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Baffert May Ship Gamine East Again To Prep For Kentucky Oaks

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert was pleasantly surprised to see Gamine bounce out of her sensational 18 3/4-length domination of the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes on June 20 as quickly as she did.

Baffert, a five-time winner of the one-turn mile event at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., said the Grade 1, $1.25-million Kentucky Oaks on September 4 at Churchill Downs is the long-term goal for the Into Mischief bay, but that he would like to race once more before the prestigious event with a trip to Saratoga a possibility for his filly. The nine-furlong, Grade 1, $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks is slated for July 18 at Saratoga.

Owned by Michael Lund Petersen, Gamine arrived at the Acorn off a win on debut at Santa Anita and a two-turn victory against winners at Oaklawn Park.

“For as fast as she ran, she looks really good,” Baffert said. “It really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be on her. After the Oaklawn race she came back and was a little light on me, but this time she came back looking really well. So we're excited about her. I haven't really thought of a next race for her. I'd like to find one race before the Kentucky Oaks, I just don't know yet. I may have to come back to Saratoga.”

Gamine earned 50 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Oaks following an Acorn win and is currently No. 12 on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard.

Bred in Kentucky by Grace Thoroughbred Holdings, Gamine was purchased for $1.8 million from the Fasig-Tipton Mid Atlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale last May. She is out of the stakes-placed Kafwain broodmare Peggy Jane.

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Tonalist’s Shape Adds Blinkers, Zips :45.35 Half-Mile In Prep For Ashland

Slam Dunk Racing, Doug Branham and Legacy Racing Inc.'s Tonalist's Shape breezed a half-mile in 45.35 seconds Sunday at Gulfstream Park in South Florida in preparation for a likely start in the July 11 Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Kentucky Oaks (G1) hopeful followed up a pair of 'bullet' workouts with a 'breathtaking' four-furlong breeze that ranked second fastest of 58 recorded at the distance Sunday. Tonalist's Shape, who was ridden by assistant trainer Sabine Langvard, wore blinkers for the first time for Sunday's workout.

“She's never been a fast work horse but she's really coming into herself,” Joseph said. “Today was the first time we put blinkers on her because one of the owners said he'd like to try blinkers. She wore blinkers today and I thought today she had a breathtaking work.”

The 3-year-old daughter of Tonalist will likely race with blinkers while prepping for the Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in her next start.

“Most likely she'll run in the Ashland. We're going to nominate her for the [July 18] Coaching Club at Saratoga, but it looks she's going to the Ashland,” Joseph said.

Tonalist's Shape is coming off a sharp 3 3/4-length victory in the May 15 Hollywood Wildcat, her first win around two turns, rebounding from sustaining her first career loss in the March 28 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2). The Kentucky-bred filly had won her first five starts, including victories in the Forward Gal (G3) and the Davona Dale (G2) during the 2019-2020 Championship Meet at Gulfstream.

“The horse that finished third came back – I know she was well beaten – and ran second in the Grade 1 Acorn. [Fourth-place finisher] Up in Smoke came back to win a stake,” Joseph said. “The form for her last race held up well.”

Tonalist's Shape currently ranks seventh in qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks.

The Joseph-trained Ny Traffic, who ranks eighth in qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby (G1 at Churchill, is scheduled to breeze at Gulfstream Monday after missing a work last week.

“Last week for a day or two he wasn't quite acting right, like he was fighting off some kind of bug,” Joseph said. “He seems like he's over it and he's galloped the last few days. He's going to work tomorrow.”

Ny Traffic finished a length behind Maxfield while second in the May 23 Matt Wynn (G3) at Churchill Downs last time out. The 3-year-old son of Cross Traffic previously finished second, 1 ½ lengths behind Welles Bayou. in the Louisiana Derby (G2), and third in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds. In his first start for Joseph, the New York-bred colt scored a front-running 6 ¾-length romp in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Jan. 11.

The July 11 Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland had been the target for Ny Traffic's next start.

“Ideally, we were thinking the Blue Grass, but the little delay in schedule makes the Blue Grass unlikely,” Joseph said. “So, he'll probably go in the Haskell or the Peter Pan.”

The Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park is scheduled for July 18, while the Peter Pan (G3) is slated for July 16 at Saratoga.

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Harvey’s Lil Goil Ekes Out Regret Win Over Crystal Cliffs

Harvey's Lil Goil was able to hold off the late surge of Crystal Cliffs (FR) to win Saturday's 51^strunning of the $100,000 Regret (Grade III) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and ridden by Martin Garcia, Harvey's Lil Goil covered the 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:47.70.

