Tag: margot’s boy

Classy Indian Peak Headlines Saturday’s Unusual Heat Turf Classic

Classy and plenty versatile, Indian Peak heads a field of eight older horses going a mile and one eighth over the Santa Anita turf in Saturday's $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic, presented by City National Bank.

A winner of last year's Cal Cup Derby on the Santa Anita main track, Legacy Ranch's Big Fish gets back with statebreds on Saturday and appears a good fit as he tries the Classic distance for the first time.

Owned and bred by Alfred Pais, Margot's Boy, although winless in nine starts last year, had four seconds and a proven affinity for the local lawn as he seeks his first stakes win.

Originally scheduled for turf, the Grade 3 San Gabriel Stakes was moved to the main track due to recent rain on Dec. 26 and although he was attentive to the early pace, Indian Peak simply didn't fire, finishing a distant fourth at 5-1.

Trained by Ruben Alvarado, Indian Peak, a 5-year-old gelding by Comic Strip, out of the Roar mare Ms. Booty, was a big third, beaten three quarters of a length two starts back going 1 1/16 miles on turf in the G2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar Nov. 27.

A winner of the mile and one eighth turf Snow Chief Stakes here at age three in June, 2020, Indian Peak is 5-2-1-0 over the course and he comes off his best year in terms of money-won, banking $170,932 from an 11-2-1-1 mark in 2021.

Owned by Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber, Indian Peak, who won the California Flag Handicap three starts back going down the hillside turf at about 6 ½ furlongs on Oct. 17, will likely attend the early pace as he seeks his seventh win from 23 overall starts.

Trained by David Hofmans, Big Fish, a 4-year-old gelding by hot sire Mr. Big, comes off a fourth place run going a mile and one sixteenth on synthetic Tapeta in the G3 Berkeley Handicap Nov. 27 at Golden Gate Fields.

Although winless in three tries over the Santa Anita turf, Big Fish has two wins from six turf tries, including an ungraded stakes win going a mile on turf at Del Mar as a juvenile. With an overall mark of 12-3-2-1, Big Fish has the credentials to be a major factor in the Classic.

A sharp second, beaten a neck in a one mile allowance on the main track here Dec. 4, the Craig Lewis-trained Margot's Boy, who was ninth the Classic a year ago, has three wins from eight tries over the course and rates a fighting chance with Juan Hernandez back aboard. A 5-year-old gelding by top California-based sire Clubhouse Ride, Margot's Boy is 21-3-5-3 with earnings of $260,946.

THE UNUSUAL HEAT TURF CLASSIC WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 6 of 10 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT

  1. Whooping Jay—Joe Bravo–120
  2. Margot's Boy—Juan Hernandez—122
  3. Aligato—Flavien Prat—120
  4. Luvluv—Tyler Baze—120
  5. Camino Del Paraiso—Ricardo Gonzalez—124
  6. Big Fish—Umberto Rispoli—124
  7. Ferrariano—Abel Cedillo–120
  8. Indian Peak—John Velazquez—124

First post time for a 10-race card on Cal Cup Day, Saturday, is at 12 noon. Admission gates open at 10 a.m. The Unusual Heat Turf Classic presented by City National Bank, is on of five California-bred or sired stakes on Saturday.

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Margot’s Boy Hoping For ‘A Very Good Day’ In Del Mar’s Let It Ride

Ten 3-year-olds answered the call for Sunday's headliner at Del Mar, the seventh edition of the Let It Ride Stakes. It goes as a mile on the turf and offers a $75,000 purse.

Following the Hollywood theme of the fall Bing Crosby Season, the race was named for the manic 1989 comedy starring Richard Dreyfuss as a sick gambler who gets a hot tip and goes on an amazing one-day run at the track (it was filmed at old Hialeah). It's a good one to dial up if you're stuck at home avoiding the virus.

Sunday's turfer is headed by Margot's Boy, a California-bred gelding by Clubhouse Ride who has won three races, and Heywoods Beach, a Kentucky-bred Speightstown colt who has a pair of wins on his ledger. Margot's Boy is owned by Alfred Pais, trained by Craig Lewis and will be ridden by Tiago Pereira; he's been listed at 3-1 on the morning line. Heywoods Beach is owned by Hronis Racing, trained by John Sadler and will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli; he was hung at 7-2.

Here's the full field for the stakes from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

A Venneri Racing or Lombardi's Goalie (Juan Hernandez, 12-1); MyRacehorsecom or Spendthrift Farm's Lane Way (Drayden Van Dyke, 4-1); Roadrunner Racing or Sayjay Racing's Strongconstitution (Abel Cedillo, 4-1); Reddam Racing's Rookie Mistake (Mario Gutierrez, 12-1); Heywoods Beach; Paula Capestro's Dominant Soul (Edwin Maldonado, 8-1); Margot's Boy; Coal Creek Farm's I'm Leaving You (Victor Espinoza, 30-1); David Bernsen, Jacobs or Lambert's Lure Him In (Tyler Baze, 12-1), and Doyle, Gonzalez or Gutierrez's Jammers Justice (Eswan Flores, 15-1).

Margot's Boy last raced October 18 at Santa Anita where was beaten a bit less than five lengths in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby. Prior to that he was second, beaten in a photo, in the G2 Del Mar Derby on September 6. Trainer Lewis also conditioned the horse's sire, who was a hard-knocking stakes winner and has become a hot commodity on the California breeding scene.

Heywoods Beach last ran in the aforementioned Del Mar Derby where he finished 10th in the nine-furlong grass test. His two victories so far were both on grass and both at a mile which, obviously, may bode well for him in the Let It Ride.

Lane Way closed fast to finish second in his most recent outing, an allowance test at a mile on the turf at Santa Anita on September 27. He's a colt by Into Mischief trained by Richard Mandella.

Strongconstitution, by the hot young Tapit sire Constitution, has finished on the board in all six of his lifetime starts. The $220,000 2-year-old purchase was stakes placed here last fall in the Bob Hope.

First post Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. PT

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Stidham Ships Pixelate West To Win Del Mar Derby

Godolphin's Pixelate, benefitting from yet another perfectly timed ride on the turf by Del Mar's leading rider, Umberto Rispoli, was along in time to score by a head in the 76th running of the $200,000 Del Mar Derby Sunday at the shore oval near San Diego, Calif.

The invader from the East Coast — trained by Michael Stidham — had a near perfect trip saving ground and laying third for most of the run, then put it in gear down the lane for the Italian journeyman who is riding like a star in his first season at Del Mar. It was the fourth winner on the afternoon for Rispoli giving him a one-win lead – 49 to 48 — over his ace counterpart, Flavien Prat, who had a pair of victories on the card, including a stakes score that was his 14th of the meet, a Del Mar riding record. The battle for supremacy between these two exceptional riders at this 81st summer stand will come down to the 27th and final day of the meet on Monday.

Pixelate, a homebred City Zip colt and the 3-2 favorite, returned $5.00, $3.20 and $2.80 across the board after he covered the nine furlongs in 1:50.25.  He picked up a winner's share of $120,000 and now has a record of three wins, five seconds and three thirds in 11 starts for winnings of $311,400.

Finishing second was Alfred Pais' Margot's Boy, while third was Paula Capestro's Dominant Soul.

“I talked to Mike (trainer Michael Stidham) this morning and we both agreed that we had the best horse in the race. I said I wanted to ride him up closer than normal for him; I told him this is a smaller tighter course, not like Churchill (Downs). He said: 'You ride him like you want to.' I had a great trip and he fired when he had to. I'm very happy. And I've waited 16 years (his riding career) to wear these (pointing to the Godolphin royal blue silks).”

Earlier on the card, Kaleem Shah's Madone split horses at the head of the stretch and went gamely through the stretch under Flavien Prat to capture the ninth running of the $75,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile on the grass by a half length.

The victory gave rider Prat his 14th stakes win of the meeting, establishing a new mark for stakes scores in a single summer session. Previously, Rafael Bejarano held the record with 13 victories set in 2012.

Madone paid $5.20, $3.00 and $2.40 across the board as the race favorite and earned a check for $$48,300 for his second victory in two starts and now shows winnings of $81,300.

CYBT, Nentwig or Altamira Racing Stable's Nimbostratus was second across the line, but moved back to third for interference in the stretch with LNJ Foxwoods' Ivy League, who was moved up from third to second.

Final time for the 2-year-old filly stakes was 1:39.09.

Del Mar's closing card will take place tomorrow on Labor Day with an 11-race program on tap. First post will be at 1 p.m.

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