santa anita derby | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sadler Hopes Rock Your World Can ‘Right The Ship’ In Belmont Stakes

Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 Friday at Santa Anita in his penultimate drill for the 153rd Belmont Stakes at a mile and a half on June 5.

“He went (five furlongs) in a minute and change, out (three-quarters) in (one) 13 and we're very happy,” said John Sadler, trainer of the Candy Ride colt that was unbeaten until the May 1 Kentucky Derby, in which he finished 17th after being eliminated at the start when sandwiched between two horses from post position 15 in a field of 19.

Rock Your World was ridden in today's breeze by exercise rider Geovanni Grant and went in company with Campaign, who was clocked in 1:01.40.

“His schedule calls for him to work one more time a week from today and ship to New York on Memorial Day weekend,” Sadler said of Rock Your World.

“The Kentucky Derby was over at the start for him,” Sadler rightfully reasoned in recounting the Run for the Roses debacle. “Hopefully we have a good chance to right the ship.”

Rock Your World led throughout the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, winning by 4 ¼ lengths in his debut on the main track. His first two triumphs came on turf and was ridden by Umberto Rispoli in all three races, but in the Kentucky Derby, Joel Rosario was aboard and he retains the mount in the Belmont.

Hot Rod Charlie, third in both the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby, is scheduled to work at 7:45 a.m. Saturday in preparation for the Belmont Stakes on June 5.

Santa Anita's runaway riding leader Flavien Prat, who rode Hot Rod Charlie in the Run for the Roses, also piloted Belmont Stakes-bound Rombauer to an upset victory in the Preakness, but remains on Hot Rod Charlie for the third jewel in the Triple Crown, Doug O'Neill said.

“Flavien will breeze 'Chuck' Saturday,” the two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer said. “If all goes well, the horse will work again the following Friday, then leave for New York a week before the race (on Saturday, May 29).”

Michael McCarthy was contemplating his riding options in the Belmont Stakes for Preakness winner Rombauer, since Flavien Prat, who piloted the Twirling Candy colt to an impressive victory in the second jewel of the Triple Crown on May 15, will ride Hot Rod Charlie in the third and final jewel on June 5.

“Rombauer will work one time before the Belmont, but I don't have a day (in mind),” McCarthy said Thursday by phone from New York, where recent clime has been intermittently inclement.

As to a jockey, with Prat committed to Hot Rod Charlie according to O'Neill, McCarthy said, “I don't have a decision, don't know what the situation is, don't know what the status is yet.”

Post position draw for the Belmont is scheduled for Wednesday, June 2.

Stay tuned.

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Baffert: Anti-Fungal Ointment Could Be Source Of Betamethasone Positive In Medina Spirit

Trainer Bob Baffert released the following statement via his attorney, Craig Robinson, on Tuesday:

On May 8, 2021, I was informed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission that Medina Spirit allegedly tested positive for 21 picograms of betamethasone. On May 9, 2021, I held a press conference in which I stated that I intended to thoroughly investigate how this could have happened and that I would be completely transparent throughout the process. I immediately began that investigation, which has resulted in me learning of a possible source for the betamethasone, and now, as promised, I want to be forthright about what I have learned.

Following the Santa Anita Derby, Medina Spirit developed dermatitis on his hind end. I had him checked out by my veterinarian who recommended the use of an anti-fungal ointment called Otomax. The veterinary recommendation was to apply this ointment daily to give the horse relief, help heal the dermatitis, and prevent it from spreading. My barn followed this recommendation and Medina Spirit was treated with Otomax once a day up until the day before the Kentucky Derby. Yesterday, I was informed that one of the substances in Otomax is betamethasone.

While we do not know definitively that this was the source of the alleged 21 picograms found in Medina Spirit's post-race blood sample, and our investigation is continuing, I have been told by equine pharmacology experts that this could explain the test results. As such, I wanted to be forthright about this fact as soon as I learned of this information.

As I have stated, my investigation is continuing and we do not know for sure if this ointment was the cause of the test results, or if the test results are even accurate, as they have yet to be confirmed by the split sample. However, again, I have been told that a finding of a small amount, such as 21 picograms, could be consistent with application of this type of ointment. I intend to continue to investigate and I will continue to be transparent.

In the meantime, I want to reiterate two points I made when this matter initially came to light. First, I had no knowledge of how betamethasone could have possibly found its way into Medina Spirit (until now) and this has never been a case of attempting to game the system or get an unfair advantage. Second, horse racing must address its regulatory problem when it comes to substances which can innocuously find their way into a horse's system at the picogram (which is a trillionth of a gram) level. Medina Spirit earned his Kentucky Derby win and my pharmacologists have told me that 21 picograms of betamethasone would have had no effect on the outcome of the race. Medina Spirit is a deserved champion and I will continue to fight for him.

Trainer Bob Baffert provided this photograph, indicating the subject is Medina Spirit and the dermatitis on his hind end following the Santa Anita Derby

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Medina Spirit 20th Santa Anita Derby Runner To Win the Roses At Churchill Downs

Bob Baffert-trained Medina Spirit, upset winner of Saturday's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby with John Velazquez aboard, not only provided Baffert with his record seventh Derby win and Velazquez with his fourth, he also became the 20th horse to exit the G1 Santa Anita Derby and go on to win the Run for the Roses.

Second, beaten 4 ¼ lengths by Rock Your World as the 4-5 favorite going 1 1/8 miles in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby April 3, Medina Spirit, a Florida-bred colt by Protonico, out of the Brilliant Speed mare Mongolian Changa, was purchased for just $35,000 out of the 2020 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s July Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale on the recommendation of Santa Anita-based private clocker and bloodstock agent Gary Young.

