“I'd like to see him get his first graded-stakes victory and keep picking up Derby points,” said Lynch. “His workouts have been solid, and everything about them suggests he should run well.”

He added, “I feel that if he runs his race, he will certainly fit with these horses. He has a high cruising speed and he has gotten much bigger and stronger as a 3-year-old. He has the tactical speed to not be very far from the engine room, and hopefully, he will be first to the wire.”

Red Oak Stable's Make It Big (Neolithic) attempts to collect his first win at the graded level following a trio of wins, including Gulfstream's Juvenile Sprint S. in October before a narrow score in Remington's Springboard Mile S. Dec. 17.

“He got in between horses and had to rate a bit, and then he got hooked late and had to out-battle him to the wire. It was a very professional performance,” said Saffie Joseph Jr. of the colt's latest win. “This horse has a good mind, and he has found a way to win each time. He probably needs to improve to win Saturday, but he has improved in each race, so hopefully he will follow suit.”

Iris Smith Stable's Shipsational (Midshipman) ventures south following a trio of victories facing fellow New York breds. A debut winner at Saratoga last summer, he was fourth in that venue's state-bred Funny Cide S. but bounced back to win his next two, including the one-mile Sleep Hollow S. at Belmont Oct. 30.

God of Love (Cupid), winner of the GIII Grey S. at Woodbine last November, is one of three runners for Mark Casse. The Hall of Famer also conditions undefeated Golden Glider (Ghostzapper) and recent maiden winner Volcanic (Violence).

Howling Time (Not This Time) was a late scratch Friday.

The post Classic Encounter in Sam F. Davis appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The Sam F. Davis Stakes, contested at a distance of a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the main dirt track, is a “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points race, with the top four finishers receiving points on a 10-4-2-1 scale toward qualifying for a spot in the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs on May 7. The Sam F. Davis is also a precursor to the Grade 2, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby on March 12, a “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points race awarding 50, 20, 10 and 5 points to the first four finishers.

Three other stakes are scheduled on the Festival Preview Day card. They include the $150,000, mile-and-40-yard Suncoast Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, which is a “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” points race; the $100,000, 6-furlong Pelican Stakes, for horses 4-years-old-and-upward; and the $50,000, 6-furlong Minaret Stakes, for fillies and mares 4-and-upward.

The list of Sam F. Davis nominations includes eight from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who has won the race a record six times, most recently with Destin in 2016. Heading the list of Pletcher-trained candidates is Mo Donegal, who won the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes on Dec. 4 at Aqueduct, and Emmanuel, who won Sunday's sixth race impressively at Tampa.

Rattle N Roll, a Kentucky-bred colt owned by the Mackin family's Lucky Seven Stable and trained by Ken McPeek, won the 1 1/16-mile Claiborne Breeders' Futurity by a widening 4 ¼ lengths under jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. After targeting a start in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance at Del Mar, McPeek changed course after the horse developed a minor foot issue.

Rattle N Roll returned to the workout tab earlier this month at Gulfstream Park and breezed three furlongs Saturday in 35.67 seconds.

Make It Big, owned by Red Oak Stable and trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., won the Ocala Stud Juvenile Sprint Stakes on Oct. 30 at Gulfstream and the Remington Springboard Mile Stakes on Dec. 17 at Remington Park in his last two starts. Jose Ortiz was aboard for the most recent victory.

Here are the links to the nominations and their past performances for the Sam F. Davis Stakes:

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SN-TAM-20220212-573142

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SNPP-TAM-20220212-573142

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Both Make It Big (10 pts.) and Osbourne (4 pts.) earned qualifying points for the 2022 Kentucky Derby for their efforts in the Springboard Mile. The featured race was accompanied by a solid undercard of 12 other races with four of those also stakes events. The big night catapulted Remington Park to a record pari-mutuel handle night with wagering reaching $4,050,597. It was the first time in track history that handle on a single racing program exceeded the $4 million.

Total handle for the 67-date Remington Park season (Aug. 20-Dec. 17) reached $98,120,236, an increase of 31.2 percent over the similar number from the 2019 season which handled $74,806,848.

Remington Park also welcomed racing guests back in full for 2021, for the first time since 2019. Those on-track players responded with handle of $3,471,207 an increase of 15.8 percent over the 2019 mark of $2,997,881.

Export handle on Remington Park remained strong with $94,497,917 wagered by players from outside the jurisdiction controlled locally. That is an increase of 31.9 percent above the 2019 total of $71,620,980.

Remington Park's one off-track partner, Thunder Roadhouse in Oklahoma City, handled $151,112. Thunder Roadhouse is less than nine miles from Remington Park, offering wagering convenience to many local horseplayers.

Remington Park horsemen competed for record amounts in total purses of $17,838,020, an average of $266,239 daily. These totals are up 5.1 percent, topping the total mark of $16,971,799 in 2019, when the daily average was $253,310.

All handle and purses comparisons are made to the 2019 season, which was 67 dates in length and the most recent Thoroughbred season at Remington Park where the entire facility was available to guests. The 2020 season was conducted under limited access guidelines due to health concerns brought by the pandemic. 2019 was also the last racing year where the North American horse racing market operated on a regular business level.

There were 601 races conducted this season, nine fewer than a year ago. A total of 4,991 horses started this season for an average field size of 8.3. There were 5,261 starters in 2020 with average field size of 8.6 per race.

Remington Park live racing is on hiatus until the beginning of the 2022 American Quarter Horse Season, starting March 3. Thoroughbred racing will return in late August 2022.

The post Record Springboard Mile Handle Closes Successful Season At Remington Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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At Remington Park Friday evening, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen gave a leg up to Ortiz on Casual in the She's All In Stakes for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. Off at odds of 2-1 in the field of eight, Casual tracked the pace, took command on the far turn and cruised to a 5 1/4-length win in 1:43.96 for the one mile and seventy yard contest on the dirt track. Ortiz was riding the 4-year-old Casual for the first time.

Riding again for Asmussen, Ortiz was aboard Optionality in the Trapeze Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. Just past the half-mile marker, she went to the lead and was never headed drawing off to an impressive 8-1/4 length victory in 1:41.10 for one mile.

“She broke good,” Ortiz said to the Remington Park Publicity team, “and Steve had her ready. She started looking around at the end with it being nighttime and the lights and shadows at the wire, but she got the job done.”

In the final stakes race on the Remington card, trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. called on Ortiz to ride Make It Big in the Springboard Mile for 2-year-olds with Kentucky Derby points on the line. Off as the favorite in the field of seven, Make It Big battled with race favorite Osborne throughout the stretch, posting a half-length win for the mile contest in 1:41.23. Ortiz picked up the mount after regular rider Edgard Zayas had shoulder surgery.

Back at Aqueduct on Saturday, Ortiz rode Yo Cuz for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in the Fifth Avenue Division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a seven furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired juvenile fillies. Breaking third in the field of 11, Yo Cuz was hustled to the lead and held off a determined Morning Matcha to post a 1 3/4-length win in 1:25.34. The win was the third on the card for Ortiz.

“When you ride good horses, this is what happens,” said Ortiz to the NYRA publicity team. “You get more chances to win races. I appreciate all the opportunities I have been getting with big owners and big trainers supporting my career. That's what it is all about. You have to have the horse to win.”

Weekly statistics for Ortiz included a 31.5 percent win rate and total purse earnings of $778,748.

Other nominees for Jockey of the Week were Junior Alvarado who won the G2 Ft. Lauderdale, Kendrick Carmouche who won the Gravesend at Aqueduct, Luis Saez with two graded stakes at Gulfstream, and Luis A. Valenzuela who won two stakes at Turf Paradise.

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The Gulfstream Park-based 2-year-old son of Neolithic earned 10 qualifying points for this year's first leg of the Triple Crown with a thoroughly professional half-length victory over Osbourne as the 6-5 favorite.

