Tag: red king

Campaign Aiming For Repeat In Sunday’s Cougar II Stakes At Del Mar

Six well-seasoned racehorses with large, full lungs will run a testing mile and one half at Del Mar Sunday in the 70th edition of the Cougar II Stakes. The race carries a Grade 3 enhancement and has a purse of $100,000.

Though the Cougar II has a relatively short field, it doesn't lack for solid stakes horses. Four of the runners are stakes winners, including the defending Cougar II champion – Woodford Racing's Campaign, who captured the race in 2019 when it was last run.

The Cougar II — named for the South American racehorse who came north and into the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham where he went on to a Hall of Fame career that included being named U.S. grass champion in 1972 – is not for the faint of heart at its 12-furlong distance, and the majority of the half dozen who'll give it a go Sunday have shown an affinity for marathons.

Campaign, as noted, has won at a mile and one half. Flawless Racing, Masino Racing Stable or Flanagan, et al's Cupid's Claw has done likewise. Same same for MyRacehorse or Spendthrift Farm's Tizamagician. And Little Red Feather Racing, Jacobsen or Belmonte's Red King has won at a mile and three quarters. Hronis Racing's Heywood Beach has “only” won at a mile and a quarter, while Gary Barber's Contagion is coming off three mile wins in his last five starts.

Here's the lineup from the rail out with riders and weights: Heywood Beach (Tyler Baze, 121); Contagion (Juan Hernandez, 121); Campaign (Trevor McCarthy, 121); Red King (Umberto Rispoli, 123); Cupid's Claws (Kent Desormeaux, 123), and Tizamagician (Flavien Prat, 123).

Tizamagaician, a 4-year-old colt by Tiznow who races out of the Richard Mandella barn, shows four wins and seven seconds from 17 starts and a bankroll of $367,851. He was second most recently in the venerable Brooklyn Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park going 12 furlongs when he was shipped east for the June 5 tilt.

Red King, a 7-year-old entire horse by English Channel, sports seven wins and career earnings of $483,755. Among his victories was a score in last summer's mile and three eighths Del Mar Handicap on the local Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Cupid's Claws captured the mile and one half Tokyo City Cup Stakes at Santa Anita last September. The 6-year-old Kitten's Joy gelding has earnings approaching $200,000.

The Cougar II is the 10th of 11 races on the Sunday card that begins at 2 p.m. and closes out the first week of Del Mar racing. Also on the program is a nice $80,000 overnight race called the Wickerr Stakes that has drawn eight runner for a mile on the turf and is offered as Race 7.

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Veteran Acclimate Headlines Saturday’s Marathon San Juan Capistrano At Santa Anita

Fresh off a big second at a mile and one quarter on turf, trainer Phil D'Amato's Acclimate heads a field of six going a mile and three quarters on turf in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at Santa Anita. A traditional closing day feature for decades, the iconic San Juan will be run for the 81st time on the penultimate day of Santa Anita's 78-day Winter/Spring Meeting and will feature a traditional hillside turf start.

Also meriting major consideration are fellow California-bred gelding Ward 'n Jerry, a recent winner of a two starter allowance marathons on turf and Red King, a runaway winner of last year's San Juan Capistrano who most recently finished a half length behind the top selection in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes on May 29.

A 7-year-old California-bred gelding by Acclimation, out of the Boundary mare Knows No Bounds, Acclimate opened up by three lengths after the first half mile in the Whittingham and ended up second, beaten a head by the David Hofmans-trained Award Winner, when ridden for the first time by Ricky Gonzalez.

Juan Hernandez, the meet's second leading rider, will take over for the first time on Saturday. Acclimate, who took the 2019 San Juan Capistrano running in gate to wire fashion in combination with the now-departed Martin Garcia will be making his second appearance in the San Juan. Owned by the Ellwood Johnston Family Trust, Timmy Time Racing, LLC and Ken Tevelde, Acclimate was bred in-part by the Johnston family's Old English Rancho. A two-time graded stakes winner he is 24-6-4-4 and has earnings of $497,872.

Head and head for the early lead in last year's San Juan, Ward 'n Jerry ended up third, beaten five lengths by Red King. An 8-year-old gelding by Lucky Pulpit, Ward 'n Jerry appears on edge for trainer Mike Puype, as he rallied for a sharp head victory in a mile and one quarter starter allowance on Feb. 20 and stretched out to a half length score in a mile and one half turf starter allowance March 20.

Owned and bred in California by Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams, Ward 'n Jerry, who is out of the Dehere mare Tamarack Bay, will be ridden for the fourth consecutive time by leading man Flavien Prat and will no doubt take some beating on Saturday. With an overall mark of 27-8-2-4, he has earnings of $468,259.

A 4 ¼ length winner of last year's San Juan and a close third in the 2019 running, Red King, who got the jump on highly accomplished United in taking the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap five starts back on Aug. 22, has plenty of class and the return services of regular rider Umberto Rispoli. A 7-year-old full horse by English Channel, Red King would relish a fast pace as he seeks his second San Juan win in what will be his third appearance.

Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Gordon Jacobsen and Phillip Belmonte, Red King, who is 32-7-4-9 with earnings of $471,755, is trained by meet-leader Phil D'Amato, who holds a 46-42 edge over Peter Miller with three days remaining.

THE GRADE 3 SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 11 of 11 Approximate post time 6:00 p.m. PT

  1. Lure Him In – Edwin Maldonado – 122
  2. Red King – Umberto Rispoli – 124
  3. Ward 'n Jerry – Flavien Prat – 122
  4. Acclimate – Ricardo Gonzalez – 122
  5. Pillar Mountain – Joe Bravo – 122
  6. Astronaut – Victor Espinoza – 122

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Classy United Faces Just Three Rivals In Charles Whittingham Stakes

Richard Mandella's classy United heads Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita as he seeks back to back wins in the race named for the legendary Bald Eagle, who 22 years after his passing, ranks third on Santa Anita's all-time list of stakes winning trainers with 869 added money victories.

The Whittingham, for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and one quarter on turf, has attracted a field of four, with the David Hofmans-trained Award Winner and Phil D'Amato's Red King looming as solid contenders.

Owned by LNJ Foxwoods, United, a 6-year-old gelding by Giant's Causeway, made his first start of the year on March 20 and proved he's certainly not lost a step. Attentive to the pace, he took charge turning for home and prevailed by three quarters of a length over next-out winner Say the Word in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at a mile and one half on turf.

A close second in the 2019 Whittingham and a nose winner of last year's renewal, United is no doubt being pointed to a third engagement in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Del Mar—a race in which he was a close second to eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar here at Santa Anita in 2019.

A winner of five races, four of them graded stakes, from 10 tries over the local turf, United is 18-8-4-1 overall with earnings of $1,513,549. With leading man Flavien Prat set to ride him for the 13 consecutive time, United will no doubt be a short price to win on Saturday.

Bred in Kentucky by Mrs. Jerry Amerman and owned by Amerman Racing, LLC, Award Winner, a 5-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper, has found a new lease on his racing career since debuting for Hofmans three starts back on Jan. 8. Second in a pair of second condition allowance races at one mile on grass on Jan. 8 and Feb. 13, Award Winner unfurled what appeared to be the best race of his career on March 27.

Off at 7-2 going a mile and one quarter on turf, Award Winner made every pole a winning one in taking a second condition allowance by 2 ½ lengths while earning a career-best 95 Beyer Speed figure under Juan Hernandez, who rides back on Saturday.

A close second in a Grade 3 turf stakes at 1 1/8 miles 10 starts back on July 6, 2019 at Delaware Park, Award Winner will be bidding for his first graded stakes win in what will be his third attempt. With an overall mark of 16-3-4-1, he has earnings of $208,474.

