Rob Atras | Horse Racing Free Tips

GISW Maracuja Arrives at Oaklawn, Targets Apple Blossom

GI CCA Oaks winner Maracuja (Honor Code), who arrived at Oaklawn Park New Year's Day, is expected to target the Apr. 23 GI Apple Blossom S., according to trainer Rob Atras. Based primarily in New York, Atras will be represented by a small string of runners at Oaklawn for the first time this winter.

“It's kind of the first time I've kind of really, officially, opened up a second string,” Atras said. “Obviously, in the summer we have to split our string up in Saratoga and Belmont, but this is the first time I've had a string out of state.”

Maracuja made seven starts in 2021, including a second in the GIII Gazelle S. in April at Aqueduct before besting Eclipse favorite Malathaat (Curlin) in the CCA Oaks. She also ran seventh in the GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs and later concluded her sophomore campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Sept. 25 GI Cotillion S. at Parx.

“It could be the [GII] Azeri [S. Mar. 12] or it could be something else,” said Atras of the 4-year-old's next start. “I'm not exactly sure yet. We're just going to kind of see how things go. She got a real light breeze before she left, so we're kind of just starting up with her. She had a few months off at the farm in Kentucky. She had been galloping here in New York for a month, with a light breeze, and so we're just kind of starting to get her back going again. So, we don't have an exact time frame with her yet.”

Atras, who currently has 45 horses training in New York with an additional five at Oaklawn, indicated he may send a couple of more to the Hot Springs oval and could be “a little bit active” at the claim box. Jesse Sauder, an exercise rider who recently received his assistant trainer's license, will oversee Atras's Arkansas division.

“Last year, I got a few horses out of Arkansas that came up here and we did well with them,” Atras said. “I had a few ideas. One was to, potentially, claim some horses to bring back to New York and another idea was to send a filly that won the Oaks, CCA Oaks, Maracuja, down and have her train down there and then, hopefully, run a couple of times. As things came together, I had a couple of horses that I didn't really have spots for up here, or I had trouble getting them in the right spot, so it kind of worked out well to send them down there.”

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Rob Atras Celebrates ‘Breakthrough Year’ With Maracuja In 2021

Just two live race days remain in 2021 to complete a remarkable year of racing action on the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit. The NYRA Press Office checked in with a selection of New York-based racing personalities to get their reflections on a memorable year.

Canadian-born trainer Rob Atras – with the support of his wife and assistant Brittney -went out on his own in 2019 following a tenure working as an assistant for Robertino Diodoro.

The 36-year-old native of Winnipeg, Manitoba has steadily improved his stock over the course of three seasons, enjoying his best year yet in 2021 [336-70-51-51, $3,942,669] by securing his first graded stakes victory with American Power in the Grade 3 Toboggan in January at the Big A, which was followed in March by Chateau's score in the Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap. In July, Atras secured his first Grade 1 victory with Maracuja in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga Race Course.

How would you describe your 2021 campaign?

Atras: “It's been a breakthrough year in a sense. We upgraded our stock quite a bit and that showed in the results. We won a couple of graded stakes races earlier in the year and capped it off with a Grade 1 win with Maracuja. We have a bigger barn, but we have a lot of quality in our barn as well. Last year we were in the high 30s and now we have close to 50 horses in the barn.”

Every trainer's business model is different – describe yours.

Atras: “We go for quality over quantity and we try to be competitive every time we enter. If a horse can win a race, they're good at any level in my book. We have some good 2-year-olds this year and we've had some owners send us homebreds as well as some bought from the sales – so, we have an all-around stable.

“There's so many things that go into the success. We have really good exercise riders, grooms and hotwalkers in the barn. Our foreman, Rafael Lechuga, has been with us since Day One. It's fun to win any race, just to have everyone smile, celebrate and be happy together. They put a lot of pride into their work.”

What was your favorite win this year?

