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Violence’s Newgrange Stays Perfect in Southwest

Just minutes after his high-profile ownership conglomerate suffered a relative disappointment when running second, third and fourth with 60% of the field in the GII San Vicente S. at Santa Anita, unbeaten Newgrange (Violence) found his best stride late to justify 3-2 favoritism in Oaklawn's $750,000 GIII Southwest S.

Entering off a debut sprint win Nov. 28 and front-running GIII Sham S. tally at Santa Anita Jan. 1, the handsome dark bay broke well and took the first turn perched three deep. He dropped back a bit while still kept out into the track as the field spread out down the backside, and seemed to be spinning his wheels on the second bend as other rivals moved up inside of him. Hall of Famer John Velazquez was hard at work getting his mount going into a six-furlong split of 1:12.42, and pacesetting longshot Kavod (Lea) looked like he might forget to stop at the top of the lane. The cavalry charge kept plugging away, however, and Newgrange finally leveled off in the final sixteenth to emerge, displaying a powerful stride that none could match and crossing the line 1 1/2 lengths to the good. Barber Road (Race Day) closed well down the center to complete his third-straight stakes exacta, having previously finished second in the Smarty Jones S. here on New Year's Day. Smarty Jones winner Dash Attack (Munnings) was a disappointing and even fifth as the second choice.

“We saw he had a different dimension today, the way the race set up,” said trainer Bob Baffert, who tied Bob Holthus's record five wins in this event and has typically been particularly dangerous in Oaklawn's Triple Crown preps. “Pretty proud of the way he ran. Johnny said he was struggling with the track a little bit earlier and I could tell that. Usually, he's on the lead. But all the way down the backside he was in a good spot. You never know, but he showed some real grit down the stretch to win that race. Love going to Oaklawn Park and winning those big races. It was pretty exciting to watch, the stretch. He'll come back to California and we'll figure out our next move.”

Newgrange did not earn any GI Kentucky Derby qualifying points Saturday due to Churchill Downs's policy of not awarding any points to a horse conditioned by a trainer currently banned from racing at the Louisville oval.

Saturday, Oaklawn Park
SOUTHWEST S.-GIII, $750,000, Oaklawn, 1-29, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:45.83, ft.
1–NEWGRANGE, 122, c, 3, by Violence
1st Dam: Bella Chianti, by Empire Maker
2nd Dam: Bella Chiarra, by Phone Trick
3rd Dam: Bannockburn, by Count Brook
($125,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable, Siena Farm LLC; B-Jack Mandato & Black Rock Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-John R Velazquez. $450,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $552,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Barber Road, 117, c, 3, Race Day–Encounter, by Southern Image. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($15,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV). O-WSS Racing LLC; B-Susan Forrester & Judy Curry (KY); T-John Alexander Ortiz. $150,000.
3–Ben Diesel, 117, c, 3, Will Take Charge–Girls Secret, by Giant's Causeway. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Willis Horton Racing LLC (KY); T-Dallas Stewart. $75,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1 1/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 1.50, 11.80, 5.00.
Also Ran: Kavod, Dash Attack, Classic Moment, Call Me Jamal, Osbourne, Costa Terra, Vivar, Ignitis, Don'tcrossthedevil. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
The second-least-expensive of 28 colts purchased for a combined $11,250,000 ($401,786 average) by the Avengers at the 2020 Keeneland September sale, Newgrange is one of Violence's 13 graded stakes winners. The Avengers have also shown an affinity for, and had significant success with, sire Empire Maker. The excellent broodmare sire influence is responsible for the dams of 30 graded winners, including 2021 GISWs Silver State (Hard Spun), Mandaloun (Into Mischief) and Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}). The winner's unraced dam is a daughter of Grade II winner Bella Chiarra (Phone Trick). She produced another Violence colt last April before being bred to War of Will.

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Baffert-Trained Newgrange Grinds Out The Victory In Southwest Stakes

Sent to post as the even-money favorite in the field of 12 sophomore colts, it was the Bob Baffert-trained Newgrange who finished on top in Saturday's Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. The son of Violence took a wide trip under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, but had enough left in the tank to defeat his nearest rival Barber Road (11-1) by about 1 1/2 lengths. Newgrange completed 1 1/16 miles over the fast main track in 1:45.83, but did not earn points toward the Kentucky Derby for his victory due to the ban imposed on Baffert by Churchill Downs.

Newgrange is owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable, and Siena Farm LLC.

Bred in Kentucky by Jack Mandato and Black Rock Thoroughbreds, Newgrange is out of the unraced Empire Maker mare Bella Chianti. He was a $125,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling sale, won on debut and captured the G3 Sham before shipping to Hot Springs. Undefeated in three career starts, the colt's earnings now stand at over $550,000.

The post Baffert-Trained Newgrange Grinds Out The Victory In Southwest Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Arrogate’s Secret Oath Dominates Martha Washington

Secret Oath stamped herself as a major player on the GI Kentucky Oaks trail with her second straight eye-catching victory at Oaklawn Park.

Breaking her maiden Oct. 31 by over five lengths beneath the Twin Spires in her second career start, Secret Oath came up empty finishing a well-beaten fifth in the GII Golden Rod S. next out Nov. 27. After dominating her allowance rivals with a visually impressive score with first-time Lasix last out Dec. 31 at Oaklawn Park, she returned just as brilliantly here.

