Danny Gargan | Horse Racing Free Tips

Freud Colt Wows in Nownownow

Dakota Gold took to turf and two turns to score an impressive victory in this lucrative event. The chestnut was a 4 1/2-length debut graduate in an open rained-off sprint at Saratoga Sept. 2, for which he earned a solid 82 Beyer Speed Figure. In receipt of first-time Lasix, Dakota Gold found a stalking position early just behind and outside of odds-on GIII With Anticipation S. scorer Coinage. He settled nicely down the backside behind a :45.56 half mile, and was asked to quicken after six furlongs in 1:10.82. He powered to the front in upper stretch while still figuring out his lead changes, and kicked home from there with bounding strides to defeat pricey maiden Royal Spirit by daylight.

“This is the biggest win of my career, the biggest purse I have ever won. It's incredible. It feels great,” said 23-year-old winning rider Isaac Castillo, who was second in the Monmouth jockey standings heading into Sunday's card. “This is a fantastic horse, a championship-type horse. He was very comfortable on the grass. I was a bit outside early, but he was galloping on his own and very relaxed. When I asked him he just took off. He seems like he can be a very special horse.”

Conditioner Danny Gargan offered, “I thought he was even better on the grass than he was in his first start on the dirt and that race was very impressive. When that race came off we still ran him because he had some good works on the dirt and he ran tremendous that day. I always wanted to run him longer on the grass and today, you put your neck out on the line, and it worked out. There was a New York-bred race today at Belmont at seventh-eighths on the dirt. [Owner] Dean [Reeves] and I discussed it and I really wanted to run here. I'm just glad I got the opportunity to do it and Dean gave me a chance. I told him if we win this we can go to the Breeders' Cup, so I think Dean is going to let me going to the Breeders' Cup. I just couldn't wait to get him on the grass. We knew he had this kind of turn of foot on the grass. There was some pace in the race and he just flew by. When the jockey asked him he just galloped by. It was pretty impressive. You get lucky and get a horse like this once in a while. I think this horse has as much talent as any younger horse I've ever had.”

The 70th stakes winner for New York-based stalwart Freud, Dakota Gold has a yearling half-brother by Redesdale and a foal half-brother by the Reeves' Mucho Macho Man. His dam is a half to 2010 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile upsetter Dakota Phona (Zavata).

NOWNOWNOW S., $500,000, Monmouth, 9-26, 2yo, 1mT, 1:36.31, gd.
1–DAKOTA GOLD, 117, c, 2, by Freud
                1st Dam: Dakota Kid, by Lemon Drop Kid
                2nd Dam: World of Gold, by Spinning World
                3rd Dam: Explore the Gold, by Fast Gold
($83,000 Wlg '19 FTNMIX). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Reeves
Thoroughbred Racing; B-Sequel Thoroughbreds & Ron Bowden
(NY); T-Danny Gargan; J-Isaac Castillo. $300,000. Lifetime
Record: 2-2-0-0, $355,000.
2–Royal Spirit, 116, c, 2, Into Mischief–Don'tforgetaboutme, by
Malibu Moon. ($450,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-Repole Stable & St.
Elias Stable; B-Claiborne Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$100,000.
3–Coinage, 121, c, 2, Tapit–Bar of Gold, by Medaglia d'Oro.
($450,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-D. J. Stable LLC & Chester
& Mary Broman; B-Chester & Mary R. Broman (NY); T-Mark E.
Casse. $50,000.
Margins: 2HF, 6, 1. Odds: 5.00, 6.30, 0.80.
Also Ran: Shimmering Leroid, There Are No Words, Grooms All Bizness, Midnight Chrome, Sweeping Giant, Pure Panic. Scratched: City At Night. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Gargan Using Monmouth’s Nownownow As Breeders’ Cup Prep For Dakota Gold

Trainer Danny Gargan doesn't ship very often to Monmouth Park, but when he does it's with a purpose. The primary purpose this weekend is to see if Dakota Gold is Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf worthy.

An impressive first-out winner at Saratoga on Sept. 2, the New York-bred Dakota Gold will make his second career start in Sunday's $500,000 Nownownow Stakes, scheduled for one mile on the turf on the closing day of the 55-day meet.

