Tag: leandro mora

O’Neill Sending Eight To Dubai World Cup Carnival

A group of eight horses trained by Doug O'Neill led by GI Pennsylvania Derby hero Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) is being aimed at the upcoming Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan Racecourse, according to a tweet from the Dubai Racing Club Monday. The octet is scheduled to touch down in Dubai Jan. 18 and their preparations will be overseen by assistant trainer Leandro Mora, O'Neill confirmed via text Monday. It will be the second time in three years that the conditioner will be represented by horses stabled in Dubai, having celebrated an outstanding DWCC in 2020.

O'Neill indicated last month on Steve Byk's At The Races satellite radio program that Hot Rod Charlie would have the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup as his major early-season target. The newly turned 4-year-old was most recently narrowly beaten into second by Express Train (Union Rags) in the GII San Antonio S. Dec. 26 and breezed a half-mile in :48.40 prior to the first race at Santa Anita Jan. 8. Similar to California Chrome and Curlin, each of whom prepped victoriously in Dubai prior to winning the World Cup, Hot Rod Charlie could take in a race such as the $100,000 Listed Curlin S. over the same 10-furlong distance as the main event Friday, Feb. 11.

Among the 17 horses that represented O'Neill at the 2020 Carnival was Fore Left (Twirling Candy), a two-time stakes winner on dirt in the U.S. as a juvenile who defeated 15 rivals to land the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas on his lone appearance in the desert. A would-be start in the G2 UAE Derby was scuppered when the COVID-19 pandemic claimed the entire Dubai World Cup program. New York-bred Khantaro d'Oro (Kantharos) could be on a similar trajectory, despite being a six-start maiden. Third and second in turf heats at Santa Anita in October and at Del Mar the following month, respectively, the bay ridgling was a well-beaten seventh in the grassy GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. Nov. 28, but exits a runner-up effort to the progressive Blackadder (Quality Road) on the main track in Arcadia Dec. 26.

W C Racing's Wildman Jack (Goldencents) made history at the 2020 DWCC, becoming the first American-trained galloper to land a turf race in Dubai when scoring impressively in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint on Super Saturday. He, too, was denied a run in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup night due to its cancellation, but the W C Racing-bred and co-owned sophomore gelding Get Back Goldie (Goldencents) is expected to be part of the O'Neill team as well. Unplaced in a pair of dirt tries to kick off his career, the bay graduated against $50,000 maidens on the turf at Santa Anita Oct. 23 and exits a ninth in the Cecil B. DeMille.

Fore Left carried the silks of top O'Neill client Reddam Racing and that operation is set to be represented at the Carnival by 4-year-old Go On (Nyquist), a maiden winner going six furlongs in 1:08.50 at Santa Anita Oct. 9 and a latest fourth, beaten just five lengths, in the San Antonio.

According to the tweet from the Dubai Racing Club, the other four likely shippers include SW & GSP Strong Constitution (Constitution); Cal-bred stakes winner Positivity (Paynter); Appreciated (Acclamation), recently claimed for $40,000 and placed in two of three starts for the O'Neill barn; and $1-million FTFMAR graduate Notre Dame (Into Mischief), the gate-to-wire winner of a six-furlong Santa Anita allowance Dec. 26.

The 18th edition of the Dubai World Cup Carnival begins Friday, Jan. 14, featuring the G3 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 over the metric mile. Total prize money for the DWCC exceeds $7.5 million across nine meetings, ending with the Super Saturday card Mar. 5. The $30.5-million Dubai World Cup night takes place Saturday, Mar. 26.

 

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Americans In Dubai: Bigger, Badder Wildman Jack Takes On Top Dirt Sprinters

In 2020, Wildman Jack was riding high off an outstanding Dubai World Cup Carnival season, topped by a crushing of the 1200m (six-furlong) turf track record in the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint.

Heading into last year's course and distance Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint as one of the main contenders, the joy ride came to an abrupt halt when the Dubai World Cup was cancelled. Fast-forward through 12 months of pandemic pandemonium and the horse is back in the UAE with a second chance at a first Dubai World Cup night impression.

