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Chilean-Bred Sanenus Makes Early Move A Winning One In La Canada

Ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli, Chilean-bred Sanenus made what appeared to be a premature move, but instead, the race was over early, as she took command around the far turn en route to an impressive six-length win in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Trained by Michael McCarthy for owner/breeder Matriarca, Sanenus got 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:45.44.

Third, just a half length off of dueling leaders Fighting Mad and Hard Not to Love down the backstretch, Rispoli decided to press the issue heading to the half-mile pole and was large and in charge mid-way around the far turn.

“I've been on her several times in the morning,” said Rispoli. “I knew she was a very good filly. Today, I asked her a bit at the half-mile pole and she responded well. At the top of the stretch, she was looking around and I was just hoping she was going to stay focused. She finished well and I think she has more there.”

A Group 1 winner at age three in her native Chile, Sanenus was most recently third in the G3 Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs Nov. 21 and was off at 7-1 today in a field of seven older fillies and mares, returning $17.00, $8.20 and $4.60.

The La Canada marked the first stateside win in her fourth try for McCarthy and with the winner's share of $120,000, Sanenus now has earnings of $219,700. A 5-year-old mare by Scat Daddy out of the Tale of the Cat mare Belgian Chocolate, Saenus now has five wins from 12 career starts.

“Umberto did a great job, he had to niggle a little bit at her to kind of keep her in the game around the first turn,” said McCarthy. I thought she was in a great position up the backside and she went up to engage those fillies leaving the half-mile pole. At the quarter, she had her ears up and I love the way she opened up. The La Canada has a great history and a lot of really nice mares have won this race over the years and this is a nice race to have on her resume.”

Ridden by Mike Smith, Miss Stormy D rallied to be second by a nose over Hard Not to Love and paid $12.00 and $5.80 while off at 14-1.

Hard Not to Love, who was the second choice at 3-1, was done early and finished third, 6 ½ lengths clear of Never Be Enough. Ridden by Ricky Gonzalez, Hard Not to Love paid $3.00 to show.

Fighting Mad, the 4-5 favorite with Abel Cedillo, was also a pace casualty and had no answer for the winner five-sixteenths from home, finishing fifth.

Fractions on the race were 23.30, 46.37, 1:11.28 and 1:38.20.

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Ride A Comet Continues ‘Amazing’ Comeback With Tropical Turf Score

John Oxley and My Meadowview Farm LLC's Ride a Comet made a triumph return to turf for the first time in more than two years to capture Saturday's $100,000 Tropical Turf (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Tropical Turf headlined an 11-race program that also featured a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 pool that had swelled to more than $1 million and generated $5.5 million in handle Saturday.

Mark Casse-trained Ride a Comet stamped himself as a turf star of the future when he captured the Del Mar Derby (G2) Sept. 2, 2018, but immediately went to the sidelines. The 5-year-old son of Candy Ride returned to action over Woodbine's synthetic surface with a two-length victory in an Oct. 16 optional claiming allowance before capturing the Nov. 21 Kennedy Road (G2).

“He came down well-prepared from Woodbine from our crew up there. The story behind this horse is just truly amazing. A lot of the credit goes to our team in Ocala and to the owners, especially, for having the patience with him,” Casse's assistant trainer Nick Tomlinson said. “He's rewarding us every time he goes out there.”

Ride a Comet ($6.20) saved ground while settling a few lengths behind pacesetter Frostmourne, who was pressed by defending champion Tusk past fractions of 24.09 and 47.78 seconds for the first mile of the mile event from 4-year-olds and up. Frostmourne continued to show the way under John Velazquez into the turn entering the homestretch while meeting a new challenge from Casa Creed who slipped off the rail under Junior Alvarado for the stretch run. Tyler Gaffalione guided Ride a Comet off the rail entering the stretch, making a three-wide drive that carried his mount to victory by a half-length over Casa Creed.

“He's push-button. He's all class. Mark was very excited about this race,” Gaffalione said. “When I got to the paddock, Nick said, 'This is a good one.' They knew what they had. I just rode him with a lot of confidence, and he got the job done.”

Casa Creed finished second, 2 ½ lengths ahead of Frostmourne. Ride a Comet ran a mile over a firm turf in 1:33.62.

“We were very confident in him. His last work was just unbelievable. It takes a really good horse to do what he does. He goes out there and shows it every morning,” Tomlinson said. “He's such a class act. Just to be around him every day is truly a blessing.”

Ride a Comet, who was a slight favorite over Casa Creed, has won eight of 13 career starts.

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True Timber, Jesus’ Team Turn Post Solid Workouts In Preparation For Pegasus

Calumet Farm's True Timber took trainer Jack Sisterson by surprise Saturday morning during his five-furlong breeze in preparation for a third start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (Grade 1) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Working in company with multiple-stakes winner American Tattoo, True Timber covered five furlongs in 1:00.20 under exercise rider Mark O'Dwyer at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

“He worked great this morning. It was probably one of the better breezes he's done with us. He went in company with another older horse, American Tattoo, and Mark sort of tapped his hip and he came home in 11 [seconds] and galloped out very strong,” Sisterson said. “I was quite surprised the way he went. Usually, he's rather workmanlike and … slow, but he was extremely fast this morning.”

The 7-year-old son of Mineshaft, who captured the Cigar Mile (G1) at Aqueduct had previously turned in two half-mile workouts in 53.45 seconds and 51 seconds, respectively.

“He's 7 years old and he knows exactly what his job is. We just train him the way he wants to be trained and keep him happy,” said Sisterson, who took over the training of True Timber following the retirement of previous trainer Kiaran McLaughlin toward the middle of 2020. “He seems to be turning the corner for us.”

In his two previous starts in the Pegasus, True Timber finished seventh in 2019 and eighth last year.

Grupo 7C Racing Stable's Jesus' Team breezed six furlongs Saturday morning in preparation for a planned start in the Pegasus World Cup.

The multiple G1 stakes-placed son of Tapiture was timed in 1:13.40 at Palm Meadows. Regular exercise rider Simon Rodriguez was aboard for the workout.

“The hard work was last week. He did it in the way I want,” said trainer Jose D'Angelo, who 4-year-old colt produced a five-furlong bullet workout Jan. 2. “I wanted an easy work. I think he's ready. He'll just have one more four-furlong work to main his condition.”

Jesus' Team, who broke his maiden for a $32,000 claiming price at Gulfstream last March, has been stakes-placed in his last five starts, including a third-place finish in the Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes (G1) and a second-place finish in the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland. The Kentucky-bred colt most recently captured the Dec. 2 Claiming Crown Jewel at Gulfstream.

“It's very exciting. It is the most important race of our calendar in South Florida at Gulfstream Park,” D'Angelo said. “I think it's a big test for both me and Jesus.”

Victoria's Ranch's King Guillermo breezed five furlongs in 1:00.93 Saturday morning at Gulfstream Park for a possible start in the Pegasus World Cup.

The son of Uncle Mo, the 2020 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner, finished fourth behind True Timber in the Cigar Mile while coming off a seven-month layoff.

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Knicks Go breezed five furlongs in 1:00.40 at Fair Grounds Saturday morning in preparation for the Pegasus.

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Overtook, Hello Hot Rod Faced With Possible Showdown In Grade 3 Withers Next Month

Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's royally bred maiden winner Overtook is on target for the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers on Feb. 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The nine furlong event over the Big A main track is the next local prep on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and offers the the top-four finishers points based off a 10-4-2-1 scale.

Third time was the charm for Overtook, who graduated on December going a one-turn mile at the Big A for trainer Todd Pletcher – a three-time winner of the Withers. The son of Curlin came from 10 lengths off the pace with a six wide move nearing the three sixteenths and drew off a two-length winner under jockey Eric Cancel, while garnering a 70 Beyer Speed Figure.

Since his maiden score, Overtook breezed once over the Belmont Park training track, competing a half-mile work in 48.70 seconds on Jan. 3.

“He's come out of his maiden win in good shape and he's been training well,” said Pletcher's assistant trainer Byron Hughes. “I think he's earned a chance in that race at this point in his career.”

Bred in Kentucky by Hill 'N' Dale Equine Holdings and Phillip Steinberg, Overtook is out of the G1-winning A.P. Indy broodmare Got Lucky, who also was conditioned by Pletcher. He was purchased by his owners for $1 million at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

“He's bred for the two turns,” Hughes said. “She [Got Lucky] was a two-turn horse. She was a very classy filly and the further the better for her so we're hoping that he is the same way.”

Following a distant fourth on debut at Belmont Park, Overtook was third behind stablemate and subsequent graded stakes-placed Known Agenda going the Withers distance on Nov. 8 at Aqueduct.

BTR Racing and Dark Horse Racing's Hello Hot Rod has handled a stretch out in distance in each of his first three career starts and could continue that trend in his next outing in his stakes debut, trainer Brittany Russell said.

After winning at seven furlongs on Nov. 13 and capturing a one-turn mile on Dec. 13 at Laurel Park, Hello Hot Rod could also be a possibility to compete in the G3 Withers on Feb. 6 at the Big A.

The Mosler sophomore ran second by a neck to Doubleoseven in a six-furlong debut sprint on October 30 at Laurel. Russell kept Maryland-bred Hello Hot Rod at the same track for his next two starts, where he registered a maiden-breaking effort by 4 1/4 lengths before posting a 2 1/4-length victory over next-out winner Shackqueenking as the even-money favorite last month in an allowance optional claimer.

The 1 1/8-mile Withers would mark the first two turn race of Hello Hot Rod's career and would allow him the opportunity to compete in a Kentucky Derby prep race that offers 10-4-2-1 qualifying points to the top-four finishers. Russell also said the $100,000 Miracle Wood contested at one mile on Feb. 13 at Laurel remains a possibility as well.

“He seems like distance shouldn't be an issue forward,” Russell said. “We could wait for the Miracle Wood. We nominated around to give ourselves some options. They both are options. We're just going to get him back on a work schedule and see how he moves forward from there.”

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