fair grounds | Horse Racing Free Tips

The Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for April 4

It's come down to the last few preps. An outstanding field will meet Friday at Keeneland in the GI Ashland S. Four horses on our Top 10 list will take part in that race. At Aqueduct, they'll be vying for a spot in the field for the GI Kentucky Oaks in the GIII Gazelle S. At Santa Anita, fillies will contest the GII Santa Anita Oaks, but the horse expected to be he heavy favorite, Kinza (Carpe Diem), is trained by Bob Baffert and is therefore ineligible to run in the Oaks. By Saturday evening, we should know who will be running in the Oaks and who the favorites will be.

Here's a look at the latest installment of our Kentucky Oaks Top Ten:

1) TARIFA (f, Bernardini–Kite Beach, by Awesome Again) O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: 'TDN Rising Star', MGSW, 5-4-0-0, $518,925. Last start: WON Mar. 23 GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 150. Next Start:
GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 4.
If the Oaks were run today, Tarifa would be the favorite. She emerged this year for trainer Brad Cox and has won three straight races, including the GII Fair Grounds Oaks, Presented by Fasig-Tipton and the GII Rachel Alexandra S., Presented by Fasig-Tipton. She is good, seems to be getting better and no one is better with 3-year-old fillies than her trainer, Brad Cox. The only way she won't be the favorite is if stablemate Impel (Quality Road) puts on a show in the Ashland on Friday at Keeneland.
Tarifa's top Beyer, the 95 that she earned in the Fair Grounds Oaks is the best this year among all 3-year-old fillies.

2) IMPEL (f, Quality Road–Your Love, by Flatter) O/B-Juddmonte (Ky); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: 'TDN Rising Star' 2-2-0-0, $115,200. Last Start: WON Oaklawn AOC, Mar. 3. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0. Next Start: GI Ashland S., KEE, April 5.
If Tarifa loses in the Oaks, it may only be because stablemate Impel is faster. She looked nothing less than sensational when winning a Mar. 3 allowance at Oaklawn by 8 1/2 lengths. She got a 91 Beyer that day. A Juddmonte homebred, she faces the acid test in the Ashland, which will be her stakes debut. She's the 2-1 morning-line favorite. But with just two starts under her belt, does she have enough seasoning? Is she ready to be tested by some of the best in the division? Those questions should be answered Friday and a win by Impel may make her the horse to beat on the first Friday in May.

3) THORPEDO ANNA (f, Fast Anna–Sataves, by Uncle Mo) O-Brookdale Racing, Inc., Mark Edwards, Judy B. Hicks & Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek); B-Judy Hicks (Ky); T-Kenneth McPeek. Sales history: $40,000 yrl '22 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-3-1-0, $584,363. Last Start: WON GII Fantasy S., Mar. 30. Kentucky Oaks Points: 105. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3.
This 'TDN Rising Star' cracks the list for the first time this year and lands on the No. 3 spot after her impressive win in the GII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn. A bargain buy at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall yearling sale for $40,000, her breakthrough race was a Nov. 10 allowance at Churchill which she won by nine lengths, earning an 87 Beyer. She faltered a bit in her next start when finishing second in the GII Golden Rod S. as the odds-on favorite. But she roared back with the authoritative win in the Fantasy in what was her first start this year. Trainer Kenny McPeek has had a lot of success with yearling purchases in the neighborhood of $40,000. It looks like he has done it again.

4) JUST F Y I (f, Justify–Star Act, by Street Cry {Ire}) O/B-George Krikorian (Ky); T-Bill Mott. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo filly, GISW, 3-3-0-0, $1,317,750. Last start: WON Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Kentucky Oaks Points: 40. Next Start: GI Ashland S., KEE, April 5.
The champ is back. After being scratched from the GII Davona Dale S. because of a fever, she has been re-routed to the Ashland. With her coming off a five-month layoff and with the Oaks being the main goal, how ready will trainer Bill Mott have her? But the main question that remains is this: is she fast enough? Despite a 3-for-3 record last year, an Eclipse Award and a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, her Beyer numbers suggest she's not quite as good as she looks on paper. She needs to step up her game, but there's no reason she can't do just that.