Coming off Lasix for this race, and sent off an overwhelming 1-2 favorite, she broke in line with the field before being forced into the first turn widest of all when rivals to her inside ended up in no rush to push for Optionality's lead. Tracking the uncontested leader from fourth up the backstretch through easy fractions, Secret Oath was keen to get rolling before the bunched field hit the midway point on the final turn. Without being asked, the flashy chestnut cruised by her rivals coming to the top of the lane and was three in front by the final sixteenth. Optionality could only watch from second as the D. Wayne Lukas trainee disappeared from her competition, winning by an easy 7 1/4 lengths and earning 10 Kentucky Oaks points. Secret Oath is the first stakes winner for her Hall of Fame trainer since Warrior's Club (Warrior's Reward) won the GIII Commonwealth S. in April 2018.

“I had a great trip,” jockey Luis Contreras said. “She's a really good filly. I just tried to keep her covered as much as I could. She was fighting with me. She wanted to go every single step of the race… When I put her outside, she just exploded.”

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas added, “It was a replay [of her last race] and that's what we were looking for. That consistency is now coming and we're getting that maturity, as far as a professional racehorse. She's been very manageable, but she was a little immature before. But I think it's coming together now and we've just got to keep her happy and fat and we'll go down the road.”

Secret Oath becomes the second stakes winner for the late Arrogate. Out of Oaklawn specialist and two-time Bayakoa S. victress Absinthe Minded, Secret Oath joins her dam as a stakes winner in Hot Springs. The mare also finished third and second, respectively starting in 2011, in successive years in the track's marquee race for the ladies, the GI Apple Blossom H. The third filly to find a winner's circle for the broodmare, and the first stakes horse, Secret Oath also has an unnamed 2-year-old half-sister by Medaglia d'Oro. The mare is expecting a foal by Liam's Map this season.

MARTHA WASHINGTON S., $200,000, Oaklawn, 1-29, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:46.21, ft.
1–SECRET OATH, 122, f, 3, by Arrogate
1st Dam: Absinthe Minded (MSW & MGISP, $607,747), by Quiet American
2nd Dam: Rockford Peach, by Great Above
3rd Dam: Strawberry Skyline, by Hatchet Man
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Briland Farm; B-Briland Farm, Robert
& Stacy Mitchell (KY); T-D. Wayne Lukas; J-Luis Contreras.
$120,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-1, $285,167.
2–Optionality, 122, f, 3, Gun Runner–Simplify, by Pulpit.
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC; T-Steven M. Asmussen.
$40,000.
3–Como Square, 122, f, 3, Into Mischief–Pangburn, by
Congrats. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Shortleaf Stable, Inc.; T-Brad Cox. $20,000.
Margins: 7 1/4, 4 3/4, 2. Odds: 0.50, 3.50, 6.00.
Also Ran: Hypersport, Princess Pauline, Cupid's Music.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Oaks Prep: Arrogate Daughter Secret Oath Very Impressive In Martha Washington Victory

Briland Farm's Secret Oath won like a 1-2 favorite should when she drew off to win Saturday's $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes in dominating fashion and in the process earned 10 points towards eligibility in the May 6 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Secret Oath settled into fourth as Optionality set easy fractions of :24 and :48 2/5 for the first half mile. The winner dragged her jockey Luis Contreras to the lead rounding the turn for home and from there the race was for second-place only as Secret Oath drew off to win by 7 ¼ lengths in 1:46 1/5 for 1 1/16 miles over a fast track.

Optionality held on for second, 4 ¾ lengths in front of Como Square. They earned four and two points, respectively towards Kentucky Oaks eligibility, while Hypersport earned one point for finishing fourth. The Kentucky Oaks is limited to 14 starters.

“I had a great trip,” Contreras said. “I had so much horse the whole way around. Once I got her on the outside of the horses, she gave me everything she had.”

Secret Oath, an Arrogate filly out of three-time Oaklawn stakes winner Absinthe Minded, won for the third time in five starts and had now earned $285,167. The heavy favorite paid $3, $2.20 and $2.10.

The remaining races in Oaklawn's Kentucky Oaks series are the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) (85 points) on Saturday, Feb. 26 and $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) (170 points) on Saturday, April 2.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a 12:30 p.m. first post.

Stakes quotes:

In the absence of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Secret Oath was saddled by his longtime assistant, Sebastian “Bas” Nicholl.

Winning jockey Luis Contreras: “She's a really good filly. I had a really clean trip. I had a good break and the fractions really weren't strong in front. I just tried to keep her covered as much as I could. She was fighting with me. She wanted to go every single step of the race. I just tried to keep her covered behind another horse. When I put her outside, she just exploded.”

Winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas: “It was a replay (of her last race) and that's what we were looking for. That consistency is now coming and we're getting that maturity, as far as a professional racehorse. She's been very manageable, but she was a little immature before. But I think it's coming together now and we've just got to keep her happy and fat and we'll go down the road. What was I thinking down the stretch? 'Oh boy, oh boy. Here she comes.' I said, 'Let her roll.' When she made that big move, the fractions were so slow early on, I thought that Steve's (Asmussen) filly (Optionality) might just hang in there because they were slow. I was a little bit concerned, but not when she pulled up to their hips, back to the flanks. I said, 'When he (Luis Contreras) let's her go, she's going to roll.' “

Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., second on Optionality: “I saw that horse at the three-eighths (Secret Oath) and when I saw him (jockey Luis Contreras) pass me that easy, there was no way I was going to beat him. My horse ran well. Just second best.”

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