Keeneland | Horse Racing Free Tips

Like The King Has Derby Tune-Up At Keeneland For Red-Hot Ward

On Saturday morning at Keeneland racecourse in Lexington, Ky., M Racing Group's Like the King continued his preparation for a start in the $3 million Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve by working six furlongs in company in 1:12.80 over a fast main track. (Click here for a video of the work.)

With Julio Garcia aboard, Like the King (by Palace Malice) started three lengths in back of 2020 Canadian champion female sprinter Artie's Princess and drew even at the sixteenth pole.

At the conclusion of the work, trainer Wesley Ward and Gary Stevens, agent for Drayden Van Dyke, who will have the Derby mount, exchanged fist bumps with enthusiasm.

“That was a good work and the horse he worked with is a champion,” Ward said. “He'll work again next Saturday or Sunday.”

Winner of the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) in his most recent start, Like the King worked six furlongs on the turf in 1:16 in company at Keeneland on April 10.

Like the King is expected to van to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on Tuesday, April 27, in advance of the May 1 Derby.

Meanwhile, Ward's Spring Meet juggernaut continued Friday when the Keeneland-based trainer picked up his 12th victory of the season with Douglas Scharbauer's homebred Red Ghost in the seventh race. Ward has a three-win margin over Brad Cox and a four-win advantage on Todd Pletcher after 10 days of the 15-day meet, which concludes April 23.

Ward has saddled a winner on seven of the nine racing days in which he has had a starter. He won both 2-year-old races Thursday to give him 21 victories in juvenile races here dating back to the 2018 Spring Meet.

Ward, who has entrants in four races Saturday afternoon, is on the verge of a seventh meet title that would vault him into a tie for third with Henry Forrest all time. Now with 193 career victories, he ranks seventh all time at Keeneland.

Ward has won four 2021 Spring Meet stakes: Madison (G1) with Kimari, Shakertown (G2) with Bound for Nowhere, Beaumont (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select with Twenty Cart and Palisades Turf Sprint with Chasing Artie. The total equals the record for most Spring Meet stakes victories shared by Ben Jones (1948), Todd Pletcher (2011) and Chad Brown (2018).

With 19 career stakes wins at Keeneland, Ward is tied with Hall of Famers Carl Nafzger and Woody Stephens on 13^th place on the list of the track's leading trainers by stakes wins.

The post Like The King Has Derby Tune-Up At Keeneland For Red-Hot Ward appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Bonny South Returns To Winning Ways, Emerges Best In Three-Horse Photo In Doubledogdare

Juddmonte Farms homebred Bonny South, winless in four starts since capturing the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks in March 2020, returned to her winning ways in Friday's Grade 3 Baird Doubledogdare Stakes for older fillies and mares at Keeneland racecourse in Lexington, Ky.

The Brad Cox-trained daughter of Munnings was kept off the rail by Florent Geroux throughout the 1 1/16-mile stakes, rallying from mid-pack in the field of six and just edging Royal Flag and pacesetter Graceful Princess in a three-horse photo. The margins were a head from first to second, with runner-up Royal Flag defeating Graceful Princess by another head. Eres Tu was fourth, with High Regard fifth. Speech, winner of the G1 Ashland Stakes in 2020, was bet down to 3-2 favoritism but was finished before far turn and eventually eased in her first start since finishing sixth in the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Keeneland.

Bonny South covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.46 and paid $9.40 for the win. Speech, winner of the G1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland for trainer Michael McCarthy, was bet down to 3-2 favoritism

Todd Pletcher-trained Graceful Princess, a 5-year-old Tapit mare searching for her first stakes victory, secured an early lead, outrunning Speech before the first turn and setting fractions of :24.11, :48.02 and 1:12.06 for the first six furlongs. Bonny South raced several lengths behind the front-runner in fourth and began to make her move with three-eighths of a mile remaining. The Munnings 4-year-old ranged up alongside Graceful Princess at the top of the stretch and Royal Flag – who had just one filly beaten in the early going – came to their outside. The three raced as a team to the wire with Bonny South just prevailing after passing the mile marker in 1:37.09.

