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Shirreffs ‘Looking Forward To The Big ‘Cap’ After San Pasqual Win By Express Train

It's full steam ahead for C R K Stable's Express Train as he ran perhaps the best race of his career in winning the Grade 2, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes for the second year in a row and stamped himself a primary contender for the Grade 1, $650,000 Santa Anita Handicap on March 5 at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Trained by John Shirreffs and ridden by Victor Espinoza, Express Train, who was in the thick of a hot early pace duel, powered to a 3 ¼-length victory while covering 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.99.

With Eight Rings breaking on top, Express Train, along with both American Theorem and Law Professor, were in hot pursuit in the run to the Club House turn. With American Theorem taken back off the dueling leaders at the seven-furlong pole, Express Train settled into a nice rhythm with Law Professor to his outside in the run to the far turn.

John Velazquez, aboard Eight Rings, stepped on the gas three furlongs out, but Express Train was just three quarters of a length back and he enjoyed a one length edge at the quarter pole. At that point, Law Professor loomed ominously turning for home, but Express Train was able to shrug off the challenge approaching the furlong marker in a huge effort.

“It got a little complicated out of the gate because I thought the two horses outside of me were going to go and make the pace,” said Espinoza. “Then the one (longshot Kiss Today Goodbye) decided to take back…So that kind of made my decision to go forward and stay there rather than be stuck on the inside. It's all about the horses too. Express Train, he helped me to move with such confidence at that point that I was not afraid to just let him go.

“I think the last time (a nose victory in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes Dec. 26), he won but he was not 100 percent, because he had a little time off in between that race. But now, he's ready to go. I had the opportunity to come and work him a couple times…Coming into this race I was confident but in the race, anything can happen. Things got a little complicated, but we resolved them quick.”

The 8-5 favorite in a field of six older horses, Express Train, a 5-year-old horse by Union Rags, paid $5.20, $2.80 and $2.10.

Owned by Lee and Susan Searing's C R K Stable, LLC, Express Train, who is out of the Mineshaft mare I'm a Flake, registered his fourth graded stakes win and improved his overall mark to 16-6-4-3. With the winner's take of $120,000, he increased his earnings to $935,800.

“I think this was a little bit more difficult for him,” said Shirreffs, when asked to compare Express Train's win today with his triumph in the 2021 San Pasqual. “There was lot going on early with the fast pace…Nobody got to relax because Mike's horse (Smith, aboard American Theorem) came up on the outside and wanted to force the pace so it was do or die time then. We're looking forward to the Big 'Cap.”

Trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Law Professor, who came into the race off a big win in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Mathis Mile Dec. 26, looked as though he'd give the winner all he wanted, but couldn't go with him the final three sixteenths of a mile. Off at 4-1, he paid $4.20 and $2.60 while finishing 2 ½ lengths in front of early leader Eight Rings.

Ridden by John Velazquez, Eight Rings, the 2-1 favorite, paid $2.40 to show while finishing three quarters of a length in front of stablemate Spielberg.

Fractions on the race were 22.72, 47.16, 1:11.75 and 1:37.32.

First post time for a nine-race card, which will include two graded stakes on Sunday, is at 12:30 p.m. Admission gates open at 10:30 a.m.

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Express Train Brings Recent Form Into Six-Horse San Pasqual

In what shapes up as an important prep to the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 5, C R K Stable's Express Train heads a field of six older horses going a mile and one eighth in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita.

A game nose winner over A-List sophomore Hot Rod Charlie in the G2 San Antonio Stakes going a mile and one sixteenth on Dec. 26, Express Train is the defending champ in the San Pasqual and he'll be seeking his fourth graded stakes win on Saturday.

Trained by John Shirreffs, Express Train will be ridden back by Victor Espinoza, who delivered the mail at odds of 7-1 on opening day. A 5-year-old horse by Union Rags, Express Train is easily the leading money earner in the field with $815,800 from an overall mark of 15-5-4-3.

A newly turned 4-year-old, Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Law Professor prevailed in a protracted stretch battle with Grade 1 winner Beyond Brilliant to take the G2 Santa Anita Mathis Mile by a half length on Dec. 26 and he has the look of a “now horse” as he bids for his third consecutive victory.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Law Professor, a 4-year-old gelding by Constitution, was ridden to consecutive wins by Jose Ortiz and will be handled for the first time by Juan Hernandez in the San Pasqual. With a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure in hand, Law Professor, who had raced on turf in his previous two starts, was off at 4-1 in the Mathis Mile, which was switched to the main track due to heavy rains. With three wins from seven starts, Law Professor seeks his second stakes win.

With John Velazquez riding him back, Bob Baffert's Eight Rings, who went to the front in the opening day San Antonio and nearly dead heated with Hot Rod Charlie for the place while beaten a half length by Express Train, rates a big chance in what will be his 14th career start. A Grade 1 winner here at two, Eight Rings is a 5-year-old horse by Empire Maker seeking his second graded stakes win and his fourth overall.

In a dominant gate to wire performance, trainer George Papaprodromou's American Theorem took a second condition allowance at a mile an one sixteenth by 2 ¼ lengths over Shooter's Shoot on Jan 2 and was flattered by the fact the runner-up came back to post a big second here in Saturday's G3 Palos Verdes Stakes.

Owned by Kretz Racing, LLC, American Theorem, who earned a 90 Beyer on Jan. 2, will likely employ similar front-running tactics with Mike Smith back aboard.

A Derby prospect a year ago, Baffert's Spielberg came back running off a 9 ½ month freshening to rally from off the pace and register a three-length win in a one mile second condition allowance Jan 14 and will be ridden back by Flavien Prat as he seeks his second graded stakes win. A 4-year-old colt by Union Rags, Spielberg is owned by Golconda Stables, Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing, LLC, et al and is 10-3-3-1 overall.

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

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Kiss Today Goodbye—Abel Cedillo–120
Express Train—Victor Espinoza—124
American Theorem—Mike Smith—120
Eight Rings—John Velazquez—120
Spielberg—Flavien Prat—120
Law Professor—Juan Hernandez–124

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m., admission gates will open at 10:30 a.m.

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Bloodlines Presented by Caracaro: Express Train Helps Write New Chapter For Historic Dixiana Farms

It takes a special kind of filly to win Saratoga's Test Stakes at seven furlongs and then come back two weeks later to score at 1 ¼ miles in the Alabama Stakes, but that's what the H. Allen Jerkens-trained November Snow (Storm Cat out of Princess Alydar, by Alydar) did in 1992. In the 30 years since, only one other filly, Society Selection, achieved this Grade 1 Saratoga double, and she, too, was trained by the late Hall of Famer who has been memorialized with a Grade 1 race named in his honor during the Saratoga meet.

Some other very good fillies have won both the Test and Alabama prior to November Snow, including Love Sign (1980), Go for Wand (1990) and Versailles Treaty (1991).

After retiring with eight wins from 22 starts and earnings in excess of $500,000, November Snow did not produce any stakes winners herself, but her daughters have more than made up for that shortcoming. Graded stakes-placed November Slew (by Seattle Slew) produced Hiraboku Wild, a multiple stakes winner in Japan. Arctic Drift (Gone West) produced Australian Group 2 winner Kuroshio. Indian Snow (A. P. Indy) produced G1 Carter Handicap and G2 Pennsylvania Derby winner and sire Morning Line (Tiznow) and listed winner Liam's Pride (Liam's Map).

I'm a Flake, a 2008 foal by Mineshaft, became the latest black-type producer for November Snow earlier this year when Express Train, a 4-year-old colt by classic-winning wire Union Rags, won the G2 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita for Lee and Susan Searing's C R K Stable and trainer John Shirreffs. He added a second G2 at Del Mar in the San Diego Handicap in August and most recently the G2 San Antonio Stakes on Santa Anita's opening day program on Dec. 26.

While Express Train has yet to hit the jackpot with a G1 victory (finishing second to Charlatan in the 2020 Malibu, second to Idol in the Santa Anita Handicap last March and third in the Gold Cup and Awesome Again during the summer and fall), he has defeated a host of G1 winners, most recently G1 Pennsylvania Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie and G1 American Pharoah winner Eight Rings in the San Antonio. Consistent and determined (he's been 1-2-3 in 12 of 15 starts), Express Train has the ability to score at the highest level.

Unplaced in four starts, I'm a Flake was bred in 2011 to Tiznow and entered in the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where she was purchased for $290,000 by Dixiana Farms, the historic Thoroughbred nursery purchased in 2004 by Florida businessman William Shively. The resulting foal, Snowbird was unplaced in three starts. Her second foal, Master Magician (also by Tiznow), was unplaced in eight starts.

I'm a Flake's first two foals sold well as yearlings, but Shively opted to keep the next one, a Union Rags filly named Layla. She broke her maiden at first asking, then was unsuccessful in two subsequent starts and is now a member of Dixiana's band of about 50 broodmares.

I'm a Flake had one more foal prior to Express Train, another son of Tiznow who brought $850,000 as a 2-year-old in training at the 2017 OBS March Sale. Named Praetorian, the gelding will soon turn 7 and remains in training, having won six of 36 starts, with 11 second-place finishes, primarily in claiming races.

After a barren year, I'm a Flake produced Express Train, who was purchased for $500,000 by the Mayberry Farm of Jeanne, April and Summer Mayberry on behalf of C R K Stable at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

According to Dixiana farm manager Robert Tillyer, I'm a Flake then had two successive barren years after being bred to Tiznow in 2017 and Gun Runner in 2018. Her 2020 foal, a colt by Accelerate, was purchased by Mayberry Farm on behalf of C R K Stable for $300,000 at Keeneland September.

Tillyer said Dixiana has a Union Rags–I'm a Flake weanling colt on the farm that likely will head to next year's Keeneland September Sale and she is currently in foal to Munnings, with an expected foaling date in late April. “The plan is to go back to Gun Runner,” Tillyer said.

Layla, the full sister to Express Train retained by Shively, has a Liam's Map 2021 colt that Tillyer said “is as nice as a weanling can be.”

This is Tillyer's second go-round at Dixiana, having worked at the farm when it was under different ownership in the late 1990s after arriving from England.

“A lot of good horses have come off that farm,” he said, naming 1997 champion and Group 1 Epsom Derby winner Benny the Dip and 1999 European champion 2-year-old colt Fasliyev, among others.

After spending 18 years working for Kentucky horseman William Betz, Tillyer returned to Dixiana in 2020 and has seen the farm reach new heights, selling its first million-dollar yearling this past year when a Quality Road colt brought $1.15 million.

The farm, located off Russell Cave northeast of Lexington, now encompasses about 840 acres and includes property from the old Domino Stud that once was part of the original Dixiana, whose founding dates back to 1877.

There is a lot of history to Dixiana Farms (you can read about it here), but new chapters continue to be written.

The post Bloodlines Presented by Caracaro: Express Train Helps Write New Chapter For Historic Dixiana Farms appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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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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