Month: December 2023

A field of nine was entered Friday for the $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for 3-year-olds, to be run Monday, Jan. 1, at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark. Lengthened from one mile to 1 1/16 miles since last season, the Smarty Jones offers 21 total points (10-5-3-2-1, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby.

Just Steel exits a victory in the $225,500 Ed Brown Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs after two previous unsuccessful stakes starts in the G1 Hopeful at Saratoga and G1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. A son of Triple Crown winner Justify, Just Steel is trained by D. Wayne Lukas and owned by BC Stables. He was a $500,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Catching Freedom, a $575,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase for Albaugh Family Stables, had an extremely troubled trip last out as the even-money favorite in a 1 1/16-mile Churchill Downs allowance race on Nov. 9 for trainer Brad Cox. Ridden that day by Florent Geroux, the Constitution colt rallied from well off the pace, but ran into traffic problems at the top of the stretch and was bottled up for most of the stretch, seemingly full of run but with nowhere to go.

Informed Patriot and Gettysburg Address finished third and fourth, respectively, in the G3 Street Sense Stakes run over a sloppy track Oct. 29 at Churchill Downs. Cox has elected to take blinkers off Gettysburg Address, another son of Constitution who showed speed in the Street Sense but faltered in the final quarter mile. The Hard Spun colt Informed Patriot, trained by Steve Asmussen, subsequently finished third in an allowance race at Churchill Downs Nov. 25.

First run in 2008, the Smarty Jones is named for the 2004 3-year-old male champion who swept the Southwest Stakes, Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn that year en route to Kentucky Derby and Preakness victories. Brad Cox has won two of the last three runnings.

The field for the Smarty Jones, from the rail out, with trainers and jockeys, is:

1-Informed Patriot, Steve Asmussen, Ricardo Santana Jr.

2-Catching Freedom, Brad Cox, Cristian Torres

3-Lagynos, Steve Asmussen, Joel Rosario

4-Mystik Dan, Ken McPeek, Julien Leparoux

5-Mo Winning, Robertino Diodoro, Harry Hernandez

6-Gettysburg Address, Brad Cox, Flavien Prat

7-Just Steel, D. Wayne Lukas, Ramon Vazquez

8-Chaperone, Ron Moquett, Keith Asmussen

9-Fidget, Brad Cox, Martin Chuan

Probable post time for the Smarty Jones, the ninth of 10 races, is 4:14 p.m. (Central). Racing begins at 12:30 p.m. CT on Monday.

The post Newly Turned 3-Year-Olds Seeking Derby Points In Monday’s Smarty Jones At Oaklawn appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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After viewing the manner in which Mark Grier's Inveigled dominated an optional claiming allowance for 2-year-olds at Gulfstream Park Dec. 9, trainer Jane Cibelli had reason to dream big for the gelded son of Enticed.

Inveigled is scheduled to embark on the road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) in the $150,000 Mucho Macho Man on Monday's New Year's Day program at Gulfstream Park.

“I don't particularly like coming back in three weeks, but I also don't want to go right into graded company,” said Cibelli about opting a somewhat conservative route with Inveigled. “So, I thought this was a good start. If he runs well or wins, we could look at graded races.”

The Mucho Macho Man, a mile stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds that will co-headline Monday's program with the $150,000 Cash Run for 3-year-old fillies, will be followed on the road to the March 30 Florida Derby, by the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) Feb. 3, and the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) March 2.

“We'll take one race at a time. I just didn't want to throw him into graded company right off the bat. I would like a bit more time, but I felt like in the last race, he did it so easily,” Cibelli said. “There's no reason not to run. We pulled his blood, and his blood is as good as blood gets. We scoped him. I've given him every reason to not run, but he's been just great.”

Inveigled has been installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite in a field of eight 2-year-olds following his eye-catching score at a mile three weeks ago. The Indiana-bred gelding stalked the early pace before making a three-wide move to the lead and drawing clear to win going away by 4 ¾ lengths under Irad Ortiz Jr.

“The way Irad rode him last time, it was faultless,” Cibelli said. “I had a feeling he might go to the lead, going short to long, because he showed speed going short. Irad is just brilliant. He drops his hands, drops them off the pace. He's just a fantastic rider.”

Inveigled debuted with a troubled third in his Sept. 15 debut at Pimlico before graduating by eight lengths in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight race at Laurel Park while equipped with blinkers for the first time.

“This first time he ran, I was a little disappointed, but the blinkers really made a difference,” said Cibelli, who has awarded the return mount Ortiz, the defending Championship Meet titlist.

In his race prior to his Gulfstream score, Inveigled was involved in a protracted duel while racing on the inside in six-furlong James F. Lewis III Stakes at Laurel, holding on gamely to finish second by a neck.

WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC's Otello is rated second on the morning line at 3-1 on the basis of a promising debut score at Aqueduct Nov. 4. The Christophe Clement-trained son of Curlin rallied from fifth to get up by a neck while going a one-turn mile.

Luis Saez is scheduled to ride Otello for the first time Monday.

Qatar Racing LLC and Hunter Valley Farm's First World War will make his stakes debut on dirt, following a strong runner-up finish in an optional claiming allowance over Churchill Downs main track Nov. 9. The Brendan Walsh-trained colt had run twice previously on turf, winning his debut at Kentucky Downs Sept. 13 and finishing a close-up fourth in the Bourbon (G2) at Keeneland.

Tyler Gaffalione has the return call on the son of War Front, who is rated third at 7-2 on the morning line.

AMO Racing USA's Boy Magic, undefeated in two starts, is slated to make his stakes debut in the Mucho Macho Man. The son of Good Magic won at first asking by 4 ¼ lengths in a six-furlong maiden special weight race at Delaware Park Aug. 24 before coming back a month later at Pimlico to win an optional claiming allowance over Catahoula Moon, who won the Maryland Million Nursery in his next start.

Paco Lopez, who was aboard for the first two starts, has the return mount on the Jorge Delgado-trained Kentucky-bred colt.

Morplay Racing's No More Time enters the Mucho Macho Man off an impressive debut victory at the one-turn distance at Gulfstream Oct. 23. The Jose D'Angelo-trained son of Not This Time, who finished second in his debut, attended the pace on the backstretch before pulling away to a 6 ¾-length victory.

Jose Ortiz is scheduled to ride No More Time for the first time Monday.

Holly Crest Farm's Sea Streak, who was a beaten-favorite second behind Inveigled Dec. 9, returns in the Mucho Macho Man. Prior to his Gulfstream debut, the Eddie Owens Jr.-trained son of Sea Wizard scored a 4 ¾-length maiden special weight victory at Aqueduct.

Luca Panici has the call on the New Jersey-bred colt.

Anne-33 LLC's Orb Alpha and Donald Ming's Everdoit round out the field.

The post ‘He Did It So Easily’: Allowance Win Puts Inveigled On Road To Florida Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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