las cienegas | Horse Racing Free Tips

Two In A Row: Red-Hot Flavien Prat Again Voted Jockey Of The Week

For the second week in a row, Flavien Prat earned the title of Jockey of the Week with 10 wins including two graded stakes victories. The honor, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

It is almost becoming the norm that has Flavien Prat winning races in double digits for the week. He began the racing week at Santa Anita on Friday, winning claiming races for trainers Jeff Mullins and Richard Mandella, plus an Allowance Optional Claiming race for Michael McCarthy.

On Saturday with mounts in six races, Prat won the third race, a claiming contest, for trainer Phil D'Amato. Trainer Bob Baffert then gave a leg up to Prat on Under the Stars in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez for 3-year-old fillies. Off as the favorite in the field of six and breaking from the rail, Under the Stars took pressure from her rivals but started to take control on the far turn to post an impressive 3/4-length win for the seven furlongs in 1:22.51.

“I thought it was a good run,” Prat said. “There was pressure all the way around. The one hole was not the best place, but she overcame that.”

Prat also won the last race on the card, a Maiden Special Weight for trainer Simon Callaghan.

On Sunday's nine race card, Prat won Maiden Special Weight races one and three for trainer Phil D'Amato.

He was next aboard Zero Tolerance for trainer Ruben Alvarado in the G3 Las Cienegas for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up. Breaking from the far outside in the field of seven, Zero Tolerance followed the favorite Hear My Prayer. Gaining the advantage at the top of the stretch, Zero Tolerance held off a late challenge from Tapwater and Joe Bravo to win by a head in 1:13.26 for 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill turf course.

“She can be a little on her toes sometimes, but she was relaxing well today and when it was time to make a move, she responded well,” said Prat who was riding the 4-year-old for the fourth time.

With the win, Prat collected his sixth stakes of the young meet. Prat followed the stakes win with a victory in the 8th race, a Starter Allowance, for trainer Leonard Powell.

Prat's weekly statistics were 17-10-2-0 for total purse earnings of $470,320. Prat was leading jockey for the week in total and stakes purse earnings. He is currently the leading rider at Santa Anita with 21 wins.

Prat outpolled jockeys Kendrick Carmouche who also won 10 races for the week, Javier Castellano who won a stakes race at Aqueduct, Dylan Davis also with a stakes win at Aqueduct and Alfredo Juarez, Jr. who won a stakes race at Sunland Park.

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Weekend Lineup Presented By Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association: Say It Ain’t Snow

While most of the Northeast has been blanketed by snow and endured sub-freezing temperatures during the week, the horse racing action will help heat things up a bit this weekend with graded stakes action from coast to coast.

Saturday offers up a Grade 3 on the turf at Gulfstream Park, while older fillies and mares battle in the Pippin at Oaklawn and sophomore fillies go head-to-head in the G2 Santa Ynez at Santa Anita. Sunday's offerings include the G3 Las Cienegas at Santa Anita, an exciting down-the-hill turf race with a wide-open field of eight fillies and mares.

Here's a brief look at the graded stakes action (all times Eastern).

Saturday

3:37 PM – G3 Tropical Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park

Grade 2 winner Largent, unraced since being beaten a neck in last year's Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), returns to Gulfstream Park to launch his long-awaited comeback. The Tropical Turf would be Largent's first race in 351 days, but comes over a course where he has raced six times with four wins and two seconds. He broke his maiden in debut at Gulfstream in March 2019, won a pair of allowance races during the 2019-2020 Championship Meet as well as the Fort Lauderdale.

Value Proposition is a British-bred ridgling that won three of his first four career starts and has matched that total over his last nine, including victories in the one-mile Red Bank and seven-furlong Oyster Bay last fall. The 5-year-old was second in the 2021 Forbidden Apple (G3) and third in the 2020 Poker (G3), and enters the Tropical Turf having finished fifth in the six-furlong Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship Nov. 27.

Another graded winner in the field is Phat Man, who captured the 2020 Fred W. Hooper (G3) at Gulfstream. The 7-year-old gelding has two seconds in five lifetime tries on grass, but was last on the surface in the October 2017 Hawthorne Derby for previous connections.

