Racing | Horse Racing Free Tips

Octane Powers To Victory In Affirmed At Gulfstream

Octane set a quick early pace, but the Arindel homebred had plenty left in the tank for the stretch on his way to a commanding 3 ¼ -length victory in the $200,000 Affirmed at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Affirmed, a seven-furlong open-division sprint, and the $200,000 Affirmed, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies, co-headlined Saturday's second leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes for juveniles sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida.

Octane, one of four Arindel homebred sons of Brethren in an 11-horse field, broke alertly from his rail position and rushed up to lead along the backstretch, pressed by Lightning Larry and stalked by Big and Classy, $100,000 FSS Dr. Fager winner Cajun's Magic, and King Cab. Octane set fractions of :22.50 and :45.24 for the first half-mile with Cajun's Magic looming prominently in pursuit turning into the stretch. The Dr. Fager winner gave it his best shot, but Octane kicked clear through the stretch under Emisael Jaramillo to complete the seven furlongs in 1:25.16.

Cajun's Magic, the 7-5 favorite, finished second under Jesus Rios, three lengths ahead of Big and Classy and jockey Edwin Gonzalez.

Octane, who finished second in his June 18 debut, was coming off a July 17 maiden victory in which he overcame traffic and fractious behavior at the starting gate.

“I love this little horse. He's small but he has a ton of heart,” trainer Carlos David said. “He was a little bit nervous prior to his second start. He was a little wild behind the gate. I had to put a lot of gate work into him and teach him to stand right. He's got some growing up to do, but I think he's going to be all right.”

Octane, who was sent to post at 10-1, was stretching out two furlongs from his five-furlong maiden score.

“I think the workout he had about a week ago was key. It was five furlongs, galloping out three-quarters in 1:13. That told me that he can definitely get the distance. I was very confident coming into this race,” David said.

The 2021 Florida Sire Stakes series will conclude Sept. 25 at Gulfstream with the open-division $400,000 In Reality and the $400,000 My Dear Girl for fillies. Both races will be run around two turns at 1 1/16 miles.

“I know the next leg is a mile-and-sixteenth, so it is challenging. I'll have to talk to the connections. Arindel has been great. They've given me the opportunity to train for them,” David said. “We have great communication. We'll talk about it and make a plan.”

The post Octane Powers To Victory In Affirmed At Gulfstream appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Lopez Caps Record-Tying Day With Win On Vigilantes Way In Miss Liberty

It may be true that records are made to be broken, but jockey Paco Lopez keeps tying his own one at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Lopez matched the record he set twice in 2014 by winning seven races on Saturday's 14-race card, capping the performance with a half-length victory aboard Vigilantes Way in the $100,000 Miss Liberty Stakes.

Lopez, well on his way to an eighth Monmouth Park riding title, won five consecutive races spanning the fifth through ninth races before matching his track record in the co-featured Miss Liberty Stakes aboard the heavily-favored Vigilantes Way.

Trained by Shug McGaughey, Vigilantes Way rebounded from a loss in the Grade 1 Diana in her last start. Prior to that, she won the Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth Park on June 20.

In the co-featured $100,000 Rainbow Heir Stakes at 5½ furlongs on the turf, Belgrano found an opening along the rail early in the stretch and burst through for a two-length victory. It marked the first time 79-year-old trainer Frank Russo saddled a winner in a six-figure race.

But the day belong to Lopez, the runaway leader in the Monmouth Park jockey standings with 72. Isaac Castillo, who rode Belgrano to victory, is second with 40 winners.

“I think I was very lucky today,” said Lopez, who won the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks aboard R Adios Jersey on Friday night. “You look at these last couple of horses I won with and they handled the track. It's a little wet both on the dirt and turf. I'm lucky this horse (Vigilantes Way) likes this grass course.

“When I looked at the horses I was riding today I felt good. I felt quite a few had a shot. I am very grateful to do this again. I guess the next thing I have to get to is eight wins here.”

Vigilantes Way covered the mile and a sixteenth over a turf course listed as “good” in 1:43.14, having just enough to hold off the late-running Miss Teheran. It was another 1½ lengths back in third to Counterparty Risk.

The victory was the sixth in 14 career starts for the 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro, who was bred and is owned by the Phipps Stable. She is 2-for-2 on the Monmouth turf course.

“I was pleased with the way she ran,” said McGaughey. “It was a little bit different. She was stuck there for a minute but Paco Lopez worked out of it and we beat a nice filly who was second.

“I think she likes the quick turns. She does like Monmouth but the quick turns seem to suit her, because she has run good at Pimlico. She handles about any type of turf course. So when it rained a little, it didn't bother her. I think we'll try her in the Violate Stakes (Sept. 25 at Monmouth Park) next.”

Vigilantes Way returned $3.20 to win in the field of six fillies and mares, three and up.

Belgrano, who won the Virgil “Buddy” Raines Stakes at Monmouth Park a year ago, earned his fourth win in six starts on the track's turf course. The 7-year-old gelding was coming off a six-length win in handicap company at a mile, with the shorter distance proving to be no issue. He finished two lengths ahead of Grateful Bred, who was a neck better than The Connector.

Belgrano returned $8.40 to win in the field of nine 3-year-olds, flashing under the wire in 1:02.52.

“After this race, I think I can say for sure that this is the best horse I have ever had,” said Russo, who has been training since 1976. “I thought it might be tough for him at the end, especially going shorter, but he sort of got his way at the beginning of the stretch when the rail opened. It was a perfect trip.

“It's a great feeling. This is the biggest race (purse-wise) I have ever won. I was worried about the rain. If it was off the turf we were out. So I'm happy it stayed on the grass. I think he is at his best right now. Could not be happier with him than I am right now.”

The post Lopez Caps Record-Tying Day With Win On Vigilantes Way In Miss Liberty appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Outfoxed Outstanding In Susan’s Girl At Gulfstream

LNJ Foxwoods' Outfoxed was a standout Saturday at Gulfstream Park, graduating in her second lifetime start by 13 ½ lengths in the $200,000 Susan's Girl at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Susan's Girl, a seven-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies, and the $200,000 Affirmed, a seven-furlong open-division sprint, co-headlined Saturday's second leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes for juveniles sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the daughter of Valiant Minister who had finished third in a July 31 maiden special weight race at Saratoga in her debut, scored by the largest margin in the history of the Susan's Girl, eclipsing Ivanavinalot's 2002 record of 10 lengths.

“The racing manager Alex Solis let me know she was eligible for the race, and he kept me updated on potential runners,” said Mott from Saratoga. “He kind of left it in my hands. We could run her in a maiden race up here in Saratoga or down there. We thought it was a good spot, and it turned out to be.”

Sent to post as the 7-5 favorite in a field of 11 fillies, Outfoxed turned in a thoroughly professional performance under Gulfstream's leading rider Edgard Zayas, once she reluctantly loaded into the starting gate. The filly covered the seven furlongs effortlessly in 1:23.81.

“She was super good before the race. It was just getting into the gate,” said Zayas following his fifth FSS winning ride. “Once she got to the gate, she got a little nervous. After that, she was perfect, all class.”

Outfoxed, a $360,000 purchase at the 2020 OBS October sale, settled off the pace set by Devilette and contested by Noble Drama and Rachel's Rock along the backstretch with $100,000 FSS Desert Vixen winner My Sassenach and Sequin Lady not far behind. Devilette posted fractions of :23.06 for the first quarter and :45.28 for the first half mile as Outfoxed launched a three-wide sweep to the lead. The Mott trainee kicked in through the stretch to graduate impressively.

“She broke good out of the gate. She dropped back a little bit. There was plenty of pace. A seven-furlong race can be very hard on 2-year-old fillies, so I let her sit a little,” Zayas said. “At the half-mile [pole], I didn't want to go too wide, so I tucked her in a little bit. After that, she was taking me very nice. She was very impressive.”

Devilette, who was ridden by Cristian Torres, held gamely to finish second, 1 ¼ lengths ahead of My Sassenach and jockey Miguel Vasquez.

Outfoxed was only the second horse to represent Mott in the tradition-rich series. His only other FSS starter was Inner Light, who finished seventh in the 2017 In Reality.

When asked if Outfoxed will run in the $400,000 My Dear Girl division of the Sire Stakes Sept. 25 around two turns at 1 1/16 miles, Mott replied, “We will have to make a decision on that pretty soon.”

The post Outfoxed Outstanding In Susan’s Girl At Gulfstream appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

O’Neill Starters To Face Off With Medina Spirit, Rock Your World In Shared Belief

Who knew that Bob Baffert was going to supplement disputed Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit to run in Sunday's $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.?

“I knew it weeks ago,” said John Sadler, who switched targets with Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World from the Del Mar Derby to the Shared Belief and beat Baffert to the announcement by a few days. “It was the worst kept secret in the stable area.”

Without the benefit of the grapevine, trainer Doug O'Neill figured out the Medina Spirit entry a couple of weeks ago. It was the Rock Your World commitment that came as something of a surprise to O'Neill.

“When Medina Spirit worked 1:11 and change (6f, 1:11.80 on August 12), I assumed that's where he was headed,” O'Neill said Friday morning. “I didn't know about Rock Your World.”

The developments were of great interest, of course, since O'Neill had two of his own charges set for the one-mile main track test for 3-year-olds.

“What a tough spot with the Kentucky Derby winner and the Santa Anita Derby winner,” O'Neill conceded.

O'Neill's entrants are Team Merchants, J. Paul Reddam homebred son of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist and The Great One, another son of Nyquist owned by Erik Johnson, a defenseman with National Hockey League's Colorado Avalanche, and partners.

Team Merchants posted a half-length victory at 6 ½ furlongs on the opening day of the meeting, July 16, that was his second win in four career starts. The Great One opened his 3-year-old campaign with a 14-length maiden-race victory at Santa Anita in January, but was overmatched and overwhelmed in both the Grade 2 San Felipe and Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.

“Team Merchants we're looking to stretch his ability out to two turns – win, lose or draw,” O'Neill said. “The Great One just needs a place to run. He's ready to get back to the races and we've been targeting this one for awhile. It's a good place to start for steps down the road.”

The Great One was beaten 16 ¾ lengths by Life Is Good and eight by Medina Spirit in the San Felipe. The margins were 20 ½ behind Rock Your World and 15 ¾ by Medina Spirit in the Santa Anita Derby.

“It was all mental, physically he was OK,” O'Neill said. “One of the owners has a beautiful place in Ocala, FL, so we sent him down there for about six weeks to freshen him up. He's been back and is training good and looking good. Whether he's good enough to beat these guys is a real question, but we're excited to have him back at the races.”

The field for the Shared Belief Stakes from the rail with jockeys and morning line odds in parentheses: Willy The Cobbler (Victor Espinoza, 20-1); Medina Spirit (John Velazquez, 7/5); Rock Your World (Umberto Rispoli, 8/5); Team Merchants (Mario Gutierrez, 5-1); The Great One (Flavien Prat, 6-1), and Stilleto Boy (Kent Desormeaux, 6-1).

While post position isn't likely to prove crucial, Rock Your World's trainer John Sadler said he was glad to be outside Medina Spirit as the marquee runners drew side-by-side posts.

“It will give us options,” Sadler said.

The post O’Neill Starters To Face Off With Medina Spirit, Rock Your World In Shared Belief appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post