richard mandella | Horse Racing Free Tips

Breeders’ Cup Buzz: Trainers Discuss The Event’s Greatest Training Feats

It takes an incredible amount of work to get a horse to the starting gate in any race, much less the Breeders' Cup, but some efforts take a little something extra.

In this installment of Breeders' Cup Buzz, we asked current and former trainers for their opinions on the most impressive training feats in the event's history. For some, the answer lied in an individual horse's performance, while others looked at dominance over the course of a card.

Kenny McPeek

“Dick Mandella winning four in a day (at the 2003 Breeders' Cup). I was there that day, and I think even Dick was in shock.”

Mandella's quartet of winners during the 2003 Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park were Halfbridled in the Juvenile Fillies, Action This Day in the Juvenile, Johar in the turf, and Pleasantly Perfect in the Classic.

Elliott Walden

“Da Hoss and Michael Dickinson (in the 1998 Mile). He had a long, long time off, and it was a heck of a performance to come off that layoff.”

After winning the 1996 Breeders' Cup Mile at Woodbine, Da Hoss didn't race for 715 days, hampered by recurring injuries that kept halting his progress on the comeback trail. Dickinson finally got the horse right for a return start in a Colonial Downs allowance less than a month before the 1998 Mile at Churchill Downs. He won the race at Colonial Downs, then won by a head in the Breeders Cup; an effort billed by announcer Tom Durkin “the greatest comeback since Lazarus.”

Steve Asmussen

“Wild Again, because he was the first one (to win the Classic).”

Wild Again, trained by Vincent Timphony, made history as the first Breeders' Cup Classic winner in 1984 at Hollywood Park. He raced 16 times that season, winning six, including the G1 Meadowlands Cup, the G2 New Orleans Handicap, and the G2 Oaklawn Handicap.

Chad Summers

“Da Hoss. Training horses is always stressful – training good horses is many sleepless nights – to take a horse who won the Breeders' Cup and not make it back to the races for almost one year – prep in an allowance at Colonial Downs in his only start in a year, and have the confidence off that race to go on to the Breeders' Cup and win it again – I can't imagine what the day-to-day thoughts were and training job Michael Dickinson did to have him ready to go.

“All connections who have run well in Breeders' Cup should be commended but that was the most impressive one to me.”

The post Breeders’ Cup Buzz: Trainers Discuss The Event’s Greatest Training Feats appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Breeders’ Cup Turf: Flavien Prat Selects Domestic Spending Over United

Leading West Coast jockey Flavien Prat has chosen to ride Domestic Spending instead of his long-time mount United in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar, reports the Daily Racing Form.

Prat has ridden United for 17 of his 22 starts, including eight victories and dual appearances in the 1 1/2-mile Turf for trainer Richard Mandella. Most recently, the 6-year-old son of Giant's Causeway won the G2 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita on Oct. 2.

Prat has also been aboard the Chad Brown-trained Domestic Spending for his last three starts, which include a win in the G1 Old Forester Turf Classic at Churchill, a win in the G1 Manhattan at Belmont, and a second-place effort in the G1 Mr. D Stakes (formerly the Arlington Million) at Arlington Park.

“The horse of Chad Brown's must be pretty good for Prat to take off,” Mandella told DRF.

United Battles Back From Wide Trip To Defend John Henry Turf Championship Title

Decorated 6-year-old gelding United didn't get the easiest trip in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita Park on Oct. 2, but he prevailed all the same, clinching his second edition of the stakes race. United and rider Flavien Prat were shuffled back in the early going on the downhill turf course, and settled near the back of the field on the first trip past the stands as Acclimate and Neptune's Storm controlled the pace. Prat kept United off the rail and quietly passed a few horses before taking a breather on the backstretch. The pair made their move even before the final turn, swinging wide and picking off rivals, charging just in time to catch Acclimate and to just top Friar's Road, who was putting in a last-to-first effort.

The final time for the 1 1/4 miles was 1:58.41, with fractional times of :22.70, :46.32, 1:11.42, and 1:35.01. Acclimate held on for second over Friar's Road.

United went off the favorite at odds of 7-5 and paid $4.80, $3.40, and $2.40.

The Richard Mandella trainee came to the race off a fourth place finish in the G2 Del Mar Handicap, where Acclimate just nosed him off the board. His credits from this year include wins in the G2 Eddie Read and G3 San Luis Rey. Last year, he won or finished second in five of six starts, collecting four graded victories but finishing a disappointing eighth in the Breeders' Cup Turf.

The race was he fourth win on the card for Prat, and the second for Mandella and owner LNJ Foxwoods.

United was bred in Kentucky by Rosemont Farm. He is the son of Giant's Causeway and Pulling Punches mare Indy Punches. As a weanling, he sold for $240,000 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where he was consigned by Trackside Farm and purchased by Glencrest Farm. He went on to the Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale the next year, where he raised $300,000 from purchaser Solis/Litt and was presented by Four Star Sales.

The post United Battles Back From Wide Trip To Defend John Henry Turf Championship Title appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

United Returns For Title Defense In John Henry Turf Championship

One of the top turf horses in the nation over the past three years, Richard Mandella's United is back to defend his title in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 John Henry Turf Championship as he heads a strong field of 13 three-year-olds and up going a mile and one quarter.

Dating back to his win in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes in July of 2020, United has settled into an eight-race pattern in which he's won every other start. With a close fourth place finish in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 21 coming on the heels of a neck victory in the Eddie Read on July 24, Mandella is hoping the win-lose-win pattern holds on Saturday.

Ridden by Flavien Prat in all but two of his 18 starts with Mandella, United will again be partnered with French-born superstar in the John Henry as he readies for a third try in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar Nov. 6.

In an old school move, Mandella had United blow out three furlongs this morning in a bullet 36.40. Owned by LNJ Foxwoods, United is a 6-year-old gelding by Giant's Causeway. With five wins from 11 starts over the Santa Anita lawn, including a head defeat in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Turf, United is 21-9-4-1 overall with earnings of $1,693,549.

In what will be his fourth start for Peter Miller, Neptune's Storm comes off a close fourth place finish in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile and although he's in good form, he'll be trying a mile and one quarter for the first time. Second, beaten a half length as the 4-5 favorite in the Grade III American Stakes at one mile on turf three races back on June 20, this 5-year-old Stormy Atlantic gelding took the one mile turf restricted Wickerr in gate to wire fashion two starts back on July 18.

Owned by CYBT, Saul Gervertz, Lynn Goetz, Michael Nentwig and David Weiner, Neptune's Storm is a two-time graded stakes winner with earnings of $936,485 from an overall mark of 22-7-4-6.

In his first start for trainer Michael McCarthy, Chilean-bred Master Piece rallied from far off the pace to finish second, beaten a half length in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf and would benefit greatly from some fast early fractions on Saturday.

Front-running California-bred Acclimate tired late to finish a close third in the Del Mar Handicap, his lone start since winning the marathon Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at a mile and three quarters on turf here June 19. Trained by Phil D'Amato, this 7-year-old gelding by Acclamation, who was a close second in the 2019 John Henry, appears at the top of his game and could pose an elusive target with Ricky Gonzalez back aboard.

THE GRADE 2 JOHN HENRY WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 11 of 11 Approximate post time 5:30 p.m. PT

Award Winner—Kyle Frey—126
Camino Del Paraiso—Abel Cedillo—124
Neptune's Storm—Florent Geroux—124
United—Flavien Prat—126
Ready Soul—John Velazquez–122
Acclimate—Ricky Gonzalez—124
Master Piece—Drayden Van Dyke—122
Count of Amazonia—Victor Espinoza—122
Media Blitz—Juan Hernandez—122
Red King—Joe Bravo—122
Cupid's Claws—Mike Smith—122
Friar's Road—Umberto Rispoli—122
K P All Systems Go—Tyler Baze–122

The John Henry is one of five stakes on Saturday's 11-race card with post time at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post United Returns For Title Defense In John Henry Turf Championship appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post