A gate to wire winner of the Derby by a half length, Medina Spirit, off at 12-1, returned $26.20 to win while covering a mile and one quarter in 2:01.02.

A first-out maiden winner going 5 ½ furlongs at Los Alamitos Dec. 11, Medina Spirit, who is owned by Zedan Racing Stables, demonstrated the gameness that has now enabled him to become a Kentucky Derby winner when running a close second to stablemate and early Derby favorite Life Is Good in the G3 Sham Stakes at one mile at Santa Anita on Jan. 2.

A subsequent neck winner of the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 30, Baffert stayed home with Medina Spirit in the G2 San Felipe Stakes March 6 and he finished a well beaten second to Life Is Good.

Although Baffert downplayed Medina's Spirit's chances leading into Saturday's Derby, he and Velazquez made the decision to let the colt roll on the front-end, instead of trying to ration his speed as was done when he was beaten 4 ½ lengths by Rock Your World in the Santa Anita Derby.

“I was counting on his heart,” said Baffert early Sunday morning from Louisville. “He shipped well. He had to run his A-game and he brought it. He sort of ran the same race he ran in the Robert Lewis. He fought everybody off in the Lewis and did the same thing yesterday. It was unbelievable, a great feeling, because I'm used to going in there with the heavyweights, the favorites and all that.”

Young, who was also reached early Sunday in Louisville, touched upon the Derby-winning strategy.

“There wasn't much speed inside of him,” Young said. “Plan A was to go to the lead, and the horse I feared most in the race (Rock Your World), got eliminated at the start…Medina has a lot of ability, but what takes him to the next level is his heart. He never let a horse get in front of him yesterday, not even on the gallop-out.”

Private clocker and bloodstock agent Gary Young

Although John Sadler-trained Rock Your World finished a disappointing 17th after a rough start, Doug O'Neill-conditioned Hot Rod Charlie finished third, beaten one length under the Santa Anita meet's leading rider Flavien Prat, making for a 1-3 finish for Santa Anita-based runners.

Dating back to O'Neill's I'll Have Another in 2012, an amazing seven out of the last 10 Kentucky Derbies have now been won by Southern California-based horses and Baffert, who has now won four out of the last seven runnings, added Medina Spirit to a Kentucky Derby trophy case that already included Silver Charm (1997); Real Quiet (1998); War Emblem (2002); American Pharoah (2015); Justify (2018) and Authentic (2020).

In becoming the 20th horse to use the Santa Anita Derby as a prelude to glory at Churchill Downs, Medina Spirit joins an illustrious roster of local Derby alumni: Gallahadion (13^th, 1940); Hill Gail (1^st, 1952); Determine (1^st, 1954); Swaps (1^st, 1955); Lucky Debonair (1^st, 1965); Majestic Prince (1^st, 1969); Affirmed (1^st, Triple Crown winner 1978); Gato Del Sol (4^th, 1982); Ferdinand (3^rd, 1986); Winning Colors (1^st, 1988); Sunday Silence (1^st, 1989); Silver Charm (2^nd, 1997); Real Quiet (2^nd, 1998); Charismatic (4^th, 1999); Giacomo (4^th, 2005); I'll Have Another (1^st, 2012); California Chrome (1^st, 2014); Justify (1^st, Triple Crown winner 2018); Authentic (2^nd, 2020) and Medina Spirit, second in this year's Santa Anita Derby.

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Spendthrift To Stand Rock Your World

Hronis Racing LLC & Talla Racing LLC's Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}–Charm the Maker, by Empire Maker), the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner and morning-line second favorite for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby, will stand at B. Wayne Hughes's Spendthrift Farm at the conclusion of his racing career.

Bred by trainer Ron McAnally and his wife Deborah, Rock Your World was a $650,000 purchase by Sapphire Stable at the 2019 Keeneland September sale before joining the Southern California barn of trainer John Sadler. A debut winner sprinting six furlongs on turf at Santa Anita on New Year's Day, the dark bay rallied to a 2 1/4-length success in the Feb. 27 Pasadena S. Possessed of an each-way pedigree, Rock Your World was given a chance to show what he could do on the dirt in the GI Santa Anita Derby, and he set a strong pace en route to a 4 1/4-length defeat of Medina Spirit (Protonico) before galloping out strongly.

“We are really excited about Rock Your World and thankful to the Hronis family, Michael Talla, and John Sadler for allowing us to be a part of the horse's promising future,” said Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey. “Rock Your World has a wonderful combination of sheer talent, pedigree and sire power, and he's an imposing physical specimen which you would expect from a $650,000 yearling. We were especially taken by the brilliance he displayed in the Santa Anita Derby in his first start on the dirt, and think he has a great shot to show that again in the Kentucky Derby and beyond.”

A full-brother to GSP She's Our Charm, Rock Your World is out of Charm the Maker, a two-time black-type winner who was second in the GI Hollywood Starlet S. and third in the GI Oak Leaf S. as a juvenile. Rock Your World's Grade III-winning second dam Charm the Giant (Ire) (Giant's Causeway) is herself the dam of GSW Liam the Charmer (Smart Strike) and is a daughter of MGSW & GISP Olympic Charmer (Olympio). The last-mentioned is also the dam of MGSP and stakes-producing Charming Legacy (Ire) (Danehill).

“We are excited about of our relationship with Spendthrift Farm on such a special horse like Rock Your World,” said Kosta Hronis of Hronis Racing. “It is hard to argue with the success they've had when it comes to standing premier stallions, and we are hopeful we can accomplish a lot with this colt before we retire him to stud.”

Added Michael Talla: “We are thrilled to have a horse like this. Hopefully, Rock Your World will be the son to carry on the Candy Ride sire line, and I can't think of a better place than Spendthrift for him to get the opportunity to do that.”

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