Kosta Hronis | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘He’s A Freak’: Flightline Soars To Third Consecutive Daylight Victory In Runhappy Malibu

In a performance that lived up to the hype and then some, John Sadler's freakishly good Flightline waltzed to an 11 ½-length victory in the traditional winter-spring opening day feature at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., the Grade 1, $300,000 Runhappy Malibu Stakes. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Flightline, who is now unbeaten in three starts by a combined 37 ½ lengths, got seven furlongs in 1:21.37.

Never challenged at any point, Flightline fairly jogged home in a manner that reminded veteran players of some of the best sprinters that have ever graced the Santa Anita main track. With Prat sitting dead still turning for home, the colt actually seemed to hit his best stride on the gallop out into the clubhouse turn.

“I was in cruise control the whole race, galloping freely,” said Prat. “He was quite impressive. I wanted to get a good position and get myself into the race. My idea was to get out there running and see what happened. He has been brilliant so far. He really has been quite amazing.”

A 12 ¾-length allowance winner going six furlongs on Sept. 5 at Del Mar, Flightline, a bay colt by Tapit, was off at 2-5 in a field of seven sophomores and paid $2.80, $2.40 and $2.20.

“I've been stressing the last 20, 30 or 40 days getting ready for today,” said Sadler. “The next race is up to the horse. We have to be true to the horse. We will chart the course from there. This horse is so brilliant. This is not an ordinary horse, this is a very special horse. We want to do right by the horse and all other things will fall into place. He was late getting here. He had a foot bruise at Del Mar, so we backed off. After Flavien (Prat) got off him the last time, he said this horse can go further. He'll go a distance the next time. There is a lot of pressure on you, but it is the pressure you want. It's like the high school coach for LeBron. You know you have something special and he is much the best. This horse is there. You just don't want to screw it up.”

Owned by Hronis Racing, LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine, LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing LLC, Flightline, who is out of the Indian Charlie mare Feathered, picked up $180,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $259,800.

“It's always great to see a great racehorse stay on the racetrack and run as long as he can,” said co-owner Kosta Hronis. “We hope we can see Flightline put up a terrific year.”

“We hoped to win this, but to do this against this kind of field, this was the real class test for him and I think he answered it the way we thought he would.” said Woodford Racing's Bill Farish.

West Point's Terry Finley added that “this is a very special horse and I'd just like to say thank you to John Sadler and the team and to David Ingordo who picked this horse out, and Bill Farish who sold the horse, and Jane Lyon who bred the horse.”

Flightline was bred in Kentucky by Lyon's Summer Wind Equine.

In a separate race, Baby Yoda, an attentive third to the top of the lane, outfinished Stilleto Boy by a length for the place. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Baby Yoda was off at 16-1 and paid $8.40 and $4.60.

“If Flightline isn't there, I win. He's a freak,” said Ortiz.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Stilleto Boy finished 6 ¼ lengths clear of Triple Tap and paid $4.00 to show while off at 19-1.

Fractions on the race, all set by the winner, were 22.01, 44.48 and 1:08.72.

Run as the 10^th race on an 11-race opening day card, the Runhappy Malibu was one of six stakes on the program.

The post ‘He’s A Freak’: Flightline Soars To Third Consecutive Daylight Victory In Runhappy Malibu appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Tripoli Upsets Pacific Classic, Earns Return Trip To Del Mar For Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Classic

The owner-trainer team of Hronis Racing and John Sadler picked up their third victory in the last four runnings of the Grade 1, $1 million TVG Pacific Classic at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., on Saturday when Tripoli scored by 1 1/4 lengths from just off the pace under jockey Tiago Pereira.

Pacesetter Tizamagician – one of two runners for trainer Richard Mandella – finished second under leading rider Flavien Prat, 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner, with Todd Pletcher-trained East Coast invader Dr Post rallying to be third under Joel Rosario in the field of nine older runners. Sheriff Brown was fourth, followed by Independence Hall, 2-1 favorite Express Train, 5-2 second choice Royal Ship, Cupid's Claws and Magic on Tap.

Tripoli, a 4-year-old colt by Kitten's Joy out of Love Train, by Tapit, covered 1 1/4 miles on a fast track in 2:02.37. He paid $15 for his fourth win in 14 starts and first added-money victory.

The Pacific Classic is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Win and You're In race, giving the winner automatic, fees-paid entry into the Breeders' Cup Classic, to be held at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

Sadler saddled his first Pacific Classic winner, Accelerate, in 2018, and won the 2019 edition with Higher Power. Both were owned by Kosta and Pete Hronis in the name of their Hronis Racing.

“It feels great to win it again, and you've got to give all the credit to the barn,” said Kosta Hronis. “Tiago rode a great race. It's the only race he rode today because he wanted to focus on it. This horse has matured and just keeps coming along and today he proved himself. We didn't know if he could go a mile and a quarter, but today we found out.”

