English Channel | Horse Racing Free Tips

It’s A Gamble Overtakes Indian Lake To Win Off-The-Turf Jersey Derby

Even though It's A Gamble had tried the dirt just once in his eight-race career prior to Friday night, trainer Kelly Breen said he wasn't concerned when the Jersey Derby was moved from the grass to the main track at Monmouth Park due to rain.

It's easy to see why.

It's A Gamble found a seam along the rail and was able to reel in loose frontrunner Indian Lake at the sixteenth pole, going on to a 1 ¾-length victory in the 78th running of the Jersey Derby, the $100,000 feature race at the Oceanport, N.J., track's opening card.

Sent off at 9-2 in a field of seven 3-year-olds, It's A Gamble covered the mile over a fast-sealed track 1:40.70.

Indian Lake, who looked to be on his way to victory in mid-stretch, was 8 ¾ lengths in front of third-place finisher Spectatorless.

“Even though this was just his second start on the dirt he has trained well on it,” said Breen, who captured his third Monmouth Park training title last year. “So I wasn't all that concerned when it came off the turf. Everything set up for him. The rail opened up and he was able to find his way through.

“Since we shipped him from Florida to New York — his last race on the grass at Aqueduct was really nice — he has been training well. I believe that he's a nice horse – dirt, turf, whatever.”

A son of English Channel–Yes It's Pink by Yes It's True was bred and is owned by Ron Lombardi (Mr Amore Stable). The New York-bred colt was ridden by Jose Baez.

“The rail really opened up for me,” said Baez. “I was just sitting there waiting to see what was going on. I waited long enough that the rail opened and I didn't have to go around horses. I was a little worried about (Indian Lake) getting away from me. That's probably why I asked my horse to go when I did.”

It's A Gamble paid $11.20 to win in recording his third victory in nine career starts. Seven of those starts have been on the turf.

Racing resumes at Monmouth Park on Saturday with a 12-race card. First race post time is 12:15 p.m.

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Bloodlines: English Channel’s Stature As A Leading Sire Grows On Racetrack, If Not In Auction Ring

Is there a less-appreciated upper-tier sire in the country than English Channel?

Channel Cat's victory in the Grade 1 Man o' War Stakes was a reminder of the excellence that the stallion imparts to his offspring and that English Channel showed emphatically during his own racing career.

The 19-year-old son of Smart Strike and the Theatrical mare Belva proved himself a hickory racer, winning 13 of 23 starts over four seasons and $5.3 million. At the races, English Channel began his career the right way: winning his debut at 2 at Saratoga.

The horse then proceeded to win four of his first five starts at 3, including the Grade 3 Virginia Derby, and he also placed second in a pair of G1 races, the Secretariat at Arlington and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont.

English Channel returned to the races at 4 to win a trio of G1 stakes: the Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont, and the United Nations at Monmouth Park. Then the horse returned at 5 and did the same thing. And this time, a trio of G1s, the Turf Classic at Belmont and the United Nations, plus the Breeders' Cup Turf run at Monmouth Park, brought English Channel the Eclipse Award as champion male turf horse.

And a turn at stud.

English Channel's sire, Smart Strike, could not have been hotter at the time. He was the leading sire in North America, due not only to English Channel but also to Curlin, who was elected champion 3-year-old colt and Horse of the Year in 2007 after G1 victories in the Preakness, Jockey Club Gold Cup, and Breeders' Cup Classic.

The cachet of a stallion like Smart Strike – himself a son of the great Mr. Prospector – who could sire such good horses brought considerable attention to his sons and then sent them to stud with lordly expectations of success.

Yet, aside from their sire, high racing class, and chestnut coats, two horses could hardly be more different than English Channel and Curlin.

The latter is a brawny beast who left some breeders wondering whether he might not be too massive a specimen to breed on successfully. Time and the proof of elite racing class have disproven those concerns.

