Florent Geroux | Horse Racing Free Tips

Distaff’s Big Stars Do Battle in Azeri

Saturday's GII Azeri S. at Oaklawn Park features several of the most prominent figures in the Distaff division each lining up to get their first graded stakes win of the 2022 season.

The reigning champion sprinter and winner of the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) returns to the two-turn distance after spending much of her 2021 season at seven-furlongs. She's been plenty successful at this distance before, including a win the 2020 GI Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park and two third-place efforts in the GII Santa Monica S. and the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. in late summer 2020. Ce Ce has already catalogued career earnings of over $1.7m to date and keeps regular rider Victor Espinoza aboard for trainer Mike McCarthy. Her most recent start was a runner-up finish to the Bob Baffert-trained Merneith (American Pharoah) where she posted a career-high 101 Beyer Speed Figure, her second straight triple-digit figure. She adds Lasix back after nearly a year of racing without it.

Also adding Lasix again for the first time in a year is 2020 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) who returns to the Azeri after a winning it to kick off her four-year-old campaign a year ago. Freshened since a last out sixth after tracking a brutal opening pace in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 6, Shedaresthedevil will surely look to use this race as she did last year to springboard herself into another successful season. That sixth-place effort was her only off-the-board finish in 2021, where she also posted four wins, each in graded stakes company along with a third behind Letruska in the GI Ogden Phipps S. No stranger to the 1 1/16-mile distance, her previous wins include the GIII Locust Grove S., the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. over GI winners Venetian Harbor (Munnings) and As Time Goes By (American Pharoah), and the GI La Troienne S. Jockey Florent Geroux retains the ride for trainer Brad Cox.

Standing in the shadow of both previously mentioned mares but a near millionaire herself is Pauline's Pearl (Tapit). The gray filly comes into the Azeri off of back-to-back wins in the Zia Park Oaks and the GIII Houston Ladies Classic, both at the 1 1/16-mile distance, as well as a second-place in the GIII Remington Park Oaks. As a 3-year-old last season, she took Oaklawn Park's richest race for fillies in the GIII Fantasy S. and spent nearly her entire season in graded stakes company where she only finished out of the money once, finished eighth behind Malathaat (Curlin) in the GI Kentucky Oaks. Joel Rosario rides after piloting her in her most recent start, and she also regains Lasix for trainer Steve Asmussen.

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Allowance Win Sets Up Warrior’s Charge For Return To Stakes Action

Millionaire Warrior's Charge is back in the conversation for Oaklawn's two-turn stakes series for older horses following a runaway allowance victory Jan. 28. The horse's stablemate and younger half-sister, Warrior's Battle, could eventually be in the stakes conversation, too, after three blowout victories earlier in the meeting.

Turning back the clock under regular rider Florent Geroux, Warrior's Charge ($5.60) recorded a 9 3/4-length victory after tracking isolated leader Fact Finding for much of the 1 1/16-mile race and seizing command on the outside turning for home. The final time of 1:45.50 over a fast track generated a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 101, which equaled a career high. It was the first time Warrior's Charge, a 6-year-old son of Munnings, crossed the finish line first since the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses in February 2020 at Oaklawn.

Warrior's Charge, who has evolved into a stalker after being a confirmed front-runner earlier in his career, will target the $500,000 Essex Handicap (G3) at 1 1/16 miles March 19, trainer Brad Cox said Tuesday afternoon.

“He's always been a good horse,” Cox said. “He's obviously a multiple Grade 3 winner. It was big. He got a big figure at Keeneland in the fall. He didn't win, but he was right there at the wire with a couple of other horses. On his day, he can show that he can run a triple-digit Beyer and be a factor in stake races as he's been in the past.”

After winning the Razorback, Warrior's Charge finished second in the $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in May 2020 at Oaklawn and fourth in the $500,000 Metropolitan Handicap (G1) in July 2020 at Belmont Park. Warrior's Charge – via a disqualification for interference near the wire – was elevated to first in the $200,000 Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3) the following month at Monmouth Park.

Warrior's Charge wouldn't win again until Jan. 28, a span of 10 starts. The stretch included a nose loss to Thomas Shelby at 1 1/16 miles in an Oct. 24 allowance race at Keeneland – each horse received a 101 Beyer – and a fourth-place finish behind millionaire multiple Grade 2 winner Lone Rock, Thomas Shelby and Beau Luminarie in the inaugural $200,000 Tinsel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles Dec. 18 at Oaklawn.

Warrior's Charge is co-owned by Ten Strike Racing (founding partners Marshall Gramm and Arkansas native Clay Sanders) and Madaket Stables (Sol Kumin). Ten Strike, which considers Oaklawn its home track, offers fractional ownership in horses to investors. Warrior's Charge recorded his first two career victories (both at 1 1/16 miles) by a combined 12 ½ front-running lengths at the 2019 Oaklawn meeting before finishing fourth in the Preakness in his next start.

