Mike Puype | Horse Racing Free Tips

Chirinos Guides Canoodling To $47.40 Megahertz Upset

Fifth on dirt going seven furlongs on opening day, Dec. 26, the Mike Puype-trained Canoodling was able to set slow fractions and steal Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita, as she held Con to win by half a length while getting one mile on turf in 1:37.30 under New Mexico-based Roimes Chirinos, who notched his first-ever win and graded stakes win at The Great Race Place.

Off at 22-1 in a field of seven older fillies and mares, Canoodling broke from the far outside and seemed to relish the change in surface and stretch out.

“There wasn't much speed in this race, but her pedigree is set right to do this today, she's by Pioneerof the Nile,” said Puype, who saddled Canoodling to a fifth place finish in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes on Dec. 26. “We felt she could route on the turf. Todd Fincher (New Mexico-based trainer) had left her with me and this is where he wanted to run right after that last race and I just got her ready the best we could.

“The jock did a good job. He nursed the fractions along good and we had no pace pressure. The fractions were slow and when they came to get her, she had plenty left.”

A winner of one of four races on turf, Canoodling paid $47.40, $12.40 and $5.80.

“What a great day for me,” said Chirinos, a 38-year-old native of Venezuela. “It's my first graded stakes win in this beautiful country and at Santa Anita. It is unbelievable. She's a tiny, little filly but she's got a really, really big heart and she always tries hard. Today they made it easy for me because they let me walk the first half and I thought wow, if they let me go like this, they will never pass me.”

Owned by Lori Owens' B-4 Farms, Canoodling, a 4-year-old filly by Pioneerof the Nile out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Miz Kella, notched her third stakes win and improved her overall mark to 14-7-1-2. With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $278,023.

The 8-5 favorite, Warren's Showtime lacked room at the rail heading into the far turn and again in deep stretch and finished second in a huge effort. Ridden by Juan Hernandez, she paid $3.40 and $2.80 while finishing a game nose better than Avenue de France.

Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, French-bred Avenue de France rallied from last to finish third by a head over second choice Bodhicitta. Off at 24-1, Avenue de France paid $5.40 to show.

Fractions on the race, all set by the winner, were 25.30, 49.87, 1:14.51 and 1:25.87.

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Puype Has Marathoner Ward ‘n Jerry Primed For Upcoming San Juan Capistrano

Ward 'n Jerry has yet to see a turf marathon he didn't fancy.

The 8-year-old gelded son of Lucky Pulpit – bred in California by long-time successful proponents of racing in the Golden State, Mr. and Mrs. Larry Williams – seeks his third straight victory next Saturday when he runs in the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 1 ¾ miles on turf at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

“This has been my destination race for him and he's ready to roll,” trainer Mike Puype said.

Ward 'n Jerry, a committed closer in a career of 27 races, of which he has won eight and earned $468,259, turned in an uncharacteristic performance in last year's San Juan, setting the pace before finishing third, beaten five lengths.

“He's doing good,” said Puype, enjoying a typically solid meet with 27 victories from 124 starts, a 22 percent winning average, with earnings of $1,201,884.

“The horse ran off a little bit in the race last year but he's not doing that anymore, so he should be all right this time around.”

Ward 'n Jerry worked five furlongs on the main track Saturday morning in 1:02 flat.

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War Horse Ward ‘N Jerry Chasing Second Win In The Tin Man Turf Starter Distance Series

Ward 'n Jerry, an old war horse that has been with trainer Mike Puype so long he's considered part of the family, seeks his second victory in Saturday's “The Tin Man Turf Starter Distance Series” at Santa Anita Park.

Ward 'n Jerry won the second leg of the challenging marathon on Feb. 20, coming from well off the pace as usual to take the mile and a quarter turf event by a head as the 4-5 favorite under Flavien Prat who is back aboard Saturday.

The “Tin Man” series provides distance-progressive opportunity for older horses that have started for a claiming price of $40,000 or less dating back to 2019 to run in four races that began at a mile and one eighth on Jan. 18 and will conclude at a mile and three-quarters on April 24.

In addition to the winner's share from this Saturday's Tin Man, the winner will get a free berth into either the Grade 2, $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 ¼ miles on turf May 29, or the Grade 3, $100,000 San Juan Capistrano at 1 ¾ miles on turf June 19.

The series is named in honor of Ralph and Aury Todd's homebred son of Affirmed, The Tin Man, who was foaled in 1998 and raced through age nine in 2007. Trained by Richard Mandella, The Tin Man was a multiple graded stakes winner and a two-time Grade 1 winner at age nine, after which he was retired with earnings of more than $3.6 million.

“Our hope is this distance series serves as a throwback to some of the legendary horses that have competed at Santa Anita and the races provide good betting opportunities,” said Santa Anita's Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Chris Merz.

“This race came up a lot tougher than the last one,” said Puype, who has had California-bred Ward 'n Jerry going on six years now for owners/breeders Mr. and Mrs. Larry Williams, longtime successful supporters of racing in The Golden State.

“This is a very solid race for the purse level, no doubt ($47,000, plus up to $5,640 to Cal-bred winners),” Puype said. “You've got Oscar Dominquez and Red King (each a Grade 2 stakes winner) running for $47,000. Tartini's not bad, either, so it's no easy race by any stretch.

“But we've surely got a good chance. He's got a great rider (Flavien Prat, who pilots the 8-year-old Lucky Pulpit gelding for the eighth time, winning twice); we're ready to go.”

Ward 'n Jerry has a 7-2-4 record from 27 starts with earnings of $434,419.

“I've had Ward 'n Jerry since his 2-year-old season (back in 2015),” Puype said. “He's very nice to have around and it's nice to have a horse for that many years. He's been here longer than any of them. He's kind of like the chairman of the board at the barn.”

Leg three of The Tin Man series, which goes as race five: Lure Him In, Edwin Maldonado, 5-1; Red King, Umberto Rispoli, 5-2; Ward 'n Jerry, Flavien Prat, 3-1; New Year, Tyler Baze, 50-1; Oscar Dominguez, Mario Gutierrez, 4-1; The Stiff, Alexis Centeno, 12-1; Tartini, Juan Hernandez, 4-1; and Irish Heatwave, Abel Cedillo, 8-1.

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Santa Anita Debuts New 6 1/2-Furlong Turf Course Chute

A project that was undertaken with great urgency this past Aug. 17 came to fruition on opening day as Santa Anita's turf chute was utilized for the first time as Saturday's sixth race at 6 ½ furlongs attracted a field of 12 allowance horses aged three and up. Under sunny, blue skies, the race was taken by trainer Mike Puype's Highly Distorted, who got the distance in 1:14.85 while winning by three quarters of a length under jockey Juan Hernandez.

Breaking from post position four, Highly Distorted, idle since breaking his maiden going 5 ½ furlongs on the Del Mar turf July 25, showed good speed out of the gate and controlled the pace throughout through splits of 22.64, 44.72 and 1:08.64.

“Everything looked good,” said Santa Anita track surfaces consultant Dennis Moore, who oversaw the entire project from conception to sixth race post time. “It's nice to see it all come together from beginning to end.”

For Hernandez, it was his second win through six races. Highly Distorted, off at 11-1, paid $24.80 to win.

Anaconda, ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, checked in sixth as the 5-2 favorite.

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