david bernsen | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cairo Prince Rising Star Filly Takes Surfer Girl

SURFER GIRL S., $203,000, Santa Anita, 10-3, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.27, fm.
1–CAIRO MEMORIES, 120, f, 2, by Cairo Prince
1st Dam: Incarnate Memories, by Indian Charlie
2nd Dam: Witness Post, by Gone West
3rd Dam: Most Likely, by Fappiano
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($50,000 Ylg '20
KEESEP). O-David A. Bernsen, LLC & Schroeder Farms LLC;
B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Robert B. Hess, Jr.; J-Kent J.
Desormeaux. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $162,000.
*Full to Cariba, SW, $221,750.
2–Helens Well (Ire), 120, f, 2, Kodi Bear (Ire)–Ever Evolving (Fr),
by Elusive Quality. (800gns Ylg '20 TATASY). O-Benowitz Family
Trust, CYBT, Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Nentwig & Ray
Pagano; B-Mr Patrick Toes (IRE); T-Philip D'Amato. $40,000.
3–Hemmerle, 118, f, 2, Tapit–Diamond Necklace, by
Unbridled's Song. O/B-LNJ Foxwoods (KY); T-Richard E.
Mandella. $24,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, NK, NK. Odds: 4.00, 1.50, 12.70.
Also Ran: Sterling Crest (Ire), Miss Bellatrix, Brandon'smylawyer, Saturday Nite Girl, Dolly May (Ire), Sax, Liam's Dove, It's Simple.

Cairo Memories followed up on her 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy debut with an effortless open-length victory in the Surfer Girl S. at Santa Anita Sunday. The gray filly, sent off as the distant second choice, settled just off the early leaders, powered to the front off the turn and glided clear to wire, possibly earning herself a start in the Breeders' Cup. Heavy favorite Helens Well completed the exacta.

Cairo Memories was a 4 1/2-length debut winner going one mile of the Del Mar lawn Sept. 5 for Schroeder Farms. David Bernsen was added to the ownership line for this second start.

“She's been doing everything right,” said winning trainer Bob Hess. “We were encouraged by the way she broke her maiden and she's been moving forward in her training. Hopefully, this sets us up for the Breeders' Cup Dance.”

“She brought some new energy from her first start,” added winning rider Kent Desormeaux. “I think she was excited. I spent more time in the post parade calming her down. I worked her at Del Mar and before I ever rode her I thought she was great. I was with the owners in the paddock and that was the longest wait because I wanted to see how deep the water was, and she's shown [now] that she could really swim.” Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Asmussen Prepares Jalen Journey For De Francis Dash At Laurel

A three-furlong blowout Sunday morning put the finishing touches on Grade 1-placed Jalen Journey's preparations for the $200,000 Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Sept. 18 at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen's 6-year-old Jalen Journey completed the distance in :38.17 over Belmont Park's training track, his fourth work since an 8 ½-furlong blowout victory sprinting 6 ½ furlongs Aug. 6 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

“The key now will be to see if he can repeat that race in the De Francis. That's what we're sort of looking for,” Bernsen said. “Then if he does that, we'll probably look at the Breeders' Cup [Sprint Nov. 6 at Del Mar].”

The six-furlong De Francis for 3-year-olds and up headlines four stakes worth $500,000 in purses joined by the $100,000 Weather Vane for fillies and mares 3 and up, also at six furlongs and a pair of $100,000 stakes going one mile, the Polynesian for 3-year-olds and up and Twixt for females 3 and older.

All four races are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

Named for the late president and chairman of both Laurel and historic Pimlico Race Course, the De Francis' illustrious roster of winners includes Hall of Famer Housebuster, fellow sprint champions Cherokee Run, Smoke Glacken, Thor's Echo, and Benny the Bull, and Lite the Fuse, the race's only two-time winner (1995-96) honored with his own stakes race in Maryland.

Jalen Journey is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, North America's all-time leader in wins who already has three sprint stakes victories in Maryland this year – the May 15 Grade 3 Chick Lang with Mighty Mischief, July 4 Lite the Fuse with Yaupon, and Aug. 21 Star de Naskra with Jaxon Traveler.

Asmussen won the De Francis and Grade 3 Maryland Sprint in 2018 with Switzerland. The trainer's other local graded sprint stakes wins in recent years have come with Yaupon in the 2020 Chick Lang, Wicked Whisper in the 2020 Grade 3 Miss Preakness, New York Central in the 2019 Maryland Sprint, and Vertical Oak in the 2017 Miss Preakness.

In 2018, Asmussen won the then-ungraded Chick Lang with Mitole, who would go on to be named the champion sprinter of 2019.

