Kendrick Carmouche | Horse Racing Free Tips

Crazy Beautiful Headlines Field Of Eight For Friday’s Comely At Aqueduct

Multiple graded stakes-winning Crazy Beautiful made an impressive seasonal turf debut last out but will return to more familiar surroundings on a dirt track as part of an eight-horse field of 3-year-olds fillies competing at 1 1/8 miles in the $200,000 Grade 3 Comely on Friday at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Crazy Beautiful, owned by Phoenix Thoroughbred III, had racked up all five of her stakes wins on dirt before trainer Kenny McPeek moved the Liam's Map daughter back to turf for the first time since her successful career debut in July 2020. Crazy Beautiful ran a competitive second, finishing one length behind winner Navratilova, in the 1 1/16-mile G3 Valley View on October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

After posting three graded stakes wins in 1 1/16-mile main track races earlier this campaign – capturing the G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks in March, the G2 Summer Oaks in May at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., and the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks in July at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del., – McPeek said the return foray to grass was prompted by scheduling limitations more than a desire to deviate from what had been a successful sophomore blueprint for the Kentucky bred.

“There weren't any options for straight 3-year-old fillies at the time,” McPeek said. “She was doing well and she continues to do well after her last start. It looks like the Comely will be a good spot for her.”

Crazy Beautiful has compiled a 4-2-0 record in eight starts in 2021. Her only off-the-board efforts have come against top-flight competition, with a 10th in the G1 Kentucky Oaks on the eve of the Kentucky Derby on April 30 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and a sixth-place showing in the G1 Alabama in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

McPeek said the 72nd edition of the nine-furlong Comely could facilitate a start in the $300,000 G1 American Oaks on the grass that is slated for Opening Day of Santa Anita's winter/spring meet on December 26.

“The goal is to get her to the American Oaks at the end of the year,” he said. “The Valley View gave me a test drive that she can handle the turf just fine. She's shown previously that she can run on anything.”

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche will ride Crazy Beautiful for the first time, breaking from post 4.

Three Diamond Farm's Army Wife has finished in the money in each of her last eight starts dating to October 2020 for trainer Mike Maker. The Declaration of War filly won the prestigious G2 Black-Eyed Susan on the eve of the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., before posting a 3 3/4-length score in the G3 Iowa Stakes in July at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa.

Elevated to G1 levels, Army Wife held her own, earning black type twice, starting with a third-place effort behind Clairiere and winner Malathaat in the Alabama before garnering another third in the Cotillion behind Obligatory and a winning Clairirere in September at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Penn.

Army Wife, 4-1-1 in 11 career starts, will see rider Luis Saez in the irons from post 6.

Victories in her last four starts – and five wins in her last six races – has earned Vegas Weekend a seat at a higher stakes table as she makes her first stakes appearance in her 12th career start.

Trained by Rob Atras, the Mineshaft filly has won at distances ranging from 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, which she accomplished in an off-the-turf claiming contest in August at the Spa.

Claimed for $50,000 out of a win traveling nine furlongs on August 19 at Saratoga, Vegas Weekend bested optional claimers by three-quarters of a length off the layoff going seven furlongs on November 12 at the Big A.

Atras said he wasn't worried about the cut back in distance last out in Vegas Weekend's first start for new connections.

“When she won the mile and an eighth, we were hoping to keep her going further but when she works in the morning she shows a pretty good turn-of-foot,” Atras said. “I wasn't worried about running her seven-eighths.”

Owned by Sanford Goldfarb, Alan Khan, and Koshanostra Stables, Vegas Weekend seems ready to wheel back after another positive effort, her conditioner said.

“I think having that race is good for her,” Atras said. “It's a little bit quick back, but she's a nice, sound filly and she came out of the race good.”

Manny Franco will ride from the outermost post.

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Rigney Racing's Played Hard, fifth in the Alabama over the summer going 1 1/4 miles, garnered a personal-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure for her runner-up effort last out to fellow Comely contender Crazy Beautiful in the 1 1/16-mile Seneca in October at Churchill.

Trained by Phil Bauer, Played Hard will be making her Aqueduct debut, breaking from post 5 with Martin Garcia aboard.

Rounding out the field is Shalimar Gardens, owned by Barry Schwartz, who was fourth in her stakes debut in the Grade 2 Raven Run last out in October at Keeneland for trainer Horacio DePaz [post 3, Hall of Famer John Velazquez]; Bees and Honey, making her stakes bow in her fifth career start for trainer J. Reeve McGaughey [post 7, Jose Lezcano]; Hybrid Eclipse, fourth in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks, for trainer Linda Rice [post 1, Dylan Davis]; and Ninetypercentbrynn, who will be seeking her first stakes win in her first graded stakes appearance for trainer Butch Reid [post 2, Eric Cancel].

The Comely is slated as Race 9 on the 10-race card with a post time of 3:43 p.m. Eastern. First post is 11:50 a.m.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Gibberish Decisive In Turnback The Alarm At Belmont

Gibberish tracked 2-5 favorite Miss Marissa in the early going, took command before the turn, and finished strong to post a 3 3/4-length victory in Saturday's $150,000 Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/8 miles on the main track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The 27th edition of the Turnback the Alarm, the first of four stakes on Belmont's 10-race card, saw e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Gibberish post her first victory in nearly a year, earning her first winner's circle appearance in six starts.

Gibberish, off at 3-1, broke from the outermost post under jockey Dylan Davis as Miss Marissa led the five-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in :23.56 and :47.22 for the half over a fast track.

As rider Kendrick Carmouche kept Miss Marissa to the inside, Davis urged Gibberish up from the three-path, taking command with three-quarters in 1:12.29. Gibberish kept command entering the stretch and easily repelled So Darn Hot's late bid, completing the course in a 1:51.93 final time for her first win since the Treasure Chest on November 27, 2020, at Delta Downs in Vinton, La.

The 4-year-old Lea filly returned $8.20 on a $2 win wager, improving to 5-2-1 in 14 career starts. She increased her career earnings to $340,010.

“I just wanted to come out running and not give an easy lead to Miss Marissa. I saw the four-horse [Firing Carol] was getting more engaged, so I was able to back off since she was doing a little more of the dirty work for me” said Davis, who rode Gibberish for the first time. “She's a big, nice-moving filly. She got to the turn and the half-mile pole and started picking up her stride.

“I didn't want to fight with her too much,” he added. “If you start fighting with her, she tends to back off, just looking at her replays. I let her run until the turn there and once we got in the stretch, she got her stride going even more and she was determined to get to the wire.”

Bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge Farm, Gibberish had posted a pair of stakes runner-up in the current campaign, starting with the Lady's Secret on June 6 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., before finishing 1 1/4 lengths back to Miss Marissa in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap on July 10 at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del.

“We knew who the horse to beat was and we knew Gibberish can be forwardly placed,” said Sarah Shaffer, assistant to Joseph, Jr. “The idea was to be close to that. But if there was not much pace in front, we weren't going to restrain our filly. We wanted her to go to the front and get into a comfortable stride. We had another horse kind of creep up in there and put the pressure on, and it set up beautifully for her.”

Shaffer said Gibberish could be ready to embark on the next phase of her career.

“I have a van set up for her to ship out to the horse sale in Lexington. She's headed to the sale,” Shaffer said. “I think broodmare is in her future and I think she deserved it to go out with another stakes win.”

So Darn Hot, trained by George Weaver, bested Jilted Bride by five lengths for second. Miss Marissa ran fourth while Firing Carol completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday with Closing Day of the Belmont fall meet. The 10-race card, which features an 11:50 a.m. first post, will feature a pair of stakes in the $150,000 Zagora for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/2 miles on the turf in Race 4 at 1:18 p.m. and the $150,000 Grade 3 Nashua for 2-year-olds in a one-turn mile on the main track in Race 9 at 3:43 p.m.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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King Of Positivity Kendrick Carmouche Hopeful For Big Late Kicks From Bourbonic, Maracuja

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche could be a walking, talking advertisement for optimism.

Here's the proof. The other day, Carmouche was asked what's his best finish he has ever had in the Pennsylvania Derby? The 37-year-old rider smiled – he's always smiling – and snapped back.

“Saturday,” he said. “It will be on Saturday.”

For the record, Carmouche's best finish in the signature race at Parx Racing came in 2017 when he checked in fourth aboard Game Over. That was his sixth career mount in the Derby.

Saturday, he'll be aboard Calumet Farms' Bourbonic in the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, a horse he rode to a stunning victory in the Wood Memorial in April at odds of 72-1.

“I will need some pace,” Carmouche said about his partner, who is 12-1 on the Derby morning line. “Hopefully, he will have the same kick that he had in the Wood and we can run them down.”

Being back in the saddle are soothing words for the native of Louisiana, who had a bummer of a summer.

Two races after riding Bourbonic to a fifth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes on June 5, Carmouche broke his right ankle when his mount Kentucky Pharoah leapt in the air and unseated the rider. The horse landed on his ankle, breaking it. Goodbye, summer.

Now he's back. And loving every second of it.

“I am ready. I am hungry,” Carmouche said. “I just want to succeed.”

Carmouche returned to the saddle on Sept. 5 and started his comeback at Parx, a place he has had plenty of success at.

He owns seven riding titles at Parx, including four straight from 2008-11.

In his second start back from the injury, he won. In 56 starts since his injury, Carmouche has seven wins, four seconds and six thirds.

Saturday, he'll have nine rides on the 13-race Parx card. Besides Bourbonic, he is also being reunited with Beach Haven Thoroughbreds LLC, Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds and Barry Fowler's Maracuja in the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion.

Carmouche rode Maracuja three times earlier this year before getting hurt. He missed the mount when Maracuja won the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga on July 24.

“I am happy to have Kendrick back on her,” Rob Atras, Maracuja's trainer, said. “He knows the filly. Obviously, he knows Parx. I know that definitely can't hurt.”

Carmouche's upbeat nature didn't sour when he watched Ricardo Santana Jr. win the Coaching Club American Oaks. It's not his way.

“I am always looking forward,” he said. “Life goes on, man. It's part of the game. Nobody wants to get hurt, but it happens. I just kept on pushing, kept on fighting. I am always in a good mood, you can never get me down. It's just the way I've always been.”

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Kendrick Carmouche Will Be Back In The Saddle Next Monday

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche is expected to return to riding races next Monday at Parx Racing, reports the Daily Racing Form.

He has not ridden in the afternoon since Belmont Stakes day on June 5, when he suffered a broken ankle in the final race and had to undergo surgery.

“He probably could have come back and ridden the final couple of days at Saratoga, but the book was already out and we didn't know exactly when he'd be able to return, and Kendrick didn't want to come back here just to come back,” agent Kevin Bubser told DRF. “He'll ride Monday through Wednesday each of the next two weeks at Parx and be ready to return when Belmont reopens the following Thursday.”

Carmouche began working horses again on Sunday morning at Saratoga.