Luis Saez | Horse Racing Free Tips

Leinster Has Girth Troubles, Kicks Off Anyway In Woodford Stakes At Keeneland

Leinster had a more eventful trip than it might appear in Saturday's Grade 2 Woodford Stakes, owing to the strap from his over girth coming loose from its keepers, but it didn't hinder what was otherwise a stellar performance in the turf sprint.

The 5-year-old son of Majestic Warrior carried on what has already been a successful 2020 at Keeneland, after winning the track's marquee turf sprint race of the July meet, the G2 Shakertown Stakes, in track-record time. Adding another Keeneland win puts him in a strong position to carry that home-course advantage into the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at the same track.

On Saturday, Leinster broke sharply under jockey Luis Saez, and stayed within striking distance of leader Just Might. The strap on Leinster's girth was already loose and swinging by the time the field got through an opening quarter in :21.90 seconds, but Saez remained secure in the irons throughout the trip.

Just Might led the field through the turn and held on to the advantage, but Leinster gradually drew even with the pace setter approaching the final eighth, and he kicked on to win by a half-length over a late-gaining Extravagant Kid. Just Might continued on for third.

Leinster stopped the clock in the 5 1/2-furlong race in 1:01.59 over a fast turf course, a tick slower than his course-record time at the same distance in the Shakertown, which he completed in 1:00.86. He won the race for owners Amy Dunne, Brenda Miley, Westrock Stables, and Jean Wilkinson, and he was trained by Rusty Arnold. Leinster paid $7.80 to win as the favorite.

To view the full race chart, click here.

Quotes from the $150,000 Woodford Presented by TVG, courtesy of the Keeneland notes team

Rusty Arnold (winning trainer of Leinster)

“We had a little setback – he had a foot problem. We actually were going to run him at Kentucky Downs. We didn't get to run. Maybe it's a blessing because he stayed right here on his home track. He got to work on this turf course a couple of times – I think that's a big edge. Worked out good.”

Luis Saez (winning rider)

“He broke pretty sharp. He put me on the lead, but we didn't really want to be there. We wanted to track somebody. We had a perfect position, and I had a lot of horse. He just took off.”

Tyler Gaffalione (rider of runner-up Extravagant Kid)

“I am very pleased with his effort today. He has a tendency to kind of wait on horses when he makes the lead, so I was trying to time it right. We got beat by a really nice horse. I am pleased with what my horse gave today and I am looking forward to next time.”

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Simply Ravishing Leads All The Way As McPeek Saddles Exacta In Alcibiades

Trainer Kenny McPeek sent out his fifth winner of the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades this Friday at Keeneland, saddling Harold Lerner, Magdalena Racing and Nehoc Stables' Simply Ravishing for a dominant front-running victory by open lengths. The 2-year-old daughter of Laoban ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.58, and is undefeated in three career starts. Ridden by Luis Saez, Simply Ravishing earned an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies next month, also at Keeneland.

Breaking from the outermost stall in the field of seven, Simply Ravishing worked her way to the lead before the clubhouse turn, and Saez nudged her over to the rail with a 1 1/2-length advantage. The filly relaxed through fractions of :24.43, :48.59, and 1:12.94, maintaining her easy lead all the way to the top of the lane.

Saez looked under his arm turning into the short stretch run, and gave the filly her cue. Simply Ravishing responded easily, pulling away to win by about seven lengths on the wire.

In an all-out battle for second, the McPeek-trained Crazy Beautiful defeated Travel Column in a photo finish. Thoughtfully checked in fourth, and Oliviaofthedesert (also trained by McPeek) was fifth.

“I knew two very fast horses were inside,” said Saez. “(I thought) let's break from there and see what they're doing. She breaks so sharp; she was right there. It was easy. We took it (the lead). She was traveling pretty good. I felt like I had a lot of horse all the way. When we came to the straight, she just took off. She did it pretty easy, like normal. Like nothing. It was amazing. She's a very good filly.”

“They are both really special fillies,” said McPeek. “I kind of hated to run them against each other, but it is a race we are obviously fond of and we felt like we had a heck of a chance with both of them in there. We will probably go to the Breeders' Cup with both of them. I told (D. Wayne) Lukas a long time ago that I would win more Alcibiades than him. (Lukas has six wins in the race.)”

Bred in New York by Meg Levy, Simply Ravishing is out of the unplaced More Than Ready mare Four Wishes. A $50,000 yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall sale in 2019, Simply Ravishing won her debut at Saratoga over two turns on the turf. She came back a month later to win the Spa's P.G. Johnson Stakes, originally scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the turf but rained off and held over seven furlongs on the main track instead. Now, the dual-surface undefeated filly has won all three of her career starts for earnings of over $300,000.

