Richard Baltas | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saying ‘Grace’ In the Raven Run

A competitive group of 10 sophomore fillies line up in Saturday’s GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland. Among the expected favorites for the seven-furlong test is Whitham Thoroughbreds’ Four Graces (Majesticperfection). Trained by Ian Wilkes, the homebred has won four of five starts at the Raven Run distance, including Churchill’s GIII Dogwood S. in June followed by the GIII Beaumont S. over the local Beard Course July 10. Given some time off following that effort, she speed-loving filly weakened late to be second behind Sconsin (Include) in the Sept. 4 GII Eight Belles S. and most recently posted a bullet five-furlong move at Churchill in :59.20 at Oct. 8. Julien Leparoux, who has been in the saddle for all five on-the-board finishes, gets the call.

Also likely to join Four Graces on the front end early is Ciaglia Racing, Highland Yard, River Oak Farm and Dominic Savides’s Venetian Harbor (Munnings). A runaway winner of the GII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita in February, the Colts Neck Stables-bred filly finished behind Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the May 1 GIII Fantasy S. and played the bridesmaid again, this time behind Speech (Mr Speaker) in the July 11 GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland. In her most recent trip to the post, she found the talented Gamine (Into Mischief) seven lengths too tough in Saratoga’s GI Test S. Aug. 8.

“We are just trying to win a race; that’s the first thing,” said trainer Richard Baltas. “If she runs well and bounces out of the race OK, we will eye the [GI] Breeders’ Cup [Filly and Mare Sprint].”

Manny Franco has the mount on Venetian Harbor and will break from post position five.

Looking to regain some of her earlier form is Slam Dunk Racing, Doug Branham and Legacy Ranch’s Tonalist’s Shape (Tonalist), who began her career with five consecutive victories in one-turn races for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The chestnut took six of seven starts in South Florida from September through May, including this winter’s GIII Forward Gal S. followed by the GII Davona Dale S. Off the board in the Mar. 28 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, she bounced back to win the May 15 Hollywood Wildcat S. before finishing fourth in the nine-furlong GI Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga July 18. Most recently, Tonalist’s Shape was a troubled fifth in the GIII Charles Town Oaks Aug. 28.

“[The CT Oaks] was two turns and she did have trouble in that race,” Joseph said, referring to Tonalist’s Shape being checked approaching the sixteenth pole.”

He added, “There are no plans for her beyond this race. I am just curious to see how she would do back around one turn and hoping she will come back to her [good] form.”

Since the Charles Town Oaks, Tonalist’s Shape has worked twice at Gulfstream–a best-of-78 half-mile in :47.03 Sept. 27 and a best-of-seven 5/8ths in 1:00.62 Oct. 1.

“The two weeks between works was by design to keep her fresh,” Joseph explained.

The 3-year-old has been entered as a racing or broodmare prospect in Keeneland’s upcoming November Breeding Stock Sale and is catalogued as hip 155 in Book 1.

The post Saying ‘Grace’ In the Raven Run appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Prat Takes Over On Warren’s Showtime For Autumn Miss Stakes

A four-time stakes winner in search of her first graded victory, California-bred Warren's Showtime heads a field of seven sophomore fillies going one mile on turf in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Owned by Ben and Sally Warren and bred by Ben Warren, Warren's Showtime is trained by Craig Lewis and is by red-hot sire Clubhouse Ride, out of the Warrens' G1-winning Warren's Veneda. Most recently a close third in the G1 Del Mar Oaks, Warren's Showtime is the leading money earner in the field with $460,251.

The Jeff Mullins-trained Croughavouke, a sharp recent one mile turf allowance winner, the Simon Callaghan-trained Mind Out, who fetched $850,000 as a yearling, Leonard Powell's French-bred Guitty, who faced colts in the Del Mar Derby and midwestern invader Nasty, who will be making her first start for Richard Baltas, all would appear to have legitimate chances.

