Javier Castellano | Horse Racing Free Tips

Pass The Champagne Ready For ‘Big Step Up’ In Ashland

Trainer George Weaver almost made a run at the Kentucky Oaks (G1) in 2019, but his entrant, Point of Honor, did not have enough qualifying points.

On Saturday, Weaver will send out Pass the Champagne for her stakes debut in the $400,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1) at Keeneland, which carries 170 qualifying points toward the April 30 Oaks on a scale of 100-40-20-10 to the first- through fourth-place finishers.

“It is a big step up for her and first time going two turns,” Weaver said Friday morning after the Flatter filly galloped on the main track under exercise rider Nick Bush. “Rusty (Arnold) had her the first time she ran, and we liked what we saw in her debut. They (new owners) negotiated a price and bought her with an eye toward the Oaks if we could do it.”

Five weeks after her debut, Pass the Champagne scored her first career win by 2½ lengths for the new ownership group of R. A. Hill Stable, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Rock Ridge Racing, Black Ridge Stables and James Brown.

“We expected her to run well (in her second start),” said Weaver, who will have Javier Castellano aboard Pass the Champagne for the first time in Saturday's Central Bank Ashland. “We're going to give it a shot.”

After Point of Honor failed to make the Oaks, she went on to win the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) two weeks later. She would go on to place second in three Grade 1 races and earn more than $700,000.

“They are different horses but I think Pass the Champagne has more natural speed,” Weaver said. “They are both class acting fillies.”

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Keeneland Maker’s Mark Bottle Fundraiser to Benefit LexArts, Isaac Murphy Memorial Garden

This year, the annual release of a commemorative Maker's Mark Bourbon bottle in partnership with Keeneland will benefit LexArts, greater Lexington's premier cultural development, advocacy, and fundraising organization, to support its initiatives at the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden in Lexington. Murphy was a Hall of Fame jockey who remains the only rider to win the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Clark H. in the same year (1884). The Art Garden is the first park in the U.S. to honor African American jockeys, who were the earliest Black professional athletes.

For the first time, the fundraiser will feature three distinct bottles, each with its own label featuring the work of artists Sandra Oppegard, Andre Pater, or Tyler Robertson. The bottles are all pre-signed by the artist who created each label along with Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin, Maker's Mark Managing Director Rob Samuels, and one of three active Hall of Fame jockeys who have won the GI Maker's Mark Mile S. at Keeneland multiple times: Javier Castellano, Edgar Prado, and John Velazquez.

The three bottles will go on sale Friday, Apr. 2. This begins a three-year series benefiting LexArts initiatives, with the same three artists creating new labels each year for the commemorative release.

“To have the immeasurable support of these two iconic brands, Keeneland and Maker's Mark, is meaningful in so many ways for LexArts and our entire arts community,” said Ame Sweetall, LexArts President and CEO. “The support of the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden this partnership will further engage and enrich the East End community and build upon the early work of those who made the art garden a reality more than ten years ago.”

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Ghostzapper Success A First In Graded Stakes For Eye Of A Jedi, Owner/Trainer Budhoo

Owner/trainer Steve Budhoo's Eye of a Jedi, who has beaten his share of graded-stakes winners, ran the race of his life in Saturday's $100,000 Ghostzapper (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., to win the first graded stakes of his career.

The Ghostzapper. a 1 1/8-mile race for older horses, was one of 10 stakes on a 14-race program featuring 10 stakes and headlined by the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa.

Already graded stakes-placed twice during the Championship Meet, Eye of a Jedi ($10.40) defeated favored Last Judgment by 5 ½ lengths while running the 1 1/8-miles in 1:48.83 and rewarding Budhoo with his first graded-stakes success.

Ridden for the first time by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, the hard-knocking 6-year-old gelding was rated off a hotly contested pace set by Last Judgment and pressed by Superfecto during fractions of 23.60 and 46/43 seconds for the first half-mile. Castellano asked Eye of a Jedi for some run, and the son of Eye of a Leopard advanced steadily on the far turn to enter contention on the turn into the homestretch. Mike Maker-trained Last Judgement continued to show the way at the top of the stretch but proved no match for the fresher legs of Eye of a Jedi, who drew away to a comfortable victory.

Last Judgment, the 6-5 favorite ridden by Jose Ortiz, held second, 2 ¼ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Superfecto and jockey Tyler Gaffalione.

Eye of the Jedi, who finished second behind Tax in the Dec. 12 Harlan's Holiday (G3) and lost a photo in the Jan. 23 Fred W. Hooper (G3), was coming off a fourth-place finish in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2).

Ghostzapper Quotes

Winning Owner/Trainer Steve Budhoo (Eye of a Jedi): “I love to train him for this track, because he loves this track. I had an invitation to go to Dubai for the [Godolphin] Mile, but because of the coronavirus, I said, 'I'll stay here.' I'm happy I did.”

“The good thing is sound. He's a very good horse.”

Winning Jockey Javier Castellano, Eye of a Jedi): “I'm really excited. Steve [Budhoo] is a great guy. He works hard. He's dedicated to every single one of his horses. It's nice to see good things happen for the little people. They make racing. I'm very lucky to ride this horse and win the race.”

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On Two Coasts, Greatest Honour And Spielberg Breeze Toward Florida Derby; Post Position Draw Wednesday

Spielberg breezed five furlongs Sunday morning at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., while tuning up for a scheduled start at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., in Saturday's $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farm at Xalapa.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the son of Union Rags was timed in 59.40 seconds, the second fastest clocking of 81 workouts recorded at the distance.

“He went well. He's very workmanlike and he's steady,” Baffert said. “He's doing well.”

Spielberg is slated to make his third 2021 start in the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby, which has produced the winners of 60 Triple Crown events.

In his 2021 debut, the Kentucky-bred colt stumbled at the start of the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita before finishing fourth behind Baffert-trained winner Medina Spirit. He then finished second Feb. 27 in the Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn Park behind unbeaten Essential Quality.

Spielberg had a productive six-race juvenile campaign, in which he finished second in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and third in the American Pharoah (G1) at Santa Anita before breaking his maiden in his fourth start. He went on to win the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) two starts later.

Javier Castellano has the mount on Spielberg, who is owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm LLC and Robert Masterson.

Greatest Honour Pleases McGaughey in Sunday Breeze
Courtlandt Farms' Greatest Honour tuned up for the Florida Derby with a half-mile breeze at Payson Park in Indiantown, Fla., on Sunday morning, pleasing his Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.

“He's not a good work horse, but I thought this was a lot like his work before the Fountain of Youth, maybe better,” McGaughey said.

Greatest Honour, who is coming off an impressive off-the-pace win in the Feb. 27 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream, was timed in 50.40 seconds.

“I liked the way he worked. The other day, he went off a little quicker than I wanted,” McGaughey said. “I impressed upon [the rider] to just let him ease away from the pole and finish up strong, which he did. I got the last quarter in 13-and-change.”

The son of Tapit broke his maiden in his fourth career start December 26 at Gulfstream before capturing the Jan. 30 Holy Bull (G3) by 5 ¾ lengths and establishing himself as a prime Triple Crown candidate with a going-away 1 ½-length victory in the Fountain of Youth.

Also at Payson Park Sunday morning, Michael P. Shanley's Nova Rags breezed three furlongs in 38.60 seconds for the Florida Derby.

“His works have been very steady,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said. “He's worked well enough here at Payson Park and I think he's plenty fit.”

Nova Rags is coming off a second-place finish behind Mott stablemate Candy Man Can in the Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs, where the son of Union Rags won the seven-furlong Pasco by 2 ¾ lengths in his previous start.

At Gulfstream Park, Collaborate breezed five furlongs in 1:01.18 in preparation for making the leap from maiden company to a Grade 1 stakes in the Florida Derby. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained son of Into Mischief worked in company with Queen Nekia, the winner of the Royal Delta (G3) in her most recent start, who was timed in 1:02.49.

“The first eighth he went off a little slow in 14-and-change and picked it up after that. He galloped out well for the next eighth after the wire,” Joseph said. “Overall, I'm very pleased with the work. I'm happy with him.”

Collaborate graduated by 12 ½ lengths under wraps Feb. 27 the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) undercard while completing a one-turn mile in 1:36.35.

Florida Derby Post Position Draw on Wednesday
Florida Derby Week kicks off Wednesday with the post-position draw for Saturday's $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farm at Xalapa.

The draw will be simulcast on GulfstreamPark.com at 12:15 p.m. ET. The 70^th running of the 1 1/8-mile Derby, which has produced 45 starters to win a remarkable 60 Triple Crown events, is expected to draw Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) and Holy Bull (G3) winner Greatest Honour, multiple Grade 1 stakes-placed Spielberg, Known Agenda, Collaborate and Nova Rags.

Saturday's Derby Day program will have 10 stakes, six graded, worth nearly $2 million. Races include the $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) and $200,000 Pan American (G2) presented by Rood & Riddle.

First-race post time for Saturday's 14-race Derby Day program is 11:30 a.m. Advanced wagering on Saturday's 14 races will be available Friday.

The Silks simulcasting room will open at 8 a.m. Saturday for ticketed patrons. The simulcast of eight races from Dubai, including the Dubai World Cup (G1) featuring Pegasus World Cup (G1) runner-up and South Florida-based Jesus' Team, is scheduled to begin at 8:15 a.m.

Watch and wager on Gulfstream's races at https://1st.com/bet/ and Xpressbet.com

There will be live racing at Gulfstream Wednesday through Friday with first-race post time at 1:10 p.m. There will be a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 Saturday on Florida Derby Day. The Championship Meet at Gulfstream concludes Sunday.

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