“I don't think we know how good she is,” McPeek assistant Alan Shell said. “She's won on turf, dirt, going short, going long. It's just real exciting. We're just so thankful we have owners like Mr. (Harold) Lerner and Jack Cohen and Magdalena Racing that are behind us. They made a commitment when they bought this filly. They buy the best horses. Kenny did a great job picking her out. It's all a team effort.”

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Godolphin Could Repeat In Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity With Maiden Winner Essential Quality

Godolphin homebred Essential Quality, a flashy winner on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs, headlines a field of nine 2-year-olds for the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity.

The Claiborne Breeders' Futurity is one of five graded stakes on Saturday's 11-race program at Keeneland that begins at 1:05 p.m. ET, and will go as the afternoon's ninth race with a 5:24 p.m. post time. The Breeders' Futurity is a “Win and You're In” race for the $2 million Breeders' Cup TVG Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) to be run at Keeneland on Nov. 6.

Essential Quality is on the same path for Godolphin that Maxfield was in 2019: win a one-turn race in September at Churchill and go straight into the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity.

Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality won that debut by 4 lengths going 6 furlongs and since has come back to work twice at Churchill Downs with the most recent being a :59.80 move over 5 furlongs last Saturday.

Luis Saez has the mount and will break from post position four.

Another impressive debuting Derby Week winner at Churchill Downs was Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimney Farm's King Fury.

Trained by two-time Breeders' Futurity winner Kenny McPeek, King Fury won by 2 ¾ lengths going 1 1/16 miles. King Fury will break from post position nine and be ridden by Corey Lanerie.

The field for the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, with riders from the rail out, is: Super Stock (Tyler Gaffalione), Upstriker (Joe Talamo), Notary (Julien Leparoux), Essential Quality (Saez), Keepmeinmind (David Cohen), Dixie's Two Stents (Rafael Bejarano), Calibrate (Ricardo Santana Jr.), Founder (Joel Rosario) and King Fury (Lanerie). All starters will carry 122 pounds.

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C Z Rocket Edges Flagstaff In Santa Anita Sprint Championship

In a head and head thriller, trainer Peter Miller's C Z Rocket prevailed by a hard-fought head over John Sadler's Flagstaff in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., final prep to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7. Ridden for the first time by Luis Saez, C Z Rocket, who is now unbeaten in five starts with Miller since being claimed for $40,000 last April at Oaklawn Park, covered six furlongs in 1:09.14.

Breaking sharply from his number four post position in a field of five 3-year-olds and up, C Z Rocket was immediately into contention and while under restraint, sat three quarters of a length off Flagstaff as they left the half mile pole.

Turning for home, Flagstaff, with Victor Espinoza up, drifted out a bit, carrying C Z Rocket into the three path and from there, it was game on in the run to the wire, with neither horse giving an inch in great stretch duel.

“I didn't expect to be that close, but he broke so sharp and he took me there,” said the eastern-based Saez. “I decided to let him settle and keep him happy. When I pulled the trigger turning for home, he took off. I love this horse, now he's ready for the real deal.”

A winner of the G2 Pat O'Brien Stakes going seven furlongs on Aug. 29 at Del Mar, C Z Rocket, a 6-year-old Florida-bred gelding by City Zip, was off as the 7-5 favorite and paid $4.80, $2.80 and $2.10.

“There were a lot of things involved in this,” said Miller, who is off to a tremendous start at Santa Anita's Autumn Meet, winning his third stakes dating back to Friday and his fourth overall, good for a tie with Bob Baffert for the lead in the trainer standings. “We recently sold a part of him to Gary Barber and Sol Kumin and I really wanted to win for those two gentlemen. Flavien (Prat) took off him (to ride third place finisher Collusion Illusion) and I wanted to prove that he made the wrong move.

“I just wanted to win this race … It was the owner, Tom Kagele, who picked this horse (to claim on April 30). I wouldn't have picked him, his form was too bad to claim him, but I did like that he had run some fast races in the past … We're definitely leaning toward the Sprint, he's won the last (five) going one turn. We're going to keep him one turn.”

With his second consecutive graded stakes win in-hand, C Z Rocket, who is out of the Successful Appeal mare Successful Sarah, is now 22-9-1-2 and with the winner's share of $120,000, he has earnings of $551,641.

Flagstaff, who ran too good to lose, was off as the third choice in the wagering and paid $3.00 and $2.10.

Ridden by Prat and off at 9-5, Collusion Illusion, who broke from the rail, couldn't go with the top two late and finished 1 ¼ lengths behind Flagstaff while paying $2.10 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.33, 45.27 and 57.13.

The Santa Anita Sprint Championship is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth to the Grade I Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

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