Month: December 2023

Gulfstream Championship Season Graded Races Ready To Unwrap

A pair of graded stakes races will signal that the Gulfstream Park Championship season is officially underway on Saturday.

First, the GIII Sugar Swirl S. for older females going six furlongs on the main track includes veteran mare Bluefield (Field Commission), who won by a neck against state-breds in a Tampa black-type race Dec. 9.

“She went up to Tampa and it was nice to get a stakes win on her resume at this age,” said trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. “She came to us late but she just keeps getting better and better. She's never run back this quick, but she's in good order so I think she should run well. Hopefully she has a good week leading up to it.”

Bluefield will be joined by her new stablemate Intrepid Daydream (Jess's Dream). Purchased privately just last week, the filly rides in on a four-race win streak at the Mid-Atlantic tracks.

Also entered is Napa Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}). The chestnut prepped for this spot when she came from off the pace to win an optional claimer at Churchill Downs Nov. 22. Joining her will be Headland (Paynter), who was third last out in the Garland of Roses S. at Aqueduct Dec. 9, while AMO Racing's SP Olivia Darling (Palace) will look to improve after a fifth-place finish in the GIII Princess Rooney S. in Hallandale Oct. 7.

The other half of the graded stakes Saturday offering is the seven-furlong GIII Mr. Prospector S. for older males. Last year's edition was used as the springboard for Sibelius (Not This Time) as he won three straight, including traveling to Dubai to collect the G1 Golden Shaheen S.

“Maybe it's the time of year where he's best, I don't know,” said trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer. “We'll find out this year. It's going to be his second year in a row trying to take the same path. We're looking forward to it. I couldn't be happier with the horse.”

Sibelius might not have such an easy task ahead with the presence of MGSW Long Range Toddy (Take Charge Indy). After winning both of his starts at Gulfstream over the summer, the 7-year-old returns here with the capability to run this field off their feet.

Trainer Brendan Walsh sends Gilmore (Twirling Candy) back to the post to finish off what could be considered a consistent year for the 3-year-old colt. The gray was the runner-up in the GIII Bayshore S., then was third in both the GII Pat Day Mile S. and GI Woody Stephens S.

An entry who could be a pace factor is AMO Racing's Hurricane J (Nyquist). Formerly under Paulo Lobo's care, the dark bay colt made his first start for Jorge Delgado over the Gulfstream main track against optional claimers and won by 2 3/4 lengths Nov. 19.

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Anisette Chasing Biggest Win Yet In Tuesday’s American Oaks

With solid year-end credentials in hand, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Anisette seeks the biggest win of her career as heads a field of seven sophomore fillies in Tuesday's Grade 1, $300,000 American Oaks at a mile and a quarter over the Santa Anta turf.

Trained by Leonard Powell, English-bred Anisette's only previous try at the Oaks distance came two starts back in Santa Anita's G2 Rodeo Drive on Oct. 7, a race in which she finished a close second. With regular rider Umberto Rispoli back aboard, she cut back in distance to one mile on grass Nov. 5, finishing second by 3 ¼ lengths in the G3 Autumn Miss Stakes.

A dedicated deep closer, Anisette rallied for a come-from-behind win in her one mile turf U.S. debut May 29 and she followed that up with impressive scores in both the mile turf G2 San Clemente July 22 and the mile and one eighth G1 Del Mar Oaks on Aug. 19.

One for three in England, Anisette has three wins and a pair of seconds from her five stateside starts for Powell and will hope to be rolling late on Tuesday.

Irish-bred Be Your Best is another who would prefer to have a fast pace to exploit in Tuesday's Oaks. In her first and only assignment versus male competition, she was last of 13 for most of the trip in the G2 Twilight Derby at a mile and one eighth on turf here Nov. 4 and came rolling on the far outside to finish eighth, beaten just 1 ¾ lengths under Irad Ortiz, Jr., who rides her back.

A well beaten ninth in her only try at a mile and one quarter four starts back in the Belmont Oaks Invitational July 8, she shipped west to finish second, beaten 2 ¾ lengths by Anisette in the G1 Del Mar Oaks Aug. 19.

