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Tagg’s Belmont Maiden Winner Hombre May Be On Course For Queen’s Plate

Robert Cudney's Hombre earned an 83 Beyer Speed Figure for an impressive 3 3/4-length maiden win Sunday over yielding turf in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Barclay Tagg, the 3-year-old Tourist colt was bred in Ontario by Joey Gee Thoroughbreds. Out of the Perfect Soul mare Classic Soul, Hombre is a half-brother to the graded stakes-placed Speedy Soul.

With Dylan Davis up in Sunday's second-out maiden score, Hombre rallied three-wide through the turn and made his winning bid at the five-sixteenths marker before drawing clear.

“When they got to the pole and he started to move, I thought don't move too soon now, but he was just so smooth,” said Tagg. “He wasn't chasing after him, he just went right around the other horses. It's a pleasure to watch that.”

Hombre ran fifth on debut in April at Belmont after experiencing some trouble at the break.

“We thought he'd run well yesterday, but you never know. He'd only had one race,” said Tagg. “It was pretty smooth. He was running the whole way and when the jockey asked him for more, he went on with it.”

Tagg said the connections would like to point Hombre to the 10-furlong Queen's Plate, first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown slated for August 22 on the Tapeta at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Hombre, who breezed over the Woodbine Tapeta last year when in the care of trainer Liz Elder, was sent to Tagg over the winter to prepare for a sophomore campaign.

Tagg said Hombre should be able to handle the surface change and stretch out in distance for the Queen's Plate.

“We can send him up there a couple days ahead of time and let him gallop on it,” said Tagg regarding the Tapeta. “I don't think he'd have any distance issues, but you don't know until you try. He's a nice-looking horse. He's well balanced, strong up front and strong behind.”

Tagg said Hombre came out of the race well and could make one start at the end of July at Saratoga before heading to Woodbine.

Hayward R. Pressman, Diamond M Stable, and Donna R. Pressman's Step Dancer breezed on the Belmont inner turf Monday.

Tagg said the War Dancer sophomore, who rallied to finish second last out in the NYSSS Spectacular Bid on June 19 at Belmont, will target the NYSSS Cab Calloway, a one-mile turf test for eligible New York-sired sophomores on July 28 at Saratoga.

“That's his first work since he ran. He went a half-mile on the turf and went well,” said Tagg. “We'll probably run him back in the New York stallion race on July 28 at one mile on the inner turf.”

Step Dancer, bred in the Empire State by Sugar Plum Farm and Richard Pressman, finished third in the Grade 2 Pilgrim on October 3 at Belmont ahead of a score in Awad at 1 1/16-miles over yielding turf at the same track.

Tagg, who conditioned famous New York-breds Tiz the Law and Funny Cide, said Step Dancer has the talent to eventually return to graded stakes races.

“I think so,” said Tagg. “We've been pretty lucky with a couple New York-breds, but you never know where they're going to come from. He's not that big, but he's put together well and moves well.”

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She’sonthewarpath Holds Off Dominga To Take Ellis Park Turf

She'sonthewarpath was. And the result was a neck victory over favored Dominga in Sunday's $75,000 Ellis Park Turf at the RUNHAPPY Meet at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky.

Trainer by Steve Margolis for Robert and Lawana Low, She'sonthewarpath closed from mid-pack to win three stakes last year. However, facing a field devoid of natural front-runners in the field of six fillies and mares, jockey Adam Beschizza didn't wait on anyone else to do the dirty work for She'sonthewarpath.

Beschizza sent the 5-year-old mare to the initial lead out of the gate from her outside post, before letting her settle just off of the Brad Cox-trained Dominga, who broke on the rail under Shaun Bridgmohan.

Dominga loped through a crawling early pace, but Beschizza kept She'sonthewarpath within pouncing position and went after the favorite heading into the far turn.

“I told Adam, 'Bridgmohan is on a nice filly for Brad. Just don't let her steal it. Keep her in your sights,'” Margolis said. “You let a horse like that get loose, it's going to be tough to catch her.”

