Collusion Illusion | Horse Racing Free Tips

Charlatan Returns With Dominating Performance In Malibu

Charlatan, sidelined since June with an ankle injury, returned to the races with a smashing performance in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Runhappy Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., chasing speedster Nashville through the opening half-mile, putting that rival away on the turn for home, then drawing off to win by 4 1/2 lengths under Mike Smith.

Express Train rallied from last to finish second, with Collusion Illusion a half-length back in third, previously unbeaten 6-5 favorite Nashville another 3 1/4 lengths back in fourth, Independence Hall fifth and Thousand Words trailing the field of six 3-year-olds.

Charlatan traveled seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:21.50 after Nashville blitzed through fractions of :21.81 and :43.95. Charlatan was well in front at the furlong pole, stopping the timer in 1:08.54 for six furlongs.

Charlatan paid $5.20 to win as the second choice in the betting.

“That was an incredible performance off the layoff,” said Baffert.

Charlatan, a chestnut colt by Speightstown out of Authenticity, by Quiet American, was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC and sold for $700,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He races for a partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stone Stable, Frederick Hertrich III, John D. FIelding and Golconda Stable.

No one has come close to defeating Charlatan in his four career races, though he was disqualified from his six length victory in a division of the G1 Arkansas Derby May 2 at Oaklawn Park after a post-race drug test showed the presence of lidocaine. The horse's connections have appealed the disqualification.

Charlatan broke his maiden at first asking at Santa Anita on Feb. 16, winning by 5 3/4 lengths going six furlongs. He then won a one-mile allowance race at Santa Anita on March 14, drawing off by 10 1/4 lengths. He was the 2-5 favorite in the Arkansas Derby from which he was disqualified.

Nashville, who came into the Malibu unbeaten and untested in three starts, was favored based on his track-record performance going six furlongs in the Perryville Stakes at Keeneland on the Breeders' Cup undercard on Nov. 7. Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., the Speightstown colt came to Santa Anita off a series of fast workouts at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

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C Z Rocket Edges Flagstaff In Santa Anita Sprint Championship

In a head and head thriller, trainer Peter Miller's C Z Rocket prevailed by a hard-fought head over John Sadler's Flagstaff in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., final prep to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7. Ridden for the first time by Luis Saez, C Z Rocket, who is now unbeaten in five starts with Miller since being claimed for $40,000 last April at Oaklawn Park, covered six furlongs in 1:09.14.

Breaking sharply from his number four post position in a field of five 3-year-olds and up, C Z Rocket was immediately into contention and while under restraint, sat three quarters of a length off Flagstaff as they left the half mile pole.

Turning for home, Flagstaff, with Victor Espinoza up, drifted out a bit, carrying C Z Rocket into the three path and from there, it was game on in the run to the wire, with neither horse giving an inch in great stretch duel.

“I didn't expect to be that close, but he broke so sharp and he took me there,” said the eastern-based Saez. “I decided to let him settle and keep him happy. When I pulled the trigger turning for home, he took off. I love this horse, now he's ready for the real deal.”

A winner of the G2 Pat O'Brien Stakes going seven furlongs on Aug. 29 at Del Mar, C Z Rocket, a 6-year-old Florida-bred gelding by City Zip, was off as the 7-5 favorite and paid $4.80, $2.80 and $2.10.

“There were a lot of things involved in this,” said Miller, who is off to a tremendous start at Santa Anita's Autumn Meet, winning his third stakes dating back to Friday and his fourth overall, good for a tie with Bob Baffert for the lead in the trainer standings. “We recently sold a part of him to Gary Barber and Sol Kumin and I really wanted to win for those two gentlemen. Flavien (Prat) took off him (to ride third place finisher Collusion Illusion) and I wanted to prove that he made the wrong move.

“I just wanted to win this race … It was the owner, Tom Kagele, who picked this horse (to claim on April 30). I wouldn't have picked him, his form was too bad to claim him, but I did like that he had run some fast races in the past … We're definitely leaning toward the Sprint, he's won the last (five) going one turn. We're going to keep him one turn.”

With his second consecutive graded stakes win in-hand, C Z Rocket, who is out of the Successful Appeal mare Successful Sarah, is now 22-9-1-2 and with the winner's share of $120,000, he has earnings of $551,641.

