Leonard Powell | Horse Racing Free Tips

Avenue De France Gets Second Stakes Win In Miss America At Golden Gate

5-year-old mare Avenue de France saved ground the whole way around the racetrack and shot by the early pace players to win the $50,000 Miss America Stakes on Sunday afternoon at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, Calif. The Miss America, originally scheduled for the turf, was transferred to the Tapeta main track after a steady rainfall hit the Bay Area throughout the day on Sunday.

Avenue de France, who won the Luther Burbank Stakes on turf in August, sat in fourth position early on in the race and hugged the rail for the entire one-mile journey. Down the stretch, a seam opened up for Avenue de France, who darted forward, pushed past runner-up finisher and 7-5 favorite Brooke in the final stages, and won the mile and a sixteenth contest by a length. Avenue de France stopped the clock for the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.19 seconds. Early pacesetter Sloane Garden finished third, followed by Reiwa, Tapwater, and Blue Diva.

Avenue de France paid $17.00 to win, $5.40 to place, and $3.60 to show. Brooke paid $3.40 to place and $2.60 to show while Sloane Garden returned $4.20 to show.

Avenue De France, guided to victory by Assael Espinoza, is trained by Southern California condition Leonard Powell. She is owned in partnership by the Benowitz Family Trust, Convergence Stables, Madaket Stables LLC, Wonder Stables, and Mathilde Powell. With the stakes victory, Avenue de France improved her lifetime record to five wins and four third-place finishes from 14 lifetime starts, with career earnings of $157,612. Avenue de France was bred in France by SARL Jedburgh Stud and Theirry de Heronniere.

Sunday concludes the 2021 Fall Meet at Golden Gate Fields. Live racing resumes the day after Christmas, Sunday, December 26, commencing the upcoming Winter/Spring meet which runs from late December to mid-June. First post is 12:45 PM PT.

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Neige Blanche Kicks Off Del Mar Turf Festival With Front-Running Red Carpet Score

The French filly Neige Blanche made every pole a winner in her 11-furlong journey Thursday in the $100,000 Red Carpet Handicap at Del Mar and held off the late-charging 3-10 favorite Luck at the wire for a head victory in the Grade 3 headliner at the seaside track north of San Diego, Calif.

The 4-year-old chestnut by the Irish stallion Anodin ran the distance in 2:15.45 under Juan Hernandez and returned $24.80 to her backers in the Thanksgiving Day crowd.

Neige Blanche ('white snow' in French) is trained by Frenchman Leonard Powell. She's owned by the following group: Sol Kumin's Madaket Stables, Laura De Seroux, Marsha Naify and Mathilde Powell.

Luck, who races for LNJ Foxwoods, finished a half length ahead of Katsumi Yoshida's Nicest in third.

The payoffs were Neigh Blanche $24.80, $5.00 and $3.00; Luck $2.20 and $2.10, and Nicest $3.00. Fractions were :25.00, :50.60, 1:16.35, 1:40.25, 2:03.38 and 2:15.45

“I thought I'd be running second behind someone,” said Hernandez. “She usually relaxes better if she's got a horse in front of her. But today nobody wanted the front and she seemed to be fine out there so I just let her keep on going. When we were in the stretch she sensed that other horse (3-10 favorite Luck) coming on the outside and she picked it up. She didn't want to get beat.”

Neige Blanche earned a first prize of $60,000 for her efforts, pushing her winnings to $315,280. She now has six wins in 15 outings.

“We brought her here (from France) a year ago and she has been a really consistent, good horse,” said Powell. “We tried some new tactics today, going to the lead, and it worked. I could see the first time past the stands the pace wasn't that fast and I felt good. I had a moment of concern when she was headed in the stretch, but she dug in very gamely and got her head in front at the wire. I'm very proud of her.”

The Red Carpet is the first of seven graded stakes run on turf at Del Mar for its final four days of the 2021 Bing Crosby Season.

There was an early 11 a.m. first post Thursday because of the holiday, but post will move to the regular 12:30 start for the remaining three days.

The track's elusive Pick 6 Single Ticket Jackpot Wager once again slipped through the bettors hands and its carryover reached $460,113. With three days left in the meet, there is the possibility that the massive pot could go forward all the way to closing day on Sunday when there would be a mandatory payout of the entire pool.

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Flashiest Prepares For Twilight Derby At Santa Anita Oct. 31

Flashiest, who has outrun his odds in almost all six of his career starts, could continue that pattern in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., on closing day next Sunday, Oct. 31.

A son of Mizzen Mast conditioned by Leonard Powell, Flashiest has three wins and two seconds, his lone disappointing performance an eventful 11th in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., last Aug. 7.

“When we shipped to Saratoga, the experience was too much for him,” the trainer explained. “He got really hot in the paddock and he got to be a handful for the jockey. The whole thing was a bit overwhelming.

“He had his first race in April of this year, so he's still quite immature. But once we got back to Del Mar and into his routine, he's been just fine.”

A three-year-old gelding, Flashiest has a win and a second over Santa Anita's turf course, and the mile and an eighth of the Twilight Derby should suit his strong stretch-running style.

“That should be the right distance for him,” Powell said, “and Abel (Cedillo) will ride him back.”.

Cedillo was aboard last out on Sept. 4 when second by three-quarters of a length at odds of nearly 13-1 in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby, and at nearly the same odds on July 16 when he guided him to victory by a head in the restricted Oceanside.

Flashiest worked four furlongs this morning in :50.40.

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Neige Blanche Takes CTT and TOC Stakes At Del Mar

Madaket Stables, De Seroux, or Naify, et al's Neige Blanche burst between horses in midstretch and powered home to come away a half-length winner of the CTT and TOC Stakes Friday at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The French-bred 4-year-old filly by the Irish stallion Anodin ran the demanding mile and three-eighths on the turf in 2:17.45, covering the last furlong in a rapid :11 2/5 to outgame several rivals. Juan Hernandez rode the filly for trainer Leonard Powell.

Finishing second in the $85,500 overnight stakes was Haruya Yoshida's Red Lark, who had three-quarters of a length on LNJ Foxwoods' Tapwater.

Neige Blanche was winning the fifth race of her 13-race career, which started in France in 2019. Her $50,400 share of the purse increased her bankroll to $237,280.

Neige Blanche returned $9.40, $4.60 and $3.20 across the board. Red Lark paid $4.80 and $3.20, while Tapwater paid $2.80.

The track's Pick Six Single Ticket Jackpot Wager carried over for the 15th consecutive day and now stands at $1,491,923. It may be leading up to a mandatory payout day, which will take place next Saturday, TVG Pacific Classic Day.

Racing resumes at Del Mar Sunday with a 2 p.m. first post. The feature is the $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes for older fillies and mares at a mile on the turf.

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