mike stidham | Horse Racing Free Tips

Princess Grace Determined Off The Layoff In Dr. James Penny Memorial

Making her first start since winning the G2 Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs in November of 2020, John and Susan Moore's homebred Princess Grace was a determined winner of Tuesday's Grade 3 Dr. James Penny Memorial Stakes at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Penn. The 4-year-old daughter of Karakontie, sent off as the even-money favorite, saved ground early then out-dueled Madita to the finish to win by a neck. Joe Bravo rode Princess Grace to victory for trainer Mike Stidham, completing 1 1/16 miles over the firm turf in 1:41 flat.

Longshot Glamorous Thunder grabbed the lead at the start and pulled away by two lengths through fractions of 23 1/5 seconds for the opening quarter and 47 3/5 seconds for the half. Platinum Paynter and Madita were steady in their pursuit, while Bravo held Princess Grace at the rail in fourth in the early going.

Rounding the far turn, Bravo steered Princess Grace around the tiring frontrunner before resuming her charge up the rail into the stretch. She hooked up with the duo of Platinum Paynter and Madita at the head of the lane. Madita and Princess Grace pulled away from Platinum Paynter by the eighth pole, and that pair dueled all the way to the line with Princess Grace pulling off the win by a neck in the final few strides. Madita had to settle for second, while Platinum Paynter checked in third. Amniarix was fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by her owners, Princess Grace is the first foal out of the multiple stakes-placed Silent Name mare Masquerade. She won on debut as a sophomore last year over Colonial Downs's turf course, then won an allowance next out on the turf at Monmouth Park. Princess Grace next ran second in the G3 Valley View at Keeneland on turf, before finishing out her 2020 campaign with the win over dirt in the off-the-turf edition of the G2 Mrs. Revere. Overall, the filly's record stands at four wins from five starts with earnings over $320,000.

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Mystic Guide Returns in Suburban

Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), off since winning the G1 Dubai World Cup in March, makes his stateside return in the GII Suburban S. at Belmont Park Saturday. The Suburban, a 'Win and You're In' race for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, will feature a rematch between the handsome chestnut and Happy Saver (Super Saver), who bested him by 3/4 lengths in last year's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup.

In addition to his runner-up effort in the Gold Cup last October, Mystic Guide's 3-year-old campaign also included a win in the GII Jim Dandy S. He prepped for his trip to Dubai with a six-length romp over a sloppy track in the Feb. 27 GIII Razorback H., for which he earned a 108 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Obviously, we don't really know how much the sloppy track played into that number,” said trainer Mike Stidham. “He came back in the Dubai World Cup and made the number look like it was real, which was good. We've given him plenty of time and he's had three months since that race to bounce back. Looking at him train and his weight and his coat, he's an absolute picture right now.”

Wertheimer and Frere's Happy Saver is now unbeaten in five career starts after returning from his Gold Cup win last fall with a one-mile allowance tally at Belmont May 28. The 4-year-old debuted a winner last June at Belmont and added a Saratoga allowance victory July 26 before winning the Sept. 7 Federico Tesio S.

“I think as an older horse he's a little more laid back in some of his works,” trainer Todd Pletcher said of Happy Saver. “He always performs well and he's really filled out and matured. For the way he ran in the Jockey Club Gold Cup last year, he's proven he likes that distance and that race looks even stronger now with what Mystic Guide has done.”

Of Mystic Guide's rematch with Happy Saver, Stidham said, “The bottom line is that they're both very good horses. I'm not taking anything for granted. I know Happy Saver has never been beaten and it won't be an easy race for us. I just hope we have the best horse.”

Pletcher also saddles Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Moretti (Medaglia d'Oro), who was second behind Tacitus (Tapit) in last year's Suburban. The 5-year-old was a front-running victor of the 1 3/4-mile Birdstone S. last August in his final 2020 outing. He resurfaced with a third-place effort in the 1 1/2-mile GII Brooklyn S. at Belmont June 5.

“The farther the better for him,” said Pletcher. “He ran OK in here last year and this would be a nice bridge to the Birdstone to try and defend his title there.”

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Undefeated Happy Saver, Dubai World Cup Winner Mystic Guide Top Saturday’s Suburban

Wertheimer and Frere homebred Happy Saver puts his undefeated record on the line in Saturday's Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban, a 10-furlong test for 4-year-olds and up at Belmont Park.

The 135th renewal of the Suburban, which is a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Del Mar, will be televised live on NBC as part of a show airing from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.

The Suburban will feature the one-two finishers of October's Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup won by Happy Saver by three-quarters of a length over Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide, who enters from a win in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan.

A rail-riding Happy Saver, with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, tracked Tacitus from third position with Mystic Guide to his outside in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, contested over a fast Belmont main track.

