Variables Make Santa Anita’s San Carlos Intriguing Handicapping Challenge

Jay Em Ess Stable's graded stakes winning Extra Hope will cut back in distance off of five consecutive routes as he heads a field of nine older horses going seven furlongs in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Recent seven-furlong allowance winner Exaulted steps into stakes company for the first time, 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Storm the Court tries a new game, recent California-bred stakes winner Brickyard Ride, lightly raced Tigre Di Slugo and reformed claimer Loud Mouth all rate good chances in a race devoid of a dominant favorite.

An impressive gate to wire winner of the G3 Native Diver Stakes going a mile and one eighth two starts back on Nov. 21, Extra Hope, who is trained by Richard Mandella, never threatened while sixth in the G2 San Antonio at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 26 and will be sprinting for the first time since running a close third to highly rated sprinter Flagstaff in the ungraded seven furlong Damascus Stakes on Nov. 2, 2019.

Bred in Kentucky by her owner, Samantha Siegel, Extra Hope is a striking 5-year-old horse by Shanghai Bobby out of the Tiznow mare Lotsandlotsofhope.  A respectable fourth in his only other try at seven furlongs, the G3 Bob Hope Stakes in November, 2018, Extra Hope will be ridden by Juan Hernandez, who has guided him to a pair of victories in his last three starts.

A sharp 2 ¼ length allowance winner on Feb. 12, C R K Stable's Exaulted has the look of a “now” horse and looms dangerous with Mike Smith back aboard for trainer Peter Eurton, who will also be represented by Storm the Court.  Second to Derby A-Lister Nadal in his 6 ½ furlong debut four starts back on Jan. 19, 2020, Exaulted appears ready to show his best in what will be his initial stakes assignment.

Winless in nine starts since taking the 2019 Breeder's Cup Juvenile at odds of 45-1, Storm the Court showed the way early in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on Jan. 23 at Gulfstream and gave a good account of himself while finishing seventh, beaten just 3 ½ lengths at 1 3/16 miles.  Although winless since Nov. 1, 2019, Storm the Court ran a huge second, beaten three quarters of a length two starts back under John Velazquez in the G2 Mathis Brothers Mile (turf) on Dec. 26 and seems a solid fit running out of his own stall again with Velazquez back aboard.

Owned by Exline-Border Racing, LLC, David Bernsen, LLC, Susanna Wilson and Dan Hudock, Storm the Court, a 4-year-old colt by Court Vision, has trained in impressive fashion for Eurton as he cuts back in distance.  With a pair of bullet works to his credit since the Pegasus, his most recent drill was a  solid half mile in 47.60, best of 84 at the distance, this past Sunday.

Owned and bred in California by Alfred Pais and trained by Craig Lewis, Brickyard Ride, fresh off a 3 ¼ length smasher in the Cal Cup Sprint going six furlongs on Jan. 16, is at the top of his game and could prove an elusive target on the lead with apprentice Alexis Centeno back aboard.  Although it was against statebreds, Brickyard Ride, a 4-year-old colt by red-hot sire Clubhouse Ride, earned a lofty 99 Beyer Speed figure in the Cal Cup Sprint and is a razor-sharp horse ready for his first graded stakes assignment.

A winner of three out of his last four starts, two of those in open company, Brickyard Ride will be ridden for the fifth consecutive time by Centeno as he stretches out to seven furlongs for the first time.  Out of the Southern Image mare Brickyard Helen, he's 12-6-0-2 overall with earnings of $260,277.

A winner of three of his six lifetime starts, all sprinting, Tigre Di Slugo comes off a troubled second place finish as the 2-1 favorite in the six furlong Cal Cup Sprint, but retains the services of Joel Rosario, who guided this lightly raced 6-year-old California-bred gelding to a sharp six furlong allowance score versus open company two starts back on Nov. 27.  Owned by Slugo Racing, Tiger Racing, Inc. and his trainer, Mike Puype, Tigre Di Slugo rates a huge chance in his first graded stakes assignment.

Trained by Steve Knapp, the venerable California-bred Loud Mouth has won three out of his last four starts, most recently a game head victory in a second condition allowance at six furlongs here on Jan. 30, earning a career-best 93 Beyer Speed figure.  A 5-year-old California-bred horse by Boisterous, Loud Mouth took the statebred Cary Grant Stakes three starts back in his only start at seven furlongs on Nov. 22 at Del Mar.  Owned by Thomsen Racing, LLC, Loud Mouth was claimed 16 starts back for $40,000 on July 20, 2019 and is 24-7-0-2 with earnings of $306,110.

GRADE II SAN CARLOS STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS
IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 11  Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

  1. Storm the Court—John Velazquez—120
  2. Extra Hope—Juan Hernandez—122
  3. Major Cabbie—Flavien Prat—120
  4. Manhattan Up—Tiago Pereira—120
  5. Strongconstitution—Florent Geroux—120
  6. Brickyard Ride—Alexis Centeno—120
  7. Loud Mouth—Abel Cedillo—120
  8. Tigre Di Slugo—Joel Rosario—120

First post time for an 11-race card that will include three other graded stakes, is at 12 noon.  All of Santa Anita's races are offered free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can wager at 1st.com/bet.  For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Variables Make Santa Anita’s San Carlos Intriguing Handicapping Challenge appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Mucho Gusto Returns in San Antonio

GI Pegasus World Cup S. victor Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) returns to action in Saturday’s GII San Antonio S. after 10 months on the sidelines. A three-time graded winner as a sophomore last term, the $625,000 EASMAY buy hit the board in both the GI Haskell Invitational S. and GI Runhappy Travers S. last summer. Closing out 2019 with a fourth as the favorite in the GIII Oklahoma Derby last September, the ‘TDN Rising Star’ was privately purchased from Michael Lund Petersen by HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled with an eye on the inaugural Saudi Cup. The chestnut prepped for that with a dominant score in the Pegasus World Cup Jan. 25 and was fourth to champion Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) in the $20-million Saudi Cup Feb. 29. Given some time off as his Hall of Fame conditioner Bob Baffert picked up some of the top trophies in the older dirt male division with Maximum Security and Improbable (City Zip), Mucho Gusto displays a bullet laden worktab leading up to this event, which his trainer is likely using as a prep for next month’s Pegasus.

The top three from the GIII Native Diver S.–Extra Hope (Shanghai Bobby), Midcourt (Midnight Lute) and Combatant (Scat Daddy)–take a crack at the Baffert heavy hitter here. Combatant scored a career-high earlier this year with a neck success in the GI Santa Anita H. Midcourt is still awaiting a top-level score, but has placed in several Grade Is this term, including the Aug. 22 GI Pacific Classic and Sept. 26 GI Awesome Again S.

The post Mucho Gusto Returns in San Antonio appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Comebacking Mucho Gusto Draws Services Of John Velazquez In Saturday’s San Antonio

A winner of more than $3.1 million this year, Bob Baffert's Mucho Gusto, idle since Feb. 29, heads a field of eight 3-year-olds and up going a mile and one sixteenth in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita. One of five graded stakes on an 11-race program, the San Antonio, long a traditional prep to the G1 Santa Anita Handicap, will be contested for the 83rd time on Saturday.

A winner of the G` Pegasus World Cup Invitational two starts back at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25, Mucho Gusto was a respectable fourth behind stablemate Maximum Security in the G1 $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 29 and will be ridden for the first time on Saturday by eastern-based John Velazquez.

Jay Em Ess Stable's homebred Extra Hope comes off an emphatic gate to wire score in the G3 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar and seeks his third consecutive win for Richard Mandella and jockey Juan Hernandez.

Mark Glatt's versatile Sharp Samurai, an earner of more than $1.1 million, comes off a solid third place finish in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and rates a huge chance at age six.

MUCHO GUSTO

Owner: HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Fourth, beaten 2 ¾ lengths in the Saudi Cup, Mucho Gusto is 12-6-2-2 overall. A 4-year-old colt by Mucho Macho Man, he should show plenty of his customary early zip in his first start in nearly nine months as Baffert seeks his record seventh San Antonio win.

EXTRA HOPE

Owner: Jay Em Ess Stable

Trainer: Richard Mandella

Unbeaten in two starts with hot-riding Juan Hernandez, Extra Hope, a 4-year-old colt by Shanghai Bobby, certainly rates as a “now” commodity. A gate to wire winner of the Native Diver, he'll no doubt be forwardly placed as he cuts back in distance a sixteenth of a mile. The San Antonio will be Extra Hope's fourth start of 2020 as he tries to improve upon an overall mark of 14-4-2-3.

SHARP SAMURAI

Owner : Red Baron's Barn LLC, Rancho Temescal LLC and Mark Glatt

Trainer: Mark Glatt

A winner of seven of 18 turf starts while second five times and third twice, Sharp Samurai will be making his second consecutive start on dirt, a surface that he's now 5-1-1-1 over. A solid second two starts back in the G2 City of Hope over the Santa Anita turf Oct. 3, he was beaten 3 ½ lengths in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 7 and with his class and tactical speed, rates a big chance in the San Antonio.

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

Race 7 of 11 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT

  1. Take the One O One—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—121
  2. Kiss Today Goodbye—Mike Smith—119
  3. Extra Hope—Juan Hernandez—123
  4. Sharp Samurai—Flavien Prat—121
  5. Combatant—Ricardo Santana, Jr.—123
  6. Midcourt—Victor Espinoza—123
  7. Idol—Gabriel Saez–119
  8. Mucho Gusto—John Velazquez—124

Although there is no public admittance, fans can watch and wager via 1st.com/Bet and they can watch all of Santa Anita's races free of charge at santaanita.com/live. Special early first post time on Saturday is at 11 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Comebacking Mucho Gusto Draws Services Of John Velazquez In Saturday’s San Antonio appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights