Tag: Country Grammer

Country Grammer Wins San Antonio With Authority

Country Grammer, reunited with Frankie Dettori for the first time since winning the G1 Dubai World Cup in March, strode home an easy winner of the GII San Antonio S. at Santa Anita Monday. Sent off the 3-5 favorite, Country Grammer was hustled from his outside post by Dettori, but was unable to match the speed of his inside rivals and was caught four wide into the first turn as Hopkins (Quality Road) took the early lead and was in front through fractions of :22.76 and :46.16. Country Grammar rolled up three wide into the far turn and grabbed the lead into the stretch before bursting clear to an easy victory.

“I'm spending the winter here and on day one riding here, on one of the best horses in the world, the pressure was on,” Dettori admitted. “I felt it but the horse was in great form, and I was able to enjoy the scream of the crowd and it is nice to be back at Santa Anita. What a place! What a crowd, it's amazing.”

Dettori has announced 2023 will be his final year in the saddle.

“Thirty five years went like a flash,” the Italian said. “I've got to make these last 12 months the best that I can and enjoy it. Most of all I've had a great career, and this is where it all started, and this is where it will finish.”

Country Grammer, purchased as a 4-year-old by WinStar Farm from the dispersal of the late Paul Pompa for $110,000 at the 2021 Keeneland January sale, ended his 2021 campaign with a win in May 31 GI Hollywood Gold Cup. He resurfaced nine months later to finish second in the Feb. 26 G1 Saudi Cup and went one better in the World Cup at Meydan a month later. The 5-year-old returned stateside to be second in the July 30 GII San Diego H. and was beaten 19 lengths when second behind Flightline (Tapit) in the Sept. 3 GI TVG Pacific Classic. He was making his first start since finishing second in the Oct. 1GI Aweso me Again S.

“This horse is training better than he ever has, and he likes a deeper racetrack,” winning trainer Bob Baffert said. “This horse has brought us so much joy when things were down. He always shows up. It was nice of Frankie Dettori to win one like that. He's such a great rider, and it's his last year to be part of it. I'm just blessed the owners gave me the horse to train, and I have a great staff backing me.”

Pedigree Notes:

Arabian Song, in foal to Wicked Strong, sold for $5,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale and was exported to Saudi Arabia. She has a 3-year-old filly by that sire racing in Saudi Arabia and has an unnamed 2-year-old colt by Saint Anddan. Under Country Grammar's third dam, Willstar, is Group 1 winner Etoile Montante (Miswaki), as well as the dams of Grade I winner Obligatory (Curlin) and multiple graded winner Bonny South (Munnings).

Monday, Santa Anita
SAN ANTONIO S.-GII, $200,500, Santa Anita, 12-26, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:43.45, ft.
1–COUNTRY GRAMMER, 123, h, 5, by Tonalist
                1st Dam: Arabian Song, by Forestry
                2nd Dam: Prima Centauri, by Distant View
                3rd Dam: Willstar, by Nureyev
($60,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $450,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR; $110,000
4yo '21 KEEJAN). O-Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, LLC,
Winstar Farm LLC and Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Scott
& Debbie Pierce (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Lanfranco Dettori.
$120,000. Lifetime Record: 14-5-5-1, $11,277,320. *1/2 to
Joyful Cadence (Runhappy), SW & MGSP, $546,155. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the
   Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Stilleto Boy, 123, g, 4, Shackleford–Rosie's Ransom, by
Marquetry. ($420,000 3yo '21 FTKHRA). O-Steve Moger;
B-John & Iveta Kerber (KY); T-Ed Moger, Jr. $40,000.
3–Heywoods Beach, 123, h, 5, Speightstown–Unfold the Rose,
by Catienus. ($150,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $190,000 RNA 2yo '19
FTFMAR; $180,000 2yo '19 OBSOPN). O-Hronis Racing LLC;
B-SF Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-John W. Sadler. $24,000.
Margins: 4HF, 3HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.60, 5.00, 9.30.
Also Ran: Breakfast Ride, Hudson Ridge, Hopkins.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Santa Anita Kicks Off 87th Winter/Spring Season of Racing Monday

Santa Anita Park will launch its annual winter/spring live racing season on Monday with a 11-race card featuring six stakes races, highlighted by the $300,000 GI Runhappy Malibu S., $300,000 GI American Oaks, and $300,000 GI La Brea S., the last three Grade Is of the year in the U.S.

