Breeders' Cup | Horse Racing Free Tips

C Z Rocket Rolls To Fourth Straight In Pat O’Brien Stakes At Del Mar

Tom Kagele's C Z Rocket, a classy, old veteran who seems to have found a new lease on life since he was claimed by trainer Peter Miller for $40,000 at Oaklawn Park in April, continued his rebirth at Del Mar Saturday when he went gamely through the stretch to capture the Pat O'Brien Stakes by half a length at the seaside track near San Diego, Calif.

The 6-year-old gelded son of City Zip won his fourth race in a row since the claim, the previous three having come against claiming and allowance company in Kentucky. He picked up a check for $90,000 from the $150,000 purse in the Grade II stake that pushed his bankroll up to $431,641.

The bay ran the seven furlongs in 1:22.25 and, as the 11-10 favorite, paid $4.20, $2.60 and $2.20 across the board. Finishing second was Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing's Flagstaff, while Dan Agnew, Gerry Schneider and John Xitco's Law Abidin Citizen ran third.

“We saw that he'd been breaking slow in his races, so we were prepared for that,” said winning rider Flavien Prat. “But he broke well today and we were right in the race. Then the pace wasn't that fast (:23.10 :46.04 1:10.06), so we were right there. When I asked him, he was good. He's a willing horse.”

The victory added more accolades to an accolade-filled summer for his rider and trainer. Prat registered his 12th stakes win of the meet, just one away from the Del Mar record of 13 set by Rafael Bejarano in 2012. Miller picked up his fifth stakes win of the session and his meet-leading 22nd tally in the 21st day of racing.

“He broke well and usually he doesn't,” said Miller. “The pace was slow and Flavien had him in the perfect spot. Tom Kagele (owner) actually called me (about claiming the horse) and I said, 'His form is bad right now, but he's a runner.' You could see he had run some really fast races. I like old class horses that have shown talent. If you can get them going in the right direction they can run back to

The O'Brien was a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” race guaranteeing the victor entry into the $2-million BC Dirt Mile with all fees paid. That race will be run on Saturday, November 7, at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

In the day's Pick Six bet, a two-day $247,091 carryover stirred the pot and drew $1,167,066 in “new” money to the pool. After Facts Matter paid $9.00 for winning the 11th and final race on the card, there were 147 tickets with all six winner, each paying out $5,941.60. There will be a “Jackpot” carryover into Sunday's card of $186,553.

Racing resumes Sunday starting at 2 p.m. PT. There also will be a Monday racing card this week with the same 2 p.m. post.

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Channel Maker Leads All The Way In Soggy ‘Win And You’re In’ Sword Dancer

Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R.A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's multiple Grade 1-winner Channel Maker led at every point of call to capture Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer, a 12-furlong inner turf test for older horses at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 6-year-old English Channel gelding flourished on the soft going and earned an automatic berth to the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Turf on November 7 at Keeneland Race Course.

Saturday's blockbuster card offered four graded events, including a last-to-first score by Win Win Win in the Grade 1, $300,000 Forego presented by America's Best Racing at seven furlongs on the main track for older sprinters; a gate-to-wire effort by Yaupon in the Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam at six furlongs for sophomore sprinters; and Bye Bye Melvin started the stakes action with a dramatic nose score over favored Don Juan Kitten in the Grade 3, $100,000 Saranac at one mile on the Mellon turf for 3-year-olds.

Channel Maker, making his third appearance in the Sword Dancer following a runner-up effort in 2018 and a fourth last year, was sent straight to the lead by jockey Manny Franco to mark the opening quarter mile in 25.10, with Marzo racing inside in second position and Corelli in third.

Bred in Ontario by Tall Oaks Farm, the hard-knocking chestnut maintained a length and a half advantage as he led the field past the finish line for the first time with Marzo and Corelli continuing to chase.

Channel Maker dictated the pace through a mile in 1:42.33 with Corelli making a run up the rail and Aquaphobia, last-out winner of the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park, following suit as Marzo gave way.

Cross Border, the lukewarm 3-1 mutuel favorite, brought a perfect 5-for-5 record at Saratoga into the Sword Dancer and jockey Jose Ortiz gave the New York-bred his cue to follow Aquaphobia as Channel Maker took the field around the final bend.

