Del Mar | Horse Racing Free Tips

On to Breeders’ Cup for Max Player

George Hall and Sport BLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player (Honor Code) will train up to the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar following his win in Saturday's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, trainer Steve Asmussen confirmed Sunday.

“Max Player is better than he's ever been and physically he's developed into this,” Asmussen said. “There's more of him. He's a horse that's continued to grow, fill out and mature. There's a lot more of Max Player as a 4-year-old than there was as a 3-year-old. He's bigger and stronger. His next race will be the Breeders' Cup Classic.”

When Del Mar last hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2017, Asmussen was represented by Classic winner Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) and he plans to follow a similar schedule ahead of this year's championship weekend with Max Player.

“We just want to acclimate them to West Coast time,” Asmussen said. “For previous Breeders' Cups in California, we like to get out there and be on Pacific Coast time and I think we've gotten solid runs doing that, so we're planning on doing the same this time. Last time the Breeders' Cup was at Del Mar, we had Gun Runner. He went out and trained at Santa Anita before going to Del Mar.”

Also expected to train up to the Breeders' Cup Classic is Wertheimer and Frere's Happy Saver (Super Saver), who was second while attempting to defend his title in Saturday's Jockey Club Gold Cup for trainer Todd Pletcher.

“There wasn't a lot of pace and he was sort of bottled up. He was wanting to advance, but didn't really get the opportunity until it was too late. The winner was very good and he got the jump on him,” Pletcher said of the Gold Cup result. “I was happy with his performance and he closed well, which is probably a little better suited to a race where there's more pace and everybody spreads out a little more. He got a good trip, but it was behind the wrong pace scenario. He came back in good shape.”

Pletcher also saddled Bass Racing's Annapolis (War Front) to a 'TDN Rising Star' debut over the turf at Saratoga Saturday.

“I was very pleased with him. He trained well into it and delivered the type of performance we were hoping for,” Pletcher said. “The race was slow to develop and the early fractions weren't really fast, but I liked the way he picked it up around the turn. He finished strongly and galloped out well.”

Pletcher said the colt, a son of graded stakes winner My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song), would likely make his next start in the Oct. 3 GII Pilgrim S. over the Belmont lawn, but he did not rule out eventually starting the colt over the dirt.

“At this stage, he's shown us he's a little better on the turf, but he's a big, strong colt,” Pletcher said. “Obviously the mare was second in the Kentucky Oaks, but sometimes these type of horses, as they mature, they get better on the dirt, but for now we'll stay focused on the turf.”

The post On to Breeders’ Cup for Max Player appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Pappacap Looking to Step Up in Del Mar Futurity

Having ascended through his conditions with aplomb, Pappacap (Gun Runner) hopes the trend continues in Monday's GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity. A first-out winner going five panels at Gulfstream May 14, the Rustlewood Farm homebred came from just off the pace to make it two straight in the Aug. 7 GII Best Pal S. Joe Bravo, who was aboard last time, reunites with the Florida bred again here. Never one to be disregarded, on either coast, trainer Steve Asmussen is represented by

American Xperiment (Nyquist), who shipped to the West Coast this past week. He was supplemented for $10,000 after producing a rousing 5 1/4-length win in a 5 1/2-furlong off-turf test at the Spa July 30.

“He got here Tuesday, he arrived in good order and we're hoping he runs well,” said Asmussen assistant Sarah Campion, who traveled with the colt. “He broke his maiden impressively at Saratoga, so Steve decided to send him out.”

Also represented is Bob Baffert, who saddles two for this seven-furlong juvenile feature. Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) led through most of his five-furlong debut here Aug. 1, holding on for a 1/2-length score over stablemate Enbarr (Brody's Cause). Baffert also saddles Murray (Street Sense), who earned TDN Rising Star distinction when airing by 10 3/4 lengths in his debut at Del Mar July 25. Since that effort, the $300,000 KEESEP purchase has been producing fast works at Del Mar, including a five-furlong move in :59.80 Aug. 25 followed by a bullet six furlongs in 1:12.4 Aug. 31.

“They both broke their maidens here and they've both trained well since,” said Baffert, who has won the Futurity on 14 prior occasions.

The post Pappacap Looking to Step Up in Del Mar Futurity appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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None Above The Law Takes Inside Route To Del Mar Derby Victory

Given a ground-saving ride by veteran Joe Bravo, the gray gelding None Above the Law fired in the lane and came away a winner of the 77th running of the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby at the seaside course north of San Diego, Calif., on Saturday, proving best by three-quarters of a length in the $254,000, Grade 2 headliner.

