Racing | Horse Racing Free Tips

Robust Group Of Nominations For Laurel Park’s Winter Sprintfest Races

Graded-stakes winners Eres Tu, Pacific Gale, Sharp Starr and Victim of Love; multiple stakes winner Hello Beautiful, undefeated on the local main track; and Dontletsweetfoolya, riding a five-race win streak, are among 23 older females nominated to the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) Saturday, Feb. 13 at Laurel Park.

The 69th running of the Fritchie for fillies and mares 4 and older and the 45th renewal of the $250,000 General's Stake (G3) for 4-year-olds and up, formerly the General George, highlight a Winter Sprintfest program offering six stakes worth $900,000 in purses. Both graded-stakes are contested at seven furlongs.

Eres Tu captured the 1 1/8-mile Allaire du Pont (G3) Dec. 26, her second straight stakes win at Laurel for trainer Arnaud Delacour. Pacific Gale snapped a 17-race losing streak with a 16-1 upset of the seven-furlong Inside Information (G2) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park.

Sharp Starr, trained by Horacio DePaz, won the one-mile Go for Wand (G3) Dec. 5 at Aqueduct over fellow Fritchie nominee Portal Creek to cap her 3-year-old season, and opened 2021 running second in the seven-furlong La Verdad Jan. 3. Victim of Love is a two-time winner at Laurel including the What a Summer last January. Second in last year's Fritchie, she went on to capture the 6 ½-furlong Vagrancy (G3) at Belmont Park.

Hello Beautiful owns five career stakes wins but is seeking her first graded triumph. The 4-year-old filly has strung together three straight wins for trainer Brittany Russell, all in stakes; is 7-0 on the Laurel dirt with three of those wins coming at seven furlongs; and exits a popular triumph in the Jan. 16 What a Summer. Dontletsweetfoolya, yet to run in 2021, has won five consecutive races by 28 ¾ combined lengths including the Nov. 28 Primonetta and Dec. 26 Willa On the Move at Laurel.

Always Sunshine, who returned from a 541-day layoff to win a Jan. 24 optional claiming allowance at Laurel, and fellow graded-stakes winners Laki, Majestic Dunhill. Mischevious Alex, Share the Ride, Shotski and Sunny Ridge are among 30 horses nominated to the General's Stake.

Trained by Edward T. 'Ned' Allard, Always Sunshine won the 2015 Fire Plug at Laurel and 2016 Maryland Sprint (G3) at Pimlico Race Course, where he is currently in training. Laki won the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) last October at Pimlico and has since run behind Whereshetoldmetogo in the Frank Whiteley and Dave's Friend and Wendell Fong in the Jan. 16 Fire Plug. Both Whereshetoldmetogo and Wendell Fong are also nominated.

Majestic Dunhill won the 2018 City of Laurel and became a graded winner in the 2020 Bold Ruler (G3) at Belmont. After finishing off the board in the 2019 Laurel Futurity, his only career try on turf, Mischevious Alex reeled off three consecutive stakes wins including the Swale (G2) and Gotham (G3) to open 2020. Share the Ride won the 2020 Fall Highweight (G3), was beaten a neck by Wendell Fong in the Fire Plug, then came back to be third as the favorite in the seven-furlong Toboggan (G3) Jan. 30 at Aqueduct.

Shotski broke his maiden at Laurel Park in October 2019 for trainer Jerry O'Dwyer then won the 1 1/8-mile Remsen (G2) to cap his juvenile season and ran second in the Withers (G3) and fourth in the Fountain of Youth (G2) last winter before going to the sidelines, returning in a one-mile optional claiming allowance Jan. 15 at Aqueduct. Sunny Ridge, stablemate of Pacific Gale, won the 2019 Richard Small at Laurel and has not raced since finishing third by a head in the 2020 Toboggan last January.

Also among the nominees are multiple stakes winners Cordmaker, third in the 2019 and 2020 Pimlico Special (G3); Funny Guy and Lebda, and Tattooed, an upset neck winner of the one-mile Jennings Jan. 16 at Laurel.

Sophomores will be in the spotlight in the $100,000 Miracle Wood going one mile and the $100,000 Wide Country for fillies sprinting seven furlongs. Multiple stakes winner Kenny Had a Notion; 2020 Nashua (G3) winner Pickin' Time; Shackqueenking, Ain't Da Beer Cold and Erawan, respectively 1-2-3 in the Howard County Dec. 26 at Laurel; multiple stakes-placed Maythehorsebwithu and stablemate Hello Hot Rod, a winner of two straight are prominent among 24 Miracle Wood nominees.

Five-time stakes winner Street Lute, on a four-race win streak and a neck shy of being undefeated through seven career starts, tops 25 nominations to the Wide Country. She is joined by fellow stakes winners Gulf Coast and Miss Leslie; Fraudulent Charge, beaten a nose when second in the seven-furlong Gin Talking Dec. 26 at Laurel; and Little Huntress, a 14-length maiden special weight winner Dec. 27 at Laurel.

Older horses will travel about 1 1/16 miles in the $100,000 John B. Campbell, where Cordmaker, Shotski and Tattooed join multiple stakes winner and defending champion Alwaysmining among 24 nominees, and the $100,000 Nellie Morse for females, whose 18 nominations include Eres Tu and stakes winners Artful Splatter, Estilo Talentoso, Gibberish, Lucky Move, Lucky Stride, Pat's No Fool, Queen Nekia, Saguaro Row, Thankful and Wicked Awesome.

The post Robust Group Of Nominations For Laurel Park’s Winter Sprintfest Races appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Maryland Invader Hello Hot Rod Holds On Stubbornly In Jimmy Winfield

Hello Hot Rod dug in gamely to best Return the Ring by a head in Sunday's 37th renewal of the $100,000 Jimmy Winkfield, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Trained and co-owned by Brittany Russell with Dark Horse Racing, the Mosler colt made a victorious stakes debut while running his win streak to three following a pair of scores at his Laurel Park base, including a last-out optional-claiming mile on December 13.

Jockey Trevor McCarthy, aboard Hello Hot Rod for the first time from the inside post, revved the engines out of the gate and angled his colt out a few paths to set the opening quarter-mile in 23.86 seconds on the fast main track.

Return the Ring, under Dylan Davis, and the Kendrick Carmouche-piloted Pico d'Oro took up stalking positions outside of Hello Hot Rod as the half-mile ticked by in 48.16. Hello Hot Rod continued to lead through the turn as Carmouche attempted a wide bid with Pico d'Oro outside of the well-rated Return the Ring.

Davis asked Return the Ring for his best out of the turn and hooked up with a stubborn Hello Hot Rod, who continued to find more. Pico d'Oro rallied in vain down the center of the track but was always third best as Hello Hot Rod, briefly headed by Return the Ring, pinned his ears and refused to be denied a narrow win in a final time of 1:26.30.

Return the Ring completed the exacta by a half-length over Pico d'Oro. Scotch Rock's and Magnificent Chrome rounded out the order of finish. Weyburn was scratched.

McCarthy, who picked up the mount from the trainer's husband Sheldon Russell, said Hello Hot Rod fought bravely for the win.

“Sheldon told me that he's game as can be, he'll give you a hundred percent and he likes to fight,” said McCarthy. “When he hooks one, he'll keep giving, and that's what he did today. Thank you to Brittany and Sheldon, it's good to win one for good friends.

“He [Return the Ring] kind of came back on again, so a big effort by the other horse,” added McCarthy. “I think he got more involved. When the other horse got in front he said, 'No thanks, you're not beating me.'”

The Eddie Barker-trained Return the Ring entered from a debut maiden win sprinting six furlongs on November 28 at the Big A and Davis said the added furlong may have been his undoing.

“He actually got in front for a little bit the last part, but the last four, five jumps before the wire, that seven-eighths was getting to him a little bit,” said Davis. “He ran a great race and stepped up. He added a little more distance. He was trying really hard. Eddie did a great job getting him here. I think he's going to run good in the future. The winner was just a little bit of a better horse.”

