Cave Rock | Horse Racing Free Tips

Hernandez, D’Amato Repeat As Del Mar Leaders

With 39 wins and over $3 million in earnings, jockey Juan Hernandez won his second straight summer meet title at Del Mar while trainer Phil D'Amato picked up his fourth trainer's title out of the last five years.

Similar to 2022, the trainer's title came down to the final day. D'Amato went into the final day with a one-win lead over Baffert and two over Doug O'Neill. All three posted one winner on the day. D'Amato won the summer meet title for the second straight year with 21 victories.

Last year, Bob Baffert won the GI Del Mar Futurity with Cave Rock (Arrogate) to tie Philip D'Amato for a share the trainer's title while this year, Baffert won the Futurity with 'TDN Rising Star' Prince of Monaco (Speightstown) but came up one win short.

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Dual Grade I-Winning Juvenile Cave Rock Succumbs To Laminitis

Cave Rock (Arrogate–Georgie's Angel, by Bellamy Road), a two-time Grade I winner at two and runner-up to eventual champion Forte (Violence) in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, died Friday, Aug. 18 from complications from laminitis which developed after surgery late last month.

According to a statement from Dr. Vince Baker at the SLR Equine Hospital: “On July 28, 2023, after a routine morning of exercise, Cave Rock showed signs of colic while cooling out. He was treated with a tranquilizer and an anti-inflammatory. His vital signs did not improve, so he was sent immediately to SLR Equine Hospital. Upon his arrival, with in-depth diagnostics, it was determined that he had a congenital Inguinal hernia and the small intestine was lodged into the left side of the scrotum.

“Cave Rock was taken into surgery immediately. The surgical procedure required the resection of eighteen inches of small intestine. Recovery was routine and went very well, until signs of laminitis started on day six post-op. Despite very aggressive medical treatments, severe laminitis led to the demise of Cave Rock.”

Bred by Anne and Ronnie Sheffer Racing LLC, Cave Rock was a $210,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase and was successfully pinhooked by Fish Stables when selling to Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman for $550,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale. Accorded 'TDN Rising Star' status following a six-length debut success at Del Mar last Aug. 13, the dark bay promptly added a 5 1/4-length victory in the GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity Sept. 11 and took the GI American Pharoah S. by a similar margin Oct. 8. Sent off at just under 1-2 for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland, Cave Rock set a sensible early pace, but yielded late and was 1 1/2 lengths adrift of eventual champion Forte (Violence) at the wire.

Expected to be among the favorites on the road to the 2023 Triple Crown, Cave Rock returned to the Santa Anita worktab in early February and recorded six breezes, capped by a near bullet six furlongs in 1:12.60 Apr. 2, his last official work.

“We are deeply saddened by the sudden illness and irreversible medical condition which led to the death of Cave Rock,” Baffert tweeted. “He was a talent at the top of his class and adored by our entire team. Learning of his death [Friday afternoon] from the caring team at SLR Equine Hospital was like a gut punch to everyone who cared for this special horse. We are left with the great memories with which he graced us but we will miss him dearly.”

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Saturday Insights: OBS Grad Ultimate Gamble Rolls Into Santa Anita

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

1st-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yof, 1mT, 11:30 p.m.
Gulfstream Park's packed Florida Derby Day card includes a pair of turf events for 3-year-old runners that are worth a look.

Hinkle Farms homebred OGEMA BAY (Medaglia d'Oro) debuts for Shug McGaughey with Luca Panici in the irons. Her dam Madame Du Lac (Lemon Drop Kid) produced two-time GI Woodford Reserve Turf Classic victor Divisidero (Kitten's Joy). Also prepped for a rookie start is GLORIA'S PRINCESS (Cairo Prince) from the stable of Brendan Walsh. Ridden by Luis Saez, the Harvey Clarke-owned filly is a half-sister to GISW Harvey's Lil Goil (American Pharoah).

First-timer and Godolphin homebred MAY FANE (Uncle Mo), who hails from a family that includes MGSW Frosted (Tapit), draws to the outside for Bill Mott with Irad Ortiz aboard. TJCIS PPS

6th-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yof, 1mT, 1:56 p.m.
THE ARCHANGEL (Medaglia d'Oro), a half-sister to Derby hero I'll Have Another (Flower Alley) and MGSW Golden Award (Medaglia d'Oro), is out of mare Arch's Girl Edith (Arch) who also produced Gloria S (Tapit), the dam of Race 1's Gloria's Princess. The first-time starter for trainer Roger Attfield will break from post nine with Shaun Bridgmohan in the irons. TJCIS PPS

4th-SA, $67K, Msw, 3-5yo, 1m, 5:31 p.m.
ULTIMATE GAMBLE (Medaglia d'Oro) flashed speed on debut as a juvenile at Del Mar Aug. 13, but ended up seventh in a vain attempt to catch MGISW Cave Rock (Arrogate) and MGSW Practical Move (Practical Joke) who will be seen next week in the GI Santa Anita Derby. Out of Eltimaas (Ghostzapper), the $1.75million '22 OBSAPR purchase by Red Baron's Barn or Rancho Temescal LLC. was back in-training after a break for Mark Glatt in the new year. This time around he will get the services of Frankie Dettori. The dark bay colt who initially went for $325,000 Ylg KEESEP to De Meric Sales has a yearling half-sister by Curlin that fetched $525,000 KEESEP last fall. TJCIS PPS

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Status of Cave Rock and Faustin? Baffert: ‘Don’t Know’

The training and next-race status of sophomore 'TDN Rising Stars' Cave Rock (Arrogate) and Faustin (Curlin) remained unclear Thursday, with trainer Bob Baffert texting a “Don't Know” emoji when asked to outline the game plans for the colts respectively slotted at Nos. 5 and 6 on the most recent TDN Top 12 rankings for the GI Kentucky Derby.

The two were apparently not among a contingent of at least 11 other 3-year-old colts transferred out of Baffert's care prior to a Feb. 28 deadline that would have enabled them to accrue qualifying points and race in the May 6 Derby.

Those transitions were necessitated by a ban imposed by Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), that prohibits Baffert's trainees from garnering qualifying points or racing in the Derby while under Baffert's control.

CDI first imposed that two-year punishment in June 2021 because of a string of drug positives in horses Baffert trained, including two in CDI's most prominent races, the 2020 GI Kentucky Oaks and the 2021 Derby.

On Feb. 17, a federal judge denied Baffert a preliminary injunction that the Hall-of-Fame trainer had sought to be eligible to race in this year's Derby.

A Mar. 1 report by Ron Flatter in Horse Racing Nation quoted Baffert say saying that Cave Rock and Faustin were “still under my care” without any elaboration on their next-race targets.

Cave Rock was the beaten favorite when second in last November's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. That's the lone loss in his impressive four-race career, which includes Grade I victories in the Del Mar Futurity and American Pharoah S. He has two registered works this year, most recently going four furlongs in :49.40 (18.22) at Santa Anita Feb. 20.

Faustin is 1-for-2, having registered a stylish win on opening day of the Santa Anita winter/spring meet and a second in the Jan. 29 GII San Vicente S. He worked twice in February, most recently going five furlongs in a bullet :58.80 (1/46) at Santa Anita Feb. 18.

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