Royal Ascot | Horse Racing Free Tips

Weekend Lineup Presented By Woodbine: Mandaloun Returns In Sunday’s Pegasus

This weekend's horse racing action is highlighted by the long-awaited return of live racing to Woodbine on Saturday, June 12, thanks to the provincial loosening of COVID-19 restrictions, while graded stakes action is relatively light across the U.S. Of course, next week's Royal Ascot meeting will begin on Tuesday, June 15, featuring 11 American contenders in the top-notch turf action.

Leading a quiet weekend of stakes racing is Juddmonte's Mandaloun, who is slated to make his first start since finishing second in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on Sunday at Monmouth Park in the Pegasus Stakes.

Saturday, June 12

4:28 p.m. – $150,000 Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park on TVG

Last July, John Fanelli, Cash is King, LC Racing, Paul Braverman and Team Hanley's Ny Traffic gave future Horse of the Year Authentic all he could handle in the Grade 1 TVG.com Haskell Stakes, losing by a nose. Ny Traffic returns to Monmouth Park on Saturday facing nine rivals in the Grade 3 $150,000 Salvator Mile on the main track. A 4-year-old gray/roan son of Cross Traffic, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., and ridden from post seven by Paco Lopez, Ny Traffic made an impressive 2021 debut at Belmont Park on May 2 with a 6 ¾-length victory in a 7-furlong optional allowance claiming race. Breaking from post 10 under Robby Albarado is the defending Salvator Mile champion Pirate's Punch. Owned by Gulliver Racing, Craig Drager and Dan Legan, and trained by Grant Forster, Pirate's Punch came from off the pace to win last year's race, held Sept. 20, by 2 lengths. A 5-year-old gelded son of Eclipse Award-winner Shanghai Bobby, Pirate's Punch will be making his first start since trailing the field in the Grade 1 Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland in November.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/MTH061221USA10-EQB.html

10:11 p.m. ― $150,000 Grade 3 Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes at Churchill Downs

Led by 6-5 morning line favorite Juliet Foxtrot (GB), 11 fillies and mares have been entered for Saturday evening's featured Grade 3 Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes at Churchill Downs going 1 1/16 miles on turf. Owned by Juddmonte and trained by Brad Cox, Juliet Foxtrot has six wins, including an impressive wire-to-wire 2-length victory in her 2021 debut on April 10 in the Grade 1, 1 1/16-mile Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland over a yielding course. A 6-year-old bay daughter of Dansili (GB), who will be ridden from post two by Tyler Gaffalione, Juliet Foxtrot won last October's Grade 3 Gallorette at Pimlico. WinStar Stablemates Racing's Crystal Ball has won optional allowance claiming races at Santa Anita and at Churchill Downs this year. Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, the 4-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon finished second in last year's Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. James Graham rides from post nine. Stonestreet Stables' Hendy Woods, trained by Mark Casse, tuned up for this race by taking a 1-mile optional claimer at Churchill on May 14. Ridden by Florent Geroux from post three, the 4-year-old filly finished second in last September's Grade 2 Edgewood Stakes at Churchill.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD061221USA9-EQB.html

Sunday, June 13

4:50 p.m. ― $150,00 TVG.com Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park on TVG

Juddmonte's Mandaloun headlines Sunday's TVG.com Pegasus Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles at Monmouth Park. Facing four rivals, the Brad Cox-trained son of Into Mischief fought all the way in the Kentucky Derby on May 1, finishing second to Medina Spirit by a half-length at 26-1. Winner of the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds in February, Mandaloun will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post 2. Chiefswood Stables' Canadian-bred Weyburn, trained by Jimmy Jerkens, won the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct in March, and returns to the races following a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 3. Dylan Davis has the mount, breaking from post four. Also coming out of the Kentucky Derby is Mark Schwartz's Brooklyn Strong. Trained by Daniel Velazquez and ridden from post two by Abner Adorno, Brooklyn Strong, who won last year's Grade 3 Remsen at Aqueduct, finished 15th in the Derby.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/MTH061321USA10-EQB.html

