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McPeek Stacked With Fillies For 2021

The Ken McPeek shedrow is flush with fillies, two of which–Tabor Hall (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Trapeze S. winner Oliviaofthedesert (Bernardini)–are set to represent the stable in this weekend's GIII Honeybee S. at Oaklawn Park.

“They're both two-turn fillies,” McPeek told the Oaklawn notes team. “I think it's ideal timing for both of them to see where they fit in the scheme of the Oaks and the 3-year-old filly division. Olivia won a nice little race out at Remington and Tabor Hall's shown quality. They're both doing well and the timing was good.”

The best may be yet to come, however, as McPeek is also readying last year's GIII Remington Park Oaks and GII Falls City S. victress Envoutante (Uncle Mo) for an appearance in the GII Azeri S. in Hot Springs Mar. 13. That race is the final local prep for the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 17, an event that could also attract the McPeek barn's heaviest hitter, GI Preakness S. and GI Alabama S. heroine Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), who is likely to make her 4-year-old debut in the GI Beholder Mile S. at Santa Anita Mar. 13.

“Her last race was a beast race,” McPeek said Wednesday afternoon, referring to Envoutante's six-length romp in the Falls City. “She and Swiss have been getting ready down here [in Florida] and I've been trying to keep them separated. I made a decision and it looks like Swiss is going to California. It's a high-level problem. I'm pretty heavy on fillies this year, for some odd, unusual reason.”

Swiss Skydiver ended her sophomore season on a down note, finishing well behind Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 7. When asked if she might be a candidate for the Apple Blossom, McPeek said: “Yeah, it's possible. I think the timing is pretty good for both of them to run back there.”

Though McPeek has never won the Apple Blossom, the outstanding Take Charge Lady (Dehere) was just run down in the waning strides of the 2003 renewal by reigning Horse of the Year Azeri (Jade Hunter).

The post McPeek Stacked With Fillies For 2021 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Sun Path To Ship North, Chase Oaks Points In Oaklawn’s Honeybee

Juddmonte Farms' two-time winner Sun Path was installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies signed on to compete in Saturday's $300,000 Honeybee (Grade 3) at Oaklawn.

The Honeybee is the featured race on Oaklawn's 10-race program. The 1 1/16-mile event is carded as Race 9 with a post time of 6:10 p.m. The Top 4 finishers will be awarded points on a 50-20-10-5 scale for the April 30, $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks.

Trained by two-time Kentucky Oaks-winning conditioner Brad Cox, Sun Path was an emphatic 12-length winner of a Dec. 18 allowance event at Fair Grounds. The Munnings filly attempted stakes company in the $150,000 Silverbulletday but settled for a fourth-place finish after a wide trip throughout the race. Joe Talamo has the call from post No. 4.

Sun Path is the half-sister Bonny South, winner of the G2 Fair Grounds Oaks and second in the G1 Alabama last year.

Another filly likely to garner attention at the betting windows is Willis Horton's $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes winner Will's Secret. Trained by Dallas Stewart and ridden by Jon Court, Will's Secret bested five rivals in the Jan. 30 Martha Washington by 5 ¼ lengths at odds of 8-1. The homebred daughter of Willis' prized stallion Will Take Charge, Will's Secret drew post 2 for Saturday's Honeybee.

The complete field from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Tabor Hall (David Cohen, Kenny McPeek, 10-1); Will's Secret (Court, Stewart, 7-2); Willful Woman (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen, 6-1); Sun Path (Talamo, Cox, 5-2); Pauline's Pearl (Francisco Arietta, Asmussen, 8-1); Absolute Anna (Ramon Vazquez, Jerry Hollendorfer, 15-1); Oliviaofthedesert (David Cabrera, McPeek, 7-2); Coach (Florent Geroux, Cox, 4-1).

The post Sun Path To Ship North, Chase Oaks Points In Oaklawn’s Honeybee appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Luis Saez Rides Essential Quality, Mystic Guide To Jockey Of The Week Title

Luis Saez usually rides at Gulfstream Park, but he traveled to Oaklawn Park last week as the track reopened after adverse weather conditions led to a two-week shutdown. Saez won both of the rescheduled graded stakes races, earning the Jockey of the Week award for the week of Feb. 22 through Feb. 28. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Riding Mystic Guide for the first time for trainer Michael Stidham in the Gr. 3 Razorback Handicap, Saez was unhurried early in the field of seven for the first half mile. Saez moved Mystic Guide closer to the front down the backstretch and was a head in front at the top of the stretch drawing clear to win by six lengths in 1:45.48 for 1 1/16 miles over a track rated as sloppy.

“Everything was perfect, that was the trip we wanted,” said Saez. “We had the perfect spot from the outside. I just tried to keep the horse clean and he was comfortable all the way. He got to the top of the stretch and took off. It was a great race.”

Eclipse-award winning trainer Brad Cox engaged regular rider Luis Saez, on 4-5 favorite Essential Quality in the Gr. 3 Southwest Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. Breaking from the rail, Saez settled the reigning Champion 2-year-old behind Jackie's Warrior who set the pace for the first half mile in the field of seven. Saez patiently moved Essential Quality to the outside and made his move turning for home and drew well clear to win by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:44.33 over the sloppy track.

