Tag: eight rings

Express Train Derails Hot Rod Charlie In San Antonio

With a perfectly timed ride by Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza, CRK Stable LLC's Express Train was up in the final jump to defeat 1-5 favorite Hot Rod Charlie in Sunday's Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes on the opening day of the Santa Anita meet in Arcadia, Calif.

Eight Rings, who set the pace and gave way begrudgingly in the final sixteenth of a mile, finished third, with Go On fourth and Azul Coast fifth in the field of seven 3-year-olds and up.

Express Train paid $16.40 after covering 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.82.

This was the fifth win in 15 career starts for Express Train and third in a G2 race after victories earlier this year in the San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita and San Diego Handicap at Del Mar. A 4-year-old colt by Union Rags out of I'm a Flake, by Mineshaft, Express Train was bred in Kentucky by Dixiana Farm LLC, Express Train was a $500,000 yearling purchase.

Express Train was entered in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 6 at Del Mar but scratched from the race after suffering a minor injury to his hock while schooling in the paddock earlier in the week.

In the San Antonio, Espinoza put Express Train in a good position down toward the inside while Eight Rings set fractions of :23.87, :47.37 and 1:11.89 for the opening six furlongs.

Doug O'Neill-trained Hot Rod Charlie, a 3-year-old by Oxbow who ran fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic after winning the G1 Pennsylvania Derby, was pushed to challenge Eight Rings approaching the far turn. Espinoza took that move as a cue to switch Express Train to the outside and had dead aim on the leading duo as the field rounded the stretch turn.

Hot Rod Charlie put his head in front of Eight Rings after passing the furlong pole, covering a mile in 1:37.97, but Express Train and Espinoza, racing to their outside, had all the momentum and got up in the final yards.

“The last two races he did not break well,” said Lee Searing, who with wife Susan operates C R K Stable. Searing was referring to a sixth-place finish in the G1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar in August and a third-place finish in the G1 Awesome Again at Santa Anita in October. “Victor did a great job. He's a really good horse when he's a stalker, when he gets to the outside.”

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Hot Rod Charlie Back For More In Sunday’s San Antonio

One of America's most consistent and talented 3-year-olds throughout 2021, Hot Rod Charlie heads a field of seven 3-year-olds and up in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita. An iconic prep for the G1 Santa Anita Handicap, the San Antonio will be run for the 84th time and is one of six graded stakes on a blockbuster 11-race Opening Day program.

Most recently fourth, beaten 4 ½ lengths by presumptive Horse of the Year Knicks Go in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6, Hot Rod Charlie has been a gem of consistency, while on occasion very unlucky, for O'Neill. A handy winner of the G1 Pennsylvania Derby two starts back on Sept. 25, he was disqualified from a hard fought nose victory three starts back in the G1 Haskell Invitational.

A massive second, beaten 1 ¼ lengths by A-Lister Essential Quality in the G1 Belmont Stakes June 5, he was a troubled third, beaten one length by Medina Spirit in the G1 Kentucky Derby five starts back on May 1.

A winner of the G2 Louisiana Derby in his second start of the year on March 20, Hot Rod Charlie is 7-2-1-2 on the year, with 2021 earnings of $2,087,500. Owned by Boat Racing, LLC, Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck), Roadrunner Racing & William Strauss, Hot Rod Charlie will reportedly use the San Antonio as a prep to the G1 Dubai World Cup in March.

Freshened since running third to Medina Spirit in the G1 Awesome Again Stakes Oct. 2, C R K Stable's Express Train has been in the money in six out of his seven career starts at Santa Anita and rates a big chance off the bench. Trained by John Shirreffs, Express Train's last win came three starts back in the G2 San Diego Handicap on July 17. With an overall mark of 14-4-4-3, this 4-year-old colt by Union Rags has earnings of $695,800.

A half-length winner of the G3 Native Diver Handicap on Nov. 20, Bob Baffert's Azul Coast could rate second billing as he seeks his second graded stakes win. Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Azul Coast, who has four wins from 10 starts, will be ridden for the first time by John Velazquez.

THE GRADE 2 SAN ANTONIO WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 6 of 11 Approximate post time 1:30 p.m. PT

  1. Extra Hope—Tyler Baze–121
  2. Express Train—Victor Espinoza—125
  3. Go On—Mario Gutierrez–119
  4. Hot Rod Charlie—Flavien Prat—123
  5. Eight Rings—John Velazquez—121
  6. Kiss Today Goodbye—Kent Desormeaux—121
  7. Azul Coast—Juan Hernandez–123

First post time for an 11-race Opening Day card Sunday is 11 a.m. Admission gates will open at 9 a.m.

