Oaklawn | Horse Racing Free Tips

C Z Rocket Ends Whitmore’s Hot Springs Streak; Longshot Carlos L. Takes Temperence Hill

C Z Rocket denied 8-5 favorite Whitmore his fifth victory in the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn on Saturday when he got up in the final jump under Florent Geroux to prevail by a neck in a final time of 1:09.04 for six furlongs over a fast track. Flagstaff finished third.

“I didn't think we would be behind Whitmore, but it kind of worked out,” said trainer Peter Miller, who had claimed the City Zip gelding last year for $40,000 at the Hot Springs, Ark., track before he went on to win multiple graded stakes in Southern California.

“Might have been a blessing in disguise to track Whitmore,” Miller added. “He's such a great horse, Whitmore, and so is C Z Rocket. I just can't say enough about both of these horses. My congratulations to the connections of Whitmore on having this horse ready to rock and roll. Going down the stretch, I thought we were going to get there. It was tough. He was a little further back than I'd thought he would be, honestly. I did see pace was hot. Flo (Florent Geroux) knows what he's doing. Horse runs really well for him. Pace was fast, so we were where we were supposed to be and it worked out.”

C Z Rocket, who races for Madaket Stables LLC, Gary Barber and Tom Kagele, improved his record to 10-2-2 in 24 starts and has now earned $1,011,641. He returned $7.20, $3.40 and $2.40 as the 5-2 second choice.

In the Temperence Hill Stakes, 47-1 longshot Carlos L. went gate to wire to win the 1 ½ mile race by a neck over Lone Rock under jockey Alex Canchari. Tenfold, the 2-1 favorite was third.

The 5-year-old Hold Me Back horse has now won seven of 16 starts and earned $262,999 for trainer Mac Robertson and owners Good Friends II, LLC.

The post C Z Rocket Ends Whitmore’s Hot Springs Streak; Longshot Carlos L. Takes Temperence Hill appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Concert Tour A Smash Hit On The Road; Gives Baffert His Eighth Win In Rebel Stakes

Trainer Bob Baffert has made no secret that he believes his top two candidates for this year's Kentucky Derby are Life Is Good and Concert Tour. The former dominated his rivals in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Baffert's home base at Santa Anita on March 6 while the Hall of Fame trainer sent Concert Tour on the road to Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., for Saturday's Grade 2, $1-million Rebel Stakes.

Concert Tour,, a 3-year-old colt by Street Sense, turned in a powerful performance at Oaklawn going straight to the front and seizing the lead from the Brad Cox-trained favorite, Caddo River, setting all the fractions and then drawing off down the stretch under Joel Rosario. A second Baffert runner, Hozier, finished second, with Big Lake third and Super Stock fourth. Caddo River, coming off a 10 1/4-length victory in the opening day Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn, wound up fifth while racing erratically down the stretch after chasing Concert Tour throughout.

Time of the race was 1:43.18 after fractions of :23.42, :47.53, 1:12.00 and 1:36.65.

The win was Baffert's eighth in the Rebel since 2010.

Bred and owned by Gary and Mary West (who also bred Life Is Good, who is campaigned by WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.), Concert Tour paid $5.40 as the second choice in the betting. He earned 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, which offered 20-10-4 to the second through fourth-place finishers.

Concert Tour didn't debut until Jan. 15, winning a six-furlong maiden race by 3 1/2 lengths. He came back to win the G2 San Vicente Stakes on Feb. 6, coming from just off the pace to catch stablemate Freedom Fighter in the final furlong to win by a half length. The Rebel was his first try around two turns.

Baffert put three strong workouts into Concert Tour at Santa Anita following the San Vicente, capped off by a best of morning six furlongs in 1:11 2/5 on March 6.

Concert Tour and Joel Rosario established an early lead ahead of Caddo River into the first turn

The post Concert Tour A Smash Hit On The Road; Gives Baffert His Eighth Win In Rebel Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Silver State Takes Essex Handicap For Fourth Consecutive Victory

Silver State rolled to his fourth consecutive victory for trainer Steve Asmussen on Saturday, winning the $500,000 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., from off the pace under Ricardo Santana Jr.

