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Breeders’ Cup Scratches: Amanzi Yimpilo Out Of Juvenile Turf Sprint, Tetragonal Out Of Juvenile Fillies Turf

Early scratches for Friday's Breeders' Cup races at Keeneland have been announced by the racing office.

Wesley Ward trainee Amanzi Yimpilo (15-1) has been ruled out of the Juvenile Turf Sprint, allowing post position 15, Blame The Booze (30-1) to draw in. The 2-year-old son of Blame is also trained by Ward.

Also-eligibles Gypsy King and Trade Deal have been scratched.

Both also-eligibles were scratched from the Juvenile Turf, as well: Barrister Tom and Harlan Estate.

No changes were reported in the Juvenile Fillies.

Tetragonal (20-1), trained by Richard Baltas, has been ruled out of the Juvenile Fillies Turf, allowing Invincible Gal (30-1) to draw in for Graham Motion. Jose Ortiz will ride the 2-year-old daughter of Invincible Spirit from post 15, while Manny Franco will take over the mount on number 13, Union Gables (20-1), for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Also-eligible Snowfall has been scratched.

No changes were reported in the Juvenile.

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Cup Contender Justifies Tinkler’s Belief

LEXINGTON, KY-With the breeze-up sales having been thrown into turmoil in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic this spring, Yorkshire trainer Nigel Tinkler found himself with an important decision in his hands. Breeze-up consignors Roger Marley and John Cullinan, like others in the sector, had begun offering some of their pinhooks privately in an effort to soften the financial blows of the global economic crisis, and Tinkler was offered his choice of colts by Kodiac (GB) and Dandy Man (Ire) for his clients Martin and Lisa Webb.

“We had the choice of two horses and I actually rode them myself, and the Kodiac gave me a good feel so we made the purchase,” explained Tinkler, a former jockey who took out his trainers license in 1982. The Kodiac colt, bred by Derek and Gay Veitch’s Ringfort Stud and bought by Marley and Cullinan for 50,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 1 last year, is now named Ubettabelieveit (Ire), and on Friday he will become the first Breeders’ Cup starter for both Tinkler and the Webbs when he lines up in the five furlong GII Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“If it hadn’t been for Covid we probably wouldn’t have been able to afford him and he’d have made a lot more money at the bloodstock sales,” Tinkler reflected.

Martin Webb, who is visiting Kentucky for the first time this week with his wife Lisa, added, “Nigel picked this horse; there were four horses and two of them sold. There were two left, a Dandy Man and a Kodiac, and I said to Nigel, ‘you ride them and tell me what you like. I want your opinion.’ He got off the Kodiac and said, ‘this is the horse.'”

Tinkler’s premonition, over the last five months, has proven to be spot on. Ubettabelieveit finished fourth on debut at Doncaster over good to soft ground, but has won three of his four subsequent outings over better surfaces. He broke his maiden two weeks later in a Doncaster novice race under Oisin Murphy before taking the Listed National S. at Sandown under the same rider. He was disappointingly eased down to be last of nine when tackling six furlongs for the first time in the G2 Gimcrack S. at York on Aug. 21 after traveling freely early on, but put that blip behind him when reunited with Scott and dropped back down to five for the G2 Flying Childers S. at Doncaster on Sept. 11, winning by a head at 40-1 and giving his trainer his first Group 2 winner on the flat. Lisa Webb said they hadn’t even reached the winner’s enclosure that day before the Breeders’ Cup plan began to come to life. Tinkler said, “we got a text message from Max Pimlott, who works for the International Racing Bureau, to say the horse would definitely get an invite to come here. We could have run him in Newmarket in the [G3] Cornwallis [on Oct. 9] but we chose to take the chance and come here.”

“I’ve been training just under 40 years and it’s great to come here,” Tinkler added. “It’s sad there’s not a lot of people here but I’m still thrilled to be here. We’ve been very well looked after; we’ve been around to quite a few of the stud farms and found it very interesting. The place is just out of this world.”

The circumstances that saw Tinkler and the Webbs-who live in Cheshire and are in the business of road painting–develop a working relationship as well as a friendship were nearly as serendipitous as the ones that saw them wind up with Ubettabelieveit. About six years ago, the Webbs were at a charity dinner where a stable tour was among the auction items. With Martin having had a longtime interest in the game, the Webbs bid on and won the item. The tour was not for Tinkler’s yard, but when the trainer involved was unable to fulfill the engagement the event organizer connected the Webbs with another trainer he knew: Tinkler.

