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‘Better With Every Race’: Jesus’ Team To Use Claiming Crown Jewel As Pegasus Prep

Grade 1 stakes-placed in his two most recent starts, Jesus' Team will return to his roots Saturday with a start in the $150,000 Claiming Crown Jewel at Gulfstream Park.

Grupo 7C Racing Stable's 3-year-old gelding, who became eligible for the Jewel while winning a claiming race for maidens at Gulfstream last March, is scheduled to use the Claiming Crown headliner as a prep for a planned start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Jan. 23.

The Jewel, a 1 1/8-mile stakes for 3-year-olds and up that started for a claiming price of $35,000 or lower, will be featured among nine stakes restricted to horses that have started for a claiming price at least once.

Jesus' Team enters the Jewel off a third-place finish in the Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico and a second-place finish Nov. 7 in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland – unlikely results from a horse that broke his maiden for a $32,000 claiming price in his fifth career start March 18.

“He went to Ocala for 10 days after the Breeders' Cup. He is training very good for the Claiming Crown,” sand trainer Jose D'Angelo, whose stable is based at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. “I think this is a good race for him before the Pegasus. He needs a race before the Pegasus.”

After his breakthrough 3 ¾-length maiden win, Jesus' Team was transferred to D'Angelo, for whom the son of Tapiture came right back to score a dominating 6 ¾-length victory in a $25,000 claiming race May 8. A most promising second-place finish behind graded-stakes winner Sole Volante in a stakes-quality June 10 optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream raised the expectations of his connections.

Following a creditable fourth behind future Kentucky Derby (G1) and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Authentic in the Haskell (G1) and a runner-up finish in the ungraded Pegasus at Monmouth, Jesus' Team finished third in the Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga while equipped with blinkers for the first time. The Kentucky-bred gelding, who was purchased for $30,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September sale, overcame traffic on the far turn to finish a distant third behind Gulfstream Park Oaks winner Swiss Skydiver and Authentic at 40-1 in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. Sent to post at 62-1 for the Dirt Mile, Jesus' Team closed to finish second behind runaway winner Knicks Go.

“I am very proud of my horse. He's getting better and better with every race,” D'Angelo said. “I think he will run a very good race Saturday.”

D'Angelo was the leading trainer in Venezuela before joining his father Francisco, also a former titlist in Venezuela, in South Florida in 2019.

“I'm happy for the races Jesus's Team has run. He has made me very proud,” said D'Angelo, who saddled his first horse in the U.S. in June 2019 and saddled his first winner with his second starter three weeks later. “I'm happy to be training in this amazing country.”

Luis Saez, who was aboard for the Dirt Mile, has the return mount Saturday.

Calumet Farm's Dack Janiel's, also a horse who performed extremely well on Breeders' Cup Weekend at Keeneland, is scheduled to seek his first stakes victory in the Claiming Crown Jewel.

The Jack Sisterson-trained 3-year-old gelding is coming off a third-place finish in the $200,000 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G2). Dack Janiel's set or pressed the pace to hold a narrow lead in mid-stretch before weakening late in the 1 5/8-mile route.

“Dack Janiel's is a horse that has always overachieved for us, but he really thrives on racing. He just won 10 days before the Thoroughbred [Aftercare] Alliance, but we wheeled him back in a week at Oaklawn [in April] and he won bringing him back quick,” Sisterson said. “He seems to thrive on his training and running, so we ran him [at Keeneland] and he ran a competitive race against some tough horses. Fortunately, he's eligible for Claiming Crown Jewel.”

Dack Janiel's became eligible for the Jewel in January when he ran third in a $30,000 maiden claiming race on turf at Fair Grounds. The son of Tonalist came right back to win an off-the-turf maiden special weight race at Fair Grounds a month later. After finishing off the board in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway, Dack Janiel's followed up a fourth-place allowance finish at Oaklawn with a starter allowance victory eight days later. Winless in his next three starts, he returned to winning form in a $50,000 claiming race at Keeneland that set him up for his strong showing in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

“He's very straightforward. He trains himself. There's no hiding his running style. He goes right to the front,” said Sisterson, who will train in South Florida for the first time this winter. “He seems to run his best races forwardly placed, so we're obviously not hiding any tactics heading into next Saturday.”