A winner of the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes and the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap in June and August of last year, Red King has solid credentials and will try to make amends for a close third place finish as the 6-5 favorite behind talented California-bred Ward 'n Jerry in a mile and one half turf starter allowance on March 20.

Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Gordon Jacobsen and Philip Belmonte, Red King, a 7-year-old full horse by English Channel, was claimed for $35,000 15 starts back on Feb. 8, 2019. With regular rider Umberto Rispoli engaged, Red King would benefit from a lively early pace. Out of the A.P. Indy mare Youre Speeding, Red King is 31-7-4-8, with earnings of $447,755.

THE GRADE 2 CHARLES WHITTINGHAM WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITIN ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

  1. Acclimate—Ricardo Gonzalez—122
  2. Award Winner—Juan Hernandez—122
  3. Red King—Umberto Rispoli—124
  4. United—Flavien Prat–124

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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From The Horse’s Mouth: D’Amato Assesses His Hollywood Turf Cup Quartet

Phil D'Amato is ready to tee it up with a foursome and take a big swing hoping to find the 'Cup.

But, rather than golf, the Thoroughbred trainer is sticking to his primary game and saddling four horses for Friday's featured $200,000, Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup. D'Amato's quartet for the 1 ½-mile grass marathon, all with different ownership going as separate betting interests, is comprised of Red King, Say the Word, Gregorian Chant and Acclimate.

“They're all running,” D'Amato confirmed this morning. “They're all kind of uniquely different horses and have different running styles and they've all trained well for the race.”

A capsule look alphabetically, with D'Amato's comments.

Acclimate. A son of Acclamation and an Old English Rancho homebred, the 6-year-old gelding will be making his first start in over a year but last season here won the Grade 2, 1 3/8 mile Del Mar Handicap. “He had a bunch of little things to take care of and then it (comeback) got complicated by the COVID situation and the fires near Santa Anita,” D'Amato said. “One setback after another; but his last few works have indicated to me that he's back close to being his old self.”

Gregorian Chant. The 4-year-old English-bred hit the board in his last three starts for owners Slam Dunk and Old Bones Racing and comes in off a third-place finish in the Lure Stakes at Santa Anita that produced a career-best Beyer Speed Figure. “He was gelded (in May) and he's improved every race since,” D'Amato said. “We want to stretch him out (first time beyond 1 1/8 miles) and see what he can do.”

Red King. A victory this past summer in the Del Mar Handicap provided entrée to the $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland. But things didn't work out when he finished ninth of 10. “He needs some pace to run at and there was zero pace in the race,” D'Amato said. “We were stuck wide on a slow pace and couldn't kick with those other really good horses. He's back here now, happy and healthy and hopefully we'll get the kind of effort we did last summer.”

Say the Word. The 5-year-old gelded son of More Than Ready, owned in partnership and bred by Sam-Son Farm, is a newcomer to D'Amato's stable and comes in off a victory in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer at Woodbine. “He's worked twice here and looked very good,” D'Amato said. “We're looking forward to seeing what he can do.”

The field from the rail with jockeys and morning line odds in parenthesis: North County Guy (Mario Gutierrez, 15-1); Oscar Dominguez (Irad Ortiz, Jr., 15-1); Red King (Umberto Rispoli, 5-1); Say the Word (Flavien Prat, 5-1); Arklow (Joel Rosario, 5-2); Gregorian Chant (Ricardo Gonzalez, 20-1); Acclimate (Tyler Baze, 12-1); Laccario (Manuel Franco, 3-1); Ward 'n Jerry (Jose Valdivia, Jr., 20-1); Proud Pedro (Juan Hernandez, 20-1); Marckie's Water (Tiago Pereira 30-1), and Another Mystery (Mike Smith, 10-1). Listed as also eligible are Tartini (Tyler Baze 30-1) and Fivestar Lynch (Abel Cedillo, 30-1).

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