Florida Derby | Horse Racing Free Tips

Workmates Smile Happy, Tiz The Bomb Both Aimed At Holy Bull

Lucky Seven Stable's Smile Happy and Phoenix Thoroughbreds LTD's Tiz the Bomb breezed sharply in company at Gulfstream Park Saturday morning for a likely clash Feb. 5 in the $200,000 Holy Bull (G3) Feb. 5.

Smile Happy, the undefeated winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), and Tiz the Bomb, a graded-stakes winner who finished second the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) last time out, were timed in 46.32 seconds, the third fastest clockings of 83 workouts recorded at the distance.

“It was a nice maintenance work. They went a little quicker than I wanted them to. I gave them instructions to go in about 48,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “But it's okay. They're doing good.”

The breeze was the fourth in a series of workouts at Gulfstream for the workmates.

“You need a fast horse to go with a fast horse,” McPeek said. “You can't work a fast horse with a slow horse.”

While Smile Happy and Tiz the Bomb have teamed in their workouts, they may well become rivals in the Holy Bull, the first graded-stakes for 3-year-olds on the Road to the Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

“I may have to run them against each other in the Holy Bull to get the year started,” McPeek said. “At this point, I'm planning to run both.”

Smile Happy, a son of Runhappy, has won both of his career starts in going-away style, closing from far back to break his maiden at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 29 at Keeneland before rallying from mid-pack to capture the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club by 3 ¼ length at Churchill Downs Nov. 27.

Tiz the Bomb broke his maiden on dirt by 14 ½ lengths in a mile race at Ellis Park in his second career start July 2 before going on to win the Kentucky Downs Juvenile and Bourbon (G2) at Keeneland on turf. The son of Hit It A Bomb concluded his 2021 season with a late-surging second-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Del Mar.

The post Workmates Smile Happy, Tiz The Bomb Both Aimed At Holy Bull appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Simplification Keeps the Ball Rolling for Not This Time

Simplification (Not This Time) became the 17th stakes winner and third in the last six days for his in-form sire with a convincing victory in this first step on the road to the GI Florida Derby and–perhaps–beyond.

An even fourth on his 5 1/2-furlong debut on the synthetic track Oct. 1, the bay overwhelmed a group of Florida-bred maidens by 16 3/4 lengths Oct. 23, good for a 92 Beyer. He couldn't put them back to back, faltering to be third at long odds-on Nov. 13, but had his fair share of supporters Saturday.

Away without incident, Simplification was part of the early scramble for the lead and assume command outright hooking up with the course proper after an opening quarter of :23.70. Well rated through the middle fractions while traveling nicely for Javier Castellano, the second betting choice was a bit late swapping his leads in upper stretch and lengthened away in the final eighth of a mile before galloping out strongly into the turn.

“I told everyone, these are good horses but I thought the more distance would be better for my horse,” winning trainer Antonio Sano said. “When the horse ran six furlongs for the first time, he won easy, but that was a maiden special weight. The next race the horse was not ready. He did not work every day because [we had] the option to sell the horse. The horse was not sold. I told the owner, we'll enter Jan. 1 for one mile. Castellano worked the horse. He's a special horse, a very good horse.”

France Weiner, who also bred 2005 GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Closing Argument (Successful Appeal) with her husband Irwin, acquired Simply Confection for $80,000 carrying this colt in utero at Keeneland November in 2018. Simplification, whose second dam was a full-sister to champion Ashado, has a yearling half-sister by Mendelssohn that RNAd for $190,000 at FTSAUG last summer and a yearling filly by Audible. The mare is due to Union Rags. The winner is bred on the reverse cross of leading freshman sire Gun Runner.

MUCHO MACHO MAN S., $150,000, Gulfstream, 1-1, 3yo, 1m, 1:35.04, ft.
1–SIMPLIFICATION, 118, c, 3, by Not This Time
1st Dam: Simply Confection (SP, $124,688), by Candy Ride (Arg)
2nd Dam: Ballado's Halo, by Saint Ballado
3rd Dam: Goulash, by Mari's Book
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($50,000 RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV). O-Tami Bobo; B-France & Irwin J Weiner (FL); T-Antonio Sano; J-Javier Castellano. $92,070. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, $125,270.
2–Strike Hard, 120, c, 3, Flashback–Coco's Sweetie, by Tenpins. 1ST BLACK TYPE. ($3,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT; $25,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR). O-Miracle's International Trading Inc; B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc (KY); T-Matthew J Williams. $29,700.
3–Mr Rum Runner, 118, c, 3, Uncaptured–Jitterbug Blues, by Pleasant Tap. ($17,000 RNA 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Lanes Mark Racing Stable & Danny J Pate; B-J F Webb (FL); T-Patrick L Biancone. $14,850.
Margins: 4, 7 1/4, NK. Odds: 4.20, 0.80, 22.00.
Also Ran: Graphic Detail, Sport Pepper, Skippylongstocking.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Simplification Keeps the Ball Rolling for Not This Time appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Road To The Florida Derby: Mucho Macho Man Stakes Draws 19 Nominations

The $100,000 Mucho Macho Man, the first stakes on the Road to the Curlin Florida Derby (G1), will be the headliner of six stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds scheduled for the Jan. 1 New Year's Day program at Gulfstream Park.

The mile stakes named in honor of the Gulfstream Park-based winner of the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic attracted 19 nominations, including the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained trio of White Abarrio, A.P.'s Secret and Skippylongstocking. C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's White Abarrio finished third in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs after winning his first two career starts impressively at Gulfstream. Gentry Farms' A.P.'s Secret has run twice at Gulfstream, winning his debut by four lengths before finishing second in an optional claiming allowance. Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking finished a nose behind A.P.'s Secret in the Dec. 5 optional claiming allowance.

Miracle's International Trading Inc.'s Strike Hard, who defeated both A.P.'s Secret and Skippylongstocking in his most recent start, is being pointed to the Mucho Macho Man by trainer Matthew Williams. The son of Flashback has previously finished second behind White Abarrio October 29 at Gulfstream.

Robert and Lawana Low's My Prankster, trained by 19-time Championship Meet titlist Todd Pletcher, is prominent on the list of nominations. The son of Into Mischief broke his maiden at Saratoga by 10 lengths before finishing fourth in the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont, second in the Bowman Mill at Keeneland, and winning a Dec. 10 optional claiming allowance.

Cheyenne Stables LLC's Cooke Creek is also a prominent nominee on the strength of a runner-up finish in the Nov. 7 Nashua (G3) at Aqueduct and a previous stakes victory at Delaware Park for trainer Michael Trombetta.

The Mucho Macho Man will be followed by the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) on Feb. 5 and the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) leading up to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) April 2.

The $100,000 Cash Run, a mile event for 3-year-old fillies, attracted 15 nominations, including David Bernsen and Schroeder Farm LLC's Cairo Remedies, runner-up in the Starlet (G1) at Los Alamitos last time out.

Westerberg Limited, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs. John Magnier's Sweet as Pie, who finished fourth in the Tempted after winning her debut at Belmont, is one of two fillies trained by Pletcher on the Cash Run noms list. The Hall of Fame trainer is also represented by Red Oak Stable's Goddess of Fire, a debut winner at Saratoga who finished third in the Pocahontas (G3) at Churchill Downs and fifth in the Tempted.

Diamond 100 Racing Club LLC, Amy Dunne and Patrick Biancone Racing LLC's Diamond Wow, who finished second by a head in the Jessamine (G2)on turf at Keeneland after winning the Our Dear Peggy on dirt at Gulfstream, and Westlake Racing Stable's Miss Mattie B., a recent maiden winner on turf at Santa Anita, are both nominated to the Cash Run, as well as the $100,000 Ginger Brew, a mile turf race for sophomore fillies.

The Ginger Brew drew 16 nominations. Cairo Memories is also nominated for both the Cash Run and Ginger Brew.

The $100,000 Dania Beach, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds, received 20 nominations, including Klaravich Stables Inc.'s Unanimous Consent, a British-bred colt who has been unraced since debuting at Monmouth in September with a dominating triumph. D J Stable LLC's Massetto, a Group 2-placed finish in Europe who finished fourth in her U.S. debut in Kentucky Downs' Juvenile Filly Sprint; and Whisper Hill Farms' Grand Sonata, a sharp maiden winner at Keeneland before encountering a trouble trip in the Nov. 27 Central Park at Aqueduct; are also prominent nominees.

The $100,000 Limehouse, a six-furlong sprint, attracted 16 nominations, while the $100,000 Glitter Woman, a six-furlong sprint for fillies, drew 18 nominations.

Three stakes for 3-year-olds and up are also scheduled Friday, Dec. 31 – the $100,000 Abundantia, a five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares, the $100,000 Janus, a five-furlong turf sprint, and the $100,000 Via Borghese, a 1 3/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares.

The post Road To The Florida Derby: Mucho Macho Man Stakes Draws 19 Nominations appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Pletcher May ‘Start Off A Little Slow’ At Gulfstream’s Championship Meet

Trainer Todd Pletcher has built a rather imposing resume on his way to the Hall of Fame – more than 5200 winners, nearly $420 million in purses, seven Eclipse Awards, three Belmont Stakes winners, two Kentucky Derby champions, 12 Breeders' Cup successes and countless graded-stakes victories.

Oh, and an unprecedented 18 Championship Meet titles at Gulfstream Park.

The 54-year-old Dallas native will seek to his continue his dominance during the 2021-2022 Championship Meet that will get underway on Friday and run through April 3.

“I think we're going to start off a little slow. We've got a lot of horses in New York still that have a lot of races to run in. With Aqueduct extending their meet into the second week of December for the Remsen, Demoiselle and Cigar Mile. That's kept us there a little longer this year,” Pletcher said. “We'll get a little later start with the good portion of the stable at Gulfstream. Hopefully, by the middle of the meet we'll be at full force.

“Like always, our success at the Championship Meet should depend on how our 2-year-olds-turning-3 do,” he added. “We've got some ready to make their debuts in late December and early January. Hopefully, we'll have some that are able to step up.”

Pletcher has saddled a record six Florida Derby (G1) winners – Known Agenda (2021) Audible (2018), Always Dreaming (2017), Materiality (2015), Constitution (2014) and Scat Daddy (2007).

“We've had great fortune in the Florida Derby,” Pletcher said. “Always Dreaming was able to win there and go on to win the [Kentucky] Derby. I really like the spacing of it for the Kentucky Derby.

“Being a Grade 1, it's a big-time stallion-making race. Look at the success of our Florida Derby winners – with Constitution doing so great at stud and Scat Daddy, who was on his way to being one if not the best stallion in the country. It's proven over the years, that it means a lot to stallions,” Pletcher added. “Audible's babies are off to a great start, also. It's a race we love to win, not just as a Derby prep but also a stallion-making race as well.”

Pletcher, a former assistant to Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lucas, was inducted into National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. in August in his first year of eligibility.

“It was a tremendous honor, really exciting. I was really pleased my parents were able to be there and attend the induction ceremony with my family,” Pletcher said. “It's a great accomplishment for the entire team. A lot of people put in a lot of hard work to make it happen. I've been blessed with great owners, great horses and great teammates and a great support system.”

The post Pletcher May ‘Start Off A Little Slow’ At Gulfstream’s Championship Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post