The field for the TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance typically does not come into focus until races — particularly stakes races — get a bit longer in distance.
Tag: Racing
Brandothebartender First In California Dreamin’, Superstition Best In Daisycutter
The hard-knocking veteran Brandothebartender set 'em up and knocked 'em down late Sunday in capturing the $152,000 California Dreamin' Stakes by a half-length at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.
The 8-year-old gelding by Tribal Rule made the 46th start of his career a winner and took down the top share of $85,500 from the purse for California-breds. He now has total winnings of $772,864 after six seasons at the racetrack and a performance record that reads 46-9-7-15.
Umberto Rispoli was aboard the winner, the 12th time he's ridden him in a race. The bay veteran is trained by Craig Dollase, who got his owners to invest $40,000 in claiming him three years ago at Del Mar. The ownership group consists of Flawless Racing of Jerry Weseloh and Brian Flanagan, both of San Diego, and Michael Jarvis of Manhattan Beach, CA.
Finishing second in the mile and one-sixteenth on the turf was Barber or Wachtel Stable's Indian Peak and running third was Messineo or Sands' North County Guy.
Brandothebartender ran the distance in 1:42.55, and returned $11.40, $5.60, and $3.60 across the board. Indian Peak paid off at $6.40 and $4.20 and North County Guy paid $3.80 to show.
UMBERTO RISPOLI (Brandothebartender, winner) – “I love this horse. I know him better than my son (the rider has ridden him in 12 races). It's unbelievable. He's such a cool horse to ride. You can do anything with him – sprint, long, grass, in front, come from the back. He does it all. You just ask him and he does it. Somehow I knew Flavien (rider Flavien Prat on Indian Peak) was going to make that early lead (he went to the lead on the far turn), so I said 'I'm following him.' Then my horse did his thing. So much fun to win on him for his wonderful ownership group and to win here at Del Mar. It's all the best.”
CRAIG DOLLASE (Brandothebartender, winner) – “The owners are just a great bunch of people; we were so lucky to get this horse two years ago off the claim (for $40,000) and he has been a gem. He's such a fighter in the lane and he did it again. He's eight (years old) and he doesn't know it.”
FRACTIONS: :23.83 :48.78 1:13.85 1:36.77 1:42.55
The stakes win was the first of the meet for rider Rispoli and his first in the California Dreamin'. He now has nine stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Dollase, but his second in the California Dreamin' (Rock Me Baby, 2014). He now has 12 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owners are Flawless Racing (Jerry Weseloh of San Diego), Brian Flanagan of San Diego, and Michael Jarvis of Manhattan Beach, Calif.
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Earlier on the card, the 4-year-old filly Superstition won as the race favorite in the $90,380 Daisycutter Handicap, running five furlongs on turf in :56.89 and paying $6 to win. The daughter of Ghostzapper is owned by Perry or Ramona Bass and is trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Richard Mandella. She was handled by Del Mar's leading rider, Flavien Prat, who was scoring his third win on the afternoon.
The track's Pick Six bet was not hit again Sunday meaning there will be a carryover of $328,081 into Thursday's return to racing. First post will be 2 p.m.
The post Brandothebartender First In California Dreamin’, Superstition Best In Daisycutter appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Hard Love Likely Starter In Saratoga Derby
After finishing a distant seventh after setting the pace in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Derby on July 10, Robert V. LaPenta, Augustin Stable, and Madaket Stable's Hard Love is likely to seek redemption in the $1 million Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational, the second leg of the Turf Triple Series, on August 7 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
The bay sophomore son of Kitten's Joy previously showed tactical speed, laying in second at every call down the backstretch in his five prior starts before the Belmont Derby.
After a first-out maiden win in October at Belmont Park and a second-place finish in the Central Park at Aqueduct the following month, Hard Love returned to action with vigor when taking the Woodhaven on April 17 at the Big A. In capturing the 1 1/16-mile event, he defeated subsequent stakes winners It's a Gamble and Original as well as Sifting Sands, an impressive allowance winner on Saturday at Saratoga.
Following the Woodhaven, Hard Love defeated a salty group of elders in a nine-furlong allowance event at Belmont Park ahead of the Belmont Derby.
“It's a goal along with some other things, but we'll just let the horse dictate in his training what we're going to do with him, but we're certainly going to keep an eye on it,” Thomas said.
Thomas said Hard Love, who was piloted by Manny Franco, could have been a little more aggressive earlier in the race. He also added that the Belmont Derby winner and Saratoga Derby invitee Bolshoi Ballet is in a league of his own.
“Hindsight is always 20-20 and I wish I had asked Manny to be a little more assertive,” Thomas said. “He went 1:17 for three-quarters and slowed it down. He doesn't possess a massive turn of foot so ideally; we would have gone on a little bit. Another thing is that it was a different group of horses. The winner was exceptional, so not taking anything away from the field. You could even make a case that the filly [Santa Barbara] could have won the Belmont Derby had she run. They were legitimate horses.”
Thomas said Hard Love is likely to appear on the work tab next weekend.
“He just shipped up [Saturday] and possibly will be back on the work tab next week depending on how the weather treats us,” Thomas said.
The post Hard Love Likely Starter In Saratoga Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Bing Crosby Nominations Promises Deep Field Of Sprinters At Del Mar
Seventeen horses, encompassing virtually all the top sprinters on the West Coast, have been nominated to Saturday's $300,000 Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes, assuring that the field will be a stellar one when it is set and post positions are drawn on Wednesday.
Trainer Mark Glatt finished first and third in the 2020 Crosby with Collusion Illusion and Law Abidin Citizen. He has those two plus Dr. Schivel nominated and said Sunday he might run all three.
Other marquee speedsters on the nomination list include 2020 Pat O'Brien winner C Z Rocket for Peter Miller; the trio of Ax Man, Eight Rings, and Gamine from the Bob Baffert barn; graded stakes winner Flagstaff from the John Sadler stable; and the double-quick Cal-bred Brickyard Ride out of the Craig Lewis barn.
Sadler said Flagstaff will skip the Bing Crosby and instead go in the seven-furlong Pat O'Brien here on August 28.
Baffert said the 4-year-old filly Gamine, a winner of six graded stakes in her last seven starts – four of them Grade 1s – is more likely to continue competing against her own gender elsewhere than take on males in the Bing Crosby.
But Gamine is one of 11 older fillies and mares nominated to next Sunday's Clement L. Hirsch, as is stablemate As Time Goes By. A 4-year-old daughter of Baffert-trained Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, As Time Goes By is one of three stakes winners at Santa Anita that are possibles for the Hirsch, a 1 1/16-mile main track event that usually determines the top older filly or mare of the meeting.
The others are Venetian Harbor and Warren's Showtime.
The 6-furlong Bing Crosby is a “Win & You're In” qualifier for the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar on November 6. The Clement L. Hirsch is likewise designated for the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff that same day.
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