Horse Racing Free Tips

Preakness Favorite Authentic, A Book 3 Yearling, Was Worth The Wait

A connection formed with 2018 Triple Crown champion Justify has yielded 2020 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and Preakness (G1) morning-line favorite Authentic.

Starlight Racing bought into partnerships that were racing Justify, Grade 1 winner Audible and this year's top older horse Improbable before subsequently purchasing yearlings with another partner, SF Bloodstock. During the first year together buying young horses, SF and Starlight picked up Authentic for $350,000 at the Keeneland 2018 September sale.

The patience that was involved with the purchase of Authentic has been rewarded. The colt, now racing for Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Starlight and Madaket Stables, has won five of six starts, earned over $2.8 million and tops the field of 11 entered in the Saturday's 145th Preakness (G1) at Pimlico Race Course. Authentic and Thousand Words, both trained by Bob Baffert, are part of a group of Preakness runners that shipped from Kentucky to Baltimore late Tuesday afternoon.

Given the name Authentic by his breeder, Peter Blum, the son of top sire Into Mischief, was not viewed as one of the potential stars of the Keeneland sale, which front-loads talent in its massive catalogue. Jack Wolf, who manages Starlight with his wife, Laurie, recalled that the bloodstock advisors during the initial year of the buying partnership spotted Authentic and were willing to wait for him to reach the ring.

“We didn't buy him until Book 3,” Wolf said. “At the time, the first group of yearlings that we bought we had Donato Lanni, Frankie Brothers, Henry Field doing the short-list work. All three of them liked the horse, especially Frankie and Donato.”

Audible was the last of the 19 colts purchased by SF/Starlight for a total of $9,315,000. Thirteen of the others cost more than Authentic. The partnership purchased its 18th yearling, Ragtime Blues, in the fifth session of the sale and had to wait three days until Authentic, Hip No. 2,616, came to the ring.

“He is typical of the type of horse that those guys look at and buy,” Wolf said. “It's the conformation, the balance. Secondly, would be the pedigree, although this horse has a wonderful pedigree. They look for athletes. Of course, all the horses go to Bob Baffert and Donato has been working with him for years. I don't think Bob was around for Book 3, but Donato knows what Bob likes.”

SF and Starlight are listed as the buyers, but Madaket, managed by Sol Kumin; Fred Hertrich; John Fielding and Golconda Stables, were aboard when Authentic broke his maiden in his debut at Del Mar last November. After he rolled to two stakes wins during the winter in California, Spendthrift Farm stepped up to buy a controlling interest in the colt. Madaket and Starlight stayed in as racing partners. Spendthrift, which owns the breeding rights, sold a piece of its stake to Myracehorse.com, the company that markets in micro shares of horses.

Authentic ended up second to Honor A.P. in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in his first start for the Spendthrift-led partnership, then won the Haskell (G1) in July and handled Belmont Stakes (G1) winner and heavy favorite Tiz the Law in the Kentucky Derby.

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Meadowlands Will Close To Fans After COVID-19 Positives, Reopen Saturday

The Meadowlands Racetrack will close at 6 pm today, Tuesday, Sept. 29. The racetrack continues to take an aggressive stance against the spread of COVID-19.

Over the past several days the medical team has identified a few individuals that tested positive for COVID-19 that they acquired either in the workplace or at home. Contact tracing is ongoing.

Out of an abundance of caution the entire facility will be shut down for top to bottom sanitization. The Meadowlands Racetrack is committed to providing a safe and healthy grandstand for all employees, patrons and fans.

The plan is to re-open to fans at 10 am on Saturday, Oct. 3.

Live harness racing will take place as scheduled on Friday, Oct. 2 without spectators. Horsemen are reminded to have the COVID questionnaire completed when arriving at the stable gate for their temperature check. Face coverings are required at all times while in the paddock.

Fans are encouraged to wager online by visiting their favorite online OTW. Must be 18+ to wager.

Re-opening details will be posted at PlayMeadowlands.com. Winners Bayonne OTW remains open for simulcasting.

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Venezuelan Native D’Angelo Following His ‘Dream’ With First Preakness Starter

Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Jose D'Angelo saddled his first winner in the U.S. with his third starter, Beach Dreaming, on June 27, 2019 at Gulfstream Park.

The 30-year-old South Florida-based trainer will saddle his first starter in a Triple Crown event Saturday, when he will send Jesus' Team to the Pimlico racetrack for a clash with 10 other 3-year-olds in the Preakness Stakes (G1).