The exact opposite concern was held for English Channel, who came to stud looking so racy, lean, and elegant that some breeders wondered if he would produce enough muscle and mass in his stock to make them high-class racehorses.

Time and the test of the racecourse have proven that English Channel can sire those top horses, with 30 graded stakes winners to date, which is more than half of all his 58 stakes winners. They come in a range of sizes, colors, and shapes that has tended to bewilder the commercial market, which values consistency very nearly as much as quality.

A stallion of similar character is the broodmare sire of Channel Cat: Kitten's Joy. A champion turf racer like English Channel, Kitten's Joy throws a wild array of physical types, from the lean-bodied sort who remind us of whippets to the hulking powerhouses similar to himself.

Yet both Kitten's Joy and English Channel are very good sires, especially of turf horses, and in part that is because a turf horse has to have some level of pace to succeed. It is a great gift if the racer possesses a first-rate change of pace like these two champion turf performers, but the ability to get up to the lead and tough it out to the wire is evidence of a grand racing character and a hardy constitution.

Channel Cat possesses these in spades. He relied upon his strengths so effectively that he made the Man o' War a considerable test of stamina (starting with an opening quarter mile in :22.69) and then refused to be swamped for speed in the final three furlongs, which he ran in :35.85.

In addition to his own genetic contribution to the greatest game, English Channel has succeeded because breeders, especially the owner of Calumet Farm, have believed in the stallion and have supported him with quality mares. For a stallion who does not often get the “sales type” of yearling, this is an essential support system, and the sport is all the richer for it.

Frank Mitchell is author of Racehorse Breeding Theories, as well as the book Great Breeders and Their Methods: The Hancocks. In addition to writing the column “Sires and Dams” in Daily Racing Form for nearly 15 years, he has contributed articles to Thoroughbred Daily News, Thoroughbred Times, Thoroughbred Record, International Thoroughbred, and other major publications. In addition, Frank is chief of biomechanics for DataTrack International and is a hands-on caretaker of his own broodmares and foals in Central Kentucky. Check out his Bloodstock in the Bluegrass blog.

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Channel Cat Holds On By A Nostril Under Velazquez To Win Man O’ War

Providing an encore for a Kentucky Oaks-Kentucky Derby sweep is a tall order, but Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez was up to the challenge, piloting Channel Cat to the lead at every point of call and fending off 3-2 favorite Gufo's furious late charge in the final jumps to hang on for a gate-to-wire victory by a nose in Saturday's Grade 1, $700,000 Man o' War for 4-years-olds and up going 1 3/8 miles on Belmont Park's inner turf.

Velazquez, who last weekend won the Grade 1 “Run for the Roses” aboard Medina Spirit and the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks with Malathaat, added to his record for graded stakes wins, seeing Channel Cat break sharp from post 5 and lead the eight-horse field through fast fractions of 22.69 seconds for the quarter-mile with the half in 47.53 on the turf rated good. Field Pass tracked from second position as Channel Cat led the field through three-quarters in 1:12.45 and maintained his advantage out of the far turn.

Channel Cat, seeking the first win of his 6-year-old campaign, continued to press on as Moon Over Miami challenged to his inside. Velazquez kept his charge alert but then had to fend off Gufo's late outside bid.

Under Joel Rosario, who was bidding for his fifth win on the day, Gufo closed the deficit in the final sixteenth and the two challengers nearly arrived at the wire simultaneously, with Channel Cat winning the head bob and hitting the wire in 2:13.34 to give trainer Jack Sisterson his first career Grade 1 victory at Belmont.

“I didn't think we went that fast,” Velazquez said. “I knew we were going fast, but not quite 22 and change. I gave him loose reins and he was a happy horse up front. I was happy with the way that he was doing things. I felt [Gufo] coming when I was asking him to run.”

