Breeders' Cup | Horse Racing Free Tips

Maximum Security Proves Best In Pacific Classic

There was no drama this time for Maximum Security, the 2019 champion 3-year-old male who's been in the headlines more than once for all the wrong reasons.

Under Abel Cedillo and making his second start for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, Gary and Mary West and the Coolmore partners' 4-year-old colt by New Year's Day took an early lead in the Grade 1, $500,000 Pacific Classic and never looked back, winning by three lengths over Sharp Samurai, who dogged him throughout the 1 1/4-mile contest.

Midcourt, the John Shirreffs-trained gelding who nearly upset Maximum Security in the G2 San Diego Handicap last out, finished third. Defending champion Higher Power was fourth, with Argentine runner Mirinaque fifth and Dark Vader last in the field of six older runners.

Maximum Security was the 2-5 favorite and covered 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.24 after setting fractions of :23.92, :47.98, 1:12.37 and 1:36.50.

The victory in the “Win and You're In” Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race earned Maximum Security an automatic, fees-paid berth for the Breeders' Cup Classic, to be run Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

This was the 10th time in 12 career starts that Maximum Security crossed the finish line first in a race. However, he suffered the indignity of being the first horse to be disqualified from an apparent victory for interference in the G1 Kentucky Derby in 2019. Then, earlier this year, Maximum Security finished first in the inaugural running of the $20-million Saudi Cup, but the winner's share of the purse has been held up after his previous trainer, Jason Servis, was arrested on federal charges of misbranding of drugs as part of an FBI probe into doping of racehorses.

One of the allegations against Servis is that he illegally gave Maximum Security a compounded substance prior to a race at New Jersey's Monmouth Park in 2019. Servis has pleaded not guilty in federal court.

“I've got tears in my eyes; I'm so happy,” said Gary West. “He looked so comfortable out there. There were a lot of good horses in that race, especially last year's winner (Higher Power). Sharp Samurai stuck with us. But we were best. I'm really proud of him.”

Unlike the San Diego Handicap, when Cedillo got into a tight spot early with Maximum Security, the Pacific Classic was smooth as silk. He glided to the early lead, maintained a half-length advantage over Sharp Samurai for the opening mile, then gradually pulled away down the stretch under intermittent urging. Higher Power tried to challenge the top pair in the run down the backstretch under Flavien Prat but could never get closer than a length behind the eventual winner.

Midcourt, who set the pace in the San Diego only to lose by a nose, was pocketed behind the top pair along the rail for much of the way but was never able to mount a serious rally, finishing 2 3/4 lengths behind Sharp Samurai.

“Bob told me to keep him off the rail,” said Cedillo, “because the speed was inside. If someone wanted to run up inside of us, I would have let them. He just galloped around the track. … He still had a little left at the end. I have to say this is probably the best horse I've ever ridden.”

“We mapped it out that he's the quickest horse,” Baffert said, “he's ready now and you can ride him with a lot more confidence. Once he took the lead I figured he'd be fine. I just didn't want any quarters in 22 (seconds). 'Max' was relaxing really nice. He was a totally different horse today. (Cedillo) got to know 'Max' last time and I'm happy for him. (Maximum Security) just does things effortlessly. He wasn't even blowing when he came back. I'm just so happy for this horse. It's not his fault what he went through. Today he showed that he is a great horse.”

The victory was Baffert's sixth in the Pacific Classic, putting him on even terms with the late Hall of Famer, Robert Frankel. The Pacific Classic was first run in 1991.

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Red King Holds Off United With Rispoli’s Perfectly Timed Ride In Del Mar Handicap

Jockey Umberto Rispoli rolled the dice, making a six-wide move toward the lead aboard Red King with a half-mile to go in Saturday's Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap, then had just enough left to hold off the late charge of odds-on favorite United and Flavien Prat in the 1 3/8-mile turf fixture at the seaside track north of San Diego.

The victory in the $200,000 race gave Red King – owned by Little Red Feather, Gordon Jacobsen and Philip Belmonte – an automatic, fees-paid berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 7 as part of the “Win and You're In” Challenge Race Series that also provides a travel allowance to winning horses traveling to Kentucky.

Trained by Phil D'Amato, Red King covered 1 3/8 miles on firm turf in 2:15.75, winning for the seventh time in 28 lifetime starts. This was his second stakes win since D'Amato claimed him for $25,000 in February 2019. Earlier this year the English Channel 6-year-old horse won the 1 3/4-mile, G3 San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita.

United finished second, with Originaire closing for third and Proud Pedro fourth in the field of 11 older runners.

Red King paid $10.60.

Longshots Big Buzz and Ward 'n Jerry carved out the slow early fractions, going :25.07, :49.94 and 1:15.09 for the first six furlongs. Rispoli swung Red King to the outside in the run down the backstretch, moving toward the leaders after a mile in 1:40.07. He took command from North County Guy at the top of the stretch, opened up a lead and just lasted over United for the win.

“I didn't like how slow they were going, so I decided to move earlier today,” said Rispoli. “It takes a really good horse to do that, but I knew he had the stamina. I did this when I was riding in Europe. It was close at the finish because he was trying to pull h imself up. I am very happy. This horse gave me a Grade 3 win in his last start, and today he gave me a Grade 2. I want to keep it going with him.”

The stakes win was the seventh of the meet for Rispoli, riding his first seaon at Del Mar. It was the first of the meet for D'Amato but his fourth straight (and sixth of the last seven) in the Del Mar Handicap. He now has 27 stakes wins at Del Mar.

“I could see going along the backstretch Flavien (on United) was on the inside and Umberto was about to make that move on the outside. (Rispoli) timed in perfectly. I give all the credit to him. After the last race he was so high on this horse. He chose Red King over Originaire and that gave me a lot of confidence that he felt the horse was climbing up the ladder and to win this race is really special.”

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Halladay Scores Frontrunning Victory In ‘Win And You’re In’ Fourstardave

Harrell Ventures' Halladay went back to his usual frontrunning style and maintained his advantage throughout every point of call, scoring his first graded stakes triumph in the 36th running of Saturday's Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave for older horses going one mile over the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The Fourstardave, named in honor of “the Sultan of Saratoga” who won a race at the Spa for eight straight years, is a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” event, which offers an automatic entry towards the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile on November 7 at Keeneland.

Last out, the gray or roan 4-year-old son of War Front displayed different tactics and sat just off the pace in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch at the Spa, which was won by pacesetter Somelikeithotbrown.

On Saturday, jockey Luis Saez hustled Halladay through the first few strides out of the gate, and the six-time winning colt responded, taking command heading into the first turn and led by 1 1/2 lengths through an opening quarter-mile in 23.85 seconds over a turf course rated “good”. Emmaus, a 20-1 longshot, stalked in second with defending Fourstardave winner and course record holder Got Stormy along the hedge in third.

“When I ride him, I always feel like he's better on the lead,” Saez said. “He likes to fight. He's a game horse. Today, the track is a little bit softer and he couldn't break that fast from there but at the second jump he was right there.”

Through a half-mile in 47.19 seconds, Halladay maintained his advantage and received his cue from Saez as jockey Tyler Gaffalione, aboard Got Stormy, tipped the two-time Grade 1 winning mare to the outside and confronted the pacesetter down the stretch. Despite the late challenge from Got Stormy, Halladay would not be denied and hit the wire a 1 1/4-length winner in a final time of 1:33.32. Got Stormy was another 1 1/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Casa Creed.

Returning $12.60 for a $2 win bet, Halladay moved his lifetime earnings past the half-million dollar mark to $517,485 while cashing $220,000 in victory and keeping his consistent record intact at 14-6-2-4.

Never worse than fourth lifetime, Halladay added a third stakes win to his resume having won the Tropical Park Derby on December 28 and the Sunshine Forever on May 9, both of which were over the turf at Gulfstream Park.

Saez said that the most important thing was getting his horse to the front.

“That was the plan, I was trying to get on the lead. He likes to be on the lead and likes to run free and that was the key,” Saez said. “He handled it beautifully. I think the turf was a little soft; when we got to the stretch, it took a couple of steps to get going. But when he felt the other horse, he gave it everything and took off and won the race.”

The victory was a fourth stakes win of the meet for trainer Todd Pletcher, who trained previous Fourstardave victors Red Giant (2008) and Sidney's Candy (2011).

“He's gotten really good and we've seen it in the mornings in his training,” Pletcher said. “He's been going great and we were confident going in that he was at his very best and we thought we had a bit of a pace advantage, so we wanted to take the race to them. He didn't break great but once he got his legs underneath him, he settled really well and kicked really strong.”

Pletcher said that his last out fourth-place finish moved him forward into the Fourstardave.

