rodeo drive stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Going To Vegas Holds Off Luck In Rodeo Drive Stakes

Like a casino sending gamblers home empty handed, Going to Vegas refused to let the furious rush of Luck prevail on Saturday in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

Going to Vegas, a 4-year-old Goldencents filly got out early in the 1 1/4-mile turf race, and quickly got to the rail under jockey Umberto Rispoli, and she crossed over from the downhill course to the main oval ahead of Dogtag on the inside and longshot Neige Blanche on her outside hip.

Going to Vegas held a comfortable 1 1/2-length lead over Neige Blanche after an opening quarter-mile in :24.35 seconds, and she maintained that margin as the field went past the finish for the first time. The top three positions went unchanged as they headed into the backstretch, with Rispoli keeping Going to Vegas under light restraint.

The race started to percolate after the three-quarters mark in 1:13.49, with jockey Flavien Prat starting to rouse Luck from the middle of the field. Luck got up to third place behind Going to Vegas and Neige Blanche heading into the final turn, and she was in second after a mile in 1:36.35.

Rispoli started urging Going to Vegas in the straightaway with a right-handed crop, as they worked to hold off a pair of LNJ Foxwoods-owned runners in ground-saving Dogtag and outside-moving Luck.

Luck was gaining ground on Going to Vegas as the wire approached, but she ran out of time and real estate, finishing a head behind the winner. Stablemate Dogtag carried on for third.

Going to Vegas stopped the clock in 1:58.84 over a fast main track. She paid $4.20 as the post-time favorite.

Richard Baltas trains Going to Vegas for owners Abbondanza Racing, Medallion Racing, and MyRacehorse. Saturday's victory improved the filly's record to seven wins in 22 starts for earnings of $634,151.

Bred in Kentucky by J. Kirk and Judy Robison, Going to Vegas is out of the stakes-winning Johannesburg mare Hard to Resist.

To view the Equibase chart, click here.

The post Going To Vegas Holds Off Luck In Rodeo Drive Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Going to Vegas Going to Del Mar After Frontrunning Rodeo Drive Victory

In their respective most recent trips to the post, Going To Vegas (Goldencents) was ridden by Flavien Prat to a popular victory in the GII John C. Mabee S. while stablemate Luck (Kitten's Joy) had Umberto Rispoli in the irons for a first-level allowance tally at Del Mar Aug. 7. The preeminent turf riders on the circuit swapped mounts for Saturday's GI Rodeo Drive S., and at the end of a very entertaining 10 furlongs, it was the Italian and Going To Vegas who proved narrowly best over the French reinsman and Luck, locking up a trip to the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in the process.

Rispoli, who had ridden Going To Vegas in her three starts prior to the Mabee, kicked the 4-year-old straight into the lead from gate four and controlled the pace through an opening quarter in :24.35 and a steady half-mile in :48.72. Prat had Luck settled worse than midfield and on the back of longshot Rideforthecause (Candy Ride {Arg}), but asked her for some acceleration with a little less than five-eighths of a mile to race after Mike Smith clicked up Red Lark (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus}) to Luck's outside. Luck was all the way up into a three-wide third and within striking distance as they raced around the second turn and the stage was set when Prat asked his mount to take it to the pacesetter in upper stretch. Benefitting from the easy tempo, Going To Vegas responded to his rider's urgings and sprinted the final two furlongs in a slick :22.49 to just hold Luck at bay.

“I'm thrilled with both horses' performances,” said trainer Richard Baltas of the 1-2 finishers. “Going to Vegas has the tactical speed and loves going a mile and a quarter and she showed it. It was a great ride by [Umberto]. My other horse, Luck, really moved up in class. I was really happy with her performance, she really improved in a Grade I, I'm looking forward to the future with her.”

Going To Vegas is not yet nominated to the Breeders' Cup and would have to be supplemented for $100,000.

Claimed from her breeders and trainer Peter Miller for $50,000 out of a victory at Santa Anita in June 2020, Going to Vegas halted a seven-race skid that included four consecutive runner-up efforts with a 3 3/4-length tally in the GIII Santa Ana S. over a mile and a quarter at Santa Anita Mar. 27, with Rispoli at the controls for the first time. An alibi-free fifth to Maxim Rate (Exchange Rate) in the GI Gamely S. in Arcadia May 31, the bay added a popular 3 1/2-length allowance victory at Del Mar July 16 before doubling her graded-stakes grab with a 2 1/4-length defeat of Dogtag (War Front) in the Sept. 4 Mabee.

Pedigree Notes:

With the victory, Going To Vegas becomes the first Grade I winner for two-time GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile hero Goldencents. Going to Vegas is inbred 5×4 to Storm Cat and is kin to the yearling filly Brand Loyalty (Grazen) and a colt foal by Munnings. Hard to Resist went back to Grazen this past breeding season.