D'Angelo has taken the fast track to Thoroughbred racing's center stage, but he is very well aware of the high level of competition he will face in the Preakness, including Hall of Famers Bob Baffert (Authentic, Thousand Words) and Steve Asmussen (Max Player, Pneumatic, Excession).

“I have grown up watching trainers like Bob Baffert and Steve Asmussen. To be in the same race with them is very special to me,” he said.

D'Angelo learned from the best in Venezuela, being the son of Francisco D'Angelo, who won numerous training titles in his homeland while based at La Rinconada Hippodrome.

“I went to the track every day, every week, because my father was a trainer,” said D'Angelo, who began training on his own in 2012.

Success came quickly.

“I won the Clasico Simon Bolivar, the most important stake in Venezuela, with Dreaming of Gold in 2014. That's my best race until Saturday,” he said. “It was a great day because I was the youngest trainer to win the race.”

D'Angelo's training career continued to flourish, winning the training title in Venezuela in 2018.

“I decided to come to the U.S.,” he said, “to follow my dream.”

And his father, who began training in South Florida in 2015.

“My relationship with my dad is amazing. I learned all my skills from him,” D'Angelo said. “He helps me with my horses, and I help him with his horses, because we're a team.”

D'Angelo first ventured to the U.S. to saddle Venezuelan-bred Forze Mau for a second-place finish in a race on the Clasico del Caribe Internacional program at Gulfstream Dec. 9, 2017, before returning to Venezuela. Since his permanent move to the South Florida, he has saddled 29 winners from 139 starters.

Jesus' Team, who is owned by Grupo Seven C Stable, joined his barn after breaking his maiden in a $32,000 maiden claiming race at Gulfstream for another trainer March 18. The son of Tapiture romped to a 6 ¾-length triumph for a $25,000 claiming price in his first start for D'Angelo before finishing a close second in an optional claiming allowance behind graded-stakes winner Sole Volante. He made a huge jump in class to run in the July 18 Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park, finishing fourth behind Authentic, the Preakness morning-line favorite and Kentucky Derby hero. He went on to finish second behind Preakness rival Pneumatic in the Pegasus at Monmouth and second in the Sept. 5 Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga.

“I think in his last three races, he didn't have any luck during the race. I think he's a horse that is getting better with his races,” said D'Angelo, whose stable is based at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. “I'm very sure he's going to run a good race.”

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Second Chances: Speaker’s Corner

In this continuing series, TDN’s Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

How much buzz was there ahead of Speaker’s Corner (c, 2, Street Sense-Tyburn Brook, by Bernardini)’s debut run on closing day at Saratoga?

Considering patient Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott’s two-for-48 record with debuting juvenile runners sprinting in dirt maiden special weights at the Spa the past five seasons (stat courtesy DRF Formulator), the Godolphin homebred was nonetheless hammered down as the 3-5 favorite facing eight rivals on the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. undercard.

The bay’s flashy worktab included a five-furlong move from the gate in :59 4/5 (3/20) Aug. 24 and a four-furlong bullet in :46 (1/109) Aug. 31, respectively.

Not off to the sharpest of beginnings from post two, Speaker’s Corner raced on the inside in some traffic and was urged along by Junior Alvarado in seventh through an opening quarter in :22.39.

Still with plenty to do approaching the quarter pole, he was tipped out off the turn for home and finished with interest down the lane to just grab third, beaten 6 3/4 lengths by good-looking second-time starter Team Merchants (Nyquist).

Speaker’s Corner earned a 59 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

Speaker’s Corner was produced by an unraced daughter of GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff heroine Round Pond (Awesome Again), a $5.75-million acquisition by Sheikh Mohammed’s operation at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

This same Street Sense over Bernardini cross is also responsible for Godolphin’s unbeaten GISW Maxfield and recent GIII Oklahoma Derby winner Shared Sense.

“As with most first-time starters, he was quite green,” Godolphin President Jimmy Bell said. “Hopefully, he got some needed racing experience and we look forward to seeing him stretch out in the not-too-distant future. He’s shown above average ability throughout most of his works. Time will tell.”

Speaker’s Corner has returned to the worktab since his unveiling with a pair of moves over the Oklahoma training track, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:02.89 (7/9) Sept. 25.

Previous standouts featured in ‘Second Chances’ include: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code), Skidmore S. winner and Royal Ascot G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), MGISW and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), MSW and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. runner-up Candy Tycoon (Twirling Candy); and Del Mar Juvenile Turf S. third Ambivalent (Constitution).

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