This time, the Doug O'Neill trainee arrives as a newly discovered multi-surface star, having dominated a key prep for the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen sponsored by Gulf News, the Grade 3 Palos Verdes at Santa Anita on the dirt.

Nine Palos Verdes winners have gone on to Dubai's top dirt sprint, including winners Big Jag and Kinsale King, runner-ups Men's Exclusive, Avanzado, Friendly Island and Euroears and third-place finisher Roy H.

“It's so nice being back,” said Leandro Mora, longtime O'Neill assistant. “I love being back here and loved spending last winter here. It's pure gold for us.

“We ran him two times on dirt back in the States and he won the last time and ran a really nice race, so that's what made the decision to run here (in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in lieu of the Al Quoz Sprint).

“When he was training on dirt here (last year), we thought he could handle it really well because his workouts were sizzling fast.”

Despite being a keen horse, full of energy, the Glenn Sorgenstein-owned son of Goldencents is reportedly quite content being back in Dubai.

“Any horse who lands on the other side of the world who eats well, sleeps well and trains happy, that means the horse likes the environment,” Mora continued. “He's a much better horse than last year when we brought him over here. He was a young horse last year and he has matured and now takes everything in stride. He's about 50kgs heavier than he was last year.”

Post positions will be drawn on Wednesday for the 1200m (six-furlong) dirt dash. A victory would give O'Neill his first Shaheen, but Leandro his second, as he was the assistant to Tim Pinfield when Big Jag won in 2000 with a spectacular performance at Nad Al Sheba. O'Neill won the 2007 Godolphin Mile with Spring At Last and has been second twice in this race, with the aforementioned Avanzado and champion American sprinter Thor's Echo.

“Big Jag was an amazing horse and I love coming here for these races,” Mora explained. “I hope Jack runs well. He's doing great and the post does not matter with him. He can be inside or outside.

“Like any Californian or American sprinter, we love to be outside, but I don't think it will be a factor for him if he's inside. I haven't checked much about the competition, really, but you have to respect the winner of the local prep (Canvassed). Any horse who has runs that fast at Meydan is going to keep on running fast. That would be the one I would worry about. Otherwise, I think we have a very good chance with Wildman Jack.”

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California Invader Hot Rod Charlie Scores Front-End Victory In Louisiana Derby

Second at 94-1 odds in last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and third in his 3-year-old debut in the G3 Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita, Hot Rod Charlie scored a front-running two-length victory under Joel Rosario on Saturday in the $1-million, G2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds racetrack in New Orleans, La.

Sent away as the 5-2 second choice in the wagering behind the Brad Cox-trained 6-5 favorite Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie battled with Midnight Bourbon and Joe Talamo throughout the 1 3/16 miles, and put that rival away in the final sixteenth of a mile to win in 1:55.06 on a fast main track, a new track record at the infrequently run distance. He paid $7.80 to win.

Fractions of the race were :23.10, :47.04, 1:11.25 and 1:36.38.

Midnight Bourbon held second, with 28-1 longshot O Besos rallying up the rail late to finish a head back in third, with 3-1 third choice Proxy another 1 3/4 lengths back in fourth. Mandaloun finished sixth of the eight 3-year-olds. The Risen Star winner tried to reach contention with the top pair going into the far turn but was not able to sustain his rally.

Leandro Mora, assistant to trainer Doug O'Neill, was the trainer of record for the Louisiana Derby as O'Neill was serving a 10-day medication suspension for a lidocaine positive in California from March 8-17 when entries for the race were taken.

The son of the Awesome Again stallion, Oxbow, Hot Rod Charlie earned 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, with the second through fourth finishers getting 40, 20 and 10 points, respectively.

Updated Kentucky Derby leaderboard

Hot Rod Charlie is owned by the partnership of Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing and William Strauss.

 

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Oxbow’s Hot Rod Charlie Scores Gutsy Win in Louisiana Derby

Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), the 94-1 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up, was sent to the front in a heady ride by Joel Rosario, and refused to lose, turning back Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) to win going away by two lengths in Saturday's GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby. O Besos (Orb) rallied nicely up the rail to just miss second by a head.

