Doug O'Neill | Horse Racing Free Tips

O’Neill Looking For Third Kentucky Derby Win With Trio Of Sophomores

With a trio of promising 3-year-olds in his extensive stable, Doug O'Neill is looking forward to the New Year, with a third Kentucky Derby victory high on his wish list.

The 52-year-old Michigan native lists Hot Rod Charlie, Wipe the Slate and Team Merchants among his well-regarded sophomores.

Hot Rod Charlie shocked the world finishing second at 94-1 by only three-quarters of length to probable 2020 2-year-old male Eclipse champion Essential Quality in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last Nov. 6.

Wearing blinkers for the first time, Wipe the Slate, a son of O'Neill's 2016 Derby winner Nyquist, scored an impressive maiden win Dec. 26 at Santa Anita after finishing second in his debut to undefeated Sham Stakes winner Life Is Good at Del Mar last Nov. 22. Nyquist is America's leading freshman sire who stands for $75,000 at Darley's Jonabell Farm in Kentucky.

O'Neill also won the 2012 Run for the Roses with I'll Have Another.

“Hot Rod Charlie is doing great and we're pointing him to the Bob Lewis,” said O'Neill, referring to the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth on Jan. 30.

Hot Rod Charlie worked five furlongs Saturday in a bullet 59.40, fastest of 64 drills at the distance, the average time of which was 1:01.99. Wipe the Slate went five furlongs in 1:01.20.

Named in memory of businessman and Thoroughbred owner Robert B. (Bob) Lewis, whose horses regularly ran at Santa Anita, and who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness with Silver Charm in 1997, the Lewis offers 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, four to the runner-up, two to the third-place finisher and one to the fourth. It was first run in 1935 as the Santa Catalina Stakes.

“Wipe the Slate is doing super but I'm not sure where he's going to blend in after that win,” O'Neill said. “It's been two weeks so we really haven't pointed him to the next spot.

“Team Merchants had a little injury so he's at the farm until he's 100 percent,” O'Neill added, alluding to principal owner J. Paul Reddam's Ocean Breeze Ranch in Bonsall. Reddam Racing owned a pair of O'Neill-trained Kentucky Derby winners, I'll Have Another (2012) and Nyquist (2016). O'Neill and Reddam also teamed up to win the Lewis with Great Hunter in 2007 and I'll Have Another in 2012.

Not surprisingly, O'Neill had 32 starters through the meet's first nine days, six more than any other trainer. He was first in that category at Del Mar and generally is leader of the pack in Southern California.

“We're just enjoying every day and hoping for even better days ahead,” O'Neill said. “We're optimistic. I don't know how smart it is (having the most starters), but you can't make any money sitting horses in the barns, so if they're doing well, we'll let 'em compete.”

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Wildman Jack Has 10 New Year’s Day Foes In Joe Hernandez Stakes At Santa Anita

W.C. Racing's homebred Wildman Jack, a graded stakes winning 5-year-old gelding by 2013 Santa Anita Derby winner Goldencents, heads a wide-open field of 11 older horses in Friday's New Year's Day feature, the Grade II, $200,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs over the Santa Anita turf in Arcadia, Calif.

Most recently seventh, beaten three lengths after taking the lead turning for home in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7, Wildman Jack, who is trained by Doug O'Neill, was a big second, beaten one length two starts back in the 5 ½ furlong turf Eddie D Stakes here on Sept. 25.

A nose winner of the G3 Daytona Stakes five starts back on May 23, 2020, Wildman Jack has a win and two seconds from three tries over the Santa Anita turf and like the rest of the field, he'll be running out of Santa Anita's newly christened turf chute for the first time on Friday.

Out of the Orientate mare Orientatious, Wildman Jack is 12-4-3-1 overall with earnings of $439,005.

Other prominent contenders include trainer Graham Motion's venerable Irish-bred True Valour, who is based at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland and will be will be making his 30th career start at age seven. No stranger to Santa Anita, True Valour, who was based in Southern California with Simon Callaghan for parts of three racing seasons beginning in 2018, he's a two time graded stakes winner going one mile over the local lawn from nine tries.

Although primarily a router throughout his career, True Valour transitioned to sprinting two starts back, taking a 6 ½-furlong classified allowance over Woodbine's synthetic Tapeta on Nov. 14 and he comes off a solid third in an ungraded six furlong turf stakes at Aqueduct Nov. 28.

Owned by R.L. Johnson, True Valour is 29-6-2-8 overall with earnings of $462,237.

