Allowance Winner Lambeau Faces Comebacking Eight Rings In Triple Bend

Fresh off a rousing gate to wire allowance win at one mile, the John Shirreffs-trained Lambeau is well positioned to make his stakes debut as he cuts back to a sprint for the first time in his career in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita.

Originally run at Hollywood Park, the Triple Bend will be run for the 70th time on Saturday as a field of five older horses will compete at seven furlongs.

In a wide open affair, Bob Baffert's Eight Rings and Peter Eurton's Exaulted would both also appear to have big chances.

Owned by Jerome S. Moss, Lambeau, a 5-year-old full horse by First Samurai, was off at 16-1 in a second condition allowance on April 10 and he led every step of the way to win by one length when ridden for the first time by Edwin Maldonado, who rides him back in the Triple Bend. A winner of three out of his seven starts, Lambeau is untested at the trip and level, but has never been better.

A runaway winner of the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at age two in September, 2019, Eight Rings has been idle since well beaten in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes going seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 1. With an outstanding work tab to his credit, Eight Rings will be ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat in what will be his seventh career start.

A 4-year-old colt by Empire Maker out of the Pure Prize mare Purely Hot, Eight Rings is owned by Coolmore Stud, Golconda Stable, Madaket Stables, LLC, SF Racing, LLC and Starlight Racing.

Third, beaten four lengths by runaway winner Brickyard Ride in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs March 6, Exaulted rates a huge chance and will be ridden for the first time by Abel Cedillo. A 4-year-old colt by Twirling Candy, out of the Gilded Time mare Gilded Miracle., Exaulted is owned by C R K Stable and has trained well since the San Carlos, evidenced by a pair of bullet five furlong works on May 8 and May 15.

THE GRADE 2 TRIPLE BEND STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

  1. Exaulted—Abel Cedillo—120
  2. Lambeau—Edwin Maldonado—120
  3. Shooters Shoot—Umberto Rispoli—120
  4. Magic On Tap—Juan Hernandez—120
  5. Eight Rings—Flavien Prat—120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Allowance Winner Lambeau Faces Comebacking Eight Rings In Triple Bend appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Classy United Faces Just Three Rivals In Charles Whittingham Stakes

Richard Mandella's classy United heads Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita as he seeks back to back wins in the race named for the legendary Bald Eagle, who 22 years after his passing, ranks third on Santa Anita's all-time list of stakes winning trainers with 869 added money victories.

The Whittingham, for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and one quarter on turf, has attracted a field of four, with the David Hofmans-trained Award Winner and Phil D'Amato's Red King looming as solid contenders.

Owned by LNJ Foxwoods, United, a 6-year-old gelding by Giant's Causeway, made his first start of the year on March 20 and proved he's certainly not lost a step. Attentive to the pace, he took charge turning for home and prevailed by three quarters of a length over next-out winner Say the Word in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at a mile and one half on turf.

A close second in the 2019 Whittingham and a nose winner of last year's renewal, United is no doubt being pointed to a third engagement in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Del Mar—a race in which he was a close second to eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar here at Santa Anita in 2019.

A winner of five races, four of them graded stakes, from 10 tries over the local turf, United is 18-8-4-1 overall with earnings of $1,513,549. With leading man Flavien Prat set to ride him for the 13 consecutive time, United will no doubt be a short price to win on Saturday.

Bred in Kentucky by Mrs. Jerry Amerman and owned by Amerman Racing, LLC, Award Winner, a 5-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper, has found a new lease on his racing career since debuting for Hofmans three starts back on Jan. 8. Second in a pair of second condition allowance races at one mile on grass on Jan. 8 and Feb. 13, Award Winner unfurled what appeared to be the best race of his career on March 27.

Off at 7-2 going a mile and one quarter on turf, Award Winner made every pole a winning one in taking a second condition allowance by 2 ½ lengths while earning a career-best 95 Beyer Speed figure under Juan Hernandez, who rides back on Saturday.

