ghostzapper | Horse Racing Free Tips

First Mare in Foal to Country House

Darby Dan Farm's Country House (Lookin At Lucky), winner of the 2019 GI Kentucky Derby,has had his first mare confirmed in foal, the farm announced today.

He was bred to the Ghostzapper mare More Everything Feb. 10, and the half-sister to stakes winner and Grade III-placed Bishop's Pond (Curlin) and stakes-placed Black Oak (Forestry) has been scanned in foal for owner Watershed Bloodstock, LLC.

Country House broke his maiden with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance at Gulfstream Park, finished a fast-closing second to eventual Classic winner War of Will (War Front) in the GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds before running fourth in the GII Louisiana Derby and third behind Omaha Beach (War Front) and Improbable (City Zip) in the GI Arkansas Derby.

A half-brother to graded stakes winner Mitchell Road (English Channel), Country House is by multiple Champion and Classic winner Lookin At Lucky out of the winning War Chant mare Quake Lake, a half-sister to graded stakes winner and multiple graded stakes-placed Breaking Lucky (Lookin At Lucky).

For more information on Country House, contact Ryan Norton at (859) 254-0424 or ryan@darbydan.com, or visit DarbyDan.com.

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Fearless Records First Stakes Triumph In Gulfstream Park Mile

WinStar Farm LLC and CHC Inc.'s Fearless made a triumphant return to Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., on Saturday to collect his first stakes success in the $200,000 WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile (G2).

The Gulfstream Park Mile, a one-turn mile event for older horses, was one of nine stakes worth more than $1.4 million on a 14-race program headlined by the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2), a key prep for the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill n' Dale Farm at Xalapa March 27.

Fearless ($7.60), who launched his career with back-to-back victories during the 2019-2020 Championship Meet, was making his first start since finishing sixth in the Stephen Foster (G2) at Churchill Downs June 20.

“Our biggest concern was that in his last couple starts he dropped back. We were hoping that being fresh that he'd put himself into the race a little bit,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He broke well and got in a good stalking position. He was forward from there and kicked on and ran like we hoped he would.”The 5-year-old gelded son of Ghostzapper rated well for Irad Ortiz Jr. several lengths behind pacesetter Wind of Change, who opened up several lengths on the field while speeding the first quarter of a mile in 23.60 seconds. Wind of Change continued to show the way on the far turn and completed the first half-mile in 46.50 before shortening stride as Fearless and his other rivals started to close in. Fearless went to the lead at the top of the stretch and continued on gamely to hold off Avant Garde by three-quarters of a length.

“I got a perfect trip. He broke and put me into the race. After that, I didn't want to hurry him. I waited and when I asked him he responded,” Ortiz said.

Avant Garde, who was ridden by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, finished two lengths ahead of 9-10 favorite Performer and jockey Jose Ortiz.

After winning his first two races at Gulfstream, Fearless hit the road to finish sixth in the New Orleans (G2) at Fair Grounds, before finishing second in an Oaklawn Park optional claiming allowance and a victory in an optional claiming allowance at Churchill Downs. He was never a factor while racing very wide in the Foster.

“Todd does what Todd does, and they come out running. He ran a super race,” said WinStar Farm's Elliott Walden. “We were pretty confident, seeing him breeze the last few times.”

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Mystic Guide Romps Over Sloppy Track In Razorback Handicap

Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide had never run on anything other than a fast track during his six-race career, but the Ghostzapper 4-year-old colt took to a very sloppy surface at Oaklawn on Saturday, winning the 62nd running of the Grade 3, $600,000 Razorback Handicap by six lengths under Luis Saez.

Silver Prospector finished second, with 7-5 favorite Owendale another 1 1/4 lengths back in third and Hunka Burning Love fourth in the field of seven older runners.

Mystic Guide covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.33 and paid $6.40 to win as the 2-1 second choice in the wagering. He carried 121 pounds as the high weight under the handicap conditions.

Heavy rain hit the Hot Springs, Ark., track on Saturday and the Razorback was delayed for a few minutes as the track crew worked on the sloppy surface. The race had been postponed twice because of the winter storm that hit the South earlier this month.

Hunka Burning Love went to the front, out-hustling Long Range Toddy and Mystic Guide to take the early lead and setting fractions of :23.69, :47.61, and 1:12.99 for the first six furlongs. Long Range Toddy sat second, with Silver Prospector along the rail in third, alongside Mailman Money in the run down the backstretch.

