Peter Miller | Horse Racing Free Tips

C Z Rocket Secures BC Dirt Mile Berth in Pat O’Brien

The late money proved to be the right money, as C Z ROCKET (g, 6, City Zip–Successful Sarah, by Successful Appeal) sat three wide off the pace, loomed up outside of his chief market rival Flagstaff (Speightstown) at the quarter pole, dueled heads apart into deep stretch and inched away late to win Saturday’s GII Pat O’Brien S. at Del Mar and with it, a berth in the starting gate for the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland Nov. 7. Claimed for $40,000 out of a fifth-place effort for Frank Fletcher and trainer Al Stall, Jr. at Oaklawn Park Apr. 30, the bay added victories at Churchill Downs in May and June and was exiting a 3/4-length allowance success at Keeneland July 12. O-Tom Kagele; B-Farm III Enterprises LLC (FL); T-Peter Miller.

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Del Mar Rarity: Tranquility Lake Dead-Heat First In Stakes Since 1973

The dead-heat for the win between Proud Emma and Message in Friday's Tranquility Lake was the first in a stakes event at Del Mar in nearly a half-century and only the third all-time at the seaside track near San Diego, Calif.

The first such occurrence was in the 1968 Del Mar Derby, when Prince Hemp and Glory Hallelujah couldn't be separated by the photo-finish camera. The most “recent” was in the second division of the 1973 Rancho Bernardo when the co-winners were Dollar Discount and D.B. Carm.

The dead-heat victory in a stakes was the first for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has been winning them at Del Mar, and lots of other Thoroughbred places, for over three decades.

It was also a first, and a double-dip benefit for jockey Flavien Prat, aboard Message for Baffert. Peter Miller trains Proud Emma, who was ridden by Mike Smith.

It was the 11^th stakes win of the meeting for Prat, two short of the track's single-season record for jockeys with eight more black-type events on the calendar. It also moved Prat back into a tie with Umberto Rispoli atop the rider standings with 36 wins each.

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Mo Forza Makes Sparkling Return In Del Mar Mile Handicap

Bardy Farm and OG Boss' Mo Forza, making his first start in seven months, looked like he'd never been away as he powered past a good field of turfers in capturing the $152,000 Del Mar Mile Sunday at Del Mar near San Diego, Calif.

The 4-year-old colt by top stallion Uncle Mo out of the Unusual Heat mare Inflamed, scored by 4 1/4 lengths under Flavien Prat in the good time of 1:33.27 for the mile and, as the 6-5 favorite, paid $4.40, $3.00 and $2.40 across the board. He is trained by Peter Miller.

This was the 34th running of the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile and it rewarded its winner with a purse of $90,000, pushing his bankroll to $614,460. The bay has now won five of his 11 starts, four of those victories coming in stakes races, including the Hollywood Derby last fall at Del Mar.

“Peter (trainer Miller) and I talked before the race and we noted that there looked like a lot of speed in the race,” said Prat. “That turned out true. He told me he took his blinkers off and he was hoping for the best. I had a good trip; my horse was relaxed. Then, when I say 'Go,' he had a really strong response.”

“That gave me goose pimples,” said Miller. “I was just hoping I had him tight enough and ready to perform. These were a good group of horses, but he's exceptional. To see this horse back in the winner's circle is really exciting. He had a tendency to get rank in his races last year and wanted to run over horses, so we thought we didn't want that problem this year so we took the blinkers off. He's been working without them and I thought that if it doesn't work out I'm going to look like an idiot, but thank goodness it worked out. We think the Breeders' Cup will definitely be the end of the year with one race in between.”

Bardy Farm is the nom du course for former trainer and breeder Barry Abrams, who raced horses for many years with great success on the Southern California circuit. He is home battling cancer these days but this horse – who Abrams also bred – had to pick his head up for sure. His partner in the colt is Onofrio Pecoraro of San Diego.

Finishing second in the feature was Kelly Brinkerhoff and Bog Grayson, Jr.'s Restrainedvengence and third was Fox Hill Farms and Siena Farm's Royal Ship.