Julien Leparoux has the mount on the Calumet Farm homebred.

Team Valor International and David Burnett's Storm Runner, who finished seventh in the 2018 Florida Derby (G1), has returned to Gulfstream to run in the Jewel. The Dale Romans-trained son of Get Stormy became eligible for the Jewel by coming off a seven-month layoff to win a $20,000 claiming race at Churchill Downs June 28. Following a four-month layoff, Storm Runner captured a Nov. 4 starter allowance on turf at Churchill Downs.

Corey Lanerie has the call aboard Storm Runner.

Trainer Michael Maker, who has saddled a record 17 Claiming Crown winners, will send out Paradise Farms Corp.'s Treasure Trove for a start in the Jewel. The 4-year-old son of Tapizar was claimed for $40,000 out of his most recent start, a second-place finish in an optional claiming allowance at Indiana Downs.

Tyler Gaffalione, who captured titles at all six meeting in Kentucky this year, has the call.

Leitone, the defending Jewel champion, will defend his title for owner/trainer Victor Carrasco Jr., who claimed the Chilean-bred 6-year-old for $40,000 out of a victory at Belmont Park June 20. The son of Dunkirk has been off-the-board in his two starts since being claimed.

Hector Berrios has the call aboard Leitone.

Stakes-placed on turf last time out, D P Racing LLC's Prince of Arabia will move to dirt for the Jewel. The 7-year-old gelding, who finished a troubled third in the Ricard Henry Lee last out, achieved his most recent victory in an off-the-turf Feb. 20 optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream. Robby Albarado is scheduled to ride Prince of Arabia for the first time.

My Purple Haze Stable's Rebelde and Flying Pheasant Farm LLC's Toughest 'Ombre round out the field.

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Gulfstream’s 2020-2021 Championship Meet Features $13.06 Million Stakes Schedule

The 2020-2021 Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. will get under way Wednesday for the first of 84 days of Thoroughbred racing contested by the most popular and accomplished horses, trainers and jockeys in the country.

Racing will be conducted primarily on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule with a first-race post time set at 12:35 p.m. through March 27. Under COVID-19 pandemic protocols, racing will be conducted without spectators. Gulfstream's races will be streamed live at 1/STBet.com, Xpressbet.com; and gulfstreampark.com.

The 2020-2021 Championship Meet will offer a stakes schedule of 75 stakes, 36 graded, worth $13.06 million in purses.

The $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) will be run Jan. 23, co-headlining a program with seven graded stakes. The Pegasus World Cup, won by Mucho Gusto last year, has been designated as a 'Win and In' race for the $20 million Saudi Cup in Riyadh Feb. 20. The Pegasus World Cup Turf will be a qualifier for the $1 million Middle Distance Turf Handicap on the Saudi Cup undercard.

The $800,000 Florida Derby (G1), which has produced the winners of 60 Triple Crown races, will headline a March 27 program that will offer 10 stakes, 6 graded, including the $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks. The 2020 Florida Derby was won by Tiz the Law, who went on to win the Belmont (G1). Swiss Skydiver, who captured the Gulfstream Park Oaks, went on to beat the boys in the Preakness Stakes (G1).

Gulfstream's program for 3-year-olds will kick off with the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Dec. 12, followed by the $200,000 Holy Bull (G3), a 1 1/16-mile Florida Derby prep that will headline a Jan. 30 program with five graded stakes, including the $100,000 Swale (G3), a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds. The $350,000 Fountain of Youth (G2), the 1 1/16-mile final prep for the Florida Derby, will be featured on a Feb. 27 program with nine graded stakes.

The Road to the Gulfstream Park Oaks will start with the $100,000 Forward Gal, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies on the Jan. 30 Holy Bull undercard. The $200,000 Davona Dale, the mile final prep for the Gulfstream Park Oaks, will be contested on the Feb. 27 Fountain of Youth undercard.

The $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) kicks off Gulfstream's turf program Dec. 12 while offering an opportunity for Pegasus World Cup Turf invitational candidates to prep over the Gulfstream turf course. The $200,000 Mac Diarmida (G2), a 1 3/8-mile race for 4-year-olds and up, will be one of six graded turf stakes on the Fountain of Youth card. The $200,000 Pan American, a 1 ½-mile stakes for 4-year-olds and up, will top six turf stakes on the Florida Derby program.

The 2020-2021 stakes program will launch Saturday with the return of the Claiming Crown, a popular program for horses that have started for a claiming price at least once during the past two years. The $150,000 Jewel, a 1 1/8-mile stakes for 3-year-olds and up that have started for a claiming price of $35,000 or lower, is featured among nine Claiming Crown stakes. Jesus' Team, who finished third in the Preakness and second in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), is expected to headline the field for the Jewel.

Irad Ortiz Jr. will be back to defend the riding titles he won in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. Luis Saez, who finished second behind Ortiz by just one and two wins respectively, will seek to regain the title he won the previous two seasons. Hall of Famers John Velazquez, fresh off his Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) victory aboard Authentic, Javier Castellano, a five-time Championship Meet titlist; and Edgar Prado, who ranks eighth all-time with 7,089 wins, will head a jockey's colony that will include young guns Tyler Gaffalione, Jose Ortiz, and South Florida's year-round leader Edgard Zayas.

Todd Pletcher, who regained his training title last season, will seek his 17th Championship Meet title. Horsemen shipping in include Shug McGaughey, Bill Mott, Mike Maker, Mark Casse, Ken McPeek, Chad Brown and Christophe Clement. New stables at Gulfstream and its satellite training center Palm Meadows in Palm Beach include Brad Cox, Jack Sisterson, Brittany Russell, Jeremiah Englehart and Butch Reid.

“We're extremely optimistic for a fantastic Championship Meet,” said Mike Lakow, Vice President of Racing at Gulfstream. “The barns are full with many of the top trainers, including some wintering here for the first time. We're also happy with the way our turf course has thrived during the extreme rainy season here this fall.”

The 20-cent Rainbow 6, the innovative multi-race wager that has produced many live-changing payoffs over the years, will again be prominent on Gulfstream's wagering menu. The Rainbow 6, which will span the final six races each day, will be kicked off Wednesday with a $50,000 jackpot guarantee. Wednesday's Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 5-10, including back-to-back optional claiming allowances in Races 8 and 9.

Shadwell Stable's Ashaar is scheduled to make his first start for Pletcher in Race 8, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up. The 3-year-old son of Into Mischief hasn't seen action since finishing off the board in the Jan. 4 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream. Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Ournationonparade, the only stakes winner in the field, will make his first start since finishing fifth in the Sept. 5 Smile Sprint (G3) at Gulfstream. Saez has been named to ride Ashaar, while Luca Panici is set to ride the Kathy Ritvo-trained Ournationonparade.

Tracy Farmer's Catch a Thrill, who has finished second in his three most recent starts, will be looking to break through with a win in Race 9, a five-furlong turf dash for fillies and mares. The Mark Casse-trained daughter of City Zip, who finished second in the Feb. 23 Melody of Colors at Gulfstream, will be ridden by Cristian Torres.

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Connections Hope Tiz The Law Heats Up Again In South Florida Sun

Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law gave an early indication of what was to be a special sophomore season when he put together back-to-back impressive efforts over the winter in winning the Holy Bull (G3) and Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

The New York-bred, owned and trained by the same connections as 2003 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1) winner Funny Cide, went on to give his connections a measure of redemption by winning the Belmont (G1) – a race where Funny Cide ran third – and satisfaction with a powerhouse performance in the Travers (G1), which a fever forced Funny Cide to miss.

Though Tiz the Law's 2020 campaign ended with back-to-back losses in the Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) to fellow sophomore Authentic, wresting away the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old male and possibly even Horse of the Year, the bay Constitution colt is back in South Florida and already working on his encore.

“The 35 partners in Tiz the Law have the horse of a lifetime. Only Lew Titterton and I had what we thought was the horse of a lifetime in Funny Cide,” Sackatoga managing partner Jack Knowlton said. “We've got 33 people that have had the ride of a lifetime and hopefully the ride is going to continue [next] year. That's what we're looking forward to.”

Tiz the Law has already made an impression since his arrival in South Florida three days after the Breeders' Cup. In his first work back, he breezed four furlongs in 47.90 seconds Nov. 21 at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, for trainer Barclay Tagg.

“They were just going to give him an easy work, maybe around 50 [seconds]. I don't think Tiz heard that,” Knowlton said. “I go back to the famous saying that Allen Jerkens had when Funny Cide was around, 'Fast horses work fast.' He just does it so easily.”

Tiz the Law is being pointed to make his 4-year-old debut in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 23, the richest of seven graded-stakes worth $4.8 million on the Pegasus Day program that includes the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

Knowlton's winter residence is a 15-minute walk from Gulfstream, and he has been fortunate to be in attendance since Arrogate set the 1 1/8-mile track record of 1:46.83 when the Pegasus debuted in 2017. Funny Cide ran third in the 2004 Donn Handicap (G1), predecessor to the Pegasus.

“It's obviously a thrill. My winter home for tracks is Gulfstream and I've been to every Pegasus, and being able to have a horse that actually runs in it will be beyond exciting,” Knowlton said. “We've had some great opportunities starting with the Holy Bull at Gulfstream which got us kicking off and then winning the Florida Derby which is obviously a huge, huge deal. Now we'll come back and try and get the biggest of the big races, the Pegasus.”

Tiz the Law was already a Grade 1 winner when he got to Florida last year, having won the Champagne (G1) in his second career start before capping his juvenile campaign running third in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). He won the Holy Bull by three lengths and the Florida Derby by 4 ¼ and didn't race again until the June 20 Belmont, which kicked off a Triple Crown refashioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

“It's been a big deal all year. We go back to the Holy Bull, where we felt redemption was in order after we lost the Kentucky Jockey Club, and obviously that worked well. We were able to have all our people there and we were able to have one of the times of our lives,” Knowlton said. “Then the pandemic hit and they ran the Florida Derby and they ran the Belmont so we weren't able to be there, but he reeled off three Grade 1 races last year. Every race he's been in, astoundingly to me, even in the Breeders' Cup Classic he was the favorite. As we all know that didn't go well.”

Coming off a runner-up finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1), where he appeared poised to strike throughout the stretch but never got by, Tiz the Law drew Post 2 and was unable to get to his preferred spot outside horses until it was too late and wound up sixth. He finished with four graded-stakes wins, three Grade 1, from six starts in 2020 – both his losses coming to Authentic.

“We've been very fortunate. They only real glitch we had was that he came out of the Derby just kind of sore and we couldn't make the Preakness. But other than that we've been really blessed,” Knowlton said. “He's been sound and ready to go, ready to hit all the races we hoped except the Preakness. That was just giving him some time and that's what we did. We thought we had him all primed for the Breeders' Cup.

“Talking to Barclay and [exercise rider] Heather [Smullen], they felt he was ready to run the same kind of race he ran in the Travers. Unfortunately the trip that he got was not desirable by any stretch,” he added. “It was a disappointing end to what had been an absolutely spectacular year.”

When Tiz the Law returns for the Pegasus he'll have the services of Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, replacing Manny Franco. Velazquez rode Authentic to his wins in the Derby and Breeders' Cup as well as a runner-up finish in the Preakness (G1).

