drayden van dyke | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Restart And A Reboot’: Drayden Van Dyke Will Shift Tack To Kentucky In April

Jockey Drayden Van Dyke will move his tack from Southern California to Kentucky beginning with the Keeneland meet in April, reports the Daily Racing Form. Represented by Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, Van Dyke will stay through at least the Churchill meet.

Though he earned leading rider titles at both Del Mar meets in 2018, Van Dyke has had a slow winter at Santa Anita, winning with six of his 72 mounts.

“We've got to do a restart and a reboot,” Stevens told drf.com.

Van Dyke won the Eclipse Award for champion apprentice jockey in 2014, and is originally from Kentucky.

Report: Prat, Longtime Agent Lawson Split; Brad Pegram To Handle Book

Flavien Prat has split from agent Derek Lawson, who has represented Southern California's leading jockey since he came to the U.S. from his native France to ride full time at the end of 2014. Daily Racing Form reported the split and the fact that Prat's hiring of agent Brad Pegram has forced Drayden Van Dyke to make a change.

Pegram has represented both Van Dyke and Hall of Famer Mike Smith, but California rules restrict an agent from having more than two riders.

Van Dyke told Daily Racing Form's Steve Andersen he's “been swamped with calls already” but added that he was going to take a few days to consider options, including relocating to another circuit.

The change will take place effective Feb. 26, according to the report.

Prat did not give a reason for the move, telling Andersen, “I felt like it was time to make a change.”

The 28-year-old Prat has won numerous Southern California riding titles while working with Lawson. He is currently fourth behind Juan Hernandez, Umberto Rispoli and Joel Rosario in the Santa Anita jockey standings, with 19 wins from 113 mounts, a 17% winning percentage. Van Dyke is 5-for-49.

Now in his seventh year riding full time in Southern California, Prat has compiled 987 victories from 4,921 mounts with his horses earning over $76 million. He won the 2019 Kentucky Derby aboard Country House via the disqualification of Maximum Security and has won three Breeders' Cup races.

Van Dyke, a 26-year-old native of Louisville, Ky., has been riding since 2013 and has 721 career wins from 4,530 starts for mount earnings of $45.5 million. Among his 18 Grade 1 victories is a win by Stormy Liberal in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

Pegram has close ties to the Bob Baffert stable, with Smith getting many of the Hall of Fame trainer's top horses. Van Dyke has previously ridden a number of Baffert's top young prospects. Pegram is the nephew of longtime Baffert client Mike Pegram and the son of longtime agent Jim Pegram.

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Sophomore Pair From Baffert’s Bench Top Seven-Furlong San Vicente

With varsity aces Life Is Good and Medina Spirit awaiting their next call to action, Bob Baffert goes to his expansive bench Saturday with Freedom Fighter and Concert Tour in Santa Anita's Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs.

It will be the first start in five months for Freedom Fighter, a son Violence, who led throughout his debut race at Del Mar last Aug. 1, winning the five-furlong dash by a head as the 1-2 favorite.

“Going seven eighths is a tough distance,” Baffert said, “but he's quick and he's had good works. He broke his maiden first out and then we had to back off him, but he's doing well.”

Freedom Fighter, who will be ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, has amply displayed his readiness with a series of recent breezes, including three bullet works, the most recent a five furlong move from the gate on Jan. 28 in 59.60, handily, the fastest of 70 drills at the distance.

Concert Tour was no secret as a debut winner going six furlongs on Jan. 15. The son of Street Sense owned and bred by Gary and Mary West was in hand late as the even-money favorite, scoring by 3 ½ lengths under Joel Rosario who is back aboard Saturday.

Baffert will be seeking to add to his record of 10 San Vicente victories, having captured his first in 1997 with eventual Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm.

Subsequent triumphs were posted by Exploit (1999), Kafwain (2003), Fusaichi Rock Star (2005), Too Much Bling (2006), The Factor (2011), Drill (2012), Shakin It Up (2013), Lord Nelson (2015) and Nadal last year.

Meanwhile, individual Kentucky Derby Future Book favorite Life Is Good worked four furlongs Monday in 48.80, breezing.

“He looked really good and he's doing everything right,” said Baffert, who confirmed the Sham Stakes winner will make his next start in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes March 6, adding, “We've got a long way to go.”

The San Vicente, race seven of 10 with a 12 noon first post time: Freedom Fighter, Drayden Van Dyke, 5-2; The Chosen Vron, Mike Smith, 5-2; Uncle Boogie, Abel Cedillo, 12-1; Found My Ball, Mario Gutierrez, 3-1; and Concert Tour, Joel Rosario, 8-5.

The Chosen Vron blew out four furlongs Wednesday in 48.20 for trainer Eric Kruljac. Mr. Impossible was scratched.

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Frontrunning Tizamagician ‘Doing Real Well’ Ahead Of San Pasqual

Richard Mandella was a relatively young pup of 33 when he won the 1983 San Pasqual Stakes for the first time, with a horse named Regal Falcon ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye.

In 2005, he captured his second San Pasqual, this time with Congrats under Tyler Baze. On Saturday the Hall of Fame trainer, now a sprightly 70, sends out committed front-runner Tizamagician in a bid for number three at Santa Anita Park.

A 4-year-old Tiznow colt, Tizamagician won an overnight race in game fashion last out on Jan. 2, leading throughout as is his wont. It was his first race in more than three months.

“He likes to be in front and came off a nice win,” Mandella said of the four-old Kentucky-bred colt owned by MyRacehorse.com and Spendthrift Farm, who will be ridden for the fourth straight time by Drayden Van Dyke.

Mandella was speaking of an overnight victory Jan. 2 at a mile and one-sixteenth, Tizamagician's first race in more than three months.

“He's doing real well,” said Mandella, who could use the San Pasqual as a steppingstone to the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6, a race the Hall of Fame trainer has won three times, with Siphon in 1997, Malek in 1998 and Rock Hard Ten in 2005.

“That makes sense,” Mandella said, alluding to the San Pasqual as a logical forerunner to the Big 'Cap, Santa Anita's marquee race for older horses, which will be presented for the 84th time this year.

The San Pasqual, race five: Tizamagician, Drayden Van Dyke, 9-2; Idol, Gabriel Saez, 9-5; King Guillermo, Abel Cedillo, 2-1; Express Train, Juan Hernandez, 2-1; and Zestful, Edwin Maldonado, 15-1.

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