Double Crown Denies Chance It In Gulfstream Feature; Friday’s Rainbow 6 Guaranteed At $400,000

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Double Crown rallied from last to edge heavily favored Chance It in Sunday's feature race at Gulfstream Park, setting up a likely rematch in the $200,000 Smile Sprint (G3) on the July 3 Summit of Speed program.

Double Crown, who finished third in last year's Smile Sprint, had been idle since finishing second in the Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico Oct. 1. Shooting Star Thoroughbreds LLC's Chance It, the hero of the 2019 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series and winner of the 2020 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream, had been out of action since finishing fifth in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) March 7, 2020.

Both horses were clearly ready for their long-awaited returns to action.

Trained by Kathy Ritvo, Double Crown ran six furlongs in 1:10.10 while prevailing over a very game Chance it by three-quarters of length.

“Kathy's done a fabulous job. Her staff, they always have these horses look good,” said Dean Reeves, who operates Reeves Thoroughbred Racing with his wife, Patti. “Kathy gets them ready for certain spots and you know when they go in there, they're going to run good. He was off a little while. We gave him time to grow a little, and now we're ready to go. It's hard sometimes as an owner to be that patient, but Kathy makes me be patient.”

Double Crown was also the recipient of a patient ride by Luca Panici, who notched his first victory since recently returning to the saddle following a three-month recovery and rehabilitation of a back injury sustained in a February accident.

“Luca rode a great race. He was patient and they finished up great,” Ritvo said. “Luca said the horse has a great mind.”

Double Crown dropped to the back of the five-horse field as Inter Miami outsprinted Chance It to grab the lead along the backstretch and went on to set fractions of 22.64 and 45.64 seconds for the first half-mile of the six-furlong optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Chance It advanced on the leader between horses on the turn into the homestretch and took the lead at the top of the stretch as Double Crown launched a four-wide drive that would carry him to his fourth victory in seven career starts. Chance It, the even-money favorite ridden by Edgard Zayas, finished 3 ½ lengths clear of Inter Miami.

Double Crown's victory was his fourth in seven career starts. The 4-year-old gelded son of Bourbon Courage won back-to-back stakes at Gulfstream last year before his graded-stakes placings in the Smile and Chick Lang.

Dean and Patti Reeves and Ritvo campaigned Mucho Macho Man, the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner.

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool will be guaranteed at $400,000 when live racing resumes Friday at Gulfstream Park.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved for the fifth consecutive racing day Sunday, when multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $8,382.04.

The jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

There will also be a Super Hi-5 carryover of $41,456.72 heading into Friday's program.

Friday's card kicks off a four-day Memorial Day Weekend at Gulfstream that will offer three stakes – Saturday's $75,000 Musical Romance, a 6 ½-furlong sprint for fillies and mares; Sunday's $60,000 Biscayne Bay, a five-furlong overnight handicap on turf for fillies and mares; and Monday's $75,000 Soldier's Dancer, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds and up on turf.

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Tax Team Hoping Perseverance In Pegasus World Cup Will Finally Pay Off

No owners have supported Gulfstream Park's Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational program more than Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and R.A. Hill Stable.

With Tax in Saturday's $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) for the second straight year, Dean and Patti Reeves and Randy Hill will have competed in the headliner four of the five years since the stakes was transformed from the Donn Handicap into one of the world's most lucrative races for older horses. The only year the partners weren't in the Pegasus, they were represented in the 2019 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) with Channel Maker.

Now, they just need to hit the board for the first time in a Pegasus event. Tax finished ninth last year after stumbling badly at the start of the 2020 edition. He's raced only twice since, finishing fifth in the May 2 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and returning from a 7 1/2-month hiatus for a dominating front-running 4 1 /2-length victory in Gulfstream Park's Harlan's Holiday (G3) Dec. 12. Luis Saez has the return mount for the Pegasus.

“I think he's as good as anybody in the race, and I think we'll be very competitive,” said Dean Reeves, who campaigns his large stable with wife, Patti. “I think this is the best shot for Randy and I, hopefully, to get some of our money back that we put into the Pegasus. Because we've had a horse in it every year since they started it, and maybe perseverance will pay off for us.”