8:30 p.m. ― $100,000 Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

California-bred gelding The Chosen Vron, winner of his last two races, leads five starters in the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita. Owned by Eric Kruljac, Robert Fetkin, John Sondereker and Richard Thornburgh, and trained by Krurjac, The Chosen Vron won Santa Anita's Echo Eddie against state breds on April 3, and followed that score with a 3 ½-length win as the odds-on favorite in the 6 ½-furlong Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera by 3 ½ lengths at Santa Anita on May 15. Umberto Rispoli will ride, breaking from post 3. Trainer Bob Baffert has entered two runners: Karl Watson, Paul Weitman and Mike Pegram's Defunded, fourth in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill on May 1, and SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm and Robert Masterson's Classier, who will be making his 2021 debut since finishing eighth in last year's Grade 1 TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Abel Cedillo rides Defunded from post four, and Flavien Prat has the mount on Classier breaking from post one.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA061321USA10-EQB.html

The post Weekend Lineup Presented By Woodbine: Mandaloun Returns In Sunday’s Pegasus appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Walsh Seeking Ascot Redemption

Brendan Walsh was assistant trainer to Mark Wallace when Benbaun (Ire) (Stravinsky) finished second, beaten a short head, in the 2006 edition of the G1 King's Stand S. Now a Grade I-winning conditioner in his own right, the Irish-born, Kentucky-based Walsh is looking for his G1 Al Quoz Sprint victor Extravagant Kid (Kiss The Kid) to go one better in next week's King's Stand.

Despite being eight years of age, Extravagant Kid is in the form of his life.

“I think the travel and a different track, when you get to an age like him–an eight-year-old–you are trying to find something a little different,” Walsh said. “They have pretty much seen it all before, and this for him suits his character and it's really picked him up–maybe that's what most of his improvement is accredited to.

“My assistant Charlie Lynch is with him. He says he hasn't missed a beat since he got there, pretty much like he was doing in Dubai. You can't beat that. We've prepared him for it, and it looks like it's all going to plan.”

In addition to his Newmarket stint, Walsh spent time working in Dubai for Godolphin, so traveling horses is nothing new.

“The Dubai thing was in my mind for a couple of years. I travelled a lot of horses with Godolphin back in the day and I thought this was the right year to go with Extravagant Kid,” he said. “He thrived in Dubai when he got there, and he seems to be thriving in Newmarket since he got there. I've got no real hang-ups about it. I think it's as we would want it, and if we get a good trip we will see if he's good enough or not.”

The post Walsh Seeking Ascot Redemption appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Stradivarius Chasing Fourth Gold Cup Victory At Royal Ascot

Stradivarius headlines 15 remaining contenders for the G1 Gold Cup, the centerpiece of Royal Ascot on Thursday, June 17.

The hugely popular three-time winner has the chance to emulate Yeats, who recorded four consecutive Gold Cup victories between 2006 and 2009.

Now a 7-year-old, Stradivarius returned this season with an impressive victory in the G3 Longines Sagaro Stakes at Ascot in April.

Bjorn Nielsen's homebred, who is trained by John & Thady Gosden, is aiming for a fifth consecutive victory at Royal Ascot, with his first success at the meeting coming in the 2017 G2 Queen's Vase.

Speaking today at a media call presented by QIPCO British Champions Series on behalf of Ascot Racecourse, John Gosden said: “It would be extraordinary from the point of view that Stradivarius is still a full horse. He is not a gelding, and the geldings often race on a lot longer because they are not dealing with the distractions of life!

“This boy is very vociferous and an absolute riot to be around. He has always been very entertaining and has a great personality. I just tend to let him enjoy himself and, as long as he is enjoying himself, that's all that matters.

