Bobby Flay | Horse Racing Free Tips

First Captain Sails to Dwyer Win

West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Bobby Flay and Woodford Racing's First Captain (Curlin) remained unbeaten with an authoritative victory in the GIII Dwyer S. at Belmont Park Monday. Sent off the 2-5 favorite, First Captain raced at the back of the five-horse field as Ridin With Biden (Constitution) set the pace under a snug hold through an opening quarter in :23.47. The pacesetting longshot was still a length in front after a half in :46.67, but First Captain was tipped out for clear sailing at the top of the lane and loomed an ominious presence outside the tiring frontrunner. The long-striding colt took a moment to put it all together before rolling to the lead with a furlong to run and pulled away to score by 1 3/4 lengths.

“He was behind horses and took some dirt,” winning jockey Jose Ortiz said of his trip. “They were running. They went [:46.67] and when I put him in the clear, it took me awhile to get into high gear, but when he did it, he used that beautiful stride of his. He went by them as he is supposed to and he galloped out really good. I think he's going to improve with distance.”

West Point Thoroughbreds president Terry Finley expects First Captain to only improve from here.

“He's never going to be a horse that just dazzles you, but you can tell he's just starting to get going,” said Finley. “We're very happy with him. We would have loved to have got him a little farther in his third start, but it just wasn't to be. We were going back and forth to run in the [July 30 nine-furlong] Curlin S. [at Saratoga], but this spot came up and it was too attractive. Now, I guess we can go to the [July 31 GII] Jim Dandy S. or wait for the [Aug. 28 GI Runhappy] Travers S.”

First Captain, a $1.5-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, debuted a winner going seven furlongs at Belmont Apr. 24 and was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' after being headed and battling back to win a one-mile allowance May 29.

His charge's progression through his first three starts has impressed trainer Shug McGaughey.

“He was a lot more steady today,” McCaughey said. “I knew he was winning his first two races on ability, but I didn't really know what to think of him. Today, he showed me something, especially that two turns is going to be in the bag, I think. I liked the way he took the dirt; he took it a lot better today than he did the last time. He was a little farther back than I thought he would be. But that's why they are what they are.”

Of a potential next start in the Jim Dandy, McGaughey said, “We'll take a look at it. I'll see how he comes back and how he is when he gets up there. That would be the best-case scenario. I'm glad to get this one.”

Pedigree Notes:

Breeder Bobby Flay purchased First Captain's second dam Lacadena privately after the stakes-placed mare RNA'd for $1.4 million at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Her daughter America, who RNA'd for $725,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September sale, won the GIII Turnback the Alarm H. and was third in the GI Mother Goose S. and GI Delaware H. First Captain is her first foal. She also has an unraced 2-year-old filly named American Caviar (Curlin), a yearling colt by Uncle Mo and she produced a Curlin filly this year. America RNA'd for $3.1-million while carrying the Uncle Mo colt at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

Lacadena is also the dam of Paris Bikini (Bernardini), who produced last year's GI Coaching Club American Oaks winner Paris Lights (Curlin). Paris Bikini has a weanling filly by Uncle Mo and a yearling colt by Always Dreaming.

First Captain's third dam, Butterfly Blue (Ire), is a half-sister to broodmare of the year Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister).

First Captain is the 44th graded winner for Curlin. He is the 113th graded winner out of an A.P. Indy mare and the fourth sired by Curlin. The same cross produced last year's GI Woodward S. winner Global Campaign (Curlin).

Monday, Belmont Park
DWYER S.-GIII, $242,500, Belmont, 7-5, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.19, ft.
1–FIRST CAPTAIN, 118, c, 3, by Curlin
1st Dam: America (GSW & MGISP, $580,532), by A.P. Indy
2nd Dam: Lacadena, by Fasliyev
3rd Dam: Butterfly Blue (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($1,500,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm LLC, Bobby Flay & Woodford Racing, LLC; B-B Flay Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III; J-Jose L Ortiz. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $237,600. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
2–Ridin With Biden, 118, c, 3, Constitution–Allemande, by Medaglia d'Oro. ($80,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $85,000 2yo '20 EASMAY). O-Cash is King LLC & LC Racing; B-William Harrigan & Mike Pietrangelo (KY); T-Robert E Reid Jr. $50,000.
3–Snow House, 118, c, 3, Twirling Candy–Structure, by Bernardini. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Brad H Cox. $30,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, 7HF. Odds: 0.40, 11.70, 3.05.
Also Ran: Gershwin, Civil War.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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First Captain Takes Next Step in Dwyer

Two-for-two 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin) takes the next logical step in Monday's GIII Dwyer S. at Belmont Park. The $1.5-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga co-topper defeated subsequent winner and 'Rising Star' recipient Mahaamel (Into Mischief) in their respective debuts going a furlong shorter here Apr. 24, then doubled up in a track-and-trip allowance in the slop May 29, good for a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

First Captain is owned by a powerful conglomerate led by West Point Thoroughbreds and conditioned by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey.

