Breeders' Cup Challenge Series | Horse Racing Free Tips

Speakeasy Score Gives Amanzi Yimpilo Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Berth

Forwardly placed throughout, eastern-based filly Amanzi Yimpilo rallied under Luis Saez to take Saturday's $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., by a head, defeating seven males in the process while earning a ticket to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Nov. 6 at Keeneland. Trained by Wesley Ward, Amanzi Yimpilo took blinkers off in what was her third start and got 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:02.77.

A first-out maiden turf sprint winner June 10 at Gulfstream Park, Amanzi Yimpoli, who fetched $300,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, was most recently third in an ungraded stakes going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Saratoga on Aug. 19.

“She was pretty nervous behind the gate, we had a little trouble, but I knew she was ready,” said Saez, who was aboard for the first time today. “I could feel the power. She just broke very well and sat in a great spot which was the spot I was (hoping) to be in. When we came down the stretch, she fought. She was a fighter and we got there. I had a feeling we would get it.”

Off as 5-2 second choice in a field of nine that included one other filly, Amanzi Yimpilo paid $7.20, $3.80 and $3.00.

“We worked her a half mile on the dirt and we went wide, we weren't really trying to set the track afire,” said Blake Heap, assistant to Ward regarding Amanzi Yimpilo's lone workout at Santa Anita on Sept. 19. “We wanted to do something to get a feel of the situation here and get a little air. It worked out well. It's onto the Breeders' Cup we hope!”

Wyfire, in his first try on turf, ran a huge second under Flavien Prat, finishing a half length in front of Windy City Red. Off at 7-2, Wyfire paid $4.20 and $3.40.

Ridden by Jose Valdivia, Jr., Windy City Red was off at 16-1 and paid $5.40 to show while outfinishing 2-1 favorite Commander Khai by a neck.

Fractions on the race were 21.89, 44.66 and 56.51.

The Speakeasy Stakes is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, with the winner earning a fees paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

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Firenze Fire Back On Favorite Track, Wins Vosburgh Easily

Second, beaten a nose by Imperial Hint in the 2019 renewal, Mr. Amore Stable's Firenze Fire came from off the pace under jockey Jose Lezcano to win the Grade 2 Vosburgh Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. In so doing, the 5-year-old Florida-bred by Poseidon's Voyage, trained by Kelly Breen, earned an automatic, fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The 2020 Breeders' Cup Sprint will be run at Keeneland Nov. 7 as part of the two-day world championships program.

Racing over his favorite surface, where he won the G1 Champagne at 2, the G3 Dwyer at 3 and the G2 True North Stakes earlier this year, Firenze Fire covered six furlongs on a fast track in 1:09.74. He paid $7.20 to win the Vosburgh, his 12th victory in 29 lifetime starts.

Funny Guy finished second, with pacesetter Share the Ride third, True Timber fourth and Engage last in the field of five after the scratch of Stan the Man.

Firenze Fire was transferred to Breen earlier this year after his former trainer, Jason Servis, was indicted on drug misbranding charges that are part of a federal probe in racehorse doping.

After a fourth-place finish in the G1 Carter Handicap in his first start for Breen, Firenze Fire won the True North and then finished fourth behind Volatile in the G1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga. He came off an 11th-place finish in the slop at Saratoga in the G1 Forego won by Win Win Win.

Share the Ride set the pace in the Vosburgh, going :22.33 for the opening quarter mile and :45.53 for the half. Firenze Fire tracked the leader in second, taking command in the stretch after a five-furlong fraction of :57.36.

“Today, it was a small field, so I wanted to break good and he was in the bridle the whole way,” said Lezcano. “When I asked him at the quarter pole, he took off.”

“I can say he doesn't like the mud [following a last-place effort in G1 Forego],” said Breen. “You can put a line through his last race and he really performed today. He loves Belmont. We'll have to get him as used to Keeneland as he is to Belmont. I'll bring a couple of buckets from here and put it down the Keeneland stretch and bring our track to Keeneland. He's doing great. He looked great today and we're on to the Breeders' Cup [Sprint].”

Ron Lombardi of Mr. Amore Stable said: “I think he's right there [with the best sprinters in the country]. There's no question about it. Kelly has done a fantastic job with him. It's our second win after everything [trainer change] and he's a solid horse. He always delivers and he recovers well. We'll decide after the Breeders' Cup what we're going to do, there's a lot of options but I love racing. If he does well there, it will be a tough decision [to send him to stud].”

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Princess Noor Cruises To Third Consecutive Victory In Chandelier

Zedan Racing Stables' unbeaten Princess Noor stretched out to two turns for the first time in her third career starts, making short work of her four rivals in the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., on Saturday.

Ridden by Victor Espinoza, the Bob Baffert-trained daughter of freshman sire Not This Time won by 8 1/4 lengths, covering 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:45.59 and paying $2.40 as the heavy favorite. Varda completed a Baffert-exacta, finishing second ahead of Miss Costa Rica, with Illumination fourth and Make Mischief trailing the field.

This was Baffert's 12th win in the Chandelier, formerly known as the Oak Leaf Stakes.

The Chandelier is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race, giving an automatic, fees-paid berth in the Juvenile Fillies to the winner.

Breaking from the rail, Espinoza allowed Princess Noor to settle in just behind another Baffert runner, Illumination, who took the field through early fractions of :23.51, :48.28 and 1:12.95 for the opening six furlongs.

Princess Noor shifted to the outside approaching the far turn, quickly put away Illumination on the turn for home and cruised to the wire in hand after a mile fractional time of 1:45.59.

Bred in Kentucky by International Equities Holding Inc., Princess Noor was purchased for $1,350,000 at the OBS April Sale of 2-year-olds in training earlier this year.

“The talent, the energy, the speed!” Espinoza said. “She dominated everyone with the energy she created during the race and I had a lot of confidence in her. Bob knows how to train his horses. She's really kind, and she doesn't need much. She does everything on her own, I'm just the pilot trying to find a way to have a little room to let her run and stretch her legs. It's so easy to ride these types of horses.

“It's my job to ride her with confidence, because I know she was the best filly in the race and I had to ride her like she was the best filly in the race.

“She reminds me of other great horses I used to ride like American Pharoah and California Chrome. The talent is there, we just have to let them be happy around the racetrack. I've been riding amazing horses, but as a filly, she's the best one I've ever ridden.

“It takes a team to have an amazing horse like this. It creates better energy when you have a good team. When all the team is happy and working together and pushing forward, things work out much better.”

Said Baffert: “I talked to Victor (Espinoza) before and I talked to all my riders I told them, 'Just ride your races'. When you are in the one hole they usually don't break as well but I think Victor rode her with a lot of confidence. He's been on enough good horses and he knows. He took his time and I saw the other filly (Illumination) go to the lead and they just rode their own race.

“I saw Victor get behind and I saw that nice move before the three-eighths and you can only do that when you have a Ferrari under you. Turning for home I was one-two-three and I thought, 'This is a nice feeling'. I was hoping the other one (Illumination) would have held on for third.

“This filly is just incredible and very talented. I don't train her as hard and I run her into shape. You never know if they can go two turns until they do it and it looks like that's not going to be a problem.

“This was perfect for her. If you don't have the clientele behind you its hard to get a filly like this but she was just a knock-out, she was something else.”

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Unbeaten Princess Noor Towers Over Competition In Chandelier

With three out of the five runners in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., Bob Baffert would appear to “have 'em surrounded” indeed, as his budding starlet Princess Noor fairly towers over her competitors, based upon two impressive tallies at Del Mar over the summer.

To be run for the 52nd time and won by Baffert a record 11 times, the Chandelier will be contested at a mile and one sixteenth.

Baffert will also be represented by Illumination, who was third, beaten 8 3/4 lengths by Princess Noor in the G1 Del Mar Debutante and by Varda, who was a speedy first out maiden winner going six furlongs on Aug. 30.

Trainer Mark Casse will be represented by two-time Saratoga graded stakes placed filly Make Mischief, a New York-bred daughter of red hot sire Into Mischief, who will try two turns for the first time in her fifth career start.

The Chandelier is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth into the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland on Nov. 6.

PRINCESS NOOR
Owner: Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.
Trainer: Bob Baffert

A $1,350,000 Florida 2-year-old in training sale purchase in April, she's done little wrong in two starts, taking her 5 1/2-furlong debut by 2 1/2 lengths at 3-5 on Aug. 22 and crushing five rivals by 6 1/2 lengths at 3-5 in the G1 Del Mar Debutante going seven furlongs on Sept. 6. With Baffert sending in the plays in the morning and afternoon, regular rider Victor Espinoza would appear to be first and goal with plenty of time left aboard Princess Noor on Saturday.

GRADE II CHANDELIER STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 3 of 11 Approximate post time 1:30 p.m. PT

Princess Noor—Victor Espinoza—122
Make Mischief—Abel Cedillo—122
Varda—Drayden Van Dyke—122
Illumination—Luis Saez—122
Miss Costa Rica—Flavien Prat—122First post time for an 11-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. Although there is no public admittance, fans can follow a live video stream, free of charge, at santaanita.com

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