kenny mccarthy | Horse Racing Free Tips

White Frost Reels In Con Lima In Sweetest Chant At Gulfstream

Gainesway Stable's homebred White Frost made her sophomore and stakes debut a winning one, powering through the stretch to run down favored Con Lima for a one-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Sweetest Chant (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 26th running of the one-mile Sweetest Chant for 3-year-old fillies on the grass was the fourth of five graded-stakes worth $600,000 in purses, immediately preceding the $200,000 Holy Bull (G3), Gulfstream's next step for 3-year-olds on the road to the March 27 Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa (G1).

Ridden by Junior Alvarado for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, White Frost ($11) hit the wire in 1:34.45 over a firm course for her second straight win. The daughter of Candy Ride graduated with a 1 ¼-length maiden special weight triumph Nov. 21 at Aqueduct in her previous start.

“I thought Junior gave her a super ride out of there,” Mott's assistant, Kenny McCarthy said. “I know beforehand, the boss mentioned that maybe [Con Lima] had the speed of the race and maybe [Lionessofbrittany] early, so the plan was to tuck in early on, save some ground and call on her turning for home and see if she had an answer. And, boy, she sure did answer.”

Breaking from Post 5 in the field of eight, Alvarado found himself between horses in the early stages trailing all but two horses through six furlongs as Con Lima, winner of the Ginger Brew Jan. 1 at Gulfstream, ran splits of 24.16 seconds, 48.26 and 1:11.66 pressed by Lionessofbrittany, exiting back-to-back turf sprint victories.

“She broke very sharp. Going into the first turn, things got a little tight, but I had enough filly to hold my spot,” Alvarado said. “I was a passenger the whole way around. I just had to show her where to go and find the room turning for home. After I put her in the clear, she has such a nice turn of foot. It made my job very easy.”

Alvarado was able to weave his way through traffic until finding room at the head of the stretch, tipping out into the opening and setting his sights on Con Lima. White Frost steadily gained ground down the center of the course to reel in Con Lima, who was a length better than Domain Expertise in third, followed by Candace O, Honey Pants, Queen of the Green, Director's Cut and Lionessofbrittany.

“It was pretty exceptional, because they hadn't gone that fast early so you figure everyone's going to be running home a little bit,” McCarthy said. “Once Junior put her in the clear, she really accelerated and showed them a nice clean pair of heels.”

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Harvey’s Lil Goil Prevails In Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup

The Estate of Harvey Clarke and Paul Braverman's Harvey's Lil Goil grabbed the lead at the top of the stretch and then held off all challengers to win the 37th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup for 3-year-old fillies by three-quarters of a length over Micheline at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

Trained by Bill Mott and ridden Martin Garcia, Harvey's Lil Goil covered the 1 1/8 miles on a turf course rated as good in 1:48.72. The victory is the second in the race for Mott, who saddled Crown Queen to victory in 2014.

Sweet Melania set the pace with Harvey's Lil Goil lapped on her outside through fractions of :23.89, :47.75 and 1:12.16. The two hit the top of the stretch as a team only to have Harvey's Lil Goil quickly spurt away and open a daylight advantage.

Favored Magic Attitude (GB) made the first run at her and then Micheline finished fastest of all to grab second but unable to catch Harvey's Lil Goil. The result reversed the finish of the Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs Sept. 10 when Micheline prevailed by a neck.

“She has a lot of natural speed,” said Garcia. “She's fast – you can do whatever you want. After the break, I moved outside and she was really comfortable by herself. When it was time to go, I asked and she responded.”

Bred in Kentucky by Clarke, Harvey's Lil Goil is a daughter of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah out of the Tapit mare Gloria S. The victory was worth $300,000 and increased Harvey's Lil Goil's earnings to $561,529 with a record of 8-4-1-1.

“We were pretty confident with her,” said Kenny McCarthy, assistant to Mott at Keeneland. “She ran a super race for us at Kentucky Downs (finishing second to QE II runner-up Micheline in the Sept. 10 Dueling Grounds Oaks) in her last out and had trained really well in between. She's a little superstar. She pretty much goes on any surface for us. At least in my mind, I think the turf probably is a little bit easier for her to handle.”

Harvey's Lil Goil paid $9.20, $5.20 and $3.20. Micheline, ridden by Florent Geroux, returned $9.20 and $4.40 and finished a half-length in front of Magic Attitude, who paid $2.40 to show under Javier Castellano.

It was another half-length back to Red Lark (IRE), who was followed in order by California Kook, Hendy Woods and Sweet Melania.

Racing continues Sunday with a nine-race program beginning at 1:05 p.m. ET. Keeneland will offer a Pick 6 carryover of $34,998.45 and a Super High 5 carryover of $58,378.55.

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‘Here’s To Longshots!’ Mott-Trained Derby Entrant South Bend ‘Tries Hard Every Time’

With his Kentucky Derby gear still being constructed, South Bend took to the track with his usual Bill Mott saddle towel as he galloped during the special 7:30 a.m. training session for Oaks and Derby horses at Churchill Downs.

