Horse Racing News | Horse Racing Free Tips

Rice Hoping Rosario Keeps Max Player Closer To The Pace In Travers

George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player, whose two-race win streak concluded when third in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes in June, has the chance to return to his winning ways in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers at Saratoga.

The 151st running of the 1 ¼-mile Mid-Summer Derby will mark just the fifth career start for Max Player, a 3 ¼-length winner of the Grade 3, 1 1/8-mile Withers in his 3-year-old debut on February 1 at Aqueduct.

Trained by Linda Rice, Max Player didn't run back until the Belmont, shortened to 1 1/8 miles in leading off the revamped Triple Crown lineup. The Travers offers 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the top four finishers for the next leg, the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on September 5.

“I knew from February to June, based on the way he was training, that he was going to take a big step forward. Obviously he needed to,” Rice said at Wednesday's post-position draw. “This time around, I don't know that we're going to see the same progression we did from February to June, but if he takes baby steps that would be good [to] get us to September.”

Max Player will be the second career Travers starter for Rice, the only woman to win a training title at Saratoga. The 2009 meet champion was fourth in the 2014 Travers with Kid Cruz.

Rice opted to keep most of her string downstate this summer at Belmont, where Max Player has done the bulk of his training. He arrived in Saratoga Wednesday afternoon and went to the track Thursday and Friday.

“He's trained fine. I've been training at Belmont, not at Saratoga, which is a little unusual,” Rice said. “Coming into the Belmont he was off a 5 ½-month break, so I trained him pretty aggressively. Coming into this race, I backed off him a little bit, [with] a little bit more maintenance breezes. We weren't quite as aggressive with him, but I think he's ready.”

Joel Rosario, aboard for the first time in the Belmont, rides back from post 4 in a field of eight led by even-money program favorite Tiz the Law, the 3 ¾-length winner of the Belmont considered the top 3-year-old in training.

“I'm OK with post 4. I'd rather try to save a little ground in the first turn, on both turns, and not get caught too far outside,” Rice said. “Joel, this will be the second time that he's ridden the horse. It was a learning curve last time. He watched his previous races, he saw that the horse doesn't run into kickback very well, so I think based on the learning curve he was a little too far back [in the Belmont], had a little too much to do. I'd like to think that Joel will work a little more aggressively to keep him closer.”

The late-running Max Player will be stretching out to 10 furlongs for the first time. He has never been worse than third in any of his four starts, winning a one-mile maiden special weight last December at Parx in his juvenile finale, and Rice is hoping to see an honest pace for her closer.

“Racing's funny,” Rice said. “Sometimes when they run shorter distances they go faster early and you have a better chance to close with a horse like him that has a strong closing kick, so on occasion it works against you.”

The post Rice Hoping Rosario Keeps Max Player Closer To The Pace In Travers appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘Timing’ Is Right For Beau Recall To Repeat In Yellow Ribbon Handicap

Nick Cosato, a former jockey agent who is now head of the Slam Dunk Racing partnership organization, was introduced to the sport at a young age via weekend trips to Santa Anita with his father.

His father was good friends with Eduardo Inda, the right-hand man for Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and an integral part of the team that campaigned John Henry to the Hall of Fame as well.

“So I was able to be around John Henry quite a bit,” Cosato said. “I've got pictures with me and John Henry before and after he won the Santa Anita Handicap in 1982. John Henry was my lifelong favorite – until Beau Recall came along. For her to be at that level, in my mind, speaks volumes.”

Beau Recall, a 6-year-old Irish-bred mare, is the defending champion in Saturday's $150,000, Grade II Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for older fillies and mares which will be run for the 68th time.

In the 2019 Yellow Ribbon, Beau Recall rallied along the rail to win a by a margin so narrow it took several minutes to verify the photo, then several more for stewards to deny an objection for interference by the rider whose horse had finished last.

“It was a lengthy inquiry for something I didn't think merited being brought up in the first place,” Cosato recalled. “But in the end, the stewards' decision was the one we were hoping for.”

The Yellow Ribbon was one of three victories and three runner-up efforts in a six-race 2019 campaign for Beau Recall that accounted for $605,600 of her `more than $1.1 million in career earnings. The Yellow Ribbon was her second Grade II victory of the year, coming three months after a 10-1 upset in the Distaff Turf Mile, which gave Cosato and partners the thrill and prestige of going to the winner's circle before 150,729 spectators at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day.

Cosato doesn't favor one over the other. He savors both.

“Any time you win one of those big races it's just a complete blessing,” Cosato, who grew up in Temple City and now lives in Sierra Madre, said. “Nothing beats winning at home, and I'm a Californian who has been coming to Del Mar since I was a kid.”