5) JODY'S PRIDE (f, American Pharoah–Jody's Song, by Scat Daddy) O-Parkland Tbreds & Sportsmen Stable; B-Mr. Steve Weston (Ky); T-J Abreu. Lifetime Record: MSW & GISP, 4-3-1-0, $590,250. Last start: WON Mar. 2 Busher S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 65. Next Start: GI Ashland S., KEE, April 5.
She's a little like Just F Y I. She doesn't run particularly fast, but she just keeps on winning. After finishing second and losing by just a neck to Just F Y I in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, she returned with an easy win over outclassed rivals in the Busher Invitational S. at Aqueduct. Her connections were going to keep her in New York for the Gazelle, but changed their minds and have wound up instead in the Ashland. To show how tough the Ashland is, she is 8-1 on the morning line. She would have been an odds-on favorite in the Gazelle, so it's a bit puzzling that the connections wound up going to Keeneland instead of staying in New York.

6) POWER SQUEEZE (f, Union Rags–Callmethesqueeze, by Awesome Again) O-Lea Farms, LLC; B-Forging Oaks Farm, LLC (Ky); T-Jorge Delgado. Sales history: $50,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $90,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-4-1-0, $337,450. Last start: WON GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, Mar. 2. Kentucky Oaks Points: 120. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3.
She came into the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks riding a three-race winning streak, which included a pair of stakes races. But she was totally overlooked Saturday at Gulfstream, going off at 11-1. She beat the 1-2 favorite and much hyped Ways and Means (Practical Joke), winning by a neck. She was ridden in the Gulfstream Park Oaks by Daniel Centeno. It will be interesting to see if the journeyman keeps the mount. After sprinting earlier in her career, she is 3-for-3 around two turns. Don't go to sleep on this one.

7) KOPION (f, Omaha Beach–Galloping Ami, by Victory Gallop) O-Spendthrift Farm; B-Tall Oaks Farm (Ky); T-Richard Mandella. Sales history: $270,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-1-0, $116,600. Last start: 2nd Feb. 10 GIII Las Virgenes S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 20. Next Start: GII Santa Anita Oaks, SA, April 6.
May be the only California-based filly to make it to the Kentucky Oaks. She goes Saturday in the GII Santa Anita Oaks and will once again face her nemesis, Kinza. If the race runs to form, Kinza will win and Kopion will be second. That would give Kopion enough points to make it into the field for the Oaks, where she could be in the neighborhood of 15-1. Then again, if Kinza is as good as some people think, doesn't Kopion deserve a lot of credit for finishing second behind her?

8) WAYS AND MEANS (f, Practical Joke–Strong Incentive, Warrior's Reward) O/B-Klaravich Stables (Ky); T-Chad Brown. Lifetime Record: GISP, 'TDN Rising Star,' 3-1-2-0, $165,750. Last start: 2nd Mar. 30 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3.
She romped in her maiden debut at Saratoga and then finished second in the GI Spinaway S., despite the fact she took a chip off her right ankle and was lame afterward. That meant a long trip to the sidelines before she launched her comeback in the Gulfstream Park Oaks where she did everything right but win. She was steadied going into the first turn, raced wide throughout and then made what appeared to be a winning move in the stretch. She just ran out of gas in the final sixteenth, which is perfectly understandable. Trainer Chad Brown is eyeing the Oaks, but says he's worried his filly won't have enough points to make it into the field of 14.

9) OUR PRETTY WOMAN (f, Medaglia d'Oro–Dazzletown, by Speightstown) O-Courtlandt Farms; B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC and Godolphin; T-Steve Asmussen. Sales History: $900,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSP, 3-2-1-0, $150,200. Last start: 2nd Mar. 23 GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 3.
A $900,000 yearling buy, the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro gave divisional leader Tarifa all she could handle in the Fair Grounds Oaks. She battled every step of the way before finishing second by three-quarters of a length. It was only her third start and first in a stakes, so she has plenty of room for improvement. She's quick from the gate and may be the one setting the pace in the Oaks. If she gets a good trip, there's no reason why she can't win.

10) LESLIE'S ROSE (f, Into Mischief–Wildwood Rose {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) O-Whisper Hill Farm; B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock Services (Ky); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $1,150,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 'TDN Rising Star', GSP, 3-2-0-1, $89,950. Last start: 3rd Mar. 2 GII Davona Dale S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 15. Next Start: GI Ashland S., KEE, April 5.
A $1.15-million purchase at Keeneland September by Into Mischief, she is 2-for-3 lifetime. This Todd Pletcher trainee has the potential to be a very good horse. She just needs to prove it in stakes company. At odds of 3-10, she was third in the Davona Dale in her stakes debut and was beaten 2 1/4 lengths. It wasn't a terrible effort, but she was somewhat of a disappointment. She must run well in the Ashland and pick up some points in order to earn a spot in the Oaks field.