“We're super excited and it's a wonderful and really powerful partnership assembled,” West Point's Terry Finley said. “We've got Siena Farm, who we owned part of the [2017 GI] Kentucky Derby winner [Always Dreaming] with, Woodford who are a part of the Lanes' End partnership and, of course, [First Captain's breeder] Bobby Flay. He breeds really good horses and is just one of the many class horses he bred. I remember when his mother ran and Bobby owned her, too. Everyone is excited. This is what you go to these yearling sales for.”

The First Captain team is hopeful their charge can stake his claim on a wide-open 3-year-old division during this second half of the season.

“We know that there are moving parts in every division,” Finley said. “You have horses that come back from the Triple Crown in races like the Haskell and Jim Dandy. We'd like to think that he would be able to throw his hat in the ring. The beautiful part of our industry is that it doesn't matter what we think or what we say, what matters is what the horse does on the track. Opinions don't matter, it's all about getting to the wire first.”

Juddmonte homebred Snow House (Twirling Candy) appears to be First Captain's main challenger. After finishing fourth on debut over the Fair Grounds turf in March, he has reeled off back-to-back wins of his own for Brad Cox, at Keeneland Apr. 21 and in a Churchill optional claimer May 29. Godolphin's Gershwin (Distorted Humor–Music Note) scratched out of Delaware's GIII Kent S. Saturday for this. He was last seen taking the rained-off GIII Penn Mile in the slop May 28.

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Curlin Colt Fights Back to Become ‘Rising Star’

West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Bobby Flay and Woodford Racing's regally bred $1.5-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga '19 co-topper First Captain (Curlin) snatched victory from the jaws of defeat Saturday to go two-for-two and garner the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction. The chestnut got going late to get up over seven panels here Apr. 24, earning a 94 Beyer Speed Figure in the process, and was even-money to continue his promising trajectory. Pressing out in the clear among a compact field through splits of :23.69 and :47.17, First Captain seemed to come under a bit of a ride leaving the bend as 4-year-old Hometown (Constitution) tipped out and swept to the lead. Jose Ortiz kept after First Captain, however, and the chalk fought back on the inside despite Hometown making it tight on him to prevail by a length in 1:36.10.

Breeder and co-owner Bobby Flay's entry point into First Captain's prolific family was via the colt's stakes-placed second dam Lacadena (Fasliyev), who he purchased privately after she RNA'd for $1.4 million at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Lacadena's dam is a half-sister to none other than Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister), the second dam of another McGaughey-trained stand-out sophomore in GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. and GIII Holy Bull S. hero Greatest Honour (Tapit). America went on to take the 2015 GIII Turnback the Alarm H. after hitting the board in both the GI Mother Goose S. and GI Delaware H. The $725,000 KEESEP '12 RNA was bought back for $3.1 million at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November sale carrying an Uncle Mo colt. She had produced a full sister to First Captain earlier that year and foaled another Curlin filly this Feb. 28.

The family got even stronger last year when Paris Lights (Curlin), out of America's half-sister Paris Bikini (Bernardini), took the GI Coaching Club American Oaks. Paris Lights annexed the GIII Distaff H. last month. Flay sold Lacadena for $1.3 million in foal to Bernardini at the 2015 Keeneland November sale, and Paris Bikini to WinStar for $425,000 at KEEJAN '16. Paris Bikini brought $1.95 million in foal to Uncle Mo at last year's FTKNOV.

West Point, Siena, Woodford and other partners unveiled another pricey and promising colt on the same day that First Captain debuted–the John Sadler-trained Flightline (Tapit) was one of the more impressive first-out winners in recent memory when scoring by 13 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita and earning the 'TDN Rising Star' nod. That $1-million Saratoga grad has not yet worked back since his debut.

3rd-Belmont, $89,240, Alw, 5-29, (NW1$X), 3yo/up, 1m, 1:36.10, sy, 1 length.
FIRST CAPTAIN, c, 3, Curlin
               1st Dam: America (GSW & MGISP, $580,532), by A.P. Indy
                2nd Dam: Lacadena, by Fasliyev
                3rd Dam: Butterfly Blue (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $100,100. Click for the Equibase.com chart, VIDEO, sponsored by TVG or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm LLC, Bobby Flay & Woodford Racing, LLC; B-B. Flay Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. *$1,500,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG.

