Tag: richard mandella

Californian Winner Royal Ship Faces Express Train, Rushie In Hollywood Gold Cup

Formerly a turf specialist, Richard Mandella's Royal Ship appears ready for his close-up on dirt, as he heads Monday's Grade 1, $300,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.  Originally run and won in 1938 by Seabiscuit at Hollywood Park, Monday's renewal has attracted a field of seven 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/4 miles and will mark the 83rd renewal of one of North America's most prestigious races for handicap division horses.

Prominent among those who will try to deny Royal Ship is the John Shirreffs-trained Express Train, who returns to Santa Anita following a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap and the Michael McCarthy-trained Rushie, who was beaten a nose in the ungraded Oaklawn Mile on April 10.

A 5-year-old gelding who was making only his third start on dirt, Brazilian-bred Royal Ship stalked the pace proved gamest late in taking the Grade 2, 1 1/8 mile Californian Stakes by neck on April 17.  A Group 1 winner on grass in Brazil, Royal Ship, a 5-year-old gelding by Midshipman, had been winless in four starts for Mandella prior to the Californian.

In winning the iconic Gold Cup prep, Royal Ship earned a Gold Cup-best last-out Beyer Speed figure of 108 and will hope to stretch his current form to a mile and a quarter—a distance that's he's never tried.

Owned by Fox Hill Farms, Inc. and Siena Farm, LLC, Royal Ship is 12-6-1-2 and will be ridden by Mike Smith for the sixth consecutive time.

A rousing 3 ¼-length winner of the G2 San Pasqual Stakes three starts back on Jan. 30, Express Train opened up turning for home in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6, but was overtaken late to be defeated by a half length by Idol.

A 4-year-old colt by Union Rags, Express Train was subsequently made the 9-5 favorite in the G2 Oaklawn Handicap, but finished third, beaten 1 ½ lengths.  Owned by Lee and Susan Searing's   C R K Stable, Express Train, who is 10-3-4-1, rates a huge chance with regular rider Juan Hernandez back aboard.

A one-mile maiden winner in his second start eight races back on Feb. 1, 2020, Rushie has raced out of town in his last four races, finishing second by a nose on April 10 at Oaklawn Park, seventh by 6 ½ lengths in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland Nov. 7, winning the G2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs by 1 ¾ lengths on Sept. 5 and running third, beaten 8 ¼  lengths, in the G2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on July 11, 2020.

With newly relocated Trevor McCarthy set to ride for the first time, Rushie, a 4-year-old Florida-bred colt by Liam's Map who will be trying a mile and a quarter for the first time, will run out of his own stall for the first time since finishing third in the G1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on June 6, 2020.  Owned by Jim and Donna Daniell, Rushie is 9-3-2-2 with earnings of $583,151.

GRADE 1 HOLLYWOOD GOLD CUP WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS

IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9  Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

  1. Royal Ship—Mike Smith—124
  2. Country Grammer—Flavien Prat—122
  3. Brown Storm—Umberto Rispoli—122
  4. Heywoods Beach—Tyler Baze—122
  5. Rushie—Trevor McCarthy—124
  6. Two Thirty Five—Abel Cedillo—122
  7. Express Train—Juan Hernandez—124

First post time for a nine-race card on Memorial Day, Monday, is at 1 p.m.  Two other Grade I stakes, the Gamely and the Shoemaker Mile, will highlight the day's racing.  For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Unbeaten Soothsay Faces Crazy Beautiful In Sunday’s Summertime Oaks

Richard Mandella's talented Soothsay, unbeaten in two starts, heads Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita. To be contested a mile and one sixteenth, the Summertime Oaks has attracted a field of five sophomore fillies.

Kenny McPeek-trained Grade 2 stakes winner Crazy Beautiful, who ships west from her Churchill Downs base, and Peter Eurton's sharp recent stakes winner Lady Aces, could both prove formidable in a race that doesn't appear to have an abundance of early pace.

Ridden by leading man Flavien Prat in both of her starts, Soothsay rallied from off the pace to win her six furlong debut by 1 ½ lengths on Feb. 26 and then had the look of something very special indeed when she dominated the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April, winning by a half length at 1 1/16 miles.

By Distorted Humor out of the Bernardini mare Spellbound, Soothsay is owned by Claiborne Farm, Perry Bass, Ramona Bass and Adele Dilschneider. Unbeaten in her two starts, she earned a lofty 87 Beyer Speed figure in her most recent start and appears to have any kind of future.

Devoid of early foot, Crazy Beautiful rallied from off the pace to register an impressive 2 ¼ length win in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks two starts back on March 27. Subsequently 10th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks April 30, this Kentucky-bred daughter of Liam's Map will try to bounce back in her Southern California debut.

Owned by Phoenix Thoroughbred III, Crazy Beautiful, who took a seven furlong ungraded stakes at Ellis Park in her second start on Aug. 9, 2020, is 8-3-3-0 overall and is the leading money earner in the field with $400,865. Ridden by Jose Ortiz in her last two starts, Crazy Beautiful will get the first-time services of Mike Smith on Sunday.

Owned and bred in Maryland by C R K Stable, LLC, Lady Aces rallied for an emphatic 3 ½ length maiden score going six furlongs here on May 2 and may well employ front-running tactics as she stretches out for the first time in what will be her third start.

Out of the Pleasantly Perfect mare Economy of Motion, Lady Aces will be ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli, as Prat opts to stick with the top selection.

THE GRADE 2 SUMMERTIME OAKS WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

  1. Lady Aces—Umberto Rispoli—120
  2. Crazy Beautiful—Mike Smith—124
  3. Plum Sexy—Abel Cedillo–120
  4. Soothsay—Flavien Prat—124
  5. Absolute Scenes—Trevor McCarthy–120

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Bombard Rates Slight Advantage For Saturday’s Daytona Stakes

With a recent race under his belt, Richard Mandella's Bombard perhaps rates a slim advantage over Mark Glatt's comebacking Law Abidin Citizen in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Daytona Stakes at Santa Anita. For older horses, the Daytona has attracted five older horses who will contest 6 ½ furlongs on turf.

A lightly raced 8-year-old gelding by War Front, Bombard led turning for home, but was collared by a razor sharp Gregorian Chant late when second, beaten a half length in a six furlong turf classified allowance here on April 25.

Owned by Perry Bass, Ramona Bass, Adele Dilschneider and Waddell Hancock II, Bombard, although winless in four starts last year, was nonetheless in top form for Mandella, evidenced by a narrow second place finish, beaten a neck, in a Grade III turf sprint at Kentucky Downs Sept. 12 and subsequent 3 ¼ length defeat in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland two starts back on Nov. 7.

With regular rider Flavien Prat back aboard Saturday, Bombard, who is four for nine over the Santa Anita turf, brings an overall mark of 17-5-6-2 and earnings of $399,771.

A graded stakes winner on both turf and dirt, Law Abidin Citizen has been idle since running a close third to top sprinter C Z Rocket in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar Aug. 29 and with four wins from nine lifetime starts over the Santa Anita lawn, rates a huge chance with Abel Cedillo back aboard.

A 7-year-old gelding by Twirling Candy, Law Abidin Citizen has tremendous early speed and can be counted upon to press or make the early pace on Saturday. Owned by Dan Agnew, Gerry Schneider and John Xitco, Law Abidin Citizen is 28-7-4-6 overall with earnings of $519,167.

THE GRADE 3 DAYTONA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 5 of 9 Approximate post time 3 p.m. PT

  1. Majestic Eagle—Mario Gutierrez—122
  2. Bombard—Flavien Prat—122
  3. Jamming Eddy—Tyler Baze—120
  4. Law Abidin Citizen—Abel Cedillo—122
  5. Commander—Juan Hernandez—120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Classy United Faces Just Three Rivals In Charles Whittingham Stakes

Richard Mandella's classy United heads Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita as he seeks back to back wins in the race named for the legendary Bald Eagle, who 22 years after his passing, ranks third on Santa Anita's all-time list of stakes winning trainers with 869 added money victories.

The Whittingham, for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and one quarter on turf, has attracted a field of four, with the David Hofmans-trained Award Winner and Phil D'Amato's Red King looming as solid contenders.

Owned by LNJ Foxwoods, United, a 6-year-old gelding by Giant's Causeway, made his first start of the year on March 20 and proved he's certainly not lost a step. Attentive to the pace, he took charge turning for home and prevailed by three quarters of a length over next-out winner Say the Word in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at a mile and one half on turf.

A close second in the 2019 Whittingham and a nose winner of last year's renewal, United is no doubt being pointed to a third engagement in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Del Mar—a race in which he was a close second to eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar here at Santa Anita in 2019.

A winner of five races, four of them graded stakes, from 10 tries over the local turf, United is 18-8-4-1 overall with earnings of $1,513,549. With leading man Flavien Prat set to ride him for the 13 consecutive time, United will no doubt be a short price to win on Saturday.

Bred in Kentucky by Mrs. Jerry Amerman and owned by Amerman Racing, LLC, Award Winner, a 5-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper, has found a new lease on his racing career since debuting for Hofmans three starts back on Jan. 8. Second in a pair of second condition allowance races at one mile on grass on Jan. 8 and Feb. 13, Award Winner unfurled what appeared to be the best race of his career on March 27.

Off at 7-2 going a mile and one quarter on turf, Award Winner made every pole a winning one in taking a second condition allowance by 2 ½ lengths while earning a career-best 95 Beyer Speed figure under Juan Hernandez, who rides back on Saturday.

A close second in a Grade 3 turf stakes at 1 1/8 miles 10 starts back on July 6, 2019 at Delaware Park, Award Winner will be bidding for his first graded stakes win in what will be his third attempt. With an overall mark of 16-3-4-1, he has earnings of $208,474.

A winner of the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes and the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap in June and August of last year, Red King has solid credentials and will try to make amends for a close third place finish as the 6-5 favorite behind talented California-bred Ward 'n Jerry in a mile and one half turf starter allowance on March 20.

Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Gordon Jacobsen and Philip Belmonte, Red King, a 7-year-old full horse by English Channel, was claimed for $35,000 15 starts back on Feb. 8, 2019. With regular rider Umberto Rispoli engaged, Red King would benefit from a lively early pace. Out of the A.P. Indy mare Youre Speeding, Red King is 31-7-4-8, with earnings of $447,755.

THE GRADE 2 CHARLES WHITTINGHAM WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITIN ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

  1. Acclimate—Ricardo Gonzalez—122
  2. Award Winner—Juan Hernandez—122
  3. Red King—Umberto Rispoli—124
  4. United—Flavien Prat–124

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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