manny franco | Horse Racing Free Tips

Candy Ride’s Senbei Romps in Notebook

Senbei romped to the third stakes win of his young career with a front-running victory in the Notebook S. at Aqueduct Sunday. The heavy favorite zipped out to the early lead and was in control through an opening quarter in :23.03. He shrugged off Bustin Pietre after a half in :46.59 and sailed home an easy winner.

“I was confident because the jockey [Manny Franco] looked so comfortable on him,” said winning trainer Christophe Clement. “When Carmouche [Kendrick, aboard No. 3, Bustin Pietre] came to him at the three-eighths, I was a little anxious, but at soon as he shook him up at the quarter-pole, I thought he looked comfortable and he won going away. He's a nice horse.”

Franco added, “He's a very nice sprinter. I wanted to break good and then he did the rest. My plan was to go to the lead and slow down the pace if I could. That's how he likes to run. As soon as I made the lead, I didn't feel too much pressure. I was able to slow down the first part and I knew after that I was going to be tough.”

Senbei opened his career with a 4 3/4-length victory going 5 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga July 18 and followed up with a 2 3/4-length win in the 6 1/2-furlong Funny Cide S. at the historic upstate oval Aug. 27. He suffered his first loss when second in the seven-furlong Bertram F. Bongard S. at Finger Lakes Sept. 26, but cut back to six furlongs and returned to the winner's circle in the Oct. 18 New York Breeders' Futurity last time out.

As for what is next for Senbei, Clement said, “He'll have a break now. We've been squeezing him a little bit. He's had five starts. He's a good horse and a fast horse. It will be interesting to see if he can come back next year and stretch his speed a little bit.”

Sweet Aloha has a yearling colt by Union Rags who sold for $60,000 at last month's Fasig-Tipton October sale. The mare was bred to Twirling Candy last spring. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

NOTEBOOK S., $97,000, Aqueduct, 11-21, (S), 2yo, 6f, 1:11.49, ft.
1–SENBEI, 122, c, 2, by Candy Ride (Arg)
                1st Dam: Sweet Aloha, by Western Cat
                2nd Dam: Sweet Leilani, by Tagish
                3rd Dam: Mauna Loa, by Hawaii
($280,000 Ylg '20 KEEJAN). O-Reeves Thoroughbred Racing &
Darlene Bilinski; B-Jerry Bilinski (NY); T-Christophe Clement;
J-Manuel Franco. $55,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-1-0, $364,857.
*1/2 to Filibustin (Bustin Stones), MSW, $309,140; 1/2 to
Indy's Lady (Take Charge Indy), MSW, $202,378.
2–Bustin Pietre, 120, g, 2, Bustin Stones–Amulay, by It's No
Joke. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Roddy J. Valente (NY); T-Bruce N.
Levine. $20,000.
3–Daufuskie Island, 120, c, 2, Goldencents–Livermore Valley,
by Mt. Livermore. O/B-Robert Hahn (NY); T-Kelly J. Breen.
$12,000.
Margins: 8 1/4, HF, 4HF. Odds: 0.25, 9.30, 5.40.
Also Ran: Bali's Shade, Cool Laoban. Scratched: Kenner.

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Plum Ali Scores Gate-To-Wire Win In Winter Memories

After winning the first three starts of her career, Plum Ali had been winless in her last seven starts until Sunday's Winter Memories. The daughter of First Samurai grabbed the lead in the early strides of the 1 1/16-mile stakes and made every pole a winning one at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Jockey Manny Franco sent Plum Ali to the lead out of the gate, a departure from her usual racing position behind horses. The 3-year-old filly set early fractions of :23.77, :49.72, and 1:15.28, a moderate pace that allowed Plum Ali to stay a length ahead of the field of ten others.

Into the stretch, the filly was able to stretch her lead out to three lengths, her moderate early pace ensuring she had plenty left in the tank to hold off the closers. At the wire, she was 3/4 of a length in front of the bunched trio of White Frost, Miss Dracarys, and Gam's Mission. Runaway Rumour, Invincible Gal, Bipartisanship, Flown, Out of Sorts, Quinevere, and Batyah rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles over good turf was 1:45.11. Find this race's chart here.

Plum Ali paid $11.20, $5.40, and $3.40. White Frost paid $4.40 and $3.60. Miss Dracarys paid $6.20.

The idea was to be forwardly-placed. She ran very well. He [Manny Franco] gave her a great ride. She's been very unlucky and the filly deserved this,” trainer Christophe Clement said after the race. “The idea was to be 1-2-3 and, if possible, on the lead. If anybody took us on, then sit second or third. Nobody took them on and when I saw the 49 and change and 1:15, I knew she was going to be pretty tough. She's a very nice horse.”

“She broke sharp and I let her do her thing. We ended up on the lead and it worked out,” Franco told the NYRA Press Office after the Winter Memories. “After we broke like that, I wasn't thinking to take back. If they wanted to take the lead, they would have to go faster than me. In the second part of the race, they let me slow down the pace and that was it. She handled it really well.

Bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm, Plum Ai is out of the Stroll mare Skipping. She is owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Michael J. Caruso. Consigned by Stone Farm, Plum Ali was purchased by Cromwell Bloodstock for $65,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Her win in the Winter Memories is her first in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of four wins in 11 starts.