“We are, obviously, very excited. He was stepping up in class, shipping for the first time and going two turns [for the first time]. He handled it all as good as you could ask for,” said Joseph, who didn't venture to Oklahoma for the Springboard Mile. “He sat in the pocket, made a move down the backside, and was gutsy enough to hold off Osbourne.”

The Florida-bred colt, who was purchased at the OBS April sale for $120,000, sat off a contested pace, made a three-wide sweep on the far turn, and prevailed over Osbourne following a stretch-long battle to remain undefeated in three starts.

“The [Feb 5] Holy Bull might come a little quick, but everything is still in play. Maybe the Fountain of Youth,” Joseph said. “We'll talk it over with the ownership group and Rick Sacco, the stable manager. He was the one that recommended after he won last time that we should try this race [Springboard Mile]. It turned out a perfect choice of race.”

Distance wouldn't seem to be a concern for the long-striding colt.

“You would think the more distance the better. That's how he trained. Up until six weeks before he made his debut, he kind of seemed he'd go long, long, long,” Joseph said. “He was lacking that early speed. When we put blinkers on him, they gave him that dynamic, showing some speed. We already knew he had the stamina. He's really turned around.”

Make It Big debuted with a front-running 8 ½-length victory at seven furlongs Oct. 8 before winning the seven-furlong Juvenile for Florida-breds by 2 ¼ lengths following an awkward break Oct. 30.

“He led the first time. The second time, he sat off [the pace]. This time, he sat between horses. He keeps getting better and better, slowly but surely. He's going in the right direction, that's what you want,” Joseph said.

Jose Ortiz rode Make It Big Friday night, filling in for Edgard Zayas, who recently underwent shoulder surgery.

“I want to give credit to Edgard. He was going there to ride him, but then the shoulder surgery came up. Edgard was going to have surgery on a Monday, and he came out to work him on Sunday,” Joseph said. “Edgard showed the class and work ethic that he has. Full credit to him. He's a big part of the team and he's a big part of this horse's success.”

Joseph also trains Triple Crown prospect White Abarrio, who captured his first two races impressively before finishing third in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Nov. 27.

“He's doing well. We gave him a little freshening. He's galloping, and he's going to have his first breeze back [Sunday],” Joseph said. “He's most likely going in the Holy Bull.”

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“We are, obviously, very excited. He was stepping up in class, shipping for the first time and going two turns [for the first time]. He handled it all as good as you could ask for,” said Joseph. “He sat in the pocket, made a move down the backside, and was gutsy enough to hold off Osbourne.”

Make It Big, a $120,000 purchase at this year's OBS April sale, opened his career with an 8 1/2-length win against fellow Florida-breds at Gulfstream Oct. 9 and added a victory in the Oct. 30 Ocala Stud Juvenile Sprint–both at seven furlongs–before shipping to Remington Park.

“The [Feb 5 GIII] Holy Bull might come a little quick, but everything is still in play. Maybe, the [Mar. 5 GII Fasig-Tipton] Fountain of Youth,” Joseph said of possible next starts for Make It Big. “We'll talk it over with the ownership group and Rick Sacco, the stable manager. He was the one that recommended, after he won last time, that we should try this race [Springboard Mile]. It turned out a perfect choice of race.”

Joseph said he thinks Make It Big will handle longer distances.

“You would think the more distance the better. That's how he trained. Up until six weeks before he made his debut, he kind of seemed he'd go long, long, long,” Joseph said. “He was lacking that early speed. When we put blinkers on him, they gave him that dynamic, showing some speed. We already knew he had the stamina. He's really turned around.”

Joseph also trains Triple Crown prospect White Abarrio (Race Day), who captured his first two races impressively before finishing third in the Nov. 27 GII Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs.

“He's doing well. We gave him a little freshening,” Joseph said of the colt who worked three furlongs in :36.00 (3/11) at Gulfstream Sunday. “He's most likely going in the Holy Bull.”