Trainer Danny Gargan claimed Tax out of a $50,000 maiden claiming race in his second career start with owner Hugh Lynch. Gargan offered part of the horse to Reeves and Hill, but they decided they had enough horses and weren't interested. After Tax finished third in Aqueduct's 2018 Remsen Stakes (G2), “We called Danny up and said, 'We just became interested,'” Dean Reeves recalled with a laugh.

The gelded son of the late Claiborne Farm stallion Arch has been a terrific acquisition, including winning Aqueduct's Withers (G3) in his next start for his new owners and taking second in the 2019 Wood Memorial (G2) to land in the Kentucky Derby (G1). While he languished home 15th in a quagmire that day, Tax rebounded to be a close fourth in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and went on to capture Saratoga's Jim Dandy (G2). If he finishes in the top seven in the Pegasus, he'll become a millionaire.

After the Oaklawn fifth-place performance that Gargan says was deceptively good, Tax was given time off with the goal of pointing to the Breeders' Cup. A particularly untimely temperature kept him out of a Breeders' Cup prep race, with the Pegasus then becoming the objective.

“It seems like the best thing we did was giving him some time over the summer,” Dean Reeves said. “He ran as good as we've ever seen him run in the Harlan's Holiday.”

Gargan, who could win his first Grade 1 race in the Pegasus, agrees.

“He's doing tremendous,” he said. “The time off helped him grow up. He's a better horse than he used to be. I think this year is going to be the best of his career. He's bigger, he's stronger, he's doing better, eats better. He looks phenomenal. When he was a young horse, he had some issues, little things that plagued him through his 3-year-old year that have gone away with time and the layoff.”

The Reeveses were fairly new to horse racing, and definitely new to the sport's top echelon, when they bought into a 2-year-old named Mucho Macho Man, whose eventual nine victories and $5.6 million in earnings included the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita. He also finished third in the 2011 Kentucky Derby.

If the Reeveses quickly were at the top of the sport, they subsequently learned how difficult that is to achieve.

“I want to say it was five years before I won a graded stakes again,” Dean Reeves said. “I thought you just go down there and buy you another one, and they're going to be like Mucho Macho Man. It really showed me what a great accomplishment that horse had in his career, what he was able to accomplish with [trainer] Kathy (Ritvo) and the work everybody did. I realized five years later, when Classic Rock won a Grade 3, just how difficult it was. Looking back, it's tough to win a Grade 1. Those are few and far between.”

Mucho Macho Man got better with age, and Dean Reeves believes the same is true for Tax.

“I understand how everybody has to look at it financially,” he said of deals with stud farms. “But we're retiring some of these horses well in advance of them reaching their full potential. I think I saw that in Mucho Macho Man. He ran well as a 4-year-old, finishing second in the Breeders' Cup,  but then won it as a 5-year-old.

“I see a lot of similarities between Mucho Macho Man and Channel Maker, how as they've gotten older how they've gotten so much better,” he added. “And I think they become so mentally tough. I just think Tax is going to have a tremendous year, and I hope we run well in the Pegasus.”

Reeves and Hill finished eighth in the 2017 Pegasus with Breaking Lucky and 12th in 2018 with Toast of New York, while Channel Maker was fifth in the 2019 Pegasus Turf, sparking Reeves to quip, “I'd have loved to have had Mucho Macho Man run in it.”

Mucho Macho Man was sent to stud at age 7 in 2015, his subsequent progeny including 2020 Pegasus World Cup winner Mucho Gusto. With both Tax and the 7-year-old gelding Channel Maker, a leading contender to be voted 2020's male turf champion, Reeves doesn't have to worry about a stallion career.

“Let me tell you: I used to go, 'Oh, it's a gelding. I don't want him,'” Reeves said. “Now, to have a gelding that can run and win money for you for four or five years is great. For Tax, we may run in the Pegasus three times with him or three more times. We may go to Dubai or Saudi Arabia with him. A lot of his competition is retired, so having a good gelding is not a bad deal.

“Channel Maker's another gelding. Look, it isn't all about being a stallion. I mean, we're in it for the races. Hey, if we can win it, they still pay you,” he added.

While Mucho Macho Man retired from the track to a palatial stud home, first at Adena Springs and now at Hill 'n' Dale Farms, most horses don't have such post-racing guarantees. The Reeves' are big supporters of the nonprofit Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, which accredits, inspects and awards grants to its approved aftercare organizations to retrain, retire and adopt out horses using industry-wide funding.

“It's important to make sure retired horses get a good home,” Dean Reeves said. “When you buy them, you think they're all going to be superstars. Some obviously have more talent than others, but that doesn't mean they're not trying. They become like family. When they do leave the nest, so to speak, you want to make sure who they're going to, keeping the (registration) papers so they don't race anymore, just doing your due diligence.

“We've gotten as much satisfaction seeing some of our horses come back as great dressage horses or eventing horses, where people send us pictures of them when they've won ribbons and awards. We just love that. We take a lot of pride in seeing them where they access in a second career,” he added.

The Reeveses also are supporters of accredited TAA facilities such as New Vocations in Lexington, Ky., and South Carolina's Equine Rescue of Aiken and other organizations. They are among the horse owners committing a percentage of any Breeders' Cup earnings, such as Channel Maker's third in the $4 million Longines Turf, to the TAA.

“Patti and Dean Reeves have been very successful in Thoroughbred racing, and they really do care about their horses long term,” said TAA operations consultant Stacie Clark Rogers. “Their stable has been very supportive of the TAA and of our TAA accredited organizations.”

Florida consultant Jay Stone and trainer Kathy Ritvo are instrumental in helping the Reeveses find new homes for their equine retirees. Patti Reeves says she works to spread their horses around and find the best match, including what its new career might be.

She points to Mac Daddy Mac as a prime example. The Reeveses purchased the colt after he won his debut at Santa Anita at 40-1 odds, finishing second in a Grade 3 stakes in his next start. A throat issue compromised his ability, and Mac Daddy Mac was ultimately retired after three more races spread over his 3- and 4-year-old seasons. Now he's finding success in the show world, with equestrian Ashley Keller retraining Mac Daddy Mac into an eventing horse at Chattahoochee Hills Eventing near Atlanta, where the Reeveses live.

“He was a great horse, just loved his job, had great personality,” Patti Reeves said. “We found a new home for him in the Atlanta area at Chattahoochee Hills Eventing. (Keller) taught him dressage, jumping, eventing. What she has done with this horse is amazing. He's just a great example of a horse that just because he couldn't race, he wasn't done. You're involved in racing, but that's just a short part of their life. We care about the entire program for the horse. We don't want to just be good to the horse while they're racing. We want to make sure they end up in good places and are treated well.”

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Undefeated Isolate Ships To New York For Sunday’s Nashua Stakes

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Isolate has done no wrong in his first two career starts and puts a perfect record on the line when shipping to New York for Sunday's 44th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Nashua going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The stakes event for juvenile colts pays homage to Belair Stud's winner of the 1955 Preakness and Belmont Stakes trained by Hall of Famer Sunny “Jim” Fitzsimmons. Notching two American classic triumphs in addition to victories in the Florida Derby, Wood Memorial and Jockey Club Gold Cup earned Nashua Horse of the Year honors that year and induction into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1965. He parlayed his talent to some of his offspring including Hall of Fame distaffers Shuvee as well as Gold Digger – the dam of prolific sire-of-sires Mr. Prospector.

Trained by Kathy Ritvo, Isolate did just as his name suggested in his last-out gate-to-wire effort where he defeated winners over a sloppy main track at Gulfstream Park by 10 lengths, while garnering a 79 Beyer Speed Figure.

The Florida-bred son Mark Valeski was a three-quarter length winner against his Sunshine State-bred counterparts in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight on August 6 at Gulfstream, where he defeated next out-winner and subsequent stakes winner Poppy's Pride.

“He had a really tough trip in his first race but he managed to find an opening and won the race,” said Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Dean Reeves. “In the slop he pretty well dominated the field. He hasn't had a nice trip on the dirt where he can really show his talent, but we're hopeful all will go well on Sunday and see how we stack up against some good horses.”

Isolate has been training forwardly into his stakes debut, recording a five-furlong bullet in 1:00.20 on October 24 over a fast main track at Gulfstream Park.

“He's one of those that you have to be careful with because he'll go too fast,” Reeves said. “He put in two really good works and did what he needed to do. It's a long trip, but so far the reports I'm getting is that he's doing fine. He's a tough and mature horse for a 2-year-old.”

Bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Isolate is the sixth offspring out of the Unbridled's Song mare Tranquil Song, who has produced four other winners. He was bought for $70,000 from the Keeneland November Sale in 2018.

“Jimmy Gladwell picked him out as a weanling,” Reeves said. “He's got a great eye for a horse and we really liked him ever since we got him. He's developed into a nice horse so far.”