Rated R Superstar, an 8-year-old making his 50th career start and the 2019 Essex winner, finished second by a neck nder Ramon Vazquez, with Night Ops 1 3/4 lengths back in third and Harpers First Ride fourth in the field of six older runners. Tax, the 120-pound highweight, was scratched.

Silver State, a 4-year-old by Hard Spun owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing, carried 118 pounds and ran the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.73. He paid $4.40 as the favorite, winning for the fifth time in nine career starts. He was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings.

Harpers First Ride, making his first start for Robertino Diodoro after spending most of his career in Maryland, dueled with Green Light Go through fractions of :23.57, :47.67 and 1:12.22 while Silver State and Rated R Superstar raced at the rear of the field. Green Light Go retreated on the turn as the back markers began to gain ground on the turn and into the stretch.

Silver State had the jump on Rated R Superstar and maintained his lead throughout the stretch, passing the mile in 1:36.57 and holding sway for the victory.

“We had a beautiful trip,” Santana said. “I was in the position I wanted to be in. He relaxed really well for me and turning for home, he gave me a really nice finish.”

Silver State was on the Triple Crown trail early last year, finishing second in the G3 Lecomte and third in the G2 Risen Star Stakes at Fairgrounds. After a seventh-place finish in the G2 Louisiana Derby in March, he went to the sidelines. Silver State returned with a seven-length allowance victory at Keeneland in October, won a Churchill allowance in November and took the Fifth Season Stakes in at Oaklawn in January.

“It's a great partnership with the Hortons and Winchell Thoroughbreds,” Asmussen added. “They've done so much for me. This horse has always shown a lot of potential. We gave him the necessary time and he's come back to win four races. This was a very quality win today.”

The post Silver State Takes Essex Handicap For Fourth Consecutive Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Shedaresthedevil Makes Victorious Return, Holds Off Letruska In Azeri

Shedaresthedevil, winner of the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks last September, made a winning return to the races at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., on Saturday, going right to the front, controlling the pace and holding off a late bid in deep stretch from favored Letruska to win the G2, $250,000 Azeri Stakes by a short head.

Off since tiring in the stretch to be third in the G1 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland in her lone start against older fillies and mares in 2020, Shedaresthedevil covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.57 and paid $5.60 as the second choice in the wagering. She carried 119 pounds, five fewer than Letruska.

Letruska, a star at Hipodromo de las Americas in Mexico City before coming to the U.S. late in 2019, finished second in the field of five in her bid for a third consecutive graded stakes win. Encoutante finished third, with Getridofwhatailesu fourth and Motion Emotion fifth.

A 4-year-old filly by Daredevil owned by Qatar Racing, Big Aut Farms and Flurry Racing Stable, Shedaresthedevil is trained by Brad Cox and was ridden to victory by Florent Geroux.

Breaking from the outside post, Shedaresthedevil darted to the front immediately and set fractions of :23.93 for the opening quarter mile, :47.79 for the half and 1:11.54 for six furlongs. Envoutante was her closest pursuer with Letruska – who typically runs on the front end – three wide while third into the first turn and in the run down the backstretch.

As the field rounded into the stretch, Joel Rosario allowed Letruska to drift out even further while trying to run down the favorite. Shedaresthedevil maintained a clear advantage at the mile marker — clocked in 1:36.25 – but was all out to hold off a surge from Letruska in deep stretch.

“We caught a flyer out of the gate,” Geroux said. “I was expecting Letruska to lead all the way. I don't know if she didn't break fast enough or stumbled, but we inherited the lead and I just took it from there. My filly is extremely talented. You know you want to slow her down, just keep her in a nice rhythm. Turning for home, she gave me everything she had. She maybe got a little bit tired down the lane, but it was good for her first race off the break. I don't think she was 100% cranked up for this. We have hopes for a big year with her.”

The win was the sixth from 12 starts for Shedaresthedevil, who won the G3 Honeybee at Oaklawn in 2020, along with the G3 Indiana Oaks prior to winning the Kentucky Oaks. She was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm.

“Whenever I run here, I'm nervous,” Staton Flurry of Flurry Racing said. “I expected the three (Letruska) to break good, but she didn't. We just went on with it. She really dug in. Florent rode a great race. I'm glad to have her back. It's going to be a fun year.”

The post Shedaresthedevil Makes Victorious Return, Holds Off Letruska In Azeri appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post