Friday’s Racing Insights: Bevy of Pricey, Well-Bred Runners Squeeze in ’21 Starts

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

2nd-TAM, $26.5K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1m40yds, 1:08 p.m. ET
   While their other four competitors are a combined 0-for-37, late-debuting newcomers Aussie Pride (Curlin) and Mint (Bodemeister) sport huge pedigrees and in one case, a massive price tag. The former, who carries the Godolphin blue for trainer Bill Mott, was the second topper at the 2019 Keeneland September sale at a gaudy $4.1 million. He's out of New Zealand champion sprinter Bounding (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}), who is a half to G1 Investec Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Mint's dam Flawless (Mr. Greeley), meanwhile, was a $4.1-million FTKNOV buyback last year one day after her son Authentic (Into Mischief) completed his Horse of the Year campaign with a GI Breeders' Cup Classic score. Arnaud Delacour trains Mint for breeder Peter Blum. TJCIS PPs

7th-GP, $54K, Alw, (S), 2yo, 7f, 3:29 p.m. ET
   Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's So Determined (Into Mischief) takes on a couple of stakes-placed runners in his first try against winners. The $875,000 Keeneland September yearling is out of a full-sister to SW Summer House (Tiznow) from the family of MGSW and successful Louisiana-based sire Custom for Carlos (More Than Ready). Second in his local unveiling Oct. 2, he broke through by 4 1/2 lengths going 5 1/2 panels Nov. 14. TJCIS PPs

4th-SA, $67K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 5:00 p.m. ET
   This first of two divisions of well-bred sprinting maidens features The Avengers' $625,000 Keeneland September buy McLaren Vale (Gun Runner). A $200,000 KEEJAN in utero seller and $325,000 Keeneland November weanling, the Bob Baffert trainee is out of a half-sister to the dam of Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year Justify. Richard Baltas pupil Balladeer (Distorted Humor), who cost $355,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Showcase, is out of a Galileo (Ire) half-sister to GI Belmont S. and GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Drosselmeyer (Distorted Humor). Several in here show solid running lines, including Doug O'Neill-trained last-out Del Mar third-place finishers Godsend (Midshipman, $80,000 OBSAPR {:20 4/5}); and B Dawk (Gormley, $425,000 FTMMAY {:10 1/5}). TJCIS PPs

6th-SA, $67K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 6:00 p.m. ET
   West Point Thoroughbreds and Talla Racing LLC's Got Thunder (Arrogate) will look to go one better here after finishing second at 19-10 to Newgrange (Violence), whose high-profile connections, nicknamed The Avengers, will be represented this time around by Wharton (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Armagnac (Quality Road). Got Thunder was a $155,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $750,000 OBSAPR grad off a :10 flat bullet breeze. He's half to MGISW turfer Heart to Heart (English Channel) and MGSP Lady Traveler (Quality Road). Click for Steve Sherack's 'Second Chances' feature on Got Thunder after his Nov. 28 unveiling at Del Mar.

Wharton was a $475,000 September buy and is out of GISW sprinter Her Smile (Include), making him half to MGSW Pink Sands (Tapit). Armagnac, who cost $210,000 at the same auction, is out of turf stakes winner Kitty Wine (Lemon Drop Kid), who also set a track record on the Keeneland Polytrack over the Beard Course. TJCIS PPs

8th-OP, $120K, Alw, 2yo, f, 1m, 6:00 p.m. ET
   Muddy Waters Stables LLC's Hypersport (Blame) stretches out off a super-sharp and head-turning second-out score here Dec. 3 that earned an 87 Beyer Speed Figure and surely some phone calls to her connections. The $100,000 September yearling was previously runner-up at Keeneland Oct . 21. Three other fillies already own black-type: Brad Cox-trained Goldolphin homebred Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile) was second in Churchill's Fern Creek S. last time Nov. 27; Benedict Canyon (Midnight Lute) was third in Santa Anita's Anoakia S. Oct. 24 and makes the move from Bob Baffert to Steve Asmussen off a fifth-place run in the GI Starlet S.; and value buy Red Hot Mess (Shackleford), upset winner of the White Clay Creek S. at Delaware Oct. 13, comes in off a far-back finish in Belmont's Tempted S. TJCIS PPs

The post Friday’s Racing Insights: Bevy of Pricey, Well-Bred Runners Squeeze in ’21 Starts appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Arrieta Sweeps Final Four Races At Oaklawn Friday

Jockey Francisco Arrieta recorded his biggest career day at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., after sweeping the final four races on Friday's nine-race opening-day program, including the inaugural $150,000 Advent Stakes for 2-year-old sprinters aboard Kavod ($8.40) for trainer Chris Hartman.

Arrieta, 33, recorded a riding triple, his previous single-day Oaklawn best, on closing day of the 2021 meeting, May 1.

“Unbelievable,” Arrieta said following the Advent, Oaklawn's first stake for 2-year-olds since 1973.

Arrieta also won the sixth race aboard favored Botswana ($5.40) for trainer Bentley Combs, seventh race aboard favored Hypersport ($4.40) for trainer Ingrid Mason and the ninth race aboard Jets a Ginnin ($12) for trainer Scott Becker. The four-bagger pushed Arrieta's purse earnings this year to more than $5 million, a career high.

A native of Venezuela, Arrieta began riding in the United States in 2012 and had ridden extensively the past few years in New Mexico, Arizona, and Minnesota before hiring agent Jay Fedor and changing circuits. Arrieta relocated to Oaklawn for the first time for the 2021 meeting and made a huge splash in the rider standings, finishing third in victories (50) and purse earnings ($3,100,250). Arrieta recorded his first career Oaklawn stakes victory in last April's $200,000 Bachelor for 3-year-old sprinters aboard Jaxon Traveler for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Arrieta was based in Kentucky for the first time following last season's Oaklawn meet.

“I felt like it was a good move coming here,” Arrieta said. “I've been growing here. I was jumping around. It's my second year here, so I feel like I'm home now. A lot of people know me already. I've been riding for the same people in Kentucky and they're coming back, so now they know me and trust me. Hopefully, it will be better than last year.”

Arrieta was leading rider in 2019 at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn., and won 250 races overall that year to rank eighth nationally.

The post Arrieta Sweeps Final Four Races At Oaklawn Friday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Trainer Ingrid Mason Gears Up For Oaklawn Meet

Trainer Ingrid Mason said she plans to run Hypersport, runner-up in her Oct. 21 career debut at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., in a maiden special weights sprint for 2-year-old fillies opening day at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

Oaklawn's 66-day live meeting begins Dec. 3, which marks its earliest season opening in history and allows 2-year-old races to be carded for the first time since 1975. Oaklawn normally opens in January. Oaklawn's opening-day feature is the $150,000 Advent Stakes for 2-year-olds at 6 furlongs.

Hypersport, a forward factor from the start at odds of 31-1, was beaten a length in her 6 ½-furlong career debut after being bumped leaving the gate. Hypersport tuned up for her local debut by working five furlongs in 1:00.80 Tuesday morning at Oaklawn under Francisco Arrieta, the filly's second published breeze this month in Hot Springs.

“That's the star of my barn, Hypersport,” Mason said. “I have high hopes for her. She's a pretty nice filly. She reminds me of Sarah Sis.”

Sarah Sis bankrolled $912,667 in a 22-race career for Mason, highlighted by victories in the $150,000 Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes in 2015 at Oaklawn, $200,000 G3 Iowa Oaks in 2015 at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, $250,000 G2 Raven Run Stakes in 2015 at Keeneland, and the $400,000 G2 Presque Isle Masters Stakes in 2016 at Presque Isle in Erie, Penn. The Honeybee was Mason's first career graded stakes victory.

A $20,000 2-year-old purchase, Sarah Sis sold as a broodmare prospect for $750,000 at Fasig-Tipton's 2016 November Sale.

Bloodstock agent Christina Jelm, on behalf of owner Mike Waters, purchased Hypersport for $100,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Waters (Muddy Waters Racing Stables) is Mason's significant other.

Hypersport is by 2010 champion older male Blame out of Good Witch Glinda, a daughter of Unbridled's Song. Hypersport is a half-sister to the speedy Oaklawn-raced Mesoma, who set a six-furlong track record (1:07.98) in 2014 at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky. It was his second career start. Runner-up Race Day won two graded stakes in 2015 at Oaklawn, including the $600,000 G2 Oaklawn Handicap for older horses.

“Mike picked her out off of pedigree and then I told him I was in love with her and had to have her,” Mason said. “He bought her off the Internet. I never saw her, but he had Christina over there, his agent, look at her and said he liked her.”

Mason said Hypersport flashed ability from Day 1.

“She's always been quick and showed talent,” Mason said. “She's destroyed everything in my barn, pretty much, I worked her with. She had a little bruising in her back end early on and then we backed off her. She's been good ever since – knock on wood.”

Mason also trains G T Three Fifty, an unraced 2-year-old Speightster colt, and stakes-placed 4-year-old Lykan for Waters, who won eight races in 2020 at Oaklawn to tie for sixth in the owner's standings. G T Three Fifty, Mason said, is named for a model of Ford Mustang that Waters owns. Lykan and Hypersport are also automobile-inspired names.

[Story Continues Below]

Mason, the second-winningest female trainer in Oaklawn history, said she will have around 30 horses this season at Oaklawn. She won five races from 99 starts at the 2021 meeting.

“I'm actually really excited about the meet,” Mason said. “This is the most excited I've been in a long time. I didn't have good horses last year. It's hard to do good when you don't have good horses. I think I stepped it up a little bit this year, so we'll see what happens.”

Mason has 121 career Oaklawn victories. Lynn Chleborad, who also has horses on the grounds, is the winningest female trainer in Oaklawn history with 126.

The post Trainer Ingrid Mason Gears Up For Oaklawn Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights