Breeders' Cup | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Quality’ Remains Unbeaten in GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity

Attempting to follow up on a victory by fellow Godolphin-bred Maxfield (Street Sense) in last year’s GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, Essential Quality (Tapit) thoroughly dominated his competition to score, thus earning a trip to next month’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Three paths wide into the first turn as Upstriker (Upstart) assumed the earning advantage, Essential Quality pressed that rival through an initial quarter in :23.97. Challenging for the lead despite pilot Luis Saez kept his feet set firmly in the dashboard, the homebred poked his head in front following a half in :48.86. Moving clear heading rounding the home turn, Saez asked his mount for more down the lane and the grey obliged, winning by a strong three-length margin over 52-1 longshot Keepmeinmind. Super Stock rounded out the trifecta.

Following the race, winning rider Luis Saez said, “Today he proved that he’s a very good horse. He did it pretty easy. He was a little green when he came to the track–he was looking around a little bit, but he took off. He was running. What a horse. I’m so glad I’m on this horse.”

An impressive four-length winner in his career debut going six furlongs at Churchill Downs Sept. 5, Essential Quality earned TDN Rising Star status in that sparkling performance as the 9-5 favorite. In his latest tightener for the Breeders’ Futurity, the colt worked five furlongs at Churchill in :59.80, the fourth fastest of 57 at the distance Sept. 26.

“We’ve had some very nice 2-year-old fillies, but this is probably the best [2-year-old colt] I’ve had as far as talent goes,” said trainer Brad Cox. “He’s our first Grade I winner as a 2-year-old colt. He means a lot to us. He showed us from Day 1 that he’s special, very talented. Luis did a good job of getting him to relax. He’s a very green horse. That was my concern today–could he put it all together? And he did. He pulled up a bit on the backside. He’s got some learning to do. If he can figure it out, he’s a serious animal.”

Pedigree Notes:
Essential Quality’s MSW and GSP dam is a daughter of Contrive (Storm Cat), whose daughter Folklore (Tiznow) won the 2005 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Belmont Park. Contrive was purchased by Godolphin for $3 million in foal to Pleasantly Perfect at the 2005 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. The 11-year-old Delightful Quality is the dam of a yearling colt by Uncle Mo, was barren to the same stallion for 2020 and was bred to Uncle Mo’s GI Kentucky Derby winning son Nyquist this past season. Essential Quality is bred on the cross over Gone West that is responsible for Tapit’s Grade I winner Zazu and additional graded winners Flashback, Bandbox, Ticonderoga and Golden Hawk.

Saturday, Keeneland
CLAIBORNE BREEDERS’ FUTURITY-GI, $400,000, Keeneland, 10-3, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.37, ft.
1–ESSENTIAL QUALITY, 122, c, 2, by Tapit
1st Dam: Delightful Quality, by Elusive Quality
2nd Dam: Contrive, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Jeano, by Fappiano
TDN Rising Star 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Luis Saez. $240,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $295,144. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Keepmeinmind, 122, c, 2, Laoban–Inclination, by Victory Gallop. O-Southern Equine Stable LLC; B-Southern Equine Stables, LLC (KY); T-Robertino Diodoro. $80,000.
3–Super Stock, 122, c, 2, Dialed In–Super Girlie, by Closing Argument. ($70,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Erv Woolsey and Keith Asmussen; B-Pedro Gonzalez & P.J. Gonzalez (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $40,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, 1HF, 4HF. Odds: 1.90, 52.70, 10.40.
Also Ran: Upstriker, Founder, Calibrate-(DH), Dixie’s Two Stents-(DH), King Fury, Notary.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Uni Upsets Stablemate Newspaperofrecord In G1 First Lady, Gets Entry To Breeders’ Cup Filly And Mare Turf

Uni (GB) returned to her winning ways at the right time to take her second Grade 1 First Lady, turning the tables on accomplished stablemate Newspaperofrecord (IRE) at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

The First Lady is a Win and You're In Challenge Series race for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, meaning Uni will get an automatic berth in the race.