The 5-2 second choice broke inward and bumped with a rival at the start. He led through fractions of :23.10 and :47.04 with Midnight Bourbon shadowing his every move. Midnight Bourbon, winner of the GIII Lecomte S. and a last out third in the GII Risen Star S., reached even terms as they hit the quarter pole and looked to be going the better of the two, but Hot Rod Charlie had another gear once switching over and dug down gamely to post a career high while establishing a new track record.

“I wanted to get a little position,” Rosario said. “It didn't look like there was much speed in the race. He broke well and in the first turn I found myself on the lead. Working with him in the morning, he relaxes and you don't have to get him in the race. It worked out really well. He handled the distance very well. Very impressive. With the horse coming on his outside [Midnight Bourbon], he really fought back. He doesn't have to be on the lead. He can do anything. He can be a little bit off the pace and will run the same way.”

Favored Risen Star hero Mandaloun (Into Mischief) sat a good trip on the outside just behind the leaders, but had little run for the stretch after a wide journey, fading to finish a well-beaten sixth.

“He was flat and we're disappointed,” trainer Brad Cox said. “There's no other way to say it. I don't know. I have no excuse right now, we'll just have to see.”

A narrow maiden winner while showing speed at fourth asking at Santa Anita Oct. 2, Hot Rod Charlie followed his huge come-from-behind run at Keeneland–beaten only three quarters by champion Essential Quality (Tapit)–with a game third in a roughly run stretch drive of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. last time Jan. 30. Essential Quality kicked off his sophomore campaign with an impressive score in Oaklawn's GIII Southwest S.

With trainer Doug O'Neill currently serving a 10-day suspension for a positive Lidocaine finding, Hot Rod Charlie was saddled by his longtime assistant Leandro Mora.

“We are so extremely blessed,” said winning co-owner Patrick O'Neill of Boat Racing. “I just missed a phone call from Doug and Dennis [O'Neill] my uncles. It's a family affair, but we added friends and we couldn't be more fortunate. What an amazing horse. An amazing sport. We're going to the Kentucky Derby, hopefully, ya know.”

Pedigree Notes:

Hot Rod Charlie, a half-brother to champion sprinter Mitole (Eskendereya), becomes the third graded winner and sixth blacktype winner for his classic-winning sire.

Indian Miss, a homebred for the late Edward A. Cox Jr. and a maiden of two career starts, brought $1.9 million from Larry Best's OXO Equine in foal to Into Mischief at last year's Keeneland November Sale.

Her 2-year-old filly by leading sire Into Mischief brought $525,000–also from Best's OXO Equine–at last year's Keeneland September Sale. She also has a colt by Into Mischief of this year. Indian Miss is a half-sister to late graded winner Live Lively (Medaglia d'Oro).

Saturday, Louisiana Derby
TWINSPIRES.COM LOUISIANA DERBY-GII, $1,000,000, Fair Grounds, 3-20, 3yo, 1 3/16m, 1:55.06, ft.
1–HOT ROD CHARLIE, 122, c, 3, by Oxbow
                1st Dam: Indian Miss, by Indian Charlie
                2nd Dam: Glacken's Gal, by Smoke Glacken
                3rd Dam: Lady Diplomat, by Silver Deputy
   1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($17,000 Ylg
'19 FTKFEB; $110,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT). O-Roadrunner Racing,
Boat Racing, LLC & William Strauss; B-Edward A. Cox (KY);
T-Leandro Mora; J-Joel Rosario. $610,000. Lifetime Record:
7-2-1-2, $1,005,700. *1/2 to Mitole (Eskendereya), Ch. Male
Sprinter, MGISW, $3,104,910. Werk Nick Rating: A+.  
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Midnight Bourbon, 122, c, 3, Tiznow–Catch the Moon, by
Malibu Moon. ($525,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Winchell
Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC
(KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $200,000.
3–O Besos, 122, c, 3, Orb–Snuggs and Kisses, by Soto.
O-Bernard Racing LLC, Tagg Team Racing & West Point
Thoroughbreds; B-L. Barrett Bernard (KY); T-Gregory D. Foley.
$100,000.
Margins: 2, HD, 1 3/4. Odds: 2.90, 7.20, 28.80.
Also Ran: Proxy, Starrininmydreams, Mandaloun, Rightandjust, Run Classic. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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