los alamitos | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘A Great Mind’: $3.65 Million Purchase Cezanne Will Try Two-Turn Allowance Before Derby Prep

A $3.65 million 2-year-old at last spring's Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale, Cezanne lived up to early expectations when breaking his maiden on debut earlier this month at Santa Anita Park. For his second start, the 3-year-old son of Curlin will step up to two turns in a one-mile allowance race at Los Alamitos this Thursday.

Trained by Bob Baffert for owners Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and St. Elias Stable, Cezanne is out of the Bernardini mare Achieving. His third dam is the Deputy Minister mare Better Than Honour, the dam of Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and Rags to Riches.

In his debut, the colt sat just off the pace before making his bid between rivals on the turn, then pulling away down the lane to win by 2 1/4 lengths, completing 6 1/2 furlongs on the fast main track in 1:16.13. Since that start, Cezanne has breezed twice at Santa Anita, going five furlongs in 1:01.80 on June 22 and a half-mile in :48 flat on June 28.

“He's still a little heavy,” Baffert told the Daily Racing Form. “More racing will help him. He's shown us he's a top horse. He's got a great mind and doesn't get excited. He's been behaving himself.”

Should his two-turn debut prove successful, Cezanne could be considered for a Kentucky Derby prep race, said Baffert.

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Bellafina Tops Great Lady M. Noms; Baffert Nominates Quartet To Los Alamitos Derby

Multiple graded stakes winner Bellafina heads the nominations for the Grade II, $200,000-guaranteed Great Lady M. Stakes while Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has four nominees to the Grade III, $150,000-guaranteed Los Alamitos Derby at Los Alamitos race course in Cypress, Calif.

The two races will be run for the seventh time at Los Alamitos Saturday, July 4.

Owned by Kaleem Shah and Mrs. John Magnier and trained by Simon Callaghan, Bellafina, a 4-year-old Quality Road filly out of the Malibu Moon mare Akron Moon, has earned all seven of her wins in graded stakes. She's banked $1,512,875 in 15 starts. Her successes include the Sorrento (GII), Del Mar Debutante (GI) and Chandlier (GI) in 2018, Santa Ynez (GII), Las Virgenes (GII) and Santa Anita Oaks (GI) in 2019 and the Desert Stormer (GIII) last month at Santa Anita.

The Great Lady M. will mark Bellafina's first start at Los Alamitos since she was second in her career debut July 4, 2018.

The other nominees are Lady T N T, idle since her 37-1 upset in the Grade III Charles Town Oaks last Sept. 21, Zusha, Artistic Diva, Amuse, Ava's Charm, Donut Girl, Hang a Star, Message, Road Rager, Saints Paynter, Sneaking Out and Unique Factor.

Baffert, who has won the Los Alamitos Derby the last three years with West Coast (2017), Once on Whiskey (2018) and Game Winner (2019), nominated Azul Coast, a first out winner at Los Alamitos last Dec. 8, Cezanne, who is entered in Thursday's fifth race, Thousand Words, a neck winner of the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity last Dec. 7, and impressive debut winner Uncle Chuck.

The Derby is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby'' this year. The winner of the race will receive 20 points towards a berth in the Derby, which will be run Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs. There will also be eight points awarded to the runner-up, four to the third place finisher and two to the fourth place finisher.

The other Los Alamitos Derby nominees are Great Power, Rushie, third behind Honor A.P. and Authentic in the Grade I Santa Anita Derby June 6, Anneau d'Or, fourth in the SA Derby and second in last year's Los Alamitos Futurity, the maiden Cosmo, Hit the Road and the filly Stela Star.

Entries for both the Great Lady M. Stakes and the Los Alamitos Derby will be taken Wednesday, July 1.

Equibase past performances for the Great Lady M. Stakes

Equibase past performances for Los Alamitos Derby nominees

The post Bellafina Tops Great Lady M. Noms; Baffert Nominates Quartet To Los Alamitos Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Back To Two Turns, Galilean Wins Soi Phet Stakes At Los Alamitos

A stretch to two turns and a return to Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif., proved the winning moves for Galilean as he rolled to an easy victory in the $101,500 Soi Phet Stakes on Saturday.

Trained by John Sadler for West Point Thoroughbreds, Denise Barker, William Sandbrook, John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith, the 4-year-old stalked the early pace from his outside post, then powered away in the final quarter of a mile to win by four lengths under jockey Juan Hernandez.

The score in 1:35.49 for the mile was the first for the son of Uncle Mo and the El Prado mare Fresia since he captured the California Cup Derby Feb. 18, 2019, at Santa Anita when trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer.

He's now 4-for-9 lifetime with earnings of $442,948. Three of those victories – in as many starts – have come at Los Alamitos. Galilean captured the Barretts Juvenile in his career debut here Sept. 22, 2018, then won the King Glorious – at the Soi Phet distance – by nine lengths nearly three months later.

The even-money favorite against seven other horses bred or sired in California, Galilean paid $4, $3.40 and $3.

