Just A Game Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Powerhouse Stables Of Appleby, Brown Make Up Half The Field In Just A Game

Twelve stakes winners, including 11 graded/group stakes winners—all seeking their first turf Grade 1 score comprise the dozen entered in Saturday's $500,000 Longines Just a Game over one mile on the Widener turf course.

The powerhouse stables of Charlie Appleby and Chad Brown make up half of those in a race that has traditionally showcased some of the best turf females in training, including eight Breeders' Cup winners.

Trainer Charlie Appleby has sent out a mere 15 starters in North America since becoming a head conditioner for Godolphin in 2013, but has won with five of those and earned more than $2.9 million. A pair of grey 4-year-old fillies with stakes victories during Meydan Racecourse's 2021 Dubai World Cup Carnival, Althiqa [post 8, Hall of Famer Mike Smith] and Summer Romance [post 9, Luis Saez], deserve plenty of respect shipping over from England.

Althiqa closed from last to land the one-mile Group 2 Cape Verdi in late January, knocking off her favored stablemate, who tired to fifth after making the running. Summer Romance would make amends three weeks later in the nine-furlong Group 2 Balanchine, running the field off its feet in gate-to-wire fashion. Althiqa checked in third.

While Althiqa is a homebred who has steadily ambled her way up the ranks, it is clear that Summer Romance—an $898,800 daughter of Kingman and half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Rizeena—has been held in slightly higher regard.

“They all travelled over well and have trained well since they've been there,” Appleby said. “There's been a little rain and the track's very wet this weekend. The fillies are fit and well and have plenty of experience under their belt. The reason we went to America is they carry Group 2 penalties here in Europe for the forthcoming season and the Group 1 older fillies races aren't until later in the year, anyway, so we thought it might be a good opportunity to get a Grade 1.”

Chad Brown's quartet is led by Peter Brant's Blowout [post 11, Flavien Prat], a gate-to-wire winner of the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile last out at Churchill Downs. A daughter of Dansili and French classic winner Beauty Parlour, she cured a case of seconditis in the process after completing the exacta in a trio of events, led by a nose loss in the Grade 1 Matriarch in November at Del Mar.

“Flavien really gets along with her well,” Brown said. “We saw that in the Matriarch. He has great hands and she can be difficult, but he really gets along with her and timed it right. She likes this track very much. She ran one of the best races I've ever had a horse run in defeat that day [in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel, September 26], when she got away from Johnny [Velazquez] and went 44 [seconds for the half-mile] and kept going. I don't know how she was still there at the end. If she can settle at all, she has a good closing kick. She has run well on good ground in the past, but I prefer for it to be firm.”

Brant also entered Regal Glory [post 4, Hall of Famer Javier Castellano], fourth in this last year and cross-entered in Thursday's Grade 3 Intercontinental.

Brown's Grade 2 Sands Point-winner Tamahere [post 10, Jose Ortiz] kicked off her season with a respectable second in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland on April 10. Owned by Swift Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables, the daughter of in-form stallion Wootton Bassett appears primed for a top effort.

“This filly would be no shock to win this race, either,” Brown said. “She's going to really appreciate the cut back to a mile and she loves Belmont. She's been training very well and is a legitimate contender here.”

The fourth for Brown is Juddmonte's Pocket Square [post 6, Irad Ortiz Jr.], who seeks to build off a strong American debut, winning by open lengths at Keeneland on April 7. By smart young stallion Night of Thunder, the chestnut 4-year-old makes her sixth start and owns a stakes win in the Group 3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville in 2019.

“She's a pretty good horse and reminds me of some other talented horses I've had,” Brown said. “We did this with Antonoe, going from an allowance at Keeneland to the Just a Game, which she won. She's pretty good and we're lucky to have her. I think she's lined up for a good one.

“Interestingly, she shipped over last year to run in the Saratoga Oaks and she had an issue out of quarantine where she needed some time off,” Brown continued. “Fortunately, the team at Juddmonte did a fantastic job and sent her back to us this winter all healed up and healthy. We did our normal move, like (Bobby) Frankel would have done, which is take our time, find an allowance at Keeneland and then go from there. As impressive as she was in that race, she's come out of it and even taken it up another notch in her workouts. She's been exceptional.”

The three who finished directly astern Blowout in the Distaff Turf Mile—R Unicorn Stable's New York Girl [post 12, Junior Alvarado], Heider Family Stables' Zofelle [post 1, Tyler Gaffalione] and Apogee Racing's Abscond [post 7, Joel Rosario]—will hope to extinguish said rival this time around.

Joseph Imbesi's Sweet Bye and Bye [post 2, Jose Lezcano]—second in the Grade 3 Marshua's River in January to Zofelle—is cross-entered in Thursday's Intercontinental, while Repole Stable's Always Shopping [post 5, Hall of Famer John Velazquez] is cross-entered in Friday's Grade 2 New York.

Jim and Susan Hill's multiple Grade 1-placed Daddy Is a Legend [post 3, Manny Franco], who owns the highest Beyer Speed Figure in the field [102], looks to improve upon her third-place finish in this event in 2019.

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival runs from Thursday through Saturday, June 5, culminating with the 153rd running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets. The festival will encompass 17 total stakes, including eight Grade 1s on Belmont Stakes Day, capped by the “Test of the Champion” for 3-year-olds in the 1 1/2-mile final leg of the Triple Crown. First post on Belmont Stakes Day is 11:35 a.m. Eastern

The Just a Game is slated as Race 8 on Saturday's 13-race card.

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Newspaperofrecord Caps Five-Win Day For Irad Ortiz Jr. With Frontrunning Just A Game Score

Klaravich Stables' Newspaperofrecord, undefeated as a juvenile en route to a score in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, continued a perfect start to her 4-year-old campaign with a commanding frontrunning score in the Grade 1, $250,000 Just a Game at one-mile over the Widener turf course on a rainy Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The 27th edition of the Just a Game capped a stakes-laden card that also featured the Grade 2, $250,000 New York, won by Mean Mary at 1 ¼ miles on the inner turf; the Grade 2, $150,000 True North for 4-year-olds and up going 6 ½ furlongs captured by Firenze Fire; and a 27-1 upset from Victim of Love in the Grade 3, $100,000 Vagrancy for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up sprinting 6 ½ furlongs on the main track.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, Newspaperofrecord was winless in three sophomore starts, but the daughter of Lope de Vega returned to form in her 4-year-old debut with a four-length gate-to-wire win in the Grade 3 Intercontinental on June 6 at Belmont.

Sent to post as the even-money second choice behind stablemate Uni, the reigning Champion Turf Female, Newspaperofrecord zipped to the lead out of post 3 under regular pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr. and marked the opening quarter-mile in 23.79 seconds on the turf labeled firm.

Newspaperofrecord continued to lead the charge down the backstretch, reaching the half-mile in 48.13 with Valedictorian in close pursuit followed by a large gap back to stablemates Regal Glory and Uni.

Uni, with Joel Rosario up, and Regal Glory, under Belmont Stakes-winning rider Manny Franco, launched their bids in tandem through the turn as Valedictorian faded with Newspaperofrecord's lead diminishing. Ortiz, sensing the pressure, took a quick peek back at the competition and asked his talented filly for more and she instantly responded with a tremendous turn of foot to separate herself from the competition.

Newspaperofrecord bounded effortlessly away from the field down the lane to secure the three-length length victory in a final time of 1:35.62. Multiple graded-stakes winner Beau Recall rallied from last to earn place by a half-length over Uni. Regal Glory, Zofelle, and Valedictorian rounded out the order of finish. Got Stormy was scratched.

The victory marked the fourth consecutive Just a Game win for Brown, who won previously with Antonoe [2017], A Raving Beauty [2018] and Rushing Fall [2019].

Brown said he was proud of the impressive effort from Newspaperofrecord on three week's rest.

“We trained her lightly and she has been training very relaxed. Last time, she was going really fast and was a little fresh,” said Brown. “Irad was confident that he could get her to rate a little bit. I loved our post today, off the fence a little bit. The last-minute showers didn't hurt us either. We all know that she likes a little juice in the ground. It was a good effort after three weeks. I was very proud of her. My team has done a great job with her. She's never looked better. She's training so comfortably in the mornings.”

Ortiz said Newspaperofrecord could continue to carry her speed even further going forward.