Mystic Guide moved outside of the pacesetter late in the turn as Happy Saver waited for racing room behind rivals that finally emerged when Tacitus came off the rail on the turn for home. Mystic Guide put a nose in front inside the final eighth, but Happy Saver squeezed up the rail to secure the win.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Happy Saver won four starts in his sophomore season, including the Federico Tesio in September at Laurel Park. The Super Saver chestnut launched his 4-year-old campaign on May 28 with a one-length score in an optional-claiming mile on Big Sandy.

Pletcher said Happy Saver, who worked a half-mile in 49.26 seconds Sunday on the Belmont dirt training track, has returned bigger and better as a 4-year-old.

“I think as an older horse he's a little more laid back in some of his works. He always performs well and he's really filled out and matured,” said Pletcher, who won the 2017 Suburban with Keen Ice.

Pletcher said the stretch out in distance will suit Happy Saver.

“For the way he ran in the Jockey Club Gold Cup last year, he's proven he likes that distance and that race looks even stronger now with what Mystic Guide has done,” said Pletcher.

Pletcher will also saddle Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Moretti.

A 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro, out of the Grade 1-winning Concerto mare Rigoletta, Moretti is a half-brother to 2017 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile-winner Battle of Midway.

The consistent bay, who sports a record of 12-4-4-2 with purse earnings of $304,150, launched his current campaign with an even third in the Grade 2 Brooklyn presented by Northwell Health on Belmont Stakes Day.

Last June, Moretti captured the 11-furlong Flat Out over a sloppy Belmont main track by 5 1/4-lengths ahead of a distant second to Tacitus in last year's Suburban. He completed 2020 with a 1 1/2-length win in the 1 3/4-mile Birdstone in August at Saratoga, a title Pletcher said Moretti will have a chance to retain on August 5.

“The further the better for him,” said Pletcher. “He ran OK in here last year and this would be a nice bridge to the Birdstone to try and defend his title there.”

Ortiz, Jr. retains the mount on Happy Saver from post 6, while Flavien Prat picks up the mount on Moretti from the inside post.

Mystic Guide, trained by Mike Stidham, will be making his first appearance since capturing the Dubai World Cup on March 27 at Meydan.

The Ghostzapper chestnut, out of the multiple Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Music Note, made the grade in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy in September at Saratoga ahead of his runner-up effort to Suburban rival Happy Saver in the Jockey Club Gold Cup to close out his sophomore season.

Mystic Guide, who has paired with Belmont Stakes-winning rider Luis Saez for his two starts this season, opened his current campaign in impressive fashion with a six-length win in the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap on a sloppy track on February 27 at Oaklawn Park, garnering a career-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Obviously, we don't really know how much the sloppy track played into that number,” said Stidham. “He came back in the Dubai World Cup and made the number look like it was real, which was good. We've given him plenty of time and he's had three months since that race to bounce back. Looking at him train and his weight and his coat, he's an absolute picture right now.”

Stidham said Mystic Guide will need to improve to turn the tables on Happy Saver.

“He needs to be faster. The bottom line is that they're both very good horses,” said Stidham. “I'm not taking anything for granted. I know Happy Saver has never been beaten and it won't be an easy race for us. I just hope we have the best horse.”

Stidham said Saez, who will pilot Mystic Guide from post 4, could be a difference maker on Saturday.

“Luis has ridden him in both races this year and he has a tremendous amount of confidence in the horse and that will play a big part,” said Stidham. “I couldn't ask to have a more talented rider on him. We have things set up for as good an effort as he's ready for.”

Informative, trained by Uriah St. Lewis for his family's Trin-Brook Stables, enters from a last-to-first score in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile at odds of 79-1 on June 12 at Monmouth Park.

The 4-year-old Bodemeister chestnut has racked up 25 career starts with three wins and three seconds, and picked up his first graded black type last out when besting Ny Traffic by one-length, garnering a career-best 99 Beyer.
Manny Franco has the call from post 2.

William L. Clifton, Jr.'s multiple graded stakes placed Prioritize, a 6-year-old Tizway gelding, finished a closing fifth last out in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special on May 14 at Pimlico Race Course.

Prioritize made his first nine starts on turf, including a third in the 2018 Grade 2 Hill Prince at Belmont, before trainer Jimmy Bond switched the bay to dirt for his last seven efforts.

The versatile Prioritize ran third in the Grade 1 Woodward Handicap in September at Saratoga ahead of a fourth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup to close out his campaign.

Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 3.

George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, is in search of his first win since capturing the Grade 3 Withers on February 1, 2020 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 4-year-old Honor Code colt ran third in both the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers following his Withers win for former conditioner Linda Rice.

Transferred to Asmussen for a fall campaign, Max Player finished fifth in both the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Preakness in a Triple Crown campaign schedule which was readjusted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Max Player opened his season with an off-the-board effort in the Group 1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in February and ran sixth last out in the Pimlico Special.

Ricardo Santana, Jr. has the call from post 5.

The Suburban is carded as the closing race on Saturday's 10-race program. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

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Mystic Guide ‘An Absolute Picture’ Ahead Of July 3 Suburban

Trainer Mike Stidham will have a number of stakes contenders for the Independence Day weekend cards at Belmont Park, led by Mystic Guide in the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban at 10 furlongs for 4-year-olds and up on Saturday, July 3.