The riding and training stars of the day were Prat and Miller, who combined to win three races on the 11-race card. Besides Mo Forza they also clicked with Querelle ($4.60) in the 2nd Race and Worthy Turk ($8.20) in the 7th. Prat is now second-leading rider at the meet with 34 wins after 19 days of racing. Miller leads the trainers' list with 18 firsts. Prat has been Del Mar's top rider on three different occasions, while Miller has been the leading conditioner seven times.

The stakes win was the 10th of the meet for rider Prat, but his first in the Del Mar Mile. He now has 54 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the third of the meet for trainer Miller, but his first in the Del Mar Mile. He now has 32 stakes wins at Del Mar.

Nobody could solve the Pick Six mystery on Sunday resulting in a $89,465 carryover and a $19,171 Jackpot carryover when racing resumes Friday at Del Mar starting at 2 p.m.

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Mo Forza, Galilean Top Field Of 11 For Sunday’s Del Mar Mile

Eleven turf runners will match strides Sunday in the featured Grade II, $150,000 Del Mar Mile Handicap. The 34th edition of the stakes goes as Race No. 9 on an 11-race program that is off and running at 2 p.m.

A pair of 4-year-old colts sired by the high-line Kentucky stallion Uncle Mo loom as the likely favorites in the test – Bardy Farm or O G Boss's Mo Forza and West Point Thoroughbreds, Barker, et al's Galilean. Not surprisingly, they've drawn the top two jockeys at the current session with current leading rider Umberto Rispoli on Galilean and second-leading rider Flavien Prat on Mo Forza.

Here's the full field for the eight-panel spin with weights, riders and morning line odds:

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stable's The Black Album (120, Abel Cedillo, 12-1); Claiborne Farm, Bass or Dilschneider, et al's Bombard (120, Drayden Van Dyke, 10-1); Galilean (120, 9/2); Mo Forza (123, 7/2); Masino Racing Stable's Dreams of Valor (117, Edwin Maldonado, 20-1); Red Barons Barn and Rancho Temescal's Sharp Samurai (124, Brice Blanc, 6-1); Fox Hill Farms or Siena Farms' Royal Ship (121, Mike Smith, 5-1); Brinkerhoff or Grayson Jr.'s Restrainedvengence (120, Tiago Pereira, 10-1); H & E Ranch's Overdue (119, Juan Hernandez, 12-1); Victor Trujillo's Kiwi's Dream (120, Ricardo Gonzalez, 8-1), and Zayat Stables' Bob and Jackie (121, Heriberto Figueroa, 12-1).

Mo Forza took six races to break his maiden, but once he did last September at Santa Anita, the bay went on a roll. He won three stakes in a row, including the Hollywood Derby at Del Mar last November 30. He hasn't raced in seven months, but has been training well of late at Del Mar for conditioner Peter Miller and looms a serious threat for the Sunday headliner.

Galilean comes into the race off a tally in the California Dreamin' Stakes at Del Mar on July 26. Prior to that he captured the Soi Phet Stakes at Los Alamitos in June. The $600,000 2-year-old-in-training purchase is now handled by trainer John Sadler and has run well for him in four starts this year. Interestingly, Prat rode Galilean in his California Dreamin' score, but now switches to Mo Forza for the Del Mar Mile.

The topweight in the field, Sharp Samurai, comes into the race off a good second-place finish behind turf ace United in the Eddie Read Stakes here on July 26. The 6-year-old gelding by First Samurai, a winner of eight races and $881,270, also is entered in Saturday's Grade I, $500,000 TVG Pacific Classic. Trainer Mark Glatt will have to make his choice at some point on Saturday as to which dance his old pro will be going in. Racetrack speculation had him staying in the “Classic.”

The Brazilian-bred Royal Ship, a son of 2008 Del Mar Futurity winner and 2-year-old champion Midshipman, will be making his U.S. debut in the mile. He was a multiple-stakes winner in his native land, winning most recently in the Group I Estado do Rio de Janeiro at Gavea Racecourse in Rio. He's won five of his seven lifetime starts. Richard Mandella has been training the horse for his North American bow.

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