joe bravo | Horse Racing Free Tips

Yes This Time Quickens Best in Kent

Heavily favored to score a fifth consecutive victory and his sixth from eight starts overall, Edge Racing's Yes This Time (Not This Time) had some work to turning into the stretch of Saturday's GIII Kent S. over rain-affected turf at Delaware Park, but he rallied through an opening at the rail and outfinished pacesetting Like the King (Palace Malice) for an ultimately comfortable success.

Allowed to amble along as the pacesetter had things very much his own way on the engine, Yes This Time was shuffled back to last and was off the bridle for a stride or two with about three furlongs to race. Busily ridden by Joe Bravo approaching the quarter pole, the chestnut showed a quick turn of foot, confronted the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks winner to his inside with a bit less than an eighth of a mile

Claimed for $30,000 from his breeder and trainer Mike Stidham out of a victorious effort when trying the grass for the first time at the Fair Grounds Dec. 5, Yes This Time was fourth in a starter/optional event at Gulfstream Jan. 21 before scooping similar events Feb. 20 and Mar. 20. A 2 1/2-length winner when facing allowance/optional rivals in Hallandale Apr. 11, he overcame a very wide trip and rallied from last to earn his first black-type success in the May 8 English Channel S. at the South Florida oval.

Pedigree Notes:

Yes This Time becomes the second graded winner for Taylor Made's Not This Time and is simultaneously the 50th graded winner produced by a daughter of the outstanding Smart Strike. The colt's second dam made a name for herself on the Midlantic circuit, winning four black-type events at Delaware Park, including the grassy Beautiful Day S. As a broodmare, Shad was responsible for Strike A Deal (Smart Strike), a two-time graded winner on turf, as well as Pacific Wind (Curlin), victorious in the GII Ruffian S. and third in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. on the main, while earning graded placings in the GII Honeymoon S. and GIII Senorita S. on the grass. The unraced Smart Jilly is the dam of a 2-year-old colt by Street Sense and a yearling filly by Blame.

Saturday, Delaware Park
KENT S.-GIII, $150,125, Delaware, 7-3, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:52.39, sf.
1–YES THIS TIME, 117, c, 3, by Not This Time
                1st Dam: Smart Jilly, by Smart Strike
                2nd Dam: Shag, by Dixieland Band
                3rd Dam: Ismelda, by Wavering Monarch
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Edge Racing; B-Barry S. Golden
(KY); T-Kelly J. Breen; J-Joe Bravo. $90,000. Lifetime Record:
8-6-0-0, $215,025. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Like the King, 117, c, 3, Palace Malice–Like a Queen, by
Corinthian. ($28,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; $170,000 Ylg '19
OBSOCT). O-M Racing Group, LLC; B-Horseshoe Racing, LLC
(KY); T-Wesley A. Ward. $30,000.
3–Wootton Asset (Fr), 117, c, 3, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Love Liu
(Fr), by Librettist. (€37,000 Ylg '19 AROYRG). O-Madaket
Stables LLC; B-Ecurie Haras Du Cadran & Mme. Patrick
Ades-Hazan (FR); T-H. Graham Motion. $16,500.
Margins: 1, 1, 1HF. Odds: 1.10, 3.50, 5.00.
Also Ran: Doubleoseven, Eamonn, Be Here. Scratched: Gershwin, Shackled Love, Vikram. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Yes This Time Sneaks Up On Like The King To Take Kent Stakes

Riding the rail under Joe Bravo, Yes This Time went from last on the final turn to first in the final furlong of the 1 1/8 mile Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del. The soft turf and a stubborn front running Like the King were no trouble for the son of Not This Time, who earns his fifth win of six starts in 2021.

After an even start, Like the King took an easy length-and-a-half lead over Be Here and Eamonn, with Wootton Asset in fourth. The pace was slow, Like the King cruising through fractions of :25.63 for the first quarter and :51.21 for the first half. He maintained that easy lead, controlling the pace through the first mile. Into the stretch, Like the King held on to the lead, unwilling to give it up as Bravo and Yes This Time snuck up on the rail to challenge. Like the King tried to hold on, but Yest This Time was able to pass him in the final strides to win by a length in a slow 1:52.39 on soft turf.

Find this race's chart here.

Wootton Asset, Doubleoseven, Eamonn, and Be Here rounded out the field of six in the G3 Kent Stakes.

“I was concerned about the pace,” said winning trainer Kelly Breen. “Honestly, the leader (Like the King) got out there and went a half in :51 and three-quarters in 1:16 and two races before, they did not go that slow. I was concerned about being towards the back early, but the rail opened up and he came running. We are schooling him for the Kentucky Downs race (Dueling Grounds Derby – Sept 5) by getting him used to going up and down the hills and being able to rate. He is a pretty neat horse with a lot of guts. He is a nice horse to train and he is pretty cool. Other than his first race, everything has been basically win pictures. He is a pretty nice horse.”

Yes This Time paid $4.20, $2.60, and $2.10. Like the King paid $3.80 and $2.60. Third-place Wootton Asset paid $3.40 to show.

Yes This Time is a 3-year-old colt from the first crop of Taylor Made stallion Not This Time. Bred by Barry Golden, he is out of the Smart Strike mare Smart Jilly. He is owned by Edge Racing and trained by Kelly Breen. His win in the Kent Stakes marks his sixth win in eight lifetime starts for earnings of $201,825.

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Bravo Takes Show On Road, Wins Jockey Of The Week With Two Stakes Successes

Joe Bravo made the most of his travels last week. With mounts at Delaware Park in Delaware, Belmont Park in New York and Pimlico race course in Maryland, he won two stakes races to earn Jockey of the Week for June 7 through June 13. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

On Wednesday, Bravo journeyed to Delaware Park for the Obeah Stakes reuniting with the 4-year-old Dream Marie trained by Matthew Williams. Taken back early in the field of seven fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up, Bravo eased Dream Marie outside and advanced five wide at the half mile marker kicking clear in the final sixteenth to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:44.40 over a sloppy track, returning $19.40.

“She really likes this course,” said Bravo. “The last time she was on this course she was a very game second a heart-beat from winning. Today, as I was expecting, when she turned for home, she really kicked off nicely.”

After riding at Belmont Park Thursday and Saturday, Bravo travelled to Pimlico on Sunday for the call on Pixelate in the Prince George's County for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles for trainer Michael Stidham. In a field of 11, Bravo rated Pixelate in fifth along the rail outside Alwaysmining. Entering the stretch, Pixelate drove past a tiring Alwaysmining and Logical Myth to win by a length in 1:53.56.

“He was really strong on the first turn,” Bravo said. When we got down the backside he started breathing underneath me and I knew he was comfortable. Turning for home I had to get him outside. Stidham did all the hard work and got him really ready. I want to say thanks to Godolphin.” When asked if he was told anything before riding Pixelate for the first time, Bravo replied, “Don't get beat jock.”

Bravo will be heading west to ride at Santa Anita closing weekend and intends to ride at Del Mar when that meet starts July 16.

Weekly statistics for Bravo were 6-3-1-0 and total purse earnings of $179,880.

For Jockey of the Week, Bravo out polled Stewart Elliott with two stakes wins at Lone Star, Kyle Frey who tied with Charle Oliveros for number of wins for the week with nine, and Jose Ortiz who one a stakes race and was leading jockey by total purse earnings.

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Pixelate Turns It On Late To Win At Pimlico

Godophin LLC's Pixelate, fifth in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf and beaten a nose last time out here in the Henry Clark Stakes, ran down Logical Myth down the stretch to win Sunday's $100,000 Prince George's County by a length at Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Md.

Trained by Michael Stidham and ridden by Joe Bravo, Pixelate covered a good 1 1/8 mile turf course in 1:53.56. Eons finished third and Argonne fourth.

Stidham called the win “very satisfying because he's there every time.”

“He's laying his body down for us every time,” he added. “When he loses, it's not by much so when he wins it's extra special. Joe [Bravo] had him in the right spot, moved at the right time and I was delighted with the effort.”

The 1 1/8-mile Prince George's County for 3-year-olds and up on the grass was the third of five stakes worth $475,000 in purses on a 10-race program. Having debuted in 2019, it was not run during a pandemic-shortened 2020 stakes schedule.

It was preceded by the $100,000 Searching Stakes, also on turf, and $75,000 Ben's Cat Stakes and followed by the $100,000 Shine Again Stakes and $100,000 Stormy Blues Stakes. The Ben's Cat for Maryland-bred/sired horses and Stormy Blues for 3-year-old fillies were both moved from the grass to the main track and kept at five furlongs.

It was a clean break for everyone in the Prince George's County with the multiple-dirt stakes winner Alwaysmining going to the front and taking the field into the first turn past a :24.74 opening quarter followed by Doc Boy, also carrying the Godolphin colors, Logical Myth and Bravo rating Pixelate in fifth along the rail.

Alwaysmining led the field down the backstretch past a :50.68 half and 1:15.25 three-quarters before Logical Myth moved up along the outside the leader entering the final turn and took the lead entering the stretch. But Bravo moved Pixelate up along the rail outside a tiring Alwaysmining around the turn entering the stretch and then drove past Logical Myth inside the final sixteenth.

“He was really strong on the first turn,” Bravo said. “When we got down the backside he started breathing underneath me and I knew he was comfortable. Turning for home I had to get him outside. Stidham did all the hard work and got him really ready. I want to say Thanks to Godolphin. What a month they've had. They've won everything. It's just nice to wear their colors.

When asked if he was told anything before riding Pixelate for the first time, Bravo replied, “Don't get beat, jock.”

Pixelate, the favorite, returned $4.20.

Prince George's County is the second most populous county in Maryland behind Montgomery, bordering the eastern portion of Washington, D.C. Within its borders are both Laurel Park in Laurel, Md. and Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, Md.

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