Beau Recall has raced twice in 2020. She finished ninth of 14, albeit beaten only 2 ¼ lengths, in the Mint Julep at Churchill Downs on May 30 and second in the Grade I Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park on June 27.

“Her comeback race (Mint Julep) turned out to be nothing more than a workout,” Cosato said. “She never had room to run, never got to unleash the late kick that makes her so good.”

In the Just a Game, Beau Recall's late charge came up three lengths short against front-running Newspaperofrecord but a half length ahead of Uni, winner of the 2018 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar and an Eclipse Award as the top female turf runner last year.

Beau Recall prevailed over five rivals, among them multiple stakes-winning Vasilika, in the 2019 Yellow Ribbon. There are seven others entered Saturday, among them Jolie Olimpica, winner of two graded turf sprints at Santa Anita this year and Keeper Ofthe Stars, who took the Grade I Gamely in May.

Beau Recall may carry the colors of Slam Dunk – a name Cosato chose because of the many friends/clients he has with NBA or college basketball backgrounds – but a victory Saturday is nowhere near such a high percentage opportunity.

“It's a tough race,” Cosato conceded. “We're trying to get her a Grade I win, but for that at a mile, you'd almost have to run against the boys. Timing-wise, the Yellow Ribbon is right and we're hoping it works out for her again.”

The field from the rail: Summering (Drayden Van Dyke, 12-1); Bodhicitta (Flavien Prat, 6-1); Tonahutu (Victor Espinoza, 15-1); Lady Prancelot (Juan Hernandez, 5-1); Harmless (Ricardo Gonzalez, 15-1); Keeper Ofthe Stars (Abel Cedillo, 7-2); Beau Recall (Umberto Rispoli, 3-1), and Jolie Olimpica (Mike Smith, 5-2).

The post ‘Timing’ Is Right For Beau Recall To Repeat In Yellow Ribbon Handicap appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Santa Anita To Honor Late Sherwood Chillingworth With Stakes Race

The memory of Sherwood Chillingworth, the longtime director and executive vice president of the Oak Tree Racing Association, will be honored with The Chillingworth Stakes to be run during Santa Anita's Autumn season. Known throughout the racing industry as “Chilly”, the veteran racing executive passed away last October at the age of 93.

“Chilly was one of the sport's true gentlemen,” said Aidan Butler, Executive Director of California Racing Operations for The Stronach Group. “He was full of life and loved racing. He actually lived here at Santa Anita and was such a part of this place, that it is only appropriate for us to honor him with The Chillingworth Stakes.”

Chillingworth first served as an Oak Tree director in 1989 and was named executive vice president in 1993, just prior to the first of four Breeders' Cups that he oversaw at Santa Anita. He also raced a number of Thoroughbreds in the name of his Paniolo Ranch or in partnerships, including Grade I winners Swing Till Dawn, Yashgan, Forzando and Valley Victory.

The Chillingworth name will be placed on the stakes race formerly named LA Woman Stakes, a Grade III event for fillies and mares three years old and up. Prior to 2009, the race was run during the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita as the Louis R. Rowan, named after one of the founders of the Oak Tree Racing Association.

“Santa Anita is about tradition and, especially now during this pandemic when we all long for what has been traditional, we are embracing the importance of our history,” Butler continued. “That includes examining not only the names of our stakes races, but every little detail that makes Santa Anita so special.”

The complete list of stakes races for Santa Anita's upcoming Autumn season will be available Friday afternoon at www.santaanita.com/stakes-schedule/.

The post Santa Anita To Honor Late Sherwood Chillingworth With Stakes Race appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Santa Anita to Honor Chillingworth With Stake During Autumn Meet

Sherwood Chillingworth, the longtime director and executive vice president of the Oak Tree Racing Association who passed away last October at 93, will be honored with The Chillingworth S.-formerly the LA Woman S.–to be contested during Santa Anita’s Autumn season. Prior to 2009, the Grade III contest for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up was run during the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita as the Louis R. Rowan S., named after one of the founders of the Oak Tree Racing Association.

“Chilly was one of the sport’s true gentlemen,” said Aidan Butler, Executive Director of California Racing Operations for The Stronach Group. “He was full of life and loved racing. He actually lived here at Santa Anita and was such a part of this place, that it is only appropriate for us to honor him with The Chillingworth S.”

Chillingworth first served as an Oak Tree director in 1989 and was named executive vice president in 1993, just prior to the first of four Breeders’ Cups that he oversaw at Santa Anita. He also raced a number of Thoroughbreds in the name of his Paniolo Ranch or in partnerships, including Grade I winners Swing Till Dawn, Yashgan, Forzando and Valley Victory.

For Santa Anita’s complete Autumn stakes schedule, visit www.santaanita.com/stakes-schedule/.

The post Santa Anita to Honor Chillingworth With Stake During Autumn Meet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post