reeves thoroughbred racing | Horse Racing Free Tips

Tax Returns With a Vengeance In Harlan’s Holiday; Pegasus World Cup Next?

R.A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Hugh Lynch's Tax returned to winning form in Saturday's $100,000 Harlan's Holiday (G3), scoring a dominating 4 ½ -length victory while stamping himself as a prime candidate for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) on Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Harlan's Holiday, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds and up, was one of five stakes on Saturday's program, which was headlined by the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2), a key prep for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

Tax, a prominent player on the 2019 Road to the Triple Crown, had been winless since capturing the 2019 Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga until he broke through with a dazzling front-running score Saturday that threatened the track record for 1 1/16 miles.

“We have really, really been high on him. We really thought he'd run big at Keeneland but he got sick on us and caused him to miss the race. I got really depressed about it because I was waiting to run him. Today, he showed up,” Gargan said. “I think this will be his best year. He's grown, developed. He's sound. He's bigger, stronger than he's ever been. I couldn't be happier with him today.”

Unraced since finishing fifth in the May 2 Oaklawn Handicap – his only start since finishing off-the-board in last year's Pegasus World Cup – Tax went right to the front under jockey Luis Saez after breaking from the No. 1 post position and was never threatened thereafter. The 4-year-old gelded son of Arch completed 1 1/16-miles in 1:41.15 while being under wraps for the final sixteenth of a mile, missing Social Inclusion's 2014 track record of 1:40.96 by less than a fifth of a second.

“I could feel that he was doing great. He was ready. He was pretty focused in the gate and he broke so sharp. He took the lead and controlled the pace and at the five-eighths, I felt like I had a lot of horse,” Saez said. “When we came to the stretch and he changed leads, he took off. He was very comfortable the whole way. I knew I had a lot of horse. We were just saving him for the next time. I could feel that we were going fast, but he was so comfortable. He loves to run, and we let him run.”

Next time could quite likely come in the Pegasus World Cup, in which he stumbled at the start and wasn't able to recover last year.

“I'll have to talk to Dean [Reeves] and Randy [Hill] and Hugh Lynch,” Gargan said. “I'm blessed that they're been so patient. He's only run two times this year. We turned him out and had a couple of misfortunes that we didn't get to run. Having great owners like those guys really helps you develop a horse into a good horse.”

Eye of a Jedi closed from far back to finish second under Marcos Meneses, a half-length ahead of 2-1 favorite Phat Man, who stalked the early pace under Irad Ortiz Jr. but was unable to mount a serious challenge.

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Undefeated Isolate Ships To New York For Sunday’s Nashua Stakes

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Isolate has done no wrong in his first two career starts and puts a perfect record on the line when shipping to New York for Sunday's 44th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Nashua going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The stakes event for juvenile colts pays homage to Belair Stud's winner of the 1955 Preakness and Belmont Stakes trained by Hall of Famer Sunny “Jim” Fitzsimmons. Notching two American classic triumphs in addition to victories in the Florida Derby, Wood Memorial and Jockey Club Gold Cup earned Nashua Horse of the Year honors that year and induction into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1965. He parlayed his talent to some of his offspring including Hall of Fame distaffers Shuvee as well as Gold Digger – the dam of prolific sire-of-sires Mr. Prospector.

Trained by Kathy Ritvo, Isolate did just as his name suggested in his last-out gate-to-wire effort where he defeated winners over a sloppy main track at Gulfstream Park by 10 lengths, while garnering a 79 Beyer Speed Figure.

The Florida-bred son Mark Valeski was a three-quarter length winner against his Sunshine State-bred counterparts in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight on August 6 at Gulfstream, where he defeated next out-winner and subsequent stakes winner Poppy's Pride.

“He had a really tough trip in his first race but he managed to find an opening and won the race,” said Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Dean Reeves. “In the slop he pretty well dominated the field. He hasn't had a nice trip on the dirt where he can really show his talent, but we're hopeful all will go well on Sunday and see how we stack up against some good horses.”

Isolate has been training forwardly into his stakes debut, recording a five-furlong bullet in 1:00.20 on October 24 over a fast main track at Gulfstream Park.

“He's one of those that you have to be careful with because he'll go too fast,” Reeves said. “He put in two really good works and did what he needed to do. It's a long trip, but so far the reports I'm getting is that he's doing fine. He's a tough and mature horse for a 2-year-old.”

Bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Isolate is the sixth offspring out of the Unbridled's Song mare Tranquil Song, who has produced four other winners. He was bought for $70,000 from the Keeneland November Sale in 2018.

“Jimmy Gladwell picked him out as a weanling,” Reeves said. “He's got a great eye for a horse and we really liked him ever since we got him. He's developed into a nice horse so far.”

Jockey Cristian Torres will be back aboard from post 5 after piloting the colt to his impressive last out win.

Invading from Pennsylvania is Parx maiden winner Irish Honor who won on debut on October 28 for trainer Joseph Taylor.

Owned by Chuck Zacney's Cash Is King Racing, LC Racing and Ho Dee Boy Stable, the son of second crop sire Honor Code will arrive at the Nashua off just over a week's rest after a 1 ¾-length victory over a wet-fast main track at Parx.

“He's always trained like a real nice horse,” Taylor said. He's calm and he takes everything in stride. First time I entered him, I scratched him because the track came up sloppy. When we ran him last time, he missed the break a tad. When he came around the turn, we saw the length in his stride. I was talking to [Cash Is King owner] Chuck [Zacney] this morning, It's coming back quick but he seems to have a lot of energy. It's a short field so we're giving him a shot.”

Jockey Pablo Morales will ride from post 3.

Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, who saddled 1997 Nashua winner and subsequent multiple Grade 1-winner Coronado's Quest, sends out impressive maiden special weight winner Ten for Ten in pursuit of a second Nashua triumph.

Owned by Donald and Donna Adam's Courtlandt Farms, the gray or roan son of first crop sire Frosted led at every point of call en route to an eight-length maiden score at second asking when traveling 1 1/16-miles over a sloppy main track on October 16 at Belmont Park. The maiden win earned a 78 Beyer.

Ten for Ten was off a step slow on debut and raced from four or five lengths off the pace en route to finishing second in a six-furlong maiden special weight on September 7 at Saratoga.

Purchased for $410,000 from the Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Ten for Ten is out of the Eskendereya mare Summer Vacation – a half-sister to Grade 1-winner and graded stakes producing sire Creative Cause as well as Grade 1-winning distaffers Vexatious and multiple graded stakes winner Destin.

Jockey Eric Cancel will pilot Ten for Ten from the inside post.

Following a debut win, Nova Rags will attempt to make his first start against stakes company a winning one for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

Owned and bred by Michael Shanley, the chestnut son of Union Rags bobbled at the start of his debut but arrived in time for a three-quarter-length score in a six-furlong maiden special weight on October 10 over a fast main track at Belmont Park.

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche will be aboard from post 2.

Completing the field are Pickin' Time [post 4, Trevor McCarthy], Civil War [post 6, Nik Juarez] and Spectatorless [post 7, Ferrin Peterson].

The Nashua is slated as Race 9 on Sunday's 10-race program, which offers a first post of 11:50 a.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Has $500,000 Guarantee At Gulfstream

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $500,000 Sunday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved for the seventh consecutive racing program Saturday, when multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $866.96.

The carryover jackpot is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Isolate Distances Himself in Gulfstream Feature for 2-Year-Olds
Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Isolate distanced himself from his five rivals in Saturday's featured Race 10 at Gulfstream Park, where juveniles took center stage on an 11-race program that also included a pair of 2-year-old maiden special weight events in Races 1 and 5.

Isolate ($4.20) followed up his Aug. 6 debut victory with a thoroughly authoritative 8 3/4-length triumph in the six-furlong optional claiming allowance for 2-year-olds, in which he took the lead shortly after the start and drew off under Cristian Torres.

The Kathy Ritvo-trained son of Mark Valeski ran six furlongs over a sealed sloppy track in 1:10.97.

Slam Dunk Racing's Drain the Clock ($5.20) kicked off Saturday's program with a stylish debut victory in Race 1, taking the lead shortly after the start of the five-furlong dash and romping to a six-length score in 58.73 seconds over a sealed sloppy track. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained son of Maclean's Music gave leading rider Edgard Zayas his first of four winners of the day.

Shadybrook Farm Inc's Briella ($5.20) just held on to win after leading the way throughout Race 5, scoring by a nose in the five-furlong maiden special weight race for Florida-bred juvenile fillies. The daughter of Cajun Breeze, who ran five furlongs in 59.39 seconds, gave jockey Miguel Vasquez the first of his two winners Saturday. The Michael Yates-trained filly had previously finished second in her May 20 debut behind Princess Secret, who went on to win the $200,000 Susan's Girl, the second leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes, Aug. 29.

Zayas, the defending Spring/Summer Meet titlist, leads Vasquez in the standings, 130-120.

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Favored Double Crown Holds Off With Verve To Take Carry Back At Gulfstream

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Double Crown lived up to his 3-5 favoritism in Saturday's $75,000 Carry Back at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., where the Kathy Ritvo-trained gelding won his second straight stakes race with a thoroughly professional performance.

The Carry Back, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds co-headlined Saturday's Fourth of July program with the $75,000 Azalea, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies.

Double Crown, who captured the 6 ½-furlong Roar at Gulfstream Park May 16, rated just behind dueling Cajun Brother and Poe, who set fractions of 22.59 and 45.42 seconds for the first half mile, before making a sweep to the lead on the turn into the homestretch. The son of Bourbon Courage opened up a clear lead under Cristian Torres in mid-stretch and continued gamely to hold off Hutcheson Stakes winner With Verve by three-quarters of a length.

“He's tough. He has just enough speed to stay off the pace early and he closes well,” said Dean Reeves, who owns the Maryland-bred filly with his wife Patti.

Double Crown ran seven furlongs in 1:22.37 to with his third race in four career starts. With Verve finished 1 ¾ lengths ahead of late-closing Ournationonparade.

Double Crown and Ournationonparade were privately purchased by the Reeves following a Sept. 19 maiden special weight race, in which the former defeated the latter in their respective debuts at Laurel Park.

Ournationonparade came right back to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Nursery in his next start, while Double Crown went to the sidelines. Double Crown returned to action for Ritvo with a late-closing second-place finish in an April 26 allowance at Gulfstream before capturing the Roar Stakes.

“He's come around great. Kathy's done a great job with him. She gave him some time at the end of his 2-year-old year and let him grow into himself, because he's a good-size horse,” Reeves said. “It's amazing when you give them some time, they pay dividends for you,”

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