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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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Gosden Strikes For A Third Winter Derby

Godolphin's Forest of Dean (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) had finished adrift of Marco Botti trainee Felix (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in both starts this term and stepped forward to exact revenge on that familiar foe in Saturday's G3 Betway Winter Derby Trial at Lingfield, providing John Gosden with a record-breaking third renewal of the fledgling 10-furlong test. Successful in four of seven starts in 2019, he was under wraps until running third in a Jan. 11 Wolverhampton conditions heat on belated return before filling the same spot in the Feb. 6 Listed Winter Derby Trial over course and distance last time. The 10-3 third favourite accepted a tow from Johnny Drama (Ire) (Lilbourne Lad {Ire}) through halfway. Bounding to the front soon after passing the three-furlong marker, he poached a decisive lead off the home turn and kept on strongly under late urging to hold the late thrust of Felix by 3/4-of-a-length.

“He's definitely on an upward curve and Rab [Havlin] rode him beautifully,” the winning trainer said. “When he got to the top of the hill he said 'I'm gonna steal this' and kept him rolling. He's a brave little horse who was off for over 400 days after having problems following his run at Newbury [in Sept. 2019]. I think the [Apr. 2] Easter Classic over a mile-and-a-quarter [on All-Weather Championships Finals Day] might be more his scene than the [one-mile] Lincoln.”

Pedigree Notes

Forest of Dean is the fourth of eight foals produced by the dual stakes-placed Forest Crown (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) and the March-foaled bay is a half-brother to G2 Prix de Sandringham second Golden Crown (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) and G3 Athasi S. third Rionach (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). From a family featuring GISW sire Storm Cat (Storm Bird) and dual Group 1 winner Reckless Abandon (GB) (Exchange Rate), he is also kin to a yearling colt by Wootton Bassett (GB) and a weanling colt by Lope de Vega {Ire}). His dam is a half-sister to G1 Racing Post Trophy-winning sire Crowded House (GB) (Rainbow Quest) and to the dam of MGISW distaffer Ticker Tape (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) and G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest hero Brando (GB) (Pivotal {GB}).

Saturday, Lingfield, Britain
BETWAY WINTER DERBY S.-G3, £55,000, Lingfield, 2-27, 4yo/up, 10f (AWT), 2:04.92, st.
1–FOREST OF DEAN (GB), 126, g, 5, by Iffraaj (GB)
1st Dam: Forest Crown (GB) (MSP-Eng),
by Royal Applause (GB)
2nd Dam: Wiener Wald, by Woodman
3rd Dam: Chapel of Dreams, by Northern Dancer
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (450,000gns Ylg '17
TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Car Colston Hall Stud (GB); T-John
Gosden; J-Robert Havlin. £30,811. Lifetime Record: 13-5-2-2,
$180,038. *1/2 to Golden Crown (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), GSP-Fr;
and Rionach (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), GSP-Ire. Werk Nick
Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Felix (GB), 126, g, 5, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Luminance (Ire), by
Danehill Dancer (Ire). (32,000gns RNA Ylg '17 TAOCT;
24,000gns 3yo '19 TATAHI). O-K Sohi & Partner; B-Fittocks Stud
(GB); T-Marco Botti. £11,732.
3–Father of Jazz (GB), 126, c, 4, Kingman (GB)–Bark (Ire), by
Galileo (Ire). O-W J & T C O Gredley; B-Stetchworth & Middle
Park Studs Ltd (GB); T-Roger Varian. £5,874.
Margins: 3/4, 1, 1 1/4. Odds: 3.33, 3.00, 1.50.
Also Ran: Power of States (Ire), Johnny Drama (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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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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Southwest Showdown Well Worth the Wait

Following a two-week delay as Mother Nature packed a powerful winter punch, a pair of 3-year-old heavyweights are set for round two in Saturday's GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park.

Recently crowned champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit) capped a perfect, three-for-three season closing smartly into a hot pace after covering plenty of ground to capture the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland last out Nov. 6. The Godolphin homebred previously stalked and pounced with authority in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity Oct. 3. Regular rider Luis Saez will be aboard the 3-2 morning-line favorite, who has been assigned the rail in the field of seven.

“I don't think [the rescheduling] is a negative at all, as far as moving forward, with any of my horses,” said trainer Brad Cox, who will also saddle champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in Sunday's postponed GIII Bayakoa S. in Hot Springs.

Two-time Grade I winner Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music), favored at 4-5 while carrying a four-for-four record into the Juvenile, paid the price for racing prominently through ambitious fractions of :22.58 and :45.31 that day, and all things considered, ran well in defeat to stay on fourth in his route debut after leading at the stretch call. The bay's resume is highlighted by front-running tallies in the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. at Saratoga Sept. 7 and GI Champagne S. at Belmont Oct. 10, respectively. He will be the one to catch in this second attempt around two turns.

Spielberg (Union Rags), the narrowest of winners two starts back in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 19, invades from Bob Baffert's Santa Anita base following a no-show fourth in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Jan. 30. Los Al Futurity runner-up The Great One (Nyquist), meanwhile, returned with a flashy, 14-length maiden victory and 92 Beyer Speed Figure for Doug O'Neill in Arcadia Jan. 23.

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