Antonio Sano | Horse Racing Free Tips

Holy Bull: Simplification Should Appreciate More Distance, ‘Ratable’ Tiz The Bomb Returns To Dirt

Tami Bobo's Simplification stretched out to a mile for his stakes debut in the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream, and the Antonio Sano-trained colt rolled to a four-length front-running victory without taking a deep breath.

The 3-year-old son of Not This Time broke his maiden at six furlongs by 16 ¾ lengths in 1:09.81 on the front end in his second career start, but his trainer was convinced that he wanted more ground after having a rough go of things in his next start at six furlongs. After breaking from the rail, he set a pressured early pace and finished third behind talented sprinter Of a Revolution, a prominent entrant in Saturday's $100,000 Claiborne Swale (G3).

“After the race before the Mucho Macho Man, I started training him for long races. I think that more distance is better for my horse,” Sano said. “I gave him open gallops to make him strong for the Mucho Macho Man, and after the Mucho Macho Man, I continued to do the same thing.”

Sano saddled Gunnevera for a second-place finish in the 2017 Holy Bull before his last-to-first 5 ¾-length victory in the Fountain of Youth (G2) in his next start.

“They are different horses. Gunnevera had only one pace and made one run,” Sano said. “This horse can relax or can go to the front. You can put the horse wherever you want him.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, who rode the $5.5 million-earning Gunnevera in the Fountain of Youth, has the return call aboard Simplification for Saturday's Holy Bull.

Phoenix Thoroughbreds LTD's Tiz the Bomb has shown himself to be a talented colt on turf, but trainer Kenny McPeek isn't quite ready to classify him as a turf horse just yet.

The son of Hit It a Bomb is coming off a late-closing second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Del Mar that followed a victory in the Bourbon (G2) at Keeneland, but he also broke his maiden on dirt in an off-the-turf race at Ellis Park by 14 ¼ lengths.

“I think a good horse can do that. He's out of a Tiznow mare and his sire's line is War Front. I don't think you have to pigeonhole him as a turf horse,” McPeek said. “The only reason he ran turf last fall was because we had some other 2-year-olds that were ready scheduled for races, and I wanted to keep them separated. This time it's his chance to show how good he is.”

McPeek expressed confidence in his colt's chances in the Holy Bull, the first graded stakes for 3-year-olds on the Road to the Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

“He's probably going to show a little more pace in this race and we're going to let him run free and do his thing. He's very ratable,” McPeek said. “When he broke his maiden at a mile at Ellis, he ran off and won by 14 lengths. I don't have that expectation for this race, but I do expect him to run good.”

Brian Hernandez Jr. will travel from Fair Grounds for the Holy Bull.

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Simplification Controls Mucho Macho Man On Front End

Ten weeks after turning heads with a powerful maiden victory over the same track, Tami Bobo's Simplification made an ever bigger statement in his stakes debut with a front-running triumph in Saturday's $150,000 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 11^th running of the one-mile Mucho Macho Man, the first step on Gulfstream's road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby April 2, headlined five stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds worth $550,000 in purses on the New Year's Day holiday program.

Ridden by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano for trainer Antonio Sano, Simplification ($10.40) was in control from the outset in his fourth career start. The bay son of Not This Time, who drew several offers following his 16 ¾-length graduation Oct. 23, was stretching out beyond six furlongs for the first time.

“I told everyone, these are good horses but I thought the more distance would be better for my horse,” Sano said. “When the horse ran six furlongs for the first time, he won easy, but that was a maiden special weight.

“The next race the horse was not ready. He did not work every day because [we had] the option to sell the horse,” he added. “The horse was not sold. I told the owner, we'll enter January 1^st for one mile. Castellano worked the horse. He's a special horse, a very good horse. I'm glad we ran the horse.”

Simplification broke alertly from Post 3 and dragged Castellano to the lead, where he was unmoved through a quarter-mile in 23.70 seconds and a half in 45.81, as Skippylongstocking and Mr Rum Runner alternated in second and third with 4-5 favorite Strike Hard rating along the rail in fourth.

Castellano and Simplification hit the top of the stretch full of run, while Strike Hard tipped out and split Skippylongstocking and Mr Rum Runner to mount a challenge. Castellano shook the reins and Simplification took off again, completing the distance in 1:35.04 over a fast main track to win by four lengths.

It was the second stakes win of the day for Castellano, the Championship Meet's only five-time leading rider, who also captured the Mucho Macho Man's companion race, the $100,000 Cash Run for 3-year-old fillies going one mile, aboard Kathleen O.

“Beautiful. That's what I was looking for today. It's exactly how I handicapped the race. I watched his replays and I worked the horse, and he's got speed but at the same time he is able to relax,” Castellano said. “We didn't expect to be on the lead, because we were trying to stretch out the horse and let him develop a good foundation, but he took it in the nice way. I didn't want to take away anything that comes easy, and he was straightforward.

“He was happy and satisfied on the lead, galloping along, and when I asked him he took off and re-broke at the quarter pole. I liked the way he did it,” he added. “I felt like he did it very easy, in a nice way. I didn't see the fractions, but he did a very comfortable, relaxed pace. I liked the way he galloped out. I don't think he'll have any problem stretching out. He's well-bred and has a good foundation. Fingers crossed.”

Strike Hard was a decisive second, 7 ¼ lengths ahead of Mr Rum Runner. They were followed by Graphic Detail, 41-1 long shot Sport Pepper, and Skippylongstocking.

Castellano considered remaining in New York for the winter before making his annual sojourn to Gulfstream, won the Mucho Macho man for the fourth time. He previously won with Mask (2018), Sonic Mule (2017) and Bluegrass Singer (2015).

“I think that's the type of horse, that's why the reason I'm here in South Florida, to help develop the new generation of 3-year-olds,” he said. “I'm very lucky and very fortunate to find this horse.”

The $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) Feb. 5 and $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) March 5, both going 1 1/16 miles, are the next steps on the road to the Florida Derby. Sano said he already has Simplification's next start picked out.

“Right now we're going on to the Holy Bull,” he said. “I think it's perfect.”

The post Simplification Controls Mucho Macho Man On Front End appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Simplification Keeps the Ball Rolling for Not This Time

Simplification (Not This Time) became the 17th stakes winner and third in the last six days for his in-form sire with a convincing victory in this first step on the road to the GI Florida Derby and–perhaps–beyond.

An even fourth on his 5 1/2-furlong debut on the synthetic track Oct. 1, the bay overwhelmed a group of Florida-bred maidens by 16 3/4 lengths Oct. 23, good for a 92 Beyer. He couldn't put them back to back, faltering to be third at long odds-on Nov. 13, but had his fair share of supporters Saturday.

Away without incident, Simplification was part of the early scramble for the lead and assume command outright hooking up with the course proper after an opening quarter of :23.70. Well rated through the middle fractions while traveling nicely for Javier Castellano, the second betting choice was a bit late swapping his leads in upper stretch and lengthened away in the final eighth of a mile before galloping out strongly into the turn.

“I told everyone, these are good horses but I thought the more distance would be better for my horse,” winning trainer Antonio Sano said. “When the horse ran six furlongs for the first time, he won easy, but that was a maiden special weight. The next race the horse was not ready. He did not work every day because [we had] the option to sell the horse. The horse was not sold. I told the owner, we'll enter Jan. 1 for one mile. Castellano worked the horse. He's a special horse, a very good horse.”

France Weiner, who also bred 2005 GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Closing Argument (Successful Appeal) with her husband Irwin, acquired Simply Confection for $80,000 carrying this colt in utero at Keeneland November in 2018. Simplification, whose second dam was a full-sister to champion Ashado, has a yearling half-sister by Mendelssohn that RNAd for $190,000 at FTSAUG last summer and a yearling filly by Audible. The mare is due to Union Rags. The winner is bred on the reverse cross of leading freshman sire Gun Runner.

MUCHO MACHO MAN S., $150,000, Gulfstream, 1-1, 3yo, 1m, 1:35.04, ft.
1–SIMPLIFICATION, 118, c, 3, by Not This Time
1st Dam: Simply Confection (SP, $124,688), by Candy Ride (Arg)
2nd Dam: Ballado's Halo, by Saint Ballado
3rd Dam: Goulash, by Mari's Book
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($50,000 RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV). O-Tami Bobo; B-France & Irwin J Weiner (FL); T-Antonio Sano; J-Javier Castellano. $92,070. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, $125,270.
2–Strike Hard, 120, c, 3, Flashback–Coco's Sweetie, by Tenpins. 1ST BLACK TYPE. ($3,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT; $25,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR). O-Miracle's International Trading Inc; B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc (KY); T-Matthew J Williams. $29,700.
3–Mr Rum Runner, 118, c, 3, Uncaptured–Jitterbug Blues, by Pleasant Tap. ($17,000 RNA 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Lanes Mark Racing Stable & Danny J Pate; B-J F Webb (FL); T-Patrick L Biancone. $14,850.
Margins: 4, 7 1/4, NK. Odds: 4.20, 0.80, 22.00.
Also Ran: Graphic Detail, Sport Pepper, Skippylongstocking.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Papetu Returns With Win In Carry Back At Gulfstream

Magic Stables LLC's Papetu fired off the layoff to win Saturday's $75,000 Carry Back at Gulfstream Park, victorious in his first start since finishing off the board in the March 27 Grade 1 Florida Derby.

The Carry Back, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds, headlined a 13-race program that also featured Competitive Speed's return to winning form in the $60,000 Hallandale Beach, an overnight handicap for 3-year-old fillies.

Papetu ($9.40) ran seven furlongs in 1:09.35 to prevail by 1 ¼ lengths under Leonel Reyes, who was also aboard Competitive Speed.

The son of Dialed In had earned his way into the Florida Derby with a runner-up finish in the Mucho Macho Man and a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth during the Championship Meet.

Papetu broke well from his far outside post position and settled several lengths behind the early pace, set by Moonlite Strike and stalked by Real Talk on the rail and Lauda Speed on the outside. Moonlite Strike, who captured the Roar Stakes in his most recent start, set fractions of :22.53 for the first quarter and :44.76 seconds for the first half mile, as Papetu made his way into contention on the turn into the homestretch.

Real Talk made a strong move to take the lead at the top of the stretch under Samy Camacho but proved no match for the wide stretch drive of Papetu, who claimed his first stakes victory.

“He ran a good race. He was training very good. I know that he wasn't 100 percent, but we had to start somewhere,” trained Antonio Sano said. “We would like to run him at Saratoga in August.”

Papetu was impressive while winning his first two starts of his career last year at Gulfstream before venturing to Saratoga to finish sixth in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special and fifth in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes. The Kentucky-bred colt was competitive with the top 3-year-olds during the Championship Meet before enduring a five-wide trip from his far-outside post position and finishing seventh.

In the Carry Back, Real Talk finished second, three-quarters of a length ahead of a tiring Moonlite Strike.

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