“I don't think there's a better money jockey that exists,” Knowlton said. “That's one of the great things about Johnny. Johnny's been on the horse. He worked the horse last year and he's been in races against him several times. He knows the horse. He'll know what he's got under him and we're excited to have him join the Tiz team.”

Tiz the Law will stand at Ashford Stud in Kentucky upon retirement, whenever that comes, and until then the plan is to target some of the most prestigious races for older horses starting with the Pegasus and hopefully leading up to a return trip to the Breeders' Cup.

“As long as he keeps running the way he's been running, he'll run hopefully right to Del Mar at the end of [2021],” Knowlton said.

The success of Tiz the Law, a $110,000 yearling purchase that has earned more than $2.7 million in purses through nine starts, has allowed Sackatoga to expand its modest portfolio. The Saratoga Springs, N.Y.-based syndicate has six horses in training.

“We love Palm Meadows as a place to train our horses,” Knowlton said. “We actually bought some more horses than we usually do so we've got six horses at Palm Meadows now and three young ones up in Ocala, so hopefully we're going to be doing some more racing at Gulfstream than normal this year.”

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McGaughey Has Pegasus, Pegasus Turf On Radar For Code Of Honor, Note Dakota

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey has the Grade 1, $3-million Pegasus World Cup on January 23 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., in mind for W.S. Farish homebred Code of Honor, who joined the conditioner's winter division at Payson Park in Indiantown, Fla., after a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Clark on Friday at Churchill Downs.

The 4-year-old son of Noble Mission was sixth early on, made steady progress throughout the race and launched a four-wide move at the three-sixteenths pole, but came up a length shy of Bodexpress.

“I thought he ran fine,” McGaughey said. “I was disappointed he didn't win, but once he got freed up the other horse jumped away from him and we just couldn't catch him. He's at Payson Park this morning and we'll point for the Pegasus.”

A winner of his 2020 debut in the Grade 3 Westchester going a one-turn 1 1/16-miles at Belmont Park, Code of Honor was third in the Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile on July 4 and second in the Grade 2 Kelso on October 3, both at Belmont. As a 3-year-old, Code of Honor won the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers and was elevated to first in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Through a record of 15-6-4-2, Code of Honor has amassed $2,644,360 in lifetime earnings.

McGaughey also said Allen Stable's homebred North Dakota could target the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1, $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on January 23 at Gulfstream.

North Dakota tracked 14 lengths off the pace before launching a devastating stretch run to get up in the final jumps to secure a half-length triumph in the Grade 3 Red Smith on November 21 on the Big A turf, while registering a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

The 4-year-old Medaglia d'Oro colt, a half-brother to prolific stallion War Front, broke his maiden on March 25 over the turf at Tampa Bay Downs before defeating winners over the Oldsmar oval.

“I think he has a lot of upside,” McGaughey said. “It looks like he's just learning how to run. Not sure where I want to run him next, maybe the Pegasus Turf. I wish it were a little farther, that would suit him better, but we'll see.”

North Dakota is also a half-sibling to graded stakes winners Teammate, Ecclesiastic and black-type producing mare Gracie Square, whose daughter by Tapit, Mrs. Danvers, won the nine-furlong Grade 3 Comely in front-running fashion under Jose Ortiz on Friday at the Big A for McGaughey.

Also an Allen homebred, Mrs. Danvers broke her maiden last August at Saratoga and came back off 10 months rest to finish second going 6 ½ furlongs in a Belmont Park allowance on June 20. She did not find the winner's circle until her fifth start this season going a one-turn mile on October 25 over Big Sandy ahead of the Comely.

“Some of her races here earlier, she just looked like she didn't want to win,” McGaughey said. “She trained really, really well off her last race. She had a great work galloping out going into the race. I didn't know what was going to happen, with 3-year-old fillies going a mile and an eighth most of them for the first time. Jose rode a good race.”

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