Rounding into the stretch, She'sonthewarpath wrested a narrow lead in a bunched-up field and had a length advantage with an eighth of a mile to go. Dominga wasn't finished and tried to come back on the rail only to fall a couple of feet short.

“We know she's pretty fast,” Beschizza said. “She ran at 5 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs this year, so we know she's got speed. We know she can rate. She's probably one of those that can turn it off and turn it on. You just have to be a little bit more aggressive with her out of the gate. She seemed to get a nice perch going around there. We know she's got the ability and the engine, and that turn of gear.

“We were in prime position, and as soon as I pulled the trigger, she delivered. She's got that turn of gear that can sort of put horses into shock mode as soon as we turn into the stretch. We took Brad Cox's horse in there seriously. We knew she was going to go to the lead. The field size was small and sometimes when they get an easy ride on the front end, it can get a bit tactical. It doesn't usually go to plan like that. But super-pleased for Steve. He's done a great job with her, and she's a real barn favorite.”

It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to the late-running Pass the Plate, followed by Sister Hanan, High Regard, and Nope. Enjoyitwhilewecan and Alnassem were scratched.

“I got to the spot where I needed to be, and she was comfortable,” Bridgmohan said. “She was game, though. She tried to come back on the other horse. She tried hard.”

Said Paul McGee, trainer of Pass the Plate: “They got away with slow early fractions, so it's hard to close into that. She ran a good race.”

She'sonthewarpath, a daughter of Declaration of War, completed the mile over firm turf in 1:44.07, the last sixteenth-mile going in :05.84 seconds as she picked up the pace throughout. The fractions were :25.43, :50.65, 1:15.65, and 1:38.23.

The bay mare now is 7-2-3 in 18 starts, earning $432,820 for the Lows, who are also her breeders.

In her last start, Beschizza backed out of a potential jam early on and She'sonthewarpath closed to be third in a tough field for Churchill Downs' Grade 3 Mint Julep.

“I probably wasn't aggressive enough as I should have been, getting a position,” he said. “She rated on me going into the first turn and got a little bump. It just took her off of her game. She came with a flying run at the end. She's all heart. But we got her day today.”

She'sonthewarpath ran in last year's $100,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf, showing speed that day and finishing second. Margolis said that stakes is a logical objective, with the ultimate goal being the $750,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf at Kentucky Downs.

“The Lows are great,” Margolis said. “They always do right by the horses they give me. She's a hard-knocker who always tries. Just grateful to have her. When you have a mare like her, a horse who always tries, you know they're going to always fire. You just hope everything goes right. She's such a classy mare. You ask her to go, like Adam says, she gives you everything she's got.”

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Mind Control Snaps Losing Streak With Win In Nerud Stakes At Belmont

Mind Control had not seen the inside of a winner's circle since March 2020 when he won the Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York, N.Y. The 5-year-old horse had gotten close in his last eight starts, finishing second to Mischevious Alex in the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct back in April. Sunday, Mind Control dueled with favorite Firenze Fire throughout the seven furlongs of the Grade 2 John A. Nerud Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., never letting Firenze Fire get more than a half-length on him before battling back to win by a head and earn both a trip to the winner's circle and to the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar Nov. 6.

From the break, it was all Firenze Fire and Mind Control, with American Power and Top Speed a length behind them. The two leaders battled through the first quarter in :23.05 and then the half-mile in :46.03, with Three Technique and Top Speed still within a length of the leaders until the stretch.

As they came out of the turn, Firenze Fire and Mind Control pulled away from the rest of the field, two lengths in front of the other four, but Firenze Fire on the rail could not shake Mind Control, who battled back for a head advantage. At the wire, the difference between a third straight victory for Firenze Fire and a long overdue trip to the winner's circle for Mind Control was a head. Three Technique, Top Seed, Wicked Trick, and American Power rounded out the field. The final time for the seven furlongs was 1:21.94.

Find the race's chart here.

Mind Control paid $12.60, $3.40, and $2.80. Firenze Fire paid $2.30 and $2.10. Three Technique paid $3.10 to show.

