gerald isbister | Horse Racing Free Tips

Brown Pleased With Viadera Win In Ballston Spa, Points Jack Christopher To Champagne

Chad Brown saddled a pair of winners Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., with Viadera scoring in the $400,000 Grade 2 Ballston Spa and Jack Christopher impressing on debut to extend the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer's meet-leading win total to 32 [eight more than Mike Maker and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher] heading into Day 34 of the 40-day summer meet.

Juddmonte homebred Viadera, a 5-year-old daughter of Bated Breath, was one of three entrants in the six-horse field along with pacesetter Tamahere [4th] and Kalifornia Queen [3rd].

Tamahere set strong splits of :22.60, :47.55, and 1:12.12 on the firm inner turf as Viadera saved ground in third under Joel Rosario. Viadera advanced up the rail through the final turn and angled out in the stretch run to reel in her stablemate and hold off the late charge of High Opinion.

Viadera, who capped her 2020 with a first Grade 1 score in the Matriarch at Del Mar, entered Saturday's test from a troubled fourth in the De La Rose on August 8 at the Spa.

“She had so much trouble in her first start of the year here and I was proud of her to come back on short rest and still get it done,” Brown said.

Viadera is likely to target the $400,000 Grade 1 First Lady on October 9 at Keeneland.

Jim Bakker and Gerald Isbister's Jack Christopher earned a 92 Beyer for his winning debut in a six-furlong maiden special weight for juveniles, powering to an 8 3/4-length score as the even-money favorite.

The Munnings chestnut, a $135,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, exited post 5 in the seven-horse field under Jose Ortiz and settled in second position before taking command.

“I was very pleased. The word was out. He had worked well and he ran to his works, which is always a relief for a trainer,” Brown said.

Brown said Jack Christopher will point to the $500,000 Grade 1 Champagne on October 2 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., a one-turn mile offering a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Brown saddled Royal Flag and Dunbar Road to respective third and fourth-place finishes Saturday in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign presented by Lia Infiniti.

Royal Flag, a 5-year-old Candy Ride chestnut, entered from a score in the Grade 3 Shuvee on July 25 at the Spa, while Dunbar Road, a 5-year-old Quality Road bay, was looking to secure her first win since taking the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap last July.

While multiple Grade 1-winner Letruska won the nine-furlong test gate-to-wire, Royal Flag closed willingly to complete the trifecta, a head in front of Dunbar Road, who was forced in at the start under Flavien Prat, and had to rally six-wide down the lane.

“Dunbar Road had a bit of an unfortunate trip as she fell a little far out of it after missing the break and went quite wide,” Brown said. “Royal Flag had her normal trip that worked out just fine. I was proud of both of their efforts. A really great filly won the race.”

Peter Brant and Robert V. LaPenta's Miles D, a sophomore son of Curlin, garnered a career-best 100 Beyer for his third-place effort in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers. The lightly-race Curlin chestnut, a $470,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, graduated at second asking in June at Belmont and followed with a strong runner-up effort to Dynamic One in the nine-furlong Curlin on July 30 at the Spa.

Brown said he was pleased with the effort.

“He's only run four times and he might be a little bit better at a mile and an eighth,” Brown said.

Brown also confirmed Klaravich Stables' Technical Analysis, last-out winner of the Grade 2 Lake Placid on August 21, will point to the $500,000 Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on October 15 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

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Kentucky Derby Starter Attachment Rate Joins Moquett Barn After Fasig-Tipton July

Attachment Rate, a multiple Grade 3-placed runner who ran in last year's rescheduled Kentucky Derby, will move to the barn of trainer Ron Moquett after selling to owner William Sparks for $160,000 on Monday at the Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale.

The 4-year-old Hard Spun colt was previously trained by Dale Romans for Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister, winning three of 16 starts for earnings of $236,422.

“I think he's a nice 4-year-old that's got plenty of life left,” Sparks said after signing the ticket. “We're going to hopefully find a spot for him by the end of the year, then look forward to taking him to Oaklawn. We're going to look around and find something at seven-eighths or a mile, and see how he does. I don't know if we've seen the best of him yet.”

After breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park in February of his 3-year-old season, Attachment Rate earned his first Kentucky Derby qualifying points with a third in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes. When the Derby was postponed to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was redirected to Gulfstream Park, where he finished second in the Unbridled Stakes. He then returned to Kentucky for the rest of the summer, where he finished fourth in the G3 Matt Winn Stakes, fifth in the G2 Blue Grass Stakes, and second in the Ellis Park Derby before entering the gates for the 2020 Kentucky Derby.

One of the longer-priced horses in the Derby, he broke inward and bumped with rivals early on, and was stuck wide in the middle of the pack for most of the race before fading to 14th.

Attachment Rate was re-committed to shorter races after his classic try, and he came back to win a Churchill Downs allowance race the following month. He ran fourth in the G3 Discovery Handicap to finish his 2020 campaign.

The colt's 2021 season started on a winning note in a one-mile optional claiming race, then he finished third in the G3 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland. Later that month, he ran sixth in the G2 Alysheba Stakes. His final start for Bakke, Isbister, and Romans came on June 4, when he ran third in a Churchill Downs optional claiming race.

“I would say that his form earlier this year was good enough, and the owner's trying to revamp his stable,” said Jake Memolo of consignor Elite Sales. “He's got 2-year-olds that are coming in that are getting ready to run, he's going to be buying yearlings, so this is one of the horses that he can take that has some value and see what he can get for him at this point in time.

“He ran third, beaten a length and a half, behind Flagstaff in the Commonwealth earlier this year,” Memolo continued. “Flagstaff came back later in the year to win a Grade 1. His form around one turn has been pretty good.”

The novelty of having a former Derby horse, even one that finished at the back of the pack, wasn't a particular selling point for Sparks, and Memolo said it wasn't something people brought up while shopping ahead of the sale.

Bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III, Attachment Rate is out of the winning Afleet Alex mare Aristra, whose four foals to race are all winners. He hails from the family of champion Caldeonia Road and Grade 1 winners Hymn Book and Data Link.

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Mr Freeze Holds Off Aurelius Maximus In Fayette At Keeneland

Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's Mr Freeze surged to the front on the far turn and then held off a late bid from Aurelius Maximus by a neck to win the 63rd running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Hagyard Fayette Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

Trained by Dale Romans and ridden by Javier Castellano, Mr Freeze covered the 1 1/8 miles on a fast main track in 1:50.71. It is the third victory in the race for Romans, who previously won with M B Sea in 2003 and Pick of the Litter in 2014.

Mo Mosa shot to the lead out of the gate with Aurelius Maximus in closest pursuit and Mr Freeze racing in the clear just off the pace through fractions of :24 and :49.06. Approaching the half-mile pole, Mr Freeze and Crafty Daddy joined the front two with Mr Freeze four wide.

On the far turn, Mr Freeze had assumed command and opened a daylight advantage that was more than enough to hold his rivals at bay in the run to the wire.

“Today he ran like his old self,” said Romans. “That was a rough trip for him. I wasn't expecting him to be four wide on both turns and stalking horses, but he showed what a good horse he really is.”

“I had a beautiful trip,” Castellano countered. “I like the way everything unfolded in the right place for my horse. Usually my horse goes to the lead, but they got the jump on us in the first turn. I was in really good position outside. Turning for home, I was very encouraged that he would get it done. He fought all the way to the wire and never let the other horse pass him. I am very proud of him. “

A Keeneland sales graduate, Mr Freeze is a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of To Honor and Serve out of the Tabasco Cat mare Heavenly Cat. It is the fourth graded stakes victory for Mr Freeze, who added $120,000 to his bankroll and pushed his earnings to $1,561,950 with a record of 16-6-4-2.

Romans said a start in the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland is not out of the question. “We're going to have to talk about it,” he said. “We talked about the Dirt Mile (G1) before, but we'll have to talk about everything (Mile and Classic-G1). Everything's on the table.”

Mr Freeze paid $5.20, $3.40 and $2.40. Aurelius Maximus, ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., returned $4.40 and $3.60 and finished three-quarters of a length in front of Title Ready, who paid $3.40 to show under Corey Lanerie.

It was another neck back to Coastal Defense, who was followed in order by Captivating Moon, Rated R Superstar, Crafty Daddy, Mirinaque (ARG) and Mo Mosa.

Racing continues Sunday with a nine-race program beginning at 1:05 p.m. ET. Keeneland will offer a Pick 6 carryover of $34,998.45 and a Super High 5 carryover of $58,378.55.

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