Gulfstream | Horse Racing Free Tips

Knicks Go Breezes Bullet in Final Tuneup for Pegasus

Knicks Go (Paynter) tuned up for a title defense in Saturday's $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park with a bullet five-furlong workout Sunday morning at Fair Grounds.

The Brad Cox trainee, who captured last year's Pegasus World Cup by 2 3/4 lengths, was timed in 1:00 2/5, the fastest of 57 workouts recorded at the distance at the New Orleans track. Exercise rider Edvin Vargas was aboard. Sunday's breeze was the gray's second straight bullet in a series of eight workouts (seven at Fair Grounds) since capturing the Breeders' Cup Classic by 2 3/4 lengths at Del Mar Nov. 6.

Knicks Go, widely expected to be named 2021 Horse of the Year next month, is scheduled to ship to Gulfstream Park by van Monday for his final career start in the Pegasus, in which he is slated to clash with GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Life Is Good (Into Mischief).

“He breezed good and we're really happy with him. We'll check him in the morning [Monday] and if everything is good to go, he'll be on the van and head out at 8:30 a.m.,” Cox said. “We'd like to get him there as quickly as possible; I'm thinking it will take around 13 hours. I'm flying in Monday afternoon, so I'll meet him there and we'll be ready to go.”

Post positions for Saturday's Pegasus as well as the $1-million GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational and the GIII Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf will be drawn Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in Sport of Kings at Gulfstream Park and can also be viewed on the Pegasus Facebook page and Pegasus website.

The post Knicks Go Breezes Bullet in Final Tuneup for Pegasus appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

‘Everything Looks Good’ As Irad Ortiz, Jr. Eases Back Into The Saddle

Sidelined by a knee injury since Jan. 7, defending two-time Championship Meet titlist Irad Ortiz Jr. returned to action Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

The 29-year-old jockey accepted two mounts for his first day back, finishing fourth in the $75,000 Sunshine Turf aboard Max K. O. in Race 4 and fifth aboard Ideal Breeze in Race 5.

“This is the way we wanted to come back. I haven't been riding for [15] days and we wanted to start getting back slowly and pick it up,” Ortiz said. “I've been coming out in the morning to get on some horses, but it's great to be back in the afternoon and be able to do what I love. It didn't take too long, and I feel great, thank God.”

Earlier in the day, Ortiz was aboard defending Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) champion Colonel Liam during a morning breeze at Palm Beach Downs. The three-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey is scheduled to ride Colonel Liam $1 million Pegasus Turf, as well as Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Life Is Good in the $3 Million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream next Saturday.

“We'll see what happens, but everything looks good,” said Ortiz, who sustained a knee injury when a mount reared up in the starting gate Jan. 7. “I'm excited.”

The post ‘Everything Looks Good’ As Irad Ortiz, Jr. Eases Back Into The Saddle appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘Another Super Breeze’ For Life Is Good Ahead Of Pegasus World Cup

WinStar Farm and CHC Inc's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Life Is Good put in his final work Saturday morning for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park.

Life Is Good, millionaire son of Into Mischief, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.90 over a fast main track at Palm Beach Downs for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, ranking third of 15 horses.

It was the seventh work for Life Is Good since his front-running 5 ¾-length triumph in the Dirt Mile Nov. 6, the last six following his mid-December arrival in South Florida. The Pegasus will be his first race at 1 1/8 miles.

“It was another super breeze. He looked awesome, moving really well, in hand throughout,” Pletcher said. “It's kind of what we've been seeing every week. Just beautiful action, and does things effortlessly. We couldn't be more pleased with how he went.”

Life Is Good has never raced at Gulfstream with five wins from six career starts, his lone loss coming by a neck in the seven-furlong H. Allen Jerkens (G1) last August 28 in his first race since joining Pletcher. He also owns graded wins in the Sham (G3), San Felipe (G2) and Kelso (G2).

“We know he's super talented and he's training great,” Pletcher said. “We're excited about the race, we're excited about the way he's coming into it, and we're looking forward to it.”

Repole Stable's Fearless, also among the 17 Pegasus invitees, worked a half-mile Saturday in 48.80 seconds for Pletcher. Fearless exits a four-length triumph in Gulfstream's Dec. 18 Harlan's Holiday (G3), and the trainer said a decision is forthcoming on whether he will run in the Pegasus or $150,000 Charlatan presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa (G3), formerly the Fred Hooper, going one mile.

Also working for Pletcher Saturday was Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam, who went five furlongs in 1:01.34 as he prepares to defend his 2021 victory in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1). Colonel Liam went to win the Muniz Memorial (G2) and Turf Classic (G1) but has gone unraced since finishing off the board in the Manhattan (G1) last June.

Pletcher's other Pegasus Turf contender, Repole Stable's Never Surprised, worked a half-mile Saturday in 49.66 seconds. Never Surprised enters the race off back-to-back wins including the Dec. 27 Tropical Turf at Gulfstream, the same race Colonel Liam used as a springboard to his Pegasus win.

“Kind of different strategies with those two. Never Surprised, we're just trying to keep him happy. He's coming off some good races and he's kind of had a consistent schedule here recently, so we're just trying to keep him sharp,” Pletcher said.

“With Colonel Liam we wanted to do a little more,” he added. “He hasn't run in quite a while so we wanted to get another good work into him which we did, and it seems like he's fit and ready to go. We'll hope he can run as well as he did last year.”

The Pegasus World Cup program will feature seven graded-stakes worth $5.2 million in purses, including the inaugural $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G3) where Pletcher is planning to run the Lows' multiple graded-stakes winner Sweet Melania. Sweet Melania worked a half-mile in 48.98 seconds Saturday.

At Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, Pedigree Partners' Grade 3 winner Shifty She breezed a half-mile in 49.50 seconds for Championship Meet-leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

The post ‘Another Super Breeze’ For Life Is Good Ahead Of Pegasus World Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Gulfstream: Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Gross Jackpot Pool Guaranteed At $450,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $450,000 Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for six racing days in a row.

Saturday's Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 6-11, including the $75,000 Sunshine Filly and Mare Turf in Race 10. The mile turf stakes for older Florida-bred fillies and mares will co-headline Saturday's program with the $75,000 Sunshine Turf, a 1 1/8-mile turf stakes for older Florida-bred horses carded as Race 4.

Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Sugar Fix, who most recently captured the Claiming Crown Tiara, is rated as the 9-5 morning-line favorite in a field of seven. Graham Motion-trained Sister Otoole, who finished second in the Maple Leaf (G2) over Woodbine's Tapeta track last time out, is rated second at 5-2.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Todd Pletcher-trained Shamrocket, who captured the Sunshine Classic last weekend in his dirt debut, is rated as the 7-5 morning-line favorite in his return to turf in the Sunshine Turf.

Irad Ortiz Jr., who has been sidelined by a knee injury, is scheduled to return to action Saturday with to riding engagements. The two-time defending Championship Meet titlist is named to ride Max K.O. in the Sunshine Turf in Race 4 and Ideal Breeze in Race 5.

Who's Hot: Leading rider Luis Saez was victorious on his first four mounts on Friday's program, sweeping the first three races Golden Isle ($4.40) in Race 1, Boldness ($3) in Race 2 and Reconfigure ($6.40) in Race 3 before taking a race off and coming back to win Race 5 aboard Take Charge Ro ($3) in Race 5.

Emisael Jaramillo notched back-to-back wins aboard Big Daddy Dave ($3.20) in Race 8 and Fish Mooney ($15) in Race 9.

The post Gulfstream: Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Gross Jackpot Pool Guaranteed At $450,000 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post