Fancy Liquor | Horse Racing Free Tips

Fancy Liquor Keeps Geroux’s Hot Streak Alive In American Turf

Florent Geroux continues to have a big weekend at Churchill Downs, following up his five-win Kentucky Oaks day with a victory aboard Sky Chai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable's homebred Fancy Liquor in the Grade 2 American Turf.

The 3-year-old son of Lookin at Lucky entered the $500,000 race off a victory in the listed Caesars Stakes at Indiana Grand, and was sent off as the third choice of seven runners at odds of 9-2. Fancy Liquor, trained by Mike Maker like third-place finisher Field Pass, closed from well off the pace to best Taishan by a half length on the wire, completing 1 1/16 miles over firm turf in 1:42.83.

“I wasn't expecting what we got, but it worked out,” Maker said. “So I'm very pleased. Field Pass is a stakes winner over this course and didn't quite run his race at Saratoga. Tyler (Gaffalione) didn't feel like he handled the softer going today but still ran a good race. Flo said he was loaded, on the gallop out and everything.”

On or near the pace in each of his five lifetime starts thus far, Fancy Liquor wasn't able to keep pace with the early speed in the American Turf. Geroux found himself at least a dozen lengths off the leaders entering the backstretch, but the French veteran didn't panic, guessing that the frontrunners would tire and come back to him.

There were three across the track in the heated early pace battle: American Butterfly on the rail, Sugoi between horses, and 6-5 favorite Smooth Like Strait on the outside. They blasted through early fractions of :23.04 and :46.48, pulling away by about eight lengths from 9-5 second choice Field Pass. It was another four or so lengths back to Fancy Liquor in fifth.

American Butterfly dropped out of the race nearing the far turn, and Sugoi quickly followed suit. By that point, Field Pass had started making up ground on the outside and took over the lead from Smooth Like Strait. Those two battled for several strides before Smooth Like Strait conceded, but the effort left Field Pass vulnerable as Fancy Liquor and Geroux swept up the middle of the course in the final eighth of a mile.

Fancy Liquor grabbed the lead and refused to let Taishan by in the final yards, crossing the wire a half-length the best. Field Pass held on to finish third over Smooth Like Strait.

Bred in Kentucky by his owners, Fancy Liquor is out of the 21-time winning Secret Romeo mare Brandys Secret. The colt won on debut at Gulfstream Park in February of this year, and finished third behind Field Pass next out on the synthetic at Turfway Park in the Jeff Ruby Steaks. Fancy Liquor was again best by Field Pass two starts later when third in the G3 Transylvania, but got away from his stablemate to win the Caesars Stakes in Indiana in his final prep for the American Turf. Overall, Fancy Liquor's record stands at 3-1-2 from six starts for earnings of over $450,000.

“This horse seems to be still learning,” Geroux said. “He broke really well but the horses in front of me were going really fast. He's shown in the past he's run well on the lead but he doesn't necessarily have to have the lead. The race I rode aboard him at Keeneland (the Grade III Transylvania) he came from just off the pace and we got beat by Field Pass that day but I know (Fancy Liquor) was still learning and getting better. Even back in the Jeff Ruby Steaks, where he beat us there, too, (Fancy Liquor) ran a really solid race.”

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Lookin At Lucky’s Fancy Liquor Makes the Grade in American Turf

Fancy Liquor–who had employed a front-running or pressing style in each of his five prior starts–benefitted from a heady ride by red-hot Florent Geroux to pick up the pieces after a hot pace materialized.

Unhurried early from his outside draw, the dark bay sat fifth in the early going as a trio of rivals zipped away to duel through hot splits of :23.04, :46.48 and 1:11.23. Favored Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute) shook free of his pace foes heading for home, but he was softened up for the stretch drive, and the first to tackle him was Fancy Liquor’s stablemate Field Pass. Fancy Liquor followed his stablemate’s move into the lane, and struck the front with a sixteenth to run. He briefly swapped back over to his wrong lead, but kept finding to hold safe a late bid from first-time-turfer Taishan.

“This horse seems to be still learning,” said Geroux, who won five on Friday including the GI Kentucky Oaks. “He broke really well but the horses in front of me were going really fast. He’s shown in the past he’s run well on the lead but he doesn’t necessarily have to have the lead. The race I rode aboard him at Keeneland (the Transylvania), he came from just off the pace and we got beat by Field Pass that day, but I know [Fancy Liquor] was still learning and getting better. Even back in the Jeff Ruby Steaks, where [Field Pass] beat us there, too, [Fancy Liquor] ran a really solid race.”

A narrow debut winner at Gulfstream in February, Fancy Liquor was third to Field Pass in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks six weeks later. Second in a local allowance June 11, he was beaten just a neck when third again behind Field Pass in the GIII Transylvania S. at Keeneland July 12, and came out on the right side of a bob in Indiana’s Caesars S. over yielding sod Aug. 12.

“I wasn’t expecting what we got, but it worked out. So I’m very pleased,” said first and third-finishing trainer Mike Maker. “Field Pass is a stakes winner over this course and didn’t quite run his race at Saratoga. Tyler [Gaffalione] didn’t feel like he handled the softer going today but still ran a good race. Flo said he was loaded, on the gallop out and everything.”

