John Velazquez | Horse Racing Free Tips

Next Beats Royal Prince, Helium To Wire In War Chant At Churchill Downs

Silverton Hill LLC's homebred Next led every step of the way and comfortably won Saturday's second running of the $150,000 War Chant Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. by 3 ¾ lengths over Royal Prince. Helium, the even-money favorite, was another 2 ¾ lengths back in third, who finished a head in front of Dyn O Mite.

Trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by John Velazquez, Next prevailed in a field of four 3-year-olds as he covered one mile on firm turf in 1:35.09 after setting comfortable fractions of :24.03, :48.40, and 1:12.53 without any pressure.

“I knew he was a pretty speedy horse so the situation worked out well today being on the front end,” Velazquez said. “He seems to do his best running when he can get a lead and he was able to get a pretty easy one today.”

The victory was worth $97,500 and increased Next's earnings to $199,394 with a record of 3-0-0 in six starts. The Kentucky-bred son of Not This Time out of the Awesome Again mare Bahia Beach previously finished 11th at 22-1 in the $500,000 American Turf (Grade II) on the Kentucky Derby undercard. At age 2, he broke his maiden on turf at Kentucky Downs and won a first-level allowance on dirt at Keeneland before finishing last of 14 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI).

“He's a really tough horse when he's on the front end and when he comes from behind he's just not the same horse,” Ward explained. “I thought if he broke well and was on the front end we'd have a great shot today.”

Next returned $6.60 and $3.20 at odds of 2-1. Royal Prince, ridden by Florent Geroux, returned $3. There was no show wagering because Accredit, El Kabong, In Effect, and Starrininmydreams were late scratches.

The War Chant, which is named in honor of the 3-year-old who won the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs in 2000, was the first leg of the Derby City 6, which had a mandatory payout of the $166,087 jackpot carryover. A total of $1,142,890 in new money was bet into the closing day pool.

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Velazquez Named Jockeys & Jeans Ambassador

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has been named an ambassador for the Jockeys & Jeans fundraiser to be held this year at Monmouth Park Saturday, Sept. 11. A winner of better than 6,000 in his career, Velazquez is also chairman of the board for the Jockeys' Guild and serves on the board for the Permanently Disable Jockeys' Fund (PDJF).

“Being a Jockeys & Jeans Ambassador is one of the highest honors our organization can bestow on a person and we take it very seriously,” said Jockeys & Jeans President Barry Pearl. “Johnny has promised to represent us to the racing community and we are very proud to have him on board.”

Jockeys & Jeans ambassadors represent the organization to racing management, owners, trainers and other jockeys.

Velazquez won this year's GI Longines Kentucky Oaks aboard Malathaat (Curlin).

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Baron Samedi Continues European Dominance In Marathon Belmont Gold Cup

Baron Samedi continued the dominance of European runners in the Grade 2, $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., on Friday, closing strongly in the stretch under John Velazquez to win the two-mile turf race by 2 3/4 lengths as the 6-5 favorite. It was the seventh consecutive victory for the English-bred gelded son of Harbour Watch dating back to August 2020.

Argentine-bred Fantasioso finished second with Javier Castellano aboard, with Ajourneytofreedom (one of three entries from the barn of Mike Maker) third and Kinenos fourth in the field of nine older marathoners.

Baron Samedi covered the two miles on yielding turf in 3:27.30, more than 10 seconds slower than 2018 winner Call to Mind ran the distance. Trained in Ireland by Joseph O'Brien, Baron Samedi became the fourth consecutive Belmont Gold Cup winner to invade from Europe. The only starter in this year's field based in Europe, he paid $4.60 to win.

Inaugurated in 2014, the Belmont Gold Cup is the longest graded stakes run in North America.

The final four races on Friday's program were delayed when a thunderstorm moved through the area, dumping a significant amount of rain on the course.

Owned by LECH Racing LLC, Baron Samedi was sold for about US$5,000 as a weanling. He was slow to develop as a racehorse, losing his first five starts, and didn't win his first race until after being gelded. Once he figured out how to win, however, he has not finished behind another horses, gradually moving from the Irish handicap ranks into Group company, ending his 2020 campaign with a win in a Group 2 race at Longchamp going 1 3/8 miles and then launching his 2021 season with a win in the Group 3 Vintage Crop Stakes going 1 3/4 miles at Navan in Ireland on April 25.

