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Neige Blanche Rallies For Astra Stakes Win As Trainer Powell Mourns Loss Of His Father

Bottled up at the rail as the 1-5 favorite, French-bred Neige Blanche and jockey Juan Hernandez had but one option – wait out the storm. And wait they did, as the 5-year-old mare was able to finally split horses two from the rail turning for home and then overcome a 2 ½-length deficit a furlong out to run down Flavien Prat and Disappearing Act by one length in Monday's Grade 3, $125,000 Astra Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Trained by French native Leonard Powell, Neige Blanche (White Snow) got a marathon mile and one half on firm turf in 2:32.27.

With the Astra start transferred earlier in the day because of rain from the hillside course to a flat start on the backstretch, Frose bounded out to an early lead with Disappearing Act and Neige Blanche in close attendance. With nowhere to go with five sixteenths of a mile remaining, Neige Blanche had to bide her time while the back markers, Reiwa and Scherzo actually passed her approaching the quarter pole.

“The trip worked out pretty good for her because she likes to run like that,” said Hernandez, who has now ridden Neige Blanche in her last seven races, winning four of them. “Just put her behind horses and she was happy the whole race. I was just waiting for some space to come through and make her run, because as soon as she finds (room), you just put her in there and she just comes right through like she did today.

“I put a lot of trust in her and in Leonard to have her ready. I felt like I had a lot of horse. We were just waiting for something to open up. She's a nice filly, she was ready today.”

A winner of the G3 Red Carpet Handicap going 1 3/8 miles on turf at Del Mar Nov. 25, Neige Blanche, heavily favored in a field of five older mares, paid $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10.

Owned by Madaket Stables, LLC, Laura De Seroux, Marsha Naify and Mathilde Powell, Neige Blanche registered her third graded stakes win and fourth overall added money win, running her overall mark to 16-7-0-3. With the winner's share of $75,000, she increased her earnings to $390,280.

“I was cursing my country and (fellow Frenchman) Flavien a little bit to open the hole, but she was there when Juan asked her and she's a very game filly, she's all-out,” said Powell, who suffered the recent loss of his father, a prominent bloodstock agent in France. “In the first of the spring, we have races here (at Santa Anita) that are spaced apart four or five weeks, so we will do that and if she does well, maybe we will try to look at a Grade 1 somewhere down the road.

When asked by TVG's Joaquin Jaime about the death of his father, Powell responded, “My father has done a lot for racing in France, and me being here is part of him. And my daughter (Mathilde) being here, that's another part of him. My brothers and stepbrother back in France, we all live on with all that he told us. He was a great man to all and I hope we make him proud.”

The second choice with Prat at 3-1, Disappearing Act nearly pulled off the upset, finishing six lengths clear of English-bred Scherzo and paid $2.80 and $2.10.

Last early, Scherzo, who shipped in from Golden Gate Fields for trainer Manny Badilla, was off at 22-1 with Kyle Frey up and paid $3.60 to show while finishing 2 ¼ lengths in front of early pacesetter Frose.

Fractions on the race were 25.99, 51.35, 1:16.99, 1:42.70 and 2:08.06.

Live racing resumes with first post time for an eight-race card on Friday at 12:30 p.m.

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Letter To The Editor: Mandella Cites Veterinarian Blea’s ‘Honor And Exceptional Care For Equine Welfare’

The following letter from Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella is in reference to the investigation of California Horse Racing Board equine medical director Dr. Jeff Blea by the California Veterinary Medical Board and Blea being placed on administrative leave by the CHRB pending a Jan. 21 hearing.

I have known Jeff Blea for over 20 years. He became my main veterinarian, I believe in 2006, when Rick Arthur retired. I have trained racehorses since 1974 and I'm fortunate enough to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

I believe I've had some of the best veterinarians work for me starting with Jack Robbins, Rick Arthur and Joe Cannon. As they retired, Jeff Blea was next in line. I would say that Jeff is one of the best I have ever met. However that would be an afterthought compared to his integrity, honesty and desire to make racing a safer and better place.

Dr. Blea remains an outstanding ambassador to the sport. Jeff is highly educated, well experienced, honorable, and has always conducted himself so his actions align with the best interests of equine athletes. He was President of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and The Southern California Equine Foundation. He has served on numerous boards, committees, aftercare programs and research foundations.

Dr. Blea always discussed and made sure I understood the plan when deciding medication, treatment or procedures with the horse's best interest in mind. This is not like small animal vets that see the patients once or occasionally. The veterinarians are here every day as well as the trainers and assistant trainers and they know the horses very well.