The victory was the first in a North American Grade 1 race for Pereira, a 44-year-old native of Brazil who came to the U.S. in 2014. Winner of more than 2,000 races prior to his arrival in the U.S., his biggest win came in the $10 million Dubai World Cup in 2010 aboard Gloria De Campeao.

“(Trainer) John (Sadler) told me before the race to be careful, because there were a lot of runners who had a similar style of running, Pareira said. “So, I was okay running right behind the leaders. When it was time to run, I had plenty of horse. But once we got in front, he started looking around, waiting on other horses. I looked around and knew we were not going to get caught. This was my only mount today, so I was really focused. I am so happy.”

A $450,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale graduate, Tripoli raced on the turf for his first 11 starts, winning a maiden race at Del Mar last August and adding a Santa Anita allowance victory in May of this year.

Sadler put the colt on dirt for the first time in June at Santa Anita and Tripoli responded with a half-length victory going 1 1/16 miles. He ran a close second to Express Train last out in the G2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar, beaten just a half length.

In the Pacific Classic, Tripoli tracked Tizamagician from the outset, following the Tiznow colt through fractions of :23.52, :46.98 and 1:11.73 for the first six furlongs. Independence Hall applied some pressure to Tizamagician, setting up a perfect trip to the eventual winner. Pereira shifted Tripoli to the outside into the far turn, engaged the front runner at the quarter pole after a mile in 1:36.88, then took command with a furlong to run.

“He looked good all the way,” said Sadler. “He broke on his feet so (jockey Tiago Pereira) was able to tuck him in there and he looked comfortable all the way around. When (Independence Hall) started to slow up we were in a good spot. He had a perfect trip, give the rider a lot of credit. He rode him perfectly.”

Tizamagician was 4 1/2 lengths clear of Dr Post, who came to the Pacific Classic of a come-from-behind victory in the G3 Monmouth Cup at Monmouth Park on July 18 in what some thought was a scouting mission for the Breeders' Cup Classic by Pletcher. The Quality Road colt had just won horse beaten for the opening mile of the Pacific Classic and closed well in the stretch to be third.

“Yeah, he ran a strange race today,” Rosario said of Dr Post. “He kind of lost interest on the backstretch, so I thought I had no horse. But when I wheeled him outside, he gave me a strong finish. I don't know how to explain it.”

Neither of the two favorites, Express Train or Royal Ship, offered a serious challenge.

Buoyed by a Pick 6 mandatory payout that included nearly $1.9 million carried over into a jackpot and drew $8,876,771 in new wagers on Saturday, Del Mar smashed its all-time, non-Breeders' Cup day handle record. A total of $36,005,613 was bet at Del Mar or on the 11-race card via simulcasting, bettering the old mar of $25,870,431 by more than $10 million. Attendance was 12,655.

The post Tripoli Upsets Pacific Classic, Earns Return Trip To Del Mar For Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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GISW Combatant to Rockridge Stud

Last year's GI Santa Anita H. victor Combatant (Scat Daddy–Border Dispute by Boundary) has been retired and will stand at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, New York beginning with the 2022 season. Campaigned by Hronis Racing, the 6-year-old was sold to Brian Levings of Levings Racing in a deal brokered by Matt Bowling of Bowling Bloodstock, Colt Pike and David Ingordo.

“I've had fun on the racing side and decided to dip a toe in the stallion market,” said Levings. “New York has a strong program and has shown that stallions from the Empire State can have a bright future.”

Added Rockridge's Lere Visagie, “A Grade I-winning son of Scat Daddy is a great complement to the New York stallion market and a perfect fit for our program.”

Currently being syndicated, the millionaire will stand for $7,500 LFSN in his first year. The stallion will remain in Kentucky through the end of the Keeneland September Sale. For more information visit www.rockridgestud.com.

The post GISW Combatant to Rockridge Stud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Rock Your World Reloads for Belmont

ELMONT, NY — After a forgettable run on the first Saturday in May, the previously unbeaten Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) will get his shot at redemption in the 153rd renewal of the GI Belmont S.

Off as the 9-2 second-choice in the GI Kentucky Derby following a jaw-dropping, front-running tally in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby at third asking, the dark bay's race was over well before his well-documented trouble at the start that day, per co-owner Kosta Hronis.

“I think he showed a lot of immaturity,” Hronis said. “The walkover, I'm not sure how kind he was about that and all those people on the racetrack with him. I don't think he was happy then and he wasn't happy in the paddock getting his saddle on, either. He just wasn't a happy camper. It's not his fault. He had three races. It proves that old adage about needing to run as a 2-year-old to win the Derby. I can see why they say that now. His immaturity definitely came to the surface in those couple of hours before the race.”

