Messier | Horse Racing Free Tips

Messier Seeks Redemption in Bob Lewis

'TDN Rising Star' Messier (Empire Maker) looks to make amends after finishing second as the heavy favorite last out in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity S. as the people's choice once again in Sunday's GIII Robert B. Lewis S. A dominant second-out graduate at this oval in October, the bay captured the GIII Bob Hope S. at Del Mar Nov. 14 and was run down late and forced to settle for second last out at Los Al Dec. 11.

His Hall of Fame conditioner Bob Baffert also saddles Wharton (Candy Ride {Arg}) for the same connections. The $475,000 KEESEP buy powered home to a 5 1/4-length graduation at Santa Anita Dec. 31, earning the 'TDN Rising Star' tag.

Simon Callaghan sends out a flashy maiden winner in Sir London (Malibu Moon). Runner-up in his first two attempts sprinting in the fall, the $700,000 EASMAY acquisition demolished the field by 10 lengths next out going a mile at Los Alamitos Dec. 4.

The post Messier Seeks Redemption in Bob Lewis appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Messier Out To Make Amends In Sunday’s Bob Lewis Stakes

Second at 1-2 in his most recent stakes assignment, Messier will be out to make amends and stamp himself an “A-List” Derby hopeful as he heads a field of five sophomores going 1 1/16 miles in Sunday's Grade 3, $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita.

An important prep on the road to both the Santa Anita and Kentucky Derbies, the Lewis will provide the winner with 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points and the second, third and fourth place finishers with four, two and one point respectively. However, the Bob Baffert-trained colt is not eligible for those points due to Churchill Downs' ban of the Hall of Fame trainer.

A chestnut colt by Empire Maker, Messier, an impressive six furlong maiden winner here three starts back on Oct. 22, then galloped to a 3 ½ length score going seven furlongs in the G3 Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 14. Subsequently dispatched at 1-2 in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity at a mile and one sixteenth, he appeared to have the race won three sixteenths of a mile out, but the Doug O'Neill-trained Slow Down Andy, although racing erratically, came back on to Messier's outside to register a one length win.

Although beaten in his first two turn assignment, Messier, who has been favored in all four of his starts, appeared undaunted, as he galloped out strongly and in front around the Clubhouse turn at Los Alamitos. Trained by Baffert and owned by SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, et al, Messier is well seasoned, with two wins and as many seconds from four starts. Ridden by Flavien Prat in his last three starts, he'll be handled for the first time by John Velazquez in the Lewis.

Messier's primary rival certainly appears to be the Simon Callaghan-trained Sir London, who crushed four rivals in breaking his maiden by 10 lengths as the 1-5 favorite on Dec. 4 at Los Alamitos. Second in a pair of maiden sprints on Oct. 3 at Santa Anita and Nov. 13 at Del Mar, Sir London led every step of the way in breaking his maiden at a flat mile Dec. 4 and seems very well spotted in Saturday's Lewis as he retains the services of Flavien Prat.

A $700,000 2-year-old in training sale purchase in May of last year, Sir London is by Malibu Moon and is owned by AMO Racing USA and Qatar Racing Limited. Heavily favored in his last two starts, he also brings a last-out Beyer Speed Figure of 80 to the Lewis, which compares favorably with Messier's 83 Beyer, which he earned in finishing second in the Los Al Futurity.

Campaigned on grass in his last four starts, Kretz Racing's Cabo Spirit rallied for an impressive a 1 ¼ length win in the one mile turf Eddie Logan Stakes here on Jan. 2, an effort that was flattered by runner-up Maglev's victory on turf here Sunday in the ungraded Baffle Stakes. Trained by George Papaprodromou, Cabo Spirit is by Pioneerof the Nile and fetched $575,000 at an Ocala, Fla. 2-year-old in training sale last April. Winless in his first three starts on dirt, Cabo Spirit has won two out of his last four starts on turf and his connections are hoping that with seasoning, he can transfer that solid recent form to the main track on Sunday with regular rider Victor Espinoza back aboard.

Dismissed in his six furlong debut at 24-1 here on Jan. 22, Doug O'Neill's Happy Jack won like a horse that should relish a route of ground. Shuffled back around the turn, he split horses three sixteenths out and went to easily defeat Baffert's favored Bletchley Park and galloped out impressively as well. Owned and bred by Calumet Farm, Happy Jack is by Oxbow and will be ridden back by Abel Cedillo.

THE GRADE 3 ROBERT B. LEWIS WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

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

Messier—John Velazquez—120
Sir London—Flavien Prat—120
Cabo Spirit—Victor Espinoza—124
Wharton—Juan Hernandez—120
Happy Jack—Abel Cedillo–120

First post time for a nine-race program, which will also include the Grade III, $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes, is at 12:30 p.m. with admission gates opening at 10:30 a.m.

Source of original post

Slow Down Andy, Art Sherman Among Highlights For Los Alamitos Winter Meet

An upset by Slow Down Andy in the $300,000 Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity, a fifth consecutive win in the G1 Starlet for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, and a retirement ceremony for trainer Art Sherman were among the highlights of the seven-day Winter Thoroughbred meet, which concluded Sunday at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, Calif.

A homebred son of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist owned by J. Paul Reddam and trained by Doug O'Neill, Slow Down Andy surprised 1-2 favorite the Baffert-trained Messier Dec. 11, ending Baffert's streak of seven wins in a row in the Futurity.

In the Starlet, Eda, the 11-10 favorite, prevailed, continuing a run for Baffert that has seen him win the prestigious race for 2-year-old fillies five of the eight years it has been offered at Los Alamitos.

Baffert also won the meet's other graded race, capturing the $100,500 G3 Bayakoa with favored As Time Goes By for Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith.

The two other stakes were for 2-year-olds bred or sired in California. Professors' Pride went gate-to-wire in the $101,500 Soviet Problem for Larry and Carolyn Samovar's Academic Farms and trainer Eddie Truman while 2-1 second choice Straight Up G led throughout to take the $102,000 King Glorious for owner-breeder Jim Rome's Jungle Racing LLC and trainer Richard Baltas.

Sherman, 84, was honored Dec. 10 minutes after he saddled his last career starter – Chasing Alchemy, who finished seventh in a $50,000 maiden claimer for 2-year-olds. The popular trainer, who has been involved in racing for more than 65 years, finished his career with 2,261 wins. His most famous pupil was two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome, who was based at Los Alamitos for most of his career.

Baffert topped the trainer standings with five victories, one more than Lorenzo Ruiz. It was the 13th meet he has either led or shared the title since daytime thoroughbred racing returned to Los Alamitos in 2014.

Baffert had the most wins (13) for the year at Los Alamitos, combining the Winter meet with the Summer Thoroughbred Festival (June 25-July 5) and the Los Angeles County Fair season (Sept. 10-26). Peter Miller and Steve Miyadi tied for second with 11.

A closing day triple-double enabled Abel Cedillo to win the jockey title, his second in a row locally after taking the LACF meet. The 32-year-old native of Guatemala finished with nine wins, three more than Tyler Baze, apprentices Ricardo Ramirez and Diego Herrera, and Kyle Frey.

For the year at Los Alamitos, Cedillo totaled 35 wins, 14 more than closest pursuer Juan Hernandez. Frey and Herrera shared third with 16.

All sources handle for the Winter meet was up 11% on a comparative basis over 2019, which was also a seven-day season.

Handle at California satellite locations declined 23%, but advance deposit wagering in Southern California increased 61%. “We're pleased with how things went for the days we raced, but disappointed we aren't able to run next week,'' said F. Jack Liebau, vice president of the Los Alamitos Racing Association.

Daytime thoroughbred racing will return to Los Alamitos in 2022. The first of three meets is scheduled to begin Friday, June 24, and will continue through Sunday, July 10.

The post Slow Down Andy, Art Sherman Among Highlights For Los Alamitos Winter Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Slow Down Andy Takes Los Alamitos Futurity For Reddam, O’Neil

Sporting the same colors that his sire Nyquist won the 2016 Kentucky Derby in, Slow Down Andy ran greenly through the stretch in the Los Alamitos Futurity but was able to straighten out and take the Grade 2 stakes by a length over the favored Messier.

In a short field of five, Slow Down Andy broke from the outside, settling in behind the front three of Olympic Legend, Durante, and Messier down the Los Alamitos straight and around the first turn. Through fractions of :22.79, :46.62, and 1:10.83, Olympic Legend maintained a half-length lead, with Messier pulling even with him as they approached the far turn. Mario Gutierrez on Slow Down Andy went four-wide into the turn, with Messier taking the lead as they hit the top of the stretch.

Into the Los Alamitos stretch, Messier on the rail had a short advantage over Slow Down Andy driving on the outside. The gap between them shortened as Slow Down Andy made his bid for the lead, passing Messier, but then the son of Nyquist lugged in and bumped the Baffert trainee, allowing Messier to battle back and take the lead briefly. Inside the last sixteenth, though, Gutierrez straightened Slow Down Andy out and dug in, passing Messier to take over for good, hitting the wire a length in front. Barossa, Durante, and Olympic Legend rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:42.35. Find this race's chart here.

Slow Down Andy paid $12.40 and $3.40. Messier paid $2.10. The field of five meant no show wagering for the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity.

“He relaxed perfectly early. When I saw the opening going to the turn I sent him through and he responded. I think he was just playing around in the stretch. When (runner-up) Messier got back in front of him, he regained his focus and showed his heart,'' jockey Mario Gutierrez said after the race.

“If it was up to me we would have run in the California bred race ($100,000 King Glorious) tomorrow. It was strictly (owner-breeder) Paul (Reddam) wanting to take a chance and having faith in Slow Down Andy and thank God he did. We figured our other horse (Durante) would show speed and being in (post 5) we hoped (jockey) Mario (Gutierrez) would get good position and ride his race. Down the stretch, it looked like we had it and then we didn't and then we did, so it was very exciting,” trained Doug O'Neill said after the race. “He doesn't really remind me of Nyquist. This horse has a lot of different gears and Nyquist was just a beast, so precocious. This horse is pretty calm and more mentally versatile at this stage than Nyquist ever was.''

The G2 Los Alamitos Futurity is part of the Road to the 2022 Kentucky Derby. With his win, Slow Down Andy earns 10 points toward a spot in the starting gate for next year's Derby. Messier earns four points, Barossa gets two, and fourth-place Durante earns one.

Bred in California by owner Reddam Racing, Slow Down Andy is out of the Square Eddie mare Edwina E. With his win in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity, the 2-year-old colt has two wins in three starts for career earnings of $249,850.

The post Slow Down Andy Takes Los Alamitos Futurity For Reddam, O’Neil appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post