Tag: Racing

D’Amato Has Trio Of Turf Runners Pointing To Feb. 6 San Marcos

Phil D'Amato has three horses nominated to next Saturday's Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at a mile and a quarter on turf at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., and all are possible starters for the trainer who celebrates his 45th birthday March 11.

The three are Acclimate, Count Again and Salvator Mundi. Although they gained a week due to rain, each would be coming back on a relatively short turnaround, led by Acclimate, third as the 19-10 favorite in the Unusual Heat Turf Classic on Jan. 16.

Count Again disappointed at even money when eased in the G2 San Gabriel Stakes on Jan. 2, while Salvator Mundi was a creditable third in an overnight race on Jan. 8.

“They're all under consideration,” D'Amato said. Count Again won the G2 Seabiscuit at Del Mar last Nov. 28, but was eased as the even-money favorite in the San Gabriel after being just three lengths off the pace midway through the race.

“He took a funny step right at the top of the stretch and Juan (Hernandez) just kind of wrapped up on him to make sure he was all right. Luckily, he was.

“For sure I'll run Acclimate and Salvator Mundi. It's a rather quick comeback for Acclimate, but I had this race in the back of my mind for him. It was hard to pass up 200 grand ($200,000 purse) against Cal-breds (in the Unusual Heat Turf Classic presented by City National Bank at a mile and an eighth), but at the same he's coming back at a distance he prefers (in the San Marcos).

“I always had this race planned for him, if he came out of the Unusual Heat in good shape, and he really has, so we'll look to wheel him back going a mile and a quarter.”

Salvator Mundi, a 5-year-old son of outstanding turf miler and grass sire Artie Schiller, was claimed for $40,000 in September of 2019 at Keeneland and has won twice in seven starts for D'Amato since. The San Marcos would be only his third stakes race in 16 career starts.

“He's just kind of learning where he needs to be placed to be most effective,” D'Amato said of the bay gelding who stalked the pace before weakening to finish sixth in the G2 John Henry Turf Classic at a mile and a quarter last Sept. 26.

“I think he merits another chance at a mile and quarter for sure, the way he's come out of that race.”

This will be the 69th running of the San Marcos, won last year by LNJ Foxwoods' United, ridden by Flavien Prat and trained by Richard Mandella.

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Frank’s Rockette Returns To Winning Ways In American Beauty

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, Inc's multiple Grade 2 winner Frank's Rockette lived up to her 1-2 odds and returned to the winner's circle after making a successful 2021 debut in Saturday's $150,000 American Beauty Stakes at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark. The 4-year-old filly was making her first start since taking on older males in the Breeders' Cup Sprint last November.

Breaking from post 7 under jockey Florent Geroux, Frank's Rockette raced just to the outside of 2019 American Beauty winner Amy's Challenge and stayed within easy striking distance through early fractions of :21 3/5 and :44 3/5 before edging clear of her rival to win by 1 ¼ lengths. Her final time was 1:10 over a muddy track. Wildwood's Beauty was third.

“She broke very alertly, which gave me a great option to be right there off the speed without any effort,” Geroux said. “And, from there, I was just continuing to get pressure on Amy's Challenge because when she's on the lead she can be very difficult to pass. I wanted to make sure I didn't give my filly too much to do down the lane. But she was very professional and when I asked her to go down the lane, she was all in and she gave me everything she had.”

Frank's Rockette, a homebred daughter of Into Mischief, improved her record to 7-4-0 in 12 starts and has now earned $696,103. She returned $3.20, $2.40 and $2.10 as the heavy favorite.

“Nice to see her come off the bench,” trainer Bill Mott add via phone. “It's great. What makes it better is Mr. (Frank) Fletcher was there at his home track and he was there, so, you know I mean, that's like winning two. She ran on an off track there last year, but the bottom line is she ran into a very good filly (Kimari). Florent (Geroux) thought she handled it well enough today. Knowing she was second against a really good filly there last year, I felt she would handle it. Is it her favorite surface? Well, I don't know. But she certainly handled it well enough today.”

Frank's Rockette was saddled by Sebastian “Bas” Nicholl, longtime assistant to Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Frank's Rockette shipped into Lukas' barn.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Oaklawn with a 1 p.m. first post.

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Express Train Breaks Through With San Pasqual Triumph At Santa Anita

C R K Stable's Express Train sat a perfect trip and rallied through the stretch to take Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes by 3 ¼ lengths, with his next stop scheduled to be the G1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6.  Trained by John Shirreffs and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Express Train got 1 1/8 miles over a Santa Anita main track listed as “good” in 1:52.13.

A close fourth, about two lengths off of Tizamagician around the clubhouse turn, Express Train saved ground at the rail, angled out a quarter mile from home and rallied three-deep through the lane while finding his best stride late in a very impressive effort.

“The difference was the distance (of) a mile and an eighth and different horses,” said Hernandez, who had ridden Express Train to a second place finish behind top rated Charlatan going seven furlongs in the G1 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26.  “He loves going short and going long, so you can do whatever you want with him, he's a really nice horse.

“…There were three horses that tried to go to the lead and my horse relaxed pretty well behind them. … I was just waiting to (get into) the stretch to let him run, that's what (he) did.  Around the turn before the stretch, I checked, I went outside and I was clear and he started running again.”

The second choice at 5-2 in a field of five, Express Train paid $7.20, $3.60 and $2.20.

“We knew there was plenty of speed in the race and it worked out fine,” said Shirreffs.  “Juan fits this horse very well, show me a horse that he doesn't fit.  When you speak to him, he exudes confidence.  He's a rider.  We'll stay home and run in the Big 'Cap (1 ¼ miles on March 6).”

A 4-year-old colt by Union Rags, out of the Mineshaft mare I'm a Flake, Express Train notched his first stakes win in his eighth career start.  With the winner's share of $120,000, he increased his earnings to $293,300 from an overall mark of 8-3-3-0.

Tizamagician, ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, proved extra game, holding off even money favorite Idol by a neck for the place.  Off at 5-1, Tizamagician paid $5.00 and $2.60.

Idol, unhurried early while an attentive last to the far turn, never threatened for the win, finishing 1 ¼ lengths in front of longshot Zestful.  Ridden by eastern-based Gabriel Saez, Idol paid $2.10 to show.

Although Saturday turned out to be a spectacularly sunny day with the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains serving as a backdrop, the track took on 2.4 inches of rain through noon Friday, resulting in slower times throughout the afternoon.

Fractions on the San Pasqual were 23.84, 48.74, 1:13.70 and 1:39.26.

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