Racing | Horse Racing Free Tips

Fair Grounds Invader Littlestitious Captures Beyond The Wire At Laurel

Joel Politi's Littlestitious came with a steady run down the center of the stretch to catch Fraudulent Charge inside the sixteenth pole and edge clear to a half-length victory in the $100,000 Beyond the Wire Saturday at Laurel Park in Maryland.

The 33^rd running of the one-mile Beyond the Wire for 3-year-old fillies was the first of five stakes worth $450,000 in purses on a nine-race program, headlined by the $100,000 Private Terms for 3-year-olds.

Ridden by Sheldon Russell for trainer Tom Amoss, Littlestitious ($10.20) completed the distance in 1:36.75 over a fast main track to earn her second career stakes victory following the My Trusty Cat Dec. 1 at Delta Downs to cap her juvenile season.

This year, the bay daughter of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper ran fifth in the Silverbulletday Jan. 16 and fourth behind Clairiere and Travel Column – two of this year's top Kentucky Oaks (G1) prospects – in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds

“The division down in New Orleans is about as good as anywhere. If you look at the Oaks, those are the top two fillies on a lot of people's lists,” winning owner Joel Politi said. “We didn't want to beat our heads against them again, so this was a good opportunity for her to stretch her legs a little bit.”

Littlestitious broke sharply but settled in third under Russell as Street Lute and Fraudulent Charge hooked up on the lead. A winner of six career stakes including five in a row, and favored at 3-5 in her first try beyond seven furlongs, Street Lute went a quarter-mile in 24.71 seconds and a half in 47.71 with Fraudulent Charge glued to her right hip.

Fraudulent Charge, second to Street Lute in the Dec. 26 Gin Talking and Feb. 20 Wide Country in back-to-back starts, forged a short lead entering the stretch after going six furlongs in 1:11.64 while Littlestitious began to roll on the far outside. Russell set his filly down for a drive once straightened for home and kept her to task.

“She's a fighter and she's fought in all of her races. Sheldon rode her just unbelievably well and positioned her down the stretch,” Politi said. “I had a feeling in mid-stretch that she was going to get there, but she definitely had to earn that.”

Fraudulent Charge was second for the third straight race, 4 ½ lengths ahead of Street Lute in third. Journeytothemoon and Buckey's Charm completed the order of finish.

“We live in Columbus, Ohio, and we made the trip out today to be here. Winning a race here at a track I came to as a little kid is just a highlight for me,” Politi said. “Where we go from here, I have no idea yet. Tom and I will talk later, but this is great.”

Founded in 2017, Beyond the Wire is an industry-wide initiative between the Maryland Jockey Club, Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, Maryland Horse Breeders Association and Maryland jockeys designed to facilitate safe and enriching placements for retired Maryland-based racehorses.

The post Fair Grounds Invader Littlestitious Captures Beyond The Wire At Laurel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Silver State Takes Essex Handicap For Fourth Consecutive Victory

Silver State rolled to his fourth consecutive victory for trainer Steve Asmussen on Saturday, winning the $500,000 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., from off the pace under Ricardo Santana Jr.

Rated R Superstar, an 8-year-old making his 50th career start and the 2019 Essex winner, finished second by a neck nder Ramon Vazquez, with Night Ops 1 3/4 lengths back in third and Harpers First Ride fourth in the field of six older runners. Tax, the 120-pound highweight, was scratched.

Silver State, a 4-year-old by Hard Spun owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing, carried 118 pounds and ran the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.73. He paid $4.40 as the favorite, winning for the fifth time in nine career starts. He was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings.

Harpers First Ride, making his first start for Robertino Diodoro after spending most of his career in Maryland, dueled with Green Light Go through fractions of :23.57, :47.67 and 1:12.22 while Silver State and Rated R Superstar raced at the rear of the field. Green Light Go retreated on the turn as the back markers began to gain ground on the turn and into the stretch.

Silver State had the jump on Rated R Superstar and maintained his lead throughout the stretch, passing the mile in 1:36.57 and holding sway for the victory.

“We had a beautiful trip,” Santana said. “I was in the position I wanted to be in. He relaxed really well for me and turning for home, he gave me a really nice finish.”

Silver State was on the Triple Crown trail early last year, finishing second in the G3 Lecomte and third in the G2 Risen Star Stakes at Fairgrounds. After a seventh-place finish in the G2 Louisiana Derby in March, he went to the sidelines. Silver State returned with a seven-length allowance victory at Keeneland in October, won a Churchill allowance in November and took the Fifth Season Stakes in at Oaklawn in January.

“It's a great partnership with the Hortons and Winchell Thoroughbreds,” Asmussen added. “They've done so much for me. This horse has always shown a lot of potential. We gave him the necessary time and he's come back to win four races. This was a very quality win today.”

The post Silver State Takes Essex Handicap For Fourth Consecutive Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Shedaresthedevil Makes Victorious Return, Holds Off Letruska In Azeri

Shedaresthedevil, winner of the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks last September, made a winning return to the races at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., on Saturday, going right to the front, controlling the pace and holding off a late bid in deep stretch from favored Letruska to win the G2, $250,000 Azeri Stakes by a short head.