Atras: “We had a lot of winners and a lot of memorable wins this year. But it's tough to not say Maracuja in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. The whole race was fun. She broke well and then I got to wondering if they were going a little quick. Then seeing her back up [down the backstretch] I was wondering, 'What's going on here, are we out of horse.' But then she starts picking up steam again. In that moment, I was thinking she could at least hit the board, so I felt relieved she wasn't stopping. Down the stretch, I was just thrilled to be in the race, and then for her to get her nose down and beat a filly like Malathaat is just out of this world.

“It was just a real heads up ride by Ricardo Santana, Jr. In a Grade 1 – under that much pressure – to make the decision to drop back like that was pretty impressive.”

What was it like being featured on America's Day At The Races?

Atras: “That was neat. It's a great program and it was cool to be featured on there. My mom and dad watch it, they don't miss a race. We came into the CCA Oaks as underdogs. We were a little disappointed that we couldn't replicate that in her next race in the Alabama, but that's alright.”

As someone who maintains a heavy division in New York all year long, what are the benefits of the New York racing and breeding program.

Atras: “If I had some land, I wish I could have a few mares out of New York. They run for great money and have great incentives for the breeders and owners. I think it's a great program. The quality is there, too. You can see it in the races with deeper fields and this year you get a 3-year-old horse like Americanrevolution to win a Grade 1 [Cigar Mile] against older horses. There's a lot of nice New York-breds here, for sure.”

What are your goals for 2022?

Atras: “Keep winning! We had a great year this year and I'd love to carry that into next year and build on it. I'm also sending a small string to Oaklawn for the winter. Maracuja will be there and hopefully her first start or two will be down there before she comes back to New York. We'll bring a few local horses to run in some of the claiming races and maybe pick up some horses to bring back up to New York in the spring.”

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Chateau Goes Gate To Wire In Gravesend

With the scratch of Grade 3 Bold Ruler winner Wondrwherecraigis, five horses remained to contest the six-furlong Gravesend, but it turned out to be a one-horse race in the end. From the break to the finish line, it was all Chateau, who took the lead a few strides out of the gate and never relinquished it, getting his first win since March's Grade 3 Tom Fool.

In his last start in the Fall Highweight, Chateau took the lead at the start, but faded to third under the race's heaviest impost of 131 pounds. Sunday, carrying 126 pounds, the 6-year-old gelding was able to run as he pleased, jockey Kendrick Carmouche putting him on the front and striding out to a 1 1/2 length lead early with Jaxon Traveler stalking. Around the race's only turn, Chateau maintained his lead, with Jaxon Traveler pressing on his outside.

Into the stretch, jockey Jose Lezcano put Jaxon Traveler to a drive, but the 3-year-old Maryland bred could not catch Chateau, who was running comfortably on the lead. At the wire, Chateau was 3 1/2 lengths in front, with Jaxon Traveler able to hold off a driving Drafted for second. Majestic Dunhill, who reared at the start and was never in contention, finished fourth and Wendell Fong completed the order of finish.

The final time for the six furlongs was 1:11.26. Find this race's chart here.

Chateau paid $5.20, $2.90, and $2.10. Jaxon Traveler paid $3.00 and $2.10. Drafted paid $2.10.

“I think the scratch [of No. 5, Wondrwherecraigis] was a factor, but I'm very happy with the way Chateau ran. He showed his speed and finished up really nice today,” trainer Rob Atras said after the race.

“When the track is favoring his type of go, he loves it. Today, I just knew I had to break, stay outside and let him run his race. He dragged me around there. He kept fighting. Every time he heard the other horse coming, he wanted a little bit more,” jockey Kendrick Carmouche told the NYRA Press Office after the Gravesend.

Bred in Kentucky by Preston Stables LLC, Chateau is by Flat Out of the With Distinction mare Distinct Sparkle. He is owned by Michael Dubb. Consigned by Four Star Sales, the 6-year-old gelding was purchased by Wayne W. Rice for $5,500 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Yearling Sale. With his win in the Gravesend, Chateau has three wins in eight starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of eight wins in 39 starts and career earnings of $615,019.