In the early stages of the race, 17-1 longshot Eve of War took command of the field of 13 three-year-old fillies through opening fractions of :23.26 and :47.48. Harvey's Lil Goil tracked just off the pace of Eve of War on the outside of In Good Spirits. Harvey's Lil Goil took control of the lead at the head of the stretch following three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.80 but had to fend off the late charge of 6-5 favorite Crystal Cliffs.

Just outside of the sixteenth-pole, Crystal Cliffs, under John Velazquez, dove to the inside rail past the tiring Eve of War but just missed getting to Harvey's Lil Goil by a head at the wire.

“I thought we were in a little bit of trouble when Johnny dove to the rail,” Mott's assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy said. “However, when she got to her late in the stretch, she was able to fight back.”

Harvey's Lil Goil rewarded her backers with payouts of $24.20, $7.60 and $5.40. Crystal Cliffs returned $3.20 and $3 and In Good Spirits paid $6.20.

With her victory in the Regret, Harvey's Lil Goil boosted her career earnings to $154,529. The homebred-daughter of American Pharoah sports an overall record of 5-3-0-0. She races for the estate of her breeder, Harvey Clarke, and Paul Braverman.

Pass the Plate, Dominga, Stunning Sky, Hendy Woods, Micheline, Eve of War, Wexx, Edgee Angel, Witez and His Glory completed the order of finish.

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Favored Firenze Fire Returns To Winning Ways In True North

Mr. Amore Stables' Firenze Fire backed up his favoritism with a three-wide move at the top of the stretch to secure a fourth triumph over the Belmont Park main track in Elmont, N.Y., in Saturday's 42nd running of the Grade 2, $150,000 True North.

The 5-year-old Florida-bred son of Poseidon's Warrior made his second start for trainer Kelly Breen in the 6 ½-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and upward, following a distant fourth to Vekoma in the Grade 1 Runhappy Carter held June 6 at Belmont on a sloppy main track.

“For sure, he needed that last race,” Breen said. “I think the track had something to do with it last time out. He ran fast. He's run fast races before. He's a nice horse. When things click like that, it doesn't get much better than that.”

Piloted by Irad Ortiz Jr., Firenze Fire broke sharply from his outside post and tracked in fourth while Yorkton took charge recording an opening quarter-mile in 22.84 seconds with Stan the Man in second and Diamond King along the rail in third.

Ortiz gave Firenze Fire his cue at the top of the stretch with Stan the Man taking command and tipped his charge four wide in pursuit. At the eighth-pole, Firenze Fire found himself in front as he drew off to a 1 ½-length victory in a time of 1:09.39. Stan the Man finished second, 3 ½ lengths ahead of Yorkton.

Rounding out the order of finish were Wicked Trick, Diamond King and Midnightcharly.

In addition to a fourth victory over Big Sandy, the True North was a sixth graded stakes triumph for Firenze Fire, whose victories at such caliber also include the Grade 1 Champagne in 2017 and the Grade 3 Dwyer in 2018, both at Belmont Park.

A winner at seven different tracks, the well-travelled Firenze Fire last found the winner's circle two starts back in the Grade 3 General George on February 15 at Laurel Park when trained by Jason Servis.

Everything went according to plan according to Ortiz.

“He did everything right. We broke and got into a good position and I was just waiting,” said Ortiz, who scored his fourth victory on Saturday's program aboard Firenze Fire. “Turning for home, I asked him and he responded really well. We were close to the pace, but I just held him together. I didn't want to be fighting, so I just tried to let him relax and he really responded when I asked.”

Breen said that the long term goal for Firenze Fire is the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships on November 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course.

“Hopefully, we can move onward to Saratoga and find a nice spot for him there. The goal is to get him to the Breeders' Cup,” Breen said.

Returning $4.20 for a $2 win bet, Firenze Fire inched his way closer to the $2 million-earning mark banking $82,500 in victory while pushing his lifetime earnings to $1,939,250. His record now stands at 26-11-3-2.

Jockey Joel Rosario, aboard runner-up Stan the Man, offered no excuses.

“The winner ran big. I can't complain with the result,” Rosario said. “We had a good trip. We were in good position and he was carrying me nicely. Turning for home, I thought we were going to win but we were just second-best today.”

A homebred, Firenze Fire is out of the Langfuhr broodmare My Every Wish.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race card headlined by the $100,000 Bouwerie, a seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred sophomore fillies in Race 8 at 5:04 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:15 p.m.

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