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The top 2-year-old race of the Remington Park season provided the stage for the third win in a row to start the career of Make It Big, who has never raced on Lasix. Kentucky Derby points are awarded to horses only if they have not raced on the diuretic during the qualifying races. The other horse earning points in the Springboard was runner-up Osbourne, who gets four in the Derby standings. The third and fourth place finishers, Concept and Classic Moment, both from trainer Steve Asmussen's barn, competed with Lasix on Friday night.

Rick Sacco, racing manager for Make it Big's owner, Red Oak Stable in Ocala, Fla., was non-committal on where Make It Big's first start as a 3-year-old will be in 2022, but the dark bay colt by Neolithic, out of the Congrats mare Ruby on My Mind, won his first two races at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. The $120,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders Sale Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in training has quickly earned his keep. He won $240,000 from the purse Friday and is now undefeated through three attempts with total earnings of $303,828.

“Yes, we will enjoy these Kentucky Derby points,” said Sacco, “but we will have to discuss where we send him next.”

Sarah Shaffer, trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.'s assistant, was on hand for the victory, just having met the horse for the first time this week. She stables at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La.

“He has a personality and a half,” she said. “We expected the cold weather to sharpen him up here.”

Temperatures were brisk in the high 40s when seven horses broke from the gate for the Springboard. Make It Big was feeling his oats in the warmup. Jockey Jose Ortiz was putting everything he had to keep the colt in his skin before the race.

“We really wanted to get him warmed up,” said Shaffer. “He's very smart. He knew what he was here for. Nice horse.”

Make It Big broke his maiden on Oct. 9 at Gulfstream, winning by 8 1/2 lengths at first asking. He then took down the $60,000 Ocala Stud Juvenile Sprint Stakes for Florida-breds at Gulfstream by 2 1/4 lengths on Oct. 30. Both of those wins came at seven furlongs and with jockey Edgard Zayas in the saddle. Friday night's Springboard was his first trip around two turns.

“The horse was two-for-two with Edgard,” said Ortiz, who shipped in from the East Coast for the mount. “Unfortunately, Edgard couldn't ride because he had to have surgery on his shoulder.”

Ortiz, the No. 4 rider in the country with his horses earning more than $24 million in 2021, wasn't a bad substitute and he rode Make It Big to perfection. He took the winner's circle photos with the garland of flowers wrapped around his shoulders from head to near his feet.

Ortiz let Make It Big settle in fifth down the backstretch and then asked for a run at the top of the stretch. By that time the colt was rolling and he engaged Osbourne who took the lead before the field left the final turn. Make It Big battled neck and neck with Osbourne throughout the length of the stretch, gaining a half-length win at the finish.

Osbourne is trained by Ron Moquett of Breeders' Cup Sprint winner fame, Whitmore. Osbourne, a 2-year-old gelded son of Tapiture, out of the Rock Hard Ten mare Planet Rock also has not raced on Lasix in three tries. He broke his maiden in his last start at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 17 at seven furlongs. Julien Leparoux, his regular rider, fought gamely from the outside post position in the field of seven. He was three lengths ahead of third-place finisher Concept, winner of the $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes on Sept. 26 at Remington.

The remaining order of finish in the Springboard was Classic Moment (4th), Rowdy Rascal (5th), Revenir (6th), and Bye Bye Bobby (7th).

Make It Big was sent off at 6-5 odds as the betting favorite and paid $4.60 to win, $3.40 to place, and $2.60 to show. The winner cut into early fractions of :24.77 for the first quarter-mile, :49.22 for the half-mile, 1:14.94 for three-quarters of a mile, and 1:27.86 for seven furlongs. His winning time at the mile was 1:41.23 over the fast main surface.

Make It Big is doing his best to put his young sire, Neolithic, on the map. That stallion went to stud in 2018 and Make It Big was foaled in 2019. Neolithic has some classic bloodlines, being a son of Harlan's Holiday, and his stud fee might soar if this horse proves to be worthy on the Kentucky Derby trail. Neolithic's stud fee for 2022 is $5,000 for a live foal. Harlan's Holiday won $3.6 million in his racing career, including Grade 1 wins in the Florida Derby, the Blue Grass Stakes, and the Donn Handicap.

