patrick biancone | Horse Racing Free Tips

C Z Rocket Tops Invitees To ‘Win And You’re In’ Smile Sprint

Madaket Stables LLC, Gary Barber and Tom Kagele's C Z Rocket tops a list of 15 invitees for the $200,000 Smile Sprint Invitational (G3) July 3 at Gulfstream Park.

The Smile Sprint, a six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up that will offer a $25,000 win-only bonus for Florida-bred entrants, will be featured on the Summit of Speed program that will be headlined by the $350,000 Princess Rooney (G2), a seven-furlong Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' sprint for fillies and mares.

Peter Miller-trained C Z Rocket won five straight races last year before finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland. The multiple Grade 2 stakes winner won his first two 2021 starts, including a victory in the Count Fleet Sprint (G3) at Oaklawn, before coming up a little short to finish second last time out while stretching out in the Steve Sexton Mile (G3) at Lone Star Park.

Diamond Racing Club LLC and partners' Diamond Oops, the 2019 Smile Sprint champion who is being asked back to seek a second score in the race named for the 1986 Breeders' Cup Sprint champion, is a multiple graded-stakes winner who is Grade 1 stakes-placed on dirt and turf.

After winning the 2019 Smile, the Patrick Biancone-trained 6-year-old gelding went on to finish second in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt on dirt at Saratoga and the Shadwell Mile on turf at Keeneland. After starting his 2020 campaign with a solid fourth-place finish in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream while stretching out to 1 1/8 miles, Diamond Oops returned to one-turn races to win the Twin Spires Turf (G2) at Churchill and the Phoenix (G2) on dirt at Keeneland. The millionaire son of Lookin At Lucky followed up a pair of subpar efforts to capture a six-furlong overnight handicap June 5 at Gulfstream Park.

Michael Dubb's Chateau, who captured the Tom Fool (G3) at Aqueduct, is also prominent on the invitation list. The Rob Atras-trained 6-year-old gelding followed up his graded-stakes score in March with a fourth-place finish in the Carter (G1) at Aqueduct and a runner-up finish behind Firenze Fire in the Runhappy (G3) at Belmont.

Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher's Special Reserve made the Smile invitational list by winning the Maryland Sprint (G3) at Pimlico on the Preakness (G1) undercard. In the 5-year-old gelding's prior start, the Michael Maker trainee finished second in the Commonwealth (G3) at Keeneland.

Trainers Kathy Ritvo and Saffie Joseph Jr. are both represented on the Smile invitation list by three horses.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing owns the Ritvo-trained trio of Double Crown, Frosted Grace and Ournationonparade. Double Crown, who concluded his 2020 campaign with graded-stakes placings in the Smile Sprint and the Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico, came off a 6 ½-month layoff to win a May 23 stakes-quality optional claiming allowance last time out. Frosted Grace, whom Dean and Patti Reeves own in partnership with William Branch, is graded stakes-placed in two of his three 2021 starts, including a troubled third behind Special Reserve in the Maryland Sprint last time out. Ournationonparade most recently finished third behind Diamond Oops June 5.

Shooting Star Thoroughbreds LLC's Chance It, the hero of the 2019 Florida Sire Stakes series and the winner of the 2020 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream, tops the Joseph trio. The 4-year-old son of Currency Swap recently came off a 14-month layoff to finish second behind Double Crown. Daniel Alonso's Wind of Change, who captured the ungraded Mr. Prospector at Monmouth last time out, and Elona Jones' Doc Amster, a last-out optional claiming allowance winner, also made the invitational list.

David Melin, Leon Ellman and Laurie Plesa's Miles Ahead, who was just a head behind Diamond Oops while finishing second in the June 5 overnight handicap at Gulfstream; Bell Racing LLC's Real Talk, an impressive winner of a recent six-furlong optional claiming allowance; Rigney Racing LLC's Rubus, an optional claiming allowance winner at Churchill Downs last time out; Jacks or Better Farm Inc.'s Shivaree, a multiple stakes winner who finished second behind Tiz the Law in the 2020 Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream; and Lea Farms LLC's Willy Boi, who captured the Hutcheson during this year's Championship Meet at Gulfstream; round out the list of Smile Invitees.

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Graded Stakes Winner Sole Volante Returns To Action Saturday At Gulfstream

Sole Volante, who ran in two legs of the 2020 Triple Crown, will be return to action in Saturday's featured optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Park.

The graded stakes-winning son of Karakontie is slated to come off a four-month layoff in Race 10, a mile optional claiming allowance on dirt on a 12-race program highlighted by the $75,000 Martha Washington Stakes, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

“We gave him a good break and two months on the farm to give him a chance to be a horse,” trained Patrick Biancone said. “We don't expect too much. We just want him to have a good run in his first race back.”

