richard mandella | Horse Racing Free Tips

United Tabbed As Morning Line Favorite For Sunday’s Eddie Read Stakes

LNJ Foxwoods' United, trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, was named the 8-5 favorite on John Lies' morning line for Sunday's $200,000, Grade II Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar.

A 5-year-old son of Giant's Causeway, United will break from the outside post in a field of seven for the 1 1/8-mile run over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course which often determines the top grass horse of the meeting.

United was last seen at Del Mar running second as the even-money favorite, beaten a neck by Oscar Dominguez, in the Hollywood Turf Cup on December 1 of last year. United is 2-for-2 in Grade II stakes starts in 2020 – the San Marcos and Charlie Whittingham at Santa Anita – to boost his career earnings to $1,133,549.

The field from the rail: Bowie's Hero (Tiago Pereira. 4-1); Originaire (Umberto Rispoli, 9-2); Sharp Samurai (Juan Hernandez, 5-1); Combatant (Jorge Velez, 12-1); Cleopatra's Strike (Abel Cedillo, 8-1); Neptune's Storm (Drayden Van Dyke, 6-1), and United (Flavien Prat).

Sunday's other stakes offering, the $125,000 California Dreamin' at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, drew a field of 11 California bred or sired older males. Paradise Road Ranch's Camino Del Paraiso, trained by O.J. Jauregui, drew the rail and was tabbed the 5-2 morning line choice.

Defending summer meeting training champion Doug O'Neill will have a pair of representatives in Whooping Jay and Irish Heatwave. “They're both in good form and even though they both drew way outside the rail is at zero so that helps,” O'Neill said this morning. “It's a bigger field than I expected but regardless they're both doing well and we're optimistic they'll run well.”

The field from the rail: Camino Del Paraiso (Drayden Van Dyke); Galilean (Flavien Prat, 3-1); Brandothebartender (Umberto Rispoli, 15-1); Desmond Doss (Tiago Pereira, 15-1); Grinning Tiger (Heriberto Figueroa, 12-1); Loud Mouth (Juan Hernandez, 20-1); Ultimate Bango (Ruben Fuentes, 8-1); Three Ay Em (Mike Smith, 12-1); Whooping Jay (Mario Gutierrez, 15-1); Take the One O One (Jose Valdivia, Jr., 10-1), and Irish Heatwave (Abel Cedillo, 6-1).

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Rushing Fall Chasing Repeat Victory In Jenny Wiley

E Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Rushing Fall will chase history Saturday when she headlines a field of eight fillies and mares for the 32nd running of the $350,000 Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1) going 1 1/16 miles on the turf at Keeneland.

The Coolmore Jenny Wiley will be the eighth race on Saturday's 10-race program with a 4:57 p.m. post time.

Trained by three-time race winner Chad Brown, Rushing Fall will be trying to join Intercontinental (GB) (2004-2005) as the only repeat winner of the race. With a victory Saturday, Rushing Fall would join Lady Eli and Beholder as the only horses since 1976 to win Grade 1 races at ages 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Regular rider Javier Castellano, who has been aboard for Rushing Fall's four previous stakes victories at Keeneland, has the call Saturday and will break from post position four. Only Wise Dan has won more Keeneland stakes (seven) than Rushing Fall, who shares the second spot with Take Charge Lady.

Invading from California are Fox Hill Farms' Jolie Olimpica (BRZ) and Ken Baca, Edward Hudson Jr. and Lynne Hudson's Toinette.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Jolie Olimpica has won five of six career starts with her most recent victory coming in the Monrovia (G2) at Santa Anita in May. Mike Smith the mount and will break from post six.

Toinette, who came off a six-month layoff to win the Wilshire (G3) in her 2020 debut, owns a victory over Rushing Fall with a neck triumph in the 2018 Edgewood (G3) at Churchill Downs. Trained by Neil Drysdale, Toinette will be ridden by Flavien Prat and break from post eight.

The field for the Coolmore Jenny Wiley, with riders from the inside, is: Secret Message (John Velazquez), Juliet Foxtrot (GB) (Luis Saez), La Signare (FR) (Ricardo Santana Jr.), Rushing Fall (Castellano), Mucho Unusual (Julien Leparoux), Jolie Olimpica (BRZ) (Smith), Altea (FR) (Joel Rosario), Toinette (Prat). All starters will carry 118 pounds.

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Improving Border Town May Have Edge Over Turf Veterans In Santa Anita’s American Stakes

In a field replete with classy veterans returning off extended vacations, Richard Mandella's fast-improving Border Town seeks his third consecutive win at the current Winter Spring Meeting in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 American Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. To be run at a flat mile on turf, the American has attracted a deep and competitive field of 10 three year olds and up.

Trainer Mark Glatt will be well represented by multiple graded stakes winner Sharp Samurai, who has been idle since Aug. 18, and Phil D'Amato will send out a pair of classy comebackers, multiple Grade 1 winner Bowies Hero, idle since Nov. 2, and graded stakes winning Cleopatra's Strike, who's been idle 4 ½ months.

It is noteworthy that Flavien Prat, Santa Anita's runaway leading rider who enters closing week with 83 wins, has opted to ride upstart Border Town over Bowies Hero and perhaps several others in the American lineup.