A late entrant to the Derby fray, South Bend heads into Saturday's test off a fourth-place finish in the Travers Stakes (GI) at Saratoga on Aug. 8. Though he is winless in eight starts this year, the bay colt has flashed potential, most notably running second in the Ohio Derby (GIII) June 27 while still in the barn of his prior trainer Stanley Hough.

“He's a very consistent horse, if you look at all his races and he tries hard every time,” said Kenny McCarthy, Mott's assistant. “His Travers race was certainly not a bad race. He obviously needs to move forward off of that race but he seems to like this track here. We've seen over the years that some horses look like a cinch coming in but they couldn't get it done.”

Campaigned by Sagamore Farm through his first 11 starts, including a victory in the Street Sense last fall at Churchill Downs, South Bend was acquired prior to the Travers by a partnership group that includes Gary Barber, Adam Wachtel, Peter Deutsch and Leonard Schleifer of Pantofel Stable.

“He was previously with Stanley so he's trained over this track (Churchill Downs) many times,” McCarthy added. “This horse, it was a bit of a last-minute decision to go into the race but having said that, I think initially when the horse was purchased, that might have been in the back of their minds to try and get themselves a Derby horse. Obviously with the defection of Art Collector, they figured let's take a shot. Here's to longshots!”

South Bend is listed at 50-1 on the Kentucky Derby morning line, and will break from post position eight.

Thanks to the National Turfwriters and Broadcasters Association (NTWAB), which has assembled a group of pool reporters providing independent reporting to members unable to be on the Churchill Downs grounds this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

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Mitchell Road Fends Off Challengers To Win Ellis Park Turf

The $50,000 Ellis Park Turf proved Mitchell Road's path back into the winner's circle as she held off upset-minded Strike My Fancy to triumph by a neck.

The class of the field, Mitchell Road was a Grade 3 winner last year but came into the Ellis Park Turf 0 for 3 in 2020, finishing seventh in Churchill Downs' Grade 3 Mint Julep following a pair of seconds.

“I think we were just looking around for a good spot for her,” said Kenny McCarthy, who oversees the Churchill Downs operation for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. “I mean, she tries hard every time we run her. I think sometimes mentally it's nice for them to win one, when they put forth so much effort. She's been pretty consistent, so it was good to get the win today.”

Mitchell Road was unprepared at the start and broke last but was content to briefly settle behind Harmless, who at 33-1 was the longest shot in the field of six older fillies and mares, before lapping on alongside her rival. Harmless actually stuck her head back in front in midstretch, but Mitchell Road shook her off and then held Strike My Fancy at bay.

“It worked out pretty well,” said Joe Talamo, winning his first stakes at Ellis Park in his first year making Kentucky his base. “The pace was really slow. I just let her gather up her stride and slowly get up there. She got into a really good rhythm down the backside, the whole way around there. Then turning for home, I had a lot of horse. When that other filly came to me, she fought her off pretty nicely. When she got to the lead, I felt like she might have been waiting a little bit, so I was actually happy to see that other filly come to her. I think it made her pay attention a little bit more. Because even galloping out, she was still full of run. I was just thankful for the opportunity. She's a very nice filly.”

Mitchell Road toured 1 1/16 miles over firm turf in 1:43.12, quickening to cover the final sixteenth-mile in 6.10 seconds. The daughter of turf champion English Channel paid $3.60 to win as the 4-5 favorite.

“She's a filly, if you watch her races, she loves a dogfight,” McCarthy said. “It's like she kind of gets there and then is waiting there for that next one to come. I saw the 6 (Strike My Fancy) coming, but I felt she was still going to hold. That's the kind of filly she is.”

The Matt Shirer-trained Strike My Fancy closed with a rush under Colby Hernandez to make a close race out of it.

“My horse ran a big race. She tries every time,” said Hernandez, the younger brother of Kentucky mainstay Brian Hernandez Jr. “She's a very easy horse to ride. She puts you where you need to be in a race. At the sixteenth pole I thought I had a chance at the winner.”

Harmless — claimed for $62,500 in her prior start, and finishing eighth that day — came in another 1 1/4 lengths back in third under Alex Achard, thrilling new trainer Michelle Lovell.

“That was good,” she said. “I thought she may hang in for second. She hung in there for a long time.”

Mintd, who hit the gate at the start, came in fourth. Timeless Curls, who pushed the early pace in her first start in 13 1/2 months, and Our Bay B Ruth founded out the field. Sister Hanan, Makealitlemischief, Mighty Scarlett and Complicit were scratched.

Mitchell Road now has won races at ages 3, 4 and 5, with three stakes victories last year — including Pimlico's Grade 3 Gallorette two weeks after her younger half-brother Country House gave Mott his first victory in the Kentucky Derby. Both horses are out of the War Chant mare Quake Lake. Mitchell Road now is 7-5-0 in 15 starts, earning $501,060 for Mrs. J.V. Shields Jr. and E.J.M. McFadden Jr.

“Any year you can win a stakes is a great year for it,” McCarthy said. “Obviously this is probably her last year of running, so let's look around for her and try to find her some good spots and let her pad her resume.”

A good spot easily could be Ellis Park's $100,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf on Aug. 2. The winner of that race gets a fees-paid spot in the $500,000, Grade 3 Three Chimneys Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf on Sept. 12, a race Mitchell Road ran second in last year.

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