In a 2015 interview on I Am An Equine Veterinarian, Dr Blea said – “There's an inordinate amount of trust between a human being and a horse. I love being around horses, being outside, working with them, and working on them. The racetrack is a unique environment, and the people are what make that community so enjoyable… When I retire and look back on my career, I'd like to say I was ethical. I was honest. I did not tolerate lying. I was a good father. I was a good friend. I was a good human being…”

I would say the man I know lives this statement. He didn't just make it up.

Dr. Blea is thorough, thoughtful, scientific and ethical in his medical approach. His honor and exceptional care for equine welfare should not be in question or carelessly attacked. For a man to overcome his injuries (his left arm and hand were paralyzed from a training accident while he was a jockey in his teens) and to have the career that Jeff Blea has had, he deserves an award of some kind instead of trashing the man's life, not just his career.

– Richard Mandella, Hall of Fame trainer, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, Calif.

If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, please write to info at paulickreport.com and include contact information where you may be reached if editorial staff have any questions.

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Friday Show Presented By PHBA: ‘Jockey’ Takes Film Audience On Compelling Ride

With “Jockey,” Clint Bentley's directorial debut has made a big impression on critics and movie audiences that have had the opportunity to see it prior to its national release later this year.

Actor Clifton Collins Jr. won a Best Actor award at the Sundance Film Festival, where “Jockey” debuted last year. The movie itself is nominated for the John Cassavetes Award from Film Independent Spirit Awards for the best feature made with a budget of less than $500,000. At least one critic is calling the film a “dark horse” for one or more Oscar categories.

What is striking about the movie is its non-glamorous, realistic, un-Hollywood like treatment of a jockey's life at a blue-collar racetrack. In this case, the track is Turf Paradise and you might recognize some of the cast from among the Phoenix oval's riding colony and employees.

Bentley, who co-wrote the film with Greg Kwedar, is the son of jockey and knows the lifestyle that Collins portrayed in compelling fashion. Bentley joins Paulick Report publisher Ray Paulick and bloodstock editor Joe Nevills to discuss the making of “Jockey” and its reception to date.

Watch this week's Friday Show, presented by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, below:

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Zero Tolerance Outlasts Fast-Closing Tapwater In Las Cienegas

Zero Tolerance stalked favored Hear My Prayer to the top of the lane en route to a hard fought head victory over late-closing Tapwater in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Las Cienegas Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., thus providing trainer Ruben Alvarado with his first career stakes win. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Zero Tolerance, a 4-year-old grey daughter of Mizzen Mast, got about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course in 1:13.26.

Drawn on the far outside, Zero Tolerance fell into a perfect trip as speedy Hear My Prayer went to the lead, maintaining a one-length advantage past the half mile pole, but the winner gained the advantage at the dirt crossing at the top of the stretch and was all out to hold off the runner-up.

“Unbelievable, I don't have the words to say,” said Alvarado, a longtime assistant to Peter Miller, who has taken a hiatus from training, handing over his stable to Alvarado. “I remember I had this moment when Roy H won the Breeders' Cup (Sprint, in 2017 and 2018). That was a moment I would never forget…

“That's her (Zero Tolerance), I knew she could run. She's a horse that can come off the pace or be on the lead. … She loves six and a half, so I knew she was going to run huge for me. She was a little fresh, so that was what we expected from her.”

A winner of a five-furlong turf allowance at Del Mar on Nov. 20, Zero Tolerance was off as the second choice at 2-1 in a field of seven older fillies and mares and paid $6.00, $3.80 and $2.60.

Owned by Custom Truck Accessories, Jason Hall, Joe Kelly and Michael Riordan, Zero Tolerance, who is out of the El Prado mare Torreadora was a winner of Santa Anita's ungraded Unzip Me Stakes two starts back on Oct. 3 and she is now a two-time stakes winner with four wins from six overall starts. With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $215,000.

“She was traveling super relaxed and it does help to have a target, I think it helped her to relax,” said Prat, who although he didn't ride her in her most recent start, has now won three of his four engagements with her. “She can be a little on her toes sometimes, but she was relaxing well today and when it was time to make a move, she responded well.”

Ridden by Joe Bravo, Tapwater was unhurried from her rail post position, running next to last after the first quarter mile. In her first try down the hillside, the 6-year-old mare, who was shortening up out of a series of two turn races, rallied impressively while trying to drift in and just missed. Off at 10-1 Tapwater paid $10.00 and $5.00 while finishing 1 ½ lengths better than a tiring Hear My Prayer.

The 8-5 favorite with Juan Hernandez, Hear My Prayer paid $2.40 to show.

With the win, Prat notched his third on the day and he went to get his fourth victory of the afternoon in the next race, making 21 for the meet, four better than runner-up John Velazquez. The Las Cienegas also marked Prat's meet-leading sixth stakes win as well.

Fractions on the race were 21.99, 44.16 and 1:06.92.

Racing resumes with a special four-day holiday week on Friday, with first post time for an eight-race card at 12:30 p.m.

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