The Independence Day slates run July 3 through Monday, July 5 offering six stakes races including a pair of Breeders' Cup Win and You're In qualifiers led by the Grade 2, Suburban [Classic] and the Grade 2, $250,000 John A. Nerud [Sprint], which will see 4-year-olds and up contest at seven furlongs on July 4.

The holiday weekend kicks off July 3 with the $100,000 Perfect Sting and continues on July 4 with the $100,000 Manila, while the Grade 3, $250,000 Dwyer anchors a Monday, July 5 card that also offers the $150,000 Grand Couturier.

In addition to Mystic Guide, Stidham will also be represented by Princess Grace in the Perfect Sting with Gershwin possible for the Grade 3 Dwyer.

Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide, the No. 1 ranked horse in the NTRA Thoroughbred Poll, will be making his first appearance since capturing the Group 1 Dubai World Cup on March 27 at Meydan.

Mystic Guide, a 4-year-old Ghostzapper colt, has worked six times at Fair Hill since returning to North America, including a six-furlong effort in 1:13.20 on June 19.

“He's doing fantastic. He's had multiple works here at Fair Hill and his final work for the race will be tomorrow,” said Stidham. “We'll ship to New York for Friday morning so we can school him in the paddock before the race.”

Mystic Guide made the grade in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy in September at Saratoga Race Course and followed with a runner-up effort to Suburban rival Happy Saver in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on October 10 at Belmont.

Leaving from the outside post under Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Mystic Guide tracked in third outside of Happy Saver, piloted by Irad Ortiz, Jr., as Tacitus, with Jose Ortiz up, led the field down the backstretch through an easy half-mile in 49.68 seconds.

“The Jim Dandy was the beginning of him starting to put it all together,” said Stidham. “I thought he was unlucky in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. It was a cat and mouse game that day with the two Ortiz brothers and Johnny sitting outside of them and then magically the rail opened up for Happy Saver. We were unlucky to lose that race.”

“Obviously, we don't really know how much the sloppy track played into that number. He came back in the Dubai World Cup and made the number look like it was real, which was good,” said Stidham. “We've given him plenty of time and he's had three months since that race to bounce back. Looking at him train and his weight and his coat, he's an absolute picture right now.”

Stidham said Godolphin homebred Gershwin – a 3-year-old half-brother to Mystic Guide by Distorted Humor – is possible for the Dwyer with a number of races also under consideration, including the 1 1/16-miles $250,000 Iowa Derby on July 2 and the 1 1/16-miles Grade 3, $300,000 Indiana Derby on July 7.

“We're considering the Dwyer, but we also have our eye on the Iowa Derby and Indiana Derby, too,” said Stidham.

Stidham said that while both siblings are chestnuts, they demonstrate very distinct differences in personality.

“Mystic Guide is a little bigger and stronger in stature and he's much tougher; a real man,” said Stidham. “Whereas Gershwin is easier to handle and not as strong and tough as Mystic Guide is. They're similar in looks, though.”

The well-bred Gershwin has seen 3-of-5 career starts washed off the turf, including a last out score in the Grade 3 Penn Mile on May 28 at Penn National.

“We've felt like there's more to him than what we've seen from a numbers standpoint,” said Stidham. “He's almost like Mystic Guide in that he's taking time to develop and the only reason we were thinking of grass is that we hadn't seen what we were hoping to see from him on dirt up to this point.

“He did well to win the Grade 3,” continued Stidham. “Even though it was off the turf, you start thinking maybe he is fine on the dirt and just taking time to really breakthrough and come up with a big number. That's why we're content to continue on with the dirt.”

Susan and John Moore's Princess Grace will make her seasonal debut in the Perfect Sting, a one-mile turf test for older fillies and mares.

The 4-year-old daughter or Karakontie won 3-of-4 starts last season, topped by a win in the off-the-turf Grade 2 Mrs. Revere in November at Churchill Downs to close out her campaign.

“She's coming off a layup but she's been training really well and we're looking to get her starting back,” said Stidham. “I had no clue what to think when we stayed in the off-the-turf that day and she went out and ran a huge race.”

Princess Grace is out of the Silent Name mare Masquerade, who was also campaigned by Stidham and posted wins on dirt, synthetic and turf through a career ledger of 28-6-8-2.

“It looks like Princess Grace could do both surfaces but we'll stay with the turf,” said Stidham. “We trained her mother and she was an ultra-consistent horse, but I think she was better on turf, too.”

Stidham said Princess Grace, who earned a career-best 88 Beyer with a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Valley View in October at Keeneland, could be special.

“She gives you that indication,” said Stidham. “She's a small, feminine looking filly but she runs huge in her races and everything she does is game and all heart. Those kind don't have to be big and powerful, they just have what it takes inside and she seems to have that.”

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