Off a step slowly from post 15 in the Derby, jockey Joel Rosario briefly lost his right iron aboard the Hronis Racing and Michael Talla colorbearer after getting bounced around between rivals at the start. From there, it didn't get all that much better. In the end, Rock Your World reported home a disappointing 17th, beaten 24 1/2 lengths.

“He didn't break out of the gate,” Hronis said. “And they blamed the horses for bumping us, but you know what? I blame us. The horse didn't break. I knew when he got that third bump on the first turn he was done at that point. Those things happen, it's horse racing.”

Hronis Inc., a family-run business based in California's San Joaquin Valley, has been raising table grapes since 1945. Launched in 2010 by brothers Kosta and Pete, Hronis Racing quickly reached the top of the sport with 2018 GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner and champion older male Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) and was also recognized as outstanding owner at that year's Eclipse Awards.

Other GISWs campaigned by Hronis Racing include: Stellar Wind (Curlin), Higher Power (Medaglia d'Oro), Hard Aces (Hard Spun), Lady of Shamrock (Scat Daddy), Gift Box (Twirling Candy), et al. Having a first runner on the Triple Crown trail, however, has been a different ball game for the operation currently boasting approximately 60 head in training.

“We've won a Breeders' Cup Classic, and, to me, that's the pinnacle of horse racing,” Hronis said. “But to be in the Kentucky Derby, that's really an honor. We really feel privileged to be a part of these special days. If anything, it's made me thirsty to try to get back. I don't think I had that before. But now that we've been there and experienced it, I'm ready for another Derby. I just haven't had Triple Crown fever up until now.”

Like his owner, the Belmont's potential controlling speed, ahem, is coming into the Big Apple hot. Produced by a MSW & MGISP daughter of 2003 Belmont hero Empire Maker, Rock Your World fired a five-furlong bullet in :58 2/5 (1/34) at John Sadler's Santa Anita base May 28.

“Now that he's been through that once–he got to come back home and take a breath–he's worked really well,” Hronis said. “Let's just hope that he breaks out of the gate and gives himself a chance. The 1 1/2 miles [of the Belmont] seems to be right up his alley. We're going in very optimistic that he's going to run good race.”

A stud deal to stand Rock Your World at Spendthrift Farm at the conclusion of his racing career was previously inked prior to the Kentucky Derby.

“They're born to be racehorses and we'd like that to continue as long as they want do that,” Hronis said. “Horses do let you know. I love Rock Your World, and as long as he's happy and competing well, we've all agreed that's what we want to do. And Spendthrift, I thank them. They reached out and took a chance on him and I'm hoping it pays big dividends for them.”

Bred in Kentucky by Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and his wife Deborah, Rock Your World brought $650,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. Partnering up to go after some flashier offerings was a new approach employed by the Hronis family in 2019.

“This was an expensive horse,” Hronis said. “We had our eye on a few expensive horses, so instead of just tackling it by ourselves and picking one, we did three partnerships with some yearlings that were a little bit pricey. It lessens the risk. It's kind of like the stock market. You don't want all your stock in one thing. It's the first time that we've done that and I'm not sure if we'll do anything like that in the future again. It was a good idea to minimize our exposure on these really fancy horses. It's becoming a popular thing now, you see it more and more.”

In addition to Rock Your World, another one of those “fancy horses” posted one of the more impressive debut victories in recent memory at Santa Anita in late April. Flightline (Tapit) earned a gaudy 105 Beyer Speed Figure–the second highest on the year among sophomores–in a no-brainer 'TDN Rising Star' performance, romping by 13 1/4 lengths. The $1-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga buy is campaigned in partnership along with Siena Farm LLC, breeder Summer Wind Equine and West Point Thoroughbreds.

“We're just trying to be really cautious with him because that may be the most talented horse that we've ever had in our barn,” Hronis said. “He is a special special horse.”

Flightline has yet to return the worktab, but remains in light training with Sadler at Santa Anita.

“I would've loved for him to come with Rock and run in the [GI] Woody Stephens [S. on the Belmont undercard],” Hronis said. “After his maiden win, that's what we were talking about. Then he told us, 'No.' We just have to keep everything spaced out for him. I'm sure when he's ready, we'll find a nice race for him. I'm honored to be partnered with that group.”

Rock Your World still didn't make the cross country trip from California alone. Hronis and Sadler will also be represented during this week's Belmont S. festival with GI Churchill Downs S. winner Flagstaff (Speightstown) in Friday's GII True North S. The duo also teamed up to capture the 2019 renewal with Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags).

“My daughter worked for NBC in New York for about four years, so we did experience the city a few times,” Hronis concluded. “It's a beautiful city. Being a California boy that lives out in the country, the big city is really not something we're used to. We live out on a ranch. I don't have a neighbor for two miles and that neighbor is my brother! I've never been there before on Belmont day. You see that lineup of races and they're all so historic. We're really looking forward to it.”

The post Rock Your World Reloads for Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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