In addition to Wildman Jack, Doug O'Neill will also be represented by Blitzkrieg, a winner of the G3 American Stakes here five starts back who will be shortening up out of three consecutive turf routes. Owned by R3 Racing, LLC and Calara Farms, Blitzkrieg has four wins from 11 tries over the Santa Anita turf and he has earnings of $411,457 from an overall mark of 25-6-1-1.

Hronis Racing's classy Encoder, idle since February 1 for John Sadler, rates a huge chance with Tyler Baze engaged to ride. A first-out five-furlong turf maiden winner at Del Mar in August 2019, he followed that up with a game head victory in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 1, 2019.

A well beaten fifth on dirt in the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes Feb. 1, he pressed the early pace en route to a half-length score in the one-mile turf Eddie Logan Stakes two starts back on Dec. 29, 2019. Back on his preferred surface on Friday, Encoder should plenty tough while attentive to the pace.

The Joe Hernandez is named in honor of the original voice of Santa Anita, who called more than 15,000 consecutive races from Dec. 25, 1934 until he collapsed while calling his final race on January 27, 1972.

JOE HERNANDEZ STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS

IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

Texas Wedge—Flavien Prat—120
P R Radio Star—Juan Hernandez—120
Encoder—Tyler Baze—120
Hembree—Joel Rosario—120
True Valour—Drayden Van Dyke—120
Blitzkrieg—Victor Espinoza—122
Wildman Jack—Abel Cedillo—122
Chaos Theory—Umberto Rispoli—122
Oiseau de Guerre—Ruben Fuentes—120
Mesut—Mike Smith—120
Ohio—Ricky Gonzalez—120

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California-Bred Play Chicken All Heart In King Glorious At Los Alamitos

Play Chicken, a 13-1 outsider, held off Moving Fast, another longshot at 16-1, to win the $100,000 King Glorious Stakes Sunday, the final day of the Los Angeles County Fair Winter meet at Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif.

Under jockey Mario Gutierrez, the son of Square Eddie and the Distorted Humor mare Smoove was reserved just off the pace, gained the advantage with an eighth of a mile to run and held sway by a neck in the race for 2-year-olds bred or sired in California.

The win was the third in the King Glorious for Gutierrez, owner-breeder J. Paul Reddam's Reddam Racing LLC and trainer Doug O'Neill. They teamed to win back-to-back runnings with Found Money (2015) and Ann Arbor Eddie (2016).

Making his first start in blinkers, Play Chicken completed the mile in 1:38.10 and returned $29, $10.60 and $7.80. He's now won twice in three races and earned $94,000. He broke his maiden at the King Glorious distance on turf in his debut Oct. 17 at Santa Anita.

“I thought it was great,'' said O'Neill assistant Stephanie Murray. “He showed a lot of heart. He was very gutsy, couldn't have asked for him to do anymore. We just wanted to play the break and see how the race unfolded.

“It was kind of his (Gutierrez) decision from the get go, so I think Mario gets all the credit.''

Moving Fast, who drew into the race from the also eligible list after the scratch of Positivity (he ran in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity Saturday), rallied after breaking last in the field of 10 to outfinish 15-1 shot Club Cal by a half-length. He paid $11 and $7.20 after his initial race in blinkers while the show price on Club Cal, a four-length maiden winner two weeks earlier in his Los Alamitos debut, was $5.80.

Mister Bold, the 19-10 favorite and the pacesetter, wound up fourth, a nose in front of 2-1 second choice Good With People. Tacoflavoredkisses, From the Get Go, Ascot Storm, Wedding Groom and Govenor's Party completed the order of finish.

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California-Bred Juvenile Good With People Headlines Sunday’s King Glorious Stakes

A prompt favorite in the Golden State Juvenile Nov. 7 at Del Mar, Good With People will try two turns for the first time in the $100,000 King Glorious Sunday at Los Alamitos

Named in honor of the winner of the 1988 Hollywood Futurity and 1989 Haskell, the King Glorious is restricted to 2-year-olds bred or sired in California. The race at one mile is the feature attraction on the final day of the Los Angeles County Fair Winter Thoroughbred meet.

The King Glorious attracted a dozen entrants, but only 10 will be allowed to start.

Post time Sunday is 12 Noon. The King Glorious, which is the ninth of 10 races, has a scheduled post time of 3:58 p.m.

A son of Curlin to Mischief and the Roar of the Tiger mare Gator Prowl owned by breeders Kirk and Judy Robison and trained by Peter Miller, Good With People led throughout in the seven-furlong Golden State Juvenile, ultimately winning by three-quarters of a length.