Grinning Tiger, fresh off a 92-1 upset in the Crystal Water Stakes on turf three weeks earlier, finished a head in front of 18-1 outsider Brandothebartender to complete the exacta. Dismissed at 12-1 Saturday, Grinning Tiger returned $8.20 and $5 while the show price on Brandothebartender was $4.60.

Completing the order of finish were Loud Mouth, King Abner, the 5-2 second choice, pacesetter Take the One O One, Lymebyrd and Three Ay Em.

“I talked to (Sadler) this morning and he told me to try and sit just outside the speed,'' said Hernandez after his first Los Alamitos stakes success. “This horse relaxed perfectly and I wanted to wait until the stretch to make a move and he exploded when I asked him. He was lugging in some, but I corrected him and he was very strong at the end.''

Alex Bisono, an assistant to Sadler, thinks the stretch to eight furlongs was crucial for Galilean.

“I definitely think he's a better two turn horse,'' he said. “He likes this track. He was comfortable the whole way. I wish he had run a little bit straighter down the stretch, but he didn't bother anybody because he was clear.''

Racing resumes Sunday at Los Alamitos. Post time is 1 p.m.

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June 27 Insights

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PAIR OF WELL-BRED DEBUTANTES IN CHURCHILL OPENER

1st-CD, $79K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:00p.m.

The appropriately named LUCKY FIND (Uncle Mo), a $50,000 KEESEP buy from a deep Helen Groves family, makes her career bow in this spot for Glen Hill Farm and Tom Proctor. Out of MSW Tea Time (Pulpit), the bay hails from the family of dual champion Covfefe (Into Mischief) and Grade I winners Arch (Kris S.) and Acoma (Empire Maker). Robert and Lawana Low homebred Sea Garden (Curlin) also debuts in this test. She is a half-sister to GSW Glenville Gardens (Street Cry {Ire}). Their dam is a daughter of GISW Marley Vale (Forty Niner), who also produced MGSW & MGISP Indian Vale (A.P. Indy). TJCIS PPs

ASMUSSEN UNVEILS PRICEY INTO MISCHIEF COLTS

4th-CD, $79K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 2:38p.m.

Pheonix Thoroughbred III and Winchell Thoroughbreds teamed up to acquire WHISKEY DOUBLE (Into Mischief) for $875,000 at Keeneland September and he makes his first trip to the post here for Steve Asmussen. The bay’s dam is MSW Lake Sebago (Munnings) and hails from the family of Canadian champion Hollinger (Black Minnaloushe). Asmussen also unveils another son of Into Mischief in WinStar and China Horse Club’s Holland. The $400,000 FTSAUG purchase is out of a half-sister to Argentinian champion Forty Greeta (Arg) (Roar) and GSW Honorable Dillon (Tapit). TJCIS PPs

MILLION-DOLLAR QUALITY ROAD DEBUTS AT BELMONT

6th-BEL, $64K, Msw, 3yo/up, 7fT, 3:59p.m.

Peter Brant and Three Chimneys Farm’s JOHNNYPUMP (Quality Road) makes his career bow in this test for trainer Chad Brown. His dam is a half to Grade I winner Spring Quality (Quality Road) and GSW Holiday Star (Harlan’s Holiday). This is also the family of MGSW & MG1SP Alice Springs (Val de l’Orne {Fr}). Also making his first trip to the post here is Patriot Game (Honor Code), who carries the same silks and hails from the same barn as his half-brother to GI Kentucky Derby and GI Florida Derby hero Orb (Malibu Moon). Their second dam is MGSW Mesabi Maiden (Cox’s Ridge). Trainer Shug McGaughey saddles another well-bred firster here in North Carolina (Speightstown). The Joe Allen homebred is out of SW Baroness Richter (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), who is also the dam of GSW Dream While (War Front) and SW Dear Lavinia (Grand Slam). TJCIS PPs

SEVEN-FIGURE INTO MISCHIEF MAKES CAREER BOW AT LOS AL

3rd-LRC, $40K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6f, 4:58p.m.

Doug O’Neill unveils NOTRE DAME (Into Mischief), who summoned $1-million at FTFMAR after breezing in :10 flat. He is out of MSW & GSP Cor Cor (Smoke Glacken) and hails from the family of GSW Fancy Dress Party (Munnings). Neil Drysdale saddles a well-related firster in Thor-Bred Stable homebred Adare (Medaglia d’Oro). He is a half-brother to GSW Ocean Knight (Curlin) and MGSP Nero (Pioneerof the Nile). Bob Baffert also sends out two noteworthy first timers in Happy Hepo (American Pharoah) and Holden the Lute (Midnight Lute). Picked up for $300,000 at OBS March last year after working in :10 flat, Happy Hepo displays the upbeat worktab typical of aBaffert trainee, most recently breezing a best-of-20 five panels in :59 1/5 here June 19. His dam is GSP Heart of Paradise (More Than Ready). His stablemate, Pegram, Watson and Weitman homebred Holden the Lute, is a full-brother to MGSW Gimme Da Lute. TJCIS PPs

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