Flying Scotsman will be making his second start off a layoff in the Tropical Turf. He ran fifth in a one-mile, 70-yard optional claiming allowance Dec. 19 that was moved off the Gulfstream turf to its Tapeta surface. Promoted winner of the 2019 Woodchopper at Fair Grounds, it was his first race since setting the pace before finishing sixth by 2 ¼ lengths in the Dinner Party (G2) at Pimlico Race Course.

7:06 PM – G2 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita Park

An impressive maiden winner in her most recent start, Bob Baffert-trained Under the Stars heads a field of six sophomore fillies going seven furlongs in this $200,000 contest. A respectable third, beaten three quarters of a length by the well regarded Tonito's in the 6 ½ furlong Desi Arnaz Stakes two starts back on Nov. 13, Under the Stars came back earn a Beyer Speed Figure of 80 when registering an impressive three-length maiden win at Los Alamitos going six furlongs on Dec. 11.

Reddam Racing's Awake At Midnyte, a close second in a one mile turf stakes on Nov. 27, also rates a big look, as do California-bred stakes winner Big Switch and recent turf maiden winner Miss Mattie B.

A $320,000 March 2-year-old in training sale purchase, Awake At Midnyte pressed the pace and came away a game neck first-out maiden winner going six furlongs on Oct. 31 here at Santa Anita and then stretched out to a mile on turf in the G3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 27. A close second early, she wrested control a sixteenth of a mile out but lost a desperate photo by a nose in a huge effort.

A California-bred by hot sire Mr. Big, John Sadler's Big Switch, a first-out maiden winner going six furlongs at Del Mar Aug. 20, followed that up with a 2 ¾ length win going seven furlongs in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies Nov. 5, earning an 80 Beyer Speed Figure. In what will be her first try in open company, she'll get the services of John Velazquez.

Trained by Bob Hess, Jr., Miss Mattie B rallied from far back to break her maiden going one mile on turf Nov. 27 and will hope to have a similar late kick as she switched back to dirt and shortens up a furlong. Miss Mattie B will be ridden back by Mike Smith.

Sunday

6:30 PM – G3 Las Cienegas Stakes at Santa Anita Park

A stakes winner over the course, Zero Tolerance heads a field of eight older fillies and mares going 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita's hillside turf this Sunday. Zero Tolerance stalked the pace and rallied impressively to take the ungraded Unzip Me Stakes over the course three starts back on Oct. 3 and was subsequently a close fourth going one mile on turf in the G3 Autumn Miss Stakes on Oct. 30. She sped to a 1 ¼ length win at 3-5 in a second condition allowance on Nov. 20 at Del Mar. Originally trained by Peter Miller, she'll be saddled by Ruben Alvarado on Sunday as she seeks her first graded win and her fourth overall from six starts.

Vladimir Cerin's Hear My Prayer and Bob Baffert's Ginja, a pair of distaffers in good recent form, also rate big chances in what will be their initial tries down Santa Anita's unique hillside layout. Throw in Baffert's classy comebacker Beautiful Gift and John Sadler's newcomer, Gold for Kitten, as well as his veteran stakes winner Constantia, and the Las Cienegas has the look of a wide open affair.

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Zero Tolerance Will Head Down The Hill In Sunday’s Las Cienegas

A stakes winner over the course, Zero Tolerance heads a field of eight older fillies and mares going 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita's hillside turf in this Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Las Cienegas Stakes.

A Kentucky-bred 4-year-old filly by Mizzen Mast, Zero Tolerance stalked the pace and rallied impressively to take the ungraded Unzip Me Stakes over the course three starts back on Oct. 3 and was subsequently a close fourth going one mile on turf in the G3 Autumn Miss Stakes on Oct. 30.

Ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli, she sped to a 1 ¼ length win at 3-5 in a second condition allowance on Nov. 20 at Del Mar. Originally trained by Peter Miller, she'll be saddled by Ruben Alvarado on Sunday as she seeks her first graded win and her fourth overall from six starts. Owned by Custom Truck Accessories, Jason Hall, Joe Kelly and Michael Riordan, Zero Tolerance will be reunited with Flavien Prat, who was aboard for the Unzip Me win as well as a maiden score four starts back on Aug. 20.

Owned by Holly and David Wilson, Hear My Prayer has been idle since rallying for a solid third place finish, beaten three quarters of a length in the five furlong turf Senator Ken Maddy Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 5. Originally based at Gulfstream Park, Hear My Prayer made her first start for Cerin two starts back in five furlong turf classified allowance Aug. 26, a race in which she pressed the pace and prevailed by a half length.

A two-time ungraded stakes winner sprinting on turf at Gulfstream, Hear My Prayer enters the Las Cienegas as a fresh commodity with a solid resume and will be ridden for the third consecutive time by Juan Hernandez. A 5-year-old Florida-bred mare by the Yes It's True stallion The Big Beast, Hear My Prayer is 11-5-0-3 overall with earnings of $218,975.

Idle since well beaten as the 2-1 favorite in the G2 Black Eyed Susan May 14 at Pimlico, Baoma Corporation's Beautiful Gift, who was a close second in the G2 Santa Anita Oaks April 3 and a game head winner of the G3 Santa Ysabel three starts back on March 7, should be attentive to the pace coming off the bench in what will be her first try on grass.

Although ridden by John Velazquez in her last three starts, Beautiful Gift will be handled for the first time by Drayden Van Dyke on Sunday. Favored in three out of her five starts, Beautiful Gift has the class to rate a major contender.

Perhaps the biggest question mark in the field due to the fact she'll be trying turf for the first time, Ginja nonetheless is in solid form and with Mike Smith riding her back, well-spotted. In a gutty effort, she was pressed every step of the way when second, beaten a neck by her stablemate Velvet Slippers in a one mile first condition allowance Nov. 19 at Del Mar.

Owned by Jill Baffert, Ginja is a 4-year-old filly by Quality Road, out of the Forestry mare Sequoia Queen. With an overall mark of 9-1-5-1, she'll be looking for her first graded stakes win.

Idle since a close third in an ungraded stakes going a mile and one sixteenth on synthetic at Woodbine Oct. 31, Gold for Kitten, who was claimed five starts back for $50,000 at Churchill Downs May 6, has never been worse than third in six starts—winning four, and she'll get the first time services of a red hot John Velazquez. A 4-year-old filly by Kitten's Joy, she's owned by DARRS Inc.

With her last win coming five starts back in the ungraded Mizdirection Stakes going six furlongs on turf here April 17, Sadler will also be well represented by Constantia, who takes a significant drop in class off a sixth place finish going one mile on grass in the G2 Goldikova Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 6. A 5-year-old mare by Munnings, Constantia was bred in Kentucky by her owner, Keith Abrahams. Although second going 6 ½ furlongs in the G2 Monrovia Stakes four starts back on June 5, Constantia, who has four wins from 16 starts, will be making her first start down the hillside turf course.

THE GRADE 3 LAS CIENEGAS WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

Tapwater—Joe Bravo—120
Hear My Prayer—Juan Hernandez–120
Constantia—Umberto Rispoli—122
Quiet Secretary—Tyler Baze—120
Beautiful Gift—Drayden Van Dyke—122
Ginja—Mike Smith—120
Zero Tolerance—Flavien Prat—122
Gold for Kitten—John Velazquez–120

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m., admission gates will open at 10:30 a.m.

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Bloodlines Presented By Diamond B Farm’s Rowayton: The Unlikely Path Of Charmaine’s Mia

Not many daughters of the little-recognized stallion Chati (by the Nearco stallion Amerigo) ever found themselves in the book of the great Irish-based stallion Sadler's Wells (by Northern Dancer), who was the leading sire in England and Ireland for more than a generation.

I suspect the only daughter of Chati bred to the keystone of Coolmore was Gossiping, a foal of 1981 who is the fourth dam of Charmaine's Mia, the winner of the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 9, when she ran the six furlongs in 1:07.81.