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Azul Coast Bounces Back From Poor Showing In Awesome Again To Take Native Diver

Seventh last-out in the Grade 1 Awesome Again, Azul Coast bounced back from that lackluster performance to earn his first graded stakes victory in the Grade 3 Native Diver at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Under jockey Flavien Prat, Azul Coast bumped Bal Harbour out of the gate and then settled back last of six early in the 1 1/18-mile stakes as fellow Baffert trainees Ax Man and Eight Rings ran on the lead around the first turn and in the backstretch. As the field approached the far turn, Azul Coast moved up on the outside, improving his position from last to fourth.

Azul Coast went four-wide into the far turn, entering the stretch with Ax Man and Eight Rings on his inside. Ax Man tired and faded out of contention while Eight Rings and Azul Coast were head-to-head down the first half of the stretch, the latter eventually gaining a narrow lead as Kiss Today Goodbye mounted his bid to the outside. At the wire, Azul Coast was able to hold on by a neck over Kiss Today Goodbye, with Eight Rings third.

The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:50.55. Find this race's chart here.

Azul Coast paid $8.40, $4.60, and $2.60. Kiss Today Goodbye paid $5.20 and $2.80. Eight Rings paid $2.20.

“'Azul' runs his best races down here. He likes this track and he ran really impressive. When I ran him in the Awesome Again, he just laid an egg, he was up there close and I was really disappointed, but he was chasing Medina Spirit. I had no idea how it would set up, they were all on their own. I told the jockeys (he had three horses in the race) you guys ride your own races and hopefully we'll run 1-2-3. I'm happy for the connections, the well has been a little dry lately. Main thing is that we got the 'w'…” trainer Bob Baffert said after the race.

“We were in a good spot for the whole trip. I could tell the pace was only moderate, so I moved him up closer near the three-eighths (pole). Then when we went we were in good position and he was ready. A good win,” jockey Flavien Prat told the Del Mar Press Office after the Native Diver.

Bred in Kentucky by SF Bloodstock LLC, the 4-year-old colt is by Super Saver out of the Sky Mesa mare Sky Treasure. He is owned by Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. Consigned by Woods Edge Farm, Azul Coast was purchased by Three Amigos for $320,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. With this win in the G3 Native Diver, Azul Coast has two wins in four starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of four wins in 10 starts and career earnings of $221,280.

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Eight Rings Lukewarm Favorite In Wide-Open Edition Of Native Diver Stakes

In an absolutely wide-open renewal of the Grade 3, $100,000 Native Diver Stakes Saturday at Del Mar, eight older horses will hook up for a mile and one-eighth tussle that serves as the feature event on a fine nine-race card.

This will be the 44th running of the Native Diver, named for one of California's greatest stakes horses and its first to win $1 million in purses. The initial 36 editions of the race were conducted at the now-closed Hollywood Park, while the seven most recent have been held at Del Mar.

A check of the past performances of the eight runners tells you right away that they're stacked as close as a pile of bricks on a construction site. Morning line maker Jon White got out his hammer and chisel and managed to separate them as best he could, making the favorite a lukewarm 7/2, dropping a pair of horses in right behind at 4-1, one at 5-1 and two more at 6-1. We're talking tight here, folks.

That lukewarm favorite is Eight Rings, the 4-year-old colt by Empire Maker owned by the collection of Coolmore Stud, Golconda Stables, Madaket Stables, SF Racing and Starlight Racing. Bob Baffert trains the $414,451 earner and has secured the saddle services of Juan Hernandez for the nine-furlong journey Saturday.

The two runners right behind him at 4-1 on the line are C R K Stable's Midcourt, who won this race in 2019 and finished second in it in 2020, and Pegram, Watson and Weitman's Azul Coast, a Super Saver 4-year-old colt who now has three races under his belt this year after 10-month layoff.

Here's the full field for the Native Diver from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

  1. Iavarone or Iavarone's Established (Victor Espinoza, 6-1)
  2. Midcourt (Edwin Maldonado)
  3. Bernsen, Cady or Lambert, et al's Wicket Trick (Umberto Rispoli, 8-1)
  4. Red Oak Stable's Bal Harbour (Joe Bravo, 8-1)
  5. Azul Coast (Flavien Prat)
  6. Eight Rings
  7. Patti and Hal Earnhardt's Ax Man (Mike Smith, 6-1)
  8. John Sondereker's Kiss Today Goodbye (Kent Desormeaux, 5-1)

Eight Rings chased blitzing Life Is Good in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile last out on Nov. 6 at Del Mar. He turned in a bullet five-furlong drill at Santa Anita subsequently on Nov. 15.

Midcourt, a 6-year-old gelding by Midnight Lute, has finished in the top three in 13 of his 18 starts and sports a bankroll of $613,195. He's a multiple-stakes winner.

Azul Coast should be ready to fire his best shot now. He's had a series of good works of late since finishing unplaced in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 2.

Ax Man, a 6-year-old gelding by the Candy Ride stallion Misremembered, will be making his first start in six months. He's won seven races and $363,797.

Trainer Baffert not only oversees Eight Rings, but also Azul Coast and Ax Man.

First post for the Saturday card is at 12:30 p.m.

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