Boasting a 5 ½-length advantage at the stretch call, Channel Maker continued to find more, easily covering the soft going with strong, smooth strides. Sadler's Joy, the 2017 Sword Dancer champ, launched his trademark move from the back of the pack but there was no reeling in a runaway Channel Maker, who strode through the wire a 5 ¾-length winner in a final time of 2:34.86.

Cross Border found his best stride late to complete the exacta by 3 1/2-lengths over Aquaphobia, who was four lengths clear of Sadler's Joy. Rounding out the order of finish were Corelli, Pedro Cara and Marzo. Highland Sky was scratched.

Channel Maker, who captured the 2018 Grade 2 Bowling Green at the Spa, broke through at the top flight in the 2018 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont and doubled up in the Grade 1 Man o' War in May 2019, which was his last winning effort prior to the Sword Dancer.

“He was strong throughout the stretch. He ran a powerful race,” said Mott. “He loves the going. He likes it here. He's tough when he turns for home on the lead.”

Mott credited Franco for making a winning move early in the race.

“We thought Marzo could be on the lead and we might be laying second, but opportunity presented itself for him to be on the lead and the jockey accepted the opportunity and it worked out very well,” said Mott. “Sometimes, you make the right decision and it worked out well today.

“He's very tricky to ride,” continued Mott. “You could see how level he was coming through the stretch and he was straight as an arrow, but if he gets in crowded, sometimes he'll get his head up or bear away from horses. So, he's not an easy horse. He wouldn't be what every rider wants, but in this particular case, everything went well for him and he finished up straight and strong.”

Last out, when elevated to third in the Grade 2 Bowling Green, Channel Maker was caught behind horses in the stretch run which saw Sadler's Joy demoted from first to fourth for lugging in late in the lane and Cross Border elevated to first.

Today, Franco said he was intent on dictating his own terms.

“I made the lead and tried to open up to let them know I wanted to go and they let me go. It worked out good for me,” said Franco.

Mott said he will take a wait-and-see approach with regard to the Breeders' Cup Turf, a race in which the gelding has finished off-the-board in the last two years.

“That water gets very deep. We've tried it a couple times and it hasn't worked out with him,” said Mott. “You get a whole different group of horses. But who knows? There was a year at Keeneland where it was a bottomless ground and if that situation came up, maybe he would benefit from it.”

Ortiz gave full credit to the classy winner.

“We were facing a Grade 1-winner and he got loose today on the soft turf and he liked it. It was hard for everybody to catch up,” said Ortiz. “It was very hard to get going from the half-mile to the three-eighths pole. The second time we passed the three-eighths pole, it was getting very messy, but Aquaphobia made a good move and I tried to follow him. But he struggled, too, and it was hard to make up ground. My horse gave me a little kick, but it was really late passing the three-sixteenths pole when he finally got a good grip on the outside part of the course and gave me a good run. But it wasn't good enough.”

Channel Maker banked $275,000 in victory while improving his record to 35-6-5-4. He returned $18 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card that features the Grade 3, $125,000 Shuvee for older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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‘She Owes Us Nothing’: Rushing Fall Likely To Train Up To Breeders’ Cup

Owner Bob Edwards of e Five Thoroughbred Racing reported that six-time Grade 1-winner Rushing Fall will likely not have a start before the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, slated for November 6-7 at Keeneland.

Last Sunday, the talented 5-year-old daughter of More Than Ready gave trainer Chad Brown a fifth straight victory in the 1 1/8-mile Diana for fillies and mares over the inner turf at Saratoga.

Rushing Fall has displayed versatility, winning all three of her starts this year over different turf courses, having captured the Grade 3 Beaugay on June 3 at Belmont Park and the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on July 11 at Keeneland in a record time of 1:39.02. She added a hard-fought Diana score, out-dueling a stubborn Mean Mary down the Saratoga stretch.

“We'll probably hold off until the Breeders' Cup,” Edwards said. “If you look at her race pattern, I try to run her four or five times max. She owes us nothing and is stronger after the more time you give her. She broke the record in the Jenny Wiley and came close to breaking it here. There wasn't any quitting with either of those two horses.”

Rushing Fall joined Lady Eli and Beholder as North American-based females to score Grade 1 triumphs at ages 2, 3, 4 and 5 having won at Keeneland during each of those campaigns.

“She's gotten a lot stronger,” Edwards said. “You can see she's a different horse this year than last year. She put on some weight during the offseason at Stonestreet in Ocala, and she came back more mature and more robust of a mare. Javier said she's a lot calmer now and knows her job better.”

Both the Breeders' Cup Mile against colts and Filly and Mare Turf could be in play for Rushing Fall, but the decision of which race she goes in will ultimately be left up to Brown. This year the Filly and Mare Turf will be contested at 1 3/16 miles and has been won by Brown four times.

“She's in that big shed row of Grade 1 winners at Chad's barn and we're looking forward to regrouping and getting her to Keeneland,” Edwards said.

Bred in Kentucky by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding, Rushing Fall is out of the Forestry broodmare Autumnal and was bought for $320,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

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Weekend Lineup: Charles Town Classic, ‘Win And You’re In’ Sword Dancer

Saratoga Race Course will play host to four graded stakes on its 11-race card Saturday, highlighted by the Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer Stakes, a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Keeneland. Also featured will be the Grade 1 Forego Stakes at seven furlongs on the main track for older sprinters; the Grade 2 Amsterdam at six furlongs for sophomore sprinters; and the Grade 3 Saranac at one mile on the inner turf for 3-year-olds.

The Sword Dancer is one of two Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “Win and You're In” races on tap for August 29 as the Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar is an automatic qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Sprint. The Sword Dancer will be shown on NYRA's “Saratoga Live” telecast on FS2. Saturday's Pat O'Brien Stakes will be televised live on TVG as part of their comprehensive coverage of racing at Del Mar.

Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

Friday August 28

5:46 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Lake George Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on FS2

Robert and Lawana Low's Sweet Melania will attempt to keep her consistent record intact when she headlines Friday's 25th running of the Lake George for 3-year-old fillies going one mile over the inner turf. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Sweet Melania arrives at the Lake George off an easy wire-to-wire victory in the Grade 3 Wonder Again at Belmont Park, which she won off a nearly eight-month. The American Pharoah chestnut began her career on the main track but made her third career start a winning one when debuting on grass over the Spa's inner turf last July. Sweet Melania followed up with a runner-up effort in the P.G. Johnson at Saratoga before a victory in the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland. She completed her juvenile campaign by running third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR082820USA9-EQB.html

9:43 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks at Charles Town on TVG

Multiple graded stakes-winner Tonalist's Shape heads up a field of 10 in the Charles Town Oaks, one of seven stakes on the card. Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., Tonalist's Shape won her first five career starts, including the Grade 3 Forward Gal and Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes earlier this year. The daughter of Tonalist most recently finished fourth in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga on July 18.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CT082820USA10-EQB.html

10:18 p.m.—$600,000 Grade 2 Charles Town Classic at Charles Town on TVG

Grade 1 winner Math Wizard aims to secure his first victory since taking the 2019 Pennsylvania Derby when he faces nine challengers in the 1 1/8-miles Charles Town Classic. Math Wizard ran second last time out in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup Stakes, his best finish since his breakout triumph in the Pennsylvania Derby.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CT082820USA11-EQB.html

Saturday August 29

2:18 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Saranac Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on FS2

Daniel M. Ryan's Vanzzy has proven capable of winning over any surface thrown his way and will try to build off a recent turf stakes victory in the Saranac, a one-mile test for sophomores over the inner turf. Trained by Michael Pino, the bay son of Verrazano was a last-out winner of the Jersey Derby on July 26 at Monmouth Park, which he won by 3 ½ lengths over the firm turf. Vanzzy began his career over the main track, graduating at second asking going one mile on October 14 at Parx, before winning the Display over the all-weather surface two months later at Woodbine.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR082920USA3-EQB.html

