Racing | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘He Surprises Me Every Day’: Maryland-Bred Harpers First Ride Headed To Pegasus World Cup

MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride, a four-time stakes winner in 2020 including the historic Pimlico Special (G3), is set to launch his 5-year-old season in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Saturday, Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park.

Based at Laurel Park with trainer Claudio Gonzalez, Harpers First Ride was among the invitees to the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus for 4-year-olds and up, being held for the fifth consecutive year. Also on the list is another Maryland-bred, 2020 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner Knicks Go.

Harpers First Ride ended 2020 with back-to-back stakes victories at Laurel in the 1 1/16-mile Richard W. Small Nov. 28 and 1 1/8-mile Native Dancer Dec. 26.

“He came back really good after the last race, that's why we try to go to the Pegasus,” Gonzalez said. “It's a big race. It all depends. If he continues like how he's doing, we're going to go.”

The Pegasus will be the third time in graded-stakes company and first against Grade 1 competition for Harpers First Ride, who Gonzalez claimed for $30,000 out of a Sept. 14, 2019 win at Churchill Downs.

“The first time he ran over there he ran good, and he was a Maryland-bred. Why not bring him here?” Gonzalez said of the reason behind claiming the gelded son of Grade 1 winner Paynter. “What's he doing over there? So, we decide to claim the horse.”

Harpers First Ride won seven of 11 races in 2020 with two seconds, one third and $495,623 in purse earnings, growing his career bankroll to $573,055. He won the 1 1/16-mile Deputed Testamony Sept. 5 at Laurel as a prep for the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special, where he dueled up front with favored Owendale to win by two lengths.

“He surprises me every day. Every day he goes better,” Gonzalez said. “He comes back from the races like nothing. He's easy to train. He's a classy horse. He does everything right.”

Gonzalez said the plans call for Harpers First Ride to breeze at Gulfstream and have regular rider Angel Cruz aboard for the Pegasus. Cruz has been up for each of Harpers First Ride's last five wins and all four stakes.

“He knows the horse really good. And for me it's better that he rides, and I think that he will,” Gonzalez said. “The plan is to go 10 days before the race to give him a breeze over there and let him get to know the racetrack and get used to the weather change. Here it's cold and over there it's going to be hot. That's why we plan that. It gives him a couple of days to adjust.”

Claimed by Gonzalez for $30,000 out of a Sept. 14, 2019 win at Churchill Downs, MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride won for the seventh time in 11 starts in 2020, four of those wins coming in stakes – the Deputed Testamony, Richard W. Small and Native Dancer at Laurel and Pimlico Special at Pimlico Race Course.

A gelded 4-year-old son of Grade 1 winner Paynter, Harpers First Ride has earned $495,623 this year, growing his career bankroll to $573,055. He will figure in the conversation for Maryland-bred Horse of the Year along with Knicks Go, who went three-for-three in the Midwest this year topped by a victory in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

“The horse surprises me every race he runs. Every race he runs better and better. He walked today and he walked like he knows he won. It's really good when you see that,” Gonzalez said. “He won four stakes, he won the Pimlico Special, and all the stakes he won he won good. It's the first time I've had a horse like that. With Harpers, every day is special. From the day we claimed him, he started doing good.”

Among the early 2021 stakes for 4-year-olds and up going a route of ground at Laurel are the $75,000 Jennings for Maryland-bred/sired horses at one mile Jan. 16, the $100,000 John B. Campbell at about 1 1/16 miles Feb. 13 and $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial at 1 1/8 miles March 13. Gonzalez said the connections will keep all their options open for the soon-to-be 5-year-old.

“He proved that he won his races easy and maybe he has to take the next step and race with the big guys and see how he does,” he said.

The post ‘He Surprises Me Every Day’: Maryland-Bred Harpers First Ride Headed To Pegasus World Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘Like Getting A Horse From Mars’: Breeders’ Cup Winner Bulletin To Make Australian Debut

The 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Bulletin is preparing to make his Australian debut this Saturday at Randwick Racecourse, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. A 4-year-old son of City Zip, the colt is now trained by Gai Waterhouse and will start in the A$125,000 (about US$97,200) Heineken H. over 1200 meters (six furlongs).

Post time will be 12:20 a.m. Eastern on Saturday morning.

Bulletin broke his maiden on debut in the listed Hollywood Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park, while trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by the partnership of China Horse Club, WinStar Farm, and SF Racing. Following his 2 3/4-length triumph in the Breeders' Cup, Bulletin won the listed Palisades Turf Sprint to kick off his 3-year-old campaign. He has not found the winner's circle since, however, despite switching to the barn of Steve Asmussen for two starts in 2020.