Crystal Lake took the early lead from Newspaperofrecord going into the first turn, with Uni sitting third off the early leaders. Uni and rider Joel Rosario followed Newspaperofrecord when the fellow Chad Brown filly drew alongside Crystal Lake going into the final turn. Uni took a wide route to the outside of her stablemate and shadowed her throughout the stretch, wearing her down in the final strides.

Uni had been the second betting choice at 2-1 behind even money favorite Newspaperofrecord. She paid $6.80 to win. Newspaperofrecord was third, and Beau Recall (IRE) was second.

The final time for the mile was 1:34.90.

Uni is owned by Michael Dubb, Head of Plains partners, Bethlehem Stables, and Robert LaPenta. She was bred in Great Britain by Haras D'Etreham. Uni is the daughter of More Than Ready out of Dansili (GB) mare Unaided (GB). She is also a past winner of the G1 Matriarch, the G3 Noble Damsel, and the G2 Sands Point. She came to this race with two other starts this year, finishing off the board both times after winning last year's Breeders' Cup Mile.

See the full chart here.

Quotes from the $350,000 First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare, courtesy the Keeneland press office

Sol Kumin of Head of Plains Partners (winning co-owner of Uni [GB] via telephone)

“I was so stressed out. If she doesn't run well here, you couldn't run her back in the Breeders' Cup after the year she had. Now you run her back, same track, four weeks and you feel like she might be back. (Trainer) Chad (Brown) said her last two breezes, he felt like she was circling back to the form she had last year so we were hopeful. But until you see it, you just don't know. Just an incredible filly.

“Her last race for us will be the Breeders' Cup (Mile-G1) against the boys and if she is able to do it again, it would be Hall of Fame good.

“I'm just so happy. This year was tough. When you bring these horses back at this age, you sort of question yourself of 'did we do the right thing?'. She seemed like she had been doing well the last couple of months so we felt like we did the right thing. Today obviously you feel like we did right by her. Hopefully she can give us one more big effort. If not, she's given us everything we could have ever asked for.”

Baldo Hernandez (assistant to winning trainer Chad Brown)

“This filly is really nice. Every time we come this way, to Kentucky – she trains really well, and she loves the track (turf course).”

Joel Rosario (winning rider)

“I was close (to the pace). She was comfortable there, a couple of lengths behind Newspaperofrecord (IRE) and the other horse (Crystal Lake) in front of me, She's nice to ride, she's easy. Thanks to Chad Brown and all his people for the opportunity.”

Julien Leparoux (rider of runner-up Beau Recall [IRE])

“She came running at the end and ran a very big race. Just could not catch the winner. A very nice filly won the race.”

Brad Cox (trainer of Beau Recall)

“Breeders' Cup will still be under consideration. We are very pleased with the effort. She is a nice filly and she showed it again today. We have just had a little trouble getting her into the winner's circle for a Grade 1. We definitely will entertain the idea of the Breeders' Cup.”

The post Uni Upsets Stablemate Newspaperofrecord In G1 First Lady, Gets Entry To Breeders’ Cup Filly And Mare Turf appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Channel Maker Wires Joe Hirsch

Winner of the 2018 GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S., Channel Maker (English Channel) made amends for a close second in last year’s renewal with a front-running score in the 2020 edition Saturday at Belmont. Taking up his preferred position at the head of affairs, the chestnut clicked off splits of :22.89, :49.44 and 1:14.45. Still in front turning for home, the hard-knocking gelding kept on finding in the lane, rolling clear to victory.

“We would have wanted to envision it working out this way and it worked out,” said winning trainer Bill Mott. “It doesn’t always work out as planned, but it did today and it did last time [in the GI Sword Dancer S.] He had a little pressure early from Cross Border, but he was able to sneak away from him.”

“I just felt like when he made that jump turning for home, I didn’t think they could come get him,” part-owner Dean Reeves said. “He’s that kind of horse. He’s just tough.Bill has him so fit. When he came back, it looked like he could he could go another lap. He had a lot left in the tank turning for home.”

Scoring his lone win of 2019 in the GI Man o’ War S., Channel Maker was fourth in the GII Mac Diarmida S. Feb. 29 and was eighth in both the GII Mervin Muniz Memorial S. Mar. 21 and Tiller S. June 4. Completing the superfecta in the GI Manhattan S. over this course on Independence Day, he crossed the line fourth in the GII Bowling Green S. Aug. 1, but was promoted to third via DQ. The 6-year-old entered this event off a wire-to-wire triumph on soft ground in Saratoga’s GI Sword Dancer S. Aug. 29.