2:29 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth Park on TVG

In a turf race that features three from Chad Brown's powerhouse stable and one trained by Todd Pletcher, Kelly Breen will take his best shot with his classy Jersey-bred Valedictorian. With Breen's hope that she may be the lone speed, Valedictorian will look to get back on track in Eatontown Stakes, the feature on Monmouth Park's 14-race card. She won the race a year ago, one of 12 career victories that have helped her to $737,115 in lifetime earnings.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/MTH082920USA5-EQB.html

4:17 p.m.—$125,000 Grade 3 Ontario Colleen Stakes at Woodbine on TVG

Saratoga Vision, a 3-year-old daughter of Court Vision, will look to record a couple of firsts in Saturday's Ontario Colleen, part of Woodbine's 10-race card. Owned and trained by Alexander Patykewich, the Kentucky-bred would notch her first stakes crown with a victory in the one-mile turf Ontario Colleen while also breaking her maiden in what will be her 13th start. Bred by Charles Fipke, Saratoga Vision has a pair of seconds and a trio of thirds from 12 starts, including a strong runner-up showing in her latest effort, the Grade 3 Selene Stakes on July 25 at Woodbine.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO082920CAN7-EQB.html

4:32 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on FS2

Jackpot Farm's Basin is entered in a sprint for the first time since his juvenile campaign, making his first start for trainer Todd Pletcher in headlining a six-horse field in the Amsterdam Stakes. Under Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen, Basin started the year on the Triple Crown trail, running third in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes to start his 3-year-old campaign in March at Oaklawn Park. He again ran on a sloppy and sealed track next out, running fourth in the Oaklawn Stakes in April. Keeping at the two-turn 1 1/8-mile distance, Basin won his second career Grade 1 in a division of the Arkansas Derby on May 2, crossing the wire second, six lengths back of Charlatan, who was later disqualified from purse money.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR082920USA7-EQB.html

5:07 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on FS2

Veteran war horse Whitmore will face off against three other Grade 1 winners in Saturday's 41st running of the Forego Stakes. Boasting a record of 35-14-11-3 and lifetime earnings of over $3.1 million, Whitmore will attempt to join Groovy (1986-87) and Quick Call (1988-89) as the only horses to win multiple editions of the Forego. A winner of the 2018 Forego over subsequent Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup winner City of Light, Whitmore boasts six graded stakes victories. Whitmore arrives at the race off a runner-up finish to Volatile in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt on July 25 at the Spa.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR082920USA8-EQB.html

5:43 p.m.—$500,000 Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on FS2

Trainer Mike Maker will saddle a trio of top contenders, led by New York-bred Cross Border, who will look to win his third race of the 2020 Saratoga Race Course summer meet in Saturday's Sword Dancer. Bred in the Empire State by Berkshire Stud and B. D. Gibbs, Cross Border is a perfect 5-for-5 at Saratoga. His Saratoga domination continued on July 22 when 6 ¼-lengths the best in the 1 1/16-mile Lubash for state-breds, and despite being wheeled back on just 10 days rest, Cross Border crossed the wire second in the Grade 2 Bowling Green and was elevated to first following the disqualification of Sadler's Joy for lugging in.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR082920USA9-EQB.html

9:38 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar on TVG

Flagstaff is a lovely, little town in the mountains of Northern Arizona. Flagstaff is also a very fast racehorse who could be tough to beat at Del Mar Saturday afternoon in the 35th running of the Pat O'Brien Stakes. Flagstaff, a 6-year-old gelding by Speighstown, didn't make it to the races until his 4-year-old season and only shows 13 starts in total. Five of them have been wins, though – the last two coming in stakes at the O'Brien's seven-furlong distance – and he sports earnings that read $485,785.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR082920USA10-EQB.html

Sunday August 30

5:46 p.m.—$125,000 Grade 3 Shuvee Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on FS1

The top-three finishers of the Summer Colony earlier this month will each take a step up in class on Sunday, with Nonna Madeline looking for a second straight win as part of a nine-horse field of older fillies and mares in the Shuvee Stakes. One of three entrants for trainer Todd Pletcher, Nonna Madeline won her first career stakes in the 1 1/8-mile Summer Colony on August 5, posting a 1 ¼-length score over a fast track. Running at the same distance in the 44th running of the Shuvee, the 4-year-old daughter of Candy Ride (ARG) enters having run first or second in her last three starts.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR083020USA9-EQB.html

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