Flagstaff, who ran too good to lose, was off as the third choice in the wagering and paid $3.00 and $2.10.

Ridden by Prat and off at 9-5, Collusion Illusion, who broke from the rail, couldn't go with the top two late and finished 1 ¼ lengths behind Flagstaff while paying $2.10 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.33, 45.27 and 57.13.

The Santa Anita Sprint Championship is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth to the Grade I Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

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Collusion Illusion Tops Competitive Renewal of SA Sprint Championship

Collusion Illusion (Twirling Candy) is unbeaten going one-turn and will try to continue that run in Sunday’s GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S., a “Win and You’re In” event for the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint S. Kicking off this term with a track-and-trip optional claimer score May 17, the sophomore triumphed in the GIII Lazaro Barrera S. June 20 and took the GI Bing Crosby S. by a nose last time at Del Mar Aug. 1.

C Z Rocket (City Zip) looks to secure his fifth straight win Sunday. Capturing a $50,000 claiming event at Churchill May 25, he won an optional claimer there June 21 and another at Keeneland July 12. The gelding bested by Flagstaff (Speightstown) by a half-length last time in the GII Pat O’Brien S. Aug. 29.

Winner of the GII San Carlos S. in March, Flagstaff was a close second in the GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. Apr. 18. The gelding was fourth to fellow Summer Wind-bred and MGISW McKinzie (Street Sense) in the GII Triple Bend S. June 7 prior to the Pat O’Brien.

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Collusion Illusion Takes On C Z Rocket In Santa Anita Sprint Championship

Trainer Mark Glatt's red-hot Collusion Illusion, who seeks his fourth consecutive win and Peter Miller's C Z Rocket, in search of his fifth consecutive win photo, headline a solid field of five 3-year-olds and up in Sunday's Grade II, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at six furlongs.

A winner of five out of six starts, Collusion Illusion was all heart in taking Del Mar's Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes by a nose on Aug. 1, while C Z Rocket, in his first graded stakes assignment, proved best by a half length in the Grade II Pat O'Brien going seven furlongs on Aug. 29.

The Santa Anita Sprint Championship is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth into the Grade I Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

COLLUSION ILLUSION

Owner: Dan Agnew, Jerry Schneider, John Xitco & Dr. Rodney Orr

Trainer: Mark Glatt

Unbeaten in three starts this year, this Florida-bred colt by Twirling Candy earned a career-best Beyer Speed figure of 93 in winning the Crosby and looms the horse to beat from the rail, from which he aired two starts back, taking the Grade III Lazaro Barrera Stakes here by 3 ¼ lengths on June 20. With the only blemish on his form coming in the mile and one sixteenth Grade I American Pharoah in September, 2019, Collusion Illusion is unbeaten in three starts at six furlongs and has won five out of his six career outs.

C Z ROCKET

Owner: Tom Kagele

Trainer: Peter Miller

A miracle $40,000 claim five starts back on April 30 at Oaklawn Park, this 6-year-old City Zip gelding has won all four of starts for Miller, at Churchill Downs, Keeneland and most recently, Del Mar, as he took the seven furlong Pat O'Brien as the even money favorite. Ridden by Flavien Prat in the Pat O'Brien, he'll be ridden for the first time by Luis Saez on Sunday and with a 97 Beyer in hand, should be very tough to beat in his 22nd career start.

FLAGSTAFF

Owner: Lane's End Racing & Hronis Racing, LLC

Trainer: John Sadler

One of the Southern California circuits most consistent sprinters, he made the lead a furlong from home but could not hold off C Z Rocket late when finishing second, beaten a half length in the Grade II Pat O'Brien. A winner of the seven furlong San Carlos Stakes four starts back on March 7, he's kept good company in five starts this year, winning one while three times second.

THE GRADE II SANTA ANITA SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST ORDER

Race 8 of 11 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Collusion Illusion—Flavien Prat—122
Desert Law—Juan Hernandez—122
Flagstaff—Victor Espinoza—124
C Z Rocket—Luis Saez—124
Giant Expectations—Abel Cedillo—122

First post time for an 11-race card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. Although there is no public admittance, Santa Anita's races can be viewed free of charge via the track's livestream video at santaanita.com

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