The victory was the fourth from nine career starts for Bonny South, who chased Speech in the Ashland before runner-up finishes in the G1 Alabama at Saratoga (to Swiss Skydiver) and G2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico (to Miss Marissa). She completed her 2020 campaign with another second-place finish, this time to Envoutante in the G2 Falls City at Churchill Downs.

Post-race quotes:

Florent Geroux (winning rider of Bonnie South)
On the difference today compared to her strong efforts in the past “Just her breaking good and putting me in the race a little bit closer than she has been. Today there wasn't much pace. The idea with her was to see how she broke and I couldn't really rush her but at the same token I couldn't be too far back and try to make a late run. She had a nice trip. When I asked her turning for home, she gave me a nice kick. She was very brave at the end to hold off (runner-up) Royal Flag. She was fighting at the end.”

Brad Cox (winning trainer: “I felt like physically she'd moved forward from (age) 3 to 4. She's certainly been working that way in the mornings. She had a big work last weekend at Churchill and was kinda touting herself. Florent did a good job realizing there wasn't a lot of pace. She had a little bit of a wide trip and dug in late. I was very proud of her.”

On what he sees for the remainder of her 2021 campaign: “Hopefully (it's) one full of Grade 1s – that would be the goal. The (Juddmonte) Spinster (G1 during the Keeneland Fall Meet) would be a race that definitely would be on the radar, having the Juddmonte connections. Hopefully we can get her there and off to the Breeders' Cup.”

Todd Pletcher (trainer of third-place finisher Graceful Princess): “She ran dynamite off the layoff. She got the trip we were hoping for. She really fought hard and we are very pleased with her effort. (Jockey Luis Saez) said it was a battle and our filly dug down deep but just could not quite get there. The fractions were what we were hoping for. She made the lead the right way. She relaxed nicely.”

The post Bonny South Returns To Winning Ways, Emerges Best In Three-Horse Photo In Doubledogdare appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Weekend Lineup: Highly-Anticipated Showdown Looms Between Monomoy Girl, Swiss Skydiver

After last week's showdown of top sprinters C Z Rocket and Whitmore, Oaklawn Park will once again be the nation's focus for a much-anticipated battle between Eclipse Award-winning females Monomoy Girl and Swiss Skydiver in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap at 1 1/16 miles.

Monomoy Girl, owned by MyRacehorse, Spendthrift Farm and Madaket Stables, and trained by Brad Cox, is a two-time Eclipse Award winner, who captured the Grade 1 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff in 2018 and in 2020. Swiss Skydiver, owned by Peter Callahan and trained by Kenny McPeek, was voted champion 3-year-old filly last year. Swiss Skydiver won the 2020 Grade 1 Preakness Stakes over Grade 1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve winner and future Horse of Year Authentic. Swiss Skydiver finished seventh to Monomoy Girl in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff.

The Grade 1, $1 million Oaklawn Handicap for older horses at 1 1/8 miles will be run two races earlier on the Oaklawn program.

TVG will be broadcasting every race, every day with expanded coverage of Keeneland's Spring Meet, which runs through April 23. In addition to racing from Keeneland, Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, TVG will feature racing from Oaklawn Park, Aqueduct and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app, which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

“America's Day at the Races” will also be live on Saturday on FS2 from 5-8 p.m. ET featuring the Apple Blossom and the Oaklawn Handicap. On Sunday, “America's Day at the Races” will air from 1-2:30 p.m. ET on FS2, 2:30-5:30 p.m. ET on FS1, and from 5:30-6:30 p.m. ET on FS2.

Friday, April 16

5:30 p.m. ―$100,000 Grade 3 Baird Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland on TVG

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Madaket Stables and Heider Family Stables' 4-year-old filly Speech returns to Keeneland, the site of her greatest career triumph, in Friday's Grade 3 Baird Doubledogdare Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Speech is the 8-5 morning line favorite in the seven-horse field. Last July, the bay filly captured Keeneland's Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes by three lengths. W.S. Farish's Royal Flag, the 5-2 second choice trained by Chad Brown, is making her first start since capturing the Grade 3 Turn Back the Alarm Handicap at Aqueduct last November. Juddmonte Farms' Bonny South, second in both last year's Grade 1 Alabama Stakes and the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, should also figure in the picture for trainer Brad Cox.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE041621USA9-EQB.html

Saturday, April 17

5:30 p.m. ―$200,000 Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland on TVG

Trinity Farm's homebred 7-year-old gelding Red Knight, winner of last fall's Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland, drew the outside post position in a field of 10 runners for Saturday's Grade 2 $200,000 Elkhorn Stakes going 1½ miles on the grass. Listed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite, Red Knight, trained by Bill Mott and ridden by James Graham, finished second in the 2019 edition of the Elkhorn. Joseph Allen's North Dakota, fourth to Red Knight in last year's Sycamore, will be making his first start since finishing 10th in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational in January for trainer Shug McGaughey. Three Diamonds Farm's Tide of the Sea, trained by Mike Maker, won a 1 ½-mile allowance race at Keeneland last October, and captured the Grade 3 W. L. McKnight at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 23, also at 1 ½ miles.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE041721USA9-EQB.html

5:49 p.m.― $1 million Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap at Oaklawn Park on TVG and FS2

A wide-open renewal of Saturday's Grade 2 $1 million Oaklawn Handicap at 1 1/8 miles could be the right spots for shippers from California and Florida among the 10 horses entered. CRK Stable's 4-year-old Express Train, trained by John Shirreffs, is in from the West Coast following a second-place finish in the Grade 1 1 ¼-mile Santa Anita Handicap on March 6, and a 3 ¼-length victory in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes prior to that. The Todd Pletcher- trained lightly raced 5-year-old gelding Fearless won the Grade 2 WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes last out on Feb. 27 for his fourth win in seven starts. Rupp Racing's Owendale was second by a head in the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic Stakes at the Fair Grounds on March 20, and was third in Oaklawn's Grade 3 Razorback Handicap on Feb. 27. Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's 4-year-old Silver State is two for two at Oaklawn this year, including a neck victory over Danny Caldwell's Rated R Superstar in the 1 1/16-mile Essex Stakes on March 13.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/OP041721USA9-EQB.html

7:09 p.m. ―$1 million Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on TVG and FS2

A clash of female titans will be on display this Saturday at Oaklawn as 2020 Eclipse Awards winners Monomoy Girl, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, and Swiss Skydiver, trained by Kenny McPeek and ridden by Robby Albarado, square off in the Grade 1 $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap, leading a six-horse field of fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles. The 6-year-old even-money morning line favorite Monomoy Girl, owned by MyRacehorse, Spendthrift Farm and Madaket Stables, is 14 of 16. The daughter of Tapizar was the champion 3-year-old filly in 2018 and the champion older dirt female of 2020. Monomoy Girl opened 2021 with a two-length win in Oaklawn's Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes on Feb. 28. Peter Callahan's 4-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver also won her 2021 debut, capturing the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita by 2 ¾ lengths on March 13. A bay daughter of Daredevil, Swiss Skydiver, 2-1 on the morning line, won the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, the highlight of a season in which she raced at nine different tracks and earned the 3-year-old filly Eclipse Award. Not to be overlooked is St. George Stable's 5-year-old Letruska,12 of 17, who was second last time out in Oaklawn's Grade 2 Azeri Stakes.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/OP041721USA11-EQB.html

7:51 p.m. ―$200,000 Grade 2 Californian Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

The 4-year-old Independence Hall, third in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational and fourth in the Santa Anita Handicap, is the 8-5 morning line favorite against four rivals in Saturday's Grade 2 Californian Stakes at Santa Anita Park for trainer Michael McCarthy. Brazilian-bred Royal Ship, trained by Richard Mandella, is seeking his first win in the U.S after winning five straight in his home country in 2019. The bay 5-year-old gelding returns to the main track following a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita on March 6. Magic On Tap, a 5-year-old son of Tapit, trained by Bob Baffert, steps into stakes company for the first time following an impressive 1 1/16-mile allowance win in over the track on March 28.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA041721USA8-EQB.html

Sunday, April 18

5 p.m. ―$100,000 Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Last September, MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm's Tizamagician finished second in the Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita Park. The 4-year-old son of Tiznow returns for Sunday's demanding 1 ½-mile Grade 3 test in a five-horse field. Trained by Richard Mandella, Tizamagician, comes into the race off a fifth-place finish in the Santa Anita Handicap on March 6 and a second in the Grade 2 San Pasqual on Jan. 30. The 6-year-old gelding Zestful, trained by Mark Glatt, finished fourth in the Grade 2 San Pasqual. In November of 2019, Zestful finished second by three-quarters of a length in the listed 1 ¾-mile Marathon Stakes at Santa Anita.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA041821USA3-EQB.html

7:53 p.m. ―$100,000 Grade 3 Kona Gold Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

The 4-year-old Brickyard Ride, owned Alfred Pais and trained by Craig Lewis, leads the Grade 3 $100,000 Kona Gold Stakes Sunday at Santa Anita. A California-bred son of Clubhouse Ride, Brickyard Ride has won four of his last five starts, including a four-length win in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs on March 6 at Santa Anita. The Bob Baffert-trained 6-year-old gelding Ax Man, won the listed Santana Mile by 4 ½ lengths in his last start on March 28.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA041821USA8-EQB.html

The post Weekend Lineup: Highly-Anticipated Showdown Looms Between Monomoy Girl, Swiss Skydiver appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

American Pharoah’s Maven Wires Keeneland Allowance

7th-Keeneland, $78,525, Alw, 4-15, (C), 4yo/up, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.60, gd, 2 1/4 lengths.
MAVEN (g, 4, American Pharoah–Richies Party Girl {MSW, $357,085}, by Any Given Saturday) became the first North American winner for his sire on debut over the Aqueduct main track just shy of two years ago and was the last of 22 lots to go through the ring for the boutique Goffs London Sale, but was retained by owner Richard Ravin on a bid of £725,000 (about $912,000) that would otherwise have topped the event. The chestnut rewarded that confidence with a victory in the G3 Prix du Bois at Chantilly, but he was only 10th in the G3 Molecomb S. the next month and was returned stateside. The front-running winner of a course-and-distance allowance first off a 342-day absence last July, Maven was a disappointing sixth in Saratoga's Mahony S. Aug. 27 and was 11th of 12 in the GIII Franklin Stamps S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 16 before going missing. Returning here as a first-time gelding, Maven shot out of the stalls beneath John Velazquez while chased by 'TDN Rising Star' Boldor (Munnings). Maven looked vulnerable passing the eighth pole, but he finally switched his leads and he kept on well thereafter to secure a 2 1/4-length success as the 5-2 favorite. Maven is the only foal from a treble stakes-winning daughter of GSW Very Special Lite (Majestic Light), also the dam of GSW Strategic Partner (Kris S.), GSP Victory Light (Victory Gallop) and the dam of SW/GISP Light the City (Street Sense). Sales history: £725,000 RNA 2yo '19 GOFLON. Lifetime Record: GSW-Fr, 7-4-0-0, $200,338. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Richard Ravin; B/T-Wesley Ward (KY).

The post American Pharoah’s Maven Wires Keeneland Allowance appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post