Dubbed this season for the first time as the Classic Meet, racing at Santa Anita will be conducted on a Thursday-through-Sunday schedule through Apr. 9, the exceptions being Monday, Jan. 2 for the New Year's Day holiday, Monday, Jan. 16 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Monday, Feb. 20 for Presidents' Day. After a brief respite in the spring, live racing will return for a 25-day meet Apr. 22, concluding June 18.

The first race on opening day is set for 11:00 a.m. PST. Then post time will be at noon daily through Jan. 8, at 12:30 p.m. PST through Mar. 12 and 1:00 p.m. PST for the remainder of the Classic Meet with the exception of big-race days.

A total of 93 stakes worth $17.5 million, including 10 Grade Is, are on tap during the 3 ½-month meeting. Led by the $750,000 million GI Santa Anita Derby Apr. 8, the 2022-2023 stakes schedule is rich with GI Kentucky Derby prep races and coveted Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying points. These important Triple Crown prep races are the GIII Sham S. on Jan. 8, which is worth 10 points to the winner; the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. on Feb. 5, also worth 10; and GII San Felipe S. on Mar. 4 which guarantees 50 Road to the Kentucky Derby points to the winner. Overall, 11 winners of the Santa Anita Derby–and 18 runners in California's final prep for the Run for the Roses–have gone on to stand in the winner's circle at Churchill Downs reserved for one horse a year in Louisville on the first Saturday in May, the most recent being 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy).

This year, the historic GI Santa Anita H. will be worth $500,000 and the 1 1/4-mile event has been scheduled for Mar. 4. It remains one of the handful of original stakes events contested each year since Santa Anita opened in 1935.

Zedan Racing's Grade I winner and TDN Rising Star Taiba (Gun Runner) will face eight others in the Malibu in his first start since a third-place finish in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Should the chestnut colt win, he would become the only 3-year-old male to win three Grade Is in 2022 and give trainer Bob Baffert a fifth Malibu winner, one shy of fellow Hall of Famer Richard Mandella. The $1.7 million FTFMAR 2-year-old purchase also won the Santa Anita Derby in his second start back in April.

Flightline (Tapit) won his first stakes race in last year's Malibu en-route to a likely 2022 Horse of the Year and champion older male Eclipse Awards.

Mandella will send out multiple Grade II winner Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah) for the seven-furlong test, while former California-based trainer Wesley Ward will try to take advantage of the lucrative ship-and-win money with recent Keeneland allowance winner Nakatomi (Firing Line).

The Malibu has been carded as the 10th race on the card with a 3:30 p.m. PST post time.

Baffert will tighten the girth on four of eight for the La Brea in seeking a record ninth winner, including GII Zenyatta S. winner Midnight Memories (Mastery), GII Summertime Oaks heroine Under The Stars (Pioneerof the Nile) and Fun To Dream (Arrogate), who won the Betty Grable S. at Del Mar last month. Trainer Rudy Rodriguez shipped GIII Victory Ride S. winner Hot Peppers (Khozan) and her jockey, Tyler Gaffalione, to the Left Coast in what will be her first start in 2 1/2 months. Post time for the La Brea, which is the day's 8th race, is 2:30 p.m. PST.

Anchoring the day's card with a 4:11 p.m. PST post time is the American Oaks, which drew a field of 11 runners from coast to coast. Joining the local contingent set to line up will be two trained by East Coast-based Graham Motion, and one each from Brendan Walsh, Chad Brown and Shug McGaughey. Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) debuts for Motion after her previous eight-race career in the hands of Christophe Clement. She most recently was a $3.45 million RNA at KEENOV and returns in the colors of celebrity chef Bobby Flay.

Pizza Bianca will join her new stablemate, GIII Valley View S. winner Sparkle Blue (Hard Spun), in the gate, while Walsh will for the first time send out G1 Bet365 Fillies Mile S. winner Mise En Scene (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) returning to action off a sixth-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. McGaughey shipped G2 Sands Point S. winner Skims (GB) (Frankel {GB}) to California with the Brown-trained Winter Memories S. winner and TDN Rising Star Salimah (Ire) (El Kabeir) for the 10-furlong turf test.

Other stakes on the Monday card include the $200,000 GIII Santa Anita Mathis Mile, which drew a field of seven turf milers including I'm A Gambler (Ire) (No Nay Never), who sold for a sales-topping $1,076,000 at TATIHA in October to Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal; the $200,000 GII San Gabriel S., a 1 1/8-mile turf test and traditional early prep for the historic GIII San Juan Capistrano S. at the end of the season; and the $200,000 GII San Antonio S., in years past a traditional prep for the Big 'Cap but more recently used as a stepping stone to both the $6 million G1 Dubai World Cup and $20 million G1 Saudi Cup. Last year's Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammer (Tonalist) will have European champion jockey Frankie Dettori back aboard in the 1 1/16-mile test for the first time since the pair teamed up for the win at Meydan nine months ago. Dettori, in his first and likely last winter in California before his retirement from the saddle at the end of 2023, is scheduled to ride five on the Monday card.

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Dialed In’s Defunded Upsets the Awesome Again

Defunded, who had been knocking on the door at the graded level for the last year and a half, picked a good time to break through as he led home a one-two for Bob Baffert in this “Win and You're In” qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

Runner-up in both the GIII Affirmed S. and GIII Los Alamitos Derby last term, the chestnut was transferred to Sean McCarthy for his first two tries of 2022–a dominant optional claiming tally going a local mile and a runner-up finish in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup over 10 panels May 30. He hadn't shown much in two recent tries back in the Baffert barn at Del Mar, however, as he finished seventh behind several of these in the July 30 GII San Diego H. and sixth cutting back for the Aug. 27 GII Pat O'Brien S.

With the absence of divisional dominator Flightline (Tapit) providing the others with a chance to make the lead and maybe even win, Defunded was given the most aggressive ride early under speed specialist Edwin Maldonado. He posted an opening quarter of :22.67 with headstrong Slow Down Andy in nearest pursuit, but was able to slow it down from there somewhat to post a half in :46.70 and six panels in 1:10.89. Slow Down Andy took a big run at the pacesetter and looked like a winner as they pointed for home, but Defunded punched back and kept on from there to win with room to spare. Country Grammer, the G1 Dubai World Cup winner who was 19 1/4 lengths behind Flightline when second best in the Sept. 3 GI TVG Pacific Classic S., grinded his way into second.

“It was a very nice trip,” said the winning pilot. “Bob told me I had a great shot in this race so put him on the lead. And when Bob says you have a shot, you have a shot. I just want to thank Bob and all the connections for the opportunity, I'm grateful to be here. At the point of my career right now, I was due for a big race. It came through. What better time than the second day in Santa Anita? A good time.”

Baffert said, “I'm proud. Defunded ran so well here before and when we got to Del Mar, he just had a meltdown in the paddock and didn't behave himself. Today he was perfect. They all loaded in the gate perfect, and I give Edwin a lot of the credit he is such a great speed rider. I told him I'd throw him a nice horse when we got up here and he rode a perfect race.”

Saturday, Santa Anita
AWESOME AGAIN S.-GI, $301,500, Santa Anita, 10-1, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:49.38, ft.
1–DEFUNDED, 122, g, 4, by Dialed In
                1st Dam: Wind Caper (MSP, $194,286), by Touch Gold
                2nd Dam: Wind Tunnel, by Summer Squall
                3rd Dam: Tivli, by Mt. Livermore
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN,
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($210,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Michael E.
Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-Athens Woods LLC
(KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Edwin A. Maldonado. $180,000. Lifetime
Record: 12-4-3-1, $518,100. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Country Grammer, 124, h, 5, Tonalist–Arabian Song, by
Forestry. ($60,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $450,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR;
$110,000 4yo '21 KEEJAN). O-Commonwealth Thoroughbreds,
LLC, Winstar Farm LLC & Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Scott &
Debbie Pierce (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $60,000.
3–Slow Down Andy, 120, c, 3, Nyquist–Edwina E, by
Square Eddie. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Reddam Racing, LLC
(CA); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $36,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, 4HF. Odds: 5.00, 1.10, 14.50.
Also Ran: Express Train, Tripoli, Royal Ship (Brz), High Connection, Azul Coast.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

With 22 black-type winners to his name, Dialed In has quietly amassed eight graded winners and ranks among the top 30 active North American sires of 2022. Winner of the 2011 GI Florida Derby himself, he's now sired the winners of the GI Arkansas Derby and the GI American Pharoah S., in addition to the Awesome Again, and has had runners place in the G1 Dubai World Cup, two Breeders' Cups, the G1 Travers S., and several more Grade I events while spending his tenure at Darby Dan Farm near Lexington.

Defunded also adds to Touch Gold's tally as a broodmare sire, giving that pensioner 68 stakes winners out of his daughters. Inbred 4×4 to 1992 Broodmare of the Year Weekend Surprise (Secretariat) through her Classic-winning sons A.P. Indy on top and Summer Squall on bottom, Defunded has a yearling full-sister, as well as a 2-year-old half-sister named Capital Lights (Lookin At Lucky) that sold for $40,000 to  PT Syndicate #1 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October Yearling sale. Defunded's third dam Tivli produced GSW Reunited (Dixie Union), best known as the dam of MGISW Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), a new stallion at Lane's End who is expecting his first foals in 2023.

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Let The Breeders’ Cup Countdown Begin

There are but five weeks remaining between now and the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland Nov. 4 and 5, and many of horse racing's biggest names will take in their final prep races over the course of the next couple of weekends. Better than 40 graded stakes, the majority of which have championship weekend implications, are set to take place from sea to shining sea, including 21 'Win and You're In' events offering the winners an all-expenses paid trip to the Bluegrass.

Santa Anita stages one of the four Breeders' Cup Challenge races on tap for Saturday, the GI Awesome Again S., a race used by future champion Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) as a springboard to GI Breeders' Cup Classic success back in 2018. Bob Baffert fields half of the eight starters as he looks for an eight renewal and third in succession. The charge is led by Country Grammer (Tonalist), whose two most important victories to date have come over 10 furlongs–the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita and G1 Dubai World Cup–but he has proven effective enough going this mile-and-an-eighth trip, with a record of 2-2-0 from four starts. The 5-year-old, a millionaire 11 times over courtesy of two big performances in the desert this winter, looks to bounce back from runner-up efforts behind the re-opposing Royal Ship (Brz) (Midshipman) in the GII San Diego H. July 30 and when finishing in area code 213 behind 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) in the GI TVG Pacific Classic Sept. 3.

Meanwhile, on the Eastern seaboard–which was expecting the arrival of the remnants of Hurricane Ian late Friday–'Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) revs up for his Breeders' Cup engagement as the overwhelming favorite in a field of five for the GI Woodward S.

Fourth to Country Grammer after failing to see out the 'stiff' 10 furlongs of the G1 Dubai World Cup, the 4-year-old has been nothing but brilliant since, with big-figure victories in the GII John A. Nerud S.–speaking of the Breeders' Cup–and last time in the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga.

“He's an extremely talented horse,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, whose previous Woodward winners include Lawyer Ron, Quality Road and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile victor Liam's Map. “We just always hope that everything goes according to plan. It doesn't ever surprise me, but it is just remarkable how consistent he's been every single day he's out there. Every breeze is impressive and that's just what we've come to expect of him.”

The third of the Classic preps takes place at Churchill Downs, where the most competitive of the three fields heads postward in the GII Lukas Classic S. Favored at 8-5 on the morning line is the hard-knocking Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), but he'll be made to work for it by last year's Woodward winner and recent GII Charles Town Classic repeater Art Collector (Bernardini), GI Met Mile and Whitney runner-up Happy Saver (Super Saver) and Rich Strike (Keen Ice), who would become the first GI Kentucky Derby winner to succeed beneath the Twin Spires since Silver Charm took the 1998 GII Clark H. a year after being draped with the roses.

The Lukas Classic has been added to NBC's coverage of Saturday's preps.

 

 

 

Dirt Mile Berth Up for Grabs In Ack Ack…

Godolphin's Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) has the rail and is the even-money favorite for the one-mile GIII Ack Ack S. at Churchill Downs, with a trip to the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile awaiting the winner.

For the first four months of this year, the homebred looked like he might develop into one of the top horses in training, as he capped a three-race winning skein with a good-looking 4 1/2-length tally in the GI Carter H. at Aqueduct in April, good for a 114 Beyer. It's been anything but plain sailing since. Best-backed against Flightline in the GI Hill 'n' Dale Met Mile June 11, he faded to third after setting the early pace and also had the misfortune of running into Life Is Good in the Nerud, finishing a distant runner-up. With Cody's Wish (Curlin) representing Godolphin in the GI Forego S. at Saratoga the same afternoon, Speaker's Corner was shipped to Del Mar for the Aug. 27 GII Pat O'Brien S. and never looked likely, dropping away to be fourth behind the impressive Laurel River (Into Mischief).

Juddmonte's Fulsome (Into Mischief), winner of this year's GIII Oaklawn Mile going a two-turn configuration and victorious in this track's GIII Matt Winn S. last year, and the class-dropping Untreated (Nyquist)–perfect in three tries going a mile, albeit against softer–could make life difficult on the rail-drawn favorite.

Juveniles Share The Spotlight at BAQ…

The Belmont at the Big A meet plays host to the afternoon's other 'Win and You're In' tests–the GI Champagne S. for 2-year-old males going the one-turn mile and the GII Miss Grillo S. for juvenile grass fillies.

Despite his relative inexperience, Verifying (Justify) will take plenty of beating while stepping into stakes company for the first time. A $775,000 Keeneland September purchase, the May-foaled half-brother to champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) ran to 3-4 favoritism in the Travers Day opener at Saratoga, scoring by a widening 1 3/4 lengths, and looks to have trained on since the debut.

Trainer Brad Cox has yet to saddle a Champagne winner and believes his charge will be prominent in the run Saturday.

“I want to be up close, but he doesn't necessarily have to be on the lead,” Cox said. “He has enough natural speed going a mile that he's going to be in the mix. He's a good-looking horse. Based on pedigree and how he looks, I think he'll like more ground.”

A pair of 'TDN Rising Stars' figure to make their presence known as well. Gulfport (Uncle Mo), whose sire won the 2010 Champagne en route to a GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile victory and an Eclipse Award, romped by better than a dozen lengths in the  July 4 Bashford Manor S. and has since finished runner-up in the GII Saratoga Special S. and GI Hopeful S. New York-bred Andiamo a Firenze (Speightstown), a homebred half-brother to 2017 Champagne hero Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior), was fractionally disappointing when third in the GIII Sanford S. upstate July 16, but bounced back with a smooth success in the state-bred restricted Funny Cide S. Aug 26 over the same sloppy underfoot conditions he's likely to encounter Saturday.

'Rising Star' Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) looks to remain perfect in three starts in the Miss Grillo, a race likely to test the field's collective ability to handle a fair bit of cut in the ground depending on what mood Ian is in.

“She fits great in this spot,” trainer Horacio De Paz said. “She's won twice and going long, so the distance shouldn't be a problem. Hopefully the weather stays together and we don't get a lot of rain, but even if we did get some rain, she's a horse that likes turf with a little give as well. Everything is very positive for her. She overcomes things.”

The field of six also includes Free Look (Tapit), a late-on-the-scene third to Be Your Best on July 31 debut ahead of a much-the-best score Sept. 4. Alluring Angel (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) won on Saratoga sprint debut for the always-dangerous Jorge Abreu barn Aug. 4 and stretches out off a stinging nose defeat in the Sept. 13 Untapable S. at Kentucky Downs.

'Kingdom' Comes Back in SA Sprint Championship…

In 2019, Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella brought Omaha Beach (War Front) back off an April layoff and a missed chance in the GI Kentucky Derby to score impressively in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship S., then a Grade I. The conditioner looks for lightning to strike twice Saturday when the very talented Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah) makes his much-anticipated return to action.

A $300,000 purchase out of the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase, the chestnut son of the gifted Just Louise (Five Star Day) wired this track's GII San Vicente S. Jan. 29 and proved he could handle two-turns with a blowout win in the GII San Felipe S. Mar. 5. But it all came undone in the GI Santa Anita Derby Apr. 9, as he dropped away to finished tailed off in last behind 'Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner) and hasn't been seen since.

“Richard is a such a great caretaker and he's given him plenty of time and let him get back to the horse that we know he is,” Spendthrift's Ned Toffey told TDN's Steve Sherack recently for his APB series. “We know he's fast. We know he's talented. It's just been a frustrating year.”

Forbidden Kingdom faces a field that includes C Z Rocket (City Zip), winner of this race in 2020 and third in defense of his title last year; and the progressive Kid Corleone (Shackleford), who tries graded company for the first time.

 

 

 

Elsewhere On Saturday…

The final two legs of the Florida Stallion Stakes–the In Reality S. and My Dear Girl S. are set for Gulfstream Park; a five-stakes program at Laurel Park includes the Selima S. and Laurel Futurity for the 2-year-olds; and Tyler's Tribe (Sharp Azteca) tries to make it five-for-five ahead of a possible Breeders' Cup appearance in the Iowa Cradle S. at Prairie Meadows.

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