rideforthecause | Horse Racing Free Tips

Rideforthecause Upsets Dogtag In Possibly Perfect At Santa Anita

Trainer Michael McCarthy's longshot Rideforthecause had three lengths to make up with a furlong to run, but she kept to her task and was able to nip heavily favored Dogtag by a head in Sunday's $75,000 Possibly Perfect Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Rideforthecause got a mile and one quarter on turf in 2:02.45.

With defending champ Dogtag and Peruvian-bred Kuora sparring on the front end early, Dogtag, ridden by Umberto Rispoli, took charge around the far turn and just missed in a big effort.

Most recently second, beaten a nose by today's third-place finisher, Neige Blanche, in the Grade 3 Santa Barbara Stakes May 8, Rideforthecause was off at 7-1 in a field of eight fillies and mares three and up and paid $16.00, $4.60 and $3.20.

“I think I got to know her a little bit better, but even though last time, if you watch the replay, it was just the luck of the (head-bob),” said Gutierrez, who was aboard for the third consecutive time today. “I knew it was going to be tough to catch (Dogtag) but my filly, every time I would ask her and would push her, she was giving me all she can…I looked for the wire and it was a little far, so I wasn't 100 percent confident. But I knew she was charging all the way until the end.”

Owned by Alpha Delta Stables, LLC, Rideforthecause, a 5-year-old Ontario Canadian-bred mare by Candy Ride out of the Giant's Causeway mare Danceforthecause. A G2 winner at Woodbine this past September, she was making her fourth start for McCarthy today and she now has two stakes wins and an overall mark of 15-5-1-1. With the winner's share of $48,840, she increased her earnings to $361,066.

The 1-2 favorite, Dogtag paid $2.40 and $2.10 while finishing three quarters of a length in front of Neige Blanche.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, French-bred Neige Blanche was off at 6-1 and paid $3.60 to show.

Fractions on the race were 25.42, 51.22, 1:15.33 and 1:38.70.

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McCarthy To Start Rideforthecause, Go Big Blue Nation In Possibly Perfect Stakes

Go Big Blue Nation and Rideforthecause, two campaigners with similar come-from-behind running styles, will represent trainer Michael McCarthy in Sunday's $75,000 Possibly Perfect Stakes for fillies and mares three and up at 1 ¼ miles on turf.

Both are coming out of the Grade 3 Santa Barbara Stakes on May 8, where Rideforthecause was beaten a nose by Neige Blanche and Go Big Blue Nation was fourth, 2 ½ lengths behind her stablemate.

“Rideforthecause has a bit of a class edge (on Go Big Blue Nation),” McCarthy allowed, alluding to her last five races being graded events.

“She was unlucky to get beat last time (getting out-bobbed), but they're both training well. They have similar styles but the distance seems to suit both of them.”

Rideforthecause, a five-year-old Candy Ride mare owned by Alpha Beta Delta Stables, was fourth in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine last Oct. 18 and won the Grade 2 Canadian at the Toronto track last Sept. 12.

The Possibly Perfect will be only the third stakes start in 16 races for Go Big Blue Nation, a four-year-old daughter of 2011 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom owned by Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC.

The Possibly Perfect is named for the multiple Grade 1 winner that won 11 of 18 starts with two seconds and four thirds, earning $1,377,634 in the early and mid-1990's, when trained by the late Bobby Frankel.

As to Grade 1 Preakness Stakes winner and third-place Grade 1 Belmont Stakes finisher Rombauer, McCarthy said, “He's doing very well. He's in light training right now but we have nothing being considered for his next race.”

The Possibly Perfect will be presented as the ninth race on Sunday's card. The field includes Lady Noguez, Kent Desormeaux, 20-1; Go Big Blue Nation, Flavien Prat, 5-2; Dogtag, Umberto Rispoli, 9-5; Dynapower, Tiago Pereira, 50-1; Neige Blanche, Juan Hernandez, 3-1; Catch the Eye, Abel Cedillo, 15-1; Rideforthecause, Mario Gutierrez, 4-1; and Kuora, Trevor McCarthy, 10-1.

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Neige Blanche Noses Out Rideforthecause In Santa Barbara

All in while three deep a quarter mile from home, French-bred Neige Blanche managed to nip Rideforthecause by a scant nose after a marathon mile and one half on turf in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Santa Barbara Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Juan Hernandez and trained by native Frenchman Leonard Powell, Neige Blanche, which translates to white snow in English, registered her first North American stakes win while stopping the clock in 2:28.01.

Starting mid-way up Santa Anita's legendary hillside turf course, heavily favored Tapwater, with Flavien Prat up, appeared to be in firm control on the lead as longshot Star of Africa tracked her in second, about one length off the lead as they crossed under the wire for the first time.

Turning up the backside, Tapwater maintained her one length edge, but Hernandez had a handful of horse, about three off the lead heading to the far turn and in a thriller, gained joint command along with Rideforthecause a sixteenth of a mile out as Tapwater faded late to run third.