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Chateau Will Try To Regain Winning Form In Fall Highweight

Michael Dubb's Chateau will carry a co-field high 131 pounds in Sunday's Grade 3, $200,000 Fall Highweight, a six-furlong handicap for 3-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 108th renewal of the Fall Highweight, slated as Race 8, is one of three stakes on Sunday's card, along with the $150,000 Autumn Days at six furlongs on the outer turf for fillies and mares; and the $100,000 Tepin for 2-year-old fillies competing at 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf.

In total, the week's slate at the Big A will offer 10 stakes worth more than $1.7 million in purses. First post on Sunday's card is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

Trained by Rob Atras, Chateau finished seventh last out in a Parx allowance sprint under returning rider Kendrick Carmouche on September 14. However, the 6-year-old Flat Out gelding boasts a tremendous record over the Big A main track with a ledger of 10-5-2-2 for purse earnings of $318,443.

“He likes to run around those turns. The turns are a little sharper at Aqueduct as opposed to Saratoga or Belmont and he really seems to relish the surface. It's the perfect distance for him,” Atras said.

Chateau has enjoyed a productive 2021 campaign, posting a record of 6-2-1-1 led by a score in the six-furlong Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap at the Big A in March. He followed that effort with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap in April at Aqueduct and a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Runhappy in May at Belmont.

Chateau worked a sharp half-mile in 47.88 seconds over the Belmont dirt training track on November 14.

“We usually don't breeze him too fast, but he was really strong that day,” Atras said. “We're hoping that's an indication that he's ready to run a big race.”

Carmouche retains the mount from post 1.

Sir Alfred James, trained and co-owned by Norman Cash with Lola Cash, will also carry 131 pounds. The multiple stakes-placed son of Munnings has flourished in his 5-year-old campaign, posting a record of 9-3-2-2 for purse earnings of $310,912.

Claimed for $62,5000 out of a winning effort in an optional-claiming sprint in September at Churchill Downs, Sir Alfred James followed with a fifth in the Grade 2 Phoenix in October at Keeneland ahead of a close third, defeated a neck to Necker Island, in the six-furlong Bet On Sunshine in November at Churchill.

Sir Alfred James enters from a head score over graded-stakes winner Long Range Toddy in a seven-furlong optional-claiming sprint on November 17 at Churchill.

John McKee retains the mount from post 6.

Stronach Stables' homebred Green Light Go will look to recapture the form of his spectacular juvenile campaign for trainer Jimmy Jerkens.

The now 4-year-old Hard Spun colt won 2-of-3 juvenile starts in 2019, including a win in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special ahead of a runner-up effort to Tiz the Law in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont.

Green Light Go made just two sophomore starts, both at Gulfstream Park, finishing third in the Grade 3 Swale and second in the Roar. He was transferred to Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer for the first four starts of his current campaign, posting an optional-claiming win in April traveling 1 1/16-miles at Oaklawn Park. The colt made his most recent effort in the care of trainer Mike Doyle when sixth in the six-furlong Grade 3 Vigil on August 1 at Woodbine.

Green Light Go has posted five consecutive bullet breezes at Belmont in preparation for the Fall Highweight, including a three-furlong blowout in 36 flat Wednesday morning over the dirt training track. Green Light Go, who adds blinkers, will carry 129 pounds when exiting post 2 under Dylan Davis.

Rounding out the field are Smooth B [post 3, Manny Franco, 126 pounds], Hopeful Treasure [post 4, Mychel Sanchez, 128 pounds], Wendell Fong [post 5, Trevor McCarthy, 129 pounds], Rough Entry [post 7, Luis Saez, 128 pounds], and War Tocsin [post 8, Dexter Haddock, 127 pounds].

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