Tag: Horse racing news

C Z Rocket Edges Flagstaff In Santa Anita Sprint Championship

In a head and head thriller, trainer Peter Miller's C Z Rocket prevailed by a hard-fought head over John Sadler's Flagstaff in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., final prep to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7.  Ridden for the first time by Luis Saez, C Z Rocket, who is now unbeaten in five starts with Miller since being claimed for $40,000 last April at Oaklawn Park, covered six furlongs in 1:09.14.

Breaking sharply from his number four post position in a field of five 3-year-olds and up, C Z Rocket was immediately into contention and while under restraint, sat three quarters of a length off Flagstaff as they left the half mile pole.

Turning for home, Flagstaff, with Victor Espinoza up, drifted out a bit, carrying C Z Rocket into the three path and from there, it was game on in the run to the wire, with neither horse giving an inch in great stretch duel.

“I didn't expect to be that close, but he broke so sharp and he took me there,” said the eastern-based Saez.  “I decided to let him settle and keep him happy.  When I pulled the trigger turning for home, he took off.  I love this horse, now he's ready for the real deal.”

A winner of the G2 Pat O'Brien Stakes going seven furlongs on Aug. 29 at Del Mar, C Z Rocket, a 6-year-old Florida-bred gelding by City Zip, was off as the 7-5 favorite and paid $4.80, $2.80 and $2.10.

“There were a lot of things involved in this,” said Miller, who is off to a tremendous start at Santa Anita's Autumn Meet, winning his third stakes dating back to Friday and his fourth overall, good for a tie with Bob Baffert for the lead in the trainer standings.  “We recently sold a part of him to Gary Barber and Sol Kumin and I really wanted to win for those two gentlemen.  Flavien (Prat) took off him (to ride third place finisher Collusion Illusion) and I wanted to prove that he made the wrong move.

“I just wanted to win this race … It was the owner, Tom Kagele, who picked this horse (to claim on April 30).  I wouldn't have picked him, his form was too bad to claim him, but I did like that he had run some fast races in the past … We're definitely leaning toward the Sprint, he's won the last (five) going one turn.  We're going to keep him one turn.”

With his second consecutive graded stakes win in-hand, C Z Rocket, who is out of the Successful Appeal mare Successful Sarah, is now 22-9-1-2 and with the winner's share of $120,000, he has earnings of $551,641.

Flagstaff, who ran too good to lose, was off as the third choice in the wagering and paid $3.00 and $2.10.

Ridden by Prat and off at 9-5, Collusion Illusion, who broke from the rail, couldn't go with the top two late and finished 1 ¼ lengths behind Flagstaff while paying $2.10 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.33, 45.27 and 57.13.

The Santa Anita Sprint Championship is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth to the Grade I Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

The post C Z Rocket Edges Flagstaff In Santa Anita Sprint Championship appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Lukas and Baffert: A Friendship Built on Trust and Respect  

Bob Baffert has won more Triple Crown races than any trainer in history. So when he needed someone to oversee the preparation in Kentucky of his sixth Kentucky Derby (G1) winner, Authentic, during the weeks leading up to the Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes (G1), Baffert turned to the man whose record he broke.

That's his pal, six-time Preakness winner D. Wayne Lukas, who set seemingly unattainable records that Baffert has subsequently topped.

The California-based Baffert traditionally keeps his Kentucky Derby horses in Louisville until they ship to Baltimore for the Preakness. And just because the Triple Crown's timing has been reshuffled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Baffert saw no need to change as he seeks a record-breaking eighth Preakness.

Normally, however, the Maryland-bound horses remaining at Churchill Downs after Baffert returns to California stay housed in their Derby Week barn with top assistant Jimmy Barnes. That norm was upended when Preakness contender Thousand Words flipped in the Churchill Downs paddock, sending Barnes sprawling and fracturing his wrist. Thousand Words was scratched from the Kentucky Derby and, like Authentic, is being pointed for the 1 3/16-mile Preakness.

