Jim Dandy | Horse Racing Free Tips

Champion Essential Quality To Target Saratoga’s Jim Dandy On July 31

Champion juvenile and this year's Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality is expected to make his next start in the Grade 3 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on July 31, reports the Daily Racing Form. The 3-year-old son of Tapit had his first work at Saratoga on Saturday, July 10, breezing a half mile over the main track in a steady 50.44 seconds.

“For his first move over the track, I thought it went well,” trainer Brad Cox told DRF. “He broke off slowly. I had 13-and-2 for his first eighth, and picked it up a little down the lane. It was good for him by himself. He's pretty easy on himself, he doesn't overdo it and never has. It was very similar to his first work back, by himself, after the Belmont at Churchill. I thought he skipped over the track well. He's super happy. He was rearing up after his bath, making me think I should have done a little more with him.”

Cox hopes to use the Jim Dandy as a springboard to the Grade 1 Travers Stakes on Aug. 28 at the Spa. Essential Quality, only defeated once in his career when fourth after a troubled trip in the Kentucky Derby, could face the top three finishers from the Ohio Derby (Masqueparade, King Fury, and Keepmeinmind), Weyburn, Risk Taking, and one of trainer Todd Pletcher's top 3-year-olds in the Jim Dandy.

Essential Quality ‘Looks Amazing’ After Belmont; Cox Eyes Travers

Essential Quality (Tapit) got great marks from trainer Brad Cox the morning after the colt triumphed in a strong renewal of the GI Belmont S., and Cox said the Godolphin homebred will be pointed next to the GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 28 at Saratoga. The Belmont victory marked the first Grade I win as a sophomore for last year's champion 2-year-old male and offered a measure of redemption for the gray, who was the beaten favorite when fourth in last month's GI Kentucky Derby, his first career defeat.

“He looks amazing. It doesn't look like he lost any weight. We jogged him up this morning and he was moving great,” Cox told the NYRA notes team Sunday. “He's a very intelligent horse. It's amazing to watch him. We train him on race day and whenever we put him back in, he'll lay down the rest of the day. He knows what's going on and he deserves a good rest today after such a long race yesterday.”

Rallying past stubborn pacesetter Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) in the final sixteenth of Saturday's $1.5-million Belmont, Essential Quality earned a career-best 109 Beyer and stopped the timer in 2:27.11 for the 1 1/2 miles, the third-fastest Belmont clocking this century, behind only American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile)'s 2:26.65 in 2015 and Point Given (Thunder Gulch)'s 2:26.56 in 2001.

In addition to the Travers, Cox said Essential Quality could start in the GII Jim Dandy S. July 31 at the Spa.

“It's one of the more prestigious races out there for 3-year-old colts. So that would be the logical spot,” Cox said of the Travers. “It's a mile and a quarter and we know he can handle that. In regard to a race before, it would be nice. Saratoga is obviously a demanding track. I wouldn't say we have to have a race before that, but it would be nice. I think the logical spot would be the Jim Dandy, but we'll get him back to Churchill and let him tell us over the next couple of weeks how he's feeling.”

Hot Rod Charlie, who ran valiantly to be a clear second in the Belmont after setting a scorching early pace of:22.78 and :46.49, also came out of his effort well, according to trainer Doug O'Neill.

“He looks awesome, just awesome,” said O'Neill before jetting back to his Southern California base. “He ate up everything and licked his feed tub. We scoped him after the race, and he scoped clean. He was definitely a little rubber-legged after the race, but by the time he got back to the barn area he had already recovered. He recovered quickly. He's amazing. He's so dappled, it's unbelievable. His coat is still beautiful. He's full of energy and is just great this morning.”

O'Neill added that a run in the Travers would likely be on the agenda for his charge as well.

“I think that's very logical,” he said. “The great thing about this group of guys [owners Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, William Strauss and Gainesway Stable] is that they're so patient. I'm sure we'll talk about that in the next week or two, but just knowing the way this journey has played out, and hopefully, there are plenty more chapters in the Charlie tale, we probably won't decide for another three weeks or so. But it is the most logical next spot. If he takes us there.”

O'Neill also told the Santa Anita notes team that a start against elders in the GI TVG Pacific Classic Aug. 21 at Del Mar is under consideration.

“As a 3-year-old, we'd get a big break in the weights and a few of our owners live down there,” he said.

The post Essential Quality ‘Looks Amazing’ After Belmont; Cox Eyes Travers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Razorback Winner Mystic Guide To Ship For Dubai World Cup

Trainer Michael Stidham told the Daily Racing Form that Saturday's G3 Razorback Handicap winner Mystic Guide will head overseas to contest the Dubai World Cup, scheduled for March 27. The Grade 1-placed son of Ghostzapper won Oaklawn's $600,000 race by six lengths, and should be one of the lower-priced choices in Dubai.

