Phil D'Amato | Horse Racing Free Tips

Hollendorfer, With Frank Stronach As New Client, Well-Stocked For Oaklawn Meet

Southern California-based trainers flourished last year at Oaklawn, with two finishing in the top 10 in the standings.

Horses for John Sadler were scheduled to arrive at the Hot Springs, Ark., track on Sunday in advance of the 57-day meeting that is scheduled to begin Friday, Jan. 22. Sadler, in his Oaklawn debut, won 15 races in 2020 to finish fifth in the trainer standings. Horses for another Southern California-based trainer, Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, have been on the grounds since late December under the direction of his longtime assistant, Dan Ward. Hollendorfer wintered at Oaklawn for the first time in 2020 and recorded 12 victories to finish eighth in the standings.

“We finished good,” Ward said Sunday morning. “We were in the top 10. We ran a lot of horses and we stayed safe and finished up good.”

Hollendorfer has more horsepower this year, roughly 40 head, including several holdovers from the 2020 meeting and seven for a high-profile new client, Frank Stronach.

A 2008 Eclipse Award winner as the country's outstanding owner, Stronach has campaigned, among others, 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, champions Ginger Punch, Perfect Sting and Macho Uno, Breeders' Cup Classic winner Awesome Again and Preakness winner Red Bullet. Stronach also campaigned Spun Sugar, winner of the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) for older fillies and mares in 2006 at Oaklawn.

Stronach's 2021 Oaklawn contingent is headed by Green Light Go, who won the $200,000 Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) for 2-year-olds in 2019 at Saratoga when with trainer Jimmy Jerkens. Unraced since mid-May, Green Light Go has recorded two workouts at Oaklawn, the last a five-furlong move from the gate in 1:00.20 Wednesday.

“He's coming along good,” Ward said.

Sunny Dale, a three-time winner last year at Oaklawn, has also recorded two local works in advance of her 5-year-old debut. The well-traveled Sunny Dale ran fifth in the $125,000 Carousel Stakes for older female sprinters last April at Oaklawn and completed her 2020 campaign with a fifth-place finish in the $80,000 Floral Park Stakes Oct. 17 at Belmont Park.

“We freshened her up a little bit and she's doing good,” Ward said.

Another 2020 Oaklawn winner, Awesome Anywhere, could resurface late in the meeting, Ward said. Awesome Anywhere ran six furlongs in 1:08.76 to capture a starter-allowance race last March at Oaklawn and closed 2020 with a runner-up finish in the $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes Sept. 12 at Monmouth Park.

Hollendorfer entered seven horses for the first two days of racing, including Causeway Jones in an entry-level allowance sprint for 3-year-olds on Saturday. Hollendorfer and two partners privately purchased the Creative Cause colt following a 7 ½-length debut victory Dec. 18 at Remington Park. Causeway Jones also has two published works at Oaklawn.

“We noticed last year that we started running better once we worked a couple of times over the track,” Ward said. “We got here like (Jan. 16) and a lot of starters didn't even have a work over the track. We got here earlier and have gotten two or three breezes over the track – most of them – and I think that will help.”

Hollendorfer has 18 career victories at Oaklawn, including four stakes (all graded). The stakes victories include Blind Luck in the $300,000 Fantasy Stakes (G2) in 2010. Blind Luck was named the country's champion 3-year-old filly of 2010.

Southern California-based trainers Phil D'Amato and Peter Miller also have horses on the grounds in advance of the 2021 meet. They each won five races last year at Oaklawn.

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Leggs Galore Rolls To Fourth In A Row In Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint

Never headed at any point, owner William Sims' homebred Leggs Galore sped to an emphatic 3 ¼-length win in Saturday's $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Ricky Gonzalez, Leggs Galore got six furlongs out of Santa Anita's new turf chute in 1:08.90 while collecting her fourth consecutive win.

Presented by John Deere, the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint is part of the CTBA's lucrative Golden State Series for eligible older fillies and mares bred or sired in California.

Breaking from post position two in a field of nine, Leggs Galore went right to the lead, enjoyed a one length advantage three furlongs from home and easily repelled a challenge mid-way around the turn from Mo See Cal to register her first stakes victory.

“I knew it was going to be hard for them to beat her,” said Gonzalez. “She was doing it so easily, and running so relaxed. She had a lot left in the tank…The trip went exactly how it was planned, and it couldn't have gone any better. She loved it.”

A 4-year-old daughter of Bayern, out of the Indian Charlie mare Cashing Tickets, Leggs Galore had been idle since taking a first condition allowance in open company going 5 ½ furlongs on turf here Oct. 10. Ridden for the third consecutive time by Gonzalez, Leggs Galore was off as the second choice at 5-2 and paid $7.60, $4.60 and $2.80.

“She runs very well fresh and she'd been training as good as she can possibly train, so I was expecting a big performance, but that was pretty impressive today,” said D'Amato. “I think being able to steadily develop her and the turf has moved her up here…Jack Sims has been really good with that and I think that helped with the success today.”

Winless in two tries versus open maiden allowance company at Oaklawn Park in March and April, Leggs Galore is now unbeaten in four Southern California starts and is thus four for six. With today's winning purse of $90,000, she increased her earnings to $202,208.

Far back early, the second and third place finishers closed well but never threatened the winner.

Off at 7-1 with Joel Rosario, Nardini paid $6.00 and $3.60 while finishing a half length in front of Warren's Showtime.

The 6-5 favorite with Juan Hernandez, Warren's Showtime found her best stride late to be third by a head over She's Devoted and returned $2.20 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.84, 45.09 and 56.84.

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Charmaine’s Mia Takes Las Cienegas In Southern California Debut

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, since mid-summer, Agave Racing Stable's Charmaine's Mia came to play on Saturday at Santa Anita, as she opened up around the far turn and was never challenged thereafter in registering an impressive 2 ½ length tally in the Grade 3, $100,000 Las Cienegas Stakes. Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke and trained by Phil D'Amato, Charmaine's Mia got six furlongs in 1:07.81 on the Arcadia, Calif., track's turf course.

Breaking alertly from her number two post position out of Santa Anita's new turf chute, Charmaine's Mia was immediately head and head with Bohemian Bourbon to her inside, while Superstition tracked a close third while three-deep to the far turn.

From there, Charmaine's Mia put away Bohemian Bourbon and although even money favorite Jolie Olimpica kicked into gear from off the pace late, she never threatened the winner who won with her ears pinned.

“I've never been on her before, but Phil told me she was working lights-out,” said Van Dyke. “She was sitting on a big race, that's all I knew about her. He said 'Play the break wherever you are, and go from there.' She was doing it so easy, she had her ears pricked up and she was enjoying herself, so I wasn't taking anything away from her.

“I knew she was going to show another gear at the top of the lane, if I had any competition behind me that was going to run me down, but I had too much horse for them to catch me. She ran a hell of a race.”

Second in a six-turf furlong turf allowance at Woodbine on Oct. 24, Charmaine's Mia, who notched her first graded stakes win in her fourth try, was off at 16-1 in a field of six and paid $35.40, $9.80 and $6.00.

“I've learned with some of these horses coming in from Woodbine, that because they've got a deeper turf up there, this is their first chance to run over a firm turf and sometimes, they just float over it and she did just that,” said D'Amato, who's had good success with horses coming from Woodbine over the past several years. “She had trained phenomenally well on the training track here. I haven't had a horse get over this training track this well since (multiple Grade 1 winner) Obviously.”

A 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by The Factor, out of the Bernstein mare Charming Vixen, Charmaine's Mia posted her fifth win from 26 starts and with the winner's share of $60,000, increased her earnings to $232,976.

Brazilian-bred Jolie Olimpica, who won last year's Las Cienegas and had been idle since July 11, didn't show her customary zip but rallied from fifth to be second by a half length over Lighthouse. Ridden by Mike Smith, Jolie Olimpica paid $2.80 and $2.40.

Although she finished third, Lighthouse, who was ridden by Umberto Rispoli, was disqualified for interference shortly before the horses came out of the chute, causing Oleksandra to clip heels, unseating Joel Rosario. (Oleksandra finished the race in good order while rider-less and although he was forced to miss the last race on the card, Rosario was on his feet immediately and checked out okay at the track's First Aid station).

As a result of the disqualification, Superstition, who was ridden by Flavien Prat, became the official third place finisher and paid $3.20 to show.

Fractions on the race were 21.58, 43.80 and 55.63.

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San Gabriel Likely Kicks Off Final Racing Season For 7-Year-Old Stakes Veteran Bowies Hero

Phil D'Amato had four horses nominated to Saturday's Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes but entered two in the 1 1/8-mile turf test for 4-year-olds and up at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

They are Bowies Hero and Count Again.

The latter is far from the proverbial empty stall, a two-time graded stakes winner that only joined the D'Amato barn recently and won the G2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar, but Bowies Hero has a more intriguing story line.

The 7-year-old bay has a most remarkable record, a tale straight out of racing fiction.

Consider:

After winning a maiden special weight race by 5 ¾ lengths in his first start, going 7 ½ furlongs on turf at Lone Star Park on July 16, 2016, the son of outstanding turf miler Artie Schiller has run only in stakes, 26 in a row.

Artie Schiller defeated Leroidesanimaux in the 2005 Breeders' Cup Mile under the late Garrett Gomez, who would have turned 49 on Jan. 1.

However, Leroidesanimaux won the Eclipse Award that year as top turf horse by three votes over Artie Schiller, a 2001 foal who in 2007 was retired to stud in Kentucky but stood last year in Australia for $11,000.

The Brazilian-bred Leroidesanimaux (king of animals in French) died as a stallion at Newmarket, England, in 2016 at the age of 16.

Bowies Hero has won seven races since his debut victory, including two Grade 1's, the Kilroe Mile in 2018 and the Shadwell Turf Mile in 2019. He worked five furlongs on the training track last Sunday in 1:02.

Add to his remarkable achievement the fact that the Kentucky-bred owned by a partnership that includes Agave Racing Stable, ERJ Racing LLC and Madaket Stables LLC remains a full horse, meaning he still could one day serve at stud.

“Bowies Hero gives his best pretty much every time,” said D'Amato, who fell one victory shy (11-10) of tying Richard Baltas for the training title at the recent Del Mar meet.

Fans should enjoy Bowies Hero while they can because 2021 will probably be the unsung campaigner's final season of racing.

“He's a neat horse to have around the barn but this will probably be his last year of racing,” said D'Amato, who has trained Bowies Hero since just after his first race.

Bowies Hero fancies a stalking style, but has rallied from well off the pace to close with a rush, all save his first race coming at a mile or longer.

He has run in 17 races at a mile, winning six, compiling an enviable overall 8-2-3 record from 27 starts for earnings of $1,588,720.

“Who knows, maybe we can find a stud career for him, but he's doing really well and just a cool horse to train,” D'Amato continued. ”Right after his maiden victory he was bought privately and I've had him ever since.”

And it's been a match made in heaven.

The San Gabriel, race seven: Cleopatra's Strike, Kent Desormeaux, 15-1; Next Shares, Jose Valdivia Jr., 4-1; Bob and Jackie, Heriberto Figueroa, 4-1; Multiplier, Abel Cedillo, 12-1; Count Again, Juan Hernandez, 2-1; Anothertwistafate, Joel Rosario, 5-2; and Bowies Hero, Flavien Prat, 6-1.

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