought €37,000 from Hana Polednikova to take second place on the leaderboard. He is a half-brother to the GIII Sweet Life S. third Nimbostratus (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}).

After the conclusion of the first day's trade, 173 horses sold of 246 offered (70%) for a gross of €1,367,600. Both the average and the median dropped by 16% and 17%, respectively. The average was €7,906 and the median was €5,000.

The sale continues on Thursday and begins at 10 a.m.

The post Inns Of Court Filly Shines At Goffs Autumn appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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A Classic Season for Castellano

ARCADIA, CA – As Javier Castellano gets ready to ride three mounts on Breeders' Cup Saturday, the recently turned 46-year-old is amidst one of the best years of his career. And it almost never happened.

A pair of Breeders' Cup wins at the 2019 Championships put an exclamation point on the Hall of Famer's eighth straight season with more than $20 million in earnings. But, the year 2020, like it was for so many, was more about overcoming adversity for the native of Venezuela.

Castellano was the first jockey to test positive for COVID-19–he wasn't symptomatic, thankfully–during the beginning of the pandemic in March and was on the sidelines again after undergoing hip surgery at the end of the year.

“It was tough, not just for myself, but for everybody in the world in 2020,” Castellano said. “I only missed three months. And it seemed like it was forever.”

Castellano returned to action in 2021, but wasn't exactly welcomed back with open arms. Competing in pound for pound the deepest jockey colony in the nation in New York, Castellano rode 105 winners that season, good for $9,804,024 in earnings. After going just 13-for-142 at the prestigious Saratoga meeting, Castellano's career was suddenly at a crossroads.

Javier Castellano entered the Hall of Fame in 2017 | Horsephotos

“I was devastated. I was ready to give up,” said Castellano, a winner of four straight Eclipse Awards as Outstanding Jockey between 2013-16. “I just came back from everything and people didn't give me an opportunity. One moment I thought, 'I think this is it. I can't keep doing what I'm doing.' I was really really depressed.”

He continued, “They didn't care about who you are or what you did in the past. It's amazing. I was a Hall of Fame rider, a four-time leading jockey in the nation in back-to-back years, had six Travers then, 12 Breeders' Cups and won more than 5,000 races. And it didn't mean anything. You have to prove yourself and that you belong.”

Castellano picked himself up off the mat and hired longtime former racing official P.J. Campo to handle his book. He began to right the ship with 163 victories in 2022. By comparison, Castellano rode a total of 212 winners combined the previous two years.

How did he power his way through?

“Mentally, I had to be strong,” said Castellano, a married father of three. “A lot of discipline and dedication. Do the homework every single day. Regroup and try to be very positive.”

The momentum began to build for Castellano after he won three races on Saratoga's opening day card that summer.

“In 2022, we started rolling a little bit in Saratoga,” Castellano said. “I also went out of town for the right people and won some races. I knock a little bit and the door began to open a little here and there.”

Castellano is no longer the one doing the knocking this year.

He put to bed an 0-for-15 mark on the first Saturday in May with a 15-1 upset aboard Mage (Good Magic) in the GI Kentucky Derby, and, just five weeks later, secured his first GI Belmont S. victory with Arcangelo (Arrogate). Castellano became the first jockey to win two Triple Crown races on two different horses in the same year since Calvin Borel did so in 2009. He's won 16 graded races so far this year, including seven at the top level.

“Thank God, I've been very blessed and very fortunate to have one of the best years of my career,” Castellano said. “It was a great achievement to win the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, two Triple Crown races in the same year. I was always missing something on my resume.”

With Castellano's two Classic winners on a collision course this summer, he stuck with the recently retired Arcangelo, who followed up with a convincing win in the GI Travers S., the rider's record seventh victory in the 'Mid-Summer Derby.' The gray, unfortunately, was scratched from the Breeders' Cup Classic–a race Castellano won aboard the sensational Ghostzapper in 2004–earlier this week after developing a foot issue.

Javier Castellano celebrates aboard Ghostzapper following the 2004 Classic | Horsephotos

“He gave me an opportunity to regroup in my career, and, in my life, and enjoy these beautiful moments with my family,” Castellano said.

As for Arcangelo missing the Classic and now off to begin his career at stud at Lane's End, he said, “This is hard, but one decision I fully support. Arcangelo is safe and sound and that's all I can really think about. He has given me so much and I'm so blessed to have been part of the team.”

Castellano's mounts on Saturday's Championship program at Santa Anita include: GI Beverly D. S. winner and E.P. Taylor S. winner Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf; GII American Turf S. winner and narrow GI Saratoga Derby Invitational S. runner-up Webslinger (Constitution) in the GII Twilight Derby; and Time for Trouble (English Channel) in the 1 5/8-mile GII Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance S.

“It could be a good example for anybody,” Castellano concluded. “You never give up. When you want something in life, you have to work for it. When you work for it, you get it.”

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