Robertino Diodoro | Horse Racing Free Tips

$590K Medaglia d’Oro Weanling Buyback Wins Spa Debut

6th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-8, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:17.72, ft, 2 1/4 lengths.
DREAM LITH (f, 2, Medaglia d'Oro–Elle Sueno, by Street Cry {Ire}), the longest shot in the field at 36-1, was quickly in stride from an outside post and settled into a tracking spot through fractions of :22.60 and :45.75. She split horses coming off the turn and ground down the lane under a vigorous ride from David Cohen before drawing away late with good energy. She left no doubt about the outcome with 2 1/4 lengths of daylight on Mommasgottarun (Maclean's Music). Dam Elle Sueno has a yearling full-sister to Dream Lith and a 2021 filly by Justify. Bred back to Laoban, she is out of 2009 GI Darley Debutante S. winner Mi Sueno (Pulpit), who is in turn out of 2004 GI Ashland S. winner Madcap Escapade (Hennessy). Sales History: $590,000 RNA Wlg '19 FTKNOV. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Cypress Creek Equine & Arnold Bennewith; B-Southern Equine Stables, LLC (KY); T-Robertino Diodoro.

The post $590K Medaglia d’Oro Weanling Buyback Wins Spa Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Lone Rock Rolls To Another Marathon Triumph In Saratoga’s Birdstone

Flying P Stable's Lone Rock continued his domination of the marathon division, winning his fourth consecutive start at 12 furlongs or longer in Thursday's 11th renewal of the $120,000 Birdstone, a 1 3/4-mile stamina test for older horses at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Robertino Diodoro, the 6-year-old Majestic Warrior gelding launched his streak in March at Oaklawn Park with an optional-claiming tilt and followed with a 3 3/4-length score in April in the Isaac Murphy Marathon at Churchill, both at 1 1/2 miles. Lone Rock entered the Birdstone from a powerful 11 1/4-length score in the 12-furlong Grade 2 Brooklyn presented by Northwell Health on June 5 at Belmont Park.

With regular rider Ramon Vazquez up, Lone Rock tracked in second as Moretti, the defending Birdstone winner with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard, led the seven-horse field through splits of 24.28 seconds, 48.88, 1:13.72 and 1:39.71 on the fast main track.

Lone Rock, traveling comfortably throughout, rated kindly in second position outside the pacesetter with Shooger Ray Too and Ry's the Guy tracking in the second tier in front of You're to Blame, who had three lengths on Rocketry and the trailing He's No Lemon.

Moretti led the field into the final turn, but when Vazquez gave Lone Rock his cue, the veteran gelding advanced with ease putting away Moretti at the top of the lane and powering through the wire a four-length winner in a final time of 2:56.45.

Shooger Ray Too, with Joel Rosario up, completed the exacta by one length over Moretti. It was a further 12 3/4-lengths back to Rocketry in fourth. Rounding out the order of finish was Ry's the Guy, You're to Blame and He's No Lemon.

Diodoro, who secured his second stakes win at Saratoga following Special Relativity's score in the 2019 Shine Again, was full of praise for Lone Rock.

“The horse ran big again,” Diodoro said. “He ran the way he's been training. He's been training like a monster and it's always nice when they train like a monster in the morning and come out in the afternoon and do the same thing. We're pretty proud of him today.

“I thought that Moretti would take the lead from him and Ramon did exactly as I said, which was 'don't let him get away from you,'” added Diodoro. “I've seen it many times when a horse will get out to the front and open up a few and put the rest of the field to sleep. We definitely didn't want that to happen today. I thought Ramon did an excellent job staying on [Moretti] the whole way.”

Lone Rock has won 6-of-7 starts since being claimed back by Diodoro and Flying P Stables for $40,000 out of a winning effort in November at Churchill Downs.

Vazquez made his Saratoga debut a memorable one.

“This is a dream come true. It's been a dream for a long time to ride at Saratoga. I'm so happy,” Vazquez said. “I was really confident in my horse. I was a little worried about the distance; he hasn't run this far before. But I knew my horse was feeling at his best right now. I just put my horse in a good position and when I asked him, he had a lot [left].”

Bred in Kentucky by Town & Country Horse Farms and Pollock Farms, Lone Rock banked $66,000 in victory while improving his record to 34-12-3-2. He returned $3.70 as the 4-5 mutuel favorite.

Diodoro said he will take his time before deciding on a next start for Lone Rock.

“One step at a time,” Diodoro said. “We want to make sure he comes out of this race well. We've got a few ideas in our head, but one step at a time. He showed up once again today and we've just got to keep him going and keep him happy and healthy.”