“She's doing good and has come back really good,” said Ortiz. “Going seven-eighths to a mile is good for her; she can go further, too, and I would not be afraid to go a mile and a sixteenth. I just followed Chad's instructions.”

Ortiz enjoyed a remarkable day at the races with five wins from 10 mounts on the 11-race card. He secured the early double with Sun Summers and Foolish Ghost and notched his third with Flying Finish in the day's fifth race ahead of a score in the Grade 2 True North with Firenze Fire.

The veteran rider, who leads the Belmont spring / summer meet with 27 wins, has earned Eclipse Award honors as Outstanding Jockey the past two seasons. He said the five-win day is a continuation of his dedication to excellence.

“It feels great. I have great support from all the owners and trainers. I'm so happy,” said Ortiz. “It's a dream and I'm working really hard because right now I'm on top in my career. I try to stay focused and try to do the right thing. It's big for me; anytime you can get five wins, it's amazing.”

His brother, Jose Ortiz, said he was pleased with the effort to rally from last-of-six aboard Beau Recall to complete the exacta.

“It was a great effort. I broke OK. She got into a good position and a good rhythm. It's really soft out there,” said Jose Ortiz. “I followed Uni the whole way around there and had a great trip. The winner is just a freak on the soft turf. She loves it.”

Rosario, aboard beaten favorite Uni, said his mare would have appreciated a contested pace.

“She went nice around there and I started making my move early. It looked like the pace wasn't fast,” said Rosario. “I knew there was soft ground. She tried really hard, but today was not her day. I think she needed the race.”

Newspaperofrecord began her career with victories in a Saratoga turf maiden event, the Grade 2 Miss Grillo at Belmont Park and the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs by a combined 20 lengths. As a sophomore, the Lope de Vega bay completed the exacta in the Grade 3 Edgewood at Churchill Downs and the Grade 3 Wonder Again at Belmont ahead of an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational.

Bred in Ireland by Times of Wigan, Newspaperofrecord banked $137,500 in victory while improving her record to 8-4-2-0. She paid $4.10 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race card headlined by the $100,000 Bouwerie, a seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred sophomore fillies in Race 8 at 5:04 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:15 p.m.

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Casse Hoping Got Stormy Brings ‘A Game’ To Just A Game

Gary Barber's Got Stormy will be running at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., for the second time this month when she competes in the seven-horse Grade 1, $250,000 Just a Game for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up on Saturday.

The 27th running of the Just a Game, contested at one mile on the Widener turf, is one of four graded stakes on the 11-race card. It will also feature three contenders from trainer Chad Brown, including 7-5 favorite Uni, 8-5 second-choice Newspaperofrecord, and 10-1 Regal Glory.

Got Stormy, trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, ran fourth in the Grade 3 Beaugay on June 3, bobbling at the start of the 1 1/16-mile turf route before finishing six lengths back to Rushing Fall, another Brown trainee.

In the Just a Game, Got Stormy drew post 2 with Luis Saez aboard and is listed at 5-1 on the morning line.

“We're just hoping for her to bounce back with her 'A' game. It's a small but mighty field,” Casse said. “There's some speed in there with Newspaperofrecord. My hope would be that we are sitting somewhere in mid-pack.”

All eight of Got Stormy's wins have come at one mile. With weather expected to be in the mid 80-degrees, Casse said he hopes the expected rain doesn't come until after the race's 6:08 p.m. Eastern post time.

“The turf should be fairly hard and the mile is definitely her cup of tea,” Casse said.

Got Stormy won four races in 2019, racking up wins in the Grade 1 Matriarch in December at Del Mar and the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap in August at Saratoga Race Course. As a 5-year-old, she ran second, by a neck, to River Boyne in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe on March 7 at Santa Anita.

Live Oak Plantation's Tap It to Win was the speed in last Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes before tiring and finishing fifth in the American Classic won by New York-bred Tiz the Law.

Running in the first leg of the Triple Crown was a big step up for the Tapit colt, who started his sophomore campaign with back-to-back wins in an optional claimer and against allowance company.

