Racing | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saturday Undercard: Nashville Sets Track Record, Spill Mars Second Race

The China Horse Club and WinStar Farm showed off a talented young sprinter in the opener on Breeders' Cup Saturday at Keeneland, sending out Nashville for a track record-setting victory in the $125,000 Perryville Stakes. The 3-year-old son of Speightstown ran six furlongs over the fast main track in 1:07.89, annihilating the previous record of 1:08.43 set by A.P. Indian in 2016.

(Note: the run-up for today's Perryville was 55 feet, while the run-up for A.P. Indian's previous track record-setting performance was 34 feet.)

Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr., the 1-9 favorite Nashville grabbed the lead at the start and easily ran away from the field, setting fractions of :21.54, :43.87, and :55.61 without turning a hair. Santana never touched his whip down the lane, cruising under the wire an easy winner by about three lengths over Wild Wes.

Asmussen could have sent the colt to the Breeders' Cup Sprint later on the card, but elected to take an easier route with the inexperienced Nashville.

Bred in Kentucky by Breffni Farm, Nashville is out of the unraced Mizzen Mast mare Veronique from the family of multi-millionaires Giacomo and Tiago. Nashville was a $460,000 yearling purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September sale, and has gone undefeated in his first three starts by a total of over 20 lengths. His earnings now stand at $157,200.

The day's second race, the Lafayette Stakes, saw a spill at the top of the stretch mar the action when Absolutely Aiden broke down. Both Dinar and Strike That were also affected and unseated their riders, but galloped out unharmed and were corralled by outriders before being taken back to their respective barns. Trainer Cherie DeVaux Tweeted that Dinar was find other than minor abrasions.

Absolutely Aiden was loaded onto the equine ambulance.

All three jockeys affected by the incident escaped unharmed, and were checked out at first aid and approved to ride their remaining mounts. They are: Tyler Gaffalione (Dinar), Chris Landeros (Absolutely Aiden), and David Cohen (Strike That).

Midnight Sands also appeared to stumble over the stricken horse, and was eased down the stretch by jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. He also walked off the track under his own power.

Sleepy Eyes Todd won the Lafayette for trainer Miguel Silva and jockey Joel Rosario.

In the third race, the Fort Springs Stakes, trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Luis Saez teamed up with Merneith to defeat Motivated Seller by a neck at the finish. The 3-year-old filly is sired by American Pharoah.

Merneith has been a part of Baffert's recent medication controversy: after finishing second in the fourth race on July 25 at Del Mar, the filly returned a positive test for Dextrorphan, a cough suppressant.

The post Saturday Undercard: Nashville Sets Track Record, Spill Mars Second Race appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Welder Will Try To Add To His Legacy In Friday’s Silver Goblin Stakes

When Welder goes to the gate for the $70,000 Silver Goblin Stakes on Friday, Nov. 13 at Remington Park, the legendary Oklahoma-bred gelding will be trying to set a new record and extend another.

If the 7-year-old by The Visualiser, out of the Tiznow mare Dance Softly, can prove triumphant, he would be the only horse to ever win the Silver Goblin Stakes four times. He currently is tied with Okie Ride, a member of the Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame at Remington Park, with three wins apiece in this race.

Welder, owned by Ra-Max Farms (Clayton Rash) of Claremore, Okla., and trained by Teri Luneack, has won the Silver Goblin Stakes three years in a row. Welder also will try to extend his stakes winning streak to 11 at Remington Park, something no other horse has ever done here. His streak started on Nov. 17, 2017 in the Silver Goblin Stakes and followed that with victories in 2018 in the Remington Park Turf Sprint (moved to a sloppy main track), the David M. Vance Stakes, the Oklahoma Classics Sprint and the Silver Goblin Stakes. That marked the first time any horse had ever won four stakes races in one thoroughbred season at Remington.

The streak continued in 2019 when he took the Vance Stakes, the Oklahoma Classics Sprint and the Silver Goblin Stakes. He was then voted Horse of the Meeting for the second year in a row, becoming the only horse to ever accomplish that feat. In 2020, he has won the Remington Park Turf Sprint and the Oklahoma Classics Sprint. The turf sprint actually stayed on the grass this year and it was Welder's first try on that surface. He got to the wire first by a neck after it appeared he was beaten twice in the stretch.

“I almost had a heart attack,” said Luneack, after watching her prized athlete gain late to win by a neck.

Welder will be a part of a field of six for this Silver Goblin Stakes. His millionaire record and status at Remington Park has made it somewhat difficult to fill races in which he is a participant. Welder's lifetime record is 36 starts, 24 wins, five seconds and four thirds for $1,137,018 in money earned.

Another Welder victory would be his 14th at Remington Park and would put him within one of the all-time number of wins here. He has 13 wins in 17 tries in Oklahoma City and is now two wins away from tying Highland Ice and Elegant Exxactsy, who won 15 times each at Remington Park.

