Bob Baffert | Horse Racing Free Tips

Baffert Appears to Have Stranglehold on Awesome Again

Twice in its last seven runnings, the GI Awesome Again S. has produced the winner of the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, with Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno) and Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) completing the double in 2013 and 2018, respectively. Just a field of five faces the starter this weekend for the nine-furlong test–a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier for the Classic–but the two marquee horses have legitimate claims at Keeneland in six weeks’ time.

Maximum Security (New Year’s Day), whose topsy-turvy championship sophomore season saw him miss a start in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, is on track for this year’s race and looks to remain perfect in three tries for the Bob Baffert barn since being transferred from Jason Servis. Given plenty of time to recover from his hard-fought success in the $20-million Saudi Cup in February, the bay overcame an eventful trip to defeat Midcourt (Midnight Lute) by a nose in the GII San Diego H. at Del Mar July 25, but looked a different sort altogether when taking out the GI TVG.com Pacific Classic, scoring by three front-running lengths in a result that never truly looked in doubt. Luis Saez, who missed the two post-Saudi rides owing to COVID-19 travel restrictions, makes the trek west Saturday.

In the form of stablemate and ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Improbable (City Zip), Maximum Security faces his most formidable rival since besting champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) in Riyadh some seven months ago. A low-odds fifth in last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, the blaze-faced chestnut turned in an enormous effort from a double-digit gate to finish 3/4 of a lengths behind Tom’s d’Etat (Smart Strike) in the Oaklawn Mile Apr. 11. An easy winner of the 10-furlong GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita June 6, he accounted for next-out GII Alysheba S. hero By My Standards (Goldencents) and the slow-starting, but fast-finishing Tom’s d’Etat in the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga Aug. 1.

Midcourt was in receipt of five pounds and had the benefit of recency in the San Diego, but was a no-match third at level weights in the Pacific Classic. He’ll get two pounds under the conditions of this race. Sleepy Eyes Todd (Paddy O’Prado) earned this chance via his powerful 7 1/2-length score in the GII Charles Town Classic Aug. 28, but will need a lot to go his way to be a factor. Take The One O One (Acclamation) comes off a one-mile Del Mar allowance win Aug. 22, but also looks in too deep.

The post Baffert Appears to Have Stranglehold on Awesome Again appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Wide Open Field Of Seven To Contest Sunday’s Tokyo City Cup

In a marathon devoid of any clear standout, Richard Mandella's Tizamagician, Bob Baffert's Azul Coast and John Sadler's Combatant all figure prominently among a field of seven 3-year-olds and up in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Tokyo City Cup, to be contested at a mile and one half at Santa Anita Park.

A gate to wire first condition allowance winner going one mile on Sept. 5 at Del Mar, Tizamagician broke his maiden on Jan. 1 and now has two wins from six starts this year. A non-threatening fifth on turf in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap Aug. 9, Azul Coast was second to his eventual Kentucky Derby winning stablemate Authentic five starts back in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes Jan. 4.

Combatant, an upset winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 7, has been well beaten in three subsequent graded stakes.

TIZAMAGICIAN

Owner: MyRacehorse.com & Spendthrift Farm, LLC

Trainer: Richard Mandella

The only horse in the field to exit a win in his last start, this 3-year-old Tiznow colt will hope to stretch his considerable speed an additional half mile on Sunday. A close fourth to current Preakness hopeful Thousand Words subsequent to his maiden win in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Feb. 1, Tizamagician ran what appears to be the best race of his career on Sept. 5 and will retain the services of Drayden Van Dyke.

AZUL COAST

Owner: Mike Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Fifth, beaten 7 ¾ lengths on turf in the Grade III La Jolla Handicap last time out, Azul Coast showed much promise early, breaking his maiden going one mile at first asking on Dec. 8 at Los Alamitos and then running a respectable second to an outstanding horse in the Grade III, one mile Sham. Last, beaten 13 ½ lengths by Honor A.P. two starts back in the Santa Anita Derby, Azul Coast, a colt by Super Saver, was then a handy 1 ¼ length winner of the El Camino Real Derby three races back at Golden Gate Fields. Ridden by five different jockeys in as many starts, he'll be handled for the first time on Sunday by Luis Saez as he bids for his first graded stakes win in his sixth career start.