A Godolphin homebred out of the five-time Grade 1-winning millionaire Music Note (A.P. Indy), Mystic Guide won the G2 Jim Dandy Stakes last year before finishing a close second to Happy Saver in the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Plans call for the 4-year-old to ship from Stidham's base at the Fair Grounds to Miami on March 15, then to the UAE on March 17. No decision has been finalized on a jockey, Stidham said.

Other American horses targeting the Dubai World Cup are Sleepy Eyes Todd and Tacitus, both of whom contested the Saudi Cup and remained overseas.

‘Hoping For An Even Better 4-Year-Old Year’: G2 Winner Mystic Guide Returns In Razorback

Post positions for the rescheduled $600,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses Saturday at Oaklawn were drawn Tuesday.

The Razorback is one of three stakes races on Saturday's card, along with the $750,000 Southwest (G3) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles and the $200,000 Spring Fever for older female sprinters. The Southwest will mark the 2021 debut of unbeaten Essential Quality, the country's champion 2-year-old male. Racing begins at 12:15 p.m. (Central), with probable post time for the Razorback, which goes as the seventh of 11 races, 3:20 p.m.

The Razorback was originally scheduled to be run Feb. 13 before fierce winter weather shuttered racing at Oaklawn for two weeks. It will still mark the 4-year-old debut of Godolphin's Mystic Guide, by 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper out of millionaire multiple Grade 1 winner Music Note. Mystic Guide has already built a solid resume in six career starts, winning the $150,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) Sept. 5 at Saratoga before concluding his 2020 campaign with a second-place finish, beaten three-quarters of a length, in the $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) Oct. 10 at Belmont Park.

“We were delighted with the way his 3-year-old year turned out,” trainer Mike Stidham said. “There were a lot of temptations to run in the Derby and different spots and the timing just wasn't right. It just seemed like he needed a little bit more time, so we kept being real patient with him and let him develop. As he developed and those other races showed up, we always felt like a mile and an eighth and farther was going to be helpful to him. Turned out great. He won a Grade 2 and placed in a Grade 1 as a 3-year-old, so now we're hoping for an even better 4-year-old year.”

Mystic Guide has recorded a series of sharp workouts at Fair Grounds leading up to his 2021 debut. Stidham said he chose to start Mystic Guide's 2021 campaign in the Razorback because unbeaten Maxfield, another Godolphin homebred, was being pointed to the $200,000 Mineshaft Stakes (G3) Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds.

“With Maxfield also being at being at the Fair Grounds, they didn't want to run them against each other,” Stidham said of Godolphin. “It was decided that Maxfield was going to stay here and we would go to Oaklawn. That was how it all worked out.”

Maxfield moved to 5 for 5 with a 3 ¼-length victory in the Mineshaft, which marked his 4-year-old debut. Mystic Guide will have a chance to complete the Godolphin older horse stakes double in the Razorback, a major local prep for the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 17.

Mystic Guide was the 3-1 second choice in the program after the race was originally drawn. Mystic Guide was among seven horses entered Tuesday, the others being Silver Prospector, Hunka Burning Love, Mailman Money, Owendale, Rated R Superstar and Long Range Toddy.

Stidham has 19 career victories at Oaklawn, with almost one-third (six) coming in stakes events. Stidham won the $250,000 Fantasy (G2) for 3-year-old fillies in 1994 with Two Altazano, 1999 Razorback with Desert Air and four more stakes with crack Arkansas-bred sprinter Comedero, including the $60,000 Mountain Valley in open company in 2010.

“Most of the time when we make the ship, it's usually for a stakes, so we probably have run in more stakes than anything there,” Stidham said. “We hope our success continues.”

The Southwest, Oaklawn's second of four Kentucky Derby points races, drew a field of seven. In addition to Essential Quality and multiple Grade 1 winner Jackie's Warrior, Saffa's Day, Last Samurai, Santa Cruiser, Woodhouse and Spielberg are also entered.

Oaklawn stakes winners Amy's Challenge and Kimari are among nine horses entered in the 5 1/2-furlong Spring Fever. Also entered are Cashcheckorcharge, Sunny Dale, Casual, Headland, Ain't No Elmers, Shesomajestic and Best Kept Secret.

Probable post time for the Spring Fever, race 8, is 3:52 p.m. Probable post time for the Southwest, race 10, is 4:58 p.m.

The post ‘Hoping For An Even Better 4-Year-Old Year’: G2 Winner Mystic Guide Returns In Razorback appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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