Javier Castellano | Horse Racing Free Tips

Digital Age Gives Chad Brown Back-To-Back Turf Classic Triumphs

Rallying from far back under Javier Castellano, Klaravich Stable's Irish-bred Digital Age ran down pace-setting Factor This to win the Grade 1, $1-million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic by three-quarters of a length on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., giving trainer Chad Brown back-to-back victories in the Kentucky Derby day grass fixture for older runners.

Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar won the 2019 renewal.

Factor This, trained by red-hot Brad Cox, held second after controlling the pace through fractions of :23.24, :47.17 and 1:11.16. Brown's two other runners in the race, Irish-bred Rockemperor and French-bred betting favorite Sacred Life, finished third and fourth, respectively.

Digital Age covered the nine furlongs on firm turf in 1:47.79 and paid $19.20.

Castellano took ahold of Digital Age shortly after the start, allowing the 4-year-old colt by Invincible Spirit to race near the back of the pack while saving ground. Factor This was engaged by True Valour and Spectacular Gem in the run down the backstretch, but shook free from those two under Shaun Bridgmohan and set sail for home.

Castellano gained ground moving into the final turn, swung Digital Age toward the outside turning into the stretch and ran down Factor This in the final sixteenth.

The win was the fifth in 11 career starts for Digital Age but first in a G1 stakes. His only previous graded stakes win came over the same grass course in the G2 American Turf on the 2019 Kentucky Derby day program.

Out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare, Willow View, Digital Age was bred in Ireland by Merry Fox Stud Limited.

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Digital Age Causes Upset in Turf Classic

The least-fancied of three Chad Brown entries for Saturday’s GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic S. at 8-1, DIGITAL AGE (IRE) (c, 4, Invincible Spirit {Ire}–Willow View, by Lemon Drop Kid) settled last but one, was produced wide into the lane by Javier Castellano and rocketed home to best pacesetting Factor This (The Factor) by a little more than a length. Favored Sacred Life (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) rounded out a Brown-trained 1-3, while Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) finished fourth. Dropped out to near the tail as Factor This went along at a good clip, Digital Age was patiently handled by Castellano until he got after him in earnest about three furlongs out. Taken out wide off the home corner, he got through a relatively narrow opening between Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown) to his inner and Sacred Life on the outer and kicked home to score nicely. A 325,000gns purchase out of the 2017 Tattersalls October Sale, Digital Age becomes the 20th top-level winner for Invincible Spirit and second in this country, joining 2009 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile upsetter Vale of York (Ire). O-Klaravich Stable; B-Merry Fox Stud Limited; T-Chad C Brown.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
OLD FORESTER BOURBON TURF CLASSIC S.-GI, $1,000,000, Churchill Downs, 9-5, 4yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:47.79, fm.
1–DIGITAL AGE (IRE), 119, c, 4, by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
                1st Dam: Willow View, by Lemon Drop Kid
                2nd Dam: Time Control (GB), by Sadler’s Wells
                3rd Dam: Time Away (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
   1ST GRADE I WIN. (325,000gns Ylg ’17 TATOCT). O-Klaravich
Stables, Inc.; B-Merry Fox Stud Limited (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown;
J-Javier Castellano. $589,000. Lifetime Record: 11-5-2-0,
$1,234,660. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Factor This, 124, h, 5, The Factor–Capricious Miss (GB), by
Singspiel (Ire). ($2,700 Ylg ’16 KEESEP; $11,000 2yo ’17
OBSAPR). O-Gaining Ground Racing LLC; B-Maccabee Farm
(KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $190,000.
3–Rockemperor (Ire), 119, c, 4, Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)—
Motivation (Fr), by Muhtathir (GB). (€50,000 Ylg ’17 ARAUG;
€12,000 2yo ’18 ARQMAY). O-Madaket Stables LLC, Dubb,
Michael, Wonder Stables, Kisber, Michael E. and Bethlehem
Stables LLC; B-Haras du Mezeray (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown.
$95,000.
Margins: 3/4, 2 1/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 8.60, 5.50, 4.70.
Also Ran: Sacred Life (Fr), Dontblamerocket, Spectacular Gem, True Valour (Ire), Mr Dumas, Somelikeithotbrown, Bowies Hero. 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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Jockeys Pledge Support to Injured Rider Vinnie Bednar

Jockeys Javier Castellano, Mike Smith, John Velazquez, Manuel Franco and Tyler Gaffalione have pledged a percentage of their earnings from the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Kentucky Derby race cards to help rider 28-year-old rider Vinnie Bednar, who suffered a catastrophic fall at Los Alamitos Racetrack Aug. 22. Bednar is currently experiencing lower-limb paralysis following initial surgery at USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. He remains hospitalized while awaiting transfer to the Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado, a world-renowned, premier center for spinal and brain injury. The accident occurred in the seventh race when his mount, Peek It Up, broke down 100 yards from the finish line in the 300-yard race.

