Phil D'Amato | Horse Racing Free Tips

Smooth Like Strait ‘On Top of His Game,’ Seeking Shoemaker Repeat

Cannon Thoroughbreds' Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute) will attempt to defend his title in the GI Shoemaker Mile–a Win and You're In event for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile–when he faces five rivals in the Santa Anita contest Monday. The 5-year-old, the 4-5 morning-line favorite, was runner-up in four graded events following last year's Shoemaker, setting the pace before getting past late by Space Blues in the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Mile. Making his 2022 debut, he set the pace before ending up third in a blanket finish in the Apr. 15 GI Makers Mark Mile at Keeneland last time out.

“It seems like he's on top of his game,” said trainer Michael McCarthy.

Phil D'Amato will saddle three of the six runners in the Shoemaker Mile, led by Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm's Count Again (Awesome Again). The 7-year-old went to the sidelines after earning top-level success in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile last March and was closing into a slow pace when a close-up sixth while making his return in the Marker's Mark Mile. He could get a pace assist from stablemate Dance Some Mo (Uncle Mo) Monday.

Rockingham Ranch's Masteroffoxhounds (War Front), winner of last year's GII San Marcos S. over the Santa Anita turf course, turns back to a mile off a runner-up effort in the Apr. 30 GII Charles Whittingham S. for trainer Richard Baltas. The 5-year-old will be making his first start for D'Amato Monday.

The post Smooth Like Strait ‘On Top of His Game,’ Seeking Shoemaker Repeat appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

‘Memories’ Meets ‘Love’ in Honeymoon

The top two 3-year-old turf fillies in California will face off for the first time along with five other foes in Sunday's nine-furlong GIII Honeymoon S. on the Santa Anita lawn.

Cairo Memories (Cairo Prince), named a 'TDN Rising Star' for a 4 1/2-length debut victory Sept. 5 at Del Mar, the $50,000 Keeneland September purchase backed that up with 2 1/4-length tally in the local Surfer Girl S. before finishing ninth with a troubled trip in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Switched to dirt, the gray was a half-length second in Los Alamitos's GI Starlet S., but finished seventh, beaten 24 lengths in the local GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 6. Returning to turf here Apr. 9, she went to the lead for the first time and responded with a dominant 4 1/2-length conquest of the GIII Providencia S. A repeat of the 90 Beyer she earned in that effort would make the Bob Hess Jr. trainee tough in here.

Her main competition is rail-drawn Island of Love (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). Two-for-two by a combined 9 1/2 lengths over the span of just 10 days to open her career for Alessandro Botti last September in Italy, the bay was runner-up at 4-5 in the Lady Shamrock S. making her North American debut here Jan. 30 before checking in fourth in the China Doll S. as the favorite Mar. 6. The Phil D'Amato pupil then broke through in America with a 2 1/4-length triumph in the GIII Senorita S. going a mile on this course May 7.

The Coolmore connections' Ballet Dancing (Medaglia d'Oro) looks to have some upside for trainer Simon Callaghan. Bought for $800,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, the bay was third with a slow break and wide trip debuting over a turfy mile here Oct. 15 and rallied from ninth with a quarter-mile to go to break her maiden over the same course and distance May 7.

The post ‘Memories’ Meets ‘Love’ in Honeymoon appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Oaks Finishers All Well on Saturday; Preakness Next for Oath?

More than 12 hours after winning his fifth GI Kentucky Oaks with Briland Farm's Secret Oath (Arrogate), Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas was back on his pony leading his horses out to train Saturday morning at 5:15 a.m. He reported that his star filly came out of the race well and now has several options ahead of her, including the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. and the GI Preakness Stakes May 20 and 21, respectively at Pimlico.

“She bounced back very quickly last night and she's very sharp here this morning,” Lukas said. “Looks very good. We're tickled to see her come out of that tough race and to be bouncing around here this morning. She's excellent.

“I'm going to let a few days go by and then I'll get with (owner) Rob Mitchell. I'll let him have an opinion. The Preakness is an option, but so is the Black-Eyed Susan. The big difference is a million dollars and a Grade I. Would be nice to get her a second Grade I.

“She ran a picture-perfect race, a beautiful trip. It kind of went the way we had mapped it out. When Luis moved into position down the backstretch, I told (my wife) Laurie that we were going to be okay.”

Lukas scratched his Kentucky Derby entry Ethereal Road (Quality Road) on Friday and said the Preakness might also be a possibility for him.

“I thought if I ran him today (in the Derby), I'd have no shot of going on with him,” Lukas said. “I have run him a lot between Oaklawn and Keeneland. I didn't think he'd win, so I took him out and now we have the option of the Preakness.”

Pletcher Trio In Good Form

The Todd Pletcher trio of second-placed Nest (Curlin), sixth-placed 'TDN Rising Star' Shahama (Munnings) and the 11th-placed Goddess of Fire (Mineshaft) all came back in good form, Pletcher said Saturday morning, and will most likely all head to his Belmont Park base.

“They're all likely to be headed up to New York,” said Pletcher. “We've got to do some checking on flight schedules, but they'll be headed out in the next little while.”