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Mystic Eyes Earns Black Type With Stewart Manor Victory

MeB Racing Stables and Vincent Esopi's Mystic Eyes earned black type in her first two stakes starts, setting the pace before finishing second in the Ainsworth in September at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky., and a competitive third in the Grade 3 Matron on October 9 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The daughter of Maclean's Music broke through on Saturday, going gate-to-wire and fending off Hot Fudge's last charge to post a victory by a neck in the $100,000 Stewart Manor for juvenile fillies going six furlongs on Belmont's inner turf course.

The fourth running of the Stewart Manor, which marked the last of four stakes on the 10-race card on the penultimate day of the Belmont fall meet, saw Mystic Eyes break sharp from post 3. Under jockey Manny Franco, the Kentucky bred led the 10-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in :21.75 and the half in :44.75 over firm going, with Benbang in close pursuit.

Hot Fudge, who tracked the pace from the inside under jockey Eric Cancel, gained ground in the final furlong, pressing Mystic Eyes to the wire before the pacesetter completed the course in a 1:09.97 final time to secure her second win in four career starts.

Mystic Eyes, a debut winner by 4 1/2 lengths on August 5 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., before her pair of stakes placings, has never finished off the board for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

“She's fast. You just have to control her speed a little because she's a type of horse who just wants to go,” Franco said. “I tried at some point in the race to give her a breather and save something for the end, and that's what we did. She was ready for today's race. I'm just happy to be on her.”

Mystic Eyes, the 8-5 favorite bred by Pursuit of Success, returned $5.20 on a $2 win wager. She improved her career earnings to $164,000.

“I thought she broke well. She has a lot of speed and used that today,” said Byron Hughes, assistant to Pletcher. “She got into a nice rhythm and did a great job on the front end without using too much. And she was able to hold off the competition. It was a nice win. We'll see what comes out of it. I imagine we'll head south pretty soon.”

Hot Fudge, trained by Linda Rice, bested Gal in a Rush by a half length for second in her first start since running seventh in the Grade 1 Frizette on October 3 at Belmont.

Benbang, Rigby, Flip My Id, Charlee O, The Club, Still My Babe, and Stand Up Comic completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday with Closing Day of the Belmont fall meet. The 10-race card, which features an 11:50 a.m. first post, will feature a pair of stakes in the $150,000 Zagora for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/2 miles on the turf in Race 4 at 1:18 p.m. and the $150,000 Grade 3 Nashua for 2-year-olds in a one-turn mile on the main track in Race 9 at 3:43 p.m.

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America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Bubble Rock Best In Matron At Belmont

Shortleaf Stable's homebred Bubble Rock reeled in pacesetter Mystic Eyes and staved off the late-running Gal in a Rush to secure a half-length score in Saturday's $150,000 Grade 3 Matron, a six-furlong inner turf sprint for juvenile fillies, at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Brad Cox and piloted by Irad Ortiz, Jr., who captured his 3,000th career win here on Thursday, Bubble Rock entered from a dominant 3 1/4-length maiden score sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs over the Mellon turf on September 3 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Mystic Eyes, with Manny Franco up, broke alertly and led the field through a half-mile in :44.24 over the firm going with Makin My Move tracking her early foot from second position.

Bubble Rock, who settled outside rivals in third, advanced four-wide through the turn and gradually picked off Makin My Move before surging past a stubborn Mystic Eyes to secure the win in a final time of 1:08.01.

Gal in a Rush, who exited the outermost post 9 under Dylan Davis, saved ground in the early going before tipping out and rallying strongly down the lane to complete the exacta by a half-length over Mystic Eyes.

The victory marked the second Matron score for Ortiz, Jr., who captured last year's edition aboard Royal Approval.

“She's nice. Last time she won and finished well, too,” said Ortiz, Jr., who has piloted Bubble Rock in all three starts. “I just did the same thing today. I waited for my time to go and when I asked her, she finished up really strong again. She's got a really good size to her and she always finishes well, so I think she'll be alright.”

Dustin Dugas, the New York-based assistant for Cox, said Bubble Rock has matured over the course of her campaign.

“She's progressed a lot mentally,” Dugas said. “She's been a very nervous filly to work with and she's kind of taken some time. She's really progressed mentally and physically she's a very big, good-looking filly and moves great.”

Rounding out the order of finish were Makin My Move, The Club, Lady Danae, Dufresne, High Arabian, and Mainstay. Benbang was scratched along with the Wesley Ward-trained duo of Poppy Flower and Chi Town Lady, who are both slated to take on the boys in Sunday's Grade 3 Futurity.

Bubble Rock is out of the Giant's Causeway mare Reef Point, who is a half-sister to millionaire Blue Chipper – winner of the 2019 Group 1 Keeneland Korea Sprint in Seoul and third-place finisher in that year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

A Kentucky homebred, Bubble Rock banked $82,500 in victory while improving her record to 3-2-1-0. She paid $7 for a $2 win wager.

Live racing returns Sunday at Belmont Park with a nine-race card featuring the $250,000 Grade 2 Beldame for fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward going nine furlongs; the $150,000 Grade 3 Futurity for juveniles going six furlongs on the turf, a “Win And You're In” for the Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint; and the $150,000 Grade 3 Knickerbocker going nine furlongs on the turf for 3-year-olds and upward. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

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