Sole Volante distinguished himself as a strong contender on the Road to the Triple Crown in 2020 when he won the Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs before finishing second in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2). Unfortunately, the Kentucky Derby (G1), the Preakness (G1) and the Belmont Stakes (G1) were postponed until later in the summer and fall.

Sole Volante came off a three-month layoff to win an optional claiming allowance, a stakes-quality mile race in which Jesus' Team, who would go on to finish third in the Preakness and second in both the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G2), finished second. Ten days later, the gelding owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and assistant trainer Andie Biancone finished sixth in the Belmont Stakes. The Biancone trainee went on to finish 11th in the Derby after being squeezed at the start before finishing off the board in a pair of turf stakes.

“He was ready early, but like everybody, everything was delayed because of problems with COVID,” Biancone said. “He was a little bit over the top when it came the right time. In May, he was just perfect.”

Sole Volante began his career with back-to-back victories on turf in a maiden special weight race at Gulfstream Park West and the Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream Park in the fall of 2019. He finished a promising third in his dirt and 2020 debut in the Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream prior to his strong performances at Tampa Bay Downs.

Saturday's one-turn mile race attracted a strong field of six older horses, including graded-stakes winner Trophy Chaser, who is scheduled to make a long-awaited return from a 13-month layoff. The Juan Carlos Avila-trained son of Twirling Candy, who won the 2020 Challenger Stakes at Tampa.

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Diamond Oops Looks Set For Another Smile Sprint Run Following Hollywood Lakes Win

Multiple graded-stakes Diamond Oops prepped for a scheduled start in the $200,000 Smile Sprint (G3) with a thoroughly professional triumph in the $60,000 Hollywood Lakes at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Hollywood Lakes, a six-furlong overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up, co-headlined Saturday's 12-race program with the $75,000 Game Face, a 6 ½-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies.

The Smile Sprint will be co-featured on the July 3 Summit of Speed card at Gulfstream with the $350,000 Princess Rooney (G2), a seven-furlong Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' sprint for fillies and mares.

Diamond Oops, who captured the 2019 running of the Smile Sprint, was rated a few lengths off the pace set by Willy Boi, who put up fractions of 22.71 and 45.28 (seconds) for the first half mile before being joined by Ournationonparade on the turn into the homestretch. Ournationonparade took the lead at the top of the stretch, only to meet challenges on the inside by Miles Ahead, the even-money favorite ridden by Edgard Zayas, and on the outside by Diamond Oops, the 2-1 second choice ridden by Luca Panici.

Miles Ahead made a strong rail bid in an effort to win his stakes debut but was unable to hold off Diamond Oops, a multiple graded-stakes winner on turf and dirt who has earned more than $1.1 million. The Patrick Biancone-trained 6-year-old gelding ran six furlongs in 1:09.31 to win by a head while carrying highweight of 124 pounds, five more than Miles Ahead.

“He just does his job. He's so versatile, he can do anything, but I do feel like six furlongs on dirt is his niche. That's truly where he belongs,” said assistant trainer Andie Biancone. “We're really going to focus on that and try to get him to the Breeders' Cup [Sprint]. We have the wonderful Smile coming up, so hopefully that will be his next win. He loves Gulfstream.”

Diamond Oops, who won his fifth stakes at Gulfstream Saturday, was making his second start of the year Saturday after finishing a late rallying fourth in the April 20 Churchill Downs' Turf Sprint (G2), a race he won last year. The son of Lookin At Lucky provided Panici with his first stakes success since recently returning to action following a three-month recovery and rehabilitation of a back injury sustained in a February accident.

“It feels great,” he said. “This is a good horse, a class horse.”

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Diamond Oops Chasing Repeat In Friday’s Twin Spires Turf Sprint

Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, D P Racing and Patrick Biancone Racing's Diamond Oops makes his return to the grass Friday when he headlines a field of 11 for the 27th running of the $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint (G2) at Churchill Downs.

The 5 ½-furlong grass test is the 10th race of the day with a 4:55 p.m. post time.

Trained by Patrick Biancone, Diamond Oops will be attempting to become the first repeat winner of the Twin Spires Turf Sprint. He prevailed by a neck in last year's running that marked his most recent start on grass.

Florent Geroux, who was aboard for last year's victory, has the mount Friday on Diamond Oops who is making his 2021 debut. Diamond Oops will exit post nine.

The field for the Twin Spires Turf Sprint, with riders and weights from the rail out, is:

Johnny Unleashed (Gerardo Corrales, 122 pounds)
Guildsman (Umberto Rispoli, 122)
Fiya (Luis Saez, 122)
Classy John (Tyler Gaffalione, 122
Just Might (Colby Hernandez, 122)
Ambassador Luna (James Graham, 117)
Smart Remark (Rafael Bejarano, 122)
Fast Boat (Irad Ortiz Jr., 122)
Diamond Oops (Geroux, 122)
Sombeyay (Flavien Prat, 122)
Carotari (Julien Leparoux, 122)

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