Saturday, Santa Anita
RODEO DRIVE S.-GI, $302,000, Santa Anita, 10-2, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/4mT, 1:58.84, fm.
1–GOING TO VEGAS, 124, f, 4, by Goldencents
               1st Dam: Hard to Resist (SW, $284,538), by Johannesburg
               2nd Dam: Anja, by Gulch
               3rd Dam: Knoosh, by Storm Bird
1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Abbondanza Racing, LLC, Medallion
Racing & MyRacehorse; B-J. Kirk Robison & Judy Robison
(KY); T-Richard Baltas; J-Umberto Rispoli. $180,000. Lifetime
Record: 22-7-8-2, $634,151. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Luck, 122, f, 4, by Kitten's Joy
               1st Dam: Gold Round (Ire) (GSW-Fr), by Caerleon
               2nd Dam: Born Gold, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
               3rd Dam: Riviere D'or, by Lyphard
O/B-LNJ Foxwoods (KY); T-Richard Baltas. $60,000.
3–Dogtag, 122, m, 5, by War Front
               1st Dam: Diamond Necklace (SP-Ire), by Unbridled's Song
               2nd Dam: Helsinki (GB), by Machiavellian
               3rd Dam: Helen Street (GB), by Troy (GB)
O/B-LNJ Foxwoods (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $36,000.
Margins: HD, 1HF, 3HF. Odds: 1.10, 2.40, 5.40.
Also Ran: Neige Blanche (Fr), Rideforthecause, Magic Attitude (GB), Red Lark (Ire), Crystalle, Fast Jet Court (Brz).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Going to Vegas Going to Del Mar After Frontrunning Rodeo Drive Victory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

LNJ Foxwoods Duo Take on Rodeo Drive

LNJ Foxwoods' sends out a pair of homebreds from two different barns in Luck (Kitten's Joy) and Dogtag (War Front), both of whom have a good chance to secure a spot in the gate for the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf next month in Saturday's GI Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita. Luck kicked off her career in France for trainer Alain De Royer-Dupre, winning two of four starts going long on the synthetic, including an Apr. 1 allowance. Sixth in her final European start on turf May 8, she was moved Stateside to trainer Richard Baltas and impressed in her U.S. debut, going from last to first in a Del Mar optional claimer Aug. 7, good for a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

Dogtag will carry the same navy and gold colors, but hails from the Richard Mandella barn. A three-time listed stakes winner, she has been knocking at the door of a graded victory for some time. The gray has been second in her last four starts, including the Aug. 7 GII Yellow Ribbon H. and Sept. 4 GII John C. Mabee S. at Del Mar.

John Mabee winner Going to Vegas (Goldencents) runs back here as well. Runner-up in the GI American Oaks last term, the bay won the GIII Santa Ana S. Mar. 27 and was fifth in the May 31 GI Gamely S., but rebounded with an optional claimer win at Del Mar July 16.

Also exiting the Mabee is Brazilian import Fast Jet Court (Brz) (Courtier), who was making her American bow when fourth in that event.

The post LNJ Foxwoods Duo Take on Rodeo Drive appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Going To Vegas Will Try To Maintain Her Momentum In Rodeo Drive

Fresh off the biggest win of her career and in search of her third consecutive victory, the Richard Baltas-trained Going to Vegas heads an evenly matched field of nine fillies and mares three and up going a mile and one quarter on turf in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita. A Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, the Rodeo Drive winner will earn a fees-paid berth into the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar Nov. 6.

A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Goldencents, Going to Vegas comes off a rousing 2 ¼ length win going a mile and one eighth on turf in the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar Sept. 4, a race in which she pressed the early pace and kicked clear through the lane as the 9-5 favorite.

Owned by Abbondanza Racing, LLC, Medallion Racing and MyRacehorse, Going to Vegas has a win and a second place finish from two tries at a mile and one quarter. Claimed for $50,000 12 starts back on June 12, 2020, she's banked $242,400 this year from five starts and has overall earnings of $454,151. With an overall mark of 21-6-8-2, she'll be seeking her first Grade 1 victory.

Second in her last four starts, including the John C. Mabee on Sept. 4, LNJ Foxwoods' homebred Dogtag has two wins and three third place finishes from five starts over the Santa Anita lawn and she has a win and a second from two tries at the Rodeo Drive distance. A 5-year-old mare by War Front, she's trained by Richard Mandella and will be ridden by Joe Bravo.

LNJ Foxwoods will have another homebred, Luck, in the Rodeo Drive lineup fresh off a most impressive U.S. debut going a mile and one sixteenth on turf in a first condition allowance Aug. 7 at Del Mar. A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Kitten's Joy, Luck won two out of her four starts in France before joining the barn of Richard Baltas this past summer. Ridden to victory by Umberto Rispoli at Del Mar, she'll be handled by Flavien Prat on Saturday and she has the look of a filly very much on the improve.

Trainer Leonard Powell's 4-year-old French-bred Neige Blanche, a winner of the Grade 3 Santa Barbara Stakes here three races back, comes off an ungraded stakes win going a mile and three eighths on turf at Del Mar Aug. 14 and would be well served by a fast early pace. Owned by Madaket Stables, LLC, Marsha Naify, et al, she'll be ridden back by Juan Hernandez.

THE GRADE 1 RODEO DRIVE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 11 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

Dogtag—Joe Bravo—122
Fast Jet Court—Drayden Van Dyke–124
Neige Blanche—Juan Hernandez—124
Going to Vegas—Umberto Rispoli—124
Rideforthecause—Mario Gutierrez—122
Crystalle—Abel Cedillo—122
Magic Attitude—John Velazquez—124
Luck—Flavien Prat—122
Red Lark—Mike Smith–122

The Rodeo Drive is one of five stakes on an 11-race card Saturday with first post time at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Going To Vegas Will Try To Maintain Her Momentum In Rodeo Drive appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post