The post The Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for April 4 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Kentucky Oaks Top 10 For March 28

Things are heating up and the prospective field for the GI Kentucky Oaks is starting to take shape. Tarifa (Bernardini) won the GII Fair Grounds Oaks last Saturday and is very much looking like the horse to beat in the Kentucky Oaks.

At Turfway Park, the former claimer Everland (Arrogate) earned her way into the Oaks with a win in the Bourbonette Oaks. Two huge preps will be run this Saturday–the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks and the GIII Fantasy at Oaklawn.

Here's a look at the latest installment of our Kentucky Oaks Top 10:

1) TARIFA (f, Bernardini–Kite Beach, by Awesome Again)

O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: 'TDN Rising Star', MGSW, 5-4-0-0, $518,925. Last start: WON Mar. 23 GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 150. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 4.

Tarifa is as solid as they come. She won her second straight Oaks prep when capturing the Fair Grounds Oaks presented by Fasig Tipton by three-quarters of a length. It wasn't a dominant win but it was more than enough to get the job done. She's lost just once in her career and seems to improve with every start. She's good now and it appears that trainer Brad Cox has yet to tighten the screws to the point where she has peaked. He was, however, concerned that Tarifa was rank entering the first turn. “I would like to tell you she is settling down and relaxing, but that didn't work out well in the first turn,” Cox said. “Still, she was able to overcome it. She needs to learn to relax in the race, and obviously next time we will be facing a larger field. She needs to learn to chill out and relax. We will continue to work with her.” Cox has won the Oaks twice since 2018 and seems poised to pick up his third win in May.

Has become everybody's wise-guy horse. Though she's run just twice and never in a stakes race, she was made the 7-1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby Oaks Future Wager. It's easy to see why people like her. After breaking her maiden, she blew away a field of allowance horses at Oaklawn to win by 8 1/2 lengths. The real test will come when she faces off against the cream of the crop in the Ashland at Keeneland on Friday, April 5. “I think she's very good,” Cox said. “She's got a great mind. She doesn't overtrain. She's not super, super aggressive and does whatever you ask of her.” If she blows away the field in the Ashland she'll likely be the favorite in the Oaks over stablemate Tarifa.

3) JODY'S PRIDE (f, American Pharoah–Jody's Song, by Scat Daddy) O-Parkland Tbreds & Sportsmen Stable; B-Mr. Steve Weston (Ky); T-J Abreu. Lifetime Record: MSW & GISP, 4-3-1-0, $590,250. Last start: WON Mar. 2 Busher S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 65. Next Start: GI Ashland S., KEE, April 5.

The connections of this filly keep changing their minds about where she is going to run. After winning the Busher S. at Aqueduct they announced they would stay in New York for the GIII Gazelle S. Instead, it's on to the Ashland. “We got a race under our belt. She's going to have to face [Just F Y I] at some point again, so this might be the time to face her,” trainer Jorge Abreu told the Daily Racing Form. The horse seems to be flying under the radar because of low-profile connections, but she' the real deal. She's 3-for-4 lifetime and the only defeat came against Just F Y I (Justify) in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott had to alter his filly's schedule after she was scratched from the GII Davona Dale because of a fever. But Mott said that his Eclipse champ has recovered and will go next in what will be a loaded Ashland at Keeneland. “Her next scheduled start is now the Ashland,” he said. “She needed the extra time to get ready.” From the standpoint of Beyer figures she needs to get faster as her best number last year was a 79. That's not going to get in done in a race like the Oaks.

Kopion | Benoit

5) KOPION (f, Omaha Beach–Galloping Ami, by Victory Gallop) O-Spendthrift Farm; B-Tall Oaks Farm (Ky); T-Richard Mandella. Sales history: $270,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-1-0, $116,600. Last start: 2nd Feb. 10 GIII Las Virgenes S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 20. Next Start: GII Santa Anita Oaks, SA, April 6.

Hall of Fame Richard Mandella is bringing this filly along slowly. After she won the GIII Santa Ynez S., Mandella skipped the next prep on the schedule, the March 3 Santa Ysabel S. The plan now is to go in the GII Santa Anita Oaks on April 6. She'll be up against it in the Santa Anita Oaks as the race is also expected to feature 'TDN Rising Star' Kinza (Carpe Diem) the best 3-year-old filly in the West. But she's trained by Bob Baffert, who is still under a ban at Churchill Downs, and won't be running in the Oaks. That leaves Kopion as the West Coast's best hope.

