Neige Blanche | Horse Racing Free Tips

Neige Blanche Takes CTT and TOC Stakes At Del Mar

Madaket Stables, De Seroux, or Naify, et al's Neige Blanche burst between horses in midstretch and powered home to come away a half-length winner of the CTT and TOC Stakes Friday at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The French-bred 4-year-old filly by the Irish stallion Anodin ran the demanding mile and three-eighths on the turf in 2:17.45, covering the last furlong in a rapid :11 2/5 to outgame several rivals. Juan Hernandez rode the filly for trainer Leonard Powell.

Finishing second in the $85,500 overnight stakes was Haruya Yoshida's Red Lark, who had three-quarters of a length on LNJ Foxwoods' Tapwater.

Neige Blanche was winning the fifth race of her 13-race career, which started in France in 2019. Her $50,400 share of the purse increased her bankroll to $237,280.

Neige Blanche returned $9.40, $4.60 and $3.20 across the board. Red Lark paid $4.80 and $3.20, while Tapwater paid $2.80.

The track's Pick Six Single Ticket Jackpot Wager carried over for the 15th consecutive day and now stands at $1,491,923. It may be leading up to a mandatory payout day, which will take place next Saturday, TVG Pacific Classic Day.

Racing resumes at Del Mar Sunday with a 2 p.m. first post. The feature is the $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes for older fillies and mares at a mile on the turf.

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Neige Blanche Noses Out Rideforthecause In Santa Barbara

All in while three deep a quarter mile from home, French-bred Neige Blanche managed to nip Rideforthecause by a scant nose after a marathon mile and one half on turf in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Santa Barbara Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Juan Hernandez and trained by native Frenchman Leonard Powell, Neige Blanche, which translates to white snow in English, registered her first North American stakes win while stopping the clock in 2:28.01.

Starting mid-way up Santa Anita's legendary hillside turf course, heavily favored Tapwater, with Flavien Prat up, appeared to be in firm control on the lead as longshot Star of Africa tracked her in second, about one length off the lead as they crossed under the wire for the first time.

Turning up the backside, Tapwater maintained her one length edge, but Hernandez had a handful of horse, about three off the lead heading to the far turn and in a thriller, gained joint command along with Rideforthecause a sixteenth of a mile out as Tapwater faded late to run third.

“It was really close, it could probably go both ways, 50-50, inside or outside and thanks to my filly, we got it,” said Hernandez who chalked up his third win on the day and his seventh stakes win. “It was better, because last time (a fourth place finish in the Grade III Santa Ana Stakes March 27) I think we were a little too close to the pace and today, I was a little bit more (relaxed). Two horses in front of me and she relaxed pretty well. Around the quarter pole, when I asked her to go, she responded really well.”

A Group 3 winner in her final French start on June 6, 2020, but winless in four stateside starts, Neige Blanche was off at 5-1 in a field of seven fillies and mares three and up and paid $13.40, $7.00 and $3.60.

“No, honestly, I thought the inside got it,” said Powell when asked if he thought he had won the tight photo finish, in which Neige Blanche was positioned outside the runner-up. “If we were going to be in front, it was going to have to be a lucky bob and it was a lucky bob. Today, she proved that she belongs and that she was worth the investment. I want to thank the partners, Madaket Stables, Marsha Naify and (Laura) De Seroux for trusting us with her.”

A 4-year-old filly by Anodin out of the Muhtathir mare Bianca Neve, Neige Blanche now has four wins from 11 starts and with the winner's share of $60,000, increased her earnings to $177,112.

In a gut wrenching defeat, Rideforthecause, ridden by Mario Gutierrez, finished 1 ¾ lengths in front of Tapwater and paid $6.20 and $3.40 while off at 6-1.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Tapwater was off at even money and paid $2.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.72, 48.08, 1:13.56, 1:39.27 and 2:03.80.

Racing resumes with a nine-race card on Sunday with first post time at 1 p.m.

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California’s Reigning Horse Of The Year, Muco Unusual Headlines Saturday’s Santa Ana Stakes

George Krikorian's multiple graded stakes winning homebred Mucho Unusual heads a solid field of eight older fillies and mares going a mile and one quarter on turf in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita.

Voted California-bred Horse of the Year for 2020 by the CTBA, Mucho Unusual will be tackling sharp recent allowance winner Tapwater, promising French-bred Neige Blanche, Irish-bred Red Lark and long-fused French-bred Altea in what shapes up as a terrific betting race.

A two-time graded stakes winner at the current meeting for trainer Tim Yakteen, Mucho Unusual, a 5-year-old mare by Mucho Macho Man, out of the Unusual Heat mare Not Unusual, comes off a solid second going one mile on turf behind rising star Charmaine's Mia in the Grade 2 Buena Vista on Feb. 20 and will appreciate the additional quarter mile on Saturday.

