Breeders' Cup | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Really On His Game Right Now’: Maxfield Headed To Saratoga, May Point To Whitney

Godolphin's homebred Maxfield has exited his victory in the Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes in good order and shipped to Saratoga on Monday, trainer Brendan Walsh told the Daily Racing Form. The 4-year-old son of Street Sense could target the G1 Whitney Stakes on Aug. 7 for his next start, another “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Maxfield has won seven of his eight career starts, beaten for the only time when third in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap earlier this year.

“It seems like since he got beat at Santa Anita, he's really turned a corner,” Godolphin's Jimmy Bell told DRF. “It's like it woke him up, maybe even toughened him up. He is really on his game right now.”

Ce Ce Expected To Be Favorite In Saturday’s ‘Win And You’re In’ Princess Rooney

Bo Hirsch LLC's Ce Ce, a multiple Grade 1 stakes winner trained by Michael McCarthy, is expected to be a solid favorite in Saturday's $350,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

The 5-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality is scheduled to ship from Southern California to South Florida on Tuesday.

Ce Ce is the most accomplished of 11 fillies and mares on the final invitation list to run in the seven-furlong Breeders' Cup 'Win and In' race that will headline the annual Summit of Speed program that will also feature the $200,000 Smile Sprint Invitational (G3), a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up.

McCarthy shipped 2018 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner City of Light from his base at Santa Anita to Gulfstream for a triumph in the 2019 Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1),

Ce Ce captured the Beholder Mile (G1) at Santa Anita and the Apple Blossom (G1) at Oaklawn last year, who saddled City of Light for a victory in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream in 2019. The 5-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality has raced twice this year, debuting with a 3 ¼-length victory in a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance April 17 before coming up short in a fourth-place finish in the two-turn Santa Maria (G2) a month later.

Gary Barber's Laura's Light, a Grade 2 stakes winner on turf, also represents Southern California on the final invitational list for the Princess Rooney. The 4-year-old daughter of Constitution, who is trained by Peter Miller, is coming off a victory in the off-the-turf Ouija Board Stakes at Lone Star Park.

Holly Hill Stables LLC's Pacific Gale, who captured the Inside Information (G2) and Hurricane Bertie (G3) during Championship Meet, has an invitation to return to Gulfstream to try to pick up where she left off. The 6-year-old daughter of Flat Out has finished third in the Vagrancy (G3) and fourth in the Bed o' Roses (G3) at Belmont since leaving South Florida.

Medallion Racing and partners' Estilo Talentoso, who captured the June 4 Bed o' Roses last time out, is invited to seek her third victory and second stakes success at Gulfstream. The Juan Arriagada-trained 4-year-old daughter of Maclean's Music is Grade 1 stakes-placed twice this year prior to her first graded-stakes win at Belmont.

2W Stables LLC's Bronx Beauty, who finished second in the Sugar Swirl (G3) during Gulfstream's Championship Meet and second last time out in the Politely at Monmouth Park, is also on the final list.

e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Sound Machine, who finished second behind Pacific Gale in the Hurricane Bertie and won the seven-furlong Musical Romance for Florida-bred fillies and mares last time out, won't have to travel far to accept an invitation to run in Princess Rooney.

Windylea Farm LLC's Thissmytime, who finished second behind Pacific Gale in the Inside Information, is also among the locally based horses receiving an invitation to run in the Princess Rooney. Other locally based horses include Heiressall, Hallawallah and Competitive Speed.

Entries for the $200,000 Smile are expected to include multiple Grade 2 winner Diamond Oops, 2020 Florida Derby (G1) runner-up Shivaree, graded stakes placed Double Crown and Frosted Grace, and stakes winner Chance It.

Racing will be conducted on Summit of Speed Week Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. There will also be a mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 Wednesday. First race post is 12:50 p.m.

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Haskell Might Come ‘Too Soon’ For Medina Spirit, Baffert Says

Bob Baffert told the Daily Racing Form on Sunday that the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 17 might not be in play for his Kentucky Derby first-place finisher Medina Spirt. The embattled trainer had previously suggested the Haskell as the colt's likely first start since finishing third in the Preakness Stakes.

“It might get here too soon,” Baffert told DRF. “I freshened him a little bit, but he's training every day.”

The Haskell is a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Classic this fall at Del Mar.

Medina Spirit has only breezed once since the May 15 Preakness, a three-furlong move at Santa Anita in 37.60 seconds on June 14.

The Protonico colt's Derby win is in jeopardy due to a positive post-race test result for betamethasone, a therapeutic medication that is not allowed on race day. Baffert and his attorney have claimed the positive is a result of a topical cream used to treat a case of dermatitis on the colt's hindquarters. Though the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has not yet held a hearing, required to disqualify Medina Spirit, but Baffert and his attorney have already filed suit against the commission asking a judge to grant further testing of the post-race samples.

Chrono Genesis Wins Her Second Takarazuka Kinen, Earns Spot In Breeders’ Cup Turf

Sunday Racing's 5-year-old mare Chrono Genesis (JPN) took the lead in deep stretch and won Sunday's $3 million, 1 3/8-mile Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin Racecourse in Takarazuka, Japan by 2 ¾ lengths and earned an automatic berth and fees paid into the $4 million Grade 1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 84 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 5-6.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Chrono Genesis, to start in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, which will be run at 1 ½ miles on the Del Mar turf course. Breeders' Cup also will provide a travel allowance of $40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.

The odds-on favorite in the 62nd Takarazuka Kinen, Chrono Genesis, a bay daughter of Bago (FR) out of the Kurofune mare Chronologist (JPN), covered the 1 3/8 miles in 2:10.9 over a course listed as good to firm. Trained by Takashi Saito and ridden for the first time by Christophe Lemaire, Chrono Genesis improved her record to eight wins in 15 starts. She also became the third horse this year to earn a “Win and You're In” berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, joining Cool Day (ARG), who won the Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini (G1) at Palermo in Argentina, and Love (IRE), who captured Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot.

Facing 12 rivals, Chrono Genesis broke well from post seven and settled around fifth while eyeing the 7-2 second choice Lei Papale (JPN), a 4-year-old filly who came into the race unbeaten in six starts. Though surrounded by horses entering the lane, Chrono Genesis waited until finding an open space 300 meters out and exerted a powerful burst of speed with the fastest last 3-furlong drive. She overtook 27-1 Unicorn Lion (IRE) and Lei Papale before reaching the wire with a comfortable 2-1/2-length margin.

“The mare was in very good condition and looked great at the paddock,” said winning rider Lemaire, who replaced the injured Yuichi Kitamura, Chrono Genesis's regular rider, for this race. “We were able to race in good position behind Lei Papale. She stretched really well and was able to run the last 200 meters easily.”

Seventh-pick Unicorn Lion and Lei Papale broke smoothly from the first two stalls and immediately surged out to take the front. Continuing to lead the field with Unicorn Lion setting the pace and Lei Papale pressing the pace in second, the two dueled strongly entering the lane. Though overtaken by Chrono Genesis 100 meters out, Unicorn Lion and Lei Papale held off the rest of the field by two lengths to finish second and third, respectively.

In winning back-to-back Takarazuka Kinen titles, Chrono Genesis became the first horse to do so since Gold Ship (JPN) in 2013 and 2014. Coming off a close runner-up effort in the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) in March, this win marked her fourth Group 1 and sixth group-stakes victory. Along with her Takarazuka Kinen and Grade 1 Arima Kinen titles last year, she became the fifth horse and the first mare to win three Grand Prix races. Her career earnings surpassed a billion yen to become the fifth mare to do so after Vodka (JPN), Buena Vista (JPN), Gentildonna (JPN), and Almond Eye (JPN).

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