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Velazquez Pilots Spice Is Nice To Confident Win In Allaire DuPont

Jockey John Velazquez hoped Friday's Grade 3 Allaire DuPont Stakes would signal good fortune to come as he guided Spice Is Nice to a confident victory on the Black-Eyed Susan undercard. The Todd Pletcher trainee came out of the gate easily in the 1 1/8-mile contest and Velazquez later said he would have been happy to sit third or fourth, but found himself tucked in next to early leader Dreamalildreamofu so he allowed his mount to stay where she seemed happy. Spice Is Nice remained comfortable on the outside of her rival and got a nose out in front on the turn. Dreamalildreamofu did not give up easily, fighting back through the turn and throughout the stretch, while both turned away a brief bid by closing long shot Landing Zone.

The final time was 1:48.71.

Dreamalildreamofu held on for second, while Getridofwhatailesu was third. Horologist, who was the 8-5 favorite, was fourth.

See the full chart here.

Spice Is Nice went off at odds of 2-1 and paid $6.60 to win.

The race is the first graded stakes win for the 4-year-old, who is owned by Robert and Lawana Low. The chestnut came to the race off an allowance/optional claimer win at Keeneland on April 9. She was bred in Kentucky by B Flay Thoroughbreds and is the daughter of Curlin and Bernardini mare Dame Dorothy. The filly was sold as a yearling at Keeneland September for $1.05 million to the Lows and West Bloodstock, having been consigned by Stone Farm.

The fractional times were :23.54, :47.62, 1:11.15, and 1:35.93.

$150,000 Allaire du Pont (G3) Quotes, courtesy Pimlico press office

Winning trainer Todd Pletcher (Spice is Nice): “She's a filly we've always thought a lot of. I trained her mother. She's a big strong filly that took a little time to get it all together. After the Alabama last year, she just lost some weight and we needed to regroup and gave her some time off. It seems like it has paid dividends. She's come back, put on some weight. We had a perfect prep race back and felt like this was good timing and knew she would handle the mile and an eighth.

“When she came by the wire the first time I was very happy. We weren't exactly sure who all was going to show some speed. Our main focus was just getting her away in good order and getting her into a good rhythm. When she does that she's very effective.”

Winning jockey John Velazquez (Spice Is Nice): “We talked about it with Todd. There didn't seem like a lot of speed. [Trainer Shug] McGaughey's filly (#6 Mrs. Danvers) showed a little speed but not on a fast pace. So does the [Trainer Bill] Mott filly (#5 Horologist). The only horse that showed a little speed was the horse inside who had the lead going into the first turn. So we thought we might as well come out of there running and get a position. And if those two horses go, we can sit third or fourth and I ended up having the lead by the time we got to the backstretch. She was doing it comfortably, so I was pleased the way she was doing it. She's not used to being that close and then on the lead. She was waiting for the competition to come to her. So she kind of fooled with the horse inside of her, but she was waiting.”

“We always liked this filly since she was very young. She's a big filly. She's kind of come back better this year. She's stronger mentally and kind of put it all together.”

Trainer Brad Cox (Dreamalildreamofu, 2^nd); Getridofwhatailesu, 3^rd): “I super-pleased with the effort [of Dreamalildreamofu]. She kind of got pressed a little ways around but she stayed on well. I'm really proud of her.

“[Getridofwhatailesu] ran well, too. She rallied for third. She was last, stayed down on the inside, then came running to finish well.”

Jockey Florent Geroux (Dreamalildreamofu, 2^nd): “She ran a big race. It set up with nice honest fractions. The winner was right next to us. It looked like she was trying to come back on her at the eighth pole. The winner was just the best filly down the lane.

“She won very easy in New Orleans. Usually when you win by that many lengths (9 ¼) you're hoping for big things. She won the last time on the synthetic. Stakes winner, graded stakes-placed. I'm sure the connections are happy. She ran hard down the lane, but the winner was just a little bit better today.”

Jockey Junior Alvarado (Horologist, beaten favorite; 4^th): “I had a great trip, right where I wanted to be. One thing I just found out today is she doesn't want to be covered up. The couple times I have won on her she's been outside in the clear. When she was covered up like that she dropped the bridle and after that and didn't really take me through. It was a great trip but she doesn't want to be inside covered up.”

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