“He's a very sound horse,” Cox said. “He's obviously a Ten Strike horse, which comes with a lot of fanfare there. There's a lot of partners in on him in the region, so it's always good for him to perform well there at Oaklawn.”

Cox said the “next logical spot” for Warrior's Charge is the Essex, a major local prep for the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 23. Warrior's Charge was fifth in last year's Oaklawn Handicap. The horse has never started in the Essex.

The Jan. 28 victory was the sixth in 21 starts overall for Warrior's Charge and boosted his earnings to $1,116,890. Before his sparkling allowance victory last month, Warrior's Charge had been upstaged by his rapidly improving younger half-sister, Warrior's Battle, during the 2021-2022 meeting that began Dec. 3.

Warrior's Battle became the meet's first three-time winner in a Jan. 22 starter/optional claimer, coasting to a 9 ¾-length victory in her two-turn debut for Cox and co-owners Ten Strike Racing and Titletown Racing Stables (Paul Farr). She paid $3.80 as the heavy 4-5 favorite.

Warrior's Battle, racing for a $40,000 claiming tag, broke her maiden by 7 ¼ lengths Dec. 5 and was a four-length starter/optional claiming winner Jan. 7.

“Probably won't run her back quite as quick as we did last time,” Cox said. “She gave us enough confidence with her last start to give her another run around two turns. There's obviously more money around two turns than there is one turn in Thoroughbred racing most of time.”

Warrior's Battle, a 3-year-old daughter of Khozan, was withdrawn from Keeneland's January Horses of All Ages Sale approximately a week before her two-turn victory because “we didn't believe that that was the best way to optimize value,” Farr said.

Now, her value seems to be increasing.

“We'll give her time,” Cox said. “I think like a first-level allowance is a logical spot. If she performs well there, I think we'll turn our attention toward some stakes.”

Purchased for $50,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, Warrior's Battle has a 3-0-1 record from five lifetime starts and earnings of $79,500.

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Mandaloun Denies Midnight Bourbon In Louisiana Stakes

It was billed as a two-horse match race between millionaires Mandaloun and Midnight Bourbon, and that's exactly what the Grade 3, $150,000 Louisiana Stakes became on Saturday at the Fair Grounds. Turning for home in their sixth meeting on the track, Mandaloun (4-5) and Midnight Bourbon (6-5) drew even near the center of the course and remained locked in battle until the sixteenth pole. Jockeys Florent Geroux and Joel Rosario each gave their mounts their all, but it was Mandaloun and Geroux who prevailed by three-quarters of a length at the wire.

The Juddmonte homebred by Into Mischief, trained by Brad Cox and racing off a seven-month layoff, covered 1 1/16 miles over the fast main track in 1:42.52. It was Geroux's fourth win on the card.

Each millionaire received Lasix for the first time in Saturday's contest, and trainer Steve Asmussen added blinkers to the equipment of Midnight Bourbon.

Midnight Bourbon broke in a bit at the start, bumping Mandaloun slightly, then went straight to the lead under Rosario. Midnight Bourbon had a one-length advantage over Sprawl entering the backstretch, setting fractions of 24.39 and 48.25 seconds, then pulling away to a two-length lead nearing the half-mile pole.

Geroux sent Mandaloun up the rail into second approaching the far turn, then angled to the outside of Midnight Bourbon to mount his stretch challenge. Midnight Bourbon went wide into the lane, pushing Mandaloun out to the center of the track, and the two were head-and-head for the next eighth of a mile.

Battling fiercely, the two millionaires dug in gamely down the stretch. Mandaloun got his head in front at the sixteenth pole, and continued to inch away toward the wire. At the finish, it was Mandaloun by three-quarters of a length over Midnight Bourbon, denying Rosario and Asmussen a fourth win on Saturday's card in New Orleans. It was several lengths back to Warrant in third, also trained by Cox, and Spa City checked in fourth over Sprawl.

Bred in Kentucky by his owner, Mandaloun is out of the Group 2-winning Empire Maker mare Brooch. He impressed on debut at Keeneland in 2020, then won a first-level allowance before finishing third in the 2021 Lecomte (G3). Mandaloun returned to win the G2 Risen Star, but never showed up next out in the G2 Louisiana Derby. Still, he'd earned enough points to Run for the Roses, and Mandaloun ran a giant race to finish second behind Medina Spirit in the shadow of the Twin Spires.

Mandaloun won the listed Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth five weeks later, and was awarded the victory in the G1 Haskell when Hot Rod Charlie was disqualified in July. Unraced since that start on July 17, Mandaloun returned plenty fit to capture the Louisiana Stakes in what could be a prep for the world's richest horse race, the G1 Saudi Cup on Feb. 26. Overall, Mandaloun's record stands at six wins from nine starts for earnings of over $1.75 million.

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Mandaloun, Midnight Bourbon Rivalry Continues In Louisiana Stakes

Lecomte, Risen Star, Louisiana Derby, Kentucky Derby, Haskell: this Saturday's 76th running of the $150,000 Louisiana Stakes (G3) at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La. will be the sixth time both Mandaloun and Midnight Bourbon enter the starting gate as rivals. Mandaloun has bragging rights, winning or finishing in front of Midnight Bourbon in three out of five match-ups thus far.

The duo will be traveling 1 1/16 miles on Saturday, the same distance they ran in the 2021 Lecomte when facing one another for the first time. Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon was fresh off a three-month layoff and wired the field. Now it's the even-money morning line favorite Mandaloun's turn to come in fresh. His last start was July 17 in the Haskell (G1) when he dueled through the final furlong finishing a nose short of Hot Rod Charlie, but an impending DQ awarded Juddmonte's Mandaloun his fifth career win out of eight starts.

“He needed time off. He made that decision easy,” trainer Brad Cox said. “We stopped on him and gave him time. For horses to progress, whether it be from (age) two to three or three to four, they need a break. He's received his break and he's come back. Listen, I'm not going to tell you that he's working better than ever because he's always a very, very good work horse to begin with. I think anybody that watched him train up to the Kentucky Derby could believe the way he ran (second at 26-1), the way he was training. He's definitely working as well as he was leading up to the Derby, or the Haskell, so we're in a good spot with him. I think this is a race that makes a lot of sense as far as getting back racing and seeing how it goes.”

Mandaloun will break from post two with his sole-rider Florent Geroux on board. He'll recognize the horse to his outside but not the rider.

On the track where it all began, Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon has the neighboring spot in post three. Last seen setting the pace in November's Clark (G1) at Churchill Downs with jockey Joel Rosario on board, Midnight Bourbon ran well, only to be overtaken in the stretch by the classy Maxfield and Happy Saver. He gets a slight cut-back in distance to 1 1/16 miles for the Louisiana. As in the Clark, Rosario gets the call, his second on Midnight Bourbon who will break from the post three (6-5 ML).

This time, Midnight Bourbon has a new trick up his sleeve: blinkers.

“As good as he's been, I think there is more there,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “It doesn't look like he's finishing it (his races) off. He's not exhausted when he comes back. I think we can get a little more out of him. There is the possibility that it makes him more aggressive and that he gets in too big of a hurry. The Louisiana Stakes is the perfect time to try it.”

With a field of horses who have shown strong early pace, they'll have their hands full throughout. Starting on the rail: Chess Chief, Sprawl, Pirate's Punch, Warrant, and Spa City make up the field of seven.

Adele B Dilschneider and Claiborne Farms' Sprawl finished sixth last out in October's Lukas Classic (G3) at Churchill Downs, the race prior was his first graded stakes victory, leading most of the way in the West Virginia Governor (G3) at Mountaineer. Trainer Tom Drury Jr. brought him to Fair Grounds to ready him specifically for the Louisiana.

“That little horse fought some wars for us,” Drury said. “We've had this race in mind and we've worked backwards from it. After the Lukas Classic, we sent him to Robby Harris in Florida and gave him a little downtime. Ever since it's been like clockwork. He walked off the van (at Fair Grounds) doing good and he's been doing good ever since, but I'll be honest, I didn't anticipate the race coming up as tough as it has. That being said, Sprawl is a seasoned, older horse and we are going to take our best shot and see what happens.”

By City Zip, his pace-setting presence adds uncertainty to how the race will unfold. Fair Grounds' leading rider Colby Hernandez is on board from post four (10-1 ML).

“We are just going to let Colby ride his race,” Drury said. “I do think he's going to want to be forward, but I'd love to see him in a stalking-type position. I don't want to leave there shooting ducks trying to make the lead at all costs.”

Approximately half of Chess Chief's earnings have come from his five wins, each of them taking place at Fair Grounds. Possibly a horse for the course, but the Estate of James J Coleman Jr's 6-year-old has been ambitiously placed throughout his career, losing to Maxfield four times, Knicks Go, and other classy rivals. He's coming off a thrilling win in the $100,000 Tenacious on “Road to the Derby Kickoff Day” in which he bested Happy American by a scant nose. He is scheduled to break from the rail with Reylu Gutierrez aboard (12-1 ML), although trainer Dallas Stewart has indicated that a run in the Pegasus World Cup the following Saturday is also on the table.

Finishing third last out in the Tenacious, Craig W. Dragner and Gulliver Racing's Pirate's Punch has not won any of his six races since his 2020 back-to-back graded stakes wins. Breaking from post five at morning line odds of 20-1, Corey Lanerie returns after taking him to the lead last out. The Grant Forster-trained 6-year-old gelding will have options to pass or press his half-brother Midnight Bourbon.

That's right, dam Catch the Moon and breeder Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings must be proud.

The remainder of the field with post position, jockey/trainer and morning line odds is as follows: Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Warrant (post six, Brian Hernandez Jr/Brad Cox, 12-1 ML), the 2021 Oklahoma Derby (G3) winner makes his 4-year-old debut; and Maggi Moss' Spa City (post seven James Graham/Tim Amoss, 20-1 ML), who was claimed for $40,000 four starts back.

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