Bulletin hasn't raced since a second-place effort in a Churchill allowance race on June 12, 2020, but did finish second in a pair of barrier trials at Randwick ahead of the Heineken. He is now campaigned by the China Horse Club and Australia's Newgate Stud Farm.

Waterhouse said the colt has finally acclimated to Australian-style racing and weather, and should give a good account of himself on Saturday.

“I once had a very famous trainer say to me 'you don't ask much about the horse', and I said 'well it's like an upside-down cake, what you did in the northern hemisphere doesn't count in Australia,” Waterhouse told the Sydney Morning Herald. “The climate and the conditions of racing and everything about it is so dramatically different. It's like you're getting the horse from Mars.”

Read more at the Sydney Morning Herald.

The post ‘Like Getting A Horse From Mars’: Breeders’ Cup Winner Bulletin To Make Australian Debut appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Heads To South Africa This Saturday

A.N. & The Honorable Mrs. G. R. Foster's 5-year-old homebred Belgarion, a winner of his last six races, headlines a field of nine runners entered for Saturday's one-mile L'Ormarins Queen's Plate (G1) at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town, South Africa. The race winner will earn an automatic berth into the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series. One race prior to the Queen's Plate, Mauritzfontein Ltd.'s unbeaten 5-year-old mare Summer Pudding leads the 1 1/8-mile Cartier Paddock Stakes (G1) for a free starting position into the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

Now in its 14th season, the Breeders' Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into corresponding races of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held this year at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California on Nov. 5-6.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the pre-entry and entry fees for the winners of Saturday's races, and also will provide a US$40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America, to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 25 to receive the rewards.

Belgarion, a bay son of Dynasty, is trained by Justin Snaith, who has three starters in the race. Belgarion's biggest career score was on July 25, 2020 when he won South Africa's most prestigious race, the 1 3/8-mile Vodafone Durban July Stakes (G1) at Greyville by three-quarters of a length. He returned on Dec. 12 in the 7-furlong World Sports Betting Greenpoint Stakes (G2) at Kenilworth. Last of eight runners at the top of the stretch, Belgarion closed with a powerful rush to defeat the favored Rainbow Bridge by a neck. That victory improved Belgarion's record to eight wins in 10 starts, and was his seventh-straight triumph dating back to September 2019. Belgarion will be ridded by Richard Fourie from post six.

Mr. and Mrs. M.L.P. Rattray's 7-year-old gelding Rainbow Bridge, trained by Eric Sands, has had some hard luck in his last two starts. In addition to his close second-place finish in the Greenpoint Stakes, the bay son of Ideal World finished a short head behind Golden Ducat in the 1 1/8-mile World Sports Betting Champions Cup (G1) at Greyville on Aug. 29. His lone victory last year, however, came in the Group 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge at about 1 mile on June 28 at Greyville, defeating Vardy, last year's L'Ormarins Queen's Plate winner. Luke Ferrais will ride Rainbow Bridge out of gate five.

The front-running Cirillo also should be a factor for owner C.J.H. Van Niekerk and trainer Sean Tarry. Hitting the board in his last four starts, Cirillo held the lead in deep stretch in the Greenpoint Stakes before being passed in the final yards by Belgarion and Rainbow Bridge. A 5-year-old bay by Pomodoro, Cirillo last won on March 7, taking the 7-furlong Betting World Hawaii Stakes (G2). Breaking from post four, Cirillo will be ridden by Gavin Larena.

Another starter trained by Snaith is the 2019 L'Oramins Queen's Plate winner Do It Again, owned by Nick Johnson and Bernard Kantor, who will be making his first start since Aug. 29. Ridden by Anton Marcus from post seven, the 6-year-old Twice Over gelding won two more Group 1 races in 2019, taking the Rising Sun Gold Challenge and the Durban July. Do It Again, though, did not win a race last year in five starts. He was sixth in the 2020 L'Ormarins Queen's Plate, and third in both the Hollywood Bets Gold Cup and the Durban July.

Snaith's third starter is longshot Hurricane Harry, who won three races last year, but trailed seven runners last time out in the Cape Mile at Kenilworth on Nov. 7. He will be ridden by Robert Khathi, breaking from post one.

In the Cartier Paddock Stakes, Summer Pudding, trained by Paul Peter, looms large over 11 rivals, having never lost in nine starts. Saturday's race will be her first at Kenilworth as eight of her victories came at Turrfontein and one at Greyville. A 5-year-old bay daughter of Silvano out of Cherry on the Cake by Strike Smartly, Summer Pudding has three Group 1 wins, including her most recent triumph over male rivals by 2 ½ lengths in the 1 1/8-mile World Sports Betting Gauteng Summer Cup at Turffontein on Nov. 28. That was Summer Pudding's first start since July 7, when she captured the 1 1/8-mile Champion Stayer: Out of Your League Pinnacle Stakes over fillies and mares at Turffontein.

Summer Pudding's first Group 1 score came on March 7 in the 1-mile Wilgerbosdrift S A Fillies Classic. After winning the Group 2, 1 ½-mile Wilgerbosdrift S A Oaks at Turffontein on June 6, she got her second Group 1 of the season, defeating Driving Miss Daisy in the 1 1/8-mile Woolavington 2000 at Greyville on June 28. Summer Pudding will be ridden by Warren Kennedy from post 11.

The main danger to Summer Pudding could come from defending champion Queen Supreme. Also owned by Mauritzfontein (Pty) Ltd., Queen Supreme, trained by Mike de Kock, is a 5-year-old chestnut daughter of Exceed and Excel out of the Gone West mare Call Later. Queen Supreme captured last year's Paddock Stakes by 2 ½ lengths over Driving Miss Daisy for her first Group 1 win. Two starts later, she finished third against males in the Hsh Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes (G1) on June 27 at Turrfontein. Off until Nov. 28, she faced open company again in the 1-mile World Sports Bet Ipi Tombe Challenge at Turffontein, finishing second by 1 ¾ lengths. She returned to the winner's circle in her last start, taking the 1-mile Computaform Online Pinnacle Stakes by 4 ½ lengths on Dec. 12. Queen Supreme will be ridden for the first time by Keagan De Melo, from post two.

A.C. Peter's Silvano's Pride, third in last year's race for trainer Justin Snaith, won two races in 2020, including her last start on Dec. 19 when she captured the 1-mile Cape Racing Victress Stakes (G2) at Kenilworth by a half-length. A 5-year-old chestnut daughter of Silvano, Silvano's Pride also won the 6-furlong Tibouchina Stakes (G2) at Greyville on June 28 by 2 ¼ lengths. Robert Khathi has the mount, breaking from post seven.

The Eric Sands-trained Driving Miss Daisy has been off the board since her runner-up finish in the Woolavalington 2000 behind Summer Pudding. A 5-year-old bay daughter of Master of My Fate, Driving Miss Daisy finished sixth last time out in the gavelhouse.com Conditions Plate at Kenilworth on Nov. 21. Driving Miss Daisy breaks from post eight under jockey Morne Winnaar.

The post Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Heads To South Africa This Saturday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Dubawi Filly Soft Whisper Screams Promise In UAE 1000 Guineas Trial

The UAE 1000 Guineas Trial is usually a first look at stakes-level sophomore fillies in Dubai and has often been an unveiling of possible future stars. Such was the case once again on Thursday night at Meydan Racecourse when Godolphin's Saeed bin Suroor-trained Soft Whisper let the secret out with a 2 1/2-length win in the seven-furlong conditions affair.

Stalking comfortably in mid-pack throughout the first three furlongs, the daughter of Dubawi from the family of European Horse of the Year Peintre Celebre tipped out under confident Pat Cosgrave handling, gobbled up ground on front-running Jumeirah Beach and then put away that foe, while holding off a pair of stablemates who filled out the trifecta, Last Sunset and Final Thought. Satish Seemar-trained first-time starter Al Maroom ran on respectably for fourth.

Expected favorite Super Chianti was scratched earlier in the day, but will likely line up against the winner in the UAE 1000 Guineas (Listed) in three weeks or the UAE Oaks (G3) thereafter.

The final time was 1:26.72, and the victory improved her record to three wins and two seconds from five starts.

“She just took a little time to sort of get her act together,” Cosgrave said. “She's improved race by race. I really thought she'd win today. I didn't think so after 50 yards for a stride or two–things weren't going to plan–but those good horses usually get out of trouble. I was trying to find the right horse to take me into the race and luckily enough it worked out nicely.

“The good thing about her is she got a little bit of sand in her face and she faced it,” Cosgrave continued. “She had to work hard, which isn't always ideal. She'll improve plenty. I think going a mile she'll be better. She's a nice filly. It took me until the 800m to pull her up. She's by Dubawi and they get better with racing and she's a nice, big, scopey filly.”

The post Dubawi Filly Soft Whisper Screams Promise In UAE 1000 Guineas Trial appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post