The son of the Japanese stallion Karakontie who was bred in California by his owners, J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas, found running room in the stretch and outfinished 12 rivals late to tally his sixth victory and earn a first prize of $150,000, which pushed his earnings up to $454,060. He is trained by Peter Miller.

Finishing second in the 3-year-old contest on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course was Wachtel Stable, Barber or Drion, et al's Flashiest, who had a head on Reddam Racing's Hockey Dad, the race's pacesetter who hung tough late.

Final time for the nine furlongs out of the angular Del Mar infield chute was 1:48.97.

None Above the Law paid $23.00, $13.60 and $8.60. Flashiest returned $14.80 and $8.00, while Hockey Dad paid $7.60 to show.

This was the first stakes win in the Del Mar Derby for both Bravo and Miller. The jockey is riding his first full season at Del Mar. Miller is the current meet's leading trainer and is en route to winning his eighth conditioning title at the shore oval.

In the track's Pick 6 Single Ticket Jackpot wager, the bet once again could not be hit and its carryover swelled to $556,901. If it is not hit during tomorrow's 11-race card, it will carry to closing day Monday, which will be a “mandatory” payout afternoon.

First post Sunday will be at 1:30 p.m.

Post-race quotes:

JOE BRAVO (None Above the Law, winner) – “Peter (trainer Miller) told me this horse can do anything. He wins running seven eighths on the dirt; he wins going a mile and one-eighth on the grass. We just saved all we could and I showed him daylight turning for home. He really got up under me. I'm having fun riding out here. Riding for good horsemen and riding good horses in Southern California. What more could a guy want?”

PETER MILLER (None Above the Law, winner) “I know he went from a mile on turf (9th, Oceanside Stakes) to seven-furlongs on the dirt (won Real Good Deal) to a mile and an eighth on the turf to win this. You won't find that in any training manual, that's not the way you do it. But this horse just does everything well. He's just an overachiever and I just love this horse. The Robinsons are longtime clients and what a ride by Joe Bravo.”

FRACTIONS: :23.80 :48.00 1:12.89 1:37.51 1:48.97

The stakes win was the fourth of the meet for rider Bravo, but his first in the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby. He now has six stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the fourth of the meet for trainer Miller, but his first in the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby. He now has 42 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owners are also the breeders, J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas.

The post None Above The Law Takes Inside Route To Del Mar Derby Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Quality Road OBS April Topper Lives Up to Hype, Earns ‘Rising Stardom’

Corniche (c, 2, Quality Road–Wasted Tears, by Najran), the $1.5-million OBS April topper earlier this spring, lived up to his lofty reputation with a 'TDN Rising Star' debut performance for Bob Baffert at Del Mar Saturday evening.

The 1-2 favorite caught a flyer beneath Hall of Famer Mike Smith and cleared the field from his wide draw in post 10. He led them comfortably through early fractions of :21.72 and :45.13, kicked for home in complete control and cruised under the wire after a shake of the reins to a facile 4 1/4-length victory. Apprehend (Arrogate) was second.

The final time for 5 1/2 furlongs was a sharp 1:03.01. Corniche becomes the 10th 'Rising Star' for Quality Road.

The son of six-time GSW and GI Matriarch S. runner-up Wasted Tears (Najran) was led out unsold on a bid of $385,000 at KEESEP last year, but turned in a smooth sales breeze in :10 flat to become one of two horses to eclipse the seven-figure barrier in Ocala.

Wasted Tears, also responsible for the late stakes-placed Coffee Crush (Medaglia d'Oro), had a filly by Mendelssohn in 2020.

Speedway Stables and Baffert also teamed up for a win with Quality Road's 'Rising Star' Roadster in the 2019 GI Santa Anita Derby and a runner-up finish in the GI Malibu S.

10th-Del Mar, $72,500, Msw, 9-4, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:03.01, ft, 4 1/4 lengths.
CORNICHE, c, 2, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Wasted Tears (MGSW & GISP, $941,463), by Najran
2nd Dam: Wishes and Roses, by Greinton (GB)
3rd Dam: Anniversary Wish, by Beau's Eagle
Sales history: $385,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $1,500,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Speedway Stables LLC; B-Bart Evans & Stonehaven Steadings (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

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