That swift time is listed as a new course record. While a sprint record might seem peculiar for a descendant of the great European classic sire, Gossiping was the third foal from the fine producer Minstinguette (Boldnesian) and was a year younger than her half-sister, European highweight sprinter Committed (Hagley).

A winner of 13 races from 22 starts, including a trio of Group 1 sprints in Europe, Committed was a racehorse of a very high order. Her half-sister was notably different, winning only a single race from 19 starts. Nonetheless, Gossiping was a half-sister to the great mare, and as Minstinguette produced two more stakes winners and a stakes-placed performer during her distinguished career as a broodmare, Gossiping was clearly a desirable broodmare.

She was, moreover, as big a success at stud as she had been disappointing on the racetrack. Gossiping's second foal was Idle Talk (Assert), who ran third in the Oaks Trial in England; her fourth foal was Musicale (The Minstrel), who won six of eight starts, including a quartet of G3 stakes at two and three; and the mare's sixth named foal was Grapevine (Sadler's Wells), who finished second in the Cheshire Oaks.

Grapevine's year-older full-sister was Wild Rumour, who was a winner from four starts. She produced Sadler's Trick, a stakes-placed racer by champion Favorite Trick among her seven winners, and the second dam of Charmaine's Mia was an unplaced daughter of Metropolitan Handicap winner Honour and Glory named Sadler's Charm. This mare produced two winners from 10 foals, but one of those winners was the Bernstein mare Charming Vixen, who was successful in the 2011 Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Charmaine's Mia is the first foal of Charming Vixen, and the 5-year-old has won five races from 26 starts, earning $232,976. Victory in the Las Cienegas made Charmaine's Mia the 30th stakes winner and ninth graded winner for her sire, the War Front stallion The Factor.

Josh Stevens signed for Charming Vixen as a broodmare prospect at the 2014 Keeneland January sale on behalf of Gunpowder Farm (Tom Keithley and Erica deVinney).

Stevens said, “Charming Vixen was a solid prospect, and we gave $80,000 for her. I was working for Margaux at the time and signed it that way, as agent. The mare was a pretty mare, and when we bought Charming Vixen, the owners were hoping to reinvigorate [the Round Table-line stallion] K One King and also breed something that was commercially viable.”

Bred in Kentucky by Gunpowder Farm, Charmaine's Mia had a rocky reception at sales. She was a $40,000 RNA as a weanling, then sold for $4,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September sale; that price placed the filly in the bottom decile among yearlings by her sire, whose 63 yearlings averaged $47,922 that year.

Clark Shepherd was a partner in the consigning agency, Allied Bloodstock, and he recalled the filly, saying, “When we presented her at the sales, she was kind of small, and The Factor wasn't strong in the marketplace at that time. That combination, with a physical that wasn't appealing to the market, put a formidable cap on the filly's commercial place in the sale.”

Fortunately, racehorses aren't the same as sales horses, and sometimes those who are not tall keep growing; some who are immature progress to strength; and some who are last at the sales are first at the finish. Stakes-placed in the Catch a Glimpse Stakes at two, Charmaine's Mia has clearly left her sales appraisal far behind.

After purchasing Charming Vixen, Stevens left Margaux to become the racing manager for Gunpowder Farm and now is an independent bloodstock agent. He said, “Gunpowder Farms had a couple of really good years at the racetrack with horses like Divisidero and others, and this is the kind of racehorse that Gunpowder was trying to breed.”

Charming Vixen's second foal is Boatloadofnerve (Magician), who is a winner from eight starts, and that now-4-year-old filly sold as a yearling for $1,100 at 2018 Keeneland September sale.

At the 2017 Keeneland November sale, Charming Vixen herself sold for $20,000 in foal to Hit it a Bomb. The buyer was KOID, and Charming Vixen produced a bay filly of 2018 in Korea that has since been named Charming Boom. The mare has been barren the last two years.

Charming Boom was unplaced in her first two starts, both late last year at two. Considering this family, however, progress at three would be a reasonable expectation.

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