COMBATANT

Owner: Hronis Racing, LLC

Trainer: John Sadler

Although a winner at 9-1 of the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap four starts back on March 7, he's been soundly beaten in three consecutive races since; the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap (turf) on Aug. 22, the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on July 25 and the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap May 2. Like the rest of the field, he'll be trying a mile and one half for the first time. With his Big 'Cap win, he does have proven ability at a mile and one quarter but he'll have to overcome an unattractive form cycle with Umberto Rispoli up.

THE GRADE 3 TOKYO CITY CUP WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 10 of 11 Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

Cupid's Claws—Flavien Prat—122
Combatant—Umberto Rispoli—126
Tizamagician—Drayden Van Dyke—118
Bold Endeavor—Tyler Baze—122
Muralist—Juan Hernandez—122
Potantico—Abel Cedillo—122
Azul Coast—Luis Saez—120

First post time for an 11-race card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. Although there is no pubic admittance, Santa Anita's races can be viewed free of charge via the track's livestream video at santaanita.com

The post Wide Open Field Of Seven To Contest Sunday’s Tokyo City Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Unbeaten Princess Noor Headlines Chandelier

Unbeaten ‘TDN Rising Star’ Princess Noor (Not This Time) looks to punch her ticket to the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in Saturday’s ‘Win and You’re In’ GII Chandelier S. at Santa Anita.

After topping the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training at $1.35 million, she ran to the billing with a ‘Rising Star’ performance on debut for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert at Del Mar Aug. 22, then added a facile win in the seven-furlong GI Del Mar Debutante S. last time Sept. 6.

The Zedan Racing Stables colorbearer fired a five-furlong bullet in 1:00 1/5 (1/47) at Santa Anita Sept. 21 for this first two-turn test.

“She’s fast; she’s shown brilliant speed,” Baffert said. “She’s coming back a little quick, but she’s been handling everything we’ve thrown at her, so we’re looking forward to the race.”

Drawn on the fence with regular rider Victor Espinoza aboard, Princess Noor faces only four rivals here, including Baffert-trained stablemates Illumination (Medaglia d’Oro), a well-beaten third in the Debutante and maiden of two career starts; and six-furlong Aug. 30 Del Mar debut winner Varda (Distorted Humor).

Empire-bred Make Mischief (Into Mischief) makes the trip from New York for trainer Mark Casse after three straight runner-up finishes versus stakes company going one turn, most recently completing the exacta versus state-breds in the Seeking the Ante S. at Saratoga Sept. 4.

Miss Costa Rica (Hit It a Bomb) switches to dirt after a visually impressive debut score sprinting on the Del Mar lawn Aug. 28.

The post Unbeaten Princess Noor Headlines Chandelier appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Spielberg Receives Top Billing in American Pharoah

The highly regarded Spielberg (Union Rags) will look to earn his diploma in Saturday’s GI American Pharoah S., a qualifier for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Produced by a winning daughter of Smart Strike, the long-striding $1-million KEESEP yearling purchase figures to appreciate this stretch to two turns off a pair of runner-up finishes behind the talented Dr. Schivel (Violence), including a game effort after dueling throughout in the seven-furlong GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity S. Sept. 7.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert seeks his record 10th victory in this race, named in honor of his 2015 Triple Crown hero, off the heels of wins with Game Winner (2018) and Eight Rings (2019).

“I think Spielberg should like two turns,” Baffert said of the 3-1 morning-line favorite. “They went really fast early in the Futurity and he got beat by a really nice horse. I really think two turns will be better for him, just the way he moves and all. He’s bred for it.”

Weston (Hit It a Bomb) will also try a route for the first time. The narrow GII Best Pal S. winner was third, beaten 5 1/2 lengths, after pressing the pace in the Del Mar Futurity. He became his freshman sire (by War Front)’s first winner at Santa Anita in June, and the Spendthrift stallion’s first stakes and graded stakes winner in the Best Pal.

Waspirant (Union Rags), a son of GI Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic heroine Life Is Sweet (Storm Cat), followed a well-beaten fourth behind Dr. Schivel and Spielberg on debut in a six-furlong special weight with a maiden breaker going a mile at Del Mar Aug. 29. John Shirreffs adds blinkers for this following the win.

The post Spielberg Receives Top Billing in American Pharoah appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post