“He likes to be first out in the mornings and when he sees other strings, he shouts and roars. He seems to particularly like the blue of Godolphin, which causes him to shout even more. Then he comes back, eats his grub, and goes to sleep. He can see all the horses going in and out, so he checks everything. I think if you had to take a world tour with him, there is quite a likelihood in the end that you would say 'look, can you just shut up for a second!'. But that's his nature, he is just an incredibly fun horse to be around.

“He is like part of the family now and when his owner-breeder Bjorn Nielsen comes to stay, he can look out of the guest room window and see Stradivarius saying hello to him. Full marks to Bjorn because he has bred this horse and raced him in the most sporting manner. I have nothing but respect for him to do that. He tried to breed a Derby horse and wound up with a wonderful cup horse.

“Stradivarius has won four Goodwood Cups, as well as Yorkshire Cups, Doncaster Cups, Lonsdale Cups. They put up the £1 million bonus two years running, thinking nobody would do it, and he knocked it off both years and finished the insurance company off. He has been remarkable. I think the toughest race of his life was actually his first Gold Cup against the great French stayer Vazirabad.

“He seems to love his training still and likes his racing. He can be very naughtily behaved beforehand and think he's in the covering shed, but when it comes to the race, he gets down to the start and says 'right, there's a job to do, lets go'.

“He worked on the July Course last Tuesday and, touch wood, we are ready to go again. Frankie [Dettori] gave him a little canter this morning in front of the TV cameras and that all went smoothly.

“I have a lot of respect for the new boy on the block Subjectivist. And I have a lot of respect for Alan King's horse Trueshan if he runs, although he may prefer a downpour. But there is no doubt Subjectivist adds a lot of spice to the race.”

The 2020 Derby hero Serpentine is a fascinating contender for Aidan O'Brien having been supplemented at a cost of £30,000.

Serpentine is set to become the first Derby winner to run in the Gold Cup since Blakeney in 1970. Ocean Swell in 1945 is the last Derby winner to win the Gold Cup.

O'Brien's hand is strengthened further by 2020 G1 Irish Derby victor Santiago and Amhrann Na Bhfiann, who finished third behind Serpentine in the Derby.

Mark Johnston is doubly represented by last year's Gold Cup second Nayef Road and Subjectivist, who routed the opposition in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup in March.

A strong line up also features Trueshan (Alan King), a dominant winner of the G2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot in October, G1 Melbourne Cup victor Twilight Payment (Joseph O'Brien) and last month's G2 Yorkshire Cup scorer Spanish Mission (Andrew Balding).

The post Stradivarius Chasing Fourth Gold Cup Victory At Royal Ascot appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Serpentine Supplemented To Gold Cup

Last year's G1 Derby winner Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has been supplemented at a cost of £30,000 to next week's G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

Serpentine has been beaten in three starts since his 25-1 upset in the blue riband last July, including a last-out seventh in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh on May 23, and he goes a full mile further in the Gold Cup than he has gone in his seven-race career to date.

Serpentine's trainer Aidan O'Brien also has last year's Derby third Amhrann Na Bhfiann (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and last year's G1 Irish Derby and G2 Queen's Vase winner Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) engaged in the Gold Cup, and chief among their rivals will be Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who looks to become just the second four-time Gold Cup winner, joining the Aidan O'Brien-trained Yeats (Ire) (Sadler's Wells); and Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), the winner of his last two starts including the G2 Dubai Gold Cup on Mar. 27.

Trainer John Gosden issued an update on the 7-year-old Stradivarius on Thursday, saying, “This boy is very vociferous and an absolute riot to be around. He has always been very entertaining and has a great personality. I just tend to let him enjoy himself and, as long as he is enjoying himself, that's all that matters.

“He worked on the July Course last Tuesday and, touch wood, we are ready to go again. Frankie [Dettori] gave him a little canter this morning in front of the TV cameras and that all went smoothly.”

“I have a lot of respect for the new boy on the block Subjectivist,” Gosden added. “And I have a lot of respect for Alan King's horse Trueshan if he runs, although he may prefer a downpour. But there is no doubt Subjectivist adds a lot of spice to the race.”

The post Serpentine Supplemented To Gold Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post