santa anita handicap | Horse Racing Free Tips

Weekend Lineup: Three Derby Preps, Big ‘Cap

A trio of prep races for the Kentucky Derby are slated for this weekend with the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, and Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes all offering Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers on a 50-20-10-5 basis. One of racing's most prestigious races for older horses, the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap, is also scheduled for March 6.

America's Day at the Races, produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports, will air coverage both Saturday and Sunday showcasing live racing action from Aqueduct Racetrack, Oaklawn Park, Tampa Bay Downs, Santa Anita Park and Fair Grounds.

Presented by America's Best Racing and Claiborne Farm, America's Day at the Races will broadcast Saturday from 5-6 p.m. ET on FS2, while Sunday will feature coverage on FS2 from 1:30-6:30 p.m.

TVG will have live coverage of the Kentucky Derby prep races as well as the $400,000 Santa Anita Handicap. In addition to racing from Santa Anita, Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park, TVG will be featuring racing from Fair Grounds, Oaklawn and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

Saturday, March 6

2:18 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on TVG

The Bill Mott-trained Modernist seeks his first victory in more than a year when he breaks from the outside post in a field of five for the Challenger Stakes going 1 1/16-miles. Modernist won the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes last February but has not started since finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes last July 16.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/TAM030621USA5-EQB.html

4:02 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct on TVG

Gold Square's Wendell Fong will look to make the grade in Saturday's Tom Fool Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for older horses. Wendell Fong provided trainer Natalia Lynch – previously an assistant and exercise rider for Jeremiah Englehart – her first career win last out with a neck score in the six-furlong Fire Plug on January 16 at Laurel Park. Lynch helped prepare the 5-year-old son of Flat Out, previously trained by Englehart, for a winning career debut in December 2018 at Laurel. She was also along for the journey with Wendell Fong through a win in the 2019 Gold Fever at Belmont in a campaign that ended with a prominent fifth in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens at Belmont and a tenth in the Grade 2 Amsterdam at Saratoga.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/AQU030621USA7-EQB.html

4:25 p.m.—$225,000 Grade 2 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on TVG

On Saturday, Magic Attitude (GB) will try to launch an even better 4-year-old campaign in the Grade 2, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes at 1 1/8-miles on the Oldsmar turf course. After trailing early, Magic Attitude took off in the stretch, sweeping to victory against her four rivals to win the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational last September. She followed that up with a strong third-place performance in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes, also for 3-year-old fillies, on October 10 at Keeneland.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/TAM030621USA9-EQB.html

4:55 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs on TVG

Trainer Arnaud Delacour, who will saddle Magic Attitude in the Hillsborough, is seeking his first triumph in the Florida Oaks when he sends out Lael Stables homebred Be Sneaky. Yet to race on grass, Be Sneaky is 1-for-3, with a second-place finish at Tampa Bay Downs in the Suncoast Stakes on February 6 in her most recent start. The daughter of Into Mischief broke her maiden at Laurel Park last October.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/TAM030621USA10-EQB.html

5:07 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on FS2 and TVG

Owner Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown already campaigned a winner in a Kentucky Derby qualifier in New York when Risk Taking captured the Grade 3 Withers last month. On Saturday, they will look to put another contender in the running for the first Saturday in May with stakes-winner Highly Motivated in the Gotham. Highly Motivated graduated at second asking going 6 ½ furlongs over the Belmont Park main track on September 27, where he defeated eventual two-time winner Known Agenda, who finished third in the Grade 2 Remