Breeders' Cup Win and You're In | Horse Racing Free Tips

Astronaut Launches $50 Shocker In Del Mar Handicap, Ensuring Spot In Breeders’ Cup Turf

John M.B. O'Connor's Astronaut returned $50.00 for a $2 wager when he captured Saturday's Grade 2, $302,500 Del Mar Handicap Presented by the Japan Racing Association by half a length at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The 4-year-old Quality Road colt out of the German-bred mare Armanda, by Acatenango, had Hall of Fame rider Victor Espinoza aboard as they tracked the early leaders, swung out entering the stretch, then outran his 10 rivals to take down a first prize of $180,000. He was winning only the second race of his career and he increased his earnings to $285,860. He's trained by John Shirreffs.

Fernando-Diaz-Valdez Stable, Baalbek Corporation and Don Alberto Stable's Master Piece ran second, a neck in front of Ellwood Johnson Trust, Timmy Time and Ken Tevelde's Acclimate. The winner covered the mile and three-eighths on turf in 2:15.97.

Astronaut paid $50.00, $21.20 and $10.60 for his upset. Master Piece returned $25.00 and $14.80, while Acclimate paid off at $8.00.

Besides his winning purse, Astronaut also earned his owner an all-entry-fees-paid admission to the $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf, scheduled to be run at Del Mar on Saturday, November 6.

The Del Mar Handicap was Espinoza's only mount of the day and his first ride since Aug. 12.

“This didn't surprise me,” Espinoza said. “I thought in his last race he was a little too close. And, I think the race (San Juan Capistrano) was a little too far for him, so we changed the way he ran a little bit today. I just let him break and get into rhythm. If he was happy, I was happy. He wasn't up on the bridle and running so easily that when we got to the half-mile pole, I started to get a little excited. When I asked him, he finished strong for me, and it makes me happy to win this race for John (trainer Shirreffs). We have a very good relationship. He's always been there for me and I've been there for him. He's been there for me a little more lately.”

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Shirreffs said the win “puts a nice bandage” on the defeat sustained by Express Train, the horse he saddled as the betting favorite in the G1 TVG Pacific Classic one race earlier on the day.

“I'm just so happy for Astronaut and his connections; they are really great owners and it's great to win for them. We wanted to run him long, but we weren't sure how long and when he ran so well going a mile and three-quarters (second in the San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita, June 19) it seemed like this was possible.”

Astronaut was making his ninth career start in the Del Mar Handicap and recording just his second victory. He began his career with trainer Steve Asmussen, racing once in an Aqueduct maiden sprint in December 2019, then was transferred to Tom Albertrani. He was winless in two starts on turf on the East Coast in 2020 for Albertrani before being moved to Southern California and Shirreffs' barn. He won his second start for Shirreffs going 1 1/8 miles, then was a close second to Tripoli in a May 1, 2021, allowance race at Santa Anita.

Tripoli won the Pacific Classic a half hour before the Del Mar Handicap.

Following another runner-up finish on turf at Santa Anita, Astronaut finished second behind Acclimate in the G3 San Juan Capistrano at 1 3/4 miles.

Acclimate set fractions of :25.24, :49.25, 1:14.28, 1:39.32 and 2:04.05 en route to Astronaut's winning time of 2:15.97 on firm turf.

United, the 2-1 favorite under leading rider Flavien Prat, lost a three-way photo for second, beaten three-quarters of a length while fourth. He lacked room on the turn for home and in upper stretch while Espinoza and Astronaut had clear sailing on the outside.

The win was the first stakes victory of the meet for rider Espinoza, but his third in the Del Mar Handicap. He now has 106 stakes wins at Del Mar, third most among all riders.

The win was the second stakes win of the meeting for trainer Shirreffs and his second in the Del Mar Handicap (After Market, 2007). He now has 19 stakes wins at Del Mar.

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‘Stormy’ Forecast Ahead in Fourstardave

The contingent behind MGISW Got Stormy (Get Stormy) has been carefully monitoring the weather this week as the 6-year-old turf specialist prepares for her third appearance in Saratoga's GI Fourstardave H. Possible scattered overnight thunderstorms leading up to Saturday's card could soften the turf more than the fan-favorite mare would prefer.

“For a horse named Got Stormy, she doesn't like much rain,” her recently inducted Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said. “If the turf gets soft on Saturday, a mile is stretching her distance ability. We'll see what happens, but we're keeping our fingers crossed.”

