Junior Alvarado | Horse Racing Free Tips

Pennsylvania-Bred Beren Catches Candy Man Rocket At The Wire In Gold Fever

Susan Quick and Christopher Feifarek's Beren made up 5 1/2 lengths in the stretch, closing in on Candy Man Rocket with a strong outside move and gaining the edge in the final stride to win Sunday's $100,000 Gold Fever by a nose in a thrilling finish to the six-furlong sprint for sophomores at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The eighth running of the Gold Fever saw Beren earn his first career stakes win in dramatic fashion, running down graded stakes-winner Candy Man Rocket under coaxing from jockey Manny Franco in the feature for the nine-race card.

Beren broke sharp from the inside post, remaining unscathed as Roderick stumbled and unseated rider Joel Rosario coming out of the gate from post 3. Both horse and rider were uninjured, with the outrider picking up Roderick in the gallop out.

American Gentleman led what became a five-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 22.79 seconds on the fast main track, with Beren tracking in fourth position. Candy Man Rocket, under Junior Alvarado, overtook American Gentleman at the front with the half going in 46.07, and maintained the edge into the stretch.

But Beren rallied when straightened for home, as Franco gave strong left-handed encouragement. The Weigelia colt had plenty in reserve and closed the deficit in the final sixteenth before getting up in time to win the head bob in a final time of 1:11.25.

Beren, fourth last out after stumbling at the start in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Bay Shore on April 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack, notched his third win in his last four starts.

“The class relief helped. He ran with some tough horses in the Bay Shore,” Franco said. “I knew the horse belonged here. I just wanted to make sure he broke better than he did last time. Today, he broke a step slow again, but I put him in the clear and he was comfortable after that.

“He can go seven [furlongs], but I think the six furlongs made the difference today,” he added.

The Pennsylvania homebred made his first six starts in his native Quaker State before moving up to graded stakes competition last month by trainer Butch Reid.

“It was nerve-wracking, but Manny did a great job,” Reid said. “He got him straightened out and got him to switch leads and he finished really well.

“I've found with these Weigelias that they don't need to be on the lead and they really like a little bit of moisture in the racetrack,” he added. “I've had a lot of them to train and they are all game horses and have done very well for us.”

Beren, off at 3-1, returned $8.60 on a $2 win bet and improved his career earnings to $160,420.

“I love getting that New York money,” Reid said. “There's nothing quite like it. You know when you come here, you've beaten the best. It's a special treat to come up here and win a race.”

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott shortened Candy Man Rocket up for his first sprint since being placed on the Triple Crown trail. After winning the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Sam F. Davis in February at Tampa Bay Downs and finishing out of the money in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, the Candy Ride colt finished 6 1/2 lengths clear of Doubleoseven for second, earning a placing in his Belmont debut.

“I had a great trip, really no excuses,” Alvarado said. “When we got to the wire I thought we held on, but I guess we didn't. He ran great. I think he'll get better with experience. He'll probably do his better running going shorter distances.”

The Wolfman and American Gentleman completed the order of finish.

Starting on May 1, Belmont Park re-opened to a limited number of spectators. All admission must be purchased in advance at nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

For comprehensive information on health and safety protocols in effect for the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, please visit: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/visit/plan-your-visit.

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Harvey’s Lil Goil Holds Off European Import Lemista In Beaugay

Following a wildly successful sophomore campaign that saw her finish third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Harvey's Lil Goil made a successful return to the races on Saturday, holding off European import Lemista to take the Grade 3, $150,000 Beaugay for older fillies and mares at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., by a half-length in her seasonal debut.

Winner of last year's Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland, Harvey's Lil Goil hadn't run since her surprise third-place finish in the 2020 edition of the Filly & Mare Turf in November at Keeneland, where she missed by just a neck to Audarya. As a 3-year-old, the daughter of American Pharoah also took the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill Downs and finished second in the Dueling Ground Oaks at Kentucky Downs in a productive year that commenced on dirt for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

Breaking from the rail in the Beaugay, run at 1 1/16 miles on Belmont's inner turf course, Harvey's Lil Goil was clearly fresh as she bounded out of the gate under Junior Alvarado, who reined her in to sit in second while longshot Platinum Paynter assumed control of the early lead and proceeded to set glacial splits of 26 seconds flat for the opening quarter-mile, 50.93 for the half, and 1:15.28 for three-quarters over the turf listed as good.

The tempo quickened appreciably as the compact field of six rounded the far turn, with the stalking Harvey's Lil Goil putting her neck in front of Platinum Paynter by the time they completed the bend, as Nay Lady Nay and Civil Union, fifth in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, lined up to take their shots on the outside.

Lemista emerged from cover along the inside and threatened to spoil Harvey's Lil Goil's comeback party in the stretch. With an eighth of a mile to go Harvey's Lil Goil had inched away to establish a sizable advantage, but Lemista cut into that margin with every stride, making incremental progress throughout the final furlong before she ran out of ground late and had to settle for second behind her classy foe.

“There was a point around the half-mile pole where I checked to see where I was with my filly,” said Alvarado. “At that point, I figured out when I was going to pick it up. If I was going to be worried, it was going to be from someone from behind. This was a nice race for her comeback.

“She's one of those fillies that I've been waiting for this whole winter,” added the winning rider. “I'm glad she's back and that she pulled out the win today. I still feel that she wasn't 100 percent, but she was good enough to beat this group today. She's an awesome filly to have back again and I'm looking forward to this year with her.”

Owned by the Estate of Harvey Clarke and Paul Braverman, Harvey's Lil Goil notched her fifth win from 10 career starts, in the process bumping her bankroll over the $800,000 mark. She returned $4.30 on a $2 win wager as the favorite and completed the distance in 1:43.44, an effort that could set her up nicely for a prospective start in the Grade 2, $750,000 New York on the week of the Belmont Stakes, Mott said.

“It's the way we thought it would play out on paper,” said Mott. “The horse that was on the lead figured to be on the lead. When she felt those horses coming from behind her, she held them safe. It looked like she still had something in the tank.”

Making her North American debut for Brown and owner Peter Brant, Lemista ran lights-out in defeat as she nearly overcame a dawdling early pace beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. to add to her growing trophy case, which already includes a pair of graded wins in Ireland. She finished three lengths to the good of Platinum Paynter, who continued her good run on the NYRA circuit with another on-the-board finish at long odds, this time in a graded stake.

Platinum Paynter checked in a nose ahead of Nay Lady Nay on the wire, who was followed home by Civil Union and Thankful.

Claimed for just $12,500 last fall by trainer Juan Vazquez and owner Just In Time Racing, Platinum Paynter missed by a length when fourth in the Forever Together at 82-1 to close out her 2020 campaign at Aqueduct, then came back with a second-place finish at 21-1 in the Plenty of Grace on April 11 at the Big A before she outran her odds yet again in the Beaugay.

“She always tries hard,” said Luis Rodriguez Castro, jockey aboard Platinum Paynter. “We got a good second last time and now she finished third. I thought she did everything right. The other horses just fired up. I'm really happy with the way she ran. The trainer did a great job with her. She's running really well and I think she can win one of these races.”

Live racing continues Sunday at Belmont with a nine-race card highlighted by the $100,000 Gold Fever for 3-year-olds going six furlongs on the main track. First post is 1 p.m.

Starting on May 1, Belmont Park re-opened to a limited number of spectators. All admission must be purchased in advance at nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

For comprehensive information on health and safety protocols in effect for the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, please visit: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/visit/plan-your-visit.

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Jose Lezcano Returns Thursday Following Shoulder And Knee Surgery

Jockey Jose Lezcano will be back in the saddle on Thursday at Belmont Park after recovering from shoulder and knee surgery which kept him out of action for nearly three full months.

The 36-year-old Lezcano has not ridden since January 31 at Aqueduct and has been named aboard two horses on Thursday's nine-race card for trainer Brad Cox.

The 2019 Belmont spring/summer meet leading rider will pilot graded-stakes placed Caldee for Shortleaf Stable in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming race over the Widener turf course in Race 5, as well as Anstu Stables' stakes-placed Kinenos, who is entered in a 10-furlong second-level optional claiming tilt over the inner turf in Race 8.

Agent Jason Beides said Lezcano has been working horses at Belmont for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey and Jorge Abreu.

“He's going good and working really hard,” said Beides. “He can't wait to get back and ride. It's been tough keeping him on the ground. A shoulder is a tough injury but he stays in good shape, so that's good.”

Jockeys Junior Alvarado and Pablo Fragoso, who were unseated in the eighth race on Opening Day on Thursday at Belmont, are both on the sidelines.

The 34-year-old Alvarado, who was unseated by Sport Model, was evaluated at hospital Thursday. Agent Mike Sellitto reported that all tests and scans were negative. Alvarado was discharged that evening and will visit a specialist later this week for further guidance on his expected return.

Fragoso reported that he had fractured his right wrist, incurred a mild concussion, and lost two teeth after being unseated by Sailor's Treasure. Fragoso will also seek further specialist advice this week.

Manny Franco, who was unseated by Undetectable in the same spill, was cleared by EMS immediately following and rode the winner, Kavod, in Friday's opening race at Belmont.

Dylan Davis, who broke his collarbone in a fall on March 20 at Aqueduct Racetrack, will see a specialist this week with an eye towards a mid-May return, agent Mike Migliore said. The 26-year-old rider underwent successful surgery at the end of March.

“If all goes well with the doctor, we're hoping he can be back in the middle of May after a little physical therapy,” said Migliore. “He's young and keeps himself in good shape. It's a shame he got hurt, we had good momentum going at Aqueduct.”

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Concussion Sustained In Belmont Spill Sidelines Junior Alvarado

Jockey Junior Alvarado, one of three jockeys involved in a spill in Thursday's eighth race on opening day at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., was off all mounts this weekend and will miss several stakes engagements at Churchill Downs next week, including a possible ride aboard Caddo River in the G1 Kentucky Derby, according to a report in Daily Racing Form.

Alvarado was released from a local hospital on Thursday evening but took of mounts the following day and saw a specialist who determined the rider had suffered a concussion. He had fallen hard to the turf when his mount, Sport Model, clipped heels when in tight rounding the stretch turn. Jockey Manny Franco escaped injury when his mount, Undetectable, collided with the fallen horse. A third rider, Pablo Fragoso, was diagnosed with a wrist fracture and also lost two teeth when he was thrown to the ground after his mount, Sailor's Treasure, was unable to avoid Sport Model.

All three horses got back up and were captured by outriders. None was reported to have suffered any injuries.

According to Daily Racing Form, Alvarado was being considered as rider for Caddo River in the Kentucky Derby. He had several other stakes mounts lined up Derby week, but will not be able to fulfill any of the commitments. Alvarado is scheduled to see a doctor Thursday to learn when he may return to action.

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