6) WAYS AND MEANS (f, Practical Joke–Strong Incentive, Warrior's Reward) O/B-Klaravich Stables (Ky); T-Chad Brown. Lifetime Record: GISP, 'TDN Rising Star,' 2-1-1-0, $117,750. Last start: 2nd Sept. 3 GI Spinaway S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0. Next Start: GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, GP, March 30.

Remember her? She romped in her maiden voyage when winning at Saratoga by 12 3/4 lengths. She returned in the GI Spinaway S. and was second despite clipping heels down the backstretch. She's returning this Saturday for the Gulfstream Park Oaks, which will be her first race in nearly seven months. Off that layoff and with her having just one prep before the Oaks, can Chad Brown have her ready? The answer is yes. She's been working steadily and Brown is a master when it comes to having his horses ready for big races. With Flavien Prat committed to Tarifa, Brown has given the riding assignment to Irad Ortiz Jr.

7) OUR PRETTY WOMAN (f, Medaglia d'Oro–Dazzletown, by Speightstown) O-Courtlandt Farms; B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC and Godolphin; T-Steve Asmussen. Sales History: $900,000 ylr '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSP, 3-2-1-0, $150,200. Last start: 2nd Mar. 23 GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 4.

Came into the Fair Grounds Oaks with a lot of potential and a lot to prove. She broke her maiden at the Fair Grounds and then romped in an allowance race there. Both were run over sloppy tracks. Facing Tarifa in the Fair Grounds Oaks, she would need to step it up, and that's what she did. She didn't win, but set the pace and put up a fight in the stretch as Tarifa beat her by less than a length. It was just her third lifetime start, so she should continue to improve. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will be looking for his first Oaks win since 2014 with Untapable (Tapit).

Lemon Muffin | Coady Photography

8) LEMON MUFFIN (f, Collected–Pelt, by Canadian Frontier)

O-Aaron Sones; B-Mr & Mrs Theodore R Kuster & Collected Syndicate (KY); T-D Wayne Lukas. Sales history: $20,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $140,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-1-4-0, $305,250. Last start: WON Feb. 24 GIII Honeybee S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50. Next Start: GIII Fantasy S., OP, March 30.

The goal for this Wayne Lukas trainee will be to prove that her win in the GIII Honeybee S. wasn't a fluke. She came into that race as a maiden who had never run beyond seven furlongs or around two turns. Yet, she put it all together and won by 3 1/2 lengths at odds of 28-1. Lukas has won the Oaks five times and his sixth win would allow him to pass Woody Stephens as the winningest trainer in Oaks history. Lukas has shown a lot of faith in young Keith Asmussen by giving him this mount. Lemon Muffin is a horse who could run terribly in the GIII Fantasy S. or maybe she's just hitting her best stride. It's a tough call.

9) FIONA'S MAGIC (f, St Patrick's Day–Mollie's Magic, by Factum) O/B-Stonehedge, LLC (FL); T-Michael Yates. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-2-0, $250,910. Last start: WON Mar. 2 GII Davona Dale S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 60. Next Start: GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, GP, March 30.

She's a tough Florida bred by a sire, St. Patrick's Day, who stands for just $3,500. But she can run. She's never been worse than second in five career tries and is coming off a win in the Davona Dale S. for trainer Michael Yates. The Gulfstream Park Oaks will be her big test and her first race around two turns. She loses the services of jockey Tyler Gaffalione and will be ridden instead by Jorge Ruiz.

10) LESLIE'S ROSE (f, Into Mischief–Wildwood Rose {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Whisper Hill Farm; B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock Services (Ky); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $1,150,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 'TDN Rising Star', GSP, 3-2-0-1, $89,950. Last start: 3rd Mar. 2 GII Davona Dale S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 15. Next Start: GI Ashland S., KEE, April 5.

A $1.15 million purchase at Keeneland September, she looked like a horse that could be anything after a maiden and allowance win at Gulfstream. Trainer Todd Pletcher stepped her up in class for the Davona Dale and the results were mixed. Pounded down to 3-10 favoritism she was third, beaten 2 1/4 lengths. But at no point did it look like she was going to win the race. It's possible that she just had an off-day. We'll know more after her next start–the Ashland.

