Javier Castellano | Horse Racing Free Tips

Gary Sciacca Saddles 1,000th Career Winner Thursday At Aqueduct

Trainer Gary Sciacca earned his 1,000th career victory when Caumsett wired the first race on Opening Day of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“I'm just real happy to get it done,” Sciacca said. “I would have loved to have got it done at Belmont, but I got my start here at Aqueduct so this is great.”

Sciacca, a 61-year-old native of Brooklyn, New York, captured his first career victory with Proud Northern in October 1981 at the Big A. Through four decades of conditioning thoroughbreds, Sciacca has won two training titles at Belmont Park, leading the way at the 1993 spring meet and 1997 fall meet.

Caumsett, with Hall of Famer Javier Castellano in the irons, led through splits of 24.22 seconds, 48.80 and 1:13.50 in the one-mile inner turf event for New York-bred maiden fillies and mares. The sophomore daughter of The Factor opened up a 3 1/2-length lead at the stretch call and coasted home a 1 3/4-length winner in a final time of 1:36.55 over the firm going.

Castellano, who guided Caumsett to a narrow head loss with a similar pacesetting effort on September 19 at Belmont Park, said he felt confident throughout.

“That's the trip I was looking for today,” Castellano said. “Last time, she went to the lead and got caught in the last jump. It seemed to me that today there wasn't much speed in the race. I dictated the pace and they let me go easy. She rolled the whole way and finished really well.”

The Hall of Fame rider tipped his cap to the veteran conditioner for his milestone achievement.

“I'm very happy for him. It's a great achievement to win 1,000 races,” Castellano said. “I've known Gary for a long time and he's a dedicated horseman and been in the game a long time. I'm lucky and blessed to be a part of his success.”

Bred in the Empire State by Milfer Farm, Caumsett was sent to post at odds of 9-2, and returned $11.60 for a $2 win bet.

“It feels great. We needed to get it done and get it over with,” Sciacca said. “I thought she was going to win last time [September 19], but she got nailed right at the wire. Bobby, my son is here, so that's great.”

Sciacca trained 1992 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Saratoga Dew, who captured that year's Grade 1 Beldame and Grade 1 Gazelle Handicap, both at Belmont Park, en route to becoming the first New York-bred to earn an Eclipse Award.

He also conditioned eight-time graded stakes-winning millionaire Subordination, who captured the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in 1997 at Hollywood Park and the following year's Grade 1 Eddie Read at Del Mar.

Other prominent graded stakes winners to come up under Sciacca's care include Dr. Kiernan, Debonair Dan, Dominant Prospect, Inside the Beltway, Gold Princess and Dawn of the Condor.

“The Grade 1 wins with Saratoga Dew and Subordination were huge,” Sciacca said. “The business has been so great to me and all the hard work is paying off. It's taken me all over and has been really good.”

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Independence Hall Wins Big In Fayette At Keeneland

At the top of the stretch on a sloppy Keeneland track, Code of Honor appeared poised to take over the lead from Independence Hall, but the 2019 Travers winner had no answer for the son of Consitution, who pulled away to win the Grade 2 Fayette at the Lexington, Ky. track.

In a field that included King Fury and Major Fed, it was Independence Hall who was out fastest, taking the lead as the field approached the first turn. Code of Honor settled a length behind him, with Militarist in third. The first two kept their positions throughout, Major Fed and then King Fury moving into third, awaiting their chance to make a run at Independence Hall and Code of Honor.

On the far turn, Tyler Gaffalione pulled the 5-year-old within a half-length of Independence Hall, appearing poised to pass him in the stretch. Instead, Javier Castellano gave his 4-year-old colt some rein and Independence Hall ran away with the G2 Fayette, his margin of victory 7 1/4 lengths at the wire. Code of Honor was second, King Fury third, and Night Ops rounded out the top four.

The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:50.30. Find this race's chart here.

Independence Hall paid $9.00, $4.40, and $3.20. Code of Honor paid $3.80 and $2.60. King Fury paid $2.60.

Bred in Kentucky by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Independence Hall is out of the Cape Town mare Kalahari Cat. Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Twin Creeks Racing Stables, WinStar Farm, Kathleen Verratti, and Robert Verratti, the 4-year-old colt is trained by Michael McCarthy. Consigned by Wavertree Stables, he was a $200,000 RNA at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Florida Selected Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale. His win in the G2 Fayette Stakes is Independence Hall's first win in six starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 5-2-2 in 13 starts and career earnings of $874,000.

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Shamrocket Earns First Stakes Victory In Point Of Entry

Donegal Racing's graded stakes placed Shamrocket secured his first career stakes win in Sunday's third running of the $100,000 Point of Entry, a 12-furlong Widener turf test for 3-years-old and up, at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old Tonalist bay was making his 20th career start, having hit the board in five previous stakes events, including a third in the Grade 2 Bowling Green on July 31 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

A closing third last-out in a nine-furlong optional-claiming tilt over good Belmont turf on September 25, Pletcher scratched Shamrocket from a nine-furlong allowance event here on Thursday.

“When we looked at it, we felt like we'd be in a similar situation where we'd be second choice in either spot,” Pletcher said. “We felt a little more confident going a mile-and-a-half than a mile-and-an-eighth.”

With Hall of Famer Javier Castellano up, Shamrocket settled in fourth position as 7-5 mutuel favorite Tide of the Sea led the five-horse field through splits of :23.62, :48.30, and 1:13.71 over the firm turf under pressure from Beacon Hill and Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez.