Pedigree Notes:

The winner’s full-brother is Sovereign Award winner Johnny Bear, who captured consecutive renewals of Woodbine’s GI Northern Dancer Turf S. Their stakes-winning half-sister Court Return (Court Vision) is the final foal out of their stakes-winning dam In Return and both of them set new course records with their black-type scores. Channel Maker hails from the family of Grade I winner Auntie Mame (Theatrical {Ire}).

Saturday, Belmont Park
JOE HIRSCH TURF CLASSIC S.-GI, $250,000, Belmont, 10-3, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:25.99, fm.
1–CHANNEL MAKER, 126, g, 6, by English Channel
                1st Dam: In Return, by Horse Chestnut (Saf)
                2nd Dam: Bartered Bride, by Shadeed
                3rd Dam: Lady Vixen, by Sir Ivor
($57,000 RNA Ylg ’15 KEESEP). O-Wachtel Stable, Barber, Gary,

R. A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing; B-Tall Oaks

Farm (ON); T-William I. Mott; J-Manuel Franco. $137,500.
Lifetime Record: 36-7-5-4, $2,631,551. *Full to Johnny Bear,
Ch. Turf Male-Can, MGISW, $702,706; and 1/2 to Court Return
(Court Vision), SW & GSP, $139,106. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Laccario (Ger), 126, c, 4, Scalo (GB)–Laccata (GB), by Lomitas
(GB). O-Manfred Ostermann; B-Gestut Hof Ittlingen (GER);
T-Andreas Wohler. $50,000.
3–Sadler’s Joy, 126, h, 7, Kitten’s Joy–Dynaire, by Dynaformer.
O/B-Woodslane Farm (KY); T-Thomas Albertrani. $30,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, HF, 1HF. Odds: 2.80, 9.30, 4.50.
Also Ran: Master Piece (Chi), Rockemperor (Ire), Cross Border, Highland Sky. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Diamond Oops’ Connections Will ‘Flip A Coin’ Between Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Turf Sprint

Diamond Oops and Empire of Gold, who finished less than a length apart at the end of Friday's $200,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2), are likely to return to Keeneland for starts Nov. 7.

Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, D P Racing and trainer Patrick Biancone's Diamond Oops was scheduled to leave Keeneland this afternoon to return to the Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida, according to assistant trainer Andie Biancone.

“He's just a cool horse,” she said of the 5-year-old Diamond Oops, who became a millionaire with his Friday victory. “My dad was very proud of him yesterday and happy.”

The victory earned Diamond Oops a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). However, Diamond Oops also is accomplished on the grass, having won the TwinSpires Turf Sprint (G2) Presented by Sysco in his previous start.

“My dad will probably flip a coin,” Biancone said of making the decision whether Diamond Oops would be pre-entered in the Sprint or the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) also on Nov. 7.

“Most likely (Diamond Oops) would come back the week of the Breeders' Cup. He loves to travel. He is a lot more confident now, and he enjoys changes in distances and surfaces. Last year was like his 3-year-old year because he only had the one race in 2018.”

Johnny Evans and trainer Terry Eoff's Empire of Gold left Keeneland before 7 a.m. en route to Remington Park.

Dismissed at 51-1 as a 3-year-old making his graded stakes debut, Empire of Gold dueled with Grade 1 winner No Parole through fast fractions, opened a clear advantage in the stretch and was overhauled late by Diamond Oops.

“We knew he was good, but we didn't know just how good,” Eoff said of the result in which Empire of Gold finished in front of three Grade 1 winners. “He beat some pretty good horses.”

The only time Empire of Gold has not finished in the top three was when he was fifth in the Grand Prairie Derby at Lone Star going 1 1/16 miles in June.

“I just had to try him long once,” Eoff said. “His best lick is 5½ to 6½ furlongs.”

Eoff is planning to bring Empire of Gold back here for the $100,000 Perryville for 3-year-olds going 6 furlongs as part of the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup undercard.

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