abel cedillo | Horse Racing Free Tips

Essential Wager Wins Palos Verdes In Stakes Debut

In his initial stakes engagement, Essential Wager showed tremendous heart in choreographing a gate to wire victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita. Ridden for the first time by Abel Cedillo, the 4-year-old Honor Code colt got six furlongs in 1:09.95.

Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Essential Wager notched his third consecutive win and, according to trainer Bob Baffert, will make his next start in the Grade 2, $200,000 San Carlos Stakes going seven furlongs on March 5.

With his well fancied stablemate Cezanne a non-factor, Essential Wager enjoyed a length advantage over Team Merchants turning for home and held off determined longshot Shooters Shoot late for the victory.

“This horse is getting better and better,” said Baffert. “With Cezanne, I think it was a little too short for him…All of Essential Wager's races have been pretty impressive and actually, he's bred to not be a sprinter. Abel did a great job, got him outta there and held off those horses pretty well. You know, he took a lot of heat early and kept going.”

A two-length first condition allowance winner going the same distance at Los Alamitos Dec. 11, Essential Wager was the second choice in a field of five older horses at 9-5 and paid $5.60, $3.60 and $2.20.

“We started together and it's always special to come back to Santa Anita,” said longtime Baffert client Pegram, who flew in from northern Nevada. “This is my first time back in two years and we know why we call it The Great Race Place. It's very special and we always love to come back to Santa Anita.”

In his fourth career start, Essential Wager, who is out of the Officer mare Opus, picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $207,200 while improving his overall mark to 4-3-1-0.

Claimed for $50,000 on Jan. 2, Shooters Shoot had two lengths to make up at the furlong pole and came up a neck short in a big effort. Trained by Richard Baltas and ridden by Victor Espinoza, he was the longest shot in the field at 20-1 and paid $9.80 and $3.60.

Cezanne, who finished another 2 ¾ lengths back, had been idle since winning the Grade 3 Kona Gold Stakes here in April of last year, kept to his task to run third, 3 ½ lengths in front of Team Merchants. Off at 3-5, Cezanne paid $2.10 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.21, 45.17 and 57.41.

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday that will include three stakes, is at 12:30 p.m. Admission gates will open at 10:30 a.m.

The post Essential Wager Wins Palos Verdes In Stakes Debut appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Weekly Stewards and Commissions Rulings: Jan. 3-10

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky.

Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public and where.

California
Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/07/2022
Licensee: Andreas Psarras, trainer
Penalty: $500
Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: Trainer Andreas Psarras, who started the horse House of Targaryen, who finished fifth in the sixth race at Santa Anita Park Oct. 10, 2021, is fined $500.00 and assessed one half (1/2) point in accordance with California Horse Racing Board rule #1843.4 (Multiple Medication Violations–Expires 01/07/23) pursuant to rule #1887 (Trainer or Owner to Insure Condition of Horse) for violation of rule #1843(a)(d) (Medication, Drugs and Other Substances), and rule #1843.1(b) (Prohibited Drug Substance–Methocarbamol 4.7 NG/ML [Class 4]).

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/08/2022
Licensee: Keith Desormeaux, trainer
Penalty: $400
Violation: Late registration of Lasix
Explainer: Trainer Keith Desormeaux is fined $400.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1845 (Authorized Bleeder Medication–late registration) of Miss Everything in the eighth race Jan. 7, 2022, at Santa Anita Park.

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/08/2022
Licensee: Abel Cedillo, jockey
Penalty: $500
Violation: Excessive riding crop use
Explainer: Jockey Abel Cedillo is fined $500.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board Rule #1688(b)(7) (Use of Riding Crop–more than two times in succession during a race–first offense in the last 60 days) during the third race at Santa Anita Park Jan. 7, 2022.

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/09/2022
Licensee: John Velazquez, jockey
Penalty: $500
Violation: Use of riding crop in post parade
Explainer: Jockey John Velazquez is fined $500.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board Rule #1688(b)(3) (Use of Riding Crop–during post parade–first offense in the last 60 days) while warming up for the first race Jan. 7, 2022–at Santa Anita Park.

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/09/2022
Licensee: Tyler Baze, jockey
Penalty: $1,000
Violation: Excessive riding crop use
Explainer: Jockey Tyler Baze is fined $1,000.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1688(b)(8) (Use of Riding Crop–more than six times–third offense within the past 60 days) during the second race at Santa Anita Park Jan. 8, 2022.

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/09/2022
Licensee: Mario Gutierrez, jockey
Penalty: $750
Violation: Excessive riding crop use
Explainer: Jockey Mario Gutierrez is fined $750.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1688(b)(8) (Use of Riding Crop–more than six times–second offense within the past 60 days) during the eighth race at Santa Anita Park Jan. 8, 2022.

The post Weekly Stewards and Commissions Rulings: Jan. 3-10 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Slow Down Andy, Art Sherman Among Highlights For Los Alamitos Winter Meet

An upset by Slow Down Andy in the $300,000 Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity, a fifth consecutive win in the G1 Starlet for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, and a retirement ceremony for trainer Art Sherman were among the highlights of the seven-day Winter Thoroughbred meet, which concluded Sunday at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, Calif.

