Bob Baffert | Horse Racing Free Tips

Messier Bounces Back and Blows Them Away in Bob Lewis

Messier gave trainer Bob Baffert and jockey John Velazquez their second dominant graded winner of the afternoon when he flew home an unchallenged victor of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita Sunday. Shedding the blinkers after getting outkicked in the Dec. 11 GII Los Alamitos Futurity last time out, the 3-5 favorite tugged his way to the fore with little encouragement from Velazquez. Second choice Sir London (Malibu Moon) chased the pace with longshot Cabo Spirit latched on the top two while racing three deep. Sir London was first to blink as Cabo Spirit did his best to keep pace rounding the home bend, but there was no running down Messier, who galloped home by 15 lengths as nobody from the back made any impact.

Messier is the fourth straight Lewis winner for Baffert, but like his stablemate Adare Manor who won the GIII Las Virgenes S. earlier on Sunday's card, the colt was ineligible to collect the race's qualifying Kentucky Derby points due to the trainer's current ban at Churchill Downs.
Second in his five-furlong debut at Los Alamitos last June, Messier returned four months later and was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following his 6 1/2-length romp going six furlongs at Santa Anita Oct. 22. He followed up with a win in the Nov. 14 GIII Bob Hope S. at Del Mar, but was second as the 1-5 favorite behind Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) in the Dec. 11 GII Los Alamitos Futurity last time out.

Pedigree Notes:
Checkered Past, a two-time stakes winner for breeder Sam-Son Farm, produced a filly by Candy Ride (Arg) in 2021 and was bred back to GI Kentucky Derby winner Authentic. The 12-year-old mare sold to Silesia Farm for $290,000 as part of the Sam-Son dispersal at last year's Keeneland January sale.
Messier's second dam is the unraced Catch the Flag (A.P. Indy), a full-sister to Canadian champion Catch the Thrill (A.P. Indy).

Sunday, Santa Anita
ROBERT B. LEWIS S.-GIII, $200,000, Santa Anita, 2-6, 3yo,
1 1/16m, 1:42.89, ft.
1–MESSIER, 120, c, 3, by Empire Maker
1st Dam: Checkered Past (MSW, $334,284), by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Catch the Flag, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Catch the Ring, by Seeking the Gold
'TDN Rising Star' ($470,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-SF Racing LLC,
Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson,
Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine M.
Donovan, Golconda Stable & Siena Farm LLC; B-Sam-Son Farm
(ON); T-Bob Baffert; J-John R. Velazquez. $120,000. Lifetime
Record: 5-3-2-0, $285,600. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Cabo Spirit, 124, c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Fancy Day (Ire), by
Shamardal. ($145,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $575,000 2yo '21
OBSAPR). O-Kretz Racing LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY);
T-George Papaprodromou. $40,000.
3–Wharton, 120, c, 3, Candy Ride (Arg)–Her Smile, by Include.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($475,000 Ylg '20
KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables
LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge
Capital LLC, Catherine M. Donovan, Golconda Stable & Siena
Farm LLC; B-KatieRich Farms (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $24,000.
Margins: 15, 7, 4HF. Odds: 0.60, 18.20, 4.40.
Also Ran: Sir London, Happy Jack. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Messier Bounces Back and Blows Them Away in Bob Lewis appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Adare Manor Wins Las Virgenes By 13 Lengths

In a near replica of her smashing maiden win, Michael Lund Petersen's Adare Manor crushed three rivals by 13 lengths in Sunday's Grade 3, $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by John Velazquez, Adare Manor got one mile in 1:37.11.

With longshot Gracelund Gray going to the front, Adare Manor, who was well in-hand, tracked her to the 3 ½-furlong pole and began to inch away as she quickly asserted her superiority. Turning for home, the Las Virgenes was a fait accompli, as Adare Manor opened up six widening lengths on Queen of Thorns in what developed into an equine procession.

“Today, I engaged her right from the gate and she got a little bit strong at the first turn, so I had to grab her a little bit to slow her down the first part of the race,” said Velazquez, who was aboard for a 12 length, gate to wire maiden victory at the same distance on Jan. 7. “Once we got to the half mile pole, I kind of put my hands down on her and her long stride just kept going like that.

“I just left her alone and let her get into her rhythm, and she just showed up today. I looked back a couple of times and I slowed it down. I looked up and saw they were pretty far (back) and I backed up, thinking, I should save something here although she was breathing fire up front. I didn't want to ask her down the lane and then Bob would get mad at me. I definitely wanted to save something.”

In her first stakes appearance, Adare Manor, a filly by Uncle Mo out of the Giant Gizmo mare Brooklynsway, was off at 2-5 and paid $2.80 and $2.10 with no show wagering.

“She duplicated her last race, you know, she's got that big, long stride on her,” said Baffert, who notched his record sixth win in the Las Virgenes. “I sprinted her twice and I thought she'd win each of those times and then I thought, well, she wants to go long…She's like an amazon, she's got that big, powerful (way of moving).

“She's got that big frame but she's quick. She relaxed nicely today… I think that time is pretty serious on this track. Just gotta keep 'em healthy. I've run her twice now (at the current meet), I don't want to come back too quick with her.”

Adare Manor is now 4-2-1-0 and with the winner's share of $120,000, she increased her earnings to $176,600.

In what amounted to a separate race, Queen of Thorns, who was second turning for home, stayed there, finishing 1 ¼ lengths in front of Miss Everything. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Queen of Thorns was off at 5-2 and paid $2.60 to place.

Fractions on the race were 22.72, 46.66, 1:11.06 and 1:23.75.

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Uncle Mo Filly All Alone in Las Virgenes

Adare Manor dominated the four-horse GIII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita Sunday, strolling home to an effortless 13-length victory and giving trainer Bob Baffert his sixth win in the race. Second and fourth in two sprint tries to kick off her career, the $375,000 OBS June acquisition put it all together and then some when airing by a dozen lengths over this track and trip Jan. 7, good for a 92 Beyer Speed Figure. Her odds dropped even further with the scratch of GISW stablemate Eda (Munnings), and the dark bay was off at prohibitive 2-5 odds. Away on top, she was headed by Gracelund Gray (Goldencents) into the first turn, but was content to share pacesetting duties with that foe down the backside before opening up into a :46.66 half. Queen of Thorns attempted to make a race of it from there, but Adare Manor never looked back and galloped home.

“Today I engaged her right from the gate and she got a little bit strong at the first turn, so I had to grab her a little bit, try to slow her down a bit the first part of the race,” said winning jockey John Velazquez. “Once we got to the half-mile pole, I kind of put my hands down on her and her long stride just kept going just like that. I just left her alone and let her get into her rhythm, and she just showed up today. Obviously, she stepped it up from one race to another one and she did it very nicely today.

Velazquez continued, “I looked back a couple of times and I slowed it down, I looked up saw they were pretty far [back] and I backed up thinking, I should save something here although she was breathing fire up front, I didn't want to ask her down the lane then Bob would get mad at me. I definitely wanted to save something.”

The dazzling victory would normally make Adare Manor a major GI Longines Kentucky Oaks contender, but Baffert's current Churchill ban made the filly ineligible to earn the Las Virgenes' 10 qualifying points to that Classic.

Baffert's sixth Las Virgenes tally broke a tie with fellow Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas. The trainer's most recent previous Las Virgenes winner (in 2018) was also a pricey 2-year-old sales grad by Uncle Mo in Dream Tree.

Adare Manor, bred by Town and Country Horse Farms and Gary Broad, was purchased by Broad for $180,000 as a short yearling at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton February sale. She RNA'd for $190,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase that September before selling for $375,000 following a :10 1/5 work at last year's OBS June sale.

She missed by just a neck when second after contesting the pace in her six-furlong unveiling Oct. 31 at Santa Anita. She was fourth over 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar Nov. 20 before her eye-catching 12-length maiden score over one mile in Arcadia Jan. 7.

“She duplicated her last race, you know, she's got that big, long stride on her,” said Baffert. “I sprinted her twice and I thought she'd win each of those times and then I thought, well she wants to go long…She's like an amazon, she's got that big, powerful [way of moving]. She's got that big frame, but she's quick. She relaxed nicely today…I think that time [1:37.11] is pretty serious on this track. Just gotta keep 'em healthy. I've run her twice now, I don't want to come back too quick with her.”

Pedigree Notes:

Adare Manor is the first foal out of multiple stakes winner Brooklynsway, who was four times graded placed. Town and Country Horse Farms purchased the mare, in foal to Into Mischief, for $95,000 at the same 2020 Fasig-Tipton February sale at which Adare Manor sold. That in-utero Into Mischief foal died, but the 10-year-old mare has a yearling filly by the Spendthrift stallion and she was bred back to Ghostzapper.

Adare Manor is the 42nd graded winner for Uncle Mo. In addition to Dream Tree, other daughters of the stallion who have found graded success at Santa Anita include multiple Grade I winner Bast, Harvest Moon, Mopotism, and Donna Veloce.

Sunday, Santa Anita
LAS VIRGENES S.-GIII, $196,000, Santa Anita, 2-6, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:37.11, ft.
1–ADARE MANOR, 120, f, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Brooklynsway (GSW-USA, MSW & GSP-Can, $724,597), by Giant Gizmo
2nd Dam: Explosive Story, by Radio Star
3rd Dam: Maya's Note, by Editor's Note
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($180,000
Ylg '20 FTKFEB; $190,000 RNA Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $375,000 2yo
'21 OBSOPN). O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-Town & Country
Horse Farms, LLC & Gary Broad (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-John R.
Velazquez. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, $176,600.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A+.
2–Queen of Thorns, 120, f, 3, Violence–Royale Paradise, by
Unbridled's Song. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($50,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $300,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR).
O-Exline-Border Racing LLC, Richard Hausman, William Dan
Hudock, Aaron Kennedy & Susanna Wilson; B-Pollock Farms
(KY); T-Peter Eurton. $40,000.
3–Miss Everything, 120, f, 3, Tiznow–Wynning Is Sweet, by
Candy Ride (Arg). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($40,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $40,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Don't
Tell My Wife Stables & J. Keith Desormeaux; B-TNIP LLC &
Tiznow Syndicate (KY); T-J. Keith Desormeaux. $24,000.
Margins: 13, 1 1/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 2.50, 15.20.
Also Ran: Gracelund Gray. Scratched: Eda. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Uncle Mo Filly All Alone in Las Virgenes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Merneith Upsets Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Winner Ce Ce In Santa Monica

The defending champ but a decided underdog, Merneith went to the front, shook off a challenge from heavily favored Ce Ce and went on to a powerful three-length win in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes under Edwin Maldonado. Trained by Bob Baffert, the 5-year-old daughter of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah got seven furlongs in 1:22.39 over the Santa Anita oval in Arcadia, Calif.

Fresh off a victory in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar Nov. 6, Ce Ce was the overwhelming 1-2 favorite but was no match for Merneith when the real running commenced leaving the quarter pole.

“I'm very happy,” said Maldonado, who was aboard for last year's Santa Monica win and who registered his eighth win at the meet, which puts him in tie for seventh in the jockey standings. “I just want to thank Bob for leaving me on her…It means a lot to me.

“I was just letting her do everything on her own, I didn't want to take anything away from her. When (Ce Ce) came (to) her, she saw her and picked it up on her own. I didn't even have to ask her. I'm very pleased…When we turned for home, I was pretty sure she was the winner. I didn't even ask her until she switched leads. She's a nice filly.”

Idle since last year's Santa Monica on Feb. 13, Merneith came back to run second, beaten 1 ¾ lengths in the ungraded Kalookan Queen Stakes on Jan. 2 and was off as the 5-2 second choice today in a field of five older fillies and mares, returning $7.60, $2.80 and $2.10.

“She won this race last year and she needed her last race,” said Baffert, who now has a meet-leading six stakes wins. “Edwin gets along with her great and it was a perfect pace for her…I've always thought highly of her. She got to prove it today, she beat a good field of fillies. I'm so proud of her. You get attached to these fillies, especially (when they're by) American Pharoah.”

Owned by HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud, Merneith, in notching her second graded stakes victory, improved her overall mark to 12-5-4-2. With the winner's share of $120,000, she increased her earnings to $493,620.

Ce Ce, who broke well and appeared to be in perfect position while third, about 1 ½ lengths off the winner three furlongs out, appeared to draw within a neck at the top of the lane, but was unable to get on terms as Merneith seemed to find another gear.

Trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Victor Espinoza, Ce Ce, who according to owner/breeder Bo Hirsch, will run through her 6-year-old year, paid $2.10 and $2.10 while finishing 3 ¾ lengths in front of Kalypso.

Kalypso, who broke from the rail, checked in third, 5 ½ lengths better than Park Avenue. Trained by Baffert and ridden by John Velazquez, Kalypso was off at 9-2 and paid $2.10 to show.

Fractions, all set by the winner, were 22.39, 45.75 and 1:09.98.

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