lane luzzi | Horse Racing Free Tips

Pacific Typhoon first won the $130,000 OKC Turf Classic, presented by Choctaw Nation, in 2017, when he was a 4-year-old. Fast forward to 2021, the now 8-year-old gelding enjoyed a youthful resurgence to win the event a second time at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Owned by Carol Nelson of Mannford, Okla., Pacific Typhoon has made six consecutive starts in the Turf Classic (2016-2021), winning twice, running second (2018), fourth (2020), fifth (2016), and 10th (2019). A son by Don't Get Mad from the Stormy Atlantic mare My Stormy Elaine, Pacific Typhoon used his front-running style to perfection, finding enough stamina to lead throughout and then pull away once challenged down the stretch.

After setting early fractions of :23.95 for the quarter-mile, :48.58 for the half-mile, 1:12.89 for three quarters of a mile, and then 1:37.78 for one mile, Pacific Typhoon was tested in the stretch by Quarky who had followed him around the firm course, before pulling within a head of the leader. Pacific Typhoon found more to get away late to a 1-1/2 length victory under jockey Lane Luzzi.

“It was almost like he was waiting for some company,” Luzzi noted. “He had his ears pricked down the backside the whole way. Once he was engaged a little bit, he turned on to a gear that I didn't know he had until about the eighth pole. For me, it was a real thrill.”

Trained by Austin Gustafson, Pacific Typhoon crossed the finish in 1:44.20. Quarky held second while Khola was a rallying third, 2-1/4 lengths back.

Dismissed in the betting at 40-1 odds, Pacific Typhoon paid $83 to win, $30.60 to place, and $22 to show. Quarky (2-1) returned $4.20 to place and $3 to show. Khola (6-1) paid $5.60 to show.

The remaining order of finish in the Turf Classic was Half Ours to Keep (4th), Sweet Medicine (5th), Morhawk (6th), Quality Rocket, the beaten wagering favorite at 3-2 odds (7th), Gospel Musketeer (8th), Georgia Deputy (9th), Yip Yip Kip (10th), and Tommyhawk (11th).

The Turf Classic win was the 11th career score for Pacific Typhoon from 50 starts with four seconds and six thirds. He made $78,000 for his second win in the event to boost his lifetime earnings to $406,183.

Veronica Griggs trained Pacific Typhoon when he won the Turf Classic in 2017. The gelding was bred in Oklahoma by Clark Brewster of Tulsa, Okla.

The Turf Classic win was the second for owner Nelson. It was the first in the race and in the Oklahoma Classics for Gustafson. Luzzi won his second career Oklahoma Classics race by scoring his first Turf Classic.

The Oklahoma Classics is a $1,000,000 series of stakes races devoted to Oklahoma-bred Thoroughbreds.

Remington Park racing continues Saturday, Oct. 16 with the first race at 7:07 pm Central.

The post Pacific Typhoon Wins Second OKC Turf Classic, Four Years After His First appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Racing returns to Remington Park as the Thoroughbred season opens Friday, Aug. 20. While all involved are eager to begin, jockey Lane Luzzi is especially anticipating the start of the meeting.

Luzzi, 24, will return to riding in August from a broken collarbone incurred near the end of the season at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. The native New Yorker, who has called the central time zone home for five years, is finishing his rehabilitation and is set to continue one of his best career years.

“I plan on possibly riding at Prairie Meadows (Altoona, Iowa) and then get to Oklahoma City a little over a week before the season to work horses and get ready,” Luzzi said while visiting family in Saratoga, N.Y.

“Luckily, the collarbone didn't require surgery. You never really want to get hurt but the timing of this was ideal. I missed the last week and a half at Lone Star. I would have had to work to fill the time before the start of the Remington Park season, so I'm using this opportunity to rest and get ready.”

When Luzzi broke his collarbone on July 2, he had won 70 races this year, riding primarily at Sam Houston Race Park and Lone Star Park. He had also finished second and third, 62 times each from his 453 mounts. The victory rate had him on pace to surpass his career best of 117 wins for a year, set last year.

Well-known New York based jockey Mike Luzzi, who has accumulated more than 3,500 career wins, is Lane's father. His accomplishments created too many comparisons and possibly some added pressure for the young rider when he started to race. Lane Luzzi has been based at Remington Park since 2017 after making a difficult decision to uproot from the East Coast, the only region of America he had ever known. As a 19-year-old, he moved west to establish his career in the saddle.

“I had a good apprentice year in 2016 and lost my bug (weight allowance) on the East Coast. Then things went slow for me at the Gulfstream Park championship meet, where it is really, really tough. I wanted a new start and to go somewhere that no one knew me to make my own way.

“It was very tough, my first year at Remington Park; I only won six races. It took a good few weeks to get my foot in the door and to get opportunities. Sticking around let people know I was serious about building business and moving forward in this part of the country.”

Paying his dues has begun to pay off for Luzzi. He only won eight races in his second season at Remington Park in 2018. However, things picked up when he won 21 in 2019 and followed up with 39 local victories last year. Luzzi credits hard work and the efforts of his agent who has backed him throughout.

“Brad White is the only agent I've had since moving,” Luzzi said. “He's been patient with me and stuck with me. After a few years, we're doing great.”

Looking forward to Remington Park, Luzzi hasn't set any huge goals but is looking forward to riding a promising 2-year-old.

“Feel the Fear is a colt I won gate to wire with at Lone Star. He's trained by Austin Gustafson and will probably be pointed to some stakes soon, maybe the Clever Trevor. He's a beautiful colt and won easily.”

Feel the Fear broke his maiden at first-asking, going 4-1/2 furlongs, drawing away to win by 4-1/4 lengths in :53.07 on a fast track. He worked for Gustafson on July 25 at Remington Park, breezing a half-mile in :51.91 over a fast surface. Owned by Forge Ahead Stables, Feel the Fear is a Kentucky-bred by Honor Code from the Kitten's Joy mare Fresh Feline. The $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes at Remington Park, for 2-year-olds going seven furlongs, is scheduled for Oct. 29.

In addition to the more frequent pace of winning, Luzzi appreciates the lifestyle his occupation has afforded him in Oklahoma and Texas, compared to the hustle and bustle of living in the New York City area. “

Things are a lot slower than home, I really enjoy that so much, and it's quieter. I grew up in the city so there is never any downtime and everything is at a fast pace.”

Luzzi does miss his family, especially his father.

“I grew up watching dad ride, sitting in the jocks' room when I was three, and spending time with him. We talk three times a day discussing the races but we talk about plenty of other things. If he sees something in my rides, he says something.”

Coming into the Remington Park season, Luzzi has amassed 479 career wins with 449 seconds and another 448 thirds, from 3,620 mounts. His mounts have earned $10.4 million.

The post Lane Luzzi Finishing Up Rehab For Broken Collarbone, Ready To Resume Riding At Remington appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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