as time goes by | Horse Racing Free Tips

Envoutante Ships In For Beholder Mile

Four of the previous five winners of the GI Beholder Mile were either already in possession of an Eclipse Award or would go on to become a champion later in their career. The Ken McPeek-conditioned 2020 champion 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) made light work of last year's renewal and the barn will look to defend their title this weekend with Walking L Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm's Envoutante (Uncle Mo).

Same as she did during her 3-year-old season in 2020, the dark bay was kept busy with seven starts last term, good for a record of 2-1-2. Runner-up to Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) in the GI La Troienne S. on the GI Kentucky Derby undercard Apr. 30, Envoutante was the easy winner of the Shawnee S. at Churchill in late May, then was third to Letruska (Super Saver) after being somewhat conservatively ridden in the GII Fleur de Lis S. the following month. Third to Shedaresthedevil in Churchill's GIII Locust Grove S. Sept. 18, she beat just one home when fifth in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland Oct. 10, but overwhelmed her rivals to successfully defend her GII Falls City S. title, defeating Bonny South (Munnings) by the same six-length margin as she did 12 months prior.

As Time Goes By (American Pharoah) has the home field advantage as she tries to become the second top-level dirt scorer for her sire. Clearly runner-up in last year's race, the homebred daughter of the outstanding Take Charge Lady (Dehere) was successful no fewer than four times at the graded level, annexing the GII Santa Margarita S. (by 9 1/4 lengths) in and the GII Santa Maria S. in the springtime, the GIII Bayakoa S. in December and a latest 13 1/2-length romp in the GIII La Canada S. on New Year's Day.

While the Beholder looks all over a two-horse affair, the in-form Miss Bigly (Gemologist) could be the one to pick up a valuable Grade I placing. Second to Envoutante in the Shawnee, the 6-year-old was second in the Jan. 8 Pippin S. at Oaklawn and most recently annexed that track's GIII Bayakoa S. Feb. 12.

The post Envoutante Ships In For Beholder Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

What’s in a Name? Mr. Baffert, Doppelganger, and More

Mr. Baffert, c, 2, Bodemeister–Commandaria, by Smart Strike. Monterrico, 11-14, Maiden, 1000m. B-Sanford Robertson (KY).

The one and only Mr. Bob Baffert has had quite a share of intriguingly named winners in the last few weeks. Incidentally, Baffert is himself the namesake of a brilliant Peruvian (and U.S.-bred) colt by his old alumnus Bodemeister–the 2-year-old being a fast horse who won by almost five lengths at five furlongs on his racetrack debut (from another hemisphere in more ways than one?).

8th-Los Alamitos, $54,312, Msw, 12-11, 2yo, 6f, 1:09.21, ft, 3 1/2 lengths. Doppelganger (c, 2, Into Mischief–Twice the Lady {SW & MGSP, $312,204}, by Quiet American) O-Golconda Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Starlight Racing, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan, Robert E. Masterson, & Jay A. Schoenfarber; B-WinStar Farm LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

Anyway, Baffert-trained Los Alamitos winner Doppelganger, being out of dam Twice the Lady and by the horse who has endeared us to mysterious conduct, has a really ingenious name. A doppelganger (in German literally a “double-walker”) is a biologically unrelated look-alike, or a double, of a living person.

4th-Santa Anita, $65,660, Msw, 12-31, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:17.81, gd, 1 length. McLaren Vale (c, 2, Gun Runner–Magical Weekend, by Any Given Saturday) The winner is his dam's last American-born foal, as she was exported to Australia. O-Golconda Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Starlight Racing, Stonestreet Stables, LLC, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan, Robert E. Masterson, & Jay A. Schoenfarber; B-Austramore Pty.Ltd (KY); T-Bob Baffert

McLaren Vale is another brilliant and young winner handled by the white-haired trainer from Nogales, Az. The name may be connected to the renowned Australian wine region south of Adelaide–a “Bacchic jukebox” of excellence for precious, famous and worldly vintages: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Zinfandel, and so on. You name it, they produce it.

LA CANADA S.-GIII, $200,000, Santa Anita, 1-1, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:44.31, ft. As Time Goes By (m, 5, American Pharoah–Take Charge Lady {Broodmare of the Year, MGISW, $2,480,377}, by Dehere) O-Michael B. Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale & Chelston (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat

You must remember this: As Time Goes By is a classy name for a lovely mare, as well as the classiest and most philosophical of love songs. No wonder Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa) and Humphrey Bogart (Rick) appeared to be fixated on it in “Casablanca” (1942), probably one of the best movies ever made. The lyrics are pure gold, including the line, “The fundamental things apply”, which rhymes efficiently with the following verse, the very title of the song. This wonderful female recently victorious at Santa Anita reiterates a fundamental thing applied to horse racing: that Bob Baffert has a permanent stable of well-bred prodigies.

9th-Aqueduct, $80,000, Msw, 12-2, 2yo, 1 1/8m, 1:56.14, ft, neck. Courvoisier (c, 2, Tapit–Take Charge Brandi {Ch. 2-year-old Filly, MGISW, $1,692,126}, by Giant's Causeway) O-Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. (J. G. Sikura) & James D. Spry; B-Elevage II, LLC & Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. (KY); T-Kelly J. Breen.

While I suspect that there is some name wordplay with brilliant colt Courvoisier being out of the great mare Take Charge Brandi, I wonder what is the actual state of affairs between cognac (as Courvoisier definitely is) and brandy–aren't they both distilled fruit? I will stop at “cognac is the best brandy money can buy” and respect the all-out endorsement of Courvoisier by two famous members of the history-shaking Bonaparte family. Let's hope this young colt is also destined for a Napoleonic career.

4th-Santa Anita, $71,500, (S), (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($20,000), 1-2, 4yo/up, f/m, 6fT, 1:09.39, fm, 2 lengths. That's Amare (m, 5, Unusual Heat–Amare, by Flatter) Lifetime Record: 4-2-2-0, $112,580. O-Marsha Naify, Ali & Francie Nilforushan; B-Ali Nilforushan (CA); T-Philip D'Amato.

10th-Santa Anita, $72,000, (S), (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($20,000), 1-1, 4yo/up, 6fT, 1:09.49, gd, nose. Riding With Dino (g, 5, Vronsky–Belloma, by Yankee Gentleman) Lifetime Record: 10-3-4-2, $153,908. O-Paradise Farms Corp., Todd Cady, Roger Featherston & Jeffrey Lambert; B-G Krikorian (CA); T-Robert Hess, Jr. *$7,000 Ylg '18 BARJAN.

Finally, an old Italian crooner-in-the-sky may have had a little smile to himself with two winners at Santa Anita in the new year: That's Amare is very similar wording to the song “That's Amore” (1953), made famous by Dean Martin, who was born Dino Paul Crocetti–yes, Dino, as in Riding With Dino . Everybody loves a winner, sometimes.

An Italian native, Andrea Branchini now lives in Lexington, Ky., where he works in the equine transport industry.

The post What’s in a Name? Mr. Baffert, Doppelganger, and More appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Jockey Of The Week: Flavien Prat Kicks Off The New Year With Six-Win Day At Santa Anita

Nothing short of outstanding would describe Flavien Prat's day at Santa Anita on Jan. 1. His record for the 10-race card was six wins and four seconds which resulted in being voted Jockey of the Week for Dec. 27 through Jan. 2. The honor, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

For the third time in his career at Santa Anita, Prat won six races on a single card but on Saturday, he also finished second on his other four mounts. His six wins came for six different trainers.

After finishing second in the first race, he won the second race, a Maiden Special Weight for trainer Peter Eurton aboard Queen of Thorns. For trainer Ruben Alvarado in the third race, Prat was aboard Smuggler's Run for the win in a Maiden Special Weight. He finished second in the 4th race for trainer Doug O'Neill. Prat was back to his winning ways in the 5th, a Maiden Claiming event for trainer Steve Miyadi with Mad Steven.

Two second place finishes in stakes races followed: the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez riding for trainer Mark Glatt on Beer Can Man and in the G3 Sham on Rockefeller for Bob Baffert. The rest of the card belonged to Prat.

Trainer Richard Baltas gave a leg up to Prat on Luck in the G3 Robert J. Frankel. Off as the favorite in the field of seven, Luck rallied to the front in the final furlong to win by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:48.26 for the nine-furlong turf event.

His easiest win came next in the G3 La Canada for Bob Baffert aboard As Time Goes By. Sitting just off the pacesetting Park Avenue, As Time Goes By took command a quarter-mile from the finish and powered home by 13-1/2 lengths in 1:44.31 for the 1 1/16-mile race.

To put an exclamation point on the day, Prat won the 10th and final Allowance Optional Claiming race on Riding with Dino for trainer Bob Hess, Jr.

“I was picked on top in almost every race, so I guess I messed up a few,” Prat said, laughing to the Daily Racing Form. “I was picked so much, I had a lot of pressure.”

To end the weekend, Prat won two races on Sunday including the Blue Norther Stakes on Bellabel (IRE) for trainer Phil D'Amato.

Prat's weekly statistics were 27-10-9-3 with total purse earnings of $651,956 to top all riders.

Prat's competition for Jockey of the Week included Kendrick Carmouche who won three stakes races during the week, Tyler Gaffalione who also won three stakes races, Luis Saez with 12 wins for the week and John Velazquez who won the G3 Sham.

The post Jockey Of The Week: Flavien Prat Kicks Off The New Year With Six-Win Day At Santa Anita appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

As Time Goes By Much Best In Santa Anita’s La Canada

With a well-meant Park Avenue providing a target from the opening bell in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., heavily favored As Time Goes By stalked her to the far turn, took command a quarter mile from the money and prevailed in a thoroughly dominant New Year's Day performance, winning by 13 ½ lengths as Flavien Prat notched his second consecutive stake win and his fifth overall on the day. Prat added a sixth win the day's finale.

Conditioned by Bob Baffert, who got his second stakes win of the day and who was available via telephone from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, As Time Goes By got 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.31.

A winner of a pair of G2 stakes at Santa Anita early last year, As Time Goes By, a 5-year-old mare by American Pharoah, came off a facile 1 ¼-length win in the G3 Bayakoa Stakes at Los Alamitos Dec. 5 and was off as the 3-5 favorite in a field of five older fillies and mares and paid $3.20, $2.20 and $2.10.

“This filly keeps getting better and better with age,” said Baffert. “I'm really excited. She has always been a barn favorite of mine. She's got that American Pharoah temperament. They seem to be late bloomers and she is getting better all the time. I am expecting big things from her from here. She will stay here, and I think the Grade 1 Beholder would be next for her.”

On the strength of two recent wins, Park Avenue, trained by John Sadler, was off as the second choice at 7-2 with Juan Hernandez and paid $3.20 and $2.20 while finishing 4 ¼ lengths in front of Moonlight d'Oro.

Ridden by Mike Smith, Richard Mandella's Moonlight d'Oro was the third choice at 7-2 and paid $2.10 to show while finishing 2 ¾ lengths clear of longshot Fi Fi Pharoah.

Fractions on the race were 23.46, 47.00, 1:11.46 and 1:37.27.

The post As Time Goes By Much Best In Santa Anita’s La Canada appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post