Pimlico | Horse Racing Free Tips

McPeek Still Deciding Whether Swiss Skydiver Will Start In Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes

Trainer Ken McPeek has heard the news about Tiz the Law's connections deciding to skip the Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes, but told the Daily Racing Form on Tuesday that he has not yet decided whether his stable's star filly, Kentucky Oaks runner-up Swiss Skydiver, will head to Pimlico.

“The filly has had a really good week,” McPeek told the Daily Racing Form. “There's no need to make any kind of decision just yet. Let's see how she works Saturday and we'll go from there.”

Swiss Skydiver, a 3-year-old daughter of Daredevil, first faced males earlier this summer in the G2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. She finished second in the July 11 contest, beaten 3 1/2 lengths by fellow Preakness hopeful Art Collector. Since then, Swiss Skydiver posted a 3 1/2-length victory in the G1 Alabama and finished second in the Kentucky Oaks to Shedaresthedevil, beaten 1 1/2 lengths at Churchill.

McPeek said the filly will breeze at Churchill on Saturday, and expects to announce a final decision on Monday.

Other likely Preakness contenders include: Art Collector, Authentic, Mr. Big News, Pneumatic, Thousand Words, Liveyourbeastlife, and Jesus' Team. Potential entries include Mystic Guide, Dr Post, and Happy Saver.

‘We Expect A Big Effort’: Pneumatic Fires Bullet Toward Preakness

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Pneumatic continued his preparation for the 145th Preakness Stakes (G1) on Oct. 3 with a five-furlong bullet work Monday morning in company in 1:00.85 over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga.

“On this track that's about as good as horses work,” said Scott Blasi, trainer Steve Asmussen's top assistant.

The homebred son of Uncle Mo returned to trainer Asmussen's barn at Saratoga Race Course following his 2¼-length victory in the Pegasus on Aug. 15 at Monmouth Park. He has worked four times over the training track and Blasi said the colt will breeze again before shipping to Pimlico Race Course on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Under exercise rider Angel Garcia, Pneumatic worked in tandem with his Winchell Thoroughbreds stablemate Callibrate, a 2-year-old maiden winner. They turned in fractional times of :12, :23.80, :36 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.

“It was a solid five-eighths. They were out well,” Blasi said. “He's trained really good since the Pegasus at Monmouth. Off that work we expect a big effort in the Preakness.”

Pneumatic did not start as a 2-year-old. He won his debut at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 15 and followed with an allowance victory at Oaklawn on April 11. Asmussen moved him into stakes company and he finished third in the Matt Winn (G3) on May 23 at Churchill Downs and fourth in the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 20.

“He's just been a late-maturing horse,” Blasi said. “This race being later in the year has allowed him to come along and come around at his own rate. It just seemed like a good spot after the race at Monmouth.”

Pneumatic is out of Teardrop by Tapit, a stakes-placed half-sister to Pyro, the G1 winning Winchell homebred trained by Asmussen.

The post ‘We Expect A Big Effort’: Pneumatic Fires Bullet Toward Preakness appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘Yet To See The Best Of Her’: Cox Sending Bonny South To Black-Eyed Susan

Trainer Brad Cox said Juddmonte Farms' homebred Munnings filly Bonny South was rerouted from the Kentucky Oaks (G1) once it was announced in mid-August that the $250,000, Black-Eyed Susan (G2) would be on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico racecourse in Baltimore, Md.

“That was the spot that made the most sense, against 3-year-olds fillies, he said.

Cox won the Kentucky Oaks anyway with 15-1 shot Shedaresthedevil upsetting Swiss Skydiver and odds-on favorite Gamine. He said the fact that he had the Indiana Oaks (G3) winner in the Churchill Downs race had no bearing on Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) winner Bonny South, who was coming off a second behind Swiss Skydiver in Saratoga's Alabama (G1) at 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 15.

“The biggest thing with her not running in the Kentucky Oaks was coming back in 20 days, the quality of the race. It was a very, very good race,” Cox said. “Ultimately they made the decision to not run. The timing wasn't quite there. Since the Alabama, she's done really, really well.”

