Bob Baffert | Horse Racing Free Tips

Hot Rod Charlie Back For More In Sunday’s San Antonio

One of America's most consistent and talented 3-year-olds throughout 2021, Hot Rod Charlie heads a field of seven 3-year-olds and up in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita. An iconic prep for the G1 Santa Anita Handicap, the San Antonio will be run for the 84th time and is one of six graded stakes on a blockbuster 11-race Opening Day program.

Most recently fourth, beaten 4 ½ lengths by presumptive Horse of the Year Knicks Go in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6, Hot Rod Charlie has been a gem of consistency, while on occasion very unlucky, for O'Neill. A handy winner of the G1 Pennsylvania Derby two starts back on Sept. 25, he was disqualified from a hard fought nose victory three starts back in the G1 Haskell Invitational.

A massive second, beaten 1 ¼ lengths by A-Lister Essential Quality in the G1 Belmont Stakes June 5, he was a troubled third, beaten one length by Medina Spirit in the G1 Kentucky Derby five starts back on May 1.

A winner of the G2 Louisiana Derby in his second start of the year on March 20, Hot Rod Charlie is 7-2-1-2 on the year, with 2021 earnings of $2,087,500. Owned by Boat Racing, LLC, Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck), Roadrunner Racing & William Strauss, Hot Rod Charlie will reportedly use the San Antonio as a prep to the G1 Dubai World Cup in March.

Freshened since running third to Medina Spirit in the G1 Awesome Again Stakes Oct. 2, C R K Stable's Express Train has been in the money in six out of his seven career starts at Santa Anita and rates a big chance off the bench. Trained by John Shirreffs, Express Train's last win came three starts back in the G2 San Diego Handicap on July 17. With an overall mark of 14-4-4-3, this 4-year-old colt by Union Rags has earnings of $695,800.

A half-length winner of the G3 Native Diver Handicap on Nov. 20, Bob Baffert's Azul Coast could rate second billing as he seeks his second graded stakes win. Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Azul Coast, who has four wins from 10 starts, will be ridden for the first time by John Velazquez.

THE GRADE 2 SAN ANTONIO WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 6 of 11 Approximate post time 1:30 p.m. PT

Extra Hope—Tyler Baze–121
Express Train—Victor Espinoza—125
Go On—Mario Gutierrez–119
Hot Rod Charlie—Flavien Prat—123
Eight Rings—John Velazquez—121
Kiss Today Goodbye—Kent Desormeaux—121
Azul Coast—Juan Hernandez–123

First post time for an 11-race Opening Day card Sunday is 11 a.m. Admission gates will open at 9 a.m.

The post Hot Rod Charlie Back For More In Sunday’s San Antonio appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Private Mission Shortens Up, Will Attempt To Rebound In La Brea

Two-time graded stakes winner Private Mission cuts back in distance and heads a field of seven sophomore fillies going seven furlongs in Sunday's Grade 1, $300,000 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita. One of six graded stakes, three of them Grade 1's, the La Brea will no doubt command considerable attention on Santa Anita's Winter Spring Opening Day card, which is comprised of 11 races. With admission gates opening at 9 a.m., first post time on Sunday is at 11 a.m.

Although she showed good early speed, Private Mission tired badly to be distanced by 37 ¼ lengths at odds of 10-1 in her most recent start, the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at a mile and one eighth on Nov. 6. A two-time winner sprinting, Private Mission, who is trained by Bob Baffert, was on a three-game roll heading into the Breeders' Cup, having won the G2 Zenyatta Stakes here on Oct. 3 and the G3 Torrey Pines at Del Mar Aug. 21.

Buy red-hot sire Into Mischief, Private Mission is owned by Baoma Corporation and will be ridden for the fourth consecutive time by Flavien Prat. A first-out winner sprinting at two, Private Mission has four wins from six starts and has earnings of $256,800.

John Sadler's Livingmybestlife is a front-running sort who comes off a pair of ungraded stakes wins, her most recent the one mile Seashell Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 3. Owned by Hronis Racing, Livingmybestlife registered an 88 Beyer Speed Figure in taking the six furlong Lucky Spell Stakes at Los Alamitos two starts back on Sept. 24 and earned an 85 Beyer in winning the Seashell.

A Florida-bred by the Yes It's True stallion The Big Beast, Livingmybestlife was claimed by Sadler out of her first start, a second place finish for maiden $50,000 at Oaklawn Park on April 8. With three sprint wins to her credit, Livingmybestlife has four wins and a two seconds from seven overall starts as she tackles graded company for the first time with regular rider Juan Hernandez up.

In addition to Private Mission, Baffert will also send out Kalypso, a winner of the G2 Santa Ynez Stakes here in her first start of the year four starts back on Jan. 3. Idle since well beaten in the G2 Eight Belles at Churchill Downs April 30, this daughter of Brody's Cause will no doubt show good speed off the bench. Owned by David Bernsen, LLC and Gainesway Farm, Kalypso will be ridden for the first time by John Velazquez.

THE GRADE 1 LA BREA WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 11 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT

Canoodling—Roimes Chirinos—120
Eddie's New Dream—Mario Gutierrez—120
Kalypso—John Velazquez—122
Private Mission—Flavien Prat—122
Missy P.—Mike Smith—120
Brilliant Cut—Jose Ortiz–120
Livingmybestlife—Juan Hernandez—120

First post time for an 11-race card on Opening Day, Sunday is at 11 a.m.

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Judge Orders NYRA To Pay $106K In Baffert’s Legal Fees In Ongoing Civil Suit

U.S. District Judge Carol Bagley Amon has ordered the New York Racing Association (NYRA) to pay $106,457.50 in legal fees and $2,667.31 in expenses incurred by trainer Bob Baffert in an ongoing legal battle between the two. Baffert brought suit against NYRA after the racing organization banned him from its tracks following Baffert's announcement that Medina Spirit had tested positive for betamethasone after the Kentucky Derby.

In May, Judge Amon granted a preliminary injunction against NYRA, preventing the organization from enforcing its ban while the lawsuit is still pending. NYRA had argued that such reimbursement for legal costs was premature since Baffert had won a preliminary injunction but not the lawsuit itself. Judge Amon did not agree with that argument, pointing to other cases in which a plaintiff won a preliminary injunction but did not prevail in pursuit of a permanent injunction.

Judge Amon's ruling indicated that Baffert has agreed not to seek damages related to this portion of the case.

The ruling weighed the experience of each of the attorneys working on Baffert's case, as well as the billing records about the number of hours they've spent on the case so far, to determine whether the amount he requested is reasonable. According to the judge's opinion, Baffert's primary attorney, Craig Robertson, has billed him at a rate of $475 per hour. She did not award the full amount Baffert was seeking, based on an opinion that the rates in some cases were higher than the average range or that some of the work was duplicative.

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Medina Spirit’s Necropsy ‘Currently Underway’

Medina Spirit's necropsy is “currently underway” and a report on last week's sudden death of the GI Kentucky Derby winner is expected to be publicly released by mid-February, California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) equine medical director Dr. Jeff Blea said Wednesday.

“Completion of sudden death case file reports takes weeks and months to complete due to the in-depth level of analysis involved, and we fully expect a final report in this case in approximately two months,” Blea told commissioners at the Dec. 15 CHRB meeting.

“Tissue samples and specimens will be stored for further testing should the need arise,” Blea said.

Medina Spirit appeared sluggish then collapsed at Santa Anita Park after finishing a five-furlong workout Dec. 6.

The colt's admirable, overachieving career arc of going from a $1,000 yearling buy at a public auction to winning America's most important horse race only glowed for about a week before it was overshadowed by news that the Bob Baffert trainee had tested positive for an overage of betamethasone after winning the May 1 Derby.

No ruling has been issued for that 2021 Derby drug positive, although it has sparked a firestorm of controversy for occurring on the heels of four other Baffert horses testing positive for medication overages within the previous year, two of them in Grade I stakes.

“A sudden death in racing is defined as acute collapse and death in a closely observed and previously determined healthy Thoroughbred racehorse during or within one hour after exercise,” Blea said.

Like with all fatalities that occur on licensed CHRB premises necropsy, the regulatory agency is obligated to perform a necropsy and investigation.

Medina Spirit's necropsy is being carried out by pathologists at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, which works in conjunction with the University of California (Davis) veterinary school.

That particular lab, Blea said, is “arguably one of the best in the country, if not the world.”

Blea explained that “Additional tissue specimens and samples will be shared with other departments at UC Davis, including toxicology, analytical chemistry, and genetics, as well as other university laboratories in the country to help determine the cause of death.”

But a definitive cause might never be known.

Blea called sudden death circumstances “frustrating,” and cited a published study that concluded only 53% of sudden equine deaths eventually turn up a definitive diagnosis. A presumptive cause of death is given 25% of the time, with the remaining 22% “unexplained,” he said.

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