A homebred son of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist owned by J. Paul Reddam and trained by Doug O'Neill, Slow Down Andy surprised 1-2 favorite the Baffert-trained Messier Dec. 11, ending Baffert's streak of seven wins in a row in the Futurity.

In the Starlet, Eda, the 11-10 favorite, prevailed, continuing a run for Baffert that has seen him win the prestigious race for 2-year-old fillies five of the eight years it has been offered at Los Alamitos.

Baffert also won the meet's other graded race, capturing the $100,500 G3 Bayakoa with favored As Time Goes By for Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith.

The two other stakes were for 2-year-olds bred or sired in California. Professors' Pride went gate-to-wire in the $101,500 Soviet Problem for Larry and Carolyn Samovar's Academic Farms and trainer Eddie Truman while 2-1 second choice Straight Up G led throughout to take the $102,000 King Glorious for owner-breeder Jim Rome's Jungle Racing LLC and trainer Richard Baltas.

Sherman, 84, was honored Dec. 10 minutes after he saddled his last career starter – Chasing Alchemy, who finished seventh in a $50,000 maiden claimer for 2-year-olds. The popular trainer, who has been involved in racing for more than 65 years, finished his career with 2,261 wins. His most famous pupil was two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome, who was based at Los Alamitos for most of his career.

Baffert topped the trainer standings with five victories, one more than Lorenzo Ruiz. It was the 13th meet he has either led or shared the title since daytime thoroughbred racing returned to Los Alamitos in 2014.

Baffert had the most wins (13) for the year at Los Alamitos, combining the Winter meet with the Summer Thoroughbred Festival (June 25-July 5) and the Los Angeles County Fair season (Sept. 10-26). Peter Miller and Steve Miyadi tied for second with 11.

A closing day triple-double enabled Abel Cedillo to win the jockey title, his second in a row locally after taking the LACF meet. The 32-year-old native of Guatemala finished with nine wins, three more than Tyler Baze, apprentices Ricardo Ramirez and Diego Herrera, and Kyle Frey.

For the year at Los Alamitos, Cedillo totaled 35 wins, 14 more than closest pursuer Juan Hernandez. Frey and Herrera shared third with 16.

All sources handle for the Winter meet was up 11% on a comparative basis over 2019, which was also a seven-day season.

Handle at California satellite locations declined 23%, but advance deposit wagering in Southern California increased 61%. “We're pleased with how things went for the days we raced, but disappointed we aren't able to run next week,'' said F. Jack Liebau, vice president of the Los Alamitos Racing Association.

Daytime thoroughbred racing will return to Los Alamitos in 2022. The first of three meets is scheduled to begin Friday, June 24, and will continue through Sunday, July 10.

The post Slow Down Andy, Art Sherman Among Highlights For Los Alamitos Winter Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Eda Cruises To Easy Victory In Anoakia Stakes At Santa Anita

The prohibitive 1-5 favorite, Bob Baffert's Eda stalked early leader Shes Bout a Mover to the far turn and opened up turning for home en route to a facile 2 ¼ length win in Sunday's $75,000 Anoakia Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, she got six furlongs geared down in 1:10.41.

“She was in the one hole and there was speed in the race,” said Baffert, who collected his meet-leading fourth stakes win. “She did that in her first race (a desperate nose defeat in a five-furlong maiden special weight here on June 19), but she couldn't do it in her last race at Del Mar, there was too much traffic. It was a nice win. I think one turn is her game, so we'll just keep her (sprinting) for now.”

Fifth, beaten 18 lengths as the 6-5 favorite going seven furlongs in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., Sept. 5, Eda ran to the betting today and paid $2.40, $2.10, and $2.10.

A $550,000 2-year-old in training sale purchase in Florida this past March, Eda, a bay filly by Munnings out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Show Me, was second beaten a head two starts back in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes going six furlongs on Aug. 6 and now has one win from four starts.

Owned by Baoma Corporation, Eda picked up $47,400 for the win, increasing her earnings to $130,000.

“She broke well and I was able to get myself in the clear,” said Prat, who collected his meet-leading seventh stakes win. “As soon as we hit the turn, she just on her own, grabbed the bridle and made a nice move, and that was a winning move. She's pretty quick, she has a lot of speed, so I don't know how far she wants to go, but six was a good distance today.”

In a huge effort, the John Shirreffs-trained Lady T, who appeared to be about nine lengths back while next to last three furlongs from home, shifted into high gear around the turn in an eye-catching effort and rallied for the place, finishing 7 ¼ lengths in front of Baffert's Benedict Canyon.

Off at 5-1 with Victor Espinoza up in a field of five, Lady T paid $3.20 and $2.10.

Ridden by Abel Cedillo, Benedict Canyon was off at 8-1 and paid $2.10 to show.

Fractions on the race were :21.90, :44.98, and :57.38.

Live racing resumes on Friday, with first post time for a nine-race card at 1 p.m. Friday's entries are currently available at santaanita.com.

The post Eda Cruises To Easy Victory In Anoakia Stakes At Santa Anita appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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