Welder was bred at Center Hills Farm's division of Mighty Acres Ranch in Pryor, Okla., the same farm that produced $3 million-winning turf horse Kip Deville.

Here's a look at the field for this year's edition of the Silver Goblin Stakes, 6-1/2 furlongs for Oklahoma-breds, three and older, with post positions, horse, jockeys, trainers and morning line odds:

1) Fly to the Bank: Lindey Wade, James Helzer, 12-1

2) Welder: David Cabrera, Teri Luneack, 2-5 (morning-line favorite)

3) Rockport Kat: Richard Eramia, Teri Luneack, 15-1

4) Dominante: Obed Sanchez, Shon Dunlap, 20-1

5) No Lak of Speed: Luis Quinonez, Jesse Oberlander, 8-1

6) Quality Rocket: Garrett Steinberg, Boyd Caster, 3-1

Remington Park racing continues Saturday, Nov. 7 with first post at 7:07pm-Central.

The post Welder Will Try To Add To His Legacy In Friday’s Silver Goblin Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Rocketry Blasts Off In The Stretch To Win Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes

Rocketry moved with a strong kick down the middle of the Keeneland stretch and blew past an already fierce stretch battle on Friday to win the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes, formerly known as the Marathon Stakes, on the Breeders' Cup undercard.

With the victory, the 6-year-old son of Hard Spun became the first horse to win two editions of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes, which began its life in 2008 as the Breeders' Cup Marathon, and was moved to the undercard in 2014 and named simply the Marathon Stakes. He previously won the race in 2018 at Churchill Downs, which was his first win prior to Friday's race, nine starts earlier.

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. put the brakes on Rocketry immediately out of the gate, and settled him last by a wide margin as the field made its first trip across the backstretch. On the front end, Dack Janiel's, Signalman and Plus Que Parfait battled for the lead. That trio led the field into the first turn in an opening quarter of :24.40 seconds, and the order remained largely unchanged when the mile pole went by in 1:38.54.

While Ortiz started moving Rocketry into contention on the outside, Danny California introduced himself to the lead pack, which saw Dack Janiel's holding the rail valiantly as 1 1/4-miles ticked off in 2:03.81. With three-sixteenths to go, jockey Declan Cannon appeared to have Dack Janiel's kicking away from the field, but the Argentine-born Mirinaque staged a mid-pack move and drew even with a sixteenth to go.

By the time those two drew even, Rocketry was already dialed in to challenge the leaders, and he blew by them in the closing strides to win by a length. Mirinaque carried on for second, a length ahead of Dack Janiel's. Post time favorite Cupid's Claws was never a serious threat, and finished 12th in the 14-horse field.

Winning for owner Centennial Farms and trainer Jimmy Jerkens, Rocketry completed the 1 5/8-mile race in 2:42.57 over a fast main track. He paid $25.20 to win, and triggered a trifecta of long odds, winning as an 11-1 shot over horses running at 33-1 and 53-1.

With the victory, Rocketry improved his career record to six wins in 28 career starts for earnings of $789,710.

Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd., Rocketry is out of the winning Smart Strike mare Smart Farming. He was a $450,000 purchase by Centennial Farms at the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

To view the race's chart, click here.

Quotes from the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes, courtesy of the Keeneland Notes Team:

Jimmy Jerkens (trainer of winner Rocketry): “He ran so bad last time (third in the Sept. 18 Miner's Mark Stakes at Belmont). He came out of it with a real bad out-of-whack blood count. I was scratching my head. It looked like he was training good into it, and he ran so flat. We freshened him up. Didn't train him quite as hard, just tried to put some flesh on him. It looked like it was a good lively race for this far, and that's what he needs.”

“He was doing better overall than he was last time, and the horses came back to him last time. Which is what he needs. He sat way back off an honest pace. He needs to see them coming back to him, and that's what happened.”

On what's next for Rocketry?

“I don't know. We're going to enjoy this for a while. Centennial (Farms), they've been wonderful, loyal owners. We've had a bad year; for them to win this race was huge for both of us.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. (winning rider): “We broke out of the gates – and he doesn't have too much speed – so I let him settle. He relaxed so well. By the five-eighths pole, he started picking it up on his own and he was moving really good. When I asked him going by the three-eighths pole, he responded really well. He likes this kind of race, with the long distance, and he ran great. He was picking up a ton of ground in the stretch, so I knew I had a good shot to get there.”

The post Rocketry Blasts Off In The Stretch To Win Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Woodbine To Adjust Post Times Beginning Nov. 8

Woodbine Entertainment announced post time changes for live Thoroughbred racing at Woodbine Racetrack, effective on Sunday, Nov. 8.

Post times for live racing will be 2:25 p.m. on Thursdays, 4:45 p.m. on Fridays, and 1:25 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

The schedule change is expected to remain in effect through the remainder of the meet, which concludes on December 13.

For the latest racing and wagering updates from Woodbine, please visit Woodbine.com.

The post Woodbine To Adjust Post Times Beginning Nov. 8 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post