Velazquez allowed Baron Samedi to settle into sixth position early as So High and Eric Cancel grabbed the early lead, going an opening quarter mile in :24.37, a half in :50.11 and six furlongs in 1:15.48.

Conviction Trade and Jose Ortiz raced in second through the opening mile in 1:43.03, then took over from the leader in the second run down the backstretch.

As the field rounded the final turn following a 1 1/4-mile clocking in 2:08.61, So High re-engaged with Conviction Trade, but the field was closing in on the two leaders.

Ziyad was the first to make a move, and Velazquez followed that one into the stretch while hugging the inside hedge. Once Baron Samedi cleared Ziyad, Velazquez swung him off the rail and took dead aim on the front-runners. Baron Samedi veered outwardly under a left-handed strike of the whip from Velazquez and into the path of a closing Fantasioso, the eventual runner-up, but there was no inquiry or claim of foul from that incident.

“The winner came out, but he was clear,” Castellano said. “He opened up by two lengths and it didn't affect me at all.”

Straightened away and under right-handed pressure, Baron Samedi took command and maintained the advantage over the runner-up in the final furlong to win comfortably.

“Baron Samedi is a very good horse and Johnny [Velazquez] gave him a great ride.
said O'Brien. “He hadn't been that far before, but he had handled that kind of track before, so we weren't worried about the rain. We just worried about them taking the race off the turf.

“This horse just doesn't get tired, he just keeps coming and coming,” Velazquez said. “But I had to ride him because he's kind of slow-paced. He's a grinder; just keeps coming and coming. I didn't want to end up being a little too soon so I thought I' better just keep him going. He did everything good. Once we got to the three-eighths pole I was riding him and getting to where I wanted to be and he gave me a good feeling from then on. The course was very soft, but he handled it well. No complaints.”

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Juvenile Happy Soul Much The Best In Thursday’s Astoria

Gayla Rankin's Happy Soul was hustled out of the gate by Hall of Famer John Velazquez and never relinquished control en route to an 11 1/2-length score in Thursday's $150,000 Astoria, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies at Belmont Park on Day One of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

Trained by Wesley Ward, the bay daughter of Runhappy entered from a similarly dominant score on May 13 at Belmont when 11 3/4-lengths the best in a five-furlong maiden special weight.

Velazquez urged the $50,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase from the gate and quickly established command as American Bound, under Luis Saez, applied pressure to her outside through an opening quarter-mile in 21.92 seconds on the fast main track.

Happy Soul extended her advantage into the turn through a half-mile in 45.74 as Constitution Gal moved up along the rail into third. In hand and in command at the top of the lane, Happy Soul enjoyed a 6 1/2-length lead at the stretch call and continued to fine more en route to a facile score in a final time of 1:05.69.

Constitution Gal completed the exacta by 1 1/4-lengths over She's So Shiny. Rounding out the order of finish was American Bound and Midsummer Nights. Mainstay was scratched.

Velazquez said he had to ask the speedy filly from the moment the latch sprung.

“She fell asleep in the gate. She wasn't paying attention,” said Velazquez. “I had to use her coming out of there, which normally I don't want to do with [Wesley Ward's] horses because they go so fast, but I had to do it.

“Once I got out of there, I got into the position she wants,” he continued. “I just let her take her speed wherever she wanted to go.”

Ward said the improving filly will step up to graded company next out in the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack, a 6 ½-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies on August 8 at Saratoga.

“She was 1-9, so obviously we were in the right spot,” said Ward. “We'll have to step up in class and company next. She'll get back to Keeneland and prepare for the Adirondack at Saratoga.”

Bred in Kentucky by Harris Training Center, Happy Soul banked $87,000 in victory. She paid $2.30 for a $2 win ticket.

Day Two of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival continues Friday at Belmont with an 11-race card, featuring five stakes, including the Grade 2, $750,000 New York, a 10-furlong turf test for older fillies and mares; the Grade 2, $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup at two miles on the Widener turf for older horses; the Grade 2, $300,000 True North, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older horses; the Grade 3, $300,000 Bed O' Roses, a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares; and the $150,000 Tremont for juveniles. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

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