Performer | Horse Racing Free Tips

Greatest Honour Has Final Tune-Up For Fountain Of Youth

Courtlandt Farms' Greatest Honour breezed an easy half-mile at Payson Park In Indiantown, Fla., on Sunday morning in preparation for a highly anticipated start in Saturday's $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

The 3-year-old Tapit colt who captured the Jan. 30 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream by 5 ¾ lengths, was timed in 51.20 seconds in his final work for the 1 1/16-mile major prep for the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill n' Dale at Xalapa March 27. He worked in company with Or'effice on his outside.

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey is hoping that Greatest Honour will follow the example set by Orb, whom he saddled for victories in the Fountain of Youth, Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby (G1) in 2013.

Courtlandt Farms' homebred colt launched his career with a pair of strong closing third-place finishes in maiden special weight sprints at Saratoga and Belmont before losing a photo finish in his first trip around two turns at Aqueduct and completing his juvenile season with his 1 1/16-mile maiden breaker at Gulfstream.

McGaughey also sent Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm's Performer to the track for a half-mile breeze in 49.40 seconds in preparation for a start in the $200,000 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2), one of nine stakes on Saturday's card. Performer is coming off a victory in the Fred W. Hooper in his 2021 debut at Gulfstream.

Rodolphe Brisset-trained Tarantino, who finished second behind Greatest Honour and 3 ¾ lengths clear of third-place finisher Prime Factor in the Holy Bull, breezed a half-mile in 49.45 seconds Sunday morning at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

Antonio Sano-trained Papetu, who finished fourth in the Holy Bull, breezed five furlongs in 1:01:20 Sunday morning at Gulfstream Park West in preparation for a return in the Fountain of Youth.

“It was very good,” said Sano, who saddled Gunnevera for a victory in the 2017 Fountain of Youth. “It was a very easy work.”

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Joel Rosario Parlays Pegasus Victory Into Jockey Of The Week Title

Joel Rosario posted three stakes wins including the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup to be named Jockey of the Week for Jan. 18 through Jan. 24. 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.

Rosario began the week at Santa Anita on Monday in the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes aboard Mucho Unusual for trainer Tim Yakteen. Breaking alertly in the scratched-down field of four, Mucho Unusual ran in second just behind the leader. A three horse battle developed in the final furlong with Mucho Unusual prevailing by three-quarters of a length.

On Saturday, Rosario travelled to south Florida from his southern California base with mounts in four stakes races on Pegasus World Cup Day at Gulfstream Park. Shug McGaughey gave Rosario a leg up on Performer in the Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper, who went to the post as the 4-5 favorite in a field of eight. Breaking from the rail, Rosario eased him off the rail while chasing the leaders. He advanced on the tiring pacesetters on the turn and took a narrow lead into the stretch to win by a neck.

“I didn't want to fall too far back but be there in the race…he broke good and got the job done. He's a nice horse,” said Rosario. “It feels good to be back (at Gulfstream) even for a day. I'm glad to be here.”

Trainer Brad Cox teamed with Rosario on Knicks Go in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup. The 6-5 favorite went right to the lead and was on cruise control, cantering home by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:47.89.

“He's a very special horse,” Rosario said who has piloted Knicks Go to three straight wins. “He just goes faster and faster…He was really enjoying what he was doing out there, so I was never worried about somebody getting close to me.”

After riding on the east coast since 2013, Rosario returned to southern California for the Santa Anita Winter/Spring meet. He has won multiple riding titles in southern California and is currently third in the standings at Santa Anita.

Rosario's weekly stats were 18-5-0-1 and was the leading jockey by purse earnings with $1,929,645.

Rosario out-polled fellow jockeys Colby Hernandez who won the most races with 10, Tyler Gaffalione with two graded stakes wins, Abel Cedillo with a graded stakes and Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won the Pegasus World Cup Turf.

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Heavily Favored Performer Edges Eye Of A Jedi In Fred W. Hooper

Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm's Performer returned to winning form in Saturday's $125,000 Fred W. Hooper (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., rebounding from a third-place finish that had snapped a five-race winning streak.

The Hooper, a mile event for 4-year-olds and up, was the first of seven stakes on Saturday's program that was headlined by the $3-million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and the $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

Performer, who had finished third over a sloppy Aqueduct track in the Cigar Mile (G1) in his previous start, had to work for his second career graded-stakes victory. Sent to post as the 4-5 favorite in a field of eight, the Shug McGaughey-trained 5-year-old broke from the rail post position, but jockey Joel Rosario deftly eased the son of Speightstown off the rail while chasing Shivaree and Dream Maker as they dueled along the backstretch during a 23.20-second first quarter of a mile. Performer advanced on the tiring pacesetters on the turn into the homestretch with an outside run as Eye of the Jedi split horses to his inside to take a narrow lead into the stretch.

Eye of a Jedi put up a battle to the wire under Marcos Meneses but was unable to hold off the favorite, who prevailed by a neck. Avant Garde closed from last to finish third, 1 ½ lengths farther back.

Performer ran a mile in 1:35.49

Fred W. Hooper (G3) Quotes

Winning Trainer Shug McGaughey (Performer): “It looked like [he broke a step slow} but he got him in the right spot. He did say, 'I've got to go along. I'm looking at the two horses on the lead and they're going along pretty easy too. I better get busy here.' I was glad when he got him to the outside. He looked like he wanted to hang with that horse on the lead a little bit, but he was able to finish up.”

“That's way was in my mind, the Gulfstream Mile [Feb. 27], but after watching him today, I might be looking for something to stretch him out around two turns.”

Winning Jockey Joel Rosario (Performer): “He broke well and it really looked like [Shivaree] was going to take the lead and the other horse on the outside, so I kind of just let him be in that spot. I didn't want to fall too far back but be there in the race, because he broke good and he got the job done. He's a nice horse.”

“The other horse ran good, he was right there. For a second, I thought he was going to come back and beat me but my horse kept fighting, and all the credit to him.”

“It feels good to be back, even for one day. I'm glad to be here.”

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Performer Looks to Return to Winning Ways in Fred Hooper

Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm's Performer (Speightstown) looks to find his way back to the winner's circle Saturday in Gulfstream's GIII Fred W. Hooper S. Opening his 2019 account with a trio of victories in New York, he capped that perfect season with a win in Aqueduct's GIII Discovery S. Nov. 30. Winning a muddy optional claimer at Belmont Oct. 17, the chestnut checked in third as the favorite in a sloppy renewal of Aqueduct's GI Cigar Mile Dec. 5.

The second and third-place finishers from this venue's GIII Harlan's Holiday S. Dec. 12 return in this spot. Runner-up Eye of a Jedi (Eye of the Leopard) won a handicap here June 13 and the Sea of Tranquility S. over this strip July 18 prior to his effort last time. Harlan's Holiday third Phat Man (Munnings) won the GIII Fred Hooper S. in Hallandale Jan, 25 and was second in the GII Gulfstream Park Mile next out Feb. 29. The gelding was sixth in the Lafayette S. at Keeneland Nov. 7 prior to his last-out effort here.

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