“They’ve been owners with me for five or six years now and we’ve been very fortunate,” Tinkler said. “We’ve had some nice horses, horses that have won at Ascot and Chester; they’ve been very lucky. They’re a lovely couple, they support me 100% and I support them and it’s great we’ve got this relationship.”

“Nigel and his wife, Kim, were both jockeys and Nigel’s father Colin was a trainer and a jockey, so it’s in their blood, as they say, and they live and breathe horses,” Lisa Webb said. “There are a lot of trainers we could have chosen, but with Nigel and Kim, we’re great friends. We’ve had some good times, we’ve been to Italy, to the Palio, with them.”

Martin added, “we’ve been very lucky, to be fair. Some people have these horses for years without having any joy. We’ve basically put all our faith in Nigel, and we can’t knock him; Northern trainers don’t seem to carry the same esteem as the Southern ones in the UK, but he’s done us proud.”

The Webbs and Tinkler are also keeping the faith in Ubettabelieveit’s young rider Rowan Scott, who got the ride back on the horse in the Flying Childers while Oisin Murphy was sitting out a suspension.

“Rowan gave the horse such a great ride [in the Flying Childers], so he deserves the ride here,” Martin said. “We want to support these people coming through. We could have had the pick of the jockeys; Hollie Doyle has won twice for us, Tom Eaves who is here riding Glass Slippers, he’s won for us. But Rowan deserves the ride. It’s a great opportunity for him and he’ll do exactly what you ask him to do. It’s not just another ride to him; he’ll give it everything.”

Tinkler said he thinks Ubettabelieve it has improved since his last run, and that he relies on the horse to tell him what he wants to do.

“He hasn’t had many races this year,” Tinkler said. “Our season basically finishes on Nov. 5; if it had continued a bit longer in England he might have had another run, but on the other hand he really needs good ground. He flew over last Friday and he’s been in tip-top form. He’s grown up a bit since the Flying Childers; he’s grown in height, but he’s also grown mentally. He’s a complete professional now. People have said, ‘what are you going to do with him?’ And I’ve said, ‘I’ll let him tell me what to do with him.’ He’s actually helped me to train him.

“He worked on the turf course [on Wednesday] and went around the bend really well, better than we actually expected, so we’re really looking forward to it. We’ve got a great draw in stall six; the favourite [Wesley Ward’s Golden Pal] has drawn 14 but he’s a very good horse and he’ll still take all the beating. But it gives us a little more of a chance him being drawn out there.”

In the meantime, the Webbs seem set to have plenty more fun in the racing game. Martin spoke of how they just recently retired the very first horse they bought and have kept him, and how they are following another of their former fillies in her new career as a polo horse. Still in their racing stable are the likes of Kaeso (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}), a winner of eight races who ran at Royal Ascot this year; and the 2-year-old gelding Isla Kai (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), who is named for their grandchildren and who won a Redcar maiden at second asking in September. The Webbs bought two yearlings this fall, including Isla Kai’s half-brother by Fast Company (Ire).

The Webbs said they are enjoying themselves so much on their first Breeders’ Cup visit that they’re already looking ahead to 2021.

“For us in England, Royal Ascot is our big meeting, but now the world is our oyster,” Lisa said. “The Breeders’ Cup is at Del Mar next year, so we need a horse to take there, too.”

Martin acknowledged that, as of Thursday morning, the pre-race excitement had already taken hold.

“I normally get nervous on the morning of the race, getting a few butterflies and that, but I’m already getting it now,” he said. “It’s that sort of occasion.”

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‘I’ve Waited A While For This Moment’: Dylan Davis Ready For First Breeders’ Cup Mount

New York-based jockey Dylan Davis has already guided Bryan Hilliard's Second of July to consecutive upset wins and he will look to complete the hat trick in Friday's Grade 2, $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland Race Course.

Davis, a native of Manhasset, New York, will turn 26-years-old on November 15 and he is hoping to celebrate early following his first ever Breeders' Cup mount.