Trained by Horacio De Paz and owned by Michael Ryan, Be Your Best is 10-2-2-1 overall with earnings of $284,250.

THE GRADE 1 AMERICAN OAKS WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 5 of 11 Approximate post time 1 p.m. PT

  1. Khinjani—Lanfranco Dettori—124
  2. Anisette—Umberto Rispoli—124
  3. Grace Period—Jose Lezcano—124
  4. Elounda Queen—Juan Hernandez—124
  5. Sakura Flavor—Antonio Fresu—124
  6. Be Your Best—Irad Ortiz, Jr.—124
  7. Musical Mischief—Flavien Prat—124

With six stakes, three of them Grade I's and an 11-race card on tap for Santa Anita's Classic Meet opener on Tuesday, first post is early at 11 a.m. Admission gates will open at 9 a.m.

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New Training Track At Santa Anita On Course For Mid-January Opening

As part of a larger $32 million improvement plan, Santa Anita's training track should re-open in mid-January after it was closed for construction Nov. 12, as it changes from a sand-based surface to an all-weather synthetic one, the track said in a release Friday afternoon.

Constructed by Tapeta Footings, the new surface is designed to improve safety while also helping to limit weather-related training disruptions.

“The main thing is having synthetic will alleviate a complete stoppage of training because of weather,” said Jason Egan, Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary.

This week has provided a perfect example of the potential impact of a synthetic training track at Santa Anita. With back-to-back rainstorms hitting the area, the main track was “sealed” on Tuesday and has since been closed entirely for training.

“We have some unique situations in California with rules as it relates to weather,” Egan said. “Like with the rain this week. It either closes our racetrack entirely or limits what our training activities can be.”

With the worst of this week's rainstorms having passed, Santa Anita's main track is expected to be unsealed Friday. Per rules of the California Racing Board, only joggers will be allowed on the track Saturday. Full training is slated to resume on Sunday given the current forecast.

“Having a synthetic training track, we can continue on with workouts, gallops, that sort of thing. I think it will be a big assist,” Egan added.

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Clearly Unhinged Going For First Stakes Win In Tuesday’s Wide-Open La Brea

In perhaps the most wide-open stakes race of the day, trainer Michael McCarthy's Clearly Unhinged rates top billing among 10 sophomore fillies going seven furlongs in the Grade 1, $300,000 La Brea Stakes on Santa Anita's Classic Meet opening day this Tuesday.

Most recently sixth at 23-1 in the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint here on Nov. 4, Clearly Unhinged, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Into Mischief, was second two starts back in the G3 Chillingworth Stakes Sept. 29 and in the best race of her career three starts back, she was second, beaten a head going seven panels in the G1 Test at Saratoga on Aug. 5.

Owned and bred by Rock Brothers Racing, Clearly Unhinged, who seeks her first stakes win, will be ridden back by Umberto Rispoli. With two wins and as many second from six starts, she has earnings of $242,000.

Two-time Eclipse Award winning trainer Brad Cox appears well represented by lightly raced Howl, a daughter of Practical Joke who ships in from her Kentucky base unbeaten in two starts, her most recent triumph a one length score going seven furlongs in an ungraded stakes at Laurel Park Nov. 25.

A runaway 7 ¾ length debut maiden winner with Flavien Prat up going six furlongs Oct. 28 at Keeneland, Howl will be reunited with the talented Frenchman on Tuesday and looms a major contender for owners LNJ Foxwoods.

THE GRADE 1 LA BREA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 10 of 11 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

  1. Blessed Touch – Hector Berrios – 120
  2. Daddysruby – Juan Hernandez – 120
  3. Howl – Flavien Prat – 120
  4. Big Pond – Lanfranco Dettori- 120
  5. Royal Spa – Irad Ortiz, Jr. – 120
  6. Ice Dancing – Mike Smith – 122
  7. Fast and Shiny – Kyle Frey – 120
  8. Bangs – Kazushi Kimura – 120
  9. Clearly Unhinged – Umberto Rispoli – 120
  10. Satin Doll – Antonio Fresu – 120

The La Brea is one of six stakes, three of them Grade Is on opening day. Early first post time is at 11 a.m. admission gates opening at 9 a.m.

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