“It was really close, it could probably go both ways, 50-50, inside or outside and thanks to my filly, we got it,” said Hernandez who chalked up his third win on the day and his seventh stakes win. “It was better, because last time (a fourth place finish in the Grade III Santa Ana Stakes March 27) I think we were a little too close to the pace and today, I was a little bit more (relaxed). Two horses in front of me and she relaxed pretty well. Around the quarter pole, when I asked her to go, she responded really well.”

A Group 3 winner in her final French start on June 6, 2020, but winless in four stateside starts, Neige Blanche was off at 5-1 in a field of seven fillies and mares three and up and paid $13.40, $7.00 and $3.60.

“No, honestly, I thought the inside got it,” said Powell when asked if he thought he had won the tight photo finish, in which Neige Blanche was positioned outside the runner-up. “If we were going to be in front, it was going to have to be a lucky bob and it was a lucky bob. Today, she proved that she belongs and that she was worth the investment. I want to thank the partners, Madaket Stables, Marsha Naify and (Laura) De Seroux for trusting us with her.”

A 4-year-old filly by Anodin out of the Muhtathir mare Bianca Neve, Neige Blanche now has four wins from 11 starts and with the winner's share of $60,000, increased her earnings to $177,112.

In a gut wrenching defeat, Rideforthecause, ridden by Mario Gutierrez, finished 1 ¾ lengths in front of Tapwater and paid $6.20 and $3.40 while off at 6-1.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Tapwater was off at even money and paid $2.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.72, 48.08, 1:13.56, 1:39.27 and 2:03.80.

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

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Tapwater, McCarthy Duo Top Marathon Santa Barbara Lineup

LNJ Foxwoods' Tapwater heads a field of eight fillies and mares going a marathon mile and one half on turf in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Santa Barbara Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, Tapwater will be making her second career graded stakes appearance.

Trainer Michael McCarthy's recent allowance winner Go Big Blue Nation will also be making her second stakes appearance and will command considerable attention with turf ace Umberto Rispoli aboard for the first time and McCarthy's Rideforthecause, a Grade 2 winner in Canada this past September, could also figure prominently as the leading money earner in the field.

A 5-year-old mare by Tapit, out of the Indian Charlie mare Fiji Moon, Tapwater was most recently fourth, beaten 3 ¼ lengths by highly respected Charmaine's Mia going one mile on turf in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita on April 3. A sharp classified allowance winner going a mile on grass two starts back on Feb. 12 with Flavien Prat, she'll be reunited with the meet's leading man on Saturday and will be stretching out off of six consecutive races at one mile.

Tapwater, who will be making her third start of the year, brings an overall mark of 9-3-2-0 and earnings of $154,940.

Owned by Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC, Go Big Blue Nation flew late under apprentice Alexis Centeno to win a second condition allowance on April 4 at a mile and one quarter on turf by a half length and will hope to employ similar tactics when ridden by Rispoli for the first time on Saturday. Claimed out of a maiden $75,000 win eight starts back on Jan. 12, 2020, Go Big Blue Nation, a 4-year-old filly by Animal Kingdom, earned a career best 87 Beyer Speed figure and rates a huge chance stretching out a quarter of a mile.

Trained in Canada by Gail Cox, Rideforthecause was an even sixth, beaten 2 ½ lengths by multiple graded stakes winner Mucho Unusual in her first start for McCarthy, the Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes at a mile one eighth on turf Dec. 27. Subsequently seventh, beaten seven lengths in an even effort by Charmaine's Mia in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine, Rideforthecause will be ridden for the second time in a row by Mario Gutierrez.

A winner of the Grade 2 Canadian at a mile and one eighth over the Woodbine turf four starts back on Sept. 12, Rideforthecause was subsequently fourth as the 5-2 favorite in Woodbine's Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes Oct. 18 and will hope to regain her Canadian form in the Santa Barbara.

Phil D'Amato's Carpe Vinum, a close third to Go Big Blue Nation April 4, pressed the pace and was fifth, beaten 3 ¼ lengths two starts back going a mile and one half on turf in the Grade 3 Astra Stakes Jan. 17 and thus rates a solid chance in what will be her third start of the meet. Owned by MyRacehorse and Joey Platts, Carpe Vinum, a 4-year-old daughter of Carpe Diem, will be ridden for the third consecutive time by Jose Valdivia, Jr.

GRADE III SANTA BARBARA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS
IN POST POSITION ORDER

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

Catch the Eye—Kent Desormeaux—122
Rideforthecause—Mario Gutierrez—124
Tapwater—Flavien Prat—122
Carpe Vinum—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—122
Star of Africa—Abel Cedillo—122
Neige Blanche—Juan Hernandez—124
Go Big Blue Nation—Umberto Rispoli—122
Dynapower—Cesar Ortega—122

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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