belmont park | Horse Racing Free Tips

Expensive War Front Firster Takes Belmont Lid-Lifter

1st-Belmont, $63,000, Msw, 9-18, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:12.01, ft.
ZAINALARAB (f, 2, War Front–Delightful Joy {GSW, $179,200}, by Tapit), whose $1-million purchase price out of last year’s Keeneland September sale was the second-highest for her hugely successful stallion, got the Belmont fall meet off on a chalky note, grinding her way past her chief market rival Exact (Competitive Edge) for a narrow victory. Allowed to sit the box-seat trip as Exact made the running in advance of the blinkered Jade Empress (Shanghai Bobby), Zainalarab was pulled off the fence in upper stretch by Javier Castellano, drew alongside the pacesetter with a sixteenth of a mile to travel and inched clear to take it by 1 1/2 lengths as the 11-10 favorite. The winner has a Medaglia d’Oro half-sister who was consigned to, but withdrawn from the opening day of this year’s KEESEP sale this past Sunday, as well as a foal half-sister by American Pharoah. Delightful Joy, the 2015 GIII Monmouth Oaks winner, was a $700,000 purchase out of the 2017 Keeneland January Sale, and was most recently covered by Curlin. Zainalarab was scheduled to make her debut at Saratoga Aug. 29, but was scratched–along with stablemate Always Carina (Malibu Moon)–when a torrential rainstorm rendered the track sloppy. Sales history: $1,000,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $34,650. Click for the Equibase.com chart orVIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Shadwell Stable; B-International Equities Holding Inc (KY); T-Chad C Brown.

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Antoinette Headlines Belmont Oaks

Godolphin’s Antoinette (Hard Spun) tops a five-horse field in this year’s renewal of the GI Belmont Oaks Saturday. Winner of an off-the-turf version of the Tepin S. last year, the bay was third in both the GII Fair Grounds Oaks Mar. 21 and the Gardenia S. at Oaklawn May 1. Third in again in what is traditionally the local prep for this event, the GIII Wonder Again S. June 20, she completed the trifecta in the GI CCA Oaks July 18. Antoinette returned to the winner’s circle last time with a front-running victory in the Saratoga Oaks Aug. 16.

A pair of European invaders will take their shot at the likely favorite in Magic Attitude (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Neige Blanche (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}). Victorious in the G3 Prix Vanteaux in May, she was privately purchased by Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s Lael Stables and was second in her first start for them in the G1 Prix Saint Alary June 14. Magic Attitude was fifth in her final European start in the G1 Prix de Diane July 5 for trainer Fabrice Chappet and was transferred to Arnaud Delacour. She receives Lasix in this first start for her new barn.

Winning two of her three starts as a juvenile in France last year, Neige Blanche was fourth in her sophomore bow Feb. 22 and was third in the Prix Caravelle May 11. She captured the G3 Prix Cleopatre June 6, after which she was privately purchased by these connections and sent stateside to Leonard Powell.

Rounding out the field are Setting the Mood (Lea), most recently a head second going 1 3/8 miles at Saratoga Aug. 26; and Key Biscayne (Brethren), who was third in the Saratoga Oaks.

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Abreu Ready To ‘Take A Shot’ With Liveyourbeastlife In Preakness Stakes

William H. Lawrence's Liveyourbeastlife, the runner-up in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy, worked five-eighths in 59.89 seconds Thursday over the Belmont Park main track in preparation for the Grade 1 Preakness on October 3 at Pimlico Race Course.

Trainer Jorge Abreu said he was pleased with the work, and the Kentucky-bred Ghostzapper colt will be supplemented to the third and final leg of the Triple Crown.

“He breezed really well today,” said Abreu of the breeze in company with New York-bred Freaky Styley [59.80]. “He went in 59 and 4 which is something he's never done before. We're going to take a shot.”

The dark bay Ghostzapper colt has improved with added distance capturing a nine-furlong allowance event over older horses on August 12 at Saratoga Race Course ahead of a closing second to Mystic Guide in the nine-furlong Jim Dandy on September 5.

“He didn't show much early on but every jockey that rode him never came back with a negative thing about him, they would say, 'this horse wants to run long,'” said Abreu.

Liveyourbeastlife utilized a prominent trip for his August 12 allowance win. After running sixth in the Jim Dandy, jockey Junior Alvarado said the horse struggled from the half-mile to the three-eighths pole.

“He's really weird. Sometimes he'll break and take himself back, the past two races he's been wanting to go,” said Abreu. “Junior admitted he lost position at the half-mile pole and he had to do too much. If he had kept him forwardly placed, he probably would have won the race. He gave him too much to do from the quarter-mile pole on home.”

Abreu said he expects Alvarado to retain the mount for the Preakness.

“He's a horse that needs somebody that knows him,” Abreu said.

Liveyourbeastlife will have his final Preakness prep at Belmont one week from Saturday.

Out of the Kris S. mare Ellie's Moment, Liveyourbeastlife is a half-brother to Grade 1-winner on turf Time and Motion.

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Sept. 18 Insights: Million-Dollar Baby Debuts at Belmont; Rachel Alexandra Full-Sis Unveiled at Gulfstream

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

1st-BEL, $63K, Msw, 6f, 2yo, f, 1:00 p.m. ET

Shadwell Stable’s ZAINALARAB (War Front) will get both her racing career and the Belmont fall meet underway Friday when facing five other juvenile fillies in this sprint. Bought for $1 million even at Keeneland September, the bay is the first foal out of GSW Delightful Joy (Tapit), a half-sister to GSW Cali Star (Street Cry {Ire}) and 113 Beyer-earning SW Seymourdini (Bernardini). Trained by Chad Brown, she shows a steady worktab going back to mid-July at Saratoga, highlighted by a half-mile gate breeze in :47 1/5 (5/131) there Aug. 23. Her main rival appears to be fellow firster Exact (Competitive Edge). Hammering to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners for $82,000 at OBS Spring after breezing a furlong in :10 flat, the chestnut shows a sharp local worktab for Todd Pletcher, capped by a four-furlong bullet in :47 flat (1/76) from the gate Saturday. TJCIS PPs

6th-GP, $65K, Msw, 6f, 2yo, f, 2:50 p.m. ET

Dede McGehee’s GLADYS (Medaglia d’Oro), a full-sister to Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra, opens her account here for trainer Kelsey Danner. Also a half to GSP Dolphus (Lookin At Lucky) and SP Wooderson (Awesome Again), the dark bay is the first product of dam Lotta Kim pairing with Medaglia d’Oro since 2011 filly Samantha Nicole. She displays a consistent Palm Meadows worktab going back to late June, most recently going a half-mile in :48 3/5 (6/30) there three days ago. TJCIS PPs

—@JBiancaTDN

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