A close second in a Grade 3 turf stakes at 1 1/8 miles 10 starts back on July 6, 2019 at Delaware Park, Award Winner will be bidding for his first graded stakes win in what will be his third attempt. With an overall mark of 16-3-4-1, he has earnings of $208,474.

A winner of the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes and the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap in June and August of last year, Red King has solid credentials and will try to make amends for a close third place finish as the 6-5 favorite behind talented California-bred Ward 'n Jerry in a mile and one half turf starter allowance on March 20.

Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Gordon Jacobsen and Philip Belmonte, Red King, a 7-year-old full horse by English Channel, was claimed for $35,000 15 starts back on Feb. 8, 2019. With regular rider Umberto Rispoli engaged, Red King would benefit from a lively early pace. Out of the A.P. Indy mare Youre Speeding, Red King is 31-7-4-8, with earnings of $447,755.

THE GRADE 2 CHARLES WHITTINGHAM WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITIN ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

  1. Acclimate—Ricardo Gonzalez—122
  2. Award Winner—Juan Hernandez—122
  3. Red King—Umberto Rispoli—124
  4. United—Flavien Prat–124

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Classy United Faces Just Three Rivals In Charles Whittingham Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Derby Fifth-Place Finisher O Besos Headlines Saturday’s Matt Winn Stakes

Bernard Racing, Tagg Team Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds and Terry Stephens' Kentucky Derby (Grade 1) fifth-place finisher O Besos headlines a field of eight 3-year-olds that were entered in Saturday's $150,000 Matt Winn (G3) – one of seven stakes events on the 11-race Stephen Foster Preview Day card at Churchill Downs.

The 1 1/16-mile Matt Winn shares the Saturday spotlight with the $150,000 Regret (G3), $150,000 Aristides (Listed), $150,000 Blame, $150,000 Shawnee, $150,000 Audubon and $110,000 Douglas Park Overnight Stakes. The action-packed program gets underway at 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the Matt Winn is carded as Race 9 at 4:55 p.m.

O Besos, a 3-year-old son of Orb, closed into the early Kentucky Derby pace but flattened in the final furlong to cross the wire fifth. Trained by Greg Foley, O Besos had several options on the table following the Derby but opted to stay at Churchill Downs for the Matt Winn.

“We love running at Churchill and this race gives us plenty of options going forward,” Foley said. “He worked an easy half-mile (in :49) Monday morning and is doing well from the Derby. We can lead him over for the race right from Barn 11.”

Jockey Marcelino Pedroza, who rode O Besos to a third-place finish in the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) and in the Kentucky Derby, has the call in the Matt Winn from post No. 3.

Chief among O Besos' rivals in the Matt Winn is D J Stable's $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner Helium. The Mark Casse trainee finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby. He'll be ridden in Saturday's race by Julien Leparoux from post 2.

Also entered in the Matt Winn field is Juddmonte's $300,000 Oaklawn Stakes winner Fulsome. Trained by Brad Cox, Fulsome broke his maiden on turf but was transitioned to dirt in April at Keeneland when a first-level allowance event changed surfaces due to inclement weather. Fulsome defeated six rivals by 3 ½ lengths that day, which catapulted him to a 1 ¼-length win in the Oaklawn Stakes on May 1.

Florent Geroux has the mount from post 5.

The complete field for the Matt Winn (from the rail out with jockey and trainer): Ready to Pounce (Brian Hernandez Jr., Neil Pessin); Helium (Leparoux, Casse); O Besos (Pedroza, Foley); Southern Passage (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans); Fulsome (Geroux, Cox); Hello Hot Rod (Francisco Arrieta, Caio Caramori); Sittin On Go (Joe Talamo, Romans); and Game Day Play (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro).

Churchill Downs' admission gates will open Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and tickets, starting at $5, are available on www.ChurchillDowns.com/tickets. For those outside the Louisville area, all 11 races are scheduled to be televised on Fox Sports 2 from 12:30-6 p.m. Fans can also watch the live simulcast feed and wager on www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

The post Derby Fifth-Place Finisher O Besos Headlines Saturday’s Matt Winn Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights