Keeneland | Horse Racing Free Tips

Bell’s The One Outclasses Them in TCA

Bell's the One stamped her ticket to the Breeders' Cup with a gritty score in the TCA at Keeneland Saturday. Heavily favored here, the bay trailed the field through a :21.57 opening quarter. Making an eye-catching move on the backstretch, she launched a five-wide bid turning for home to put herself in contention and fought her way past her foes in mid-stretch, edging clear to score.

“She's one of the best mares, if not the best horse, I've ever had,” trainer Neil Pessin said. “The only thing I regret with her is she never gets the respect she deserves. Even in this race, people weren't even picking her on top, which made absolutely zero sense to me.”

As for the Breeders' Cup, the conditioner said, “It will still depend on how she comes out of it. The plane reservations are still tough, the way they've got it–I know it's the best they can do–but we'll try to make a go of it if she comes out of it well.”

“When I ride her, I just let her gather her feet underneath her and be comfortable wherever she needs to be,” winning pilot Corey Lanerie said. “Today I actually tried to keep her a little closer because I was afraid if they got away from me I wouldn't be able to make up the ground, going six furlongs, and she gives everything she's got every time. I could tell from about the five-sixteenths pole, I'm in contention where, if she gives me her kick, I'm going to catch them. She has the fastest turn of foot [of any horse] I've ever been on.”

Winner of last year's GI Derby City Distaff, Bell's the One was a well-beaten third in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint S. in her next start. Dead-heating for second when making her seasonal bow in this venue's GI Madison S. Apr. 3, she was fourth when attempting to defend her Derby City title May 1 and returned to winning ways in Churchill's Roxelana S. June 19. The 5-year-old followed suit with a narrow score in Saratoga's GII Honorable Miss H. July 28 and was a close second in the Open Mind S. back beneath the Twin Spires last out Sept. 18. Bell's the One was originally scheduled to train up to the Breeders' Cup after that victory, but connections called an audible and sent her to the TCA for one more race in her home state before making the trek to Del Mar.

Pedigree Notes:

Bell's the One's dam Street Mate, a $35,000 KEENOV purchase in 2012, is a half-sister to GSW & GISP Tap Day (Pleasant Tap). Her first foal was SP Running Mate, who was retained by owner/breeder Bret Jones. The 13-year-old mare is also the dam of an unraced juvenile filly named Skipper Sue (Cairo Prince), a $400,000 KEESEP purchase by Rob Masiello,and a weanling filly by Collected. She was bred back to Not This Time.

Saturday, Keeneland
THOROUGHBRED CLUB OF AMERICA S.-GII, $250,000, Keeneland, 10-9, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:08.63, ft.
1–BELL'S THE ONE, 122, m, 5, by Majesticperfection
                1st Dam: Street Mate, by Street Cry (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Day Mate, by Dayjur
                3rd Dam: Possible Mate, by King's Bishop
($155,000 Ylg '17 FTKJUL). O-Lothenbach Stables, Inc. (Bob
Lothenbach); B-Bret Jones (KY); T-Neil L. Pessin; J-Corey J.
Lanerie. $150,000. Lifetime Record: 21-10-4-2, $1,336,825.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
2–Club Car, 120, m, 5, Malibu Moon–Sittin At the Bar, by Into
Mischief. ($120,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Ball, Michael and
Katherine G.; B-Brett A. Brinkman & P. Dale Ladner (KY); T-Ben
Colebrook. $50,000.
3–Estilo Talentoso, 122, f, 4, Maclean's Music–Bazinga Baby, by
Afleet Alex. ($77,000 Ylg '18 FTKOCT; $95,000 RNA 2yo '19
OBSAPR; $15,000 2yo '19 OBSOPN). O-Medallion Racing,
Fowler, Barry, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Little Red Feather
Racing and BlackRidge Stables LLC; B-Mile High Bloodstock LLC
(KY); T-Juan Arriagada. $25,000.
Margins: NK, HD, 1HF. Odds: 1.10, 14.00, 2.70.
Also Ran: Inthemidstofbiz, Frank's Rockette, Miss Mosaic. 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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Golden Pal Regains Winning Ways In Woodford Stakes Over Keeneland Turf

Prominent from the start, the Uncle Mo 3-year-old colt Golden Pal, proved too quick for his six rivals in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Woodford Stakes presented by TVG at Keeneland racecourse in Lexington, Ky.