The post The Kentucky Oaks Top 10 For March 28 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Catching Freedom Upsets Track Phantom, Wins Louisiana Derby

Eyeballing the quarter pole in Saturday's GII Louisiana Derby, it may have seemed that the Albaugh Family's Catching Freedom (Constitution) had far too much to do to even get a piece of it. However, what seemed like a foregone conclusion to some proved nothing more than a fleeting illusion as the colt closed by leaps and bounds to get up just in time to win by 1 1/4 lengths, earning 100 Kentucky Derby points in the process.

Breaking from the 12 hole, GIII Lecomte S. scorer Track Phantom (Quality Road) was ushered to the front as Common Defense (Karakontie {Jpn}) prompted him through opening splits of :23.49 and :48.33 as Catching Freedom lingered at the back under an unhurried Flavien Prat. Starting to gain ground while several paths wide approaching the final turn, he was fanned out no less than seven paths wide as the field constricted up front. Closing with purpose down the center of the track, he put his head in front in the stages before drawing clear to put himself squarely in the Kentucky Derby picture. Last season's

GII Kentucky Jockey Club victor Honor Marie (Honor Code) got up for second while Tuscan Gold (Medaglia d'Oro) completed the trifecta.

“I didn't know what to make of it early on, being so far back and with not much pace, but Flavien did a great job of letting him inch up,” said winning trainer Brad Cox, who also won the Fair Grounds Oaks with Tarifa. “He needed pretty much the entire stretch to get there. I am very proud of the effort. We'll make sure he is happy and healthy. We'll ship him up to Churchill; he broke his maiden there, so he knows the place. Hopefully, he can have a great six weeks and a big run the first Saturday in May.”

Starting things off the right way, the $575,000 Keeneland September buy came from off the pace to triumph by 1 3/4 lengths going a mile at Churchill Downs in October before returning to finish fourth while adding a sixteenth at that venue Nov. 9. Favored to regain the winning thread next time in the Jan. 1 Smart Jones S., the bay obliged with a 2 1/2-length win over Just Steel. Let go at 5-1 in a sloppy edition of the GII Risen Star S. Feb. 17, he finished third behind Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and Track Phantom.

Pedigree Notes:
Catching Freedom is the 31st graded winner for WinStar's Constitution, whose 64 black-type winners worldwide in just five crops have repeatedly kept him at or near the top of his contemporaries on the sire lists. The son of Tapit finished 2023 as the leading fifth-crop sire by stakes winners and went into the Louisiana Derby ranked in the current year's top dozen North American-based sires–regardless of number of crops–by earnings.

While Catching Freedom is Constitution's second stakes winner out a Pioneerof the Nile mare, Constitution has an additional two stakes winners–both graded–out of mares by Pioneerof the Nile's sire, Empire Maker, and a number of others out of daughters of at least two other sons of Unbridled. The late Pioneerof the Nile, who also stood at WinStar, has 13 black-type winners out of his daughters.

Catch My Drift, a stakes winner at Saratoga who finished third in the 2015 GI Beldame S. at Belmont Park, was a $400,000 purchase by WinStar at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton November sale. The mare produced two stakes performers prior to Catching Freedom: last year's GIII Peter Pan S. and GIII Ohio Derby runner-up Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo), also a 'TDN Rising Star', and MSP Strava (Into Mischief), who was an $825,000 Keeneland November weanling. She has a juvenile filly by Improbable named Indeed, who sold to Centennial Farms at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga for $385,000, and a yearling filly by Not This Time.

What a rally from CATCHING FREEDOM, giving it his all to power down the stretch and win the GII Louisiana Derby in the most impressive fashion! He collects 100 Kentucky Derby points. pic.twitter.com/Z1ByTqTWuQ

— TDN (@theTDN) March 23, 2024

Saturday, Fair Grounds
TWINSPIRES.COM LOUISIANA DERBY-GII, $1,000,000, Fair Grounds, 3-23, 3yo, 1 3/16m, 1:56.16, ft.
1–CATCHING FREEDOM, 122, c, 3, by Constitution
                1st Dam: Catch My Drift (SW & GISP, $280,540),
                                by Pioneerof the Nile
                2nd Dam: Drift to the Lead, by Yonaguska
                3rd Dam: Drifa, by Tabasco Cat
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($575,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP).
O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $600,000. Lifetime Record:
5-3-0-1, $877,350. *1/2 to Strava (Into Mischief), MSP,
$378,010 and Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo), MGSP, $212,600.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Honor Marie, 122, c, 3, Honor Code–Dame Marie, by Smart
Strike. ($40,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Ribble Farms LLC, Michael
Eiserman, Earl Silver, Kenneth Fishbein and Daniel Fishbein;
B-Royce Pulliam (KY); T-D. Whitworth Beckman. $200,000.
3–Tuscan Gold, 122, c, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Valadorna, by Curlin.
'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($600,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-William Lawrence, Walmac Farm
and Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred
Holdings LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $100,000.
Margins: 1, 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 3.30, 7.80, 11.20.
Also Ran: Track Phantom, Common Defense, Antiquarian, Agate Road, Next Level, Awesome Ruta, Hall of Fame, Real Men Violin. Scratched: Triple Espresso.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Catching Freedom Upsets Track Phantom, Wins Louisiana Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Tarifa Triumphant In Fair Grounds Oaks