Out of the Tiznow mare Hello Now, Hello Hot Rod is a half-brother to the Russell-trained multiple stakes winning filly Hello Beautiful. Bred in Maryland by Hillwood Stables, Hello Hot Rod banked $55,000 in victory while improving his record to 4-3-1-0. He returned $4.80 for a $2 win ticket.

Purchased for $10,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale, Russell said she's looking forward to testing Hello Hot Rod's stamina.

“I don't think stretching out would be an issue,” said Russell. “We considered other spots going further in distance, but this looked like a good spot to get the year started. It's nice to win another one with him and use it as a stepping stone to other things.”

Live racing resumes Thursday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

The post Maryland Invader Hello Hot Rod Holds On Stubbornly In Jimmy Winfield appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Mischevious Alex, Ny Traffic Breeze Toward Stakes Engagements

Multiple graded-stakes winner Mischevious Alex breezed five furlongs in 1:00.35 Sunday morning at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., accompanied by Grade 1 stakes-placed Ny Traffic.

Mischevious Alex, who came off a five-month layoff to capture a Jan. 10 optional claiming allowance in his first start for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., is likely to race next Feb. 13 in either the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint (G3) or the $250,000 General George (G3) at Laurel Park with an eye toward the April 3 Carter (G1) at Aqueduct.

“Today was a very good breeze and he galloped out strong,” Joseph said. “He finished his last quarter in 23 (seconds) and change, so we're very happy.”

Sunday's workout was the first since Mischevious Alex won his 2021 debut by 3 ¾ lengths while running six furlongs in 1:09.67.

Mischevious Alex, who is owned by Cash is King LL and LC Racing LLC, launched his 2020 campaign with a 9 ¾ length victory in the Swale (G3) at Gulfstream and a two-length score in the Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct before finishing fourth in the Woody Stephens (G1) at Belmont and sixth in the H. Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga.

Ny Traffic, who was also timed in 1:00.35, has been out of action since finishing eighth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and ninth in the Preakness (G1) at Pimlico.

“The work was really more for Mischevious Alex. It was Ny Traffic's first five-eighths and we let him go easy. Alex was going to gallop out.,” Joseph said. “I thought he got enough out of it. Next week, we'll start picking it up do a little more with him. We'll work him to more times and then make a plan for him.”

Ny Traffic, who is owned by John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing LLC, Paul Braverman and team Hanley, finished second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds, the Matt Winn (G2) at Churchill Downs, and the Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park. The son of Cross Traffic lost the Haskell by just a nose to Authentic, who went on to win the Kentucky Derby.

Joseph reported the Drain the Clock came out of his dominating victory in Saturday's $100,000 Swale (G3) at Gulfstream Park in good order.

The post Mischevious Alex, Ny Traffic Breeze Toward Stakes Engagements appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘We’ll See How Good She Is’: Moonlight d’Oro To Make Stakes Debut In Las Virgenes

Moonlight d'Oro makes her stakes debut in Saturday's Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at one mile, a major steppingstone to the G2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 3 at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

The bay Medaglia d'Oro filly owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm LLC is coming off an impressive maiden win at one mile, sashaying home first by three lengths as the 9-10 favorite last Dec. 13 under Flavien Prat, who will be back up in the $200,000 Las Virgenes.

“We'll see how good she is,” said Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, who won his first Las Virgenes in 1993 with Likeable Style ridden by Gary Stevens and his second in 2013 with champion Beholder under the late Garrett Gomez.

Moonlight d'Oro worked six furlongs Wednesday in a bullet 1:12.60.

Mandella said Border Town is likely for this Saturday's G3 Thunder Road at a mile on grass, while Extra Hope “is nominated in case it looks like rain and it ends up a dirt race.”

Border Town also is nominated to the San Marcos Stakes at 1 ¼ miles on grass which had been scheduled to be run Sunday but was moved back a week when nearly 2 ½ inches of rain inundated the area Friday.

The post ‘We’ll See How Good She Is’: Moonlight d’Oro To Make Stakes Debut In Las Virgenes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post