Shamrocket edged closer to the field down the backstretch with Bluegrass Parkway following his lead as the pacesetters continued their battle into the final turn. Castellano angled Shamrocket three-wide out of the final turn as Tide of the Sea gave way, and outdueled a game-and-determined Beacon Hill to secure the half-length win in a final time of 2:26.70.

Bluegrass Parkway, Tide of the Sea, and Mo Gotcha rounded out the order of finish. Experienced and main-track-only entrant Moretti were scratched.

Pletcher said he was pleased to see Shamrocket, a $130,000 purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, break through at stakes level.

“By looking at his PPs, you can tell he's a super-consistent horse,” Pletcher said. “He just hasn't had as many wins as second and thirds, but he always shows up and runs hard every time. He benefitted from a good trip today with an honest pace to run at and everything fell into place, so I'm happy for him.”

Pletcher said Shamrocket will now target the 11-furlong $200,000 Grade 2 Red Smith on November 20 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Castellano had previously guided Shamrocket to a rallying allowance win traveling 10 furlongs in June as well as a game fourth in the 11-furlong Grade 1 Man o' War in May, both at Belmont.

The veteran rider said the talented bay appreciated the stretch out in distance.

“He never gets tired. He keeps running and finished really well,” Castellano said. “He hooked up with two good horses at the top of the stretch and kept carrying himself. I didn't think I would run out of horse.”

Bred in Florida by Rustlewood Farm, Shamrocket banked $55,000 in victory while improving his record to 20-4-6-7. Sent to post as the 9-5 second choice, Shamrocket paid $5.90 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing returns Thursday at Belmont Park with a nine-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

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Brown Says Rockemperor, Serve the King Likely For BC Turf

Trainer Chad Brown reported that Rockemperor and Serve the King, the one-two finishers of Saturday's $500,000 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, are both likely for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf on November 6 at Del Mar.

Piloted by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano for the first time, the 5-year-old bay son of Holy Roman Emperor rated along the hedge down the backstretch and was tipped wide approaching the far turn. In upper stretch, Rockemperor collared Gufo and drew off to victory in a final time of 2:25.60 over firm going at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Rockemperor, who earned a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure with a two-length victory in the Joe Hirsch at 15-1 odds, secured his first graded stakes triumph in North America after ten previous efforts at such level.

Following a third to stablemate Tribhuvan in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy on May 1 at Belmont, Brown added blinkers to Rockemperor through his next four starts, which included a ten-furlong allowance win over the inner turf in June. He removed the blinkers for the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic after a keen fourth in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer on August 28 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

“The horse just wasn't getting in position like I wanted to, so I put the blinkers on him and he did quite well with them initially,” Brown said. “For whatever reason in the Sword Dancer, he got way too rank and started turning the other way on us, so I had to make another adjustment and take them off and listen to the horse. Javier fit the horse really well and it all worked out.”

The triumph was a redeeming one for Rockemperor, who finally struck graded stakes gold in North America. He was previously seven-times graded stakes placed.

Peter Brant's Serve the King needed racing room in upper stretch but displayed a late rally once in the clear to provide Brown with the Joe Hirsch exacta. The 5-year-old Kingman bay garnered a career-best 100 Beyer.

Brown also ran one-two in his previous Joe Hirsch Turf Classic scores with Slumber finishing three-quarters of a length behind Big Blue Kitten, and Fanciful Angel running a late-closing second, five lengths to Beach Patrol.

“I'm proud of the horse,” Brown said of Serve the King, who arrived at the Joe Hirsch off a win in the restricted John's Call on August 25 at Saratoga. “He was training like a horse that was ready to step up. He got in some trouble turning for home, I thought he would have gotten closer had he gotten clear. He really stepped up and seems to be a horse that's improving.”

Brown said he would look at the Breeders' Cup Turf for both Rockemperor and Serve the King. He could have as many as four entered in the Breeders' Cup Turf with multiple Grade 1-winner Domestic Spending and Tribhuvan, a winner of the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., two starts back, also pointing for the race. Brown secured a win in the 2019 Turf with eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar.

Just less than an hour after notching first and second in the Joe Hirsch, Brown's stable was well-represented when Blowout and Regal Glory, both owned by Peter Brant, ran one-two in the Grade 1 First Lady going one mile at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. Both 5-year-old mares garnered 102 BSFs, which is their first triple-digit BSF to date.

Blowout arrived at her first Grade 1 score off a fourth-place finish beaten 2 ¼ lengths against males in the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga, which is her only off-the-board effort in 14 lifetime starts. Regal Glory captured the Plenty of Grace at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., ahead of a troubled fourth in the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game and a victory in the restricted De La Rose in August at Saratoga.

The First Lady is a “Win And You're In” to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar, which is contested at 1 3/8 miles this year. Neither horse has gone past nine furlongs.

“I'm not sure yet. I'll speak to Mr. Brant about that and see where we'll go,” said Brown when asked of Breeders' Cup aspirations.

Brown also found the winner's circle on Saturday with Jeff Drown's first-time starter Zandon, a dark bay or brown juvenile son of second-crop sire Upstart who earned an 80 Beyer going six furlongs over the main track.

A start in the $150,000 Grade 3 Nashua on November 7 at Belmont Park could be in play for Zandon, Brown said.

“He's a big, good looking horse,” Brown said. “He should stretch out just fine. We'll see how he trains and go from there, but that's under consideration.”

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