Going into Lukas' famously pristine barn was the obvious option, where the only thing missing from the equine equivalent of a five-star hotel is the mint on the pillow. On the other hand, there is the perk of having Hall of Fame pony boy going to the track with the horses for training.

Baffert long has shipped his horses into Lukas' winter barn in Arkansas when pursuing Oaklawn Park's lucrative Derby prep schedule, including this year when Nadal came away from Lukas' hospitality sporting victories in the Rebel (G2) Stakes and Arkansas Derby (G1), and in 2015 when American Pharoah swept those races and the Triple Crown.

“Wayne and his crew have been great,” Baffert said recently. “It's a great environment for these horses. His barn is fantastic. You know Wayne — it's like the horses are staying at the Ritz-Carlton. It's fun. He's still a very sharp horseman. He lets me know how they look and how they're doing. I trust what he tells me, because he knows.”

Lukas won the 2013 Preakness with Oxbow for his 14th Triple Crown race triumph overall, breaking out of a tie with “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons. Baffert tied Lukas' mark five years later when Kentucky Derby hero Justify won the Preakness Stakes. He assumed the record outright when Justify gave Baffert his third Belmont Stakes and second Triple Crown sweep. Authentic's Derby padded Baffert's Triple Crown record to 16 victories.

Baffert's Preakness haul is matched only by R.W. Walden's seven victories from 1875 through 1888. His six Derby winners are tied with Ben Jones (1938-1953).

“We take the responsibility of doing a good job and taking care of them,” Lukas, aided by assistant trainer Sebastian “Bas” Nicholl, said of his horse guests. “Secondly, we just do what Bob wants done. We don't make any earth-shattering decisions. We give feedback how they're doing. He's actually calling all the shots; we just follow through and do a good job of keeping them quiet and happy. It's worked out well in the past. In fact, my strike rate with him is better than my strike rate with my own horses.

“Bob always laughs and says, 'Gee, the barn is so clean and nice. I don't know if they can handle it.' Sebastian has done a great job getting them in and out. We're just trying to do what he wants done and hopefully they run really well under our watch. It would be bad if they run bad in the Preakness and they say Lukas screwed them up.”

Authentic's only defeat in six starts came in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby (G1). He subsequently won Monmouth Park's Haskell (G1) at 1 1/8 miles by a nose after appearing poised to draw off.

Lukas said he never questioned that Authentic could be as effective at 1 1/4 miles after watching him train at Churchill Downs before the Derby.

“His energy level, I was watching him come off the track, and his efficiency of motion,” he said. “That horse, you have to sprinkle flour to see if he's touching the ground. I mean, he just gets it over so nice. I think the Preakness is going to be right up his wheelhouse. He ran a heck of a race here. But shortening up and over that particular track, I think he's going to be awful hard to handle. And he's done terrific since the race. I'm not a big gambler, but I wouldn't bet against this horse any time now.”

Lukas, who predicted long before the Kentucky Derby that American Pharoah would be the first Triple Crown winner since 1978, likes what he's seen with the Baffert duo.

“From watching them and just being objective, they're doing terrific,” he said. “I think they've put on a little weight, which is very satisfying. Bob, I think, felt the same way. Obviously after the Derby, the winner was a little bit tucked up, which you'd expect going that far. But his energy level was unbelievable, and I think he's put on 15, 20 pounds. We're feeding them like Bob feeds them. But I think they're just in the alfalfa a little bit, and the hay, and they're just doing well.”

Lukas cheerfully promises he'll give Authentic back to Baffert,” noting of the week's scheduled equine charter from Louisville to Baltimore, “He's going to get him back Tuesday.

“Most trainers who had a Derby winner going to the Preakness would probably pitch a rollaway bed in the next stall and not even let him out of sight, let alone going back to California and saying, 'How is he doing?' ”

Lukas still holds the record for most Eclipse Award champions (24 individual horses) and Breeders' Cup victories (20). But he doesn't hesitate to call Baffert No. 1.

“There's more to this than just training that horse to run a mile in 1:32-and-change,” he said. “His horsemanship, his ability to find a good horse and buy it, his ability to keep his clientele happy — he's No. 1 simply because he covers all the bases. The only thing he doesn't do that I do is he doesn't give those corporate speeches.”

The post Lukas and Baffert: A Friendship Built on Trust and Respect   appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Preakness Notes: Alborado To Ride Swiss Skydiver; Ny Traffic ‘Most Likely’ To Run; Authentic Breezes Monday

Peter Callahan's Grade 1 stakes-winning filly Swiss Skydiver will compete in the 145th Preakness (G1) at Pimlico on Oct. 3, trainer Kenny McPeek confirmed Sunday.

Veteran jockey Robby Albarado will replace Tyler Gaffalione on the millionaire filly. Albarado won the Preakness in 2007 aboard future Hall of Famer Curlin.

When she goes to the gate at historic Pimlico Race Course, Swiss Skydiver will be the 55th female to run in the Preakness. The most recent of the five filly winners of Maryland's Triple Crown classic was Rachel Alexandra in 2009. Her success against males in Baltimore helped her capture the 3-year-old filly title and the Horse of the Year Award.

McPeek had talked about the 1 3/16-mile Preakness as a possibility for Swiss Skydiver since the summer and decided to send her in against males for a second time when she worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 at Churchill Downs Saturday morning. In June, the chestnut daughter of Daredevil won the Santa Anita Oaks (G2), her third straight victory. In her first attempt against males, she ended up second to Preakness prospect Art Collector in the July 11 Blue Grass Stakes (G2). On August 15 at Saratoga, she won as she pleased in the 1 1/4-mile Alabama (G1). Three weeks later, she was second in the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

“I know she will make the distance without any problem,” McPeek said. “I think she will like that racetrack. Of course, she has raced everywhere. Whatever racetrack she has raced over she has handled great. It was a tough call between racing against straight 3-year-olds or older fillies and mares or turf, which was briefly thought about. I think she will handle it fine.

“My preference would have been if they wrote a race back like the Alabama back for this week. But that doesn't exist. There are no 3-year-old filly Grade 1s. She gets a little bit of weight off and she's continuing to do good,” he added.

A victory against the boys would greatly enhance Swiss Skydiver's quest for year-end honors.

“I think if she wins a race like this you've got to include her possible Horse of the Year,” McPeek said. “She's danced every dance and she's been hickory and she had entertained the fan base like probably no filly in years. I think it's a chance to make history.”

The other dirt option for McPeek prior to the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Keeneland on November 7 was the Spinster (G1) on Oct. 4, also at Keeneland.

Preakness entries will be taken Monday. Swiss Skydiver will ship to Maryland from Kentucky on Tuesday.

“It will be interesting to see where she draws,” McPeek said. “I think she runs better from the outside and I think drawing the one-hole cost her the Oaks. I think she got pinned down in there and if my rider had stayed inside he probably would have won. But he went around. Hindsight is 20/20. It is what it is.”

Ny Traffic Likely for Preakness Following Sunday Breeze
Ny Traffic breezed a half-mile in 48 seconds at Churchill Downs Sunday morning to the satisfaction of trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who stopped just short of committing the Haskell (G1) runner-up to Saturday's Preakness.

“Most likely he's going to go, but tomorrow we'll make the decision,” Joseph said. “We were very happy with the work.”

Ny Traffic's half-mile clocking was the second-fastest of 88 recorded at the distance.

Sunday's workout was his first since finishing eighth in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby (G1), in which he was a forward factor early before weakening in the stretch. He exited the Derby with a cut in his left front ankle.

The son of Cross Traffic had previously lost by a nose to eventual Kentucky Derby winner Authentic in the July 18 Haskell at Monmouth Park.

Derby Hero Authentic Slated to Breeze Monday at Churchill
Following more stakes success at Santa Anita on Saturday, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert flew from California to Kentucky Sunday morning to check on his Preakness candidates Authentic and Thousand Words.

Authentic, Baffert's record-tying sixth Kentucky Derby winner, is scheduled to work Monday morning at Churchill Downs. Thousand Words, a three-time stakes winner, had his final Preakness work Saturday.

“All good. He came out of it really well,” Baffert said about Thousand Words. “He's on course.”

Baffert said he will make the final call on his Preakness horses Monday morning before entries close. The post-position draw is set for noon.

In the Preakness, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will ride Authentic and Florent Geroux will ride Thousand Words.

Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita, Baffert saddled the 1-2 finishers in the Chandelier Stakes (G2), Princess Noor and Varda, before saddling the top two finishers in the Awesome Again (G1), Whitney (G1) winner Improbable and heavy favorite Maximum Security, winner of the Pacific Classic (G1).

Art Collector on Track for Trip to Pimlico
Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector, winner of the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby and Keeneland's Blue Grass (G2) in his last two starts, did a combination of walking and jogging at Churchill Downs under Welter Davilla Sunday morning.

“I just wanted to let him move around a little without actually training,” trainer Tommy Drury said.

Art Collector, a son of 2006 Preakness Stakes winner and 3-year-old champion Bernardini, worked a half-mile in 48 seconds on Saturday.

Lunsford, Drury and jockey Brian Hernandez are shooting for their first Triple Crown win, with Drury making his first start in the series. Lunsford has never had a Preakness starter, but his horse Vision and Verse was second by a head at 54-1 odds in the 1999 Belmont Stakes (G1) won by Lemon Drop Kid.

Allied Racing's Mr. Big News, the Kentucky Derby third-place finisher at 46-1 odds, jogged a mile Sunday morning under regular exercise rider Tony Quinones. Mr. Big News is to fly to Baltimore Tuesday. He's trained by Bret Calhoun and will be ridden by Gabriel Saez. Calhoun, Saez and Allied Racing's Chester Thomas all are seeking their first wins in the Triple Crown series, with the trainer and owner set to participate in the Preakness for the first time.

The Steve Asmussen-trained trio of Pneumatic, Max Player and Excession all galloped Sunday. Winchell Thoroughbreds' Pneumatic, winner of Monmouth Park's Pegasus Stakes, is training at Saratoga, with George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player and Calumet Farm's Excession at Churchill Downs.

Max Player was fifth in the Kentucky Derby in his first start under Asmussen's care after finishing third in both Saratoga's Travers Stakes (G1) and Belmont Park's Belmont Stakes (G1). Excession makes his first start since finishing a good second to the highly regarded Nadal (since sidelined) in Oaklawn Park's Rebel Stakes (G2). Pneumatic was fourth in the Belmont Stakes before earning his first stakes triumph in the Pegasus.

Asmussen, who recently became only the second trainer to win 9,000 races, is seeking a third Preakness victory, following Curlin in 2007 and Rachel Alexandra in 2009. Both horses went on to be Horse of the Year, with Curlin also earning that title in 2008.

Godolphin's homebred Jim Dandy (G2) winner Mystic Guide breezed five furlongs Sunday in 1:01.60 over the main track at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. Trainer Mike Stidham has all but ruled out the Preakness.

“The work went great. It was on a wet track but he handled it really well. We were comfortable with it being a safe track to work on,” Stidham said. “He just went evenly and finished up nice with a good gallop out, but we're pretty much focused on skipping the Preakness and going into the Jockey Club.”

The post Preakness Notes: Alborado To Ride Swiss Skydiver; Ny Traffic ‘Most Likely’ To Run; Authentic Breezes Monday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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