The purse for the Nownownow Stakes was increased from $150,000 to $500,000 in an effort to entice 2-year-olds to use the race as a final stepping stone to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

“If he can run first or second this race the sky is the limit as to where he goes next,” said Gargan. “I think it's a great idea to make this race this big and with the timing of it (40 days before the Breeders' Cup Juvenile).

“If you're first or second in this race that would probably give you the earnings you need to get into the Breeders' Cup.”

Dakota Gold, a son of Freud-Dakota Kid by Lemon Drop Kid, was impressive in his debut, winning at 5½ furlongs in Maiden Special Weight company by 4½ lengths in a race that was taken off the turf.

“We trained him on the grass, so that's where we were looking to get him started,” said Gargan. “He's a nice quality colt. Just a beautiful animal. We ran him against open company the first time because the timing was right and we wanted to get a race in him. We had him ready.

“When it came off the turf we knew he had also worked well on the dirt so we were fine with it. Sunday he will run either way (on or off the grass).”

Dakota Gold is owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing (Dean and Patti Reeves), which was also a part-owner of Tax, the gelding who won the 2019 Jim Dandy for Gargan and also gave the Louisville, Ky., native his first Kentucky Derby starter that year.

“If Dakota Gold runs first or second I'd be hard-pressed not to go to the Breeders' Cup,” said Gargan. “Dean Reeves and I have been in the Kentucky Derby together. We've run in some big races together. He will take a chance in a big race.

“If this horse runs first or second on Sunday he would have to talk me out of going to the Breeders' Cup because I think the firm turf in California would suit my horse too.”

Gargan's potentially-lucrative Monmouth Park weekend will actually start on Saturday, when he sends out Ice Princess in the $100,000 Violet Stakes, the feature race on a 14-race card.

Scheduled for a mile and a sixteenth on the turf, the Violet Stakes may fall victim to rain that is expected to hit the area on Friday. That's fine with Gargan, since Ice Princess cruised to a four-length win in the slop at Saratoga in allowance company in her last start on Aug. 19.

“If it comes off she is going to run,” said Gargan. “I think she will turf but we're trying to handicap and taking an edge. If it comes off she would be a big favorite.”

A 4-year-old daughter of Palace Malice-Happy Clapper by Awesome Again, Ice Princess was a respectable fourth in her only career turf try on June 17 at Belmont Park. She shows a 4-4-1 line from 13 career starts with lifetime earnings of $308,019.

Six other fillies and mares, three and up, are scheduled to oppose her.

“She's a lightly-race filly. We don't run her a lot,” said Gargan. “She is actually super sound. It's not about soundness. It's more about her body weight and it getting a little too low sometimes.

“She's a pretty cool filly. I think next year will be her best year because she is starting to grow into herself.”

First race post time for Friday, Saturday and Sunday – the final three days of the Monmouth Park meet – is 12:15 p.m.

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Awesome Debate, Sadie Lady Head Field For Union Avenue At Saratoga

Van Vranken Racing and NRB Racing Stable's Awesome Debate will look to make amends in her second start for trainer Bruce Brown in Thursday's $100,000 Union Avenue, a 6 1/2-furlong handicap on the main track for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Claimed for $45,000 out of a winning effort on July 18 at Saratoga, the 5-year-old Honorable Dillon grey went to post as the odds-on favorite last out in an optional-claiming sprint on August 9 at Finger Lakes. After being fractious in the gate, Awesome Debate broke in the air, stumbled, and trailed the field of five throughout.

“That wasn't how it was written up,” said Brown, with a laugh. “She was supposed to win by 10 in a gallop and then I was going to run her back in this race, but it didn't quite work out that way.

“It's just one of those things. Bad racing luck,” he continued. “She came out of it great. Coming back out of that race was going to be running her back pretty close, but she didn't really do a whole lot of running that day. It was a public workout more than anything.”

Brown said Awesome Debate was very professional when schooling at the gate Saturday at Saratoga.

“She didn't turn a hair….which figures,” Brown said.