Asmussen nominated four horses to the De Francis, but Jalen Journey is the only one expected to run. The others are Jaxon Traveler and Grade 1 winners Yaupon and Jackie's Warrior.

“Whatever Steve does with them seems to work,” Bernsen said. “Asmussen sort of has them surrounded in the sprint ranks.”

Prior to joining Asmussen, Jalen Journey was third in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby and fourth in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien in the summer of 2019 after being purchased by Rockingham's Gary Hartunian for $510,000 at Fasig-Tipton's Horses of Racing Age sale that July, following a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Smile Sprint at Gulfstream Park.

Among the top horses Bernsen has owned with Rockingham are two-time sprint champion Roy H, a 10-time winner of more than $3.1 million in purses including back-to-back editions of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint in 2017 and 2018; and fellow multi-millionaire Stormy Liberal, the champion turf male of 2018 who counted the 2017 and 2018 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint among his 12 lifetime victories.

CEO of Letitride.com, a global computer wagering business based in California, Bernsen plans to be on hand for the De Francis.

“I was just looking at my schedule. I've never been to Laurel,” he said. “I was talking to Aidan Butler [COO of Laurel Park owner 1/ST Racing] earlier in the week and thought that it might be a good one to come out and see.”

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Russell Brings Wondrwherecraigis To Saratoga In Search Of First Stakes Win

Four-time winner Wondrwherecraigis will attempt to secure his first career stakes score in Friday's eighth running of the $120,000 Tale of the Cat at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Brittany Russell, Wondrwherecraigis enters the six-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and up who have not won a graded race in 2021 from a 5 3/4-length optional claiming score on July 18 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The 4-year-old dark bay or brown son of Munnings, who garnered a 102 Beyer Speed Figure in his most recent effort, returns to stakes company on the NYRA circuit after being disqualified from second to third in the Gold Fever in July 2020 at Belmont Park ahead of finishing fourth behind three next-out winners in the Grade 2 Amsterdam last August at Saratoga.

Wondrwherecraigis is owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables.

“It was a big race. He's doing really well,” said Russell. “We figured we would take a look. It looks like the race will set up for him, so we're shipping him up and giving him a chance.”

Jockey Sheldon Russell will ride from post 5.

Trainer Ray Handal will saddle last-out stakes winner Foolish Ghost, who defeated his New York-bred counterparts in the John Morrissey on July 29. The son of Mineshaft was claimed by Handal and owner Ken Russell and Richard Newman Racing last August and has since won four times for his current trainer.

“He's doing well,” Handal said. “There aren't too many sprints for him in the northeast area. On his best day, he can run with some of the good ones, so we'll see.”

Jockey Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 6.

Daniel Alonso's Wind of Change arrives at the Tale of the Cat off a sharp win in the Mr. Prospector on May 29 at Monmouth Park for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. The Brazilian-bred Forestry bay seeks his sixth stakes victory, which include four triumphs at such level in his native land.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride from post 4.

My Boy Tate will seek a sixth stakes victory for Little Red Feather Racing and trainer, breeder, and co-owner Michelle Nevin. The 7-year-old son of Boys At Tosconova was second in the 2018 and 2020 Tale of the Cat.

Breaking from post 1, My Boy Tate will be ridden by Manny Franco.

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Multiple stakes-winner Bon Raison [post 3, Jorge Vargas, Jr.] seeks a non-consecutive win in the Tale of the Cat, previously scoring in 2019. Trained by Jack Sisterson, Bon Raison brags the highest bankroll in the field with $685,874.

Completing the field is David Bernsen's Shashashakemeup [post 2, Ricardo Santana, Jr.], a four-time winner for trainer Peter Walder.

The Tale of the Cat is carded as Race 9 on Friday's 10-race program at Saratoga Race Course. First post is 1:05 p.m. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 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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Kalypso Looks to Double Up in Las Virgenes

David Bernsen, LLC and Rockingham Ranch's Kalypso (Brody's Cause) will look for a second straight score when she goes postward against four foes in the one-mile GIII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita Saturday. The chestnut filly won the six-furlong Anoakia S. in Arcadia last October and was second when stretched to 1 1/16 miles in the Dec. 5 GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos. Cut back to seven furlongs, the Bob Baffert trainee scored by 1 3/4 lengths in the Jan. 3 GII Santa Ynez S.

Richard Mandella sends out impressive maiden winner Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), who scored by three lengths in her first try at two turns at Los Alamitos Dec. 13. Second in that one-mile event was Frosteria (Frosted), who returned to be second again in the Santa Ynez.

Third in that Dec. 13 Los Al maiden was debuting Moraz (Empire Maker). The Don Alberto homebred returned to air by 11 lengths in a one-mile special weight at Santa Anita Jan. 8.

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