Mystic Guide commenced his rally approaching the far turn, and was out in the middle of the track when he took the lead at the top of the stretch. He passed the mile marker in 1:38.08 and continued to widen his advantage in the final furlong.

Silver Prospector saved ground but may have been on the deepest part of the track along the rail. Owendale was never a factor, racing far back in the early stages of the race and rallying late to get third.

The win was the third from seven starts for Mystic Guide, who was produced from the A.P. Indy mare Music Note. He was making his first start since finishing second last Oct. 10 in the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup to Happy Saver. Prior to that, Mystic Guide won the G2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga.

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Royally-Bred Mystic Guide Headlines Saturday’s Razorback Handicap

Unbeaten Essential Quality, the country's 2-year-old male of 2020, isn't the only stakes entrant for global power Godolphin LLC Saturday at Oaklawn.

About 90 minutes before Essential Quality's 3-year-old debut in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3), Godolphin is scheduled to be represented by another homebred, Mystic Guide, in a major local event for older horses.

Mystic Guide is the 9-5 program favorite for the $600,000 Razorback Handicap (G3), a 1 1/16-mile race that is a major steppingstone toward the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) at 1 1/8 miles April 17. Probable post time for the Razorback, which goes as the seventh of 11 races, is 3:20 p.m. (Central).

The Razorback was originally scheduled to be run Feb. 13 before fierce winter weather shuttered racing at Oaklawn for two weeks. It will still mark the 4-year-old debut for the royally bred Mystic Guide, who is by 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper out of millionaire multiple Grade 1 winner Music Note.

Trained by Michael Stidham, Mystic Guide has already built a solid resume in six career starts, winning the $150,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) Sept. 5 at Saratoga before concluding his 2020 campaign with a second-place finish, beaten three-quarters of a length, in the $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) Oct. 10 at Belmont Park.

Stidham said the Razorback figures to lead to longer events because of maturity and Mystic Guide's pedigree. The colt, who didn't race at 2, broke his maiden at 1 1/16 miles, is a Grade 2 winner at 1 1/8 miles (Jim Dandy) and nearly a Grade 1 winner at 1 ¼ miles (Jockey Club Gold Cup).

“Those are the races we're going to focus on,” Stidham said. “After this, hopefully, we'll be looking at races, a mile and an eighth, mile and a quarter, those type of races.”

Stidham said he chose to start Mystic Guide's 2021 campaign in the Razorback because Maxfield, yet another unbeaten Godolphin homebred, was being pointed to the $200,000 Mineshaft Stakes (G3) for older horses Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds. Mystic Guide has recorded a series of sharp workouts at Fair Grounds leading up to his 2021 debut.

“The mile and a sixteenth, it'll be a little quicker than what he ran, fractions, in his last couple,” Stidham said. “But, I don't see him being worse than like mid-pack, laying third or fourth, something like that.”

The projected seven-horse Razorback field from the rail out: Silver Prospector, Ricardo Santana Jr. to ride, 117 pounds, 5-1 on the morning line; Hunka Burning Love, David Cabrera, 117, 9-2; Mailman Money, Joe Talamo, 115, 10-1; Owendale, Joel Rosario, 120, 2-1; Rated R Superstar, Ramon Vazquez, 115, 8-1; Long Range Toddy, Jon Court, 116, 12-1; and Mystic Guide, Luis Saez, 121, 9-5.

Millionaire multiple Grade 3 winner Owendale will be making his Oaklawn debut for owner Rupp Racing and Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox. Based most of the last two months at Oaklawn, Owendale hasn't started since finishing third in the $500,000 Clark Stakes (G1) Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs.

Cox said he thought about running Owendale in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park, but opted for Oaklawn because of its lucrative series of stakes races for older horses. Owendale has finished first, second or third in 13 of 20 lifetime starts and bankrolled $1,348,435.

“He can adjust,” Cox said, referring to Owendale's running style. “He's been close and still finishes well, when there's not a lot of pace. I feel confident that he'll be able to adjust to whatever the pace seems to be.”

Silver Prospector (2020 Southwest), Long Range Toddy (first division of 2019 Rebel) and Rated R Superstar (2019 Essex) are Oaklawn stakes winners. Hunka Burning Love finished second, beaten a nose, in the $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses Jan. 23 at Oaklawn.

Owendale, Silver Prospector, Mystic Guide and Long Range Toddy were entered when the race was originally scheduled to be run Feb. 13. It also drew seven entrants.

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