The victory was the third in five starts for the dark bay and pushed his earnings to $199,100.

Trainer Doug O'Neill and owner-breeder J. Paul Reedam will be seeking their third win in the King Glorious when they send out Play Chicken.

A son of Square Eddie and the Distorted Humor mare Smoove, Play Chicken is 1-for-2 with earnings of $39,000. He won at the King Glorious distance on turf in his Oct. 17 debut, then was fifth in the Golden State Juvenile.

O'Neill and Reddam's victories in the King Glorious came with Found Money in 2015 and Ann Arbor Eddie a year later.

Undefeated in two starts for Edward J. Brown, Jr. and trainer Jeff Bonde, Mister Bold will stretch in his attempt to stay perfect.

A Time to Get Even colt out of the Bold Badgett mare Bold Mystique, Mister Bold collected both of his wins at Del Mar, scoring at the same distance – 5 ½ furlongs – Sept. 5 and Oct. 31. He's banked $42,000.

Positivity, who was also entered in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity, has won two of three and was runner-up in the Golden State Juvenile in his first start for trainer Paddy Gallagher. Owned by Annie, Justyn and Charles Winner, the Paynter colt out of the City Zip mare Sam's Sunny City has earned $115,500.

A distant third in the Golden State Juvenile in his first start for trainer John Sadler, Ascot Storm will try more yardage for West Point Thoroughbreds. The Shackleford gelding out of the Carson City mare High Button Shoes is 1-for-2 with a bankroll of $51,000. He was privately purchased after winning his debut by 4 ¾ lengths Oct. 4 for trainer Hector Palma.

Owned and trained by Cynthia Kelley, Club Cal defeated $50,000 maidens by four lengths in his Dec. 6 introduction to Los Alamitos. The Clubhouse Ride gelding out of the Rocky Bar mare Yawannagokid has banked $20,200 in three starts.

A graduate via disqualification in a $40,000 maiden claimer Nov. 26 at Del Mar, Govenor's Party will make his Los Alamitos debut for owner-trainer Daniel Franko. The Govenor Charlie colt out of the Zensational mare Spring Moon has earned $8,690 in four starts.

Tacoflavoredkisses will try to improve upon a sixth place finish in the Golden State Juvenile for owners Jason Litt and Alex Solis III and trainer Simon Callaghan.

A Distorted Humor colt out of the Parading mare Sweetpollypurebred has won twice in five races and earned $75,180. He owns a win at the King Glorious distance, capturing an optional claimer at Golden Gate Fields Oct. 11.

Trained by Sal Gonzalez for Tricar Stables Inc., Wedding Groom has a win in five starts and earnings of $31,600. He's a son of Hard Spun and the Medaglia d'Oro mare Wedding Dress. He has Los Alamitos experience, finishing second behind None Above the Law in his debut during the Summer meet.

Owned by Don Gibbs and Regan Wright and trained by Luis Mendez, From the Get Go has a win in three starts and earnings of $23,700. The Metaboss colt out of the Walter Willy mare Miss Nicolie graduated against $50,000 maidens at 5 ½ furlongs Oct. 31 at Del Mar.

Bobby's Alibi – one of the also-eligibles – will be switching to dirt if he starts after consecutive runner-up finishes on the Tapeta surface at Golden Gate Fields, the latest when favored in a starter allowance at eight furlongs Nov. 12.

Trained by Faith Taylor for Robert G. Jones, the Curlin to Mischief colt has one win in six starts. Out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Sacred Alibi, he's earned $18,700.

The other also eligible – Moving Fast – will be returning to the main track if a participant after graduating at one mile on the Del Mar turf course Nov. 14. A son of Jeranimo and the Desert Code mare Moving Desert, the gelding has banked $41,900 for owner-breeder Harris Farms, Inc. and trainer Sean McCarthy.

From inside out, the field for the King Glorious: Club Cal, Edwin Maldonado rides, 117 pounds; Wedding Groom, Eswan Flores, 117; Tacoflavoredkisses, Umberto Rispoli, 119; Positivity, Drayden Van Dyke, 119; From the Get Go, Jose Valdivia, Jr., 117; Mister Bold, Mike Smith, 117; Ascot Storm, Juan Hernandez, 117; Good With People, Ricardo Gonzalez, 121; Govenor's Party, Geovanni Franco, 117; Play Chicken, Mario Gutierrez; 117; Moving Fast (AE), Tyler Baze, 117 and Bobby's Alibi (AE), Santos Rivera, 117.

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