Live racing resumes Friday at Saratoga with a 10-race card featuring the Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in Race 7 and the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy presented by Horse Racing Ireland in Race 9. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

The post Lone Rock Rolls To Another Marathon Triumph In Saratoga’s Birdstone appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Moretti Goes For Second Straight Birdstone At Saratoga

Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' multiple graded stakes placed Moretti will attempt to defend his title against a talented field of older horses in Thursday's $120,000 Birdstone, a 1 3/4-mile main-track marathon at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the Medaglia d'Oro bay, out of the Grade 1-winning Concerto mare Rigoletta, is a half-brother to millionaire 2017 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Battle of Midway.

Purchased for $900,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, Moretti blossomed last season, posting a record of three wins and three seconds in six starts, including stakes scores in the Flat Out at Belmont Park and Birdstone at Saratoga to go along with a runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Suburban at Belmont.

Pletcher, a five-time Birdstone winner, said Moretti is working well into Thursday's repeat bid, including a five-eighths breeze in 1:01.88 on July 29 on the Spa main track.

“He's doing well. We know he likes the distance,” Pletcher said. “It's just a matter of keeping him happy and fit. He's coming off a couple of solid efforts and we're looking forward to giving it a try again.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be tasked with engineering the title defense from post 4.

“I think the main thing is to get into a comfortable rhythm rather than worry about who's on the lead or stalking,” Pletcher said. “In these types of races, you just want to get into a good rhythm. You don't get many opportunities at this distance, so we'll give it our best shot.”

Flying P Stable's Lone Rock made the grade last out, romping to an 11 1/4-length score in the 12-furlong Grade 2 Brooklyn presented by Northwell Health on Belmont Stakes Day June 5.

Claimed back by trainer Robertino Diodoro for $40,000 out of a winning effort in November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Lone Rock captured a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer in February at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., in his next outing.

The 6-year-old Majestic Warrior gelding has made his last four starts at 1 1/2-miles, finishing second in the Temperence Hill in March ahead of an optional claiming score on April 11, both at Oaklawn Park. He returned on short rest to capture the Isaac Murphy Marathon on April 27 at Churchill Downs ahead of an eye-opening effort in the Brooklyn that registered a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

Lone Rock posted a bullet half-mile on the main track in :46.60 on July 22 and worked an easy half-mile in :52.19 Friday over sloppy going on the Oklahoma training track.

“He's a horse that loves his job and he's training great. He bounced out of that race like it was nothing,” Diodoro said. “On Belmont day, it was a little warm, and to run that far, you'd think it would take a little bit out of him but he's come back like a monster.”

Ramon Vazquez retains the mount from post 3.

Centennial Farms' multiple graded stakes-winner Rocketry has finished third in the last two editions of the Birdstone.

Trained by Jimmy Jerkens, the 7-year-old Hard Spun bay finished off-the-board last out in the Brooklyn and will look to return to the form that saw him capture the 1 5/8-mile Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance in November at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

“That one horse [Lone Rock] looks like a standout in that category. If ever he's going to beat horses like that, it's going this distance,” Jerkens said. “That's what happened in Kentucky. The pace was just too sharp for going that far and they came back to him and he went by them in the very end.”

Ricardo Santana, Jr. picks up the mount from post 7.

[Story Continues Below]

Lothenbach Stables' Ry's the Guy, sixth last out in the Brooklyn, broke through at stakes level in September, taking the 12-furlong Champions Day Marathon at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Ian Wilkes, the 5-year-old Distorted Humor bay breezed a half-mile in :48.44 Thursday on the Saratoga main track.

“He came out of the last race good and I'm happy with him. It won't be an easy assignment; we'll be facing some of the same horses,” Wilkes said. “He has no problem with the track. He's trained here and got over it fine. His works have been solid. I'm very pleased with his breezes here. We've had a little bit of cool weather and that's helped.”

Ry's the Guy will exit the inside post under Chris Landeros.

Final Turn Racing Stable and Noda Brothers' You're to Blame, runner-up in last year's Birdstone, made an impressive first start Sunday for trainer Orlando Noda with a 9 1/2-length off-the-turf optional claiming romp traveling nine furlongs over a fast main track.

The 7-year-old Distorted Humor bay, a veteran of 37 career starts who captured the 2018 Grade 3 Greenwood Cup at Parx, will exit post 6 under Jose Ortiz.

Rounding out the field are graded-stakes placed He's No Lemon [post 2, Manny Franco], and stakes-placed Shooger Ray Too [post 5, Joel Rosario]

The Birdstone is slated as Race 9 on Thursday's 10-race card. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

The post Moretti Goes For Second Straight Birdstone At Saratoga appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Winner for Whitney a Fitting Way to Kick off Saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Four days short of two years after her death, Marylou Whitney managed to upstage Thursday's feel-good, season-opener at Saratoga Race Course.

Pretty Birdie (Bird Song), bred and owned by Marylou Whitney Stables, struck just the right emotional note–bridging the past and the present–with her gate-to-wire victory in the 103rd running of the GIII Schuylerville S.

“It's a little bittersweet. I wish she was here,” Whitney's husband John Hendrickson said. “She would love this. Saratoga is open and she's won a race. Things are the way they should be. The only thing missing is her.”

The six-furlong Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies, a staple on opening day since the 1950s, was trainer Norm Casse's first stakes win at Saratoga.

Opening day at Saratoga has always been a big deal, a festive summer holiday, and the first day after the 2020 season without spectators delivered, as many had predicted: a crowd of 27,760 people. They came to reconnect with old friends, enjoy a very warm summer afternoon where racing has been part of the culture since 1863 and wager on Thoroughbreds. The all-sources handle was $21,935,534 (compared to $19,100,297 12 months ago and $15,754,227 in 2019), including $4,023,700 wagered on track.

Whitney was a hugely influential and beloved figure during her many decades in Saratoga. She was a tireless promoter of racing and the city, staged famous parties and was a major philanthropist.

Following her death at the age of 93, Hendrickson said there was never any question that he would keep her stable operating and maintain its bloodlines. Pretty Bird is inbred to Whitney's champion broodmare, Dear Birdie, three by four. Hendrickson said the Schuylerville was the stable's first stakes win at Saratoga Race Course since Birdstone won the 2004 GI Travers S.

“This where she felt the most alive. I wanted to keep her alive,” Hendrickson said. “This is the way she is alive. She has a win on opening day. It's pretty special.”

Just before the Schuylerville, heavily favored Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) turned a jaw-dropping performance to win the GIII Quick Call S. in hand. It may turn out to be one of the standout performances of the 40-day season, but the Whitney connection made Pretty Birdie the star of the day.

Saratoga's fans certainly did not lose their form during the COVID-19 summer of no-spectator racing. There was a crowd of approximately 100 people outside the gates on Union Avenue at 5:30 a.m., some 90 minutes before they were to open. In short order, the picnic tables and other public spaces in the backyard were claimed. Everyone had to leave when training and the trackside breakfast ended at 10 a.m. When the gates re-opened an hour later, the place filled up and the Saratoga party was on.

In the hour before the first post, traffic was near gridlock conditions around the track, standard for Saratoga on big days.

“It feels like a reunion, because I've run into all these people and everybody hollers, 'Hey, good to see you and where you been?' It's been fun,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “I've seen a long list of people and familiar faces. It seems like everybody's in good spirits and gives you another level of appreciation of the place.”

Robertino Diodoro's Charlie'sarchangel (Archarcharch) captured the first race of the day under champion jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. Diodoro, who lost the 5-year-old in a claim, also won the first race on opening day in 2018. He acknowledged the stark difference from the 2020 season.

“The whole atmosphere from last year to this year,” he said. “It means a lot to everyone, especially the riders getting more into the game. It's good to see for the whole town.”

Ortiz, the leading rider at the Spa last year, said he relished the return to the pre-pandemic norm of people, noise and energy at the track.

“There's no words for it,” he said. “Last year was very sad; a lot of things happened. I really missed the fans. I feel very excited to get them back. It's great. I'm so happy to be back and we're happy they can be back at the racetrack.”

Trainer Jack Sisterson and jockey Jose Ortiz teamed to win the seventh race with Calumet Farm's homebred Dack Janiel's (Tonalist). Sisterson said he enjoyed the energy on the grounds.

“The first thing I said to Jose when I saw him in the paddock is 'How incredible is it to have fans back here?'” Sisterson said. “It not only is good for business, but it's good for everything worldwide to get back to normal, back to reality. It was tough times for everyone. Thankfully, we all sort of got through it and hopefully there are quite a few things to look forward to.”

Harry Rice has been a jockey valet at the NYRA tracks since the mid-1970s and his experience enabled him to provide some perspective.

“It's been tremendous, just the atmosphere,” Rice said. “The people are so happy to see everybody. It's been a long two years and this place is alive again. It's great. It's one of the best opening days I've ever had and I've been here 46 years.”

“Rice worked the 2020 season and described it as being eerie. He said he started Thursday, with a visit to the backstretch, which was off-limits to him last summer and began re-connecting with people.

“It was just so nice,” Rice said. “It reminds you of why you love Saratoga.”

The post Winner for Whitney a Fitting Way to Kick off Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post