Magic On Tap | Horse Racing Free Tips

Juan J. Hernandez Voted Jockey Of The Week After Graded Stakes Triple

Juan J. Hernandez won the second Grade 1 of his career and two Grade 2 races to garner Jockey of the Week honors for May 24 through May 31. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Trainer David Hofmans gave Hernandez the mount on Award Winner in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes on Saturday. Breaking from the rail in the field of four, longshot Award Winner overhauled the pacesetter Acclimate to register a huge upset in the mile and one quarter race on the Camino Real Turf Course in 1:59.27.

“This was a really big win for us,” said Hernandez. “I knew that horse (Acclimate) had a lot of speed, so I let him go and my horse relaxed. I waited until the quarter pole and asked him one time and he really picked it up and made a huge move in the stretch.”

Hernandez then won his second graded stakes of the day on Magic On Tap for trainer Bob Baffert in the Grade 2 Triple Bend Stakes. Riding Magic On Tap for the first time, Hernandez settled the 5-year-old in third behind Eight Rings and Lambeau. He gained the advantage in mid-stretch to win the seven-furlong contest in 1:23.54.

On Monday, trainer Simon Callaghan gave a leg up to Hernandez on longshot Maxim Rate for the first time in the Grade 1 Gamely. Off at 13-1 in a field of seven fillies and mares three and up, Maxim Rate stalked the pace while fourth early. Hernandez took advantage of favorite Charmaine's Mia fading a sixteenth of a mile from home as well as holding off a late run from La Signare to win by a half-length in 1:46.61 for the mile and one eighth turf contest. The win gave Hernandez the second Grade 1 win of his career and his seventh graded stakes of the year.

“She broke out of there, really clean break, she relaxed really well for me,” said Hernandez. “She's a very classy filly, you can do whatever you want with her.”

Weekly stats for Hernandez were 22-6-1-6 for a 27 percent strike rate and 59 percent in-the-money. Total purse earnings of $583,760 led all jockeys for the week. Hernandez currently sits second in the standings with nine racing days to go at the Santa Anita Winter/Spring meet.

Hernandez out-polled Kyle Frey who tied Tyler Gaffalione for most victories with nine, Santiago Gonzalez who won two stakes at Belterra and Jaime Rodriguez who had a 32 percent win rate.

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Magic On Tap Holds Off Shooters Shoot In Triple Bend

With his well-fancied stablemate empty a furlong from home, Bob Baffert's Magic On Tap rallied three-deep to take Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Triple Bend Stakes by two lengths at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez, who collected his second consecutive stakes win on the day, Magic On Tap got seven furlongs in 1:23.54.

As expected, Baffert's Eight Rings, a Grade 1 stakes winner at age 2 and idle since Aug. 1, rocketed out of the gate under Flavien Prat, but was soon headed by Lambeau, who broke from post two with Edwin Maldonado.

This pair raced as a team into and around the far turn, with Magic On Tap sitting third, about a length off the lead a quarter mile out. From there, Lambeau dropped back at the rail and despite the fact he remained on his left lead, Magic On Tap gained the advantage in mid-stretch and went on to an impressive win in his sixth career start.

“My horse, he helped me a lot, he broke really sharp and I was behind the speed all the race then when I hit the quarter pole, I asked him to go and he responded really well,” said Hernandez, who was aboard for the first time today. “It looked like he was playing, he was looking around. He never changed leads. I asked him a couple of times and he didn't want to do it, so I let him alone because he kept running. It didn't matter if he changed leads or not, he just kept going.”

A 5-year-old full horse by Tapit, out of the Street Sense mare Aubby K, Magic On Tap, who is owned and bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Equine, cut back in distance following a 23 ¾ length defeat in the G2 Californian Stakes going 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on April 17 and paid $13.20, $6.00 and $3.00 while off at 5-1 in a field of five older horses.

With his first stakes win in-hand, Magic On Tap banked $120,000 for his efforts and improved his overall mark to 6-3-2-0 while boosting his earnings to $228,800.

“I was afraid of a speed duel, where we would wear each other out,” said Baffert. “Eight Rings was coming off a layoff, so with fractions like that, it was crazy. I threw the other horse (Magic On Tap) in there. I was looking for an allowance race for the horse and then I decided to throw him into the stakes race.

“He is bred to be a good one. It was good to get a stakes win for him after he disappointed in the Californian. He is still a little green, but he has been working really well. I was disappointed for Eight Rings, but you gotta get the trip. I thought we could run one-two today.”

Trained by Peter Eurton and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Shooters Shoot rallied from last to finish second at odds of 5-1 and paid $5.40 and $2.80 while finishing 1 ¾ lengths in front of Exaulted.

The second choice at 2-1 with Abel Cedillo, Exaulted paid $2.20 and finished 2 ¾ lengths in front of 8-5 favorite Eight Rings.

Fractions on the race were 22.10, 45.03 and 1:10.14.