WARREN'S SHOWTIME
Owner: Ben & Sally Warren
Trainer: Craig Lewis
Most recently third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths going a mile and one eighth on turf in the G1 Del Mar Oaks Aug. 22, she has been a gem of consistency for her connections, winning three times from seven starts this year while third on three occasions and banking $333,980. In the Oaks at Del Mar, she appeared to have the race in hand under Mike Smith as she made the lead and opened up by one length a furlong out but may have lost her focus late. Ridden in her 11 previous tries by Jorge Velez, she'll get the first-time services of Flavien Prat and will get back to what may be a preferred distance, as she's four for seven at a mile on turf. With three wins from four tries over the Santa Anita grass, she's 12-5-0-5 overall.

CROUGHAVOUKE
Owner: Red Baron's Barn & Rancho Temescal, LLC
Trainer: Jeff Mullins
Highly regarded by Mullins since her arrival from her native Ireland late last year, she's placed in a total of four turf stakes in nine Southern California starts, including a close third in the G3, mile and one eighth Honeymoon three starts back on May 30. Closer to the pace in her one mile turf allowance score on Aug. 29 at Del Mar, she rolled to an impressive three quarter length win as the 2-1 favorite under Umberto Rispoli, who rides back in the Autumn Miss. With an overall mark of 11-2-3-2, Croughavouke seeks her first graded stakes victory on Saturday.

MIND OUT
Owner: Gainesway Stable, LNJ Foxwoods & Andrew Rosen
Trainer: Simon Callaghan
Most recently fourth, beaten three lengths by loose on the lead winner BulletproofOne in the 5 1/2-furlong turf Unzip Me Stakes, this chestnut daughter of Tapit is better suited at one mile on turf and figures to run a huge race on Saturday. A close third to Warren's Showtime in her second career start, the one mile turf Surfer Girl Stakes five starts back on Oct. 6, 2019, Mind Out has the class and running style to spring a mild upset. She'll be ridden for the first time by Drayden Van Dyke.

GUITTY
Owner: Benowitz Family Trust, Madaket Stables, LLC, M. Mathiesen & M. Powell
Trainer: Leonard Powell
A deep closer at any distance, she was far back early going a mile and one eighth on turf in the G2 Del Mar Derby Sept. 6 and finished well to be beaten 5 1/4 lengths. An even seventh two back in the G1 Del Mar Oaks at the same distance Aug. 22, she flew late to be second, beaten three quarter of a length in the G2 San Clemente at one mile on turf July 25. With two wins, both at a mile on turf, from 10 overall starts, Guitty will hope to be rolling from off the pace with top jock Juan Hernandez engaged.

NASTY
Owner: LNJ Foxwoods
Trainer: Richard Baltas
Most recently well beaten as the 7-2 favorite in an ungraded one mile turf stakes running over a yielding course at Indiana Grand Aug. 12, this Kentucky-bred filly by Street Sense had pressed the pace in two previous 1 1/16-mile turf races at Indiana, breaking her maiden by eight lengths on June 18 and taking a second condition allowance by one length on July 13 while favored on both occasions. Previously trained by Brad Cox, she has two wins from five starts and will debut for Baltas while ridden for the first time by Ricky Gonzalez. Out of the Lion Heart mare Valiant Passion, Nasty was purchased for $230,000 as a Keeneland September Yearling.

G3 AUTUMN MISS STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 10 Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

Mind Out—Drayden Van Dyke—120
Quiet Secretary—Victor Espinoza—120
Nasty—Ricky Gonzalez—120
Guitty—Juan Hernandez—120
Warren's Showtime—Flavien Prat—122
Going to Vegas—Mario Gutierrez–120
Croughavouke—Umberto Rispoli—120

First post time for a 10-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. Although there is no public admittance, Santa Anita's races can be viewed free of charge, via livestream video at santaanita.com.

The post Prat Takes Over On Warren’s Showtime For Autumn Miss Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Raven Run Could Be Springboard To Breeders’ Cup For Venetian Harbor

Ciaglia Racing, Highland Yard, River Oak Farm and Dominic Savides' Venetian Harbor headlines a deep field of 10 3-year-old fillies entered Wednesday for Saturday's 22nd running of the $200,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2) at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

Run at seven furlongs on the main track, the Raven Run will go as the ninth race on Saturday's 10-race program with a 5:30 p.m. ET post time. First post Saturday is 1:05 p.m.

