craig lewis | Horse Racing Free Tips

Bing Crosby Nominations Promises Deep Field Of Sprinters At Del Mar

Seventeen horses, encompassing virtually all the top sprinters on the West Coast, have been nominated to Saturday's $300,000 Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes, assuring that the field will be a stellar one when it is set and post positions are drawn on Wednesday.

Trainer Mark Glatt finished first and third in the 2020 Crosby with Collusion Illusion and Law Abidin Citizen. He has those two plus Dr. Schivel nominated and said Sunday he might run all three.

Other marquee speedsters on the nomination list include 2020 Pat O'Brien winner C Z Rocket for Peter Miller; the trio of Ax Man, Eight Rings, and Gamine from the Bob Baffert barn; graded stakes winner Flagstaff from the John Sadler stable; and the double-quick Cal-bred Brickyard Ride out of the Craig Lewis barn.

Sadler said Flagstaff will skip the Bing Crosby and instead go in the seven-furlong Pat O'Brien here on August 28.

Baffert said the 4-year-old filly Gamine, a winner of six graded stakes in her last seven starts – four of them Grade 1s – is more likely to continue competing against her own gender elsewhere than take on males in the Bing Crosby.

But Gamine is one of 11 older fillies and mares nominated to next Sunday's Clement L. Hirsch, as is stablemate As Time Goes By. A 4-year-old daughter of Baffert-trained Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, As Time Goes By is one of three stakes winners at Santa Anita that are possibles for the Hirsch, a 1 1/16-mile main track event that usually determines the top older filly or mare of the meeting.

The others are Venetian Harbor and Warren's Showtime.

The 6-furlong Bing Crosby is a “Win & You're In” qualifier for the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar on November 6. The Clement L. Hirsch is likewise designated for the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff that same day.

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Trio Of Stakes Wins Net Juan J. Hernandez Jockey Of The Week Title

Juan J. Hernandez made the most of closing weekend at Santa Anita winning three stakes races leading to Jockey of the Week honors for June 14 through June 20. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

On Saturday, trainer Richard Mandella gave a leg up to regular rider Hernandez on Kanderel in the Siren Lure Stakes at 6-1/2 furlongs on the turf. Breaking from the rail in the field of seven, Kanderel was six lengths off dueling leaders Texas Wedge and Tilted Towers heading to the far turn. With a furlong to run, Kanderel rallied from last to win in 1:14.98.

“I broke from the inside, number one post and Mr. Mandella told me to ride the horse like the last time,” said Hernandez. “My horse, he loves to come from behind. I was saving ground and at the (top of) the stretch, I decided to go outside and make my run.”

On Sunday, closing day at Santa Anita, Hernandez rode heavy favorite Big City Lights for trainer Luis Mendez in the Fasig-Tipton Futurity winning gate-to-wire by 7-1/4 lengths while getting five furlongs in :58.20.

“This horse is improving a lot,” said Hernandez. “Last time he broke a little slow, but today he broke really sharp and I was clear in front, probably three or four jumps after. When I asked him at the quarter pole, he took off again, he's a nice horse.”

Hernandez continued his winning ways by riding Warren's Showtime for trainer Craig Lewis in the Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes. Off as the favorite, Hernandez and Warren's Showtime were next to last travelling on the backside. At the top of the stretch, Hernandez took Warren's Showtime four wide to win the one mile turf event by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:34.29.

“We've been knocking on the door the last few times, we were third, second, just missing the winner, but today I think the pace was the key,” said Hernandez who registered his third win of the day. “That was a good pace because she was flying at the end.”

Weekly stats for Hernandez were 24-7-3-2 for 29 percent win rate, 50 percent in-the-money and total purses of $369,886 to lead all jockeys.

Hernandez out-polled Tyler Baze who won two stakes races, Alex Bizer who led all jockeys with 10 wins, Joel Rosario with a graded stakes win and Tim Thornton with a 33 percent strike rate from 24 mounts.

Hernandez finished second in the winter/spring jockey standings with 92 wins and eight graded stakes.

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Warren’s Showtime Reels In Leggs Galore As Cal-Breds Run 1-2 In Wilshire

Hard-hitting Warren's Showtime got the early pace pressure she's been craving the entire meet and took full advantage on closing day Sunday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as she unfurled an impressive stretch kick to take the Grade 3, $100,000 Wilshire Stakes. Owned and bred in California by Ben and Sally Warren, trained by Craig Lewis and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Warren's Showtime won going away over pacesetter Leggs Galore while stopping the clock of a mile on turf in 1:34.29.

As expected, Leggs Galore was hustled away from the gate by Ricky Gonzalez and she held a 1 ¾-length advantage over Chilean-bred Brooke as the field straightened up for their run up the backside with long-striding Warren's Showtime ambling along while next to last.

Although Leggs Galore spurted clear, commanding a two-length edge on Brooke at the quarter pole, Warren's Showtime was in high gear under Hernandez, who wheeled four-wide at the top of the lane. From there, there was no stopping the 4-year-old daughter of Clubhouse Ride, as she broke a six-race losing streak while notching her second career graded stakes victory.