(Hernandez won the previous race, the Grade II Charles Whittingham Stakes, with the David Hofmans-trained Award Winner).

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Allowance Winner Lambeau Faces Comebacking Eight Rings In Triple Bend

Fresh off a rousing gate to wire allowance win at one mile, the John Shirreffs-trained Lambeau is well positioned to make his stakes debut as he cuts back to a sprint for the first time in his career in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita.

Originally run at Hollywood Park, the Triple Bend will be run for the 70th time on Saturday as a field of five older horses will compete at seven furlongs.

In a wide open affair, Bob Baffert's Eight Rings and Peter Eurton's Exaulted would both also appear to have big chances.

Owned by Jerome S. Moss, Lambeau, a 5-year-old full horse by First Samurai, was off at 16-1 in a second condition allowance on April 10 and he led every step of the way to win by one length when ridden for the first time by Edwin Maldonado, who rides him back in the Triple Bend. A winner of three out of his seven starts, Lambeau is untested at the trip and level, but has never been better.

A runaway winner of the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at age two in September, 2019, Eight Rings has been idle since well beaten in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes going seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 1. With an outstanding work tab to his credit, Eight Rings will be ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat in what will be his seventh career start.

A 4-year-old colt by Empire Maker out of the Pure Prize mare Purely Hot, Eight Rings is owned by Coolmore Stud, Golconda Stable, Madaket Stables, LLC, SF Racing, LLC and Starlight Racing.

Third, beaten four lengths by runaway winner Brickyard Ride in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs March 6, Exaulted rates a huge chance and will be ridden for the first time by Abel Cedillo. A 4-year-old colt by Twirling Candy, out of the Gilded Time mare Gilded Miracle., Exaulted is owned by C R K Stable and has trained well since the San Carlos, evidenced by a pair of bullet five furlong works on May 8 and May 15.

THE GRADE 2 TRIPLE BEND STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

Exaulted—Abel Cedillo—120
Lambeau—Edwin Maldonado—120
Shooters Shoot—Umberto Rispoli—120
Magic On Tap—Juan Hernandez—120
Eight Rings—Flavien Prat—120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Independence Hall, Magic On Tap Face Brazilian Royal Ship In Californian

Trainer Michael McCarthy's classy Independence Hall heads Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Californian Stakes at Santa Anita, an iconic steppingstone to the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup, which will be run on Memorial Day, May 31. The Californian, for 3-year-olds and up, has a attracted a field of five to the Arcadia, Calif., track.

A Grade 3 winner going a one turn mile at age 2 in New York, Independence Hall, a 4-year-old colt by Constitution, comes off a solid fourth-place finish, beaten 2 ½ lengths, in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap March 6 and will be shortening up a furlong while retaining the services of leading man Flavien Prat.

A troubled third two starts back in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park Jan. 23, Independence Hall was keen early in the Big 'Cap and tired a bit late to be beaten a half length for third by race favorite and previously unbeaten Maxfield.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Twin Creeks Racing Stables, LLC and Kathleen and Robert Veratti, Independence Hall was originally trained by eastern-based Michael Trombetta and will be making his fifth start for McCarthy on Saturday. With four wins, two of them stakes, from nine starts, Independence Hall is the top money earner in the field with $630,600.

Idle 15 months, Bob Baffert's Magic On Tap came back to the races running on March 28, as he stalked the early pace and drew off to an impressive 1 ½-length allowance win going 1 1/16 miles with Prat up. A Summer Wind Equine homebred, Magic On Tap is a 5-year-old horse by Tapit that has good natural speed and tremendous upside as he tries stakes competition for the first time in what will be his fifth start.

With Prat opting to stick with Independence Hall, Magic On Tap, who has two wins and as many seconds from four starts, will be ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli.

Perhaps the biggest question mark in Saturday's Californian is Brazilian-bred Royal Ship, who comes off a fast finishing fifth-place finish on turf to talented Hit the Road in the G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on March 6 for trainer Richard Mandella. A Group 1 winner on grass in his native Brazil, he raced twice on dirt in his 11 starts, finishing third in his seven furlong debut in July 2019 and a troubled fourth in the G3 Native Diver Stakes two starts back on Nov. 21 at Del Mar.

With a recent race to his credit, Royal Ship, a 5-year-old gelding by Midshipman, looms dangerous in what will be his fifth stateside start for Mandella with regular rider Mike Smith back aboard. A winner of five consecutive turf races in Brazil, Royal Ship, who will be making his 12th career start, need only finish as well on dirt as he did in the grassy Kilroe on March 6 to be a major factor Saturday as he seeks his first local win.

GRADE II CALIFORNIAN WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS
IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

Growth Engine—Tyler Baze—122
Magic On Tap—Umberto Rispoli—122
Country Grammer—Abel Cedillo–124
Royal Ship—Mike Smith—122
Independence Hall—Flavien Prat–122

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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