Give Me the Lute | Horse Racing Free Tips

Slam Dunk Racing and Old Bones Racing Stable's Gregorian Chant, ending an 11-week layoff, carries 5-2 morning line favoritism against seven rivals in Sunday's $100,000 Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The Green Flash, a five-furlong sprint over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course, is the last of seven graded stakes presented during the three-day Pacific Classic weekend with combined purses totaling $1.95 million.

Gregorian Chant, a 5-year-old English-bred gelding, took a three-race winning streak at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., to Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for the Grade 1 Jaipur on June 5 and, after being forwardly-placed early in the six-furlong turf sprint, tired and finished seventh of nine.

“I don't think it was as much the (listed 'good') turf as the tactics,” trainer Phil D'Amato said. “He likes to come from off the pace and we wound up dueling with the co-favorite on the lead.”

Brought back to the West Coast and given a break, Gregorian Chant has had five turf works here since the July 16 start of the meeting.

“We freshened him up with this race in mind,” D'Amato said. “We'll see if the distance is good for him for the Breeders' Cup.”

The $1 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint will be run over the same course on Saturday, November 6.

The field for the Green Flash from the rail out with jockeys and morning line odds in parentheses: Kneedeepinsnow (Drayden Van Dyke, 20-1); Texas Wedge (Umberto Rispoli, 6-1); Lieutenant Dan (Giovanni Franco, 7-2); Collusion Illusion (Flavien Prat, 7-2); Chasin Munny (Jose Valdivia, Jr., 10-1); Little Juanito (Ricky Gonzalez, 6-1); Give Me the Lute (Kent Desormeaux, 6-1), and Gregorian Chant (Juan Hernandez).

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5-year-old gelding Give Me the Lute set a blistering fast pace, opened up on the competition turning for home, and held off a late challenge from race-favorite Brandothebartender to pick up his first career stakes victory in Saturday's feature at Golden Gate Fields in Berkley, Calif., the $50,000 Albany Stakes at five furlongs on turf for 3-year-olds and upward.

Give Me the Lute, who went 21.01 and 44.28 for the first two quarter-mile splits, stopped the clock for five panels in a swift 56.26 seconds. The son of Midnight Lute was ridden to victory by Irving Orozco. Winner trainer Andy Mathis picked up his third consecutive Albany Stakes win in Saturday's marquee race, having won the 2019 and 2020 editions with Mike Tiznow.

4-5 favorite Brandothebartender, winner of the Crystal Water and Sensational Star Stakes at Santa Anita earlier this year, sat at the back of the field before producing a fast rally in the final furlong to complete the exacta. Bettor Trip Nick checked in third. Give Me the Lute paid $6.60 to win, $3.20 to place, and $2.20 to win. Brandothebartender returned $3.00 to place and $2.20 to show while Bettor Trip Nick paid $2.60 to show.

Give Me the Lute, sent off as the 2-1 second choice in the wagering, was bred in California by Gary Barber. He is now owned by Rod and Wendy Hogan, who claimed Give Me the Lute for $80,000 at Del Mar in 2019. With the Albany Stakes win, Give Me the Lute holds a lifetime record of five wins, two seconds, and two third-place finishes, with career earnings of just shy of $180,000.

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