Ricky Gonzalez | Horse Racing Free Tips

At the Spa Leads Field Of Eleven For Sorrento At Del Mar

A field of 11 was entered Sunday for Friday's 53rd running of the $200,000 Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., a major stepping stone to the $300,000 Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on September 5.

At The Spa, a California-bred daughter of Outwork bred and owned by Terry Lovingier and trained by Jorge Periban, comes in off a victory in the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Debutante on June 20 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., and will be tasked to go another eighth of a mile in the Sorrento while breaking from the outside post. The filly is also entered in Thursday's CTBA Stakes.

The field for the Sorrento from the rail with jockeys in parenthesis: She's So Shiny (Ricky Gonzalez); Smash Ticket (Umberto Rispoli); Eda (Abel Cedillo); Shesgotattitude (Trevor McCarthy); Loverheart (Drayden Van Dyke); It's Simple (Mario Gutierrez); Sax (Joe Bravo); First Promise (Jessica Pyfer); Elm Drive (Juan Hernandez); Roses For Suzzett (Emily Ellingwood) and At the Spa (Tyler Baze).

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Acclimate Makes It Look Easy, Takes Marathon San Juan Capistrano For Second Time

As Yogi Berra once famously noted, “It's déjà vu all over again.” Such was the case in the 81st running of the Grade 3, $100,000 San Juan Capistrano Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as 7-year-old California-bred gelding Acclimate skipped to a 3 ¾-length victory, replicating his gate-to-wire score in the 2019 San Juan. Trained by Phil D'Amato, who collected his third consecutive win in Santa Anita's signature turf marathon, Acclimate was ridden by Ricky Gonzalez, who coaxed 1 3/4 miles out of the son of Acclamation in 2:49.74.

With a traditional hillside start, Acclimate went right to the front and had his ears up as he made the dirt crossing at the top of the lane. With a two-length advantage around the clubhouse turn, Acclimate was running easily while pursued by Ward 'n Jerry and Pillar Mountain in the run up the backside.

With three furlongs to run, Gonzalez stepped on the gas, but eventual runner-up Astronaut was about to make an eye-catching run of his own around the far turn. Although he loomed into contention a quarter mile out, Astronaut was unable to sustain his bid and Acclimate made it look easy as he widened his margin late.

“Just get him in front, nice and comfortable is where he likes to be,” said Gonzalez, who had ridden him to a close second place finish going a mile and one quarter on turf in the G2 Charles Whittingham Stakes on May 29. “Just keep the other horses away from him and he's as happy as he could be. I was really happy.

“We barely got beat last time. It was just the head bob, but after the wire he was in front again, so in knew the distance wasn't going to be a problem for him. Today, I'm just relieved that he got it done so easy.”

Off as the 2-1 favorite in a field of six 3-year-olds and up, Acclimate paid $6.00, $3.80 and $2.60.

Bred by Old English Rancho and Sal and Patsy Berumen, Acclimate is out of the Boundary mare Knows No Bounds. He is owned by the Ellwood Johnston Family Trust, Timmy Time Racing, LLC and Ken Tevelde and had been winless since winning the G2 Del Mar Handicap nine starts back on Aug. 17, 2019. With his third graded stakes win in-hand, Acclimate is now 25-7-4-4 and with the winner's share of $60,000, increased his earnings to $557,872.

“This horse, he's been through the highs and lows and he's bounced back,” said an emotional D'Amato, Santa Anita's leading trainer with 50 wins, 15 of them stakes, second to Bob Baffert's 17 stakes victories. “He's just an old warrior and he gave it his all today. It's just a beautiful thing to watch. … Ricky did a masterful job of maintaining the distance and setting those comfortable fractions to have enough horse left. It's a credit to him and the horse. To dial those fractions in the way he did, Ricky rode like a seasoned veteran at this distance.

“The San Juan Capistrano was my favorite race growing up. When I was a kid coming to the races, this is the race I always came to see. I thought this was an “A” performance for him today and this is a horse I would target for the Del Mar Handicap. He has been lightly raced. We gave him a short break and he has come back better than ever.”

Off at 8-1 with Victor Espinoza up, Astronaut finished 1 ¼ lengths in front of 2020 San Juan winner Red King and paid $8.20 and $4.20 while off at 8-1.

Trained by D'Amato and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Red King was the second choice at 2-1 and paid $2.40 to show while finishing three lengths in front of Ward 'n Jerry.

Fractions on the race were 48.19, 1:11.56, 1:35.48 and 2:00.30.

With four stakes on tap, first post time for an 11-race card on closing day Sunday is at 1 p.m. PT. There will be mandatory payouts in all exotic wagers, including the 20 cent Rainbow Pick Six, which has a Jackpot carryover of $188,751 heading into tomorrow.

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Leggs Galore Outfoots Fran’s Valentine Rivals At Santa Anita

In her first two turn assignment, William Sims' homebred Leggs Galore went to the lead and never looked back, taking Sunday's $100,000 Fran's Valentine Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., by three quarters of a length over heavily favored Warren's Showtime. Trained by Phil D'Amato and ridden by Ricky Gonzalez, Leggs Galore got one mile on turf in 1:34.85.