Jockey Cristian Torres will be back aboard from post 5 after piloting the colt to his impressive last out win.

Invading from Pennsylvania is Parx maiden winner Irish Honor who won on debut on October 28 for trainer Joseph Taylor.

Owned by Chuck Zacney's Cash Is King Racing, LC Racing and Ho Dee Boy Stable, the son of second crop sire Honor Code will arrive at the Nashua off just over a week's rest after a 1 ¾-length victory over a wet-fast main track at Parx.

“He's always trained like a real nice horse,” Taylor said. He's calm and he takes everything in stride. First time I entered him, I scratched him because the track came up sloppy. When we ran him last time, he missed the break a tad. When he came around the turn, we saw the length in his stride. I was talking to [Cash Is King owner] Chuck [Zacney] this morning, It's coming back quick but he seems to have a lot of energy. It's a short field so we're giving him a shot.”

Jockey Pablo Morales will ride from post 3.

Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, who saddled 1997 Nashua winner and subsequent multiple Grade 1-winner Coronado's Quest, sends out impressive maiden special weight winner Ten for Ten in pursuit of a second Nashua triumph.

Owned by Donald and Donna Adam's Courtlandt Farms, the gray or roan son of first crop sire Frosted led at every point of call en route to an eight-length maiden score at second asking when traveling 1 1/16-miles over a sloppy main track on October 16 at Belmont Park. The maiden win earned a 78 Beyer.

Ten for Ten was off a step slow on debut and raced from four or five lengths off the pace en route to finishing second in a six-furlong maiden special weight on September 7 at Saratoga.

Purchased for $410,000 from the Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Ten for Ten is out of the Eskendereya mare Summer Vacation – a half-sister to Grade 1-winner and graded stakes producing sire Creative Cause as well as Grade 1-winning distaffers Vexatious and multiple graded stakes winner Destin.

Jockey Eric Cancel will pilot Ten for Ten from the inside post.

Following a debut win, Nova Rags will attempt to make his first start against stakes company a winning one for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

Owned and bred by Michael Shanley, the chestnut son of Union Rags bobbled at the start of his debut but arrived in time for a three-quarter-length score in a six-furlong maiden special weight on October 10 over a fast main track at Belmont Park.

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche will be aboard from post 2.

Completing the field are Pickin' Time [post 4, Trevor McCarthy], Civil War [post 6, Nik Juarez] and Spectatorless [post 7, Ferrin Peterson].

The Nashua is slated as Race 9 on Sunday's 10-race program, which offers a first post of 11:50 a.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Has $500,000 Guarantee At Gulfstream

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $500,000 Sunday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved for the seventh consecutive racing program Saturday, when multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $866.96.

The carryover jackpot is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Isolate Distances Himself in Gulfstream Feature for 2-Year-Olds
Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Isolate distanced himself from his five rivals in Saturday's featured Race 10 at Gulfstream Park, where juveniles took center stage on an 11-race program that also included a pair of 2-year-old maiden special weight events in Races 1 and 5.

Isolate ($4.20) followed up his Aug. 6 debut victory with a thoroughly authoritative 8 3/4-length triumph in the six-furlong optional claiming allowance for 2-year-olds, in which he took the lead shortly after the start and drew off under Cristian Torres.

The Kathy Ritvo-trained son of Mark Valeski ran six furlongs over a sealed sloppy track in 1:10.97.

Slam Dunk Racing's Drain the Clock ($5.20) kicked off Saturday's program with a stylish debut victory in Race 1, taking the lead shortly after the start of the five-furlong dash and romping to a six-length score in 58.73 seconds over a sealed sloppy track. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained son of Maclean's Music gave leading rider Edgard Zayas his first of four winners of the day.

Shadybrook Farm Inc's Briella ($5.20) just held on to win after leading the way throughout Race 5, scoring by a nose in the five-furlong maiden special weight race for Florida-bred juvenile fillies. The daughter of Cajun Breeze, who ran five furlongs in 59.39 seconds, gave jockey Miguel Vasquez the first of his two winners Saturday. The Michael Yates-trained filly had previously finished second in her May 20 debut behind Princess Secret, who went on to win the $200,000 Susan's Girl, the second leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes, Aug. 29.

Zayas, the defending Spring/Summer Meet titlist, leads Vasquez in the standings, 130-120.

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