Javier Castellano | Horse Racing Free Tips

Magic Attitude, Antoinette Rematch Set For Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup

Lael Stables' Magic Attitude (GB) headlines a field of nine 3-year-old fillies entered Wednesday for Saturday's 37th running of the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana at Keeneland.

The 1 1/8-mile grass test will go as the ninth race on Saturday's 10-race program with a 5:30 p.m. ET post time. First post Saturday is 1:05 p.m.

Trained by Arnaud Delacour, Magic Attitude comes to Keeneland off a 2¼-length victory over Antoinette in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) in her U.S. debut.

Javier Castellano, a three-time winner of the QE II, retains the mount on Magic Attitude and will break from post position four.

Antoinette, owned and bred by Godolphin, won the Saratoga Oaks in her start prior to the Belmont Oaks. Trained by Bill Mott, who won the QE II in 2014 with Crown Queen, Antoinette will be ridden by James Graham and break from post position three.

Godolphin will have another homebred in the gate in Micheline. Trained by Mike Stidham, who won the QE II in 2015 with Her Emmynency, Micheline won the Exacta System Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs in her most recent start. She will be ridden by Florent Geroux and break from post position seven.

Mott will have a second starter in Harvey's Lil Goil. Second to Micheline in the Dueling Grounds Oaks, Harvey's Lil Goil races for the Estate of Harvey Clarke and Paul Braverman. Martin Garcia has the mount and will break from post position one.

One other trainer with past success in the QE II will be represented Saturday.

Mark Casse, trainer of 2017 winner La Coronel, will send out Stonestreet Stables' homebred Hendy Woods. Second to Sharing in the Edgewood (G2) Presented by Forcht Bank in her most recent start, Hendy Woods will be ridden by Julien Leparoux and break from post position six.

The lone entrant to have run on the Keeneland turf course is Robert and Lawana Low's Sweet Melania. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Sweet Melania won last year's JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) by 5½ lengths and finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Santa Anita in her next start.

Winner of the Wonder Again (G3) in her 2020 debut and second beaten a nose in the Lake George (G3), Sweet Melania will be ridden by Flavien Prat and break from post position two.

Invading from California are the 1-2 finishers from the Del Mar Oaks (G1): Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Red Lark (IRE) and Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber's homebred California Kook.

Trained by Paddy Gallagher, Red Lark notched her first stakes win with the 19-1 upset in the Del Mar Oaks. Drayden Van Dyke will have the mount and break from post position nine.

Following her runner-up effort at 27-1 in the Del Mar Oaks, California Kook came back two weeks later to run fourth against the boys in the Del Mar Derby (G2). Trained by Peter Miller, California Kook will break from post position eight and be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione.

The field for the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, with riders from the inside, is: Harvey's Lil Goil (Garcia), Sweet Melania (Prat), Antoinette (Graham), Magic Attitude (GB) (Castellano), Lucky Betty (Declan Cannon), Hendy Woods (Leparoux), Micheline (Geroux), California Kook (Gaffalione) and Red Lark (IRE) (Van Dyke). All starters will carry 121 pounds.

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Fire At Will Upsets Public Sector In Belmont’s Pilgrim

Kendrick Carmouche put Three Diamonds Farm's Fire At Will on the lead shortly after the start of Saturday's Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes, and the son of Declaration of War never looked back, scoring an easy two-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile turf contest for 2-year-olds.

Public Sector, the 4-5 favorite for trainer Chad Brown, closed under Javier Castellano to be second but was never a threat to the winner. Step Dancer finished third and Shawdyshawdyshawdy finished fourth in the field of six.

Trained by Mike Maker, Fire At Will paid $29 for the win after covering the distance on firm turf in 1:43.46.

Sixth in his only previous turf race, a 1 1/16-mile maiden event at Saratoga, Fire At Will was the only stakes winner in the field, having won the With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 2 — a race that was taken off the grass and run at seven furlongs on a sloppy main track.

Following that victory, Maker shipped him to Kentucky where Fire At will trained up to the Pilgrim at the Churchill Downs trackside training center.