Bred in New York by Charlton Baker, who trained her through her first 13 starts, Awesome Debate has posted a record of 15-7-3-1 with purse earnings of $267,577. She was claimed for $45,000 out of a runner-up effort in May at Belmont by Danny Gargan and returned July 18 with a stylish score in a six-furlong state-bred optional-claiming sprint contested on a sloppy and sealed main track.

Brown said he appreciated the mare's nose for the wire.

“She's been very consistent lately. I've always liked that group of higher-priced New York-bred claiming fillies and older mares,” Brown said. “If you can have a decent one of those that's usually a pretty good thing.”

With the speedy Sadie Lady likely to dictate terms Thursday, Brown said the often-prominent Awesome Debate may utilize different tactics while trying to win beyond six furlongs for the first time.

“She's very tactical,” Brown said. “When I claimed her, I thought she had the look of a pure speed horse, but that day she sat off it and then went on with it. I don't think six and a half [furlongs] will be a problem for her.”

Awesome Debate, assigned 119 pounds, will emerge from post 5 under Luis Saez.

Dennis Narlinger's graded stakes-placed Sadie Lady has won three of her last four starts dating back to a 2 1/2-length optional claiming win in December, sprinting six furlongs at Aqueduct Race Track in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The Rob Atras trainee, bred by JMJ Racing Stables, followed with a head score in the six-furlong Correction Stakes in March at the Big A against open company ahead of a game second in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Vagrancy in May at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Last out, the 5-year-old daughter of Freud made every call a winning one in the six-furlong Dancin Renee against fellow state-breds at Belmont.

Jose Ortiz retains the mount from the inside post as Sadie Lady, an eight-time winner from 20 starts, makes her Saratoga debut while carrying a field-high 124 pounds.

TLC Thoroughbreds homebred Hannah Dances is undefeated in four starts this campaign, all in sprint races at Finger Lakes, for trainer M. Anthony Ferraro.

The 4-year-old Shakin It Up grey, who will make her stakes debut while racing beyond six furlongs for the first time, boasts a record of 11-7-1-0 with purse earnings of $107,890.

Hannah Dances, carrying 118 pounds, will exit post 4 under Luis Perez.

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Trainer Ray Handal will saddle a formidable pair in stakes-placed Irish Constitution [post 3, Joel Rosario, 115 pounds] and eight-time winner Diva Banker [post 6, Dylan Davis, 116 pounds].

Perrine Time Thoroughbreds and West Paces Racing's Irish Constitution graduated on debut last July at Saratoga and followed with a distant fourth in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes. She completed her juvenile campaign with a runner-up effort in the Joseph A. Gimma in October at Belmont.

An optional-claiming winner in March at the Big A, the 3-year-old Constitution chestnut, bred by SF Bloodstock, was last seen finishing third – 5 1/2-lengths back of runner-up Awesome Debate – in a state-bred optional-claiming sprint on May 14.

The Handal-owned Diva Banker, a 5-year-old Central Banker mare bred by Jonath Meadean Inc., was claimed for $5,000 in January at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., and two starts later captured an open claiming sprint in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. She followed with an off-the-pace state-bred allowance score in June at Belmont, but failed to fire last out in a state-bred optional claimer on August 11 at the Spa.

Rounding out the field is Joseph G. McMahon, Anne McMahon and Albert Lewis' Lot of Honey, a 3-year-old daughter of Central Banker who graduated in an off-the-turf state-bred maiden special weight sprint in June at Belmont.

Trained by James Ferraro and bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, Lot of Honey, assigned 114 pounds, will exit post 2 under Manny Franco.

The Union Avenue is slated as Race 9 on Thursday's 10-race card. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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‘I Know How Bad I Want This’: Keithan Starting Training Career With Grit, Hard Work

Rachael Keithan can feel the skepticism as she tries to establish herself as a female trainer in what remains a male-dominated realm.

Keithan, 32, oversees a fledgling operation of seven 2-year-olds. She awakens before dawn and toils until dark as she grooms and feeds them herself due to financial constraints. She does all of this with her left ankle in a walking boot, the result of a fracture in a riding accident last September that never healed properly.

She is driven by a me-against-the-world attitude.

“It's ridiculously harder because everyone assumes just because I'm a female, I'm just going to quit and go away,” Keithan said. “They're just waiting to see how long it is going to take. I'm not going to.

“Things are so negative here all the time, but I'm not negative. I'm positive. I know where I'm at, and where I'm going.”

Keithan looks to the example of Margie Stone, her stepmother. Stone asserted herself in other male-dominated spheres. She drove a tractor-trailer for many years before she joined the Coast Guard.

“We are a family of norm-breakers,” Stone said.

Keithan grew up in Maryland and began riding when she was five. She learned the basics by working as a hotwalker and groom at old Bowie Race Track in Maryland before she began to gallop horses. She received early lessons from John Salzman, a Maryland trainer who excels at developing juveniles, before becoming a traveling assistant to highly-regarded Christophe Clement. She gained a deeper understanding of the claiming game while she worked for Danny Gargan for the last two years before striking out on her own.

Keithan saddles a horse at Saratoga, boot and all

She owns two victories through 11 starts this year with one runner-up finish and a third-place effort for earnings of $51,380. Two horses account for her limited success. Survey (IRE), a 6-year-old gelding, finally broke through in a Jan. 27 maiden race at Tampa Bay Downs for $16,000 claimers and brought home $7,250 of a $13,350 purse. He built on his new-found confidence by taking a March 12 race for non-winners of two races lifetime to bank $8,845 of a $16,100 purse. Trainers customarily receive 10 percent of purse money in addition to their day rate.

Landslid is the most precocious of her 2-year-olds and has shown she belongs on a major circuit. After a fifth-place debut at Keeneland, she placed second and then third in maiden special weight dirt races at Belmont Park to boost her earnings to $30,600. Landslid is ready to run at Saratoga, but it has been difficult finding a suitable spot.

Through the first three weeks of the Saratoga meet, R Doc, a 2-year-old ridgling by turf star Gio Ponti, had provided her only two starts. Those were not good. In a maiden special weight race at 1 1/16 miles on the turf on July 17, he was bumped at the start and lagged seventh of nine. When he was brought back two weeks later at the same level and distance, things went from bad to worse. He was fractious at the gate and then Jalon Samuel, chasing his first win, attempted a six-wide move at the quarter pole. R Doc ran last of eight.

Keithan knew it was a reach when she left behind a basement apartment in Brooklyn to move her stable to Saratoga and rent a room outside of town.

“I didn't expect to have a superstar meet because I don't have any superstars in my barn yet. But I do know what I've got can hit the board and what I aim to accomplish,” she said. “Next year will be a different story because I will have a variety of stock.”

Despite that, she decided she had to do whatever she could to assert herself at such a demanding meet. “People assume that when you go to a lesser track, you are a lesser trainer,” she said. “I can train with all of the big boys.”

Keithan at Saratoga

She yearns for owners who will give her a shot by claiming horses for them.

“My strong suit is with the claimers and I don't have any claimers in my barn,” she said, adding, “I have relationships with people. But when you first go out on your own, everybody is a little reluctant. They want to see what you can do.”

Despite lack of financial support, she continues to scrutinize the claiming ranks, confident her opportunity will come.

“You've got to understand the breeding. You've got to understand how every barn works,” she said. “There are certain barns I won't touch because of practices they use. I pay attention to everything.”

When Keithan reaches the point of exhaustion and needs emotional encouragement, she turns to a stepmother who has known her since she was 15. Stone could not be more confident that Keithan will ultimately overcome her initial struggles and establish herself.

“When Rachel puts her mind to doing something, she will do what it takes to get there,” Stone said. “She is an exceptionally hard worker. She gives her all when she is doing this.”

For now, she has seven horses in her barn that she describes as projects, lack of financial support and a bum ankle. She also has a dream she insists will not be denied.

“I know how bad I want this,” she said. “It's something I'm willing to fight for.”

Tom Pedulla wrote for USA Today from 1995-2012 and has been a contributor to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Blood-Horse, America's Best Racing and other publications.

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