“We felt like we learned a little something in there and applied different tactics today,” Pletcher said. “I think the real key is we've been able to get him to settle. We wanted to go to the lead today but when he got to the lead, he relaxed and pricked his ears and turned off the bridle. Before he would go to the front and continue to engage and never really settle. So, we've been working on that and that's why in the last race when we were laying second, we were okay with it, because the plan was to get him to settle.”

Gaffalione said he was proud of the performance from Got Stormy.

“That was a big effort today,” Gaffalione said. “She settled nicely right behind the leaders. When we got into the stretch, I found some room and she finished up nicely. It was just tough to get by the winner since he put in a big effort today.

“It's great to see her get back into form,” he continued. “It's a step in the right direction and hopefully we can finish the year strong with her.”

Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Thoroughbreds and Winchell Thoroughbreds, Halladay is out of the graded stakes-winning Tapit broodmare Hightap.

Completing the order of finish were Emmaus, Raging Bull, Without Parole, Uni, Valid Point and Chewing Gum.

Live racing returns on Sunday with the featured Grade 1, $500,000 Diana for older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles over the Mellon turf. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Sunday also will feature a mandatory payout in the Empire 6, which boasts a jackpot of $600,930 heading into the nine-race card at the Spa. The Empire 6 sequence kicks off in Race 4 at 2:54 p.m. ET.

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Golden Pal To Target Breeders’ Cup After Easy Skidmore Victory

Ranlo Investments' Golden Pal surged to the front and drew away in the stretch, posting an impressive 3 ½-length score in a gate-to-wire victory in Friday's $85,000 Skidmore for juveniles at Saratoga Race Course.

After a runner-up effort by a neck in his turf debut last out in the Group 2 Norfolk on June 19 at England's Royal Ascot, Golden Pal shipped back to the United States and entered the sixth running of the Skidmore off three strong breezes at Saratoga. That momentum carried over into the afternoon, where Golden Pal broke sharp from the outermost post 6 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard, leading the field through an opening quarter-mile in 21.99 seconds and the half in 44.37 on the Mellon turf course labeled firm.

Out of the turn, Golden Pal opened up even more while never seriously challenged, completing 5 ½ furlongs in a final time of 1:00.88 [challenging the track record of 1:00.21 set by Carotari in August 2019].

“He's a really cool horse,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “It's special when you get on horses like that. I'm so happy to be able to get on him. Hopefully he stays sound and healthy and he can keep doing what he did today.”

Golden Pal, the 2-5 favorite, returned $2.90 on a $2 win wager and improved his career earnings to $73,056. Trainer Wesley Ward said the effort could set up the Uncle Mo colt for a spot in the Grade 2, $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint going 5 ½ furlongs on November 6 at Keeneland, where Ward is primarily stabled.

“He's something special, this guy. I think we just got a little peek at it,” Ward said. “From everything we've seen here, they're coming into his homecourt like Michael Jordan in the United Center in the Breeders' Cup this year. He's a very, very nice colt. I'm very thankful for the owner.

Bred in Florida by Randall E. Lowe, who operates under the nom de course Ranlo Investments, Golden Pal made his career debut on April 17 over Gulfstream Park's main track, running second to Gatsby before traveling to the prestigious Royal Ascot meet two months later, where he led the field before The Lir Jet won in the final jumps. He is out of 11-time stakes-winning turf sprinter Lady Shipman, who was also bred and campaigned by Lowe.

“[The owner] afforded me the time that myself and my team has needed, and this horse had some issues and my team has really worked hard on this guy,” Ward said. “He's so fast and he's so gifted. To get him to this point is special.”

Ward trained the exacta, with Fauci finishing four lengths clear of Sky's Not Falling for second. Sunny Isles Beach, also trained by Ward, ran fourth, followed by Kentucky Knight and Baytown Bear.

“My horse broke good but the other horse [Golden Pal] had more speed, so I wasn't going to go up there and battle head and head,” said Fauci jockey Tyler Gaffalione. “He settled nicely and put in a nice run down the lane, but the other horse was much the best today.

“He's [Golden Pal] pretty quick. He's a nice horse,” Gaffalione added. “I rode him in his first start and he's a really fast horse, but it seems like he's starting to get the mental side of it now.”

Live racing resumes Saturday at Saratoga with a 10-race card that includes the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave for 3-years-old and up going one mile on the inner turf in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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