Tag: Richard Baltas

Straight Up G Could Try Derby Trail After Cal Cup Derby

A lights-out winner of his last two starts, Jungle Racing LLC's homebred Straight Up G appears a standout versus five sophomores going a mile and one sixteenth in Saturday's $200,000 California Cup Derby at Santa Anita.

One of five California Cup Day races on a 10-race program, the Cal Cup Derby will be center stage as Straight Up G and his rivals attempt to follow in the footsteps of the Art Sherman-trained California Chrome, who used the 2014 Cal Cup Derby as a springboard to glory in the Santa Anita and Kentucky Derbies as well as the 2014 Preakness Stakes.

Like California Chrome, the Richard Baltas-trained Straight Up G, a bay colt by red hot sire Straight Fire, out of the Sky Mesa mare Gidget Girl, comes off a big win versus statebreds in the one mile King Glorious Stakes run at Los Alamitos on Dec. 12.

“He's doing everything really easily,” said Baltas on Friday morning. “Last time, he handled the two turns with no problem. He's still growing, he big, he's good looking and he's got a good mind. Hopefully he can get this done tomorrow and then maybe we can tackle open company. He's got size, he's got length. The other day, he went five eighths, I got him in 59 and four (fifths), they gave him a minute and one and he galloped out (six furlongs) in 1:13 and one. He did that all on his own, he was by himself.

“I think he wants to go farther. I really don't think he's a sprinter. He's got a lot of natural speed and he looks like a good, solid route horse. The sire's had nothing but runners, so we'll see how far this horse can go.”

Owned and bred by sports talk icon Jim Rome and his wife Janet's Jungle Racing, Straight Up G debuted as an even money favorite going 5 ½ furlongs here on Oct. 9, but finished a disappointing fourth. Subsequently off at 4-5 in a six furlong maiden special versus Cal-breds on Nov. 21 at Del Mar, he aired by 5 ¼ lengths, earning a lofty 80 Beyer Speed Figure.

Off at 2-1 in the King Glorious, he led throughout in a thoroughly dominant performance, winning by 3 ½ lengths over Finneus, who he will again face on Saturday while earning a 75 Beyer.

With Ricky Gonzalez back to ride for a third consecutive time, Straight Up G appears headed for the deep waters of the Kentucky Derby Trail should he replicate his performance in the King Glorious on Saturday.

Like California Chrome, Straight Up G has to be considered a bit “light” in terms of his maternal pedigree, as his first dam, the Sky Mesa mare Gidget Girl, who although she has produced a talented half sister to Straight Up G, the Baltas-trained Gidgetta (three wins from 11 starts, earnings of $154,309) was unraced and his second dam, Rome's Brazilian-bred Surfer Girl, finished her career 11-1-5-1, with her lone win coming in her native Brazil.

As for his sire, Straight Fire, he was a highly regarded juvenile who sold for $250,000 as a yearling and finished second as the 4-5 favorite in the 2016 Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity. Subsequently third in Santa Anita's G1 FrontRunner Stakes, he retired with one win from four starts and earnings of $146,400.

With the Cal Cup Derby carded early as race three on Saturday, Straight Up G will hope to issue an emphatic keynote speech on a day dedicated to California-breds. Drawn in post position four and installed as the 4-5 morning line favorite by Line Maker Jon White, Straight Up G will no doubt have the attention of all those eyeing the Derby Trail.

The post Straight Up G Could Try Derby Trail After Cal Cup Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Rome Homebred Straight Up G Towers Over California Cup Derby Foes

A lights-out winner of his last two starts, Jungle Racing LLC's homebred Straight Up G appears a standout versus five sophomores going 1 1/16 miles in Saturday's $200,000 California Cup Derby at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

One of five California Cup Day races on a 10-race program, the Cal Cup Derby will be center stage as Straight Up G and his rivals attempt to follow in the footsteps of the Art Sherman-trained California Chrome, who used the 2014 Cal Cup Derby as a springboard to glory in the Santa Anita and Kentucky Derbies as well as the 2014 Preakness Stakes.

Like California Chrome, the Richard Baltas-trained Straight Up G, a bay colt by red hot sire Straight Fire, out of the Sky Mesa mare Gidget Girl, comes off a big win versus statebreds in the one mile King Glorious Stakes run at Los Alamitos on Dec. 12.

Owned and bred by sports talk icon Jim Rome and his wife Janet's Jungle Racing, Straight Up G debuted as an even money favorite going 5 ½ furlongs here on Oct. 9, but finished a disappointing fourth. Subsequently off at 4-5 in a six furlong maiden special versus Cal-breds on Nov. 21 at Del Mar, he aired by 5 ¼ lengths, earning a lofty 80 Beyer Speed Figure.

Off at 2-1 in the King Glorious, he led throughout in a thoroughly dominant performance, winning by 3 ½ lengths over Finneus, who he will again face on Saturday while earning a 75 Beyer.

With Ricky Gonzalez back to ride for a third consecutive time, Straight Up G appears headed for the deep waters of the Kentucky Derby Trail should he replicate his performance in the King Glorious on Saturday.

A gutty half length winner of the seven furlong Golden State Juvenile at Del Mar Nov. 5, Finneus, a California-bred colt by Stay Thirsty, was off as the 9-5 favorite in the King Glorious, but he could never threaten Straight Up G, finishing second by 3 ½ lengths. Well beaten three starts back in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes here on Oct. 1, Finneus, who will be ridden for the first time by John Velazquez, will be trying two turns for the third time. Devoid of early speed, his chances would be enhanced should there be a fast pace.

Bred by Terry Lovinger, trained by Walther Solis and owned by Lovingier, Mohammed Naseer Fasihuddin and Amanda Navarro, Finneus, who is out of the Ghostzapper mare My Fiona, is the leading money earner in the field with $266,366 from an overall mark of 7-2-3-1.

A sharp two length allowance winner going 5 ½ furlongs on synthetic Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields Dec. 31, the O. J. Jauregui-trained Highland Ghost will face statebred company and go two turns for the second time in what will be his eighth career start. Quick from the blocks, this chestnut colt by 2017 Santa Anita Handicap winner Shaman Ghost could prove bothersome early to Straight Up G.

With a solid last-out Beyer of 74 to his credit, Highland Ghost is owned by his breeder, Highland Yard, LLC and is 7-2-2-1 overall with earnings of $69,506.

THE $200,000 CAL CUP DERBY WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 3 of 10 Approximate post time 1 p.m. PT

  1. Highland Ghost—Flavien Prat—124
  2. Sippin N Kissin—Abel Cedillo—124
  3. Fast Draw Munnings—Drayden Van Dyke–124
  4. Finneus—John Velazquez—124
  5. Straight Up G—Ricardo Gonzalez—124
  6. Agador Spartacus—Tyler Baze–124

First post time for a 10-race card, which will include a total of five California-bred or sired stakes on California Cup Day, Saturday is at 12 noon. Admission gates will open at 10 a.m.

The post Rome Homebred Straight Up G Towers Over California Cup Derby Foes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Baltas Hunting For Grade 1 After Luck’s Impressive Victory In Robert J. Frankel

Ridden confidently, LNJ Foxwoods' homebred Luck, whose dam is a half sister to the legendary Goldikova, rallied with ferocity leaving the quarter pole and easily took Santa Anita's Grade 3, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes on Saturday under Flavien Prat, winning in-hand by 3 ¼ lengths. Trained by Richard Baltas, Luck, a 5-year-old mare by Kitten's Joy, got 1 1/8 miles on turf listed as “good” in 1:48.26.