Godolphin's Tarifa (Bernardini) extended her win streak to three with a professional score in Saturday's GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Installed the 3-2 choice ahead of GII Golden Rod S. victress Intricate (Gun Runner), the Godolphin homebred broke well and wrestled her rider Flavien Prat into contention as 4-1 Our Pretty Woman (Medaglia d'Oro) led the way through a :23.84 quarter. Continuing to fight for her head through a half in :47.93, she was finally given some rein and duly responded, closing on the frontrunner turning for home. Taking over turning for home, the filly drifted out under a left handed encouragement down the lane but had enough to hold on to 3/4-length win over Our Pretty Woman. V V's Dream (Mitole) was a clear third over Accommodate Eva (Munnings). Second choice Intricate came home a well-beaten fifth as the 2-1 second choice.

“She showed some early speed but once we got to the first turn, she was very keen,” explained Prat. “Then she relaxed well when we got to the backside and she made a nice run down the lane. It will be a different deal when there are a lot of horses around her.”

Unveiled at seven panels last October, the filly ran a similarly headstrong race early before running away with authority to post a six-length TDN Rising Star-earning performance at Keeneland. Fourth when favored next time while extending to a mile in a Churchill optional claimer Nov. 25, the dark bay bounced back to post a narrow score at the Fair Grounds Jan. 20. Sent off second choice to Intricate last time in the Rachel Alexandra, she proved best again on the day, defeating that rival by 2 3/4 lengths.

“I would like to tell you she is settling down and relaxing, but that didn't work out well in the first turn,” said Brad Cox. “Still she was able to overcome it. She needs to learn to relax in the race, and obviously next time we will be facing an older field. She needs to learn to chill out and relax. She is still learning and I am proud of what she has accomplished this far. She is not a real big filly but she has handled everything we've asked from her and hopefully she steps forward.”

Pedigree Notes:
The winner has an unraced juvenile full-sister named Josie's Girl in addition to a yearling brother by Knicks Go. Her dam was bred to Lexitonian for the current season. Godolphin acquired Tarifa's second dam Tizdubai (Cee's Tizzy) for $950,000 at Keeneland November about two months after her full-brother Tiznow recorded the second of his two consecutive wins in the 2001 Breeders' Cup Classic. She is also a full-sister to MGSW and Classic runner-up Budroyale.

Saturday, Fair Grounds
FAIR GROUNDS OAKS PRESENTED BY FASIG-TIPTON-GII, $388,000, Fair Grounds, 3-23, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:43.24, ft.
1–TARIFA, 122, f, 3, by Bernardini
1st Dam: Kite Beach, by Awesome Again
2nd Dam: Tizdubai, by Cee's Tizzy
3rd Dam: Cee's Song, by Seattle Song
TDN RISING STAR. O-Godolphin, LLC; B-Godolphin (KY);
T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $240,000. Lifetime Record:
5-4-0-0, $518,925. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free
Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Our Pretty Woman, 122, f, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Dazzletown,
by Speightstown. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($900,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald
Adam); B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC & Godolphin (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen. $80,000.
3–V V's Dream, 122, f, 3, Mitole–Quay, by Tapit. ($130,000
Wlg '21 KEENOV; $190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-MJM Racing
and Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek); B-Mark Stansell (KY);
T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $40,000.
Margins: 3/4, 3 1/4, 5 3/4. Odds: 1.50, 4.00, 3.60.
Also Ran: Accommodate Eva, Intricate, Midsummer March. Scratched: Alpine Princess, Lucy Got Game.

Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV

TARIFA The star filly pushes her win streak to three and adds a second career graded stakes victory as she takes the GII Fair Grounds Oaks, collecting 100 more Kentucky Oaks points! pic.twitter.com/6hHBMDuj6p

— TDN (@theTDN) March 23, 2024

The post Tarifa Triumphant In Fair Grounds Oaks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post