Casse saw Tap It to Win post a front-running five-length score on June 4 at Belmont, going 1 1/16 miles. Off a quick turnaround, the Florida homebred was put in the Belmont Stakes, contested this year at 1 1/8 miles instead of its famed 1 1/2-mile distance, under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

“He's good. We tried. Maybe 16 days [back] wasn't his thing. I don't think he brought his 'A' game,” Casse said. “All credit to Tiz the Law and Barclay [Tagg, winning trainer]. I was disappointed in our horse's effort. But I was happy for the winning connections. It was well deserved.”

With the Saratoga summer meet running from July 16 to September 7, Casse said he has options to run Tap It to Win back at the Spa. He also said he might scale back the distance with the Belmont marking the first time Tap It to Win ran longer than 1 1/16 miles.

“I don't think the distance was a factor. Probably he's a just a horse who can't come back so quickly off such a big effort,” Casse said.

The Grade 1, $300,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, contested at seven furlongs on Saratoga's Whitney Day on August 1, could be a possibility for his next spot.

“I think the positive is that we know we have a good horse,” Casse said. “I'm going to sit back and let him tell us when he's ready to go again. I don't know; I haven't thought about it too much yet. Going back to seven-eighths in the Allen Jerkens is something we may look at. We're going to let him chill for a little bit. He ran three hard races in not a long period of time, so we'll let him tell us when he's ready to go. We do know he loves Saratoga.”

Tap It to Win fell short in his bid to make Casse the first trainer to repeat as the Belmont Stakes winner since fellow Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas captured three in a row from 1994-96. Casse won the carnations last year with Sir Winston, who followed that 2019 campaign by returning to Belmont's Big Sandy earlier this month. The Awesome Again colt, who started his 4-year-old campaign with a win against optional claimers in January at Aqueduct, ran second to Moretti in the Flat Out on June 11.

Contesting over a sloppy and sealed track, Sir Winston came from off the pace to run second in the nine-horse Flat Out.

“I was happy with him. He was up against it with no speed in the race and the weather,” Casse said.

Sir Winston breezed four furlongs in 50.78 seconds on Friday over Belmont's main track.

Casse said he is still pointing towards the Grade 2, $200,000 Suburban at 1 ¼ miles on Belmont's packed July 4 card that will be headlined by the Grade 1, $500,000 Runhappy Met Mile.

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Just A Game: One-Turn Mile The Right Trip For 12-1 Chance Zofelle

Trainer Brendan Walsh said a one-turn mile is the right fit for stakes-winner Zofelle, which is why he will send the 4-year-old Zoffany bay to Belmont Park for Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Just a Game over the Widener turf course.

Owned by Heider Family Stables, Zofelle was third, beaten a neck in the Grade 3 Mint Julep on May 30 at Churchill Downs, where she broke from the outside, tracked the pace in third and maintained her position down the stretch while in pursuit, but was unable to hold off the late charge of Secret Message and stablemate La Signare.

Zofelle joined Walsh's barn last fall after racing in Great Britain for Hugo Palmer and won her first three North American starts for the trainer, two of which were at a mile, including a stakes win in the Pago Hop on December 28 at Fair Grounds.

“I think that in an ideal world, a mile is her trip,” Walsh said. “We drew wide last time and [jockey] Corey [Lanerie] had to work to put her in the race. The draw and having to use her early on didn't help us. It was the best race she's run since we got her. The one-turn mile is right up her alley. I think that suits her better and that's why I wanted to run her up there.”

Notching a victory in Saturday's race will be no easy task, as she will have to face Breeders' Cup winners Newspaperofrecord and Uni. Zofelle is 12-1 on the Just A Game morning line.

“It's a tough race, but it will suit her well. She's training well and I think that she'll run well,” Walsh said.

Bred in Ireland by Fullbury and Minch Bloodstock, Zofelle is out of the Galileo broodmare Height of Elegance, who is a half-sister to Group 1-winner Sequoyah – the dam of Irish champion Henrythenavigator. She also comes from the same family as 2013 Breeders' Cup Turf winner Magician.

Walsh said he plans on running La Signare, who won the 2018 Grade 3 Wonder Again at Belmont, in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland following a runner-up effort in the Mint Julep. The French-bred daughter of Siyouni beat Zofelle two starts back in the Sand Springs at Gulfstream Park.

“She's doing well, and we have the Jenny Wiley under consideration,” Walsh said. “We're lucky to have two very nice fillies. Hopefully, they can hold their own against Grade 1 company.”

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