Trained by Richard Baltas, Venetian Harbor will be making her first start since finishing second to Gamine in the seven-furlong Test (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 8. Prior to that, she had finished second to Speech in the Central Bank Ashland (G1) at Keeneland and to Swiss Skydiver in the Fantasy (G3) at Oaklawn Park with both those races being two-turn tests going 1 1/16 miles.

“We are just trying to win a race; that's the first thing,” Baltas said Wednesday morning from California. “If she runs well and bounces out of the race OK we will eye the Breeders' Cup (Filly & Mare Sprint-G1).”

Manny Franco has the mount on Venetian Harbor and will break from post position five.

Among those lining up to face Venetian Harbor are two runners with graded stakes success going seven furlongs.

Whitham Thoroughbreds' Four Graces won the Beaumont (G3) at Keeneland in July going seven furlongs and 184 feet over the Beard Course in a track record 1:24.90.

Trained by Ian Wilkes, Four Graces also won the Dogwood (G3) at Churchill Downs, where she finished second in her most recent start in the Eight Belles (G2). Julien Leparoux has the mount and will break from post position two.

Slam Dunk Racing, Doug Branham and Legacy Ranch's Tonalist's Shape won the Forward Gal (G3) going seven furlongs and the Davona Dale (G2) going a mile this winter at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Tonalist's Shape exits a troubled fifth in the Charles Town Oaks (G3) going 7 furlongs in her most recent start.

Rafael Bejarano has the mount on Tonalist's Shape, who will break from post position seven.

The field for the Lexus Raven Run, with riders and weights from the rail, is: Never Forget (Robby Albarado, 118 pounds), Four Graces (Leparoux, 120), Secondary Market (Tyler Gaffalione, 118), Finite (Ricardo Santana Jr., 120), Venetian Harbor (Franco, 120), Reagan's Edge (Florent Geroux, 118), Tonalist's Shape (Bejarano, 120), Fair Maiden (Corey Lanerie, 118), Grand Cru Classe (Martin Garcia, 118) and Secret Keeper (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118).

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Maker-Trained Field Pass Ships West For Twilight Derby; Taishan Seems To Prefer Grass

Field Pass was en route from Kentucky to California this morning to compete in next Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Twilight Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita Park.

The gray son of Lemon Drop Kid is one of five horses trainer Michael Maker had nominated to what is shaping up as a race worthy of Grade I consideration down the road.

“He prefers firmer going; that was the main reason bringing him in for the race,” Maker said by phone from the Blue Grass State.

Field Pass has five victories from 13 starts, including the Transylvania at Keeneland on turf and the Jeff Ruby Steaks on Polytrack at Turfway Park, each a Grade 3 event.

The Twilight Derby drew 21 nominations, eight conditioned by “out of town” trainers, including one by Todd Pletcher and the aforementioned five by Maker.

“Field Pass is very good around the barn but a bit of a handful to gallop,” Maker said. “Other than that, he's pretty straightforward.”

Louisville native Drayden Van Dyke has the mount.

Richard Baltas hopes Taishan wins his first stakes race when he runs in the Twilight Derby.

Taishan, a Candy Ride colt, was second last out in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs Sept. 5, losing by only a half-length in the 1 1/16-mile turf race, despite being bothered at the start.

“It was his first time on grass and it was a very good effort,” Baltas said of the Kentucky-bred bay owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran. “It was a half-million dollar race and there was a lot of speed, so I think it kind of set up for him.

“That being said, I think he was always meant to be on the grass. He ran against some tough horses on dirt at Oaklawn in Nadal (winner of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on May 2).

“Candy Rides are pretty versatile but I think they prefer the turf.”

Taishan's first three races were in Southern California, but his last seven included stops at Oaklawn Park, Indiana and Churchill Downs.

Florent Geroux, who rode Taishan in the American Derby, was impressed with his performance.

“They wanted me to get a position (near the lead) but they were rolling in front so we went to Plan B,” the Frenchman said after the race. “I set off inside nicely and made one run. He ran a big race, first time on grass. He handled it perfectly.

“He's a nice horse. He'd been working very well and I'm very happy with the way he ran.”

Taishan was a distant fourth in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at a mile on dirt at Santa Anita Jan. 4 behind Authentic, who would go on to win the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5.

Any way it shakes out, the Twilight Derby has the look of a very contentious race.

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