gamine | Horse Racing Free Tips

First Breeders’ Cup Classic Victory Propels Velazquez To Jockey Of The Week Honors

For jockey John Velazquez, winning two Breeders' Cup races would be special but when one of them is the Grade I Breeders' Cup Classic, it makes the day exceptional. The two Breeders' Cup victories, including the Grade I Filly and Mare Sprint, led to Jockey of the Week honors for November 2 through November 8. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

The victory aboard the Bob Baffert-trained Authentic was the first Classic win for the 48-year-old Velazquez, who was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2012.

“I've been chasing this race for quite a while,” said Velazquez. “For him to do it for me is incredible. What a feeling. The older I get the more emotional I get. It worked out perfect,” added Velazquez. “Bob said to take him to the lead so he doesn't wander so much and keep his mind on running. It worked out. He did everything I wanted him to do.”

Velazquez sent the reigning Kentucky Derby winner to the front and never looked back en route to a two-length win in the $6-million Grade 1 Classic, setting a track record 10 furlongs.

The Classic victory marked the 18th Breeders' Cup win for Velazquez, who kicked off Saturday's Breeders' Cup program by piloting Gamine to a track record score by 6 1/4 lengths in the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Sprint, covering the seven-furlong distance in 1:20.20, also for Baffert.

“We knew that other horse (Serengeti Empress) would come out running, but I didn't want to give it up too easy,” Velazquez said. “I put a little pressure on because I know that filly is really tough on the lead. I made sure I was close. When I asked my filly, she was there for me.”

Velazquez was also the leading money-earning jockey for the week with $3,756,499 in purses.

Velazquez out-polled fellow riders Kendrick Carmouche who posted the most wins for the week with nine, Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won three stakes races at Keeneland including two Breeders' Cup races, Joel Rosario who also won three stakes races at Keeneland with two Breeders' Cup events and Luis Saez who won two stakes races including one Breeders' Cup race.

The post First Breeders’ Cup Classic Victory Propels Velazquez To Jockey Of The Week Honors appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Serengeti Empress Retired, To Visit Into Mischief

Serengeti Empress (Alternation–Havisham, by Bernardini), second to Gamine (Into Mischief) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint S. Saturday at Keeneland, has been retired and will be bred to Into Mischief, according to a tweet from trainer Tom Amoss’s daughter Hayley Amoss Wednesday morning.

“Said goodbye to Serengeti Empress yesterday with plenty of peppermints,” tweeted Amoss, with a photo of herself and the filly taken in front of her stall Tuesday morning. “Sad that she will no longer be in the first stall at Tom Amoss’s barn, but thrilled that [owner] Joel Politi is keeping her a short drive away at Taylor Made. On to the next chapter of her legacy!”

Mark Toothaker, the stallion sales manager at Spendthrift Farm, tweeted, “What a filly. So happy Joel Politi and Tom Amoss allowed us the privilege to have her visit Into Mischief.”

A $25,000 KEENOV weanling buy turned $70,000 KEESEP purchase, Serengeti Empress proved to be quite a bargain indeed for Politi and Amoss. Romping by 13 1/2 lengths in the Ellis Park Debutante S. in 2018, the fleet-footed filly ran the field off their feet in that year’s GII Pocahontas S., streaking home a 19 1/2-length winner. Off the board in that year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile FIllies, she returned to winning ways with a decisive score in last term’s GII Rachel Alexandra S., but faded to seventh next out in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks last MArch. Connections discovered that she bled during that effort, but Amoss had confidence she would bounce back fine and trained her up to the GI Kentucky Oaks. Given a 13-1 chance off her Fair Grounds race, Serengeti Empress went straight to the front under Jose Ortiz and proved not for catching, taking home the lilies with a 1 3/4-length score.

Second when cut back in distance for the GI Acorn S. next out, the bay dueled with the equally swift two-time champion Covfefe (Into Mischief) down the length of the Saratoga stretch, finishing a game second in the GI Test S. Off the board in the GI Cotillion S,, she was third in the 2019 GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Serengeti Empress proved equally game in 2020, dominating the GII Azeri S. in her second start this term. Off the board in the GI Apple Blossom H. and GII Fleur de Lis H., the 4-year-old rebounded with a front-running victory in the GI Ballerina S. Aug. 8 at Saratoga and missed by a nose in the Sept. 5 GI Derby City Distaff prior to her effort in the World Championships. Serengeti Empress retires with a record of 18-7-4-1 and earnings of $2,175,653.

The post Serengeti Empress Retired, To Visit Into Mischief appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Why, for Baffert, It Was “Just a Great Day”

It’s been a difficult few months for Bob Baffert, who acknowledged as much after Authentic (Into Mischief) won the GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic and wrapped up the Horse-of-the-Year title on a terrific day of racing at Keeneland. He seemed every bit as relieved as he was excited, enjoying a moment where he could divert his focus from Scopolamine, drug positives out of Oaklawn or the latest hit job from the New York Times. It seemed that a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

“That was awesome. I tell you what, I needed that, didn’t I?” he asked after the Classic.

Yes, he did.

There was no denying that Baffert’s problems were a story that hovered over this Breeders’ Cup. The face of racing had been hit with one scandal after another, giving his critics ammunition they ran with in their on-going attempts to label him a cheat. Now, he was front and center in one of the sport’s most visible events.

When Gamine (Into Mischief) won the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, it was still another reminder of Baffert’s problems. Twice this year, she was the subject of medication violations.

“I wanted it bad for her,” Baffert said. “What she’s gone through. She deserved it. Of all my races, this meant the most to me.”

To NBC’s credit, its team didn’t ignore the story and Baffert was called upon to explain to the cameras how and why he had found himself in the middle of such a mess. He said many of the same things he said when issuing a statement earlier in the week when he said, “We can always do better and that is my goal.”

What Gamine and Authentic did was change the narrative, at least for a day. This was about Baffert, the gifted trainer, and not Baffert, the trainer the New York Times suggested this week should be banned from the Breeders’ Cup.

He is the face of racing because when it comes to the major events, he’s just better than everybody else. Yes, his owners provide him with an assembly line of beautifully bred, expensive horses, but they only do so because they know he delivers. Gamine has proven to be one of the fastest fillies he has ever trained. Authentic, a horse who once appeared to have distance limitations, has won the sport’s two most important mile-and-a-quarter events, the Classic and the GI Kentucky Derby. Improbable (City Zip), after winning three straight Grade I’s for Baffert, was second in the Classic.

Tied with Ben Jones for most Derby wins, Baffert has won the race six times. The Classic win was his fifth and the fourth time he has won the race over the last seven years. Those are the types of accomplishments that set him apart.

There were other important stories on this day, including trainer Brad Cox winning two races Saturday, giving him four wins overall at this Breeders’ Cup. Cox’s career has soared over a very short time and he, more so than anyone else, appears ready to be Baffert’s biggest challenger when it comes to superiority in the training ranks. Cox’s Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) could not have been better when winning the GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff for the second time. In 15 career starts, she has crossed the wire first 14 times and is well on her way to the Hall of Fame.

The feel-good story of the day was the win by Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint. A 7-year-old making his fourth start in the Sprint, his last couple of races weren’t very good, but he delivered when it mattered most.

On the subject of top trainers, Aidan O’Brien finished one-two-three in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile, somehow figuring out a way to get 73-1 shot Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) to cross the wire first. It was a big day for the Europeans, who won every one of the Breeders’ Cup races on the grass. It was a brutally tough day for French jockey Christophe Soumillon, who could not ride because of a positive test for COVID-19. Two of his original mounts won. After going 0-for-19 in the Classic, John Velasquez got the job done, riding Authentic, who was allowed to lope along on the lead in what was a perfect trip and ride.

But, as is so often the case, the spotlight hovered over Baffert for much of the day and shined brightly on the Hall of Famer when he finished one-two in the Classic. By no means has he been accused of the sorts of cheating that Jason Servis and Jorge Navarro have been. It has been alleged that both were part of a sophisticated program to dope their horses with powerful performance-enhancing drugs. Nothing Baffert has been accused of comes even remotely close to putting him in their category.

But he’s also not a Christophe Clement, a Graham Motion, a Bill Mott, a Richard Mandella or any of the top trainers whose careers have largely been devoid of any drug positives or scandals. It’s appropriate to ask questions, even if he is guilty of nothing more than sloppy management of his stable.

The hope now is that this Breeders’ Cup will foreshadow what is to come. For Baffert to be a superstar trainer is good for the sport. For him to wind up in one scandal after another is not. He is right, he needs to do better. Here’s hoping that he will.

The post Why, for Baffert, It Was “Just a Great Day” appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Authentic Goes All The Way, Tops Baffert Exacta In Breeders’ Cup Classic

Through all the shadows of controversy and the challenges of the pandemic, Authentic made a clear case for Horse of the Year honors in this Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic. The 3-year-old son of Into Mischief flew out of the gate and led the field all the way around the Keeneland oval to win the $6 million event by 2 1/4 lengths, delivering another major victory to his thousands of owners. The race had to be hand-timed when timers malfunctioned, but was later reported as another track record: 1:59.19.

That time bests the track record set by Triple Crown champion American Pharoah in the 2015 Classic of 2:00.07.

Fans may not have been able to attend this year's Breeders' Cup, but there was plenty of cheering from those on hand when Authentic crossed the wire in front.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert was especially thrilled to see Authentic avenge his last-out defeat in the Preakness, when the filly Swiss Skydiver bested him by a neck. It was Baffert's second Breeders' Cup win on the card, following Gamine in the Filly & Mare Sprint, his fourth Classic win (all with 3-year-olds), and his 17th overall Breeders' Cup victory. The trainer also saddled runner-up Improbable and fifth-place finisher Maximum Security in this year's Classic.

“I tell you what, I needed that, didn't I?” Baffert quipped. “We really were disappointed after the Preakness; I was sort of surprised. He's a quirky horse, but Johnny really knows him well. He's just getting better and better. I'm so happy for the connections, MyRacehorse, and especially Wayne Hughes.”

It was also the second Breeders' Cup win on the day for Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez (Gamine), whose total now stands at 18. Velazquez was grateful to celebrate his first victory in the Classic victory.

“The older I get the more emotional I get,” Velazquez said. “It worked out perfect. Bob said to take him to the lead so he doesn't wander so much and keep his mind on running. It worked out. He did everything I wanted him to do.”

Majority owner B. Wayne Hughes of Spendthrift Farm was in attendance at the Breeders' Cup, though he'd missed the colt's triumph in the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5.

“It's been such an unbelievably surreal year,” said Spendthrift president Eric Gustavson. “To say that the horse has brought us a lot of light and distraction is an understatement… To have the off date Kentucky Derby and then the back to normal Breeders' Cup and to
be able to win those both in one year and with a 3-year-old, man, it's too much.”

Authentic is co-owned by Starlight Racing Stable (Jack Wolf, et. al.), Madaket Stables (Sol Kumin and J. Monteleone), and approximately 5,314 individuals who bought microshares via the upstart ownership group My Racehorse launched by Michael Behrens.

“It's an amazing ride,” Behrens said. “I could never have imagined that it would end like this. I mean, this is the pinnacle of racing. And when we set out to do this a couple years ago the idea was to celebrate this sport with as many people as possible, and to have 5,314 people to have an ownership stake in Authentic, I couldn't have asked for anything better. And the partnership with Spendthrift and Eric and Mr. Hughes, it's been tremendous having this opportunity. And I just, I really can't believe this happened. I mean, I love racing and I want more and more people to be able to experience this and to have this happen? I don't know, it's crazy.”

Authentic was bred in Kentucky by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, and is out of the winning Mr. Greeley mare Flawless. He commanded a final bid of $350,000 at the Keeneland September sale, and has now won six of his eight lifetime starts for earnings of $6,371,200.

Leaving from post nine in the 10-horse Classic field, Authentic burst from the gate and went straight to the lead. Velazquez got him clear of his rivals and made his way to the rail, then took a nice hold with a easy two-length lead. Maximum Security was up on his outside in second while Global Campaign, Tiz the Law, and By My Standards were up close as well. Improbable was sixth in the early going.

“I didn't think there was too much speed in the race, and once I got him running past the wire for the first time, he was looking good for it,” Velazquez said.

Authentic continued to carry his speed all the way around the course, never looking in danger through the stretch and hitting the wire 2 1/4 lengths the best. Improbable checked in second after coming from further off the pace, a length better than Global Campaign on the wire. Tacitus was fourth, and Maximum Security finished fifth.

The remaining order of finish was: Tiz the Law, Title Ready, By My Standards, Tom's d'Etat, and Higher Power.

Other connections had the following comments after the race:

Second-place jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Improbable) – “I had a good trip, a perfect trip. I had him in the clear. He just got beat. It was a great race.”

Second-place co-owner Elliott Walden of WinStar Farm (Improbable) – “He just kind of let the other horse get away and nobody went with him. I don't know what the pace was because they messed up the fractions. But they kind of walked the dog out there. But he ran his race. He was wide both turns but he was second best.”

Third-place trainer Stanley Hough (Global Campaign) – “This horse has been through a lot in his career. We got his foot problems behind him and today was the first time he was really able to show his potential. We are so proud of him and he ran a great race.”

Third-place jockey Javier Castellano (Global Campaign) – “I had a beautiful trip, that's what I was looking for today. I knew there was a lot of speed in the race, but I had to play a little bit to get him to move forward. With this horse I didn't want to be too far back. I thought he ran a good race and I'm satisfied with how he did today. I was happy where I was positioned because they were going pretty quick. Maximum Security is the kind of horse that wants to set the pace. Our horse is a pace-maker too, but the other horses had more speed than my horse. We had a good early position and I'm very satisfied with how he did.”

Fourth-place trainer Bill Mott (Tacitus) – “He ran well. The trip was good. He saved ground around both turns and look like he needed a little room in the stretch. He ran a big race.”

Fourth-place jockey Jose Ortiz (Tacitus) – “He ran well. He sat back today. Relaxed well. I was hoping for a hot pace. I didn't see the fractions, but it didn't feel like it was very hot. So it took the chances away from me. I was expecting a hot pace and to pick up the pieces and close and have a shot to win the race. I was expecting a fast fight. It didn't happen that way but he ran really, really good. He improved a lot from the last two.”

Fifth-place jockey Luis Saez (Maximum Security) – “It was a good trip. He was right there. We came to the stretch and the winner was rolling. It was very impressive. But, he tried. He ran a good race.”

Sixth-place trainer Barclay Tagg (Tiz the Law) – “I was happy with the way he came into the race. I thought he would run his race but (jockey Manny Franco) said he was just too keen and didn't run.”

Sixth-place jockey Manny Franco (Tiz the Law) – “I had an OK trip. I was down inside. My horse never settled for me. He was pulling me the whole way hard. When I sent to looking for him he was done.

(Were you trapped inside?): “I was inside looking for a way to get out to a clear run. I had wait longer than I wanted to. It is what it is.”

Eighth-place trainer Bret Calhoun (By My Standards) – “I thought Gabe (Saez) had him in a great spot early on. Broke sharp, got in a good spot. I thought everything looked pretty good and like Gabe wanted to start picking them up and from the outside they started moving and kind of held him down there. He wasn't able to continue his move picking up horses and kind of had to wait a little longer until they cleared him. I think once he tried to go again, they just smoothed out and out-stepped him there. That next move, they just outstepped him. I don't know if he got a little discouraged having to wait or he lost a little momentum. He got outkicked from there, it looked like.”

“The track (playing to speed), and I didn't want to do anything different and change anything up. We're not that fast to change things up. You can't run with those horses early. It shows what good a race Whitmore ran (in closing to win the Sprint).”

Eighth-place jockey Gabe Saez (By My Standards) – “What can I say? The horses didn't come back. Speed-biased all day long. I got him into a great spot right from the beginning. I was in a great position tracking off the pace. Running around the three-eighths pole, and they weren't stopping. He ran every step of the way. I got a little bounced around the five-sixteenths pole. Franco's horse (Manny Franco, Tiz the Law) kind of came out a little bit, but I was not going to get there today. They were running.”

The post Authentic Goes All The Way, Tops Baffert Exacta In Breeders’ Cup Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post