Chewing Gum Sticks It To Favored Beer Can Man In Joe Hernandez

In a thrilling photo finish, Chewing Gum was up to win by a thin nose over favored Beer Can Man in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Named for the original Voice of Santa Anita, the Hernandez, originally scheduled to be run at about 6 ½ furlongs on the track's hillside turf course, was instead run out of the 6 ½ furlong turf chute, with Chewing Gum, a 7-year-old full horse by Candy Ride, getting the distance under Umberto Rispoli in 1:15.27. Trained by William Mott, Chewing Gum, who shipped in from his New York base, notched his first-ever stakes win in his 23rd career start.

Next to last with three furlongs to run, Beer Can Man saved ground at the rail around the turn, tipped out four-wide at the top of the lane and was just up.

Most recently third in an ungraded six furlong turf stakes Nov. 27 at Aqueduct, Chewing Gum was off at 5-1 in a field of seven older horses and paid $13.40, $4.20 and $3.00.

“He is the kind of horse that you have to kind of forget him the first part of the race and Mr. Mott gave me the instructions to be on the outside, and in the stretch I had that gap so I didn't want to lose that chance,” said Rispoli. “For the first part he needs to find his legs and find his rhythm. I would say the ground really, really helped him, he really enjoyed that.”

Owned by Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable and Jerold L. Zaro, Chewing Gum, who is out of the Forestry mare Shared Heart, is now 23-4-4-8 overall and with the winner's share of $150,000, he increased his earnings to 591,788.

Beer Can Man, who pressed the issue throughout from his rail post position, was back in front a jump past the wire and finished 1 ½ lengths in front of French-bred Bran. Off as the even money favorite under Flavien Prat, Beer Can Man paid $2.80 and $2.20.

Bran, who was making his U.S. debut under Joe Bravo, rallied five-deep at the top of the lane and was third best. Off at 6-1, he paid $3.80 to show while finishing a neck better than English-bred Delaware.

Fractions on the race were 23.32, 46.10 and 1:09.26.

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Beer Can Mean Heads Down The Hill In Saturday’s Joe Hernandez Stakes

Trainer Mark Glatt's red-hot Beer Can Man heads a field of seven older horses going 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita's hillside turf course in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes. Named for the original Voice of Santa Anita, the Hernandez will return to a hillside start after being run in late 2020 at 5 ½ furlongs over the track's turf oval.

Forwardly placed early, Beer Can Man prevailed by a head as the 3-5 favorite in his most recent start, a five furlong turf classified allowance at Del Mar Nov. 7. Off the board in his debut going six furlongs over a sloppy track at Indiana Grand on July 22, 2020, the 4-year-old colt by Can the Man has been well at home on turf ever since, winning five races (including the G3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes in his first start for Glatt on Nov. 29, 2020), while second twice and third once.

Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, LLC and Madaket Stable, LLC, Beer Can Man will be trying the hillside course for the first time in what will be his 11th career start. With Flavien Prat set to ride him back, Beer Can Man, who is out of the Dynaformer mare Cheesecake, has earnings of $273,556.

A head and a nose away from being unbeaten in his last three starts, French-bred Commander, a rousing two-length winner down the hill two starts back on Oct. 2, comes off a close second in a five furlong turf classified allowance on Nov. 7 at Del Mar and rates a huge chance with Juan Hernandez taking over. Owned by the Sinnott Family Trust, this 5-year-old gelding will hope to be rallying late.

Three eastern shippers, Bill Mott's Chewing Gum, Paddy Gallagher's Delaware and Michael Trombetta's Momos, are all consistent turf horses in search of their first graded stakes victories.

THE GRADE 2 JOE HERNANDEZ STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 6 of 10 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT

  1. Beer Can Man—Flavien Prat—120
  2. Bran—Joe Bravo—120
  3. Chewing Gum—Umberto Rispoli—120
  4. Delaware—Mike Smith—120
  5. Commander—Juan Hernandez—120
  6. Momos—John Velazquez—120
  7. Cupid's Claws—Kent Desormeaux—120

First post time for a 10-race card that will include four graded stakes on Saturday is at 12 noon. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Mott Trio In Good Order After Stakes Efforts At Belmont

Bruce Lunsford homebred Art Collector notched his third consecutive win for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott with a powerful front-running performance in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward, at Belmont Park.

The 4-year-old Bernardini colt, with Luis Saez up, posted splits of 24.02 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.78 for the half-mile with Mo Gotcha tracking from second and mutuel favorite Maxfield saving ground along the rail.

Maxfield and a wide-rallying Dr Post were in position to challenge through the stretch run, but Art Collector would not relinquish securing a 1 1/2-length victory. Art Collector covered the nine-furlongs in 1:49.22, garnering a career-best 107 Beyer Speed Figure.

Maxfield bested Dr Post by a length to complete the exacta with Code of Honor, the 2019 Grade 1 Runhappy Travers winner for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, settling for fourth.

Mott praised the improving Art Collector, who has now won a trio of nine-furlong events under his care, including the Alydar on August 6 at Saratoga Race Course and the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic on Aug. 27.

“I would say he beat the best group of horses that he's beaten so far,” Mott said following Saturday's win. “They were the most established group. You knew it was a solid bunch. Shug's horse and Maxfield were good, solid individuals.”

Art Collector launched his career with trainer Tom Drury, posting wins last year in the Grade 2 Blue Grass at Keeneland and the Ellis Park Derby. The talented bay missed the Kentucky Derby due to injury and finished off-the-board in the Grade 1 Preakness and Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Art Collector was transferred to Mott following a sixth-place finish in his seasonal debut in the Kelly's Landing on June 25 at Churchill Downs

“He had done very well before. He was in good hands. The trainer did very well with him previously,” Mott said. “The fact that I was in New York and he was in Kentucky, I think that's why they wanted him here. Tommy Drury did a great job with this horse and we're reaping some of the benefits.”

Mott was also represented in Saturday's stakes action by Forza Di Oro, who finished fifth in the Woodward; and Chewing Gum, who closed to finish third in the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational.

Leanna Willaford, Mott's Belmont-based assistant, said all three exited their efforts in good order.

“Art Collector ran great. It was a very gutty effort and he did everything right,” Willaford said. “He looked great this morning and is already on his way back up to Saratoga.”

Don Alberto Stable homebred Forza Di Oro, enjoyed a productive summer at Saratoga, registering a 101 Beyer in an optional-claiming win traveling nine-furlongs off a long layoff on July 21. The Speightstown chestnut followed with a pacesetting third in the 10-furlong G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 4.

Willaford said the 4-year-old might appreciate a turn back in distance.

“That's a thought. We might have to regroup with him,” Willaford said. “It looked like with his win up at Saratoga that he was going to go on, but he is a Speightstown.”

Wachtel Stable, Pantofel Stable and Jerold Zaro's Chewing Gum has hit the board in all three Belmont starts this year, finishing second in a seven-furlong optional-claimer in his seasonal debut in May ahead of a closing second behind stablemate Casa Creed in the G1 Jackpocket Jaipur on Belmont Stakes Day.

On Saturday, the 6-year-old Candy Ride bay closed from sixth to finish third, 1 3/4-lengths to front-running winner Arrest Me Red.

“He ran hard again. He's shown up in every race here this year, but he just hasn't got to the wire first,” Willaford said. “He needs the speed to come back a little bit, but that didn't happen yesterday.”

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Casa Creed, Bound for Nowhere Headline Troy Stakes At Saratoga

LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's Casa Creed will seek another triumph against some of the country's elite turf sprinters in Friday's 18th running of the $200,000 Grade 3 Troy presented by Horse Racing Ireland at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The 5 ½-furlong turf sprint over the Mellon turf course is one of three stakes events on the eve of Whitney Day, which also includes the $120,000 Alydar for older horses at nine furlongs over the main track and the $200,000 Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame for sophomores going a mile over the inner turf.

Conditioned by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Casa Creed arrives at the Troy off his best performance yet, displaying a devastating late turn-of-foot to capture the Grade 1 Jackpocket Jaipur on Belmont Stakes Day June 5 at Belmont Park, where he earned a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure. The triumph was the 5-year-old son of Jimmy Creed's first start at six furlongs since his July 2018 career debut when sixth over the Saratoga main track.

Casa Creed has seen a considerable cutback in distance after two seasons of campaigning primarily around one mile, a distance where he has found prosperity capturing the Grade 2 Hall of Fame in August 2019 at Saratoga. He also has been graded stakes placed three times at one mile, including a third-place finish to Halladay in last year's Grade 1 Fourstardave at the Spa.

It was a cut back to seven furlongs in the Elusive Quality on April 24 at Belmont Park two starts ago where Casa Creed recaptured winning form for the first time since the Hall of Fame, ending a seven-race losing streak.

“We backed him up to six furlongs and that was okay, five and a half is a bit of a different race on a different type of course,” Mott said. “It's a tighter course here so we'll have to see how he negotiates that.”

Casa Creed has gone 11-1-2-3 at one mile, but Mott said he has benefitted going shorter distances.

“I usually try to get horses to run a mile if they can, which he does. It's pretty obvious he doesn't get beyond a mile that well,” Mott said. “He was a length, a length and a quarter behind some of the best. He's run well and makes that run and has just been touched off a couple of times. Something slightly less than a mile is good for him. Of course, when you're going shorter you need some luck and have to get the right trip.”