A winner of the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at a mile and one quarter on turf five starts back here on Sept. 26, Mucho Unusual also has a second place finish at the trip from three overall tries. Ridden by four different jockeys in her last four races, she'll handled by leading man Flavien Prat. The leading money earner in the field with $862,715, Mucho Unusual, a four-time graded stakes winner, has an overall mark of 20-7-4-4.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Tapwater, in her first start since Oct. 16, stalked the early pace and prevailed by a neck under Prat in a one mile turf allowance here on Feb. 12. Lightly raced, this 5-year-old LNJ Foxwoods homebred mare by Tapit has won two out of her last five starts, all at one mile on grass. With Prat opting to ride likely favorite Mucho Unusual, Mike Smith takes over as Tapwater tries a mile and one quarter for the first time in what will be her first stakes assignment. With three wins and two seconds from eight overall starts, she has earnings of $142,940.

One of two Leonard Powell-trained entrants, Neige Blanche has been idle since well beaten in the Grade 1 American Oaks at 1 ¼ miles on turf Dec. 26. A handy Group 3 winner going 1 3/8 miles on turf in her final French start on June 6, 2020, she showed ample promise in her first two stateside appearances, a close fourth in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks Aug. 22 and a third place finish in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Sept. 19.

A maiden victress going a mile and one quarter on synthetic in her second start at age two, Neige Blanche is proven at the distance and would appreciate a fast pace when ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez on Saturday. Owned by Madaket Stables, LLC, Laura DeSeroux, Marsh Naify and Mathilde Powell, Neige Blanche, a 4-year-old filly, has three wins from nine career starts.

Trained by Paddy Gallagher and owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, 4-year-old Irish-bred Red Lark comes off an even fifth place finish in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Feb. 20. An upset winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks four starts back, she ran a solid fourth in the Grade 1 American Oaks on opening day and is another who would benefit from a lively pace. Handled in her last seven starts by Drayden Van Dyke, she'll be ridden by Ricky Gonzalez on Saturday.

Winless in five Irish starts, Red Lark has two wins from nine stateside starts as she seeks her second stakes victory in the Santa Ana.

Previously trained by eastern-based Chad Brown, French-bred Altea finished well when beaten 2 ¾ lengths by Mucho Unusual in her first start for Michael McCarthy, the Grade 3, 1 1/8 mile turf Robert J. Frankel Stakes on Dec. 27. Subsequently third going a mile and one half on turf in the Grade 3 Astra Stakes Jan. 17, Altea will be ridden for the third consecutive time by Abel Cedillo and is the only horse shortening up in distance on Saturday.

THE GRADE 3 SANTA ANA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 9 Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

Mucho Unusual—Flavien Prat—124
Silberpfeil—Tyler Baze—122
Going to Vegas—Umberto Rispoli—120
Tapwater—Mike Smith—120
Red Lark—Ricardo Gonzalez—122
Neige Blanche—Juan Hernandez—122
Altea—Abel Cedillo—120
Colonial Creed—Mario Gutierrez–120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. All of Santa Anita's races are offered free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can wager at 1st.com/bet. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Antoinette Headlines Belmont Oaks

Godolphin’s Antoinette (Hard Spun) tops a five-horse field in this year’s renewal of the GI Belmont Oaks Saturday. Winner of an off-the-turf version of the Tepin S. last year, the bay was third in both the GII Fair Grounds Oaks Mar. 21 and the Gardenia S. at Oaklawn May 1. Third in again in what is traditionally the local prep for this event, the GIII Wonder Again S. June 20, she completed the trifecta in the GI CCA Oaks July 18. Antoinette returned to the winner’s circle last time with a front-running victory in the Saratoga Oaks Aug. 16.

A pair of European invaders will take their shot at the likely favorite in Magic Attitude (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Neige Blanche (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}). Victorious in the G3 Prix Vanteaux in May, she was privately purchased by Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s Lael Stables and was second in her first start for them in the G1 Prix Saint Alary June 14. Magic Attitude was fifth in her final European start in the G1 Prix de Diane July 5 for trainer Fabrice Chappet and was transferred to Arnaud Delacour. She receives Lasix in this first start for her new barn.

Winning two of her three starts as a juvenile in France last year, Neige Blanche was fourth in her sophomore bow Feb. 22 and was third in the Prix Caravelle May 11. She captured the G3 Prix Cleopatre June 6, after which she was privately purchased by these connections and sent stateside to Leonard Powell.

Rounding out the field are Setting the Mood (Lea), most recently a head second going 1 3/8 miles at Saratoga Aug. 26; and Key Biscayne (Brethren), who was third in the Saratoga Oaks.

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