Ricardo Santana Jr. | Horse Racing Free Tips

Maracuja Upsets Malathaat In CCA Oaks

With a perfect five-for-five record topped by an impressive score in the GI Kentucky Oaks, 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) was bet like she could not lose a four-horse renewal of Saratoga's GI Coaching Club American Oaks Saturday. However, in the final strides of the nine-furlong event, it was the longest shot on the board, 14-1 shot Maracuja (Honor Code), who dethroned the mighty Malathaat with a narrow upset.

All four broke in tandem with Malathaat assuming a narrow lead rounding the clubhouse turn. Maracuja kept the favorite honest through an opening quarter in :23.38 with second-choice Clairiere (Curlin) and Rockpaperscissors (Distorted Humor) just off their heels. Clairiere moved into second with Maracuja shuffled back to a joint third as the half went in :47.13. Rockpaperscissors called it a day at the three-eighths pole, quickly backing up, while Maracuja kicked into high gear, setting her sights on the top two.

Malathaat and Clairiere turned for home together with Maracuja ranging up menacingly two paths to their outside. Malathaat dug deep to maintain her narrow advantage on the fence as her two foes continued to give her hell. Surprisingly, it was Clairiere who was first to wave the white flag with just over a sixteenth left to run, leaving the shortest and longest shots on the board to fight it out. Malathaat and Maracuja battled stride-for-stride to the wire with the latter finding an extra burst in the shadow of the wire, forging ahead just in time to deny the chalk by a head. Clairiere held third and Rockpaperscissors was eased and walked off.

It was the first Grade I victory for trainer Rob Atras, who earned his first graded win earlier this year. It was also the first graded/Grade I score for owner Beach Haven Thoroughbreds, who also campaigned MSW and New York-bred champion Newly Minted (Central Banker).

“She broke really sharp, which I was happy with, and she was kind of right there,” said Atras. “They all seemed like they were coming and I thought Ricardo [Santana, Jr.] made a smart move by backing off and coming around the outside. What a race.”

“It was nerve-racking, especially after coming in seventh in the Oaks, but it was exciting,” said John Sakkos, founding partner of Beach Haven Thoroughbreds. “I was just hoping we would perform better than the Oaks. She had been doing well and Rob and the team have done a phenomenal job with her. She had a good rest after the Oaks. We'll probably go to the [GI] Alabama [S. Aug. 21] after this.”

As for the beaten favorite, Hall of Famer John Velazquez said, “You have to play the cards you're dealt. She was doing great. She was comfortable in what she was doing, but she had to fight the whole way around and obviously set it up for somebody else. She's a great horse and you can't take that away from her.”

Graduating at third asking in a 6 1/2-panel event at Aqueduct Feb. 21, Maracuja finished second behind eventual Oaks runner-up and GI Acorn S. winner Search Results (Flatter) in that venue's GIII Gazelle S. Apr. 3. The form of that race was further flattered by third-place finisher Army Wife (Declaration of War), who went on to win both the May 14 GII Black-Eyed Susan S. and the July 2 GIII Iowa Oaks. Maracuja closed from well back to be seventh when last seen in the Apr. 30 Kentucky Oaks.

Pedigree Notes:

Maracuja is the second Grade I winner, third graded victor and sixth black-type scorer for her young sire Honor Code. She is also the 28th Grade I victor, 101st graded winner and 192nd black-type scorer for top broodmare sire Unbridled's Song. The A.P. Indy/Unbridled's Song cross is also responsible for MGISW Moonshine Memories (Malibu Moon), GISW Magnum Moon (Malibu Moon) and G1SW Capezzano (Bernardini). The winner's dam Patti's Regal Song is a half-sister to GSW Regally Appealing (Valid Appeal), who is the dam of MGSW & GISP Appealing Tale (Tale of the Cat) and SW Colerful Bride (Munnings). She is also a half to SW Regal Miss Copelan (Copelan), who produced MGSW sire Rockport Harbor (Unbridled's Song). Patti's Regal Song's ecent produce includes a yearling filly by Twirling Candy and a 2021 filly by Sir Prancealot (Ire). She was bred back to that stallion.

Saturday, Saratoga
COACHING CLUB AMERICAN OAKS-GI, $465,000, Saratoga, 7-24, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:49.29, ft.
1–MARACUJA, 121, f, 3, by Honor Code
1st Dam: Patti's Regal Song (SP), by Unbridled's Song
2nd Dam: Regal Pennant, by Banner Bob
3rd Dam: Regal Relation, by Kamaraan II
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($200,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-Beach Haven Thoroughbreds LLC; B-River Bend Farm Inc, Austin & Janie Musselman (KY); T-Rob Atras; J-Ricardo Santana Jr. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 6-2-2-1, $407,100. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Malathaat, 121, f, 3, by Curlin
1st Dam: Dreaming of Julia (GISW, $874,500), by A.P. Indy
2nd Dam: Dream Rush, by Wild Rush
3rd Dam: Turbo Dream, by Unbridled
'TDN Rising Star' ($1,050,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Shadwell Stable; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher. $100,000.
3–Clairiere, 121, f, 3, by Curlin
1st Dam: Cavorting (MGISW, $2,063,000), by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Promenade Girl, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Promenade Colony, by Pleasant Colony
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steven M Asmussen. $60,000.
Margins: HD, 5 3/4, 52 3/4. Odds: 14.70, 0.30, 2.80.
Also Ran: Rockpaperscissors. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Maracuja Upsets Malathaat In CCA Oaks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Beau Liam All Heart In Salty Saratoga Allowance

8th-Saratoga, $103,000, Alw, 7-17, (NW1$X), 3yo/up, 7f, 1:22.90, gd, nose.
BEAU LIAM (c, 3, Liam's Map–Belle of Perintown {GSW, $265,465}, by Dehere), sent off the even-money selection in a field that would not look out of place for a graded stakes, was made to work for every yard of the seven-furlong distance, but called on his considerable class to just hold off the late lunge of the comebacking Witsel (Nyquist) Saturday at Saratoga. Hustled away from gate one by Ricardo Santana, Jr., the Stonestreet homebred sped through at the fence to make the lead, but had pace pressure to his outside in the form of longshot Wudda U Think Now (Fast Anna), as Witsel settled just to the inside of 'Rising Star' Mahaamel (Into Mischief) a few lengths back. Narrowly in front turning for home, Beau Liam still had plenty to give, was roused sharply a furlong down and fought his way home first. Witsel split rivals and looked all over a winner, only to be rebuffed by a nose in the run to the line. Mahaamel ran with credit to be third, albeit soundly defeated. The winner's dam, herself a Grade III winner going long at three, is also the responsible for MSW & MGSP Tomlin (Distorted Humor, $251,895); and GSW Strike It Rich (Unbridled's Song, $193,966), the dam of MSW Sea Foam (Medaglia d'Oro) and SP Straw Into Gold (Hard Spun). Another daughter of Belle of Perintown, the MSP Sumptuous (Hennessy), is responsible for GSW & GISP Great Stuff (Quality Road) and SP Decant (Tapit). Beau Liam had a 2-year-old half-sister named Ari Oakley (Gun Runner) and a yearling half-sister by Good Magic. Belle of Perintown was most recently covered by Uncle Mo. Sales history: $385,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $114,138. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steven M Asmussen.

The post Beau Liam All Heart In Salty Saratoga Allowance appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Max Player Earns Career-Best Speed Figure In Suburban Win

George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player put his best foot forward on Saturday when outdueling Group 1 Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide in the stretch to capture the $400,000 Grade 2 Suburban at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., garnering a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

The 4-year-old son of third-crop sire Honor Code tracked Moretti's moderate pace and remained in the clear as Mystic Guide made an inside rally around the far turn. Despite Mystic Guide's persistence, Max Player came out on top, besting the odds-on favorite by a neck under jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr.

In capturing the ten-furlong “Win And You're In” qualifier, Max Player earned an automatic entry into the $6 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic on November 6 at Del Mar in Del Mar, Calif.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Max Player was winless in his prior half-dozen starts heading into the Suburban with his previous victory taking place in the Grade 3 Withers last February at Aqueduct. He was subsequently third in last year's Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers, both of which were won by Tiz the Law.

“He came out of it in good shape, ate up, got a nice little roll in the grass. He's very happy,” said Asmussen's Belmont-based assistant Toby Sheets.

Max Player arrived at the Suburban off a distant sixth in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special on May 14, and shipped straight to Belmont Park, recording five breezes over the training track.

“He gradually improved; he loves it here,” Sheets said. “He got to do some things that helped him. I'm very happy with him. The way he ran shows how he improved.”

The triumph gave Asmussen a second victory in the Suburban after sending out New York-bred Haynesfield to victory in the 2010 edition.

Bred in Kentucky by K & G Stables, Max Player is out of the stakes-winning Not For Love mare Fools in Love, who also produced Seahenge, a Group 2 winner in England.

The post Max Player Earns Career-Best Speed Figure In Suburban Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Max Player Outduels Mystic Guide To Take Suburban At Belmont

Max Player's last win came 17 months ago in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Belmont Park. In Saturday's Grade 2 Suburban Stakes, the son of Honor Code finally returned to the winner's circle after his long absence, and, in the process, earned a spot in the starting gate for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar Nov. 6.

Sloppy after a deluge earlier in the day, the Belmont surface had been kinder to horses running away from the rail, which is where jockey Ricard Santana, Jr. placed Max Player early in the ten-furlong Suburban, just off of leader Moretti. From the break, Moretti held a length advantage over Max Player on his outside and Mystic Guide on his inside, Happy Saver just behind them. In a race that had been billed as another battle between Happy Saver and Mystic Guide, it was Moretti that did all of the early running, with the rest of the field content to wait for the right moment to make their move.

As the field came out of that sweeping final turn, Mystic Guide made his run for the lead on the rail, moving toward the center of the track once he was clear of Moretti. On the outside, Max Player and Santana moved as well, meeting Mystic Guide halfway down the stretch. The two dueled for the race's last furlong with Max Player digging in to win the Suburban by a neck. Mystic Guide, making his first start since winning the Dubai World Cup on March 27, finished 2 1/2 lengths in front of Happy Saver in third. The final time for the mile and a quarter was 2:01.95.

Moretti, Informative, and Prioritize rounded out the field. Find the race's chart here.

The G2 Suburban Stakes is a Win and You're In race for the 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar in Del Mar, Calif. Winners receive a free and guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding Breeders' Cup race.

Ricardo Santana, Jr. credited Max Player for his fighting spirit in that stretch duel. “He was training really well,” Santana, Jr. said. “If you saw him in the paddock, he was looking unbelievable. He always runs well on this track. He always tries hard. Today, he broke well and put me right there. I took the spot and no one wanted to go. As soon as he felt him inside, he kept on fighting until the end.”

Trainer Steve Asmussen knew that the clear trip would give his colt confidence to finish the way he did. “He's been here since Pimlico and he had been doing really well,” said Asmussen assistant Toby Sheets. “He's kind of a funny horse. He always has more, but sometimes he doesn't give it. He had a clear trip today and that helped so much. He finished well. He needed a little confidence builder and he got one today. He ran a nice race.”

Bred in Kentucky by K & G Stables, Max Player is a 4-year-old colt by Honor Code out of the Not For Love mare Fools In Love. Consigned by Lane's End, he was a $150,000 RNA at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is owned by George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds and trained by Steve Asmussen. The G2 Suburban is Max Player's third career win in ten starts for earnings of $717,500.

The post Max Player Outduels Mystic Guide To Take Suburban At Belmont appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post