In the Pilgrim, Fire At Will posted fractions of :25.58, :50.35, 1:15.09 and 1:37.67 en route to his final time. He opened a commanding 3 1/2-length lead at the furlong pole and coasted home for the victory.

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Magic Attitude Takes Belmont Oaks With Last-To-First Stretch Run In U.S. Debut

Trainer Arnaud Delacour expressed some concerns about the lack of pace before Saturday's Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. He was right, as the Godolphin homebred Antoinette maintained an easy lead, setting slow fractions for most of the mile and one-quarter turf test for 3-year-old fillies under John Velazquez.

But, it turns out, Delacour needn't have worried. Magic Attitude, the Lael Stables runner he sent out for her U.S. debut as an even-money favorite, easily ran down Antoinette with a powerful stretch run to win going away by 2 1/4 lengths with Javier Castellano in the saddle.

Antoinette held second, with Neige Blanche third, Setting the Mood fourth and Key Biscayne the trailer in the field of five.

Magic Attitude, a daughter of leading sire Galileo bred in England by Katsumi Yoshida, covered the distance in 2:01.14 on a firm inner turf course. The victory was her third in seven career starts, the first six of which came in France under the tutelage of Fabrice Chappet. Produced by the Exceed and Excel mare Margot Did – winner of the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes in England – Magic Attitude paid $4.30 for the win and earned $137,500 from the Belmont Oaks $242,500 purse.

Antoinette, coming off a front-running victory in the Saratoga Oaks Invitational, went straight to the front, getting the opening quarter-mile in :24.89 and the half in :49.99 while racing off the rail. Setting the Mood, along the inside, Neige Blanche between horses, and Key Biscayne to the outside, raced as a team just behind the front-runner, who passed the six-furlong marker in 1:14.17.

Put under an early hold by Castellano, Magic Attitude rated patiently in last until reaching the quarter pole after Antoinette clocked the opening mile in 1:37.91, swung out at the top of the stretch and quickly ran past her rivals on the far outside, hitting the front with an eighth of a mile to go and winning easily.

“I really like the way she did it,” said Casellano. “Watching the replays, it seemed like she could be a little bit keen. She always seemed to break well out of the gate and get good forward position in Europe. Today, she broke OK. I tried to cover up a little bit. It was her first time in the country and a mile and a quarter and you always have to save something for the end. She sat beautifully behind the speed. She had a nice rhythm. When I asked her turning for home at the quarter pole, she just took off really well. I was very excited to see the way she did it today.”

Delacour said Magic Attitude came out of quarantine with a fever and missed some training after traveling from France to the U.S. Winner in one of three starts last year at 2, the bay filly won the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux in her 3-year-old debut at Longchamp, then finished second to Tawkeel in the G1 Prix Saint Alary and fifth, beaten three lengths by winner Fancy Blue, in the G1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) at Chantilly on July 5.

“The pace was a little bit of a concern,” said Delacour. “With a five-horse field, you never know what's going to happen, but it didn't change her running style as that's how she likes to race. Javier timed it perfectly and she came with a good kick.

“Two starts ago [in the Prix Saint Alary], they were surprised because she was a little revved up and she never settled. They couldn't cover her up and she was pretty aggressive. Ever since, they've been trying to get her to relax. So, we tried to work her in the same way in the morning and put her behind horses and come with a nice run and that's what she duplicated in the afternoon. It was very exciting.”

Delacour was uncertain about Magic Attitude's next start. “We'll see. One race at a time,” he said. “The Queen Elizabeth [on Oct.10 at Keeneland] is in 21 days and might be coming back too quick. We'll let her tell us.”

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Galileo’s Magic Attitude Rolls in Belmont Oaks

Magic Attitude (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) made her Stateside debut in style with a late-surging victory as the heavy favorite in the GI Belmont Oaks Saturday, the first Grade I event of the track’s fall meet. Caboosing the quintet early, the even-money favorite–who was receiving Lasix for the first time–bided her time at the back as second-choice Antoinette (Hard Spun) clocked a half-mile in :49.99. Still last entering the far turn, the bay swung out three wide in the lane and unleashed a furious rally, powering clear late for a decisive victory. Saratoga Oaks victress Antoinette held second.

“The pace was a little bit of a concern,” said winning trainer Arnaud Delacour. “With a five-horse field, you never know what’s going to happen, but it didn’t change her running style as that’s how she likes to race. Javier [Castellano] timed it perfectly and she came with a good kick.”

On a potential start in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf Nov. 7: “We’ll see. One race at a time. The [GI] Queen Elizabeth [II Challenge Cup] [Oct. 10 at Keeneland] is in 21 days and might be coming back too quick. We’ll let her tell us.”

“I really like the way she did it,” jockey Javier Castellano said. “Watching the replays, it seemed like she could be a little bit keen. She always seemed to break well out of the gate and get good forward position in Europe. Today, she broke OK. I tried to cover up a little bit. It was her first time in the country and a mile and a quarter and you always have to save something for the end. She sat beautifully behind the speed. She had a nice rhythm. When I asked her turning for home at the quarter pole, she just took off really well. I was very excited to see the way she did it today.”

Graduating at second asking in France for Haras Du Saubouas and trainer Fabrice Chappet, Magic Attitude checked in third in the Criterium de Lyon 15 days later. Victorious in the G3 Prix Vanteaux in May, she was privately purchased by Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s Lael Stables and was second in her first start for them in the G1 Prix Saint Alary June 14. The chestnut was fifth in her final European start in the G1 Prix de Diane July 5 for trainer Fabrice Chappet and was transferred to Delacour.

Pedigree Notes:

Magic Attitude is the 89th top-level scorer for the mighty Galileo and is bred on the same Galileo/Exceed and Excel cross as Group 1 winner Anthony Van Dyck. She is also one of 327 black-type winners and 221 graded winners for that Coolmore stalwart. Her dam, English Highweight and Group 1 winner Margot Did, is also the dam of GSW & MG1SP Mission Impassible (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Her recent produce includes the juvenile colt Pietrasanta (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}), who brought ¥210,000,000–the equivalent of $1,936,200–at the JRHA Yearling and Foal Sale; and a yearling colt by Heart’s Cry (Jpn).

Saturday, Belmont Park
BELMONT OAKS INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $242,500, Belmont, 9-19, 3yo, f, 1 1/4mT, 2:01.14, fm.
1–MAGIC ATTITUDE (GB), 121, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Margot Did (Ire) (Hwt. Filly at 3-Eng at 5- 7f.,
G1SW-Eng, $425,664), by Exceed And Excel (Aus)
2nd Dam: Special Dancer (GB), by Shareef Dancer
3rd Dam: Caraniya (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
1ST GRADE I WIN. (€850,000 RNA Ylg ’18 ARAUG). O-Lael
Stables; B-Katsumi Yoshida (GB); T-Arnaud Delacour; J-Javier
Castellano. $137,500. Lifetime Record: GSW & G1SP-Fr,
7-3-1-1, $245,437. *Full to Mission Impassible (Ire), GSW &
G1SP-Fr, GISP-US, $312,159. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple
Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Antoinette, 121, f, 3, by Hard Spun
1st Dam: Shuruq, by Elusive Quality
2nd Dam: Miss Lucifer (Fr), by Noverre
3rd Dam: Devil’s Imp (Ire), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB)
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott. $50,000.
3–Neige Blanche (Fr), 121, f, 3, by Anodin (Ire)
1st Dam: Bianca Neve (Fr), by Muhtathir (GB)
2nd Dam: Polomia, by General Assembly
3rd Dam: Rampolda (Fr), by Saint Cyrien (Fr)
O-Madaket Stables LLC, Marsha Naify & Laura De Seroux;
B-Ecurie du Sud (FR); T-Leonard Powell. $30,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 2 1/4, 1. Odds: 1.15, 1.35, 5.20.
Also Ran: Setting the Mood, Key Biscayne.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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