Got Stormy became the first female in history to win the mile-long Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge in 2019, besting MGISW Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), one of the expected favorites in this year's edition of the race, as well as eventual Eclipse champion Uni (GB) (More Than Ready) on the firm turf. Her win in 1:32 flat was a course-record time.

During last year's renewal of the event over a softer course, Got Stormy finished second just over a length behind wire-to-wire victor Halladay (War Front).

“Last year we weren't supposed to get rain and the morning of the race, it stormed,” Casse recalled. “There was a little give in the ground and it probably cost her the race.”

Later last year, a day after finishing fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, Got Stormy sold for $2.75 million at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November Sale to Spendthrift Farm. Now co-owned by My Racehorse Stable, the chestnut returned this year with a score in the GIII Honey Fox S. followed by a pair of disappointing fifth-place finishes in the GII Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. and GI Jackpot Jaipur S.

Her recent absence from the winner's circle is not a big concern for Casse, who believes the mare has blossomed since her return to the Spa last month.

“I see a lot of similarities from last year to this year,” he said. “She struggled a little bit before she got to Saratoga last year and then she ran a great race in the Fourstardave. She gets better in the summer and fall. I think a lot of it has to do with how she loves training here and she tends to blossom at Saratoga.”

He continued, “Tyler Gaffalione worked her [on Aug. 1] and he came back with a big smile and said, 'She's back.' So if Tyler is happy, I'm happy. Looking at the race, one of the things she likes is to have a target. There seems to be a fair amount of speed and it's something she hasn't gotten recently, so it should play out well.”

Raging Bull (inside) worked in company with three-time Grade I winner Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) on Aug. 8. | Sarah Andrew

Got Stormy will face a field of seven other rivals on Saturday.

Raging Bull, the 2019 second-place finisher, made his six-year-old debut at Keeneland this spring with a two-length victory in the GI Maker's Mark Mile S. The three-time Grade I winner and Chad Brown pupil enters Saturday's race following a nail-biting close second to Oleksandra (Aus) (Animal Kingdom) in the GIII Poker S.

“He's still going strong at age six and he's really doing as well as he's ever done,” said Brown, who has yet to win the prestigious Grade I turf contest. “His race at Keeneland was dynamite-one of his best ever. Last time out, he just got in some trouble and was kind of stuck inside. Hopefully he has a better trip this time.”

Fellow Chad Brown-trained, Peter Brant-owned entry Blowout (GB) (Dansili {GB}) looks to get the lead early, but will have to do so from the eight hole. The 5-year-old mare made it to the winner's circle in the GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. in her only start this year.

Brown explained that the speedy Blowout is not in the race to set up Raging Bull.

“She has a little bit of a layoff to overcome, but she's very dangerous if she gets to the front and has things her way,” Brown said. “She should be setting the pace but make no mistake, she's in the race to win. If she can get around there on an easy pace, I'm fine with that. I don't want to get beat by a horse that is loose on the lead either. If someone wins loose on the lead, it's going to be her.”

Other top considerations in the field include Set Piece (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who has gone undefeated in his last three starts at Churchill Downs this year for Brad Cox and was last seen besting a 10-horse field in the GII Wise Dan S. on June 26., as well as Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed), who also enters coming off a win in the GI Jackpot Jaipur S. for trainer Bill Mott.

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Victory In ‘Win and You’re In’ Whitney Would Give Silver State Breeders’ Cup Options

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's Silver State has thrived since returning from a seven-month hiatus in October, demonstrating class and determination with gradual steps up the ladder from allowance winner to Grade 1 winner.

On Saturday, the talented Hard Spun bay will face off against some of the best older horses in the handicap division in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Whitney at Saratoga race course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Silver State's hot streak commenced at allowance level, when successfully notching his conditions at Keeneland and Churchill Downs last fall. He brought his winning form to Arkansas with a trio of stakes victories at Oaklawn Park.

After a hard-fought outside stretch run in the Jan. 23 Fifth Season, he fended off graded stakes winning veteran Rated R Superstar to capture the Essex on March 13.

Silver State made the grade next out in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on April 17, where he was little further off the pace than usual, racing along the rail and taking some kickback down the backstretch. Approaching upper stretch, he was tipped out several paths wide and took command inside the eighth pole to win a by a half-length.

Silver State upped his win streak to six with a one-length score in the Grade 1 Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on Belmont Stakes Day June 5, where he cut back to one turn and defeated fellow Whitney-aspirants By My Standards and Knicks Go.

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Despite the high hopes, things did not always come easy for Silver State. Following solid placings in the Grade 3 Lecomte [2nd] and Grade 2 Risen Star [3rd] at Fair Grounds in early 2020, he was put to the sidelines following a distant seventh in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at the New Orleans oval.

“Early in his 3-year-old year he behaved like he'd be a really good horse. Hence, why he ran in the Derby prep series in New Orleans,” said Winchell Thoroughbreds racing and bloodstock advisor David Fiske. “He probably just needed to grow up a little bit and fill out. Mentally, he's always been fine. Silver State never had any issues. He's always been a solid horse. When we brought him back in the fall, he was a bigger, stronger version of himself.”

The Whitney is a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” event, offering an automatic entry into the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on November 6 at Del Mar. With a victory in the Met Mile under his belt, the option of pursuing the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile remains under consideration.

“He's kind of standing in the median of the interstate at the moment,” Fiske said. “We haven't really explored a mile and quarter but we're going to run him on Saturday. It's a 'Win And You're In for the Classic,' so it would be nice to have.”

Asmussen and Winchell previously joined forces to capture the 2017 Whitney with Gun Runner. The subsequent Breeders' Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year experienced an unusual addition of weight when pacesetting longshot Cautious Giant sprung a horseshoe high into the air, eventually getting entangled in Gun Runner's tail.

“I even suggested to Steve we tie a horseshoe to Silver State's tail and see if that helps,” Fiske quipped. “For Gun Runner's Whitney, we just flew up for the day. We went to the races, went out for a celebratory dinner and then flew home. I guess that made the day more memorable. The horseshoe in the tail and then Gun Runner being Gun Runner made for a big day.”

In 2017, all eyes were on Gun Runner, who went into the Whitney gate as the 3-5 favorite. Silver State, made 6-1 on the morning line, is a part of a more evenly-matched field which includes Grade 1-winner Maxfield and 2020 Preakness-winning filly Swiss Skydiver in addition to 6-5 morning-line favorite Knicks Go and By My Standards.

“You're going to have to really earn this one. It's a small but quality field,” Fiske said.

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Shedaresthedevil Romps In Clement L. Hirsch, Earns Breeders’ Cup Distaff Spot

Flurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing Limited or Big Aut Farms' Shedaresthedevil walked her beat Sunday at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, Calif., and came away a handy 3 1/4-length winner of the Grade 1, $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes.

The big bay daughter of Daredevil broke smartly, sat just behind the speed, then went to the front when rider Florent Geroux gave her the signal on the far turn and left little doubt as to who the best horse was Sunday in the 1 1/16-mile headliner.

Trainer Brad Cox sent assistant Eric Gary west with his 4-year-old and he watched her cover the distance in 1:45.38, drawing away from her rivals at the finish.

Running second in the Hirsch was the pacesetter, Ciagila Racing, Highland Yard, et al's Venetian Harbor, who had 3 1/4 lengths on Mathiesen Racing, Feghali, et al's Paige Anne. Fractions were :23.30, :47.21, 1:11.77 and 1:38.33.

Shedaresthedevil, who went off at 13-10, returned $4.60, $2.60 and $2.60 across the board. Venetian Harbor paid $3.20 and $3.60 and Paige Anne returned $5.80 to show.

“I'm very pleased,” said Geroux. “The idea was to get her to break alertly, then get a good spot. That's exactly what happened. She ran her race today and she's very good when she does. I'd have to say she's up there with the best mares I've ever ridden. And his is her third Grade 1 win. And the fact that she showed she can run well on the track where the Breeders' Cup will be held, that's a good thing, too.”The win was worth $180,000 to Shedaresthedevil and pushed her sizable bankroll past the $2 million mark to $2,047,318. She now has won eight of 15 starts with two seconds and four thirds besides.

The Hirsch was a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff, which will be run at Del Mar on November 6 at nine furlongs. Shedaresthedevil earned a fees-paid berth in the Distaff.

“We sat right off the lead, nice, calm and relaxed and when it was time to go she showed up like she was supposed to,” said Gary, Cox's assistant. “We had a good stalking position and when I saw they went the half in :47, I thought we were going to be OK. Being around her this morning, I had a really good feeling that she was going to run big today. She flies back tomorrow (to Kentucky) with some other horses and then I guess she'll be back in November. ”

The track's Pick Six Single Ticket Jackpot wager carried over for the eighth straight day. The sum that will be in the pool when racing resumes Thursday starting at 2 p.m. will now be $686,925.

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