Bonny South worked five-eighths of a mile in 1:01 under jockey Florent Geroux Saturday morning at Churchill Downs. Cox timed her galloping out six furlongs in a strong 1:13 4/5, saying afterward, “She went fantastic. She's doing great. She's maturing. She's still somewhat lightly raced, only run six times in her life. I think we have yet to see the best of her. Hopefully she'll take a step forward. I don't know what's running in there yet, but I'd have to think she's one of the top choices.”

Cox edged two-time defending champion Steve Asmussen to collect Preakness weekend's trainer participation bonus last year, collecting $50,000. The bonus, which totals $100,000 is offered to trainers based on horses' performances in stakes races. Cox earned top prize by winning the Miss Preakness (G3) with eventual 3-year-old filly and female sprint champion Covfefe, the Allaire duPont Distaff (G3) with Mylady Curlin, second in the Black-Eyed Susan with Ulele, as well as third (Owendale) and fourth (Warrior's Charge) in the Preakness in the trainer's Triple Crown debut.

Cox has some excellent horses under consideration this year but said no final decisions have been made beyond Bonny South. The possibilities from his barn include Juliet Foxtrot for the Gallorette (G3), Mundaye Call for the Miss Preakness, and Landeskog in the Frank DeFrancis Memorial Dash (G3).

“I don't know if I'll have as many this year as last year,” he said, adding that the bonus doesn't impact running horses “but once you start running, you start watching. That's how it works out. But really, it comes down to whether the horse fits or not. We just had a really good weekend last year.”

The post ‘Yet To See The Best Of Her’: Cox Sending Bonny South To Black-Eyed Susan appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Jesus’ Team Will Be Supplemented To Preakness

Grupo 7C Stable's Jesus' Team, third in the Jim Dandy (G2) and fourth in the Haskell (G1), will be supplemented to the 145^th Preakness Stakes (G1), to be run Oct. 3 at legendary Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The decision was made, said trainer Jose D'Angelo, after the 3-year-old son of Tapiture breezed a half-mile Saturday at Monmouth Park in :47.80.

“I explained to the owner the races [available] to him and he thinks the best decision was to run in the Preakness,” D'Angelo said. He worked four furlongs very well. He's very, very good right now, and the Preakness is a great race for us.”

D'Angelo said Jesus' Team, named after the owner's son, would work again next weekend at Monmouth before heading to Pimlico

Jesus' Team broke his maiden in a $32,000 claiming event March 18 at Gulfstream Park and then won a claiming race May 8 before finishing second behind Tampa Bay Derby (G2) runner-up Sole Volante by three-quarters of a length June 10 at Gulfstream in a allowance optional claiming event. The colt then headed to Monmouth, finishing fourth, beaten 7 2/3 lengths, by eventual Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Authentic, in the Haskell, second in the Pegasus Stakes, and then finishing second at Saratoga Sept. 5 in the Jim Dandy to Mystic Guide.

“In all his races, and in all his works, I think he runs his best race last to front…only one move,” D'Angelo said. “I think that will be his best way in the Preakness.”

D'Angelo, a native of Venezuela, is the son of another Gulfstream-based trainer in Francisco D'Angelo. Francisco, a champion trainer in Venezuela, came to the U.S. in 2015. Jose worked for his father before saddling his first winner in July of 2019.

Jesus' Team is the latest to confirm participation in the Preakness. He joins Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Authentic, Blue Grass (G2) winner Art Collector, Robert Lewis (G3) winner Thousand Words, third-place Derby finisher Mr. Big News, Pegasus Stakes winner Pneumatic, and Jim Dandy (G2) runner-up Liveyourbeastlife in the field.

Others being considered for the Preakness are: Belmont (G1), Travers (G1) and Florida Derby (G1) winner Tiz the Law, Belmont runner-up Dr Post, Jim Dandy winner Mystic Guide, and Tesio Stakes winner Happy Saver.

The post Jesus’ Team Will Be Supplemented To Preakness appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post