Third-Place Desert Dawn Eats Up

Exercise rider Roman Cecher was overseeing business at 5:15 Saturday morning at Barn 43 where H and E Ranch's Arizona-bred Desert Dawn (Cupid) had set up shop this past week in anticipation of her start in the Oaks.

Trainer Phil D'Amato said he was exhilarated after his filly's third-place finish, worth $113,750 to her connections. She finished 2 1/2 lengths behind winner Secret Oath and just a half-length back of second-place Nest.

“She came back from the race really well,” Cecher said. “She ate everything up last night. The filly ran huge for us and we thought she was going to get second. Everybody was very pleased.” He said that plans for Desert Dawn were still to be decided.

The connections of all of the other Oaks runners reported no problems with their fillies Saturday morning.

The post Oaks Finishers All Well on Saturday; Preakness Next for Oath? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Cupid Filly Plays Santa Anita Oaks Spoiler

While Saturday's GII Santa Anita Oaks seemed all but a procession for 13-length GIII Las Virgenes S. romper Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) in her first start since being transferred from Bob Baffert to Tim Yakteen, Desert Dawn (Cupid)–the longest shot in the field of five at higher than 14-1 odds–had other ideas. Desert Dawn broke well from the fence before tucking in to sit third as her seemingly much more formidable stablemate Ain't Easy (Into Mischief) set off to show the way with the imposing presence of Adare Manor looming to her outside. The leading duo opened several lengths on their competition down the backside through splits of :23.05 and :46.46. Adare Manor quickly went from looking like a sure thing to in deep water as pilot John Velazquez hit the gas but seemed to not quite find the response he was looking for. Desert Dawn then ranged up to join the others three deep, and kicked clear in upper stretch. Adare Manor found more to battle back through the stretch, but she could never quite regain her momentum and Desert Dawn crossed the wire a neck to the good. Ain't Easy checked in a distant third.

“I have been working this horse. I knew this filly was better than that last year,” said winning pilot Umberto Rispoli. “I knew we needed that last race and I felt the last work (6f, 1:13.40, 1/4) was better than shown. I just wanted to keep her outside and I knew the pace would set up really well for her. We started to move at the 3/8 pole and she fought every step of the way. She gave me the Santa Anita Oaks and now it is on to Kentucky!”

A second-out graduate going a mile at Del Mar last August, Desert Dawn was third in October's GII Chandelier S. behind Ain't Easy over track and trip before checking in last of sixth behind Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 5. She was fourth to the Baffert-trained Eda (Munnings) in both the GI Starlet S. at Los Al Dec. 4 and again in the local GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 5.

“She's an honest filly,” conditioner Phil D'Amato said of the winner, who earned 100 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points. “I always thought once she'd get her scenario it'd work out for her, and I think the longer the better. Umberto's been breezing her and her last drill was probably her best drill to date, so it all worked out.”

Saturday, Santa Anita
SANTA ANITA OAKS-GII, $400,000, Santa Anita, 4-9, 3yo, f,
1 1/16m, 1:43.50, ft.
1–DESERT DAWN, 124, f, 3, by Cupid
                1st Dam: Ashley's Glory, by Honour and Glory
                2nd Dam: Ashley Secret, by Dr. Carter
                3rd Dam: Whatever It Takes, by Hatchet Man
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($32,000
RNA Ylg '20 OBSOCT). O/B-H and E Ranch, Inc.; T-Philip
D'Amato; J-Umberto Rispoli. $240,000. Lifetime Record:
7-2-0-2, $378,400. *2nd graded winner, fourth black-type
winner for sire (by Tapit). Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Adare Manor, 124, f, 3, Uncle Mo–Brooklynsway, by Giant
Gizmo. ($180,000 Ylg '20 FTKFEB; $190,000 RNA Ylg '20 FTKSEL;
$375,000 2yo '21 OBSOPN). O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-Town
& Country Horse Farms, LLC & Gary Broad (KY); T-Tim Yakteen.
$80,000.
3–Ain't Easy, 124, f, 3, Into Mischief–Ameristralia (Aus), by
Fastnet Rock (Aus). 'TDN Rising Star' ($400,000 Ylg '20
KEESEP). O-Old Bones Racing Stable, LLC, Michael V. Lombardi
and Joey Platts; B-Spendthrift Farm, LLC (KY); T-Philip D'Amato.
$48,000.
Margins: NK, 7HF, 3HF. Odds: 14.60, 0.70, 3.70.
Also Ran: Under the Stars, Micro Share. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
Desert Dawn is the second graded stakes winner, and one of four black-type scorers, from her sire (by Tapit)'s first crop. Honour and Glory is the broodmare sire of 35 graded/group winners, including MGISW West Coast (Flatter) and blue hen Justwhistledixie (Dixie Union).

A rare Arizona-bred to compete at the graded level, Desert Dawn is out of a mare who was a five-time winner at Finger Lakes. Ashley's Glory's last listed foal is a yearling filly by Mineshaft.

The post Cupid Filly Plays Santa Anita Oaks Spoiler appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post