BORDER TOWN
Owner: Perry R. Bass, II & Ramona Bass
Trainer: Richard Mandella
Winless in a pair of one mile turf maiden races with eastern-based Chad Brown in July and September of last year, this 4-year-old colt by War Front has run four solid races for Mandella and Prat, dating back to a head defeat in a one mile maiden race on Jan. 5. Subsequently third under the same conditions Jan. 30, Border Town broke out with a big 3 ½ length maiden win going 1 1/8 miles on turf Feb. 28. In his most recent start on May 24, he accelerated late to take a one mile turf allowance by one length, winning in-hand in a performance that has thrust him to center stage on Sunday.

SHARP SAMURAI
Owner: Red Baron's Barn, LLC & Rancho Temescal
Trainer: Mark Glatt
One of the top turf horses on this circuit dating back to 2017, this 6-year-old First Samurai gelding has been idle since a close second in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile Handicap on Aug. 18. A three-time graded stakes winner on grass, Sharp Samurai is five for eight over the Santa Anita turf course and is 7-2-2-1 at one mile on turf. To be ridden for the first time by Abel Cedillo, who ranks a close third behind Mike Smith and Prat with 10 stakes wins at the current stand, Sharp Samurai has a solid work tab to his credit and rates a huge chance off the bench.

BOWIES HERO
Owner: Agave Racing Stable, ERJ Racing, LLC, Madaket Stables, LLC & Rockin Robin Stables
Trainer: Phil D'Amato
Idle since fifth at 16-1 in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile here on Nov. 2, this 6-year-old full horse by Artie Schiller rallied to win the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile two starts back at Keeneland on Oct. 5. A winner of Santa Anita's Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile in March, 2018, classy Bowies Hero is 10-3-1-2 over the Santa Anita lawn and is 16-7-1-1 lifetime at one mile on grass. The leading money earner in the field with $1,538,970, his overall mark stands at 22-8-1-3. With Prat committed to Border Town, Umberto Rispoli will try his hand for the first time on Sunday.

CLEOPATRA'S STRIKE
Owner: Slam Dunk Racing & Michael Nentwig
Trainer: Phil D'Amato
Idle since a close second in the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at a mile and one quarter on turf Feb. 1, this 7-year-old Smart Strike gelding was also a close second two starts back, in the Grade 2 San Gabriel at a mile and one eighth on turf Jan. 4. A winner of the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Stakes here four starts back at a mile and a quarter on Sept. 28, he's been ridden in three out of his last four race by Abel Cedillo, but will get the first-time services of Mike Smith on Sunday. Originally based at Woodbine, he's flourished in D'Amato's care, posting a win, four seconds and a fourth place finish from six starts dating back to a nose defeat in the January, 2019 San Gabriel.

G3 AMERICAN STAKES
WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 10 of 12 Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

True Valour—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—124
Jasikan—Ruben Fuentes–124
Cleopatra's Strike—Mike Smith—124
Blitzkrieg—Victor Espinoza—122
Sharp Samurai—Abel Cedillo—122
Souter—Evin Roman–122
Border Town—Flavien Prat—122
Bowies Hero—Umberto Rispoli—124
King of Speed—Geovanni Franco—122
Bolo—Drayden Van Dyke–122

First post time on closing day, Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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‘She’s Got A Big Future’: Dogtag Takes Possibly Perfect As Heavy Favorite

Trainer Richard Mandella's heavily favored Dogtag rallied from mid-pack to take Sunday's $75,000 Possibly Perfect Stakes by 1 ¼ lengths, thus providing Santa Anita's runaway leading rider Flavien Prat with his fourth win of the day and his 79^th victory through 56 racing days at the Arcadia, Calif., track.

With a hillside start, Dogtag was allowed to settle into stride in the first run by the wire as Prat had her on a long rein, about 3 ½ lengths off pacesetter Desert Oasis heading into the far turn. Despite the fact Dogtag had moderate fractions to run into, she unfurled a dazzling turn of foot around the turn and hit the front turning for home, from where she was not seriously challenged.

A handy 1 ½-length second condition allowance winner while pressing the pace at a flat mile here on May 16, Dogtag, a 4-year-old filly by War Front who is owned by her breeder, LNJ Foxwoods, was off as the 4-5 favorite in a field of seven fillies and mares and paid $3.60, $2.80 and $2.20.

“She was very professional and she handled the course beautifully,” said Prat, who was aboard for the first time today. “The mile and a quarter is always a question, but just about everybody was trying it for the first time and the way she relaxed, it was no problem at all. When I asked her around the turn, she took me to the lead very nice, it looks like she's got a big future.”

Out of the Unbridled's Song mare Diamond Necklace, Dogtag who was Grade 3 stakes placed last July at Saratoga when trained by Chad Brown, picked up her third non-graded stakes win in her third start for Mandella and improved her overall mark to 9-4-1-2. With the winner's share of $48,360, Dogtag increased her earnings to $247,511.

“She seems to be getting better and better,” said Mandella. “I thought she'd break sharp and be on the lead, but Flavien got her to settle real nice, which was good. He usually does the right thing. We'll go ahead and point to the John Mabee at Del Mar (Grade 2, 1 1/8 miles on turf Sept. 5).”

Ridden by Tiago Pereira, Don't Blame Judy rallied from next to last to finish second, besting a late closing Pretty Point by a head. Off at 10-1, Don't Blame Judy paid $6.60 and $4.20.

Ridden by Mike Smith, Pretty Point got rolling late from last and paid $3.80 to show while off at 9-1.

With three days remaining in the current stand which concludes next Sunday, Prat has built an unsurmountable 23-length advantage over Abel Cedillo, 83-60.

Fractions on the Possibly Perfect were 23.70, 48.20, 1:12.82 and 1:37.26.

Racing resumes on Friday with first post time for a nine-race card at 1 p.m.

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