“I want to do the best I can do and hopefully win,” said Davis. “A win would be great, but if we could get in the top four, I'd still be ecstatic. But we've come to win and we're riding to win. I want to get the best placing I can for him and the team.”

Trained by the Saratoga-based Phil Gleaves, who seeks his first Breeders' Cup win in his fourth attempt, Second of July posted a 68-1 upset score in his Sept. 20 debut in a six-furlong maiden allowance sprint on the Belmont Park turf.

Davis said he felt no pressure entering Second of July's debut effort.

“As a first timer, Phil just wanted me to teach him the ways of racing and race dynamics and just let him learn,” said Davis. “We got into a position where I thought we could make a good run, got out in the clear, and he responded. There was a horse that came up on his outside, but he was pretty game about it and we were lucky enough to win first time out. It's nice when a horse will do everything you want him to do and still respond willingly to the wire.

“In general, when I'm riding a longshot, I just want to make sure I get a good trip,” added Davis. “I don't feel like there's not as much pressure, you still want to ride your best race. I try to ride every horse to give them an opportunity to win or get their best placing.”

Second of July, a Kentucky homebred named for the owner's son Reed's date of birth, followed with a second consecutive victory at long odds, besting a seven-horse field at 15-1 in the 130th Grade 3, $100,000 Futurity, earning an automatic entry to the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“He was a lot calmer and he knew what was going on second time out,” said Davis. “He broke OK, not too aggressive, and then we just got involved within the race into the turn and being between horses and letting him settle before making a run like he did first time out. With those two races, being involved with the pack and being able to run through, I think he's ready for tomorrow.”

The Jack Milton chestnut's Futurity score came at the expense of returning-rivals After Five, Momos and County Final, who completed the superfecta last out.

Over the past 13 months, Davis has picked up marquee wins in the 2019 Grade 2 Kelso with Pat On the Back and the Grade 3 Withers with Max Player in February at the Big A.

The up-and-coming rider enters his Breeders' Cup debut off a solid run of form with an impressive rail-skimming effort in the Awad aboard Step Dancer to score a 7-1 upset for trainer Barclay Tagg on Saturday at Belmont.

Davis had guided Step Dancer to a 24-1 maiden win in September on the Saratoga turf and has earned the respect of Tagg's partner and assistant trainer Robin Smullen, who will saddle Breeders' Cup Classic hopeful Tiz the Law on Saturday.

“He rode him beautifully,” said Smullen. “He's learned so much riding in this colony and he certainly looks like he belongs and he's riding like he's right at the top.”

In 2018, Davis guided Tale of Silence to a memorable rail-riding win for Tagg in the Grade 3 Westchester, prevailing by a nose at odds of 12-1 as the distant fourth choice in a five-horse field.

“We've won some good races with Dylan,” said Smullen. “He's had some real good finishes for us. He rode Tale of Silence to his only stakes win and it was a four-horse photo that he won by a nostril.”

Davis said he's been able to grow his skillset exponentially by riding in New York.

“To be able to compete on the NYRA circuit and be involved daily with top riders and Hall of Famers is great,” said Davis. “It's difficult, but you're always learning and striving to be the better you and ride good races. To be on the same track with those guys, you can learn something daily.”

Davis is the son of veteran rider Robbie Davis, who competed in 10 Breeders' Cup events, with a pair of fourth-place finishes his best efforts, including aboard Not Surprising in the 1995 Sprint at Belmont won by Desert Stormer.

He said he talked to his dad on the phone earlier this week and received good advice.

“My dad told me to ride my race, ride smart and know that there's nothing different about this race except the money, so just ride your race and don't put too much pressure on yourself,” said Davis, who also credits retired champion jockey and current America's Day at the Races analyst Richard Migliore, Hall of Fame rider Chris McCarron and Eclipse Award-winning apprentice jockey turned trainer Wesley Ward among his confidantes.

On Friday, Davis will be tasked with negotiating a winning trip from post 13 at a morning-line assessment of 8-1 in a 14-horse field led by the 8-5 Golden Pal.

Gleaves said he is confident in Davis' ability to find a result in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint.