Pedigree Notes:
Fancy Liquor becomes the 36th graded winner for Lookin At Lucky, who also sired last year’s GI Kentucky Derby winner via DQ Country House. These connections campaigned Fancy Liquor’s dam, a speedy starter allowance type who competed mostly on turf and synthetic. She is the first mare by obscure stallion Secret Romeo, who stood in Michigan and Washington, to produce a graded winner. Brandys Secret’s 2-year-old filly Miss Eau de Vie (Commissioner) was fourth in her second start here on Tuesday. Brandys Secret has a yearling filly by Tamarkuz and was bred back to Lookin At Lucky for 2021.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
AMERICAN TURF S. PRESENTED BY SMITHFIELD-GII, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 9-5, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.83, fm.
1–FANCY LIQUOR, 118, c, 3, by Lookin At Lucky
                1st Dam: Brandys Secret, by Secret Romeo
                2nd Dam: Money for Brandy, by Quiet Enjoyment
                3rd Dam: Monetary Shot, by Monetary Gift
   1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Skychai Racing LLC and Sand
Dollar Stable LLC; B-Hot Pink Stable & Skychai Racing LLC (KY);
T-Michael J. Maker; J-Florent Geroux. $303,800. Lifetime
Record: 6-3-1-2, $465,050. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for
   eNicks report and 5-cross pedigree.
2–Taishan, 118, c, 3, Twirling Candy–Grace Phil, by
Philanthropist. ($22,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo ’19
OBSMAR). O-Calvin Nguyen & Joey Tran; B-Nursery Place,
Donaldson & Broadbent (KY); T-Richard Baltas. $98,000.
3–Field Pass, 120, c, 3, Lemon Drop Kid–Only Me, by Runaway
Groom. ($37,000 Ylg ’18 EASOCT). O-Three Diamonds Farm;
B-Mark Brown Grier (MD); T-Michael J. Maker. $49,000.
Margins: HF, 1 1/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 4.80, 11.00, 1.90.
Also Ran: Smooth Like Strait, King Theo, Sugoi, American Butterfly. Scratched: Sunsation. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Cali Invader Seeks Third ‘Strait’ in American Turf

Cannon Thoroughbreds homebred Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute) seeks his third consecutive victory as he returns to Churchill Downs for the $500,000 GII American Turf S. Saturday. A winner of last December’s GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. Dec. 1 at Del Mar, the bay returned to winning ways three starts later in the War Chant S. going a sixteenth shorter here May 23. He was last seen annexing the GIII La Jolla H. back in San Diego Aug. 9 over champion juvenile and GI Kentucky Derby entrant Storm the Court (Court Vision). The 8-5 morning line choice will have to avoid getting caught up in a hot pace. One of the likely other pace players is Fancy Liquor (Lookin At Lucky). Third in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks behind stablemate Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid) on Turfway Poly off just a maiden win Mar. 14, the Mike Maker pupil was a close second in a course-and-distance allowance June 11. Third again by just a neck, and again behind Field Pass, in the GIII Transylvania S. at Keeneland July 12, he was ultra game when taking the Caesars S. at Indiana Downs a month later. Field Pass rallied from very far back when third in the War Chant, but took the local Audubon S. June 20 on the front end. He closed from off the pace to get up in the Transylvania, but was seventh after a rough start in the Saratoga Derby Invitational S. Aug. 15.

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Field Pass Prevails In Tight Transylvania Stakes Finish

Three Diamonds Farm's Field Pass held off Street Ready by a nose to win Sunday's 32nd running of the $100,000 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3) for 3-year-olds at Keeneland on closing day of the Lexington, Ky., track's five-day summer Thoroughbred meet.

Trained by Mike Maker and ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., Field Pass covered the 1 1/16 miles on a turf course labeled good in 1:42.56.

Juggernaut led the field through fractions of :23.33, :47.76 and 1:12.45 with Fancy Liquor and Street Ready in closest pursuit and Field Pass saving ground in fifth.

In the stretch, Fancy Liquor pushed to the front but was joined at midstretch by Field Pass on his outside. Those two were immediately joined by Street Ready, who ducked to the inside under Chris Landeros. The trio dueled to the wire with Field Pass barely prevailing.

The victory, the fourth stakes triumph and second Grade 3 win for Field Pass, was worth $60,000 and increased the colt's bankroll to $418,610.

Field Pass is a Maryland-bred son of Lemon Drop Kid out of the Runaway Groom mare Only Me.

Sent off as the favorite in the field of 10, Field Pass returned $6.40, $4.40 and $3.60. Street Ready paid $12.60 and $7.60 and finished a neck ahead of Fancy Liquor, who paid $5.20 to show under Florent Geroux.

It was another half-length back to City Man, who was followed in order by Spanish Kingdom, Bama Breeze, Irish Mias, Vintage Print, Kinenos and Juggernaut.

In partnership with Keeneland, sponsor Kentucky Utilities has provided $7,500 in matching funds to support God's Pantry Food Bank and Nourish Lexington, two programs that are teaming to provide meals to those in need in Lexington during the current COVID-19 outbreak.

Keeneland is a proud founding partner of Nourish Lexington, which uses the skills and talents of displaced hospitality employees to prepare and serve these meals. Since its inception on April 1, Nourish Lexington has served more than 80,000 meals.

God's Pantry is critical to Nourish Lexington because many ingredients for meals are from the food bank.

To support this effort, please click here.

Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Quotes
Ricardo Santana Jr.: “He was sitting behind the speed, perfect. Turning for home, I took him out. He got in the clear and started running. Every time he saw those two horses on the inside he kept fighting.”

Mike Maker: “This horse loves to win. He's all heart. As Ricardo said, he never really doubted (Field Pass) would win. When he thought he was getting the lead, he started kinda backing off. When he felt the pressure, he dug back in.”

Will he get better in longer races for 3-year-olds? “I think so. We're gonna find out.”

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