Added Sisterson: “I left it [the trip decision] in Johnny Velazquez's hands. I told him last weekend [winning the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby] was pretty incredible. I didn't sleep last night. I wasn't nervous about Channel Cat, I was nervous about letting John Velazquez down because I didn't want to ruin last weekend's celebrations.”

Channel Cat posted his first win in 10 starts and first victory since the Grade 2 Bowling Green in July 2019 at the Spa. The son of English Channel finished second or third in three graded stakes during that stretch, including a runner-up effort last out in the Grade 2 Elkhorn going 1 1/2 miles on April 17 over a Keeneland turf course rated good.

“Thanks to Channel Cat and the staff back at the barn, who do all the hard work to win a Grade 1,” said Sisterson, who now has a Grade 1 win at all three NYRA tracks following Vexatious' win in the Personal Ensign last year at Saratoga Race Course and True Timber's victory in December at Aqueduct Racetrack. “I don't take any credit for this. It's all due to the people behind the scenes that people don't see.

“He was coming into the race in great shape,” he added. “He ran a great race in the Elkhorn off the layoff and finished up good, closing into fast fractions.”

Off at 8-1, Channel Cat returned $18.40 on a $2 win wager. The Calumet Farm homebred earned millionaire status, extending his earnings to $1,383,522 with a career record of 6-3-5 in 26 starts.

“It's nice to win a race for the owner,” Sisterson said. “He's so passionate and supportive of the sport.”

Sisterson said Channel Cat remains a possibility for the Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day June 5.

Otter Bends Stables' Gufo, the 124-pound highweight, looked sharp in his first start off a layoff of more than five months, besting Moon Over Miami by a neck for second. The Christophe Clement trainee, who won his previous start on the course in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby in October and added a win in the Grade 3 Kent as a sophomore, has finished on the board in all nine career starts, improving to 5-2-2 for trainer Christophe Clement.

“Whenever you get beat first race off the layoff like that with such a good race, it's disappointing because I love the horse,” Clement said. “Especially considering we were giving six pounds to the winner. But I tip my hat to the winner, he ran a good race. Gufo will improve from the race. We'll go to the Manhattan and just hope we don't have to give six pounds to everyone else and go from there.”

Summer Wind Equine's Moon Over Miami, conditioned by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, was 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Shamrocket to earn black type for the third consecutive start in his 4-year-old year, adding to his third in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida in February and second in the Grade 2 Pan American in March at Gulfstream Park.

“He's such a cool horse. He always gives you a good run,” said Moon Over Miami rider Junior Alvarado. “He always tries and no matter where you put him, he's always there for you. Eventually, I think he'll win a big race. He deserves it. He can do a lot of different things. He's been knocking on the door in some big races this year. He's definitely one with a future ahead of him.”

So High, Ziyad, Sovereign and Field Pass completed the order of finish.

The 62nd running of the Man o' War, named for the Hall of Famer who made the debut of his legendary career at Belmont Park in 1919, was the headliner of a card featuring five graded stakes that included Firenze Fire winning the Grade 3 Runhappy, Harvey's Lil Goil capturing the Grade 3 Beaugay, Victim of Love winning the Grade 3 Vagrancy and Promise Keeper taking the Grade 3 Peter Pan.

Live racing continues Sunday with a nine-race card and a 1 p.m. Eastern first post. The slate is highlighted by the $100,000 Gold Fever for sophomores going six furlongs on the main track in Race 8 at 4:51 p.m.

Starting on May 1, Belmont Park re-opened to a limited number of spectators. All admission must be purchased in advance at nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

For comprehensive information on health and safety protocols in effect for the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, please visit: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/visit/plan-your-visit.

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English Channel’s Channel Cat Steals the Man o’War

Johnny V. did it again.

A week after wiring the GI Kentucky Derby aboard Medina Spirit (Protonico), John Velazquez sent Calumet Farm homebred Channel Cat (English Channel) to the front in Saturday's GI Man O' War S., and just held on by a nose over favored Gufo (Declaration of War).

Channel Cat, off at 8-1, dueled from the inside through an opening quarter in an eye-catching :22.69 in this 1 3/8-mile affair. He began to shake clear rounding the clubhouse turn and slowed it down some to a testing half mile in :47.53. The 6-year-old turned them in as the one to catch and dug down deep in the stretch to hold last year's GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. winner and Moon Over Miami (Malibu Moon) safe in a photo finish.

“I didn't think we went that fast,” Velazquez said. “I knew we were going fast, but not quite :22 and change. I gave him loose reins and he was a happy horse up front. I was happy with the way that he was doing things. I felt [Gufo] coming when I was asking him to run.”

Previously under the tutelage of Todd Pletcher, Channel Cat hadn't visited the winner's circle since posting a wire-to-wire score in the 2019 GII Bowling Green S. at Saratoga. He made three previous starts for Jack Sisterson, finishing fifth in the GII Ft. Lauderdale S. Dec. 12, fifth in the GIII W.L. McKnight S. Jan. 23 and second in the GII Elkhorn S. at Keeneland last time Apr. 17. He hadn't been placed on the lead since his front-running score in the Bowling Green.

Channel Cat's resume also includes a win in the 2018 Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby and third-place finishes in the 2019 GI Sword Dancer S. and GI United Nations S., respectively.

“I left it [the trip decision] in Johnny Velazquez's hands,” Sisterson said. “I told him last weekend [winning the GI Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby] was pretty incredible. I didn't sleep last night. I wasn't nervous about Channel Cat, I was nervous about letting John Velazquez down because I didn't want to ruin last weekend's celebrations.”

Sisterson continued, “Thanks to Channel Cat and the staff back at the barn, who do all the hard work to win a Grade I. I don't take any credit for this. It's all due to the people behind the scenes that people don't see. He was coming into the race in great shape. He ran a great race in the Elkhorn off the layoff and finished up good, closing into fast fractions. It's nice to win a race for the owner. He's so passionate and supportive of the sport.”

Pedigree Notes:

English Channel and Kitten's Joy finished 2020 as the one-two duo atop the North American leading turf sire list and Channel Cat's pedigree melds the two together with a flourish. He is one of four stakes winners–with three graded and one being a SW/GISP Canadian champion–by English Channel out of a Kitten's Joy mare. Both stallions, a year apart in age and both champion grass horses themselves, have plenty of other accomplishments as well, with English Channel the sire of 56 black-type winners to date with 30 graded winners, and Kitten's Joy counting 15 stakes winners out of his daughters. Channel Cat races as a homebred for Calumet Farm, who stands English Channel and bought Carnival Kitten for $30,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February sale before reselling her for $45,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale to Nursery Place. The mare has since produced a 2-year-old colt by Red Rocks (Ire) and most recently visited the court of Speightstown.

Saturday, Belmont Park
MAN O' WAR S.-GI, $700,000, Belmont, 5-8, 4yo/up, 1 3/8mT, 2:13.34, gd.
1–CHANNEL CAT, 118, h, 6, by English Channel
                1st Dam: Carnival Kitten, by Kitten's Joy
                2nd Dam: Roja, by L'Enjoleur
                3rd Dam: Hunt's Roja, by Architect
   1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Jack Sisterson;
J-John R. Velazquez. $375,000. Lifetime Record: 26-6-3-5,
$1,373,522. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
2–Gufo, 124, c, 4, Declaration of War–Floy, by Petionville.
O-Otter Bend Stables, LLC; B-John Little & Stephen Cainelli
(KY); T-Christophe Clement. $130,000.
3–Moon Over Miami, 118, c, 4, Malibu Moon–Zinzay, by Smart
Strike. O/B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-William I. Mott. $70,000.
Margins: NO, NK, 1 1/4. Odds: 8.20, 1.50, 6.40.
Also Ran: Shamrocket, So High (GB), Ziyad (GB), Sovereign (Ire), Field Pass. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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