“I'm so excited,” Saez said. “I'm very happy to riding this horse. We were waiting a long time. What a talented horse. We knew the speed was to our outside. The plan was to follow him (Jackie's Warrior) the whole way. Everything came together. He finished very strong and I still had a lot of horse.”

Saez currently sits in second place in the jockey standings at Gulfstream Park. His weekly stats included seven wins from 22 starts for a win percentage of 31.82 percent and an in-the-money percentage of 59 percent with total purses earned $954,917 to lead all jockeys for the week.

Saez out-polled fellow riders Junior Alvarado with two stakes wins, James Graham who tied for second leading rider by wins with eight, Trevor McCarthy with seven wins and Jose Ortiz who won two graded stakes including the Fountain of Youth.

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Different Silks, Same Result: Dual Champion Monomoy Girl Takes Bayakoa in 6-Year-Old Debut

Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), who was last seen on the racetrack capping her second championship campaign with a win in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, returned to the races with an easy two-length victory in the GIII Bayakoa S. at Oaklawn Park Sunday. The 6-year-old mare, who has now won 14 races from 16 starts–10 in graded company–sold for $9.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton November sale just a day after her second Distaff triumph last November and was making her first start for new owners Spendthrift Farm, My Racehorse.com Stable and Madaket Stables.

“It's kind of a relief to get it over with,” admitted Brad Cox, who continues to train the mare for her new connections. “She ran big. It means a lot. I'm very proud of what she accomplished today. Very, very pleased with what she was able to accomplish and bringing her to Hot Springs means a lot. It's a great racing town. The Saratoga of the South, I guess you could call it. There were a lot of fans here and I think they appreciate our team bringing her here.”

Sent off at 1-5 and breaking from the outside in a field of six, Monomoy Girl was floated to the middle of the track heading into the first turn as the jockeys steered clear of the rail of the rain-soaked track. She raced keenly while three wide and was always within striking distance of pacesetting Finite (Munnings), who took the field through a quarter in :24.60 and a half in :49.41. Niggled at by jockey Florent Geroux nearing the lane, it took the champ a few strides to get going over the sloppy surface, but once she kicked into gear, Monomoy Girl produced a powerful surge to take the lead with a furlong to run and sailed clear of the competition in a matter of strides before gliding under the wire unchallenged.

“It was a great trip,” Geroux said. “It set up great from the start with the outside post and short field. I let the horse in front of me do the dirty work and I just tucked in behind, on the outside, which was the smart thing today with the track condition. When I asked her turning for home, she gave me what she has all the time. She always delivers, so it's easy to appreciate a champion. I'm the luckiest jockey in the world right now.”

Named champion 3-year-old filly following a once-beaten season that culminated in a GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff conquest, the chestnut famously lost her entire 2019 season due to a variety of setbacks and returned no worse for the wear with a four-for-four 2020 campaign that again finished with a Distaff victory and an Eclipse statuette, this time for champion older female.

PEDIGREE NOTES:

Drumette, with the future champion in utero, sold for $75,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November sale. In foal to Mastery, she sold to Bridlewood Farm for $1.85 million at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Superman Shaq, her colt by Shackleford, sold for $550,000 at last year's OBS June sale and was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following a maiden win at Del Mar last September. The mare has also been represented by 'TDN Rising Star' Mr. Monomoy (Palace Malice), who captured the 2020 GII Risen Star S.

Drumette produced a filly by Mastery in 2019 and a colt by Tapit last year.

Monomoy Girl's sire Tapizar (Tapit–Winning Call, by Deputy Minister), who was set to be shipped to Japan to stand stud at Yushun Stallion Station for the 2021 season, was euthanized after an accident in his stall last December.

Sunday, Oaklawn Park
BAYAKOA S.-GIII, $250,000, Oaklawn, 2-28, 4yo/up, f/m,
1 1/16m, 1:45.92, sy.
1–MONOMOY GIRL, 119, m, 6, by Tapizar
1st Dam: Drumette, by Henny Hughes
2nd Dam: Endless Parade, by Williamstown
3rd Dam: Mnemosyne, by Saratoga Six
($100,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP; $9,500,000 5yo '20 FTKNOV). O-My
Racehorse Stable, Spendthrift Farm LLC & Madaket Stables
LLC; B-FPF LLC & Highfield Ranch (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent
Geroux. $150,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 3yo Filly, Ch. Older
Female & MGISW, 16-14-2-0, $4,576,818. *1/2 to Mr.
Monomoy (Palace Malice), GSW, $327,162.
2–Our Super Freak, 117, m, 5, Mineshaft–Thatcher, by Giant's
Causeway. ($5,000 Ylg '17 FTKOCT; $17,000 2yo '18 EASMAY;
$210,000 3yo '19 KEENOV). O-LBD Stable LLC & David Ingordo;
B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux.
$50,000.
3–Finite, 119, f, 4, Munnings–Remit, by Tapit. ($200,000 2yo
'19 EASMAY). O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, Thomas J.
Reiman, William Dickson & Deborah A. Easter; B-Winchell
Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $25,000.
Margins: 2, 1 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 0.20, 15.80, 3.60.
Also Ran: Chance to Shine, Istan Council, Another Broad. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Different Silks, Same Result: Dual Champion Monomoy Girl Takes Bayakoa in 6-Year-Old Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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