Most recently a close second to Leggs Galore in the statebred Fran's Valentine Stakes at one mile on turf May 9, Warren's Showtime was off as the 2-1 favorite in a field of eight fillies and mares three and up and paid $6.00, $3.00 and $2.20.

“She's a racehorse, she lays it down every time, she gives everything she can give and that's all you could ask,” said Lewis, who also trained both the sire and dam of the winner. “Juan is a really good rider and he's a got a good agent, so it works well together. I had a little anxiety, but I felt like today was going to be her day. It looked like there would be a realistic pace. …She looks like a million dollars and by the way, she's close to getting to that point. We're hoping she does, but she's just a wonderful filly and gives you what she can.

“Today was her day. I told Juan to be as patient as he could because we knew they were going to go fast today. …I am very excited about the future for Clubhouse Ride. He's a beast.”

By millionaire Clubhouse Ride, out of Warren's Grade I stakes winning Affirmative mare Warren's Veneda, Warren's Showtime notched her sixth stakes win and improved her overall mark 20-7-2-9. With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $697,431.

“We've been knocking on the door the last few times, we were third, second, just missing the winner, but today I think the pace was the key,” said Hernandez, who registered his second stake win and third overall victory on the day. “That was a good pace for us because she was flying at the end…Today, I kind of moved a little earlier, so when I passed the other filly, I said, 'I got it.'”

Gallant in defeat, Leggs Galore finished a neck in front of Brooke and paid $3.40 and $2.20 while off at 7-2.

Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Brooke, who pressed the pace throughout, was third-best and paid $4.00 to show while finishing 1 ¼ lengths better than Ippodamia's Girl.

Fractions on the Wilshire were 22.45, 45.97, 1:10.04 and 1:22.19.

Live racing will resume at Santa Anita with opening day of the track's Autumn Meet on Oct. 1.

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Warren’s Showtime Rates Big Chance In Sunday’s Wilshire

In a race laden with early speed, the Craig Lewis-trained Warren's Showtime rates a huge chance to get up in time going a flat mile on turf in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Wilshire Stakes at Santa Anita. For fillies and mares three and up, the Wilshire has attracted a solid field of eight distaffers, the majority of whom appear to be in top form.

Among the speed contingent, Phil D'Amato's Leggs Galore will try to once again pose an elusive target on the lead, while John Sadler's comebacking Stella's Star is a dedicated deep closer who will get the services of leading rider Flavien Prat.

Owned and bred in California by Ben and Sally Warren, Warren's Showtime is winless in five starts at the current meet, dating back to a close third going a mile on turf in the opening day Lady of Shamrock on Dec. 26. Favored in three out of her five outs, Warren's Showtime ran one of her best races in finishing second, beaten three quarters of a length by Leggs Galore as the 3-5 favorite in the one mile turf Fran's Valentine Stakes on May 9.

With an abundance of speed signed up for the Wilshire, Warren's Showtime could get the assist she needs to turn the tables on Leggs Galore and notch her second graded stakes win. By Clubhouse Ride out of the Grade 1 stakes winning Affirmative mare Warren's Veneda, Warren's Showtime has been a gem of consistency, posting an overall mark of 19-6-2-9, with earnings of $637,431.

A winner of five consecutive turf sprints prior to tasting defeat at 6-5 in the one mile turf Mizdirection Stakes two starts back on April 17, Leggs Galore bounced back with a tremendous effort in the Fran's Valentine as she held a two length advantage virtually throughout en route to posting a career-best 96 Beyer Speed figure as she held Warren's Showtime safe by three quarters of a length.

A 4-year-old California-bred filly by Bayern that is owned by her breeder William Sims, Leggs Galore will no doubt be intent upon replicating her Fran's Valentine score under regular rider Ricky Gonzalez. A three-time stakes winner, Leggs Galore, who is out of the Indian Charlie mare Cashing Tickets, has six wins from nine starts and will be facing graded stakes competition for the first time.

Idle since May of 2020, Irish-bred Stela Star closed much ground to be second, beaten a half length by Warren's Showtime in her U.S. debut, the one mile turf China Doll Stakes, two starts back on March 7, 2020. Subsequently off as the 9-5 favorite in the Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes May 30, 2019, Stela Star was 14 lengths off the lead after the first half mile and flew to be second, beaten a neck by multiple stakes winner Laura's Light.

Owned by Hronis Racing, Inc., Stela Star, a 4-year-old filly, was a Group 3 winner in Ireland and no doubt has a huge future in front of her. With Prat engaged, she may be able to overcome the layoff and improve upon her overall mark of 6-2-2-0.

THE GRADE 3 WILSHIRE STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 11 Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

Quiet Secretary—Jessica Pyfer—122
Brooke—Umberto Rispoli—122
Gidgetta—Mario Gutierrez—122
Querelle—Trevor McCarthy—122
Warren's Showtime—Juan Hernandez—124
Leggs Galore—Ricardo Gonzalez—124
Stela Star—Flavien Prat—122
Ippodamia's Girl—Joe Bravo—122

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