Off since tiring in the stretch to be third in the G1 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland in her lone start against older fillies and mares in 2020, Shedaresthedevil covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.57 and paid $5.60 as the second choice in the wagering. She carried 119 pounds, five fewer than Letruska.

Letruska, a star at Hipodromo de las Americas in Mexico City before coming to the U.S. late in 2019, finished second in the field of five in her bid for a third consecutive graded stakes win. Encoutante finished third, with Getridofwhatailesu fourth and Motion Emotion fifth.

A 4-year-old filly by Daredevil owned by Qatar Racing, Big Aut Farms and Flurry Racing Stable, Shedaresthedevil is trained by Brad Cox and was ridden to victory by Florent Geroux.

Breaking from the outside post, Shedaresthedevil darted to the front immediately and set fractions of :23.93 for the opening quarter mile, :47.79 for the half and 1:11.54 for six furlongs. Envoutante was her closest pursuer with Letruska – who typically runs on the front end – three wide while third into the first turn and in the run down the backstretch.

As the field rounded into the stretch, Joel Rosario allowed Letruska to drift out even further while trying to run down the favorite. Shedaresthedevil maintained a clear advantage at the mile marker — clocked in 1:36.25 – but was all out to hold off a surge from Letruska in deep stretch.

“We caught a flyer out of the gate,” Geroux said. “I was expecting Letruska to lead all the way. I don't know if she didn't break fast enough or stumbled, but we inherited the lead and I just took it from there. My filly is extremely talented. You know you want to slow her down, just keep her in a nice rhythm. Turning for home, she gave me everything she had. She maybe got a little bit tired down the lane, but it was good for her first race off the break. I don't think she was 100% cranked up for this. We have hopes for a big year with her.”

The win was the sixth from 12 starts for Shedaresthedevil, who won the G3 Honeybee at Oaklawn in 2020, along with the G3 Indiana Oaks prior to winning the Kentucky Oaks. She was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm.

“Whenever I run here, I'm nervous,” Staton Flurry of Flurry Racing said. “I expected the three (Letruska) to break good, but she didn't. We just went on with it. She really dug in. Florent rode a great race. I'm glad to have her back. It's going to be a fun year.”

The post Shedaresthedevil Makes Victorious Return, Holds Off Letruska In Azeri appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

McPeek Hoping For Repeat Of ‘Magical Season’ With Swiss Skydiver

Swiss Skydiver, Eclipse Award champion three-year-old filly of 2020, makes her four-year-old debut Saturday at Santa Anita in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile

Owned by Peter Callahan and bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, the daughter of Daredevil upset Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year Authentic at 11-1 in last year's Preakness Stakes before an eventful seventh in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland last Nov. 7, her most recent race.

“There were limited options where we are,” trainer Ken McPeek said in explaining a coast-to-coast trip from Florida to start her campaign.

“There really wasn't an older filly and mare stake in Florida and I've got my other filly, Envoutante, at Oaklawn (for Saturday's Grade 2 Azeri Stakes). I didn't want to run against each other.”

Envoutante, handy six-length winner of the Grade 2 Falls City at Churchill Downs in her most recent start last Nov. 26, also was nominated to the Beholder. Like Swiss Skydiver in the Beholder, Envoutante (“bewitching” in English) also drew the rail in the Azeri, where she is 5-2 on the morning line vs. four rivals.

“Obviously the Beholder is a great race and I think Swiss Skydiver is capable of running a flat mile,” McPeek said. “She's really sharp now, so that's good, and the timing works out well.”

Robby Albarado, who piloted Swiss Skydiver to her Preakness victory, arrived in California Tuesday to ride the chestnut filly in the Beholder, while McPeek got in town Thursday. Swiss Skydiver arrived Tuesday night.

With an Eclipse Award, two Grade I victories including the Alabama Stakes along with the Preakness, a four-length romp in the Santa Anita Oaks and five graded stakes wins on her resume last year, Swiss Skydiver exceeded McPeek's expectations.

“In her first stakes race last year (fifth in a restricted outing at Tampa Bay Downs Jan. 18) she kind of had a troubled trip (going five-wide and floating out while beaten less than a length at seven furlongs), but since then she rolled on.

“It was unfortunate she stumbled (at the start) in the Breeders' Cup (finishing seventh behind Older Dirt Female champion Monomoy Girl) and cut her leg up pretty good.

“But she bounced back from that. It was a magical season for the most part.

“Hopefully, we can come half that close this year.”

The Beholder, race eight of nine with a 12:30 p.m. first post time: Swiss Skydiver, Robby Albarado, 8-5; Golden Principal, Juan Hernandez, 8-1; Harvest Moon, Flavien Prat, 5-2; Sanenus, Umberto Rispoli, 4-1; Miss Stormy D, Tyler Baze, 20-1; As Time Goes By, Mike Smith, 4-1; This Tea, Abel Cedillo, 30-1; and Clockstrikestwelve, Tiago Pereira, 20-1.

The post McPeek Hoping For Repeat Of ‘Magical Season’ With Swiss Skydiver appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post