With a pair of scratches earlier in the day, the Fran's Valentine was reduced to a field of four older California-bred fillies and mares. To the surprise of no one, Leggs Galore bounced out of the gate from her rail post and turned the race into a virtual parade to the far turn, with Kristi's Tiger a length and a half off the lead three furlongs out and Warren's Showtime another half length back.

With the chestnut Warren's Showtime in high gear mid-way around the turn, she had the leader well within her sights while two lengths back turning for home, but Leggs Galore never backed up and in fact maintained her advantage on the gallop out around the Club House turn.

“The main thing with her is trying to get her to relax, get a breather down the backside,” said Gonzalez, who has now ridden the 4-year-old daughter of Bayern in her last six starts, winning five of them. “I knew that if she got it, that little breather, that she would be just fine because her speed is her main weapon and she proved that today.”

A well beaten sixth as the 6-5 favorite in the six furlong turf Mizdirection Stakes versus open company here on April 17, Leggs Galore was the second choice today at 2-1 and she paid $6.00 and $2.60 with no show wagering.

“It opens the big door, to where we have two options and just kind of pick the right spot that suits her best,” D'Amato said, when asked by TVG's Britney Eurton about winning around two turns. “There's a nice little Grade 3 at the end of the meet and I might try her in there,” said D'Amato. “I think it's the Wilshire ($100,000, at one mile on turf June 20). When I saw 23, I was thinking 22 and change, 23 if we are lucky, and when I saw that, I thought we had no excuses and we'll see what she's made of. Ricky did a beautiful job.”

Out of Sims' Indian Charlie mare Cashing Tickets, Leggs Galore now has three stakes wins and six victories from nine overall starts. With today's winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $322,708.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, consistent Warren's Showtime was perhaps done in by the short field as much as anything else, as she attended the pace, but was unable to threaten the winner despite mounting a solid stretch rally.

Off at 3-5, Warren's Showtime paid $2.10 to place while finishing 3 ½ lengths clear of Pulpit Rider.

Fractions on the race were 23.00, 46.77, 1:10.96 and 1:22.93.

The Fran's Valentine, named for the multiple Grade 1 stakes winning Earl Scheib homebred daughter of Saros, is part of the lucrative Golden State Series. Sponsored by the CTBA, the Golden State Series is for eligible California-bred or sired horses.

Live racing resumes on Friday, with first post time for an eight-race card at 1 p.m. Fans are advised that admission gates will open at 7 a.m. for Preakness Day simulcasting on Saturday, with Infield Admission gates opening at 9 a.m.

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Shades Of Enola Gray: Leggs Galore Speeds To Irish O’Brien Victory

William Sims' homebred Leggs Galore was long gone in Sunday's $100,000 Irish O'Brien Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as she waltzed to a 2 ¼-length win, which was her fifth consecutive triumph dating back to Aug. 7. Trained by Phil D'Amato and ridden by Ricky Gonzalez, Leggs Galore, a 4-year-old California-bred filly by 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Bayern, got six furlongs over a firm turf in 1:08.17.

Breaking like a rocket from her outside post position, Leggs Galore opened up a four- length cushion after the first quarter mile and it was readily apparent no one was capable of pressuring her, thus assuring the brilliantly fast grey her second consecutive stakes win over the course in what may've been her best effort to date.

“This race, she really started to remind me of Enola Gray (a California-bred gray that was a multiple stakes winner on turf and a winner of the 2017 Irish O'Brien) the way she won today,” said D'Amato, who notched his meet-leading 10th stakes victory. “I gave Ricky the option. I just told him to play the break, if they wanted to come get her she could rate, she's done it before, but I mean she broke like a rocket and there was no looking back.”

A handy winner of the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint on Jan. 16, Leggs Galore was off as the 6-5 favorite in a field of seven older fillies and mares bred or sired in California and she paid $4.60, $2.60 and $2.20.

“She's just so special, she's so fast and talented,” said Gonzalez, who has now ridden her to four consecutive wins. “Phil said she's rated before, so I had options but the way she broke there was only one way, just keep going. She was so relaxed, she was looking around, her ears were pricked, just having fun out there. I was just a happy passenger.”

Out of the Indian Charlie mare Cashing Tickets, Leggs Galore is now unbeaten in five turf starts from seven overall races. With today's winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $262,208.

In what amounted to a separate race, Bella Vita, who was third around the turn, drove up the rail in a solid effort for second money, finishing 2 ¼ lengths in front of Sadie Bluegrass. The second choice at 8-5 with Flavien Prat, Bella Vita paid $2.60 and $2.20.

A non-threatening second into and around the turn, Sadie Bluegrass held third by a head over Nardini. Based at Golden Gate Fields, Sadie Bluegrass was ridden by Brayan Pena and paid $3.40 to show while off at 5-1.

The Irish O'Brien gave Gonzalez a riding double and D'Amato picked up his 21st overall win, putting him third in the standings, one behind Bob Baffert and Peter Miller.

Fractions on the race were 21.94, 44.37 and 56.08.

The Irish O'Brien is part of the lucrative Golden State Series. Sponsored by the CTBA, the Golden State Series is for eligible California-bred or sired horses.

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