flavien prat | Horse Racing Free Tips

Classy Toinette Closes For Confident Score In ‘Strangely Run’ Wilshire

In a topsy turvy race that saw a heavily favored pacesetter concede the lead to an 11-1 longshot 4 ½ furlongs from home, only to be reeled in a furlong out, Neil Drysdale's classy Toinette, idle since Dec. 1, proved much best in winning Saturday's Grade III, $100,000 Wilshire Stakes by 2 ¾ lengths. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Toinette got a flat mile over the Santa Anita turf in 1:35.20.

Breaking from the outside in a field of five fillies and mares, Toinette, while under restraint, put immediate pressure on Keeper ofthe Stars into the Club House turn, making the lead as the field turned up the backside. From there, Mike Smith, aboard Gypsy Spirit, could wait no longer and he forged to lead in the run to the far turn, providing the winner with a target, on which she took dead aim.

“It was a strangely run race, but I liked the outcome,” said Drysdale, who last started 5-year-old Toinette on Dec. 1. “You're always a little concerned when a horse has had six months off. It's great to have her back.”

A three-time graded stakes winner, Toinette, who was a close fourth in the Grade I Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar Dec. 1, was the 3-5 favorite today and paid $3.40, $2.60 and $2.40.

“There was no pace,” said Prat. “She was a little fresh, she took me into the race. The three-horse (Gypsy Spirit) made the move to the outside, she got the race to go. My horse took a little breather and she was in the race from there. I didn't want to be on the lead, so I was glad there was a horse that made the move and made some pace.”

A 5-year-old mare by Scat Daddy out of the Sunriver mare I Bet Toni Knows, Toinette, who is owned by Ken Baca, and Edward and Lynne Hudson, notched her fourth graded stakes win and her eighth win from 12 lifetime starts. With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $566,720.

Irish-bred Red Lark, who trailed the field to the top of the lane, made a good run into a tepid pace and was up for second money by a half length over Querelle. Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Red Lark was off at 14-1 and paid $6.60 and $4.20.

Next to last early, Querelle, who was ridden by Umberto Rispoli, was just up for third, finishing a neck in front of Gypsy Spirit. The longest shot in the field at 26-1, Querelle paid $6.00 to show.

The second choice at 6-5, Keeper ofthe Stars, who was immediately engaged by the winner, never seemed comfortable and tired to finish last with Abel Cedillo up.

Fractions on the race were 23.89, 47.68, 1:11.34 and 1:23.31.

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Improving Border Town May Have Edge Over Turf Veterans In Santa Anita’s American Stakes

In a field replete with classy veterans returning off extended vacations, Richard Mandella's fast-improving Border Town seeks his third consecutive win at the current Winter Spring Meeting in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 American Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. To be run at a flat mile on turf, the American has attracted a deep and competitive field of 10 three year olds and up.

Trainer Mark Glatt will be well represented by multiple graded stakes winner Sharp Samurai, who has been idle since Aug. 18, and Phil D'Amato will send out a pair of classy comebackers, multiple Grade 1 winner Bowies Hero, idle since Nov. 2, and graded stakes winning Cleopatra's Strike, who's been idle 4 ½ months.

It is noteworthy that Flavien Prat, Santa Anita's runaway leading rider who enters closing week with 83 wins, has opted to ride upstart Border Town over Bowies Hero and perhaps several others in the American lineup.

BORDER TOWN
Owner: Perry R. Bass, II & Ramona Bass
Trainer: Richard Mandella
Winless in a pair of one mile turf maiden races with eastern-based Chad Brown in July and September of last year, this 4-year-old colt by War Front has run four solid races for Mandella and Prat, dating back to a head defeat in a one mile maiden race on Jan. 5. Subsequently third under the same conditions Jan. 30, Border Town broke out with a big 3 ½ length maiden win going 1 1/8 miles on turf Feb. 28. In his most recent start on May 24, he accelerated late to take a one mile turf allowance by one length, winning in-hand in a performance that has thrust him to center stage on Sunday.

SHARP SAMURAI
Owner: Red Baron's Barn, LLC & Rancho Temescal
Trainer: Mark Glatt
One of the top turf horses on this circuit dating back to 2017, this 6-year-old First Samurai gelding has been idle since a close second in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile Handicap on Aug. 18. A three-time graded stakes winner on grass, Sharp Samurai is five for eight over the Santa Anita turf course and is 7-2-2-1 at one mile on turf. To be ridden for the first time by Abel Cedillo, who ranks a close third behind Mike Smith and Prat with 10 stakes wins at the current stand, Sharp Samurai has a solid work tab to his credit and rates a huge chance off the bench.

BOWIES HERO
Owner: Agave Racing Stable, ERJ Racing, LLC, Madaket Stables, LLC & Rockin Robin Stables
Trainer: Phil D'Amato
Idle since fifth at 16-1 in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile here on Nov. 2, this 6-year-old full horse by Artie Schiller rallied to win the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile two starts back at Keeneland on Oct. 5. A winner of Santa Anita's Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile in March, 2018, classy Bowies Hero is 10-3-1-2 over the Santa Anita lawn and is 16-7-1-1 lifetime at one mile on grass. The leading money earner in the field with $1,538,970, his overall mark stands at 22-8-1-3. With Prat committed to Border Town, Umberto Rispoli will try his hand for the first time on Sunday.

CLEOPATRA'S STRIKE
Owner: Slam Dunk Racing & Michael Nentwig
Trainer: Phil D'Amato
Idle since a close second in the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at a mile and one quarter on turf Feb. 1, this 7-year-old Smart Strike gelding was also a close second two starts back, in the Grade 2 San Gabriel at a mile and one eighth on turf Jan. 4. A winner of the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Stakes here four starts back at a mile and a quarter on Sept. 28, he's been ridden in three out of his last four race by Abel Cedillo, but will get the first-time services of Mike Smith on Sunday. Originally based at Woodbine, he's flourished in D'Amato's care, posting a win, four seconds and a fourth place finish from six starts dating back to a nose defeat in the January, 2019 San Gabriel.

G3 AMERICAN STAKES
WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 10 of 12 Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

True Valour—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—124
Jasikan—Ruben Fuentes–124
Cleopatra's Strike—Mike Smith—124
Blitzkrieg—Victor Espinoza—122
Sharp Samurai—Abel Cedillo—122
Souter—Evin Roman–122
Border Town—Flavien Prat—122
Bowies Hero—Umberto Rispoli—124
King of Speed—Geovanni Franco—122
Bolo—Drayden Van Dyke–122

First post time on closing day, Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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First Winner For Crestwood Farm’s Texas Red Comes At Santa Anita

My Girl Red's front-running score in a Santa Anita Park maiden special weight on June 14 marked the first winner for her sire, Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red.

Racing as a homebred for Erich Brehm, My Girl Red completed the 4 1/2-furlong race in :52.90 seconds under jockey Flavien Prat. She was trained by Keith Desormeaux, who also conditioned Texas Red for an ownership group that included Brehm.

My Girl Red is out of the stakes-placed Fusaichi Pegasus mare Morakami, who Brehm purchased for $21,000 at the 2017 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale to be part of Texas Red's first book of mares.

Texas Red, an 8-year-old son of Afleet Alex, stands at Crestwood Farm in Lexington, Ky., for an advertised fee of $10,000.

He is best known for his 6 1/2-length triumph in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, which earned him a spot as an Eclipse Award finalist as champion 2-year-old male, ultimately finishing behind American Pharoah.

Texas Red won three of nine starts during his on-track career for earnings of $1,767,300. In addition to his Breeders' Cup score, he won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes as a 3-year-old, and earned in-the-money efforts in the G1 FrontRunner Stakes, G2 San Vicente Stakes, and G3 Dwyer Stakes.

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Texas Red is out of the Chilean-born stakes-winning Jeune Homme mare Ramatuelle. His extended family includes Chilean champion Nuevo Maestro and Argentine champion Le Ken.

‘She’s Got A Big Future’: Dogtag Takes Possibly Perfect As Heavy Favorite

Trainer Richard Mandella's heavily favored Dogtag rallied from mid-pack to take Sunday's $75,000 Possibly Perfect Stakes by 1 ¼ lengths, thus providing Santa Anita's runaway leading rider Flavien Prat with his fourth win of the day and his 79^th victory through 56 racing days at the Arcadia, Calif., track.

With a hillside start, Dogtag was allowed to settle into stride in the first run by the wire as Prat had her on a long rein, about 3 ½ lengths off pacesetter Desert Oasis heading into the far turn. Despite the fact Dogtag had moderate fractions to run into, she unfurled a dazzling turn of foot around the turn and hit the front turning for home, from where she was not seriously challenged.

A handy 1 ½-length second condition allowance winner while pressing the pace at a flat mile here on May 16, Dogtag, a 4-year-old filly by War Front who is owned by her breeder, LNJ Foxwoods, was off as the 4-5 favorite in a field of seven fillies and mares and paid $3.60, $2.80 and $2.20.

“She was very professional and she handled the course beautifully,” said Prat, who was aboard for the first time today. “The mile and a quarter is always a question, but just about everybody was trying it for the first time and the way she relaxed, it was no problem at all. When I asked her around the turn, she took me to the lead very nice, it looks like she's got a big future.”

Out of the Unbridled's Song mare Diamond Necklace, Dogtag who was Grade 3 stakes placed last July at Saratoga when trained by Chad Brown, picked up her third non-graded stakes win in her third start for Mandella and improved her overall mark to 9-4-1-2. With the winner's share of $48,360, Dogtag increased her earnings to $247,511.

“She seems to be getting better and better,” said Mandella. “I thought she'd break sharp and be on the lead, but Flavien got her to settle real nice, which was good. He usually does the right thing. We'll go ahead and point to the John Mabee at Del Mar (Grade 2, 1 1/8 miles on turf Sept. 5).”

Ridden by Tiago Pereira, Don't Blame Judy rallied from next to last to finish second, besting a late closing Pretty Point by a head. Off at 10-1, Don't Blame Judy paid $6.60 and $4.20.

Ridden by Mike Smith, Pretty Point got rolling late from last and paid $3.80 to show while off at 9-1.

With three days remaining in the current stand which concludes next Sunday, Prat has built an unsurmountable 23-length advantage over Abel Cedillo, 83-60.

Fractions on the Possibly Perfect were 23.70, 48.20, 1:12.82 and 1:37.26.

Racing resumes on Friday with first post time for a nine-race card at 1 p.m.

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