Luis Saez | Horse Racing Free Tips

Horse For The Course Carotari Scores Janus Win On Gulfstream Turf

William A. Branch's multiple stakes winner Carotari made a triumphant return to his favorite course, cruising to a front-running 1 ¾-length victory in the $100,000 Janus at Gulfstream Park to open Friday's New Year's Eve program at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track.

The Janus for 3-year-olds and up sprinting five furlongs on the grass was the first of three $100,000 stakes on the card, followed by a pair of turf events – the 1 3/8-mile Via Borghese and five-furlong Abundantia, both for fillies and mares 3 and older.

Sent off the even-money favorite in a field of eight that featured four other stakes winners including Group 1 winner Extravagant Kid, Carotari ($4) broke from outside each of his seven rivals but was outrun early by 45-1 longshot Breakthrough until taking over the top spot after a quarter-mile in 23.22 seconds.

Championship Meet-leading jockey Luis Saez was able to steer Carotari toward the rail leaving the turn and set him down for a drive through the stretch as Extravagant Kid launched his bid on the outside of Yes I Am Free, with Smokin' Jay rallying up the inside. After running a half in 47.38 seconds, Carotari finished up in 59.07 over a firm course.

Extravagant Kid held on for second by a head over Smokin' Jay, with Yes I Am Free another neck back in fourth and Laurel Dash winner Xy Speed fifth. Carotari came into the Janus having snapped a four-race losing streak with a three-quarter-length allowance triumph Oct. 22 at Keeneland.

“It's good to get him back down here. It's a track he really seems to do well over during the winter,” winning trainer Brian Lynch said. “It's nice to get him back rolling. He came out of a good race at Keeneland. This was an ideal distance for him, ideal timing, so it's just neat to have him back on track. Now we've got a loaded horse for the winter down here.”

In five career tries over the Gulfstream turf, Carotari now owns four wins including prior stakes victories in the 2020 and 2021 Silks Run and a second in the 2020 World of Trouble Turf Sprint, beaten a neck by Grade 2 winner Texas Wedge.

Overall, the gelded 5-year-old son of 2005 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner Artie Schiller has eight wins from 24 career starts and topped $500,000 in purse earnings with the Janus victory.

“I think as he's gotten older he's getting better and better,” Lynch said. “I think this year coming up could be his best year. We're pretty excited about him.”

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Never Surprised Dominates Tropical Park Derby Rivals; Saez Bags Five Wins

Repole Stable's Never Surprised scored a popular gate-to-wire 6 ¼-length victory Sunday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., providing Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher with back-to-back victories in the $100,000 Tropical Park Derby.

Last year, Pletcher sent out Colonel Liam for a 3 ½-length victory in last year's Tropical Park Derby prior to the son of Liam's Map's triumph in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream four weeks later.

The Tropical Park Derby, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds, co-headlined Sunday's day-after-Christmas program with the Tropical Park Oaks, a 1 1/16-mile turf event for 3-year-old fillies.

While touring the Gulfstream turf course in a solid 1:40.39, Never Surprised also provided jockey Luis Saez with his fifth victory on the 11-race program.

Bet down to 1-2 favoritism on the strength of his 9 ½-length triumph in the Nov. 26 Gio Ponti Stakes at Aqueduct, Never Surprised never gave Saez an anxious moment, breaking alertly to gain the lead into the first turn. After setting half-mile fractions of 23.22 and 46.66 seconds, the son of Constitution opened up on the turn into the homestretch and drew away for a comfortable victory.

“He's a pretty nice horse. I rode him one time before and he was a little bit green, but today he was good. Todd has done an amazing job,” Saez said. “He broke from the gate really fast. I was excited about the way he ran today. I had a lot of horse. I didn't have to overdo it. It was an easy race for him.”

Among his four other winning rides, Saez rode Pletcher-trained first-time starter American Icon for an 8 ½-length front-running victory in Sunday's Race 8, a seven-furlong maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds.

“It's an amazing day. My family was here – that's my happiness,” Saez said. “It was a great job by my agent (Kiaran McLaughlin) and everybody who is supporting me, giving me those type of horses to ride.”

In seven career starts, Never Surprised has four victories, as well as three second-place finishes in graded-stakes – Kitten's Joy (G3) at Gulfstream, Saranac (G3) at Saratoga, and Hill Prince (G2) at Belmont.

Yes This Time finished second in the Tropical Park Derby, a nose ahead of Safe Conduct.

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Abaan Controls Pace, Romps To Easy Victory In Two-Mile H. Allen Jerkens

Alex Daigneault and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Abaan set all the fractions while racing loose on the lead before drawing clear to a three-length victory in Friday's $100,000 H. Allen Jerkens at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old son of Will Take Charge, who galloped the first mile in 1:44.56, ran the two miles of the turf stakes named in memory of the legendary Hall of Fame trainer in 3:24.24 under Luis Saez.

“Today, he controlled the pace and when I came into the stretch, I had a lot of horse,” Saez said. “It was a long distance, but every step he felt comfortable. He just did it pretty easy.

The 7-5 favorite, coming off a dominating 1 3/8-mile optional claiming allowance victory at Aqueduct, was victorious in his stakes debut in the Jerkens.

Ajourneytofreedom, the 8-5 second choice ridden by Paco Lopez, chased Abaan throughout the two miles and had to settle for second. Fantasioso checked in third after racing in third through most of the race.

Who's Hot: Jockey Chantal Sutherland and trainer Jorge Delgado teamed for a double with King Cairo ($7.20) in Race 4 and Yes I'm a Beast ($3.40) in Race 7.

Trainer Armando De La Cerda saddled a pair or winners: Science Friction ($17.40) in Race 2 and California Frolic ($16.40) in Race 9.

Paco Lopez rode a pair of winners: Thelastbulletsmine ($6.60) in Race 3 and Lookinlikeaqueen ($11) in Race 6.

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Fearless Makes Bold Move To Take Harlan’s Holiday At Gulfstream Park

Facing a field that included Mighty Heart, the reigning Canadian Horse of the Year, jockey Luis Saez made a bold move for the lead on the backstretch at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., and never relinquished the front, winning the Grade 3 Harlan's Holiday by a length.

Out of the gate, Mighty Heart established a one-length lead early, with Blue Steel and Fearless stalking down the backstretch. With early fractions of :24.38 and :47.76, Saez sent Fearless to the lead as they approached the far turn, putting a head in front of Mighty Heart as they rounded into the far turn.

Into the stretch, Fearless increased his lead to two lengths as South Bend rallied on the outside, passing Mighty Heart inside the last furlong to take second. At the wire, the margin of victory was four lengths. Blue Steel, Twenty Twice, and Eye of the Jedi rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:42.19. Find this race's chart here.

Fearless paid $3.20, $2.40, and $2.10. South Bend paid $4.00 and $2.80. Mighty Heart paid $2.60.

Bred in Kentucky by Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust, Fearless is by Ghostzapper out of the Street Cry (IRE) mare And Why Not. Owned by Repole Stable, the 5-year-old gelding is trained by Todd Pletcher. Consigned by Elite Agent, he was purchased by West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stables, for $205,000 at the July 2021 Fasig-Tipton Horses of Racing Age Sale. With his win in the G3 Harlan's Holiday, Fearless has two wins in five starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of five wins in 11 starts and career earnings of $576,550.

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