Make It Big is easily Neolithic's top earner among his progeny.

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In addition, Make It Big, the 4-5 favorite in the seven-furlong sprint for Florida-bred 2-year-olds, was Joseph's 12th winner from his last 21 starters, including two winners at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., and one at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

“Racing is a streaky game. We had a slow Saratoga. It was our first year in New York and we won two Grade 1s, two Grade 3s, and then you go through a slow Saratoga and people like to forget. It's amazing how people can throw you away so quick, and then want you when you get hot,” said Joseph, who also won Saturday's Hudson Handicap at Belmont with Ny Traffic. “You just try to stay steady and try to overcome. You're always going to hit hot spells and you're always going to hit slow spells. My job is to keep the team together, so that when we're down, we keep our heads together. It's always going to level out at the end of the year. You're never going to win a 40 or 30 percent consistently. You're always going to level out and be at 21, 22 [percent]. It's going to go through spells, and you just try and get through them.”

Prior to scoring with Make It Big, Joseph and Zayas teamed for victories with Sister Lou Ann ($4) in Race 3, Jeha ($9.80) in Race 4, and Fate of Ophelia ($17.40) in Race 7.

“Edgard rides a lot for us, and he rides a good race,” Joseph said. “He's a big part of the team.”

Make It Big, who was coming off an 8 ½-length front-running debut victory at Gulfstream three weeks ago, broke a step slowly from his rail post position before assuming a stalking position along the rail behind pacesetter Just Leo, a full brother to multiple graded-stakes winner Firenze Fire, along the backstretch and into the far turn. Just Leo, who set early fractions of :23.08 and :46.31, tired on the turn into the homestretch as Lightening Larry made a three-wide sweep to the lead entering the stretch with Make It Big still trapped behind horses.

Lightening Larry kicked in through the stretch under Romero Maragh but was unable to hold off Make It Big, who launched an outside rally after Zayas finally found running room at the top of the stretch.

“Last time, he broke on the lead, and I didn't expect him to be on the lead. Today was much different,” Joseph said. “He broke; he was behind; he had a tough trip; and he was able to overcome it. I think he's a horse that's going to progress. As the distances get longer, I think he's going to get better.”

Make It Big, a son of Neolithic, ran seven furlongs in 1:25. Lightening Larry held second, 2 ¼ lengths ahead of Clapton.

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Owned by former Major League Baseball star Victor Martinez's Victoria's Ranch, King of Dreams was coming off a pair of off-the-board finishes in turf stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. The 3-year-old son of Air Force Blue had previously won twice in five starts over Gulfstream's turf course.

King of Dreams' victories were achieved in front-running fashion while racing around two turns, but jockey Emisael Jaramillo employed opposite tactics Saturday for the one-turn 5 ½-furlong overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up over the all-weather surface. The Kentucky-bred 3-year-old settled well behind pacesetter and 4-5 favorite Wind of Change, who was closely stalked by Harry's Ontheloose and Yes I Am Free along the backstretch and far turn. Wind of Change held off Harry's Ontheloose through the stretch but was unable to withstand the far-outside surge of King of Dreams, who prevailed by three-quarters of a length at 11-1.

King of Dreams ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:06.42. Wind of Change finished second, a neck ahead of Harry's Ontheloose.

Earlier on the program, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. saddled Make It Big for a most promising debut victory in a seven-furlong maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds. Owned by Red Oak Stable, the Florida-bred son of Neolithic scored an 8 ½ -length front-running triumph under Edgard Zayas. The 4-5 favorite was bought at the OBS April sale for $120,000.

Rajiv Maragh is back in winning form after a slow start to the 2021 season. The multiple Grade 1 stakes-winning jockey with more than 1900 wins and $100 million in purses-won visited the winner's circle for the fourth time in the last two days with Free Play ($8.80) in Saturday's Race 9. Maragh, who multiple Grade 1 stakes aboard champion Groupie Doll and Main Sequence, rode three winners on Friday's program.

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