“I imagine he'll be in the second flight. He's a pretty tractable horse,” said Gleaves, whose previous Breeders' Cup starters include Happy Jazz Band [fourth, 1990 Juvenile], Devil on Ice [10th, 1991 Juvenile], and Mambo Meister [fifth, 2009 Dirt Mile]. “Dylan will have to work out a trip from there. The biggest obstacle will be the 14 horses going 5 ½ [furlongs]. It'll be a cavalry charge.”

Davis said he would have preferred a more inside draw, but is already strategizing options.

“I didn't like it at first, but as I've looked through it, I have Golden Pal on my outside and he has a lot of speed,” said Davis. “The 10-horse [Bodenheimer] has a lot of speed and has ran over the course before. Those horses will put a lot of pressure into the early speed, so we might run out with them a little bit and try to get some early position. I don't have the same speed they do, but it should spread the field out a little bit with those horses on the outside. From that post, I might lose some ground, but when the time is right to get some run, I'll be ready to have a clear trip.

“We're battle ready and being in the mix is no problem for him,” added Davis. “Whether he's inside or outside, he does fight to the wire with horses around him. He hasn't won by big margins, but he puts up a fight when horses come up next to him.”

Davis has posted nine wins at Keeneland over the course of his career, the most recent coming in April 2014 aboard Tell All You Know with a prominent performance in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance turf sprint.

“I was here at Keeneland with the bug,” said Davis. “I haven't been here in a while, but I remember the course well and I've been watching the races to see how the course has been playing.”

With no other mounts lined up for Friday's Keeneland card, Davis said he will prepare himself just as he does for his mounts in New York.

“I'll go through my normal routine with a lot of stretching and replay watching,” said Davis. “I only have the one race so I don't have a lot of handicapping to do. I'll get to the jock's room early and watch the races before ours and get a feel of how the turf is playing.

“Before the race, I'll have a bit of a workout to get my body ready,” he added. “It's just one race so I have to make sure that I'm all stretched out and ready to go when the gates open.”

And Davis said he is looking forward to the biggest moment of his career thus far, having put in the hard work day in and day out against the toughest jockey colony on the continent.

“I've learned fast,” said Davis. “A lot of good horses come through New York and I was hoping to find one of my own and now here he is – Second of July – I've waited a while for this moment and I know I'm ready for it.”

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Clement, Hoping For First Breeders’ Cup Win, Works Pair For Future Stars Friday Races

Trainer Christophe Clement sent out a pair of Breeders' Cup probables to the main track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., early Sunday, with Plum Ali [Juveniles Fillies Turf] breezing three-eighths in 36.11 and Momos [Juvenile Turf Sprint] clocked in 35.20 over a Big Sandy track labeled fast.

Clement said he was pleased with both efforts before the pair ship to Lexington, Ky., for the Breeders' Cup Future Stars Friday at Keeneland. Plum Ali galloped out in 48.37 while Momos went in 49.22, according to DRF.

“They had an easy work on dirt and looked great,” Clement said. “I'm very happy with the two of them. They came back in good shape. Now, it's just about keeping them happy as they ship off to Kentucky tomorrow, and we'll go from there.”

The duo will look to give Clement his first career Breeders' Cup win after a slew of close calls, with the conditioner saddling six runners-up, six third-place finishes and eight fourth-place efforts in 38 previous starts entering this year's World Championships from November 6-7.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables, Plum Ali will put her 3-for-3 record on the line in the $1 million contest going one mile. The First Samurai filly made a successful debut on July 23 at Saratoga, posting a come-from-behind two-length victory going 1 1/16 miles. Cut back to the Juvenile Fillies Turf distance in her stakes debut, she again tracked the early speed before showing great closing speed, powering home a 2 ¾-length victor in the Mint Juvenile Fillies on September 7 at Kentucky Downs.

Stepping up to graded stakes company, Plum Ali improved her Beyer Speed Figure for a third consecutive race, netting an 82 for her 2 1/4-length win in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Miss Grillo on October 4 over firm Belmont turf.

Momos, owned by Ironhorse Racing Stable and Secure Investments, also posted a debut win at the Spa, winning by 6 ½ furlongs over the main track on July 18. The son of Distorted Humor stayed on the same surface for a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on August 7 before making his turf debut last out with a third-place effort – one length behind winner Second of July – in the Grade 3 Futurity going six furlongs on October 11 at Belmont.

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