Hopeful | Horse Racing Free Tips

Danon The Kid Remains Undefeated With Year-End Triumph In Hopeful Stakes

Race favorite Danon the Kid claimed this year's Hopeful Stakes at Nakayama in Japan, giving his sire Just a Way (by Heart's Cry) his first G1 title. The bay colt has emulated this year's Triple Crown victor Contrail in capping off his debut campaign undefeated with three consecutive wins—after claiming his debut start in June, he scored a graded win in the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes (G3) on Nov. 23.

Trainer Takayuki Yasuda captured his 12th JRA-G1 title, his first since the 2013 Sprinters Stakes with Lord Kanaloa, while jockey Yuga Kawada claimed his 15th, celebrating his latest victory just a week earlier with Grenadier Guards in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes.

The 15 runners broke smoothly with Land of Liberty grabbing the lead, pressed by Titleholder in second and Orthoclase in third by the first turn. Danon the Kid, along with Vanishing Point on his outside, advanced to third and fourth, respectively, as the field cruised down the backstretch. As the pacesetter swerved way off course and tossed his rider while the field approached the final corner, Danon the Kid made a wide move entering the straight first and turned up an extra gear in the last 100 meters to cross the wire by a good 1-1/4 length margin.

“I'm just so happy that I have at last been able to win on one of my mentor and teacher Mr. Yasuda's runners. The stable staff did a great job in tuning up the colt and he ran much better than he did in his previous start but still, he couldn't find a good rhythm and was not steady in the last two corners today. There is still a lot of room for improvement and we intend to work hard so he can kick off a good three-year-old campaign,” commented Yuga Kawada after the race.

Breaking from the most inner stall, third favorite Orthoclase steadily saved ground in third to fourth up to the last corner, advanced smoothly to second by the furlong pole and threatened the eventual winner briefly but lacked the final kick, while holding off Yoho Lake by 1/2 length to finish second.

Sent off fourth favorite, Yoho Lake was unhurried traveling in mid-field and three-wide before making rapid headway rounding the last turn and chased the eventual winner in the straight with the tied fastest late drive but succumbed to third.

Other Horses:

4th: (11) Titleholder—broke sharply, pressed pace, fought briefly with winner in early stretch, gave up 3rd in last 50m
5th: (13) Chevalier Rose—wide trip in 10th to 11th, advanced while chasing Yoho Lake in straight, no match
6th: (5) Tenkaharu—settled in 10th to 11th, rounded last corner economically, showed effort
7th: (9) Aoi Sho—4th from rear, shifted out wide for bid, tied with fastest last 3-furlong drive, unable to threaten
8th: (7) Machaon d'Or—saved ground around 13th, made headway along the rails and rallied for the lead, weakened in last 50m
9th: (4) Vigore—took economic trip around 6th, met traffic at early stretch, lacked needed kick
10th: (12) Admire Sage—settled around 7th, took wide route to enter lane, unable to reach contention
11th: (6) Whole Shebang—sat around 6th, dropped position in last corners, showed little at stretch
12th: (8) Vanishing Point—traveled wide in midfield, advanced to 2nd in backstretch, fell back turning last corner
13th: (15) Say Hello to You—traveled 2nd from last, no factor
14th: (14) Moriden Arrow—trailed in very rear, never a threat
Fail to Finish: (3) Land of Liberty—set pace, drifted outside at 4th corner and lost rider

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Jackie’s Warrior Puts His Undefeated Record On The Line In Champagne

J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior is a standout in the juvenile division with an unblemished record and will put his perfect resume on the line in Saturday's 148th running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Champagne going a one-turn mile at Belmont Park for 2-year-old colts.

The Champagne is one of four Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” qualifying events slated for Saturday's action-packed 11-race program and offers an automatic entry towards the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Keeneland. Other “Win And You're In” events scheduled for Saturday include the Grade 1, $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup for older horses going 1 ¼ miles on the main track [Classic]; the Grade 1, $250,000 Frizette for juvenile fillies going one mile on the main track [Juvenile Fillies]; and the Grade 1, $250,000 Flower Bowl Invitational for fillies and mares going 1 ¼ miles over the inner turf [Filly and Mare Turf]. Also featured on the card is the Grade 2, $150,000 Sands Point for sophomore fillies going one mile over the Widener turf.

Inaugurated in 1867, the Champagne has been a prominent event for young horses having seen a handful of Kentucky Derby winners score in the race during their 2-year-old season dating all the way back to Azra in 1891. Riva Ridge [1971], Foolish Pleasure [1974], Spectacular Bid [1978] as well as Triple Crown winners Count Fleet [1942] and Seattle Slew [1976] won the Champagne before becoming household names. The great Secretariat won the 1972 Champagne but was disqualified for interference with Stop the Music, who was subsequently awarded the victory. The Champagne has also been used as a steppingstone to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile with horses like Fly So Free [1990], Timber Country [1994], War Pass [2007], Uncle Mo [2010] and Shanghai Bobby [2012] notching the Champagne-Breeders' Cup Juvenile double.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Jackie's Warrior arrives at the Champagne off a 2 ¼-length victory in the Grade 1 Runhappy Hopeful on Sept. 7 at Saratoga, where he registered a 95 Beyer Speed Figure – the highest number recorded by a 2-year-old this year. In his prior effort, the bay son of Maclean's Music won his stakes debut in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on Aug. 7 at the Spa by three lengths after displaying stalking tactics in his debut at Churchill Downs, which he won by 2 ½ lengths.

Jackie's Warrior has been getting acclimated to Belmont Park, recently breezing a half-mile in 50.54 over the Belmont training track on Oct. 4.

“He handles everything well,” said Asmussen's Belmont Park-based assistant trainer Toby Sheets. “Just like his races are, that's how he is. He's done everything very professionally and he's very straightforward. I don't see the mile being an issue at all.”

Jockey Joel Rosario, who guided Practical Joke to a 2016 Champagne win, will return to the saddle from post 4.

Asmussen also will be represented by Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon, who was a recent second in the Grade 3 Iroquois on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs going a one-turn mile.

“He came in on Saturday, had a little [three-furlong] blowout [in 39.22 seconds] here on Tuesday,” Sheets said. “He's another well-built, big horse. He's figuring it out a little bit, but he's been doing really well.”

The well-bred Midnight Bourbon is the fourth offspring out of the Malibu Moon mare Catch the Moon, whose other progeny are Grade 1-winner Girvin and graded stakes winners Pirate's Punch and Cocked and Loaded.

“Let's hope that trend continues,” Sheets said.

Midnight Bourbon will be ridden by Jose Ortiz from post 6.

Hopeful runner-up Reinvestment Risk will try and turn the tables on Jackie's Warrior while attempting to give trainer Chad Brown and owner Klaravich Stables their third Champagne victory.

The son of freshman sire Upstart dazzled in his career debut with a 7 ¾-length victory at the Spa over next-out winner Olympiad. He recorded a 90 Beyer in his debut, a figure which he replicated in his runner-up finish to Jackie's Warrior in the Hopeful.

“He's doing super. I'm looking forward to getting him out another furlong. He'll have no problem with more distance,” Brown said.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. has been the pilot in both of the bay colt's lifetime starts and will return to the saddle from post 5.

Reddam Racing's Ambivalent is the lone maiden in the field but boasts stakes experience on the west coast for trainer Doug O'Neill.

The dark bay son of leading second-crop sire Constitution was recently third beaten a length over the grass in the one-mile Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 7.

Following a runner-up effort on debut on June 21 at Santa Anita, Ambivalent was beaten 1 ¼ lengths before being disqualified from third to fourth in the Grade 2 Best Pal on Aug. 8 at Del Mar.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the mount from post 1.

Rounding out the field are Run Casper Run [post 2, Jose Lezcano] and Civil War [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche].

The Champagne is slated as Race 4 on Saturday's 11-race program, which offers a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Pletcher ‘Excited’ About Likely Hopeful Favorite Mutasaabeq

Seven juvenile colts will face off in a quest to garner their first respective Grade 1 victories in the 116th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Runhappy Hopeful on Closing Day Monday, September 7 going seven furlongs over the main track at Saratoga Race Course.

The historic test is the first Grade 1 event for juvenile colts on the East Coast and has been used as a stepping stone to Hall of Fame worthy campaigns for all time greats Regret (1914), Man o' War (1919), Whirlaway (1940), Native Dancer (1952), Nashua (1954), Needles (1955), Buckpasser (1965), Secretariat (1972), Foolish Pleasure (1974), and Affirmed (1978), while solidifying Eclipse Award honors for Champion 2-Year-Olds Chief's Crown (1984), Dehere (1993), Favorite Trick (1997), and Shanghai Bobby (2012).

Shadwell Stables' Mutasaabeq arrives at the Hopeful off a stylish maiden special weight victory on August 8 at Saratoga, where he drew off in the stretch to win by 4 ½ lengths on debut, garnering an 84 Beyer Speed Figure.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who saddled Circular Quay (2006), Shanghai Bobby (2012) and Competitive Edge (2014) to Hopeful triumphs, said that has been particularly impressed by the son of Into Mischief's works from the gate. Prior to his maiden win, he worked a half-mile in a swift 46.53 seconds over the Saratoga main track.

“He had trained extremely well leading into that race,” Pletcher said. “His gate works were very impressive although his first step is not lightning quick. After that, he really gets going. I'm happy with everything he did prior to his debut, we were excited about the way he ran, we've been pointing for the Hopeful since then. He's trained accordingly.”

Pletcher said that Mutasaabeq's natural speed allows him to recover quickly.

“Once he got going, he put in an impressive run around the turn and it seemed like he had a lot in reserve,” Pletcher said. “This will be a step up in class and a stretch out in distance. There are some quality horses in there as one would imagine in a race like this, but we're excited about giving him the opportunity.

“Hopefully he jumps a little better second time out, but we'll play it by ear,” Pletcher added. “I liked the way he finished the other day, so seven-eighths should be within his range.”

Bred in Kentucky by BlackRidge Stables, Mutasaabeq is out of the Scat Daddy mare Downside Scenario and was purchased for $425,000 from the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

Jockey Luis Saez, who rode 2017 Hopeful winner Sporting Chance, will ride from post 3.

After saddling last year's winner Basin, Steve Asmussen will send out J. Kirk Robison's Jackie's Warrior as he attempts to become the first trainer to score back-to-back Hopeful wins since fellow Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas sent out High Yield (1999) and Yonaguska (2000).

The son of Maclean's Music was an impressive winner of the Grade 2 Saratoga Special presented by Miller Lite on August 7, which garnered an 88 Beyer. He will look to become the first horse to sweep the Saratoga Special-Hopeful double since City Zip won the 2000 Saratoga Special before dead-heating for victory with Yonaguska that year.

Following a victory on debut at Churchill Downs over impressive next out winner Therideofalifetime, Jackie's Warrior bested the same foe once more in the Saratoga Special in wire-to-wire fashion, crossing the wire under a hand ride by Joel Rosario.

“It's good timing back, and he's had a race over the track,” said Asmussen's chief assistant Scott Blasi. “He's done everything right for us in the mornings and we're looking forward to running him. Seven-eighths of a mile is not going to be an issue for him.”

Rosario, the leading rider in stakes victories this meet, will return to the saddle from post 6.

Trainer Chad Brown sent out Practical Joke to a victory in the Hopeful for Klaravich Stables, who also won the 2011 Hopeful with Currency Swap. This year Brown and Klaravich will team up with Reinvestment Risk.

The son of freshman stallion Upstart won on debut and was geared down at the wire to a 7 ¾-length victory on August 1 at Saratoga, where he registered a 90 Beyer.

Bred in Kentucky by Aschinger Bloodstock Holdings, Reinvestment Risk was purchased for $280,000 from the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where he was consigned by DeMeric Sales. He is out of the Candy Ride mare Ridingwiththedevil.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be back aboard Reinvestment Risk from post 5.
Rounding out the field are Fearless Fly [post 1, Dylan Davis], Papetu [post 2, Jose Ortiz], Nutsie [post 4, Kendrick Carmouche], and Ampersand [post 7, Jose Lezcano].

The Runhappy Hopeful is slated as Race 13 on Monday's Closing Day 14-race card, which will feature a mandatory payout of the Empire 6 beginning in Race 8 at 3:39 p.m. ET. The program also will feature the $85,000 Lure for older horses going 1 1/16 miles over the Mellon turf.

Monday's card offers a first post of 11:30 a.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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‘Stronger And Thicker’ Basin Ready To Take the Next Step In Blue Grass Stakes

Toyota Blue Grass (G2) hopeful Basin, who races for Jackpot Farm, was the first horse to breeze over Keeneland's fast track Monday when he covered a half-mile in :50.20 around 5:45 a.m. The breeze was the second consecutive move at Keeneland for last year's Hopeful (G1) winner, who covered 5 furlongs in 1:00.60 a week ago.

In his most recent race, Basin was second in a division of the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park. The colt, which has won two of six races and earned $471,000, is ninth on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 50 points.

“In the last nine weeks he's gotten stronger and thicker; he's a happy, happy horse right now,” Jackpot's Ryne Poncik said on an NTRA conference call Tuesday afternoon. “I was talking to (trainer) Steve (Asmussen) yesterday, and I guess the kickback at Keeneland is rather hard. So, we definitely want to be forwardly placed and in the clear, so he doesn't have to worry about any kick back. With a good post and him being forwardly placed, I think we've got a good shot.”

In his three starts this season, Basin has been no worse than fourth. The colt ran third in the G2 Rebel, then fourth in the listed Oaklawn Stakes. Basin chased Charlatan home, beaten six lengths when second in the Arkansas Derby in early May; Poncik has always been impressed by the colt's hard-trying nature.

“His heart is bigger than his body,” Poncik said. “He's not a big, big colt, but he'll never give up until the end. He won't give up until he passes the wire, for sure.”

Basin is a member of the first crop by Liam's Map, who won the 2015 Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland. Jackpot purchased the colt for $150,000 at Keeneland's 2018 September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Brookdale Sales, agent for breeder Cottonwood Stables.

Asmussen, North America's second-leading all-time trainer by wins (8,896) and earnings ($333,188,601), has started five horses in the Toyota Blue Grass with his best finish a runner-up effort by Storm Treasure in 2006. He sent out Jackpot's Zing Zang to a ninth-place finish in the 2018 Toyota Blue Grass.

Entries for the 96th running Toyota Blue Grass and five other stakes will be taken Wednesday. The Toyota Blue Grass carries 170 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the first four finishers.

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