Next to last at the rail leaving the clubhouse turn, Luck was unhurried in the run up the backside but Prat stepped on the gas mid-way around the far turn and she wheeled five-deep at the top of the lane en route to easily gaining command a furlong out and providing Prat with his fourth win on New Year's Day. He would go on to win two more, completing his day with victories aboard As Time Goes By in the G3 La Canada and Riding With Dino in the final race of the day, an allowance/optional claiming event.

Second, beaten a pair of heads in the G3 Red Carpet Handicap and the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes on Nov. 25 and Oct. 2, Luck, in her fourth stateside start for Baltas, was off as 4-5 favorite in a field of seven older fillies and mares and paid $3.80, $2.80 and $2.10 in what was her first graded stakes win. Out of the Caerleon mare Gold Round, Luck is now 8-4-3-0 and with the winner's share of $60,000, she has earnings of $208,470.

“She's a very special filly,” said Baltas. “She got beat the last time because of the slow fractions. They weren't going too fast today, but she ran liked we knew she was capable of running. We are thankful to have a filly this good and thank the ownership of Jaime Roth and LNJ Foxwoods for this great opportunity. … We have to start looking at a Grade 1 race sooner or later for her.”

English-bred Bodhicitta, who sat third early, outdueled multiple G1 winner Mucho Unusual by a nose for second and paid $6.20 and $3.20 with Kent Desormeaux up at 7-1.

Ridden by John Velazquez, Mucho Unusual made the lead very briefly at the furlong pole and just missed the place, while finishing 2 ¾ lengths in front of pacesetter Moraz. Off as the second choice at 3-1, Mucho Unusual paid $2.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 24.38, 49.26, 1:12.50 and 1:36.71.

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Cal-Bred Mucho Unusual Back To Defend Her Title In Robert J. Frankel Stakes

A dominant figure over the course, George Krikorian's homebred Mucho Unusual is back to defend her title in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes as seven older fillies and mares go a mile and one eighth over the Santa Anita lawn.

A soon-to-be 6-year-old California-bred mare by Mucho Macho Man out of Krikorian's Unusual Heat mare Not Unusual, Mucho Unusual, a Grade 1 winner and four-time overall graded stakes winner for trainer Tim Yakteen, is a remarkable 12-6-3-3 over the local turf and sports a 22-8-5-4 overall mark with earnings of $933,415.

Idle since prevailing by a nose at 3-5 in a mile and one eighth allowance here on Oct. 30, Mucho Unusual will be reunited with John Velazquez who guided her to her Robert J. Frankel victory five starts back.

Trainer Richard Baltas is well-armed with a pair of distaffers, LNJ Foxwoods' improving Luck and Calvin Nguyen's English-bred Bodhicitta.

A 4-year-old filly by Kitten's Joy, Luck was two for four in France at marathon distances prior to taking her U.S. debut for Baltas going a mile and one sixteenth on turf in a first condition allowance Aug. 7 at Del Mar. Subsequently second, beaten a head in her last two races, the G1 Rodeo Drive at a mile and one quarter on turf here Oct. 2 and in the G3 Red Carpet Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on grass Nov. 25 at Del Mar, Luck has been knocking on the door and will hope to barrel through with Flavien Prat back aboard for the third consecutive time on Saturday.

Winless in her last six starts, the most recent a sixth place finish in the G1 Matriarch at one mile on turf Nov. 28, Bodhicitta will hope to be flying from off the pace under Kent Desormeaux.

THE GRADE 3 ROBERT J. FRANKEL STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 10 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

  1. Bodhicitta—Kent Desormeaux—121
  2. Mucho Unusual—John Velazquez—123
  3. England's Rose—Victor Espinoza—123
  4. Moraz—Juan Hernandez—121
  5. Sloane Garden—Kyle Frey—121
  6. Global Brand—Umberto Rispoli—121
  7. Luck—Flavien Prat—121

Special early first post time for a 10-race card including four graded stakes, is at 12 noon. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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