Del Mar | Horse Racing Free Tips

Collusion Illusion, Fashionably Fast Top ‘Win And You’re In’ Bing Crosby

The 3-year-old Collusion Illusion and the 5-year-old Fashionably Fast lead a nine-horse field of talented sprinters in Saturday's 6-furlong, $250,000 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) on NBCSN, with live coverage from Del Mar beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The Bing Crosby winner will receive an automatic berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The three-hour program, in association with TVG, marks the fifth telecast this year in the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing” on NBC and NBCSN from some of North America's most iconic racetracks. The series leads to the 37th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., scheduled for Nov. 6-7 on NBC and NBCSN. The complete series TV schedule can be accessed here.

Commentary and discussion for the telecast will be anchored by TVG's Todd Schrupp and Simon Bray. Post time for the Bing Crosby is 9:30 p.m. ET.

Collusion Illusion, trained by Mark Glatt and ridden by Flavien Prat, has won four of five starts, but will be challenging older horses for the first time. He comes into the Bing Crosby off an excellent performance in the 6 ½-furlong Lazaro Barrera Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park on June 20, winning by 3 ¼ lengths. Owned by Dan Agnew, Rodney Orr, Jerry Schneider and John Xitco, Collusion Illusion won both his starts at Del Mar last year, breaking his maiden at 5 furlongs in July, and following up that performance with a win in the Best Pal Stakes (G2).

Collusion Illusion made his next start in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park on Sept. 27, and was pulled up in the stretch. After a nearly eight-month layoff, he returned in May for his 3-year-old debut with a sharp 3-length win in a 6-furlong allowance optional claiming race at Santa Anita.

California-bred Fashionably Fast, trained by Dean Pederson and ridden by Tiago Pereira, won six consecutive races dating back to July of last year, including three at Del Mar, before stepping into graded stakes company in the 7-furlong Triple Bend (G2) at Santa Anita on June 7. He put up a tough battle against top older horse McKinzie into the stretch, but finished second by 1 ½ lengths.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert entered McKinzie in the Bing Crosby, but said Wednesday that he would be scratched.

Prior to the Triple Bend, Fashionably Fast opened this year winning the California Cup Sprint Stakes and the Tiznow Stakes at Santa Anita.

A challenge from Kentucky comes from Calumet Farm's 4-year-old Lexitonian, who is being shipped to California following a scratch at the gate in last Saturday's Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. A chestnut son of 2004 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Speightstown, Lexitonian, trained by Jack Sisterson and ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, finished third by less than a length in last October's Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. After a 10th-place finish in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn in April, Lexitonian rebounded with a solid win in a 7-furlong allowance optional claiming race at Churchill Downs on May 29.

Harris Farm's 6-year-old gelding Desert Law fought Cistron down the stretch in last year's Bing Crosby Stakes, finishing second by a half-length. A California-bred son of Desert Code, trained by Carla Gaines, Desert Law made his first start of this year in the 6-furlong Thor's Echo Stakes on June 13 at Santa Anita, finishing third as the even-money favorite. Desert Law will be ridden by Victor Espinoza.

W.C. Racing's 4-year-old gelding Wildman Jack, winner of four of nine starts, will make his dirt track debut on Saturday. Trained by Doug O'Neill, Wildman Jack, a bay son of two-time Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Goldencents, made his biggest career score on March 7 when he captured the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint (G3) in stakes-record time at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. He was scheduled to make his next start in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) at Meydan but the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. He returned to the U.S. and won the Daytona Stakes (G3) on the turf at Santa Anita on May 23 by a nose over Sparky Ville. However, in his most recent start, he trailed the field in the Shakertown Stakes (G2) at Keeneland on July 11.

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Honor A. P. Tops Six Seeking Derby Points In Shared Belief Stakes

In a season of unusual happenings, Saturday's Shared Belief Stakes fits right in. The 3-year-old feature – which has drawn six very interesting runners — breaks new ground in that it is the first time a Kentucky Derby prep race has been conducted at the seaside oval in its 81-year history.

Of course, this is Kentucky Derby 146 upcoming and it's the first time it has been conducted on the first Saturday of September. That, too, fits right in.

Del Mar's $100,000 “Derby Prep” is normally a mile race at the end of August. But in anticipation of its new role, it was shifted to the beginning of August and lengthened to a mile and one sixteenth. It will carry Derby “points” of 50-20-10-5 for its first four finishers.

Heading the lineup are a pair of colts with short, but sparkling, resumes in C R K Stable's Honor A. P. and Pegram, Watson and Weitman's Uncle Chuck. The former has been hung the 8-5 morning line favorite, while the latter is right behind him at 9-5.

Honor A.P., a ridgling by Honor Code and a grandson of champion and prolific sire A.P. Indy, comes into the race off a tally in the Santa Anita Derby on June 6. He was second in the San Felipe at Santa Anita in his race prior to that and has been training forwardly at Del Mar for his “prep.” Mike Smith, who has handled Honor A.P. in all four of his starts so far, once again has the call Saturday.

Uncle Chuck, a colt by Uncle Mo, has only raced twice, but both times he was especially impressive. He scored by seven lengths in a Maiden Special Weight race at Santa Anita in June in his debut, then came right back on July 4 to handily capture the Los Alamitos Derby at the Orange County track. He, too, has looked good in the mornings in his Del Mar works and gets the saddle services of Drayden Van Dyke for the Shared Belief.

However, trainer Bob Baffert is expected to scratch Uncle Chuck from the Shared Belief in favor of the Travers at Saratoga.

The remainder of the lineup consists of Albaught Family stables or Spendthrift Farm's Thousand Words (Abel Cedillo the rider); Peter Redekop's Anneau d'Or (Victor Espinoza); John Sondereker's Kiss Today Goodbye (Umberto Rispoli), and Mangier, Tabor or Smith, et al's Cezanne (Flavien Prat).

The Shared Belief will be the second of 11 races on the Saturday card, which also features the Grade I, $250 Bing Crosby Stakes and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes.

First post on all programs at Del Mar this summer is 2 p.m.

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July 31 Insights

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

SON OF INTERRUPTED DEBUTS AT ELLIS

7th-ELP, $37K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 4:40p.m.

COMMITTED (More Than Ready), a $325,000 KEESEP purchase by Tracy Farmer, makes his career bow at Ellis Friday for Mark Casse. The dark bay is the first foal out of MSW & GSP Interrupted (Broken Vow), who is a daughter of MSW & MGSP Alternate (Seattle Slew). Interrupted, who was purchased by Jane Lyon for $575,000 in foal to Distorted Humor at the 2018 KEENOV sale, is a half-sister to GISW Higher Power (Medaglia d’Oro) and MGSW Alternation (Distorted Humor). This is also the family of Canadian Horse of the Year Peaks and Valleys (Mt. Livermore). TJCIS PPs

BAFFERT UNVEILS PRICEY STREET SENSE

5th-DMR, $50K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 7:00p.m.

Bob Baffert unveils the next in a long line of pricey juveniles in HAPPIER (Street Sense), who was purchased by Susan and Charlie Chu’s Baoma Corp for $800,000 at KEESEP. The bay is a half-sister to Grade III winner King Zachary (Curlin). The Hall of Famer also saddles third timer Himiko (American Pharoah), a $1-million FTKNOV buy, who was most recently second when switched from turf to dirt at Santa Anita June 21. TJCIS PPs

WELL-BRED MEDAGLIA FILLY MAKES CAREER BOW IN SOCAL

8th-DMR, $50K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, 8:30p.m.

LNJ Foxwoods’ blue-blooded homebred IVY LEAGUE (Medaglia d’Oro) heads to the post for the first time here for Hall of Famer Richard Mandella. She is the first foal out of SW & GISP With Honors (War Front), who is a half-sister to GSW Dreamologist (Tapit) and GISP stallion Fast Anna (Medaglia d’Oro). Ivy League’s third dam is champion Dreaming of Anna (Rahy), who is a full-sister to MGSW Lewis Michael and a half to MGSW Justenuffhumor (Distorted Humor). TJCIS PPs

The post July 31 Insights appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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TVG To Be Live On Site For ‘Win And You’re In’ Races At Del Mar

TVG, America's horse racing network, will be live on site this weekend at Del Mar covering a loaded weekend of racing that includes two Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “Win and You're In” races – the $250,0000 Bing Crosby Stakes (GI) and the $250,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (GI) as well as the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes which will serve as a prep race for the Kentucky Derby (GI) in September.

There will be expert analysis and exclusive interviews on-site by Todd Schrupp, Mike Joyce, Christina Blacker, and Joaquin Jamie while Simon Bray will be contributing to the broadcast remotely from home.

The winner of Saturday's $250,000 Bing Crosby Stakes (GI) will earn an automatic berth into the Breeders Cup Sprint (GI). The six-furlong contest was reduced to a field of nine when multiple Grade 1 winner McKinzie was an early scratch. The remaining contenders include the East Coast invader Lexitonian for trainer Jack Sisterson. The graded stakes winner will have Drayden Van Dyke in the irons. On Sunday, fillies and mares will take center stage in the $250,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes with a spot in the starting gate in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at stake. The 2020 Breeders' Cup will be held November 6-7 at Keeneland.

Also on Saturday at Del Mar, the track will host a prep race for September's Kentucky Derby (GI) – the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes. Carded at a mile and a sixteenth, the race has drawn a field of six contenders including Honor A.P. who will face off against a trio of challengers for trainer Bob Baffert. Honor A.P., trained by John Shirreffs, was last seen winning the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (GI) in June. Mike Smith will be aboard.

Fans of international racing can tune in to TVG on Friday and Saturday morning to watch racing from Goodwood Racecourse in England. On Friday, the veteran Battaash (IRE) will attempt to win the King George Qatar Stakes (G2) for the fourth consecutive year. The six-year-old gelding is a multiple Group 1 winner and was last seen winning the King's Stand Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot. Coverage begins at 5:00 a.m. PT/8:00 a.m. ET on Friday and 5:30 a.m. PT/8:30 a.m. ET on Saturday.

TVG will also be live on site at Ellis Park on Sunday with analysis and interviews from Scott Hazelton and Gabby Gaudet. In addition to Del Mar and Ellis Park, TVG will also be broadcasting racing from Gulfstream Park, Laurel Park, Monmouth Park and more all weekend.

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