awesome again | Horse Racing Free Tips

Count Again Storms Home To Capture Thunder Road

Idle since Aug. 21, the Phil D'Amato-trained Count Again was ready for action on Saturday at Santa Anita, as he stormed home through the lane to take the Grade 3, $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes. Ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, the 7-year-old gelding by Awesome Again got one mile on turf in 1:34.12.

With longshot Sniper Kitten showing the way to the far turn, Count Again was next to last in a field of six older horses, about four lengths off the lead heading into the far turn. Heavily favored Subconscious took control at the top of the lane while Count Again was on the move, while fourth and three-wide. In a ferocious stretch rally he inhaled the leaders late to win easily.

“The (time off) did him a ton of good,” said D'Amato. “He told me in his last race at Del Mar (a fifth place finish in the G2 Del Mar Mile), 'Hey, I've had a long campaign, maybe it's time to give me a freshener.' And we did that. The owners have been great. Sam-Son Farms, Mark Martinez of Agave Racing, they just told me to give him all the time he needs, and we brought him back fresh and happy.

“I think Flavien got acquainted with him, breezing him the last couple of times and I think that helped him with his timing. He's a horse that just takes him a while to get in gear, but once he does, he's got a pretty impressive late turn of foot.”

A Grade 2 winner in his first start for D'Amato six races back on Nov. 28, 2020, Count Again, who is out of the Red Ransom mare Count to Three and was bred in Ontario, Canada by Sam-Son Farm, was off at 5-2 and paid and paid $7.60, $2.80 and $2.40.

“I've been on this horse a few times in the morning, so I got to know him,” said Prat, who notched his meet-leading 10th stakes victory. “We had a good trip and he put me in the race. He was traveling super all the way around there and when I asked him to run, he gave me a good kick.”

A Grade 3 winner at Woodbine in Toronto, Count Again is now a three-time graded stakes winner and is 14-5-1-4 overall. With the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $463,665.

The 3-5 favorite with Juan Hernandez, Subconscious appeared to be in control approaching the furlong pole, but he was no match for the winner close home while finishing three lengths in front of Ready Soul. Idle since Nov. 27, Subconscious returned $2.20 and $2.10.

Ready Soul, who is also trained by D'Amato, was off at 7-1 with John Velazquez and paid $2.60 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.32, 47.41, 1:11.16 and 1:22.65.

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Sir Winston Wins Stretch Battle To Take Valedictory At Woodbine

Sir Winston won the 2019 Belmont Stakes at 1 1/2 miles and Sunday at Woodbine he had no trouble covering that distance again, taking the Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes. The G1 winner battled fellow Mark Casse trainee Frosted Over down the stretch at the Toronto, Ontario racetrack, taking back the lead in the last jumps before the wire.

In a crowded field of 14, Jelgo and Collective Force were the fastest out of the gate before Collective Force took over down the stretch the first time. War Bomber streaked to the lead on the far outside as they approached the first turn, getting out to a three-length advantage around the bend and onto the backstretch. Behind him were Collective Force and Frosted Over, who stalked the moderate pace with fractions of :24.78 for the first quarter, :50.36 for the half mile, and 1:16.23 for six furlongs. As the field approached the far turn, Frosted Over made his move for the lead, Patrick Husbands and Sir Winston following.

Around the far turn, the Casse trainees were on even terms, with Frosted Over on the rail and Sir Winston on his outside. They stayed even as they straightened into the Woodbine stretch, with Frosted Over showing a head in front as the two battled down the straight. Sir Winston was not done, digging in and pulling past the 3-year-old in the last sixteenth of a mile. At the wire, Sir Winston was three-quarters of a length in front of Frosted Over, with Collective Force holding on for third and Burning Man fourth.

The final time for the 1 1/2 miles was 2:31.51.

Sir Winston paid $5.30, $2.90, and $2.80. Frosted Over paid $4.70 and $4.40. Collective Force paid $10.60.

Bred in Kentucky by owner Tracy Farmer, Sir Winston is by Awesome Again out of the Afleet Alex mare La Gran Bailadora, a G3 stakes winner. The 5-year-old horse was a $50,000 RNA consigned by Denali Stud at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. With his win in the G3 Valedictory, Sir Winston has two wins in four starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of six wins in 19 starts.

The post Sir Winston Wins Stretch Battle To Take Valedictory At Woodbine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Sadler: Tripoli Needs The Right ‘Trip’ For A Shot In Breeders’ Cup Classic

John Sadler hopes Tripoli returns to his winning ways when the four-old Kitten's Joy colt runs in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 6, but he realizes it's a daunting task.

Tripoli disappointed finishing fourth of eight by 6 ¼ lengths behind runaway front-running five-length winner Medina Spirit in the Grade I Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 2.

“He had his first work Monday in preparation for the $6 million Breeders' Cup in 47 and four (47.40) and he's going to work five furlongs on Sunday,” the trainer said of Tripoli.

“He just didn't get the trip he needed (in the Awesome Again),” continued Sadler, who won the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2018 with Accelerate. “He got hung out wide all the way, so it's more about the trip for him, but he appears to have come out of it good, so it's on to the Breeders' Cup.

“The Classic is a great race, and it should be. That's the big race and you've got a top 3-year-old (Medina Spirit) and Knicks Go; it's a really good race.”

Medina Spirit worked five furlongs Friday morning in 59.60 seconds for Bob Baffert, who also breezed champion filly Gamine six furlongs in 1:12 flat.

Meanwhile, Sadler has multiple graded stakes winner Flagstaff set for the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

“He just worked (four furlongs) this morning in 47 and three (:47.60),” Sadler said of the 7-year-old Speightstown gelding, a gem of consistency with a 7-6-4 record from 21 starts with earnings of $1,035,585.

The post Sadler: Tripoli Needs The Right ‘Trip’ For A Shot In Breeders’ Cup Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Richard Baltas Not Sitting On ‘Idol’ Ahead Of Breeders’ Cup Classic

Richard Baltas is counting down to the Breeders' Cup with Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap winner Idol for the Classic and Ginobili for the Dirt Mile, both at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

Idol is coming off a 16-length defeat by front-running Medina Spirit in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 3, a race in which he had a wide trip, while Ginobili drew away last out to win the G2 Pat O'Brien by nearly two lengths on Aug. 28.

Baltas is staunchly on record as saying Idol was in need of the Awesome Again Stakes, his first start in seven months, and that the 4-year-old Curlin colt is ideally suited for a mile and a quarter, the distance of both the Big 'Cap and the BC Classic.

“Idol came out of the race really good,” said Baltas, a 60-year-old native of Gary, Indiana. “I think the pace (in the Awesome Again) was kind of slow but he looks good, he's been galloping at Santa Anita and I'll probably breeze him before we ship to Del Mar.

“Ginobili is going in the Dirt Mile. He breezed (six furlongs) in 1:11 and three at San Luis Rey yesterday like nothing. We're pretty happy with him.”

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