michael trombetta | Horse Racing Free Tips

Win Win Win Strikes Gold In Forego With Last-To-First Rally

Despite a heavy downpour of rain just minutes before post time, Win Win Win did just that, coming from well off the pace and passing five rivals through an assertive stretch run to take the 41st running of the seven-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 Forego presented by America's Best Racing at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Owned by Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation and trained by Mike Trombetta, Win Win Win, a 4-year-old son of Hat Trick, arrived off a runner-up finish to fellow Forego contender Complexity in a one mile allowance optional claiming tilt on July 2 at Belmont Park.

Breaking from post 7, Win Win Win was initially last in the 11-horse field, 16 1/4 lengths off the pace as Complexity dueled up front alongside True Timber through an opening quarter-mile in 22.28 seconds and a half in 44.63 over the sloppy and sealed main track.

Around the far turn, Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano engaged his charge at the three-eighths pole while Complexity and True Timber continued their upfront battle. At the top of the stretch, Castellano angled Win Win Win, still last, nine wide and in pursuit as Complexity established a one-length lead with True Timber still fighting to the inside and Funny Guy putting in a bid to the outside. In the final strides to the wire, Win Win Win found a new gear and powered home a half-length winner in a final time of 1:21.71.

Win Win Win at the wire in the Forego

Castellano, who scored his first Forego victory since piloting Mass Media to victory in 2005, picked up the mount aboard Win Win Win in his last out runner-up effort and said that his first time aboard the son of Hat Trick was a learning experience.

“What an amazing horse. I'm truly honored to ride the horse and very blessed with the way everything went,” Castellano said. “He was very far back and made a huge run to win the race. Not too many horses can do that. He did it and in a nice way. He's a really nice horse. I rode him last time at Belmont and he didn't break out of the gate. I rushed to get the spot I was looking for and didn't have the best result. I think I learned through that experience and today it paid off with a Grade 1 win in the Forego.”

Complexity finished another three-quarters of a length to True Timber, who garnered graded stakes black type for the eighth time in his career.

Rounding out the order of finish were Funny Guy, Lexitonian, Everfast, 2018 Forego winner Whitmore, Mind Control, Majestic Dunhill, Fortin Hill and Firenze Fire.

The victory was a first graded stakes triumph for Win Win Win, who was a stakes winner on dirt and turf. Last January, he won the Pasco at Tampa Bay Downs and broke the track record for seven-furlongs finishing the race in 1:20.89 and capped off his 3-year-old campaign with a victory in his turf debut in the Manila over the Widener turf last July at Belmont Park.

Trombetta had been anxious to get his horse back to the seven-furlong distance over the main track and was thrilled to see him display such an effort.

“It's a distance he likes, but he doesn't have the best gate speed,” Trombetta said. “The way this track has been playing, it's very hard to close. Well, what he did, I haven't seen the whole meet.”

Trombetta said he was a bit concerned when Win Win Win was so far back.

“I honestly don't know what to say; he dropped so far back, and his chicklet and number actually went off the screen and I couldn't even see across the track,” Trombetta said. “I thought he was absolutely out of the race and might not have had a chance to even finish. But then turning for home, he came back on the screen. It's just unbelievable.”

Win Win Win was off the board in last year's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Preakness Stakes and Trombetta said that he had shorter races in the back of his mind for a while.

“It's been on my mind for a long time,” Trombetta said. “We got caught up in the Triple Crown, for which he made a good run at it. We tried him on the grass, and he won there. He's just a good horse. These races are a little hard to find, but he certainly deserves it.”

Returning $16.20 for a $2 win bet, Win Win Win enhanced his consistent lifetime record to 12-5-3-1 and his earnings past the half-million dollar mark to $601,600.

Live racing resumes on Sunday at Saratoga with an 11-race card which features the Grade 3, $125,000 Shuvee going 1 1/8 miles for older fillies and mares on the main track. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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Souper Escape Runs Away With Woodbine’s Trillium Stakes

Live Oak Plantation's Souper Escape gave her filly and mare foes the slip in the $125,000 Trillium Stakes to earn her first graded stakes victory on Saturday afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada.

The Michael Trombetta trainee was an impressive 1:42.78 winner in the Grade 3 main track event, coming close to the 1:42.16 track record for 1 1/16 miles held by recently retired Freitag.

“When she came out from the gate, she was so nice and relaxed, it looked like it was kind of easy, but she was all game today,” said winning jockey Luis Contreras, who was bracing for the competition to come. “When I turned for home, I had so much horse and she just kept rolling.”

Souper Escape set fractions of :24.93 to the quarter, :48.65 to the half and 1:11.76 while widening her lead to three-quarters. Another Time and favorite Theodora B. were her closest rivals three lengths behind after Nantucket Red levelled off when attempting a three-wide bid down the backside.

Souper Escape opened up six lengths down the lane and ended with 4 1/2 lengths to spare as Painting, who trailed the seven-horse field through the first half-mile, rallied into second-place and finished 3 1/4 lengths clear of show finisher Another Time.

Art of Almost, Wings of Dawn, Theodora B. and Nantucket Red rounded out the order of finish.

Souper Escape paid $7.50 to win as the slight 5-2 second choice.

The four-year-old homebred daughter of Medaglia d'Oro–Cry and Catch Me also counts the 2019 La Lorgnette Stakes, her only other start on Tapeta, among her five wins from 15 starts. Today's victory boosted her bankroll well over the $200,000 mark.

Contreras and Trombetta have already teamed up for a stakes win this season with Woodstock champion Newstome at the start of the meet.

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Souper Escape Drops Back To Six Furlongs For Friday’s License Fee Stakes

Multiple stakes-winner Souper Escape will look to build on a runner-up effort against allowance company last out, cutting back in distance in Friday's $80,000 License Fee for fillies and mares 4 years old and up going six furlongs on the inner turf at Belmont Park.

Owned by Live Oak Plantation, Souper Escape returned off a six-month layoff to run second in her 2020 bow on June 6 at Woodbine. The Medaglia d'Oro filly won the Christiana and the La Lorgnette at Delaware Park and Woodbine, respectively, as a sophomore in 2019 and will be returning to stakes company for the first time as a 4-year-old.

Trainer Michael Trombetta said he was curious to see her in the short sprint after she capped her 3-year-old campaign with a 10th-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Tropical Park Oaks in December at Gulfstream Park. Both of the Florida homebred's stakes wins came at distances of at least one mile, with the License Fee marking her shortest race on turf.

“She's doing good. She's one of those horses where anything outside a mile, it might be a bit much,” Trombetta said. “I'll take a look at this and see how she fits with this group. Last out, it was a good race back off the layoff, so it gives me good reason to take a look at this.”

Manny Franco will pick up the mount, drawing post 5.

“I think she can run any way,” Trombetta said. “What I don't think she wants are those mile and an eighth races, things like that.”

Trombetta will also saddle A Great Time, who came off a 10-month layoff when she ran third in an allowance contest on May 30 at Laurel Park. The effort marked the Street Magician mare's first start since a second-place effort in the Jameela in July at Laurel.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride from post 2.

Bal Mar Equine's Dalika started her career in her native Germany before arriving in the United States for her 3-year-old year in 2019. Under trainer Al Stall Jr., the daughter of Pastorius twice ran second in stakes, including a game effort in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere in November at Churchill Downs when just a half-length back to winner Nay Lady Nay in the 1 1/16-mile route.

Dalika's only previous experience shipping into New York resulted in a strong runner-up effort in the Riskaverse last August at Saratoga Race Course. After running all of her first seven North American races between one mile and 1 1/8 miles, Stall entered her in a sprint last out, where she made her first start in nearly five months and posted a two-length win in a 5 1/2-furlong optional claimer at Churchill under jockey Joel Rosario.

“We just want a race with a fast pace,” Stall said. “When she has that it in front of her, it helps. Her last race was visually very impressive. Joel just jogged her past the wire. One turn with a solid pace is what she needs. She runs a better race when you don't grab her and it turns into a wrestling match.”

Rosario will have the return call, breaking from the outermost post 8.

Getmotherarose, the winner of the Grade 3 Honey Fox in February at Gulfstream Park, will try her hand again on the Belmont grass after running ninth on a yielding Widener turf in the Grade 3 Intercontinental on June 6.

Trained by Thomas Bush, Getmotherarose won two turf sprints at Belmont last year. Jose Lezcano will be in the irons from post 3.

Jonathan Thomas will saddle a pair of entrants in Bridlewood Cat and Escapade.

The lightly raced Bridlewood Cat broke her maiden at second asking in October at Belmont and capped her sophomore year with another win against allowance company. The $750,000 purchase at the 2017 Keeneland September Sale, Bridlewood Cat made her first stakes start, finishing fourth in the Correction on March 14 at Aqueduct Racetrack. Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride from the inside post.

Her stablemate, Escapade, ran fifth in her first start of the year in the Lightning City in February at Tampa Bay. She will return to Belmont for the first time since her career debut in June 2017, drawing post 6 and picking up the services of Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano.

Rounding out the field is I'llhandalthecash, making just her second stakes start for trainer Ray Handal [post 4, Jose Ortiz]; and Miss Auramet, making her stakes debut in her 12th career start, for conditioner Jorge Duarte, Jr. [post 7, Luis Saez].

The seventh running of the License Fee, slated as Race 9 at 5:36 p.m. will feature on America's Day at the Races, produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, and airing live on FOX Sports and MSG+.

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Newstome, Owlette Take Opening Stakes Of Woodbine Meet

Stakes action kicked off at Woodbine Racetrack in Ontario, Canada, on Saturday afternoon with 3-year-old colt Newstome winning the $100,000 Woodstock Stakes and Owlette taking the six-furlong companion Star Shoot for fillies.

With Luis Contreras aboard, Newstome made headlines with a commanding victory in the season's first stakes event for trainer Michael Trombetta and owner Marie Trombetta.

Leaving from the inside, Aye Aye Sir charged out along the rail in the Woodstock with Lookinatamiracle and outsider Untitled looming through a :22.30 first quarter. The outside foes continued to press the pace into the turn and past the :45.14 half-mile mark with Newstome, who had stalked the front-runners early, joining the fray then sprinting away down the stretch for the wide-open win in 1:09.99. He ran off by 5 1/2 lengths, with Untitled chasing in second and Lookinatamiracle edging out Aye Aye Sir for the third-place honours. Striking Moon and Stormy Soul completed the order of finish.

“I got a great trip,” said Contreras afterwards. “He broke running and I was able to save ground and get in the stalk position. In the middle of the turn, I was just loaded with a lot of horse and turning for home, he just 'go.'”

Bred in Pennsylvania by Equivine Farm, the grey Goldencents–Newstouse colt, who won a pair of black type stakes stateside during a $175,000 juvenile campaign, was making his Woodbine debut and now boasts wins in half of his eight career starts.

In addition to picking up the mount on the stakes winner, Contreras is off to a great start to the season with four other victories so far through the first four race days.

“It's been a long wait and the most important thing right now is to stay safe, and stay like that for the whole rest of the meet.”

Sent postward as the 5-1 second choice, Newstome paid $13.90 to win.

Clayton and supplement Muchmorethanthis were scratched and entered in Sunday's ninth race, a $101,200 seven-furlong allowance race.

In the Star Shoot, Owlette set out for the lead from the gate and never looked back, winning her season's debut for jockey Jerome Lermyte and trainer Wesley Ward.

Owlette clocked panels of :22.13 and :44.12 en route to victory 1:09.55 by 1 3/4 lengths over Sovereign Award champion filly Curlin's Voyage, who got up for second off a ground-saving trip. Coach Lori finished third after closing outside of Two Sixty, who was used early and stalked the winner throughout.

New York Groove, Tara Dawn, Ima Beast, Cool Shadows and Take Charge Eh completed the order of finish. Gizmo Flash was scratched, with her connections opting to race in a six-furlong dash on Sunday.

Owlette, who paid $6.50 to win as the slight 2-1 favorite, was successful in her season's debut after winning the Shady Well and Victorian Queen Stakes last year at Woodbine for owner Ted Broeck Farm. Bred in Ontario by Michael Byrne, she now sports a career record reading 4-2-0 in six starts with $235,000 banked in purse earnings.

The Frac Daddy–Itstartswithadream filly made a great first impression on Lermyte, who picked up the mount as Patrick Husbands stayed aboard Curlin's Voyage.

“I had the chance to get on her a few times in the morning and I was very confident, and she proved today that she has the ability,” said Lermyte. “The whole trip she kept me confident. When we turned for home, she was still nice and relaxed. I knew I had more – I had another gear – and I was confident the whole way.”

Commenting on Owlette's ability to stretch out in distance, Lermyte noted that, “She went a mile and sixteenth [last year finishing second in the South Ocean Stakes] and she ran a good race. Wesley puts his horses on point, so you don't have to worry about anything.”

Owlette and Artie's Princess, who won a five-furlong allowance race on Opening Day for Lermyte and Ward, are both nominated to the Woodbine Oaks (August 15) and The Queen's Plate (September 12).

“She [Artie's Princess] gave me a very nice race. I was very happy with her so that's two nice fillies,” said Lermyte.

In other action, Woodbine Oaks eligible Avie's Samurai ($7.90) was an impressive winner in the afternoon's opener, taking the lead in the turn and winning the $101,200 seven-furlong allowance optional claiming sprint by 4 3/4 lengths in 1:24.14. Contreras was aboard the homebred First Samurai–Avie's Sense filly for trainer Josie Carroll and owner Ivan Dalos.

The Queen's Plate nominated Golden Wave won his Woodbine debut with a 1:23.72 effort over seven furlongs in the fourth race, a $123,200 maiden allowance. The Atreides–Tidal Surge colt pressed the pace and turned into the stretch with the lead en route to a two-length victory over Fort Hope for trainer Mike De Paulo and owner Mickey Demers. Justin Stein rode the 13-1 upsetter, who returned $29.30 to win.

Live Thoroughbred racing continues, without spectators, on Sunday afternoon with an 11-race card beginning at 1 p.m.

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