Ridden by John Velazquez, the Wesley Ward runner went right to the front, fought off a challenge from Firecrow on the turn for home, then pulled away down the stretch under steady encouragement to win by 2 1/4 lengths. He covered 5 1/2 furlongs on good turf in 1:03.12 after fractions of :21.51, :44.53 and :56.67

“He was very game,” said Velazquez. “Before the race – I never rode him so I asked Julio (Garcia, an exercise rider and jockey for trainer Wesley Ward). He said, 'Just put your hands down and he'll run for you; even if he gets passed he'll run for you.' I left him alone and when the other horse (Firecrow) came to him and put the head in front, I was like, 'Hey, we got to come back and run.' I got after him, and he gradually got away from the other horse. It took me two or three jumps to engage him back into the race, and after that he was pretty good.”

Extravagant Kid, an 8-year-old turf veteran from the barn of Brendan Walsh, closed to be second, with County Final another half length back in third, Johnny Unleashed fourth, Inhalation fifth, Firecrow sixth and Charcoal seventh.

“We are delighted,” said Walsh. “We can never be disappointed with this horse. He ran great again. The winner is a very, very good horse. Extravagant Kid is a model of consistency.”

Owned by Mr. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg, Golden Pal was winning for the fourth time in seven career starts. He paid $3 to win as the 1-2 favorite. He was bred in Florida by Randall E. Lowe.

Golden Pal was coming off his worst performance, a seventh-place finish in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York racecourse in England on Aug. 20. One of his other defeats came when narrowly beaten in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in June 2020. Out of the crack sprinter Lady Shipman, by Midshipman (she finished second against males in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland in 2015), Golden Pal ran off three consecutive victories following the Norfolk, including a victory at Keeneland in the G2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

The post Golden Pal Regains Winning Ways In Woodford Stakes Over Keeneland Turf appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Golden Pal Bounces Back in Woodford

Looking to rebound off a disappointing and well-backed seventh in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. at York Aug. 20, Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) was made to work for it up front, but he found an extra gear in the final furlong and came away to a relatively easy victory in Saturday's GII Woodford S. at Keeneland.

The 1-2 chalk bounced well from his low gate, but was closely followed by Firecrow (Maclean's Music), who forced the pace through an opening quarter in :21.51. The latter looked poised to strike and was in with every conceivable chance in upper stretch, as too was globetrotting G1 Al Quoz Sprint hero Extravagant Kid (Kiss the Kid), but Golden Pal responded to John Velazquez's right-handed urgings and had something left, drawing away to win by 2 1/4 lengths. Extravagant Kid held for second ahead of County Final (Oxbow) in third.

“He was very game,” Velazquez said. “Before the race–I never rode him so I asked Julio [Garcia, an exercise rider and jockey for trainer Wesley Ward]. He said, 'Just put your hands down and he'll run for you; even if he gets passed he'll run for you.' I left him alone and when [Firecrow] came to him and put the head in front, I was like, 'Hey, we got to come back and run.' I got after him, and he gradually got away from the other horse. It took me two or three jumps to engage him back into the race, and after that he was pretty good.”

A painful second in last term's G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot, the bay earned his diploma in style in Saratoga's Skidmore S., then flaunted his speed with a front-running, tour-de-force victory from post 13 in the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint over this same Keeneland turf course Nov. 6. He kicked off his sophmore campaign, sporting the Coolmore silks for the first time, with an easy win in Saratoga's Quick Call S. prior to his aforementioned trip across the pond.

Pedigree Notes:

Golden Pal is one of 40 graded winners for his top sire, but is the only one out of a Midshipman mare-two are out of mares by Midshipman's sire Unbridled's Song. He is the lone graded winner from a small number of mares so far for Midshipman.

'TDN Rising Star' Lady Shipman, perhaps among the most talented runners in recent memory to have never won a Grade I-she missed by a neck in the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint-was also bred by Randy Lowe and he still owns her. She produced an Omaha Beach colt Mar. 24 and is back in foal to Uncle Mo. A Violence half-brother to Lady Shipman RNA'd for $170,000 at Fasig-Tipton July.

For more on Lowe and Golden Pal, click here for a Second Chances column.

Saturday, Keeneland
WOODFORD S. PRESENTED BY TVG-GII, $200,000, Keeneland, 10-9, 3yo/up, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.12, gd.
1–GOLDEN PAL, 118, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Lady Shipman (GSW-Can, MSW & GISP-US, $902,387), by Midshipman
2nd Dam: Sumthingtotalkabt, by Mutakddim
3rd Dam: Nannetta, by Falstaff
($325,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Mrs John Magnier, Michael B Tabor, Derrick Smith & Westerberg; B-Randall E Lowe (FL); T-Wesley A Ward; J-John R Velazquez. $120,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-Eng, 7-4-2-0, $779,056. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Extravagant Kid, 124, g, 8, Kiss the Kid–Pretty Extravagant, by With Distinction. O-DARRS Inc; B-Vicino Racing Stable (FL); T-Brendan P Walsh. $40,000.
3–County Final, 118, g, 3, Oxbow–Tapajo, by Tapit. ($9,500 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $475,000 2yo '20 FTKHRA). O-West Point Thoroughbreds, William Sandbrook & Anna Marie Shannon; B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Steven M Asmussen. $20,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, HF, HD. Odds: 0.50, 3.30, 12.10.
Also Ran: Johnny Unleashed, Inhalation (GB), Firecrow, Charcoal.
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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Juju’s Map Earns Juvenile Fillies Spot With Darley Alcibiades Victory

Albaugh Family Stables LLC's Juju's Map, narrowly favored over her Brad Cox stablemate Matareya, tracked pacesetter Runup through the initial stages of Friday's Grade 1, $400,000 Darley Alcibiades Stakes, took command on the stretch turn and drew off to a 4 1/4-length victory under Florent Geroux in the 1 1/16-mile main track contest for 2-year-old fillies on the opening day card at the Lexington, Ky., oval.

The Darley Alcibiades is a Breeders' Cup Win and You're In Challenge Series race, giving the winner a fees-paid berth to the G1 Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar on Nov. 5, along with a travel allowance to California for the horse.

Distinctlypossible, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, finished second, a neck in front of a fast-finishing Sequist and jockey Junior Alvarado in third. Mama Rina was fourth, followed by Dream Lith and Matareya in a dead heat for fifth, then Penny Saver, Miss Interpret, Runup, Myfavoritedaughter and Pipeline Girl in the field of 11. Diamond Wow was scratched.

The Liam's Map filly out of Nagambie, by Flatter, bred in Kentucky by Fred W. Hertrich III, covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.52. She paid $6.80 on a $2 mutuel.

The win was the ninth Grade 1 victory of 2021 for Cox and it was his second in the Alcibiades, the first coming in 2019 with British Idiom. It was the first Alcibiades for Geroux and the Albaugh Family Stables headed by Dennis Albaugh of Ankeny, Iowa.

Juju's Map was a $300,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase. She was winning for the second time in three starts, having broken her maiden in front-running fashion in her second outing at Ellis Park on Sept. 3.

In the Alcibiades, Geroux saved ground after breaking from the No. 1 post position and was content to sit in second while Runup set fractions of :22.75 for the opening quarter and :46:00 for the half mile. Geroux moved Juju's Map to the front through six furlongs in 1:11.23, and she was never seriously threatened thereafter, clicking off a mile split of 1:36.93 en route to her final time.

Cox said if Juju's Map exited the win in good order it would be on to the Breeders' Cup.

“She sat close to a hot pace and was still able to finish, and I thought, 'That's what good horses do,'” said Cox. “She broke running, Florent (Geroux) put her in a good position and she finished up well. I'm very proud of her performance. We'll obviously talk it over with the Albaugh team, and as long as she comes out of it in good order I think we'll march on toward California (and the Nov. 5, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies-G1). It was a good trip last time and hopefully she can show up and run her race and be very effective.”

“She's very talented to start with, but today it was tricky because there were a couple other speed horses,” said Geroux. “From the one hole, you have to use speed to your advantage, to make sure they don't cross over and slow it down too fast. So I just wanted to break ahead so if they wanted the lead they would have to work for it, and that's what they did.

“I was able to ease her back in the first turn. From there she took a nice breather with me down the backside and from there I knew she was going to be pretty tough. Turning for home I saw (Matareya) coming up and she's pretty talented too, but when I asked her down the lane she gave me another gear, the kind of effort you want to see, and hopefully she's going into the Breeders' Cup in the right way.”

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