Jockey Junior Alvarado has been aboard Casa Creed for both of his graded stakes wins and returns to the irons from post 12.

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Mott also saddles Wachtel Stables, Pantofel Stables, and Jerold Zaro's Chewing Gum, who made a late rally to complete a Mott-trained exacta in the Jaipur. The 6-year-old son of Candy Ride seeks his first trip to the winner's circle since besting allowance optional claiming company going six furlongs in June 2020 at Belmont Park.

Jockey Jose Ortiz will ride from post 2.

Trainer Wesley Ward will saddle Bound for Nowhere, the lone millionaire in the field with a record of 16-7-2-3. Owned by his trainer, the lightly-raced 7-year-old son of The Factor returns to action with a redeeming agenda after setting a swift tempo and relinquishing to third in the final furlong of the Jaipur.

In his prior effort in the Grade 2 Shakertown on April 3 at Keeneland Race Course, Bound for Nowhere was forced to switch tactics and come from off the pace after an awkward start, but overcame adversity with a late-closing narrow win, which netted a 105 Beyer. Bound for Nowhere also captured the 2018 Shakertown, when besting talented turf sprinters Bucchero and Disco Partner by four lengths and registering a career-best 107 Beyer.

Bound for Nowhere has put together a solid work pattern heading into the Troy. He worked five-eighths in 1:01.43 over the Oklahoma training turf Saturday, one week after a sharp five-furlong drill in :59.40 over the same course.

“He's ready,” Ward said. “He's doing everything right. We got here early and got a couple of nice breezes here with [assistant trainer and former jockey] David Flores up. His last work was a nice and easy one because he had a stiff one the week before. He's been working as good of works as he's ever had. Usually, when you're coming into a race like this with a horse that's seven years old, you always are worrying about something, but we've got no worries.”

Jockey Joel Rosario rides from post 11.

Breeze Easy's 7-year-old veteran Imprimis will look to shake off four months' worth of rust, returning to a distance where he boasts a 16-8-2-2 record having not raced since finishing second beaten a nose to Bound for Nowhere in the Shakertown.

Trained by Joe Orseno, the Broken Vow dark bay crossed the wire first in last year's Troy but was disqualified and placed third. He was triumphant in his next effort going six furlongs in the Grade 3 Runhappy Turf Sprint on September 12 at Kentucky Downs before finishing 13th in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint on November 5 at Keeneland.

Imprimis emerged from the Shakertown with a broken bone in his nose.

“He's a very good fresh horse. When he came out of the gate in the Shakertown, he broke a bone in his nose. We took precautions over it, but he's been fine and ready to run,” Orseno said. “The Troy has been on our radar since that race. I was thinking about the Jaipur and decided to skip it, but he's ready to go.”

A six-time stakes winner over five different ovals, the well-traveled Imprimis boasts previous stakes wins in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint in May 2018 at Pimlico Race Course, the Wolf Hill two months later at Monmouth Park, as well as the Silks Run [March 2019], and Janus [January 1] at Gulfstream Park.

“He's never been the kind of horse that needed a track,” Orseno said. “Obviously, it's always turf but Kentucky Downs is different than most. Last year, I took him there off a ten-month layoff and his first race back was the Troy. He handled it fine and did what he was supposed to do. Unfortunately, they took him down, but he ran his race. It's kind of the same pattern we're trying to follow.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride Imprimis from post 7.

Trainer Charlie Appleby has garnered success this year in shipping horses across the pond to New York, including Grade 1 triumphs with Althiqa in the Just a Game at Belmont Park and the Diana at the Spa. The Newmarket-based conditioner sends out Godolphin's dual Group 3 winner Lazuli for the Troy.

The 4-year-old bay son of Dubawi captured the Group 3 Dubai International Airport World Trophy at Newbury on September 20 and won the Group 3 Palace House at Newmarket on May 1 two starts later.

Jockey Luis Saez has the mount from post 10.

Rounding out the field are Brad Grady's Fast Boat [post 1, Tyler Gaffalione], a winner of the Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs two starts back for trainer Joe Sharp; Louisiana-bred stakes winner Classy John [post 3, John Velazquez]; John Terranova-trained three-time winner Backtohisroots [post 4, Manny Franco]; graded stakes-placed Front Run the Fed [post 5, Ricardo Santana, Jr.]; Calumet Farms' ultra-consistent Gear Jockey [post 6, Jose Lezcano]; multiple stakes winner Carotari [post 8, Javier Castellano] for trainer Brian Lynch; and Chateau [post 9, Dylan Davis], a graded-stakes winner on dirt for trainer Rob Atras.

The Troy is carded as Race 9 on Friday's 10-race program. First post is 1:05 p.m.

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