award winner | Horse Racing Free Tips

Level Playing Field For Eddie Read

Saturday's GI Eddie Read S. at Del Mar brings together arguably the Southern California circuit's best middle-distance horse in the form of LNJ Foxwoods' United (Giant's Causeway) and Cannon Thoroughbreds' Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute), clearly best at a mile, but who has run with merit over the nine-furlong trip as well.

United, runner-up in the 2019 GI Breeders' Cup Turf over a mile and a half, made last year's Eddie Read the third of a three-race winning streak and he added a victory in the 10-furlong GI John Henry Turf Championship ahead of an eighth in the Breeders' Cup Turf. The chestnut returned to action with a pace-pressing defeat of the re-opposing Say the Word (More Than Ready) in the 12-panel GIII San Luis Rey S. Mar. 20, but was a head-scratching third at 30 cents on the dollar behind Award Winner (Ghostzapper) in the GII Charles Whittingham S. when dropped back down to a mile and a quarter May 29.

Smooth Like Strait missed by a head to Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in last year's GI Hollywood Derby over this course and distance, but atoned for that defeat in the GII Mathis Brothers Mile a month later. Run down in the shades of the post by Hit the Road (More Than Ready) in the GI Kilroe Mile in March, the bay was a neck behind the dead-heating Domestic Spending and Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) in the 1 1/8-mile GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic May 1 and exits a 1 1/2-length score over Say the Word–with Restrainedvengeance (Hold Me Back) third–in the GI Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita May 31.

Count Again (Awesome Again), winner of this track's GII Seabiscuit H. in his first run for trainer Phil D'Amato last November, and outsider Vintage Print (Curlin) round out the field of seven.

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Juan J. Hernandez Voted Jockey Of The Week After Graded Stakes Triple

Juan J. Hernandez won the second Grade 1 of his career and two Grade 2 races to garner Jockey of the Week honors for May 24 through May 31. The award, 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 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Trainer David Hofmans gave Hernandez the mount on Award Winner in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes on Saturday. Breaking from the rail in the field of four, longshot Award Winner overhauled the pacesetter Acclimate to register a huge upset in the mile and one quarter race on the Camino Real Turf Course in 1:59.27.

“This was a really big win for us,” said Hernandez. “I knew that horse (Acclimate) had a lot of speed, so I let him go and my horse relaxed. I waited until the quarter pole and asked him one time and he really picked it up and made a huge move in the stretch.”

Hernandez then won his second graded stakes of the day on Magic On Tap for trainer Bob Baffert in the Grade 2 Triple Bend Stakes. Riding Magic On Tap for the first time, Hernandez settled the 5-year-old in third behind Eight Rings and Lambeau. He gained the advantage in mid-stretch to win the seven-furlong contest in 1:23.54.

“My horse, he helped me a lot, he broke really sharp and I was behind the speed all the race then when I hit the quarter pole, I asked him to go and he responded really well,” said Hernandez. “It feels great to win a big race like today.”

On Monday, trainer Simon Callaghan gave a leg up to Hernandez on longshot Maxim Rate for the first time in the Grade 1 Gamely. Off at 13-1 in a field of seven fillies and mares three and up, Maxim Rate stalked the pace while fourth early. Hernandez took advantage of favorite Charmaine's Mia fading a sixteenth of a mile from home as well as holding off a late run from La Signare to win by a half-length in 1:46.61 for the mile and one eighth turf contest. The win gave Hernandez the second Grade 1 win of his career and his seventh graded stakes of the year.

“She broke out of there, really clean break, she relaxed really well for me,” said Hernandez. “She's a very classy filly, you can do whatever you want with her.”

Weekly stats for Hernandez were 22-6-1-6 for a 27 percent strike rate and 59 percent in-the-money. Total purse earnings of $583,760 led all jockeys for the week. Hernandez currently sits second in the standings with nine racing days to go at the Santa Anita Winter/Spring meet.

Hernandez out-polled Kyle Frey who tied Tyler Gaffalione for most victories with nine, Santiago Gonzalez who won two stakes at Belterra and Jaime Rodriguez who had a 32 percent win rate.

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Improving Award Winner Posts Charles Whittingham Upset; United Last As Favorite

With heavily favored United in deep water turning for home, Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., boiled down to a pair of longshots – front-running Acclimate and up-and-coming Award Winner.

With Juan Hernandez at the controls, it was the John and Jerry Amerman homebred Award Winner who gradually overhauled the pacesetter and registered the huge head upset. Trained by David Hofmans, Award Winner got a mile and a quarter over Santa Anita's Camino Real Turf Course in 1:59.27.

Breaking from the rail in a field of four with a hillside start, jockey Ricky Gonzalez sent Acclimate to the lead out of the gate and was running strongly throughout, with a restrained Award Winner about three lengths off the lead heading into the far turn. With United laboring in third position, Award Winner set his sights on Acclimate and he gradually gained the advantage late.

A second condition allowance winner at a mile and one quarter on turf March 27, Award Winner, a 5-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper out of the Theatrical mare Devine Actress, was off at 6-1 and paid $15.40 and $7.80 with no show wagering.

Based in the Midwest through last summer, Award Winner made his first start for Hofmans on Jan. 8, a second place finish in a one mile turf allowance. With two wins from four starts at the current meeting, Award Winner is now 17-4-4-1 and with today's winner's purse of $120,000, he increased his earnings to $328,474.

“When he first got here, I didn't think he was gonna like it here,” said Hofmans. “But apparently, he liked it here better than he did back east. Something with the climate here, maybe he likes the warm weather, I don't know. From day-one, he just started blossoming.

“Each week he got stronger, he got heavier, he ate more and he was enjoying his training. I think it's just a change in location, which was important to him. I was so happy when John asked me to take the horse because I wanted to train (Devine Actress's offspring because they are all wonderful. It's kind of a dream come true.”

The lone California-bred in the lineup, Acclimate, a 7-year-old gelding that is trained by Phil D'Amato, ran a sensational race in defeat, finishing 2 1/2 lengths in front of Red King. Off at 9-1, Acclimate paid $12.40 to place.

The prohibitive 1-5 favorite, United never got untracked and checked in last, beaten five lengths with Flavien Prat up.

Fractions on the race were 23.00, 46.66, 1:10.67 and 1:35.34.

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Classy United Faces Just Three Rivals In Charles Whittingham Stakes

Richard Mandella's classy United heads Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita as he seeks back to back wins in the race named for the legendary Bald Eagle, who 22 years after his passing, ranks third on Santa Anita's all-time list of stakes winning trainers with 869 added money victories.

The Whittingham, for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and one quarter on turf, has attracted a field of four, with the David Hofmans-trained Award Winner and Phil D'Amato's Red King looming as solid contenders.

Owned by LNJ Foxwoods, United, a 6-year-old gelding by Giant's Causeway, made his first start of the year on March 20 and proved he's certainly not lost a step. Attentive to the pace, he took charge turning for home and prevailed by three quarters of a length over next-out winner Say the Word in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at a mile and one half on turf.

A close second in the 2019 Whittingham and a nose winner of last year's renewal, United is no doubt being pointed to a third engagement in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Del Mar—a race in which he was a close second to eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar here at Santa Anita in 2019.

A winner of five races, four of them graded stakes, from 10 tries over the local turf, United is 18-8-4-1 overall with earnings of $1,513,549. With leading man Flavien Prat set to ride him for the 13 consecutive time, United will no doubt be a short price to win on Saturday.

Bred in Kentucky by Mrs. Jerry Amerman and owned by Amerman Racing, LLC, Award Winner, a 5-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper, has found a new lease on his racing career since debuting for Hofmans three starts back on Jan. 8. Second in a pair of second condition allowance races at one mile on grass on Jan. 8 and Feb. 13, Award Winner unfurled what appeared to be the best race of his career on March 27.

Off at 7-2 going a mile and one quarter on turf, Award Winner made every pole a winning one in taking a second condition allowance by 2 ½ lengths while earning a career-best 95 Beyer Speed figure under Juan Hernandez, who rides back on Saturday.

A close second in a Grade 3 turf stakes at 1 1/8 miles 10 starts back on July 6, 2019 at Delaware Park, Award Winner will be bidding for his first graded stakes win in what will be his third attempt. With an overall mark of 16-3-4-1, he has earnings of $208,474.

A winner of the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes and the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap in June and August of last year, Red King has solid credentials and will try to make amends for a close third place finish as the 6-5 favorite behind talented California-bred Ward 'n Jerry in a mile and one half turf starter allowance on March 20.

Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Gordon Jacobsen and Philip Belmonte, Red King, a 7-year-old full horse by English Channel, was claimed for $35,000 15 starts back on Feb. 8, 2019. With regular rider Umberto Rispoli engaged, Red King would benefit from a lively early pace. Out of the A.P. Indy mare Youre Speeding, Red King is 31-7-4-8, with earnings of $447,755.

THE GRADE 2 CHARLES WHITTINGHAM WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITIN ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Acclimate—Ricardo Gonzalez—122
Award Winner—Juan Hernandez—122
Red King—Umberto Rispoli—124
United—Flavien Prat–124

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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