“Vinnie was overcome with emotion when I told him that some of the country’s top jockeys had reached out and wanted to help. He couldn’t believe that they were thinking about him while they are amid their big race weekend at Churchill Downs,” said Karen Bednar, Vinnie’s mother.

In the Derby, Castellano will be aboard Money Moves; Franco will ride the heavy favorite Tiz the Law and Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount on South Bend. Mike Smith, who piloted Justify to a Triple Crown title in 2018, will be aboard Honor A.P., while Velazquez will ride Authentic for two-time Triple Crown winner Bob Baffert.

“This could have been any one of us,” said North America’s all-time leading money earner Velazquez. “The injuries Vinnie sustained are going to require a tremendous amount of financial support for his medical bills and rehabilitation. We will be riding with Vinnie and his family in our thoughts and prayers.”

Vinnie Bednar, a former motocross rider, began riding Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses in 2011. As of his latest race, he ranked second in the jockey standings at Los Alamitos. This season Bednar had 41 Quarter Horse victories from 201 starts with earnings of $635,959 and is ranked 23rd in the country. He also rode Thoroughbreds this year, garnering 18 wins from 94 mounts.

To assist with Bednar’s continued medical support, visit the GoFundMe page at https://gf.me/u/yvsusr

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Five Derby Riders Pledge Percentage Of Earnings To Help Injured Jock Bednar

Hall of Fame jockeys Javier Castellano, Mike Smith, John Velazquez, and the sport's rising stars Manuel Franco and Tyler Gaffalione have joined in solidarity to pledge a percentage of their earnings from the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby race cards to help rider Vinnie Bednar with continued expenses resulting from a catastrophic fall at Los Alamitos Racetrack on August 22nd.

Bednar, 28, is experiencing what his family hopes is a temporary lower-limb paralysis following initial surgery at USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. He remains hospitalized while awaiting transfer to the Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado, a world-renowned, premier center for spinal and brain injury. The accident occurred in the seventh race when Peek It Up, the horse Bednar was riding, broke down 100 yards from the finish line in the 300-yard race.

“Vinnie was overcome with emotion when I told him that some of the country's top jockeys had reached out and wanted to help. He couldn't believe that they were thinking about him while they are amid their big race weekend at Churchill Downs,” said Karen Bednar, Vinnie's mother.

“The support our family has received is unbelievable and it's been so inspiring to Vinnie. He wants to use the attention and the generosity to help other paralyzed jockeys who don't have the exposure and need help,” Bednar continued.

Castellano who is third on the all-time North American earnings leaderboard will be aboard Money Moves for seven-time Eclipse Award winning trainer Todd Pletcher in the 146th running of the Derby today. Franco will ride the heavy favorite and sole Triple Crown contender Tiz the Law who won the Belmont Stakes and the Travers Stakes for trainer Barclay Tagg. Tyler Gaffalione who is third in earnings on the North American Leaderboard will have the mount on South Bend for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Mike Smith, who piloted Justify to a Triple Crown title in 2018 will be in the irons for trainer John Sherriffs on Honor A.P. who is the morning line second favorite in the race. Velazquez will ride Authentic for two-time Triple Crown winner Bob Baffert who is the third favorite in the year's 146^th edition of the Run for the Roses.

“This could have been any one of us,” said North America's all-time leading money earner Velazquez. “The injuries Vinnie sustained are going to require a tremendous amount of financial support for his medical bills and rehabilitation. We will be riding with Vinnie and his family in our thoughts and prayers today.”

Fellow Hall of Famer Mike Smith echoed the sentiment, adding, “I know Vinnie well. He's a great young rider and an even better person. He has a wonderful family and we will all help him get through this.”

Vinnie Bednar is a former motocross rider who began riding thoroughbred and quarter horses in 2011. He has enjoyed a successful career and at the time of his last race ranked second in the jockey standings at Los Alamitos. Since mid-December, Bednar has won four major stakes – the Champion of Champions last December with 2019 World Champion He Looks Hot, the Vessels Maturity on Chocolatito on July 5, the Governor's Cup Derby with Nomadic on July 26, and the Golden State Derby on Aug. 16 aboard Circle City. This season Bednar had 41 Quarter Horse victories from 201 starts with earnings of $635,959 and is ranked 23^rd in the country. He also rode Thoroughbreds this year, garnering 18 wins from 94 mounts.

Close friends of the Bednar family have created a GoFundMe campaign for continued medical support: https://gf.me/u/yvsusr

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