The Grade 2 John A. Nerud Stakes is a Win and You're In event for the 2021 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar in Del Mar, Calif. on Nov. 6. Winners received a guaranteed spot in the starting gate with all fees paid for the corresponding Breeders' Cup race.

Winning rider John Velazquez knew that Mind Control could get the win today. “I told Todd that if he broke well, I was going to use him to get into a good position. I knew Irad [Ortiz, Jr. aboard Firenze Fire] had to be pushed coming out of there, and if someone else wanted to go crazy then I would sit off of them. I knew there was enough speed, so I used him well enough to put his head in front and then Irad come after me. It was a two-horse race. That's the way it turned out and my horse was better than the other one today.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher knew that the break was key to winning the Nerud. “The first quarter was reasonable. We weren't necessarily intent on getting the lead but we did want to make sure we got away cleanly. You can't let a horse like Firenze Fire get away with an easy lead, so we were happy to see him [Mind Control] break alertly. He ran a great race.”

Mind Control is a 5-year-old horse by Stay Thirsty out of the mare Feel That Fire, by Lightnin N Thunder. He was bred in Kentucky by Red Oak Stable and is owned by Red Oak and Madaket Stables. The G2 Nerud is his eighth victory in 21 starts for career earnings of $1,259,229.

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Classier Noses Out Defunded In Los Alamitos Derby

Even though several of the country's top 3 year olds call the West Coast home, Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, Calif. had a challenging time trying to come up with enough starters for Sunday's Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby. With richer stakes elsewhere luring a number of possible entries away, the track postponed the race 24 hours to allow additional time for entries and came up with a field of five, including Bob Baffert trainees Classier and Defunded, who went two-three last time out in the Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Sunday, the Baffert horses improved on that performance, going one-two in the G3 Los Alamitos Derby.

The race was a straightforward one from the start. Classier took the lead from the break, striding out to a length and a quarter lead over It's My House and Defunded, with Ingest and Back Ring Luck a length and a half back. The field maintained their running positions through the backstretch, with Abel Cedillo on Defunded waiting for the final turn to start bidding for the lead.

After running on easy lead throughout, Mike Smith and Classier had plenty left for his stretch run and challenge from his stablemate. In the straightaway, Defunded closed the gap with Classier but was unable to pass his fellow Baffert trainee, coming within a nose of Classier at the wire. With this victory in the G3 Los Alamitos Derby, Classier earns his first stakes win of his career. Ingest, It's My House, and Back Ring Luck rounded out the field of five.

Find this race's chart here.

The short field meant no show wagering at Los Alamitos. Classier paid $4.60 and $2.20. Defunded paid $2.10.

Mike Smith knew Classier had plenty of potential in only his fourth start. “I waited until the eighth pole to ask him and when he saw (Defunded) he really dug in. This is a big colt with a lot to him and he is going to get even better.''

Baffert, who earned his fifth straight win in this race, was glad that he started Classier in the G3 Derby despite beating fellow trainee Defunded. “I wasn't going to run (Classier) in this race. I talked to the ownership group and told them I was going to work him and if he worked well I'd run him. He worked very well (:47 1/5 half-mile July 1 at Santa Anita), so we decided to go. I really thought and the rider (Abel Cedillo) thought Defunded had him the whole way. It was pretty exciting and I was really hoping for a dead heat because I've always wanted one of those in a stakes so you don't have to make that other call. We thought he'd be on the lead last time, but he stumbled leaving the gate and he really needed the race (the Grade 3 Affirmed June 13). He's going to improve off this. I can take my time with him now and figure out a spot because he is bred to be superstar.''

Classier is a 3-year-old colt owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm, and Robert Masterson. He was sired by Empire Maker out of the Bernardini mare Class Will Tell. Bred in Kentucky by Mary Sullivan, Classier was consigned by Lantern Hill Farm and purchased for $775,000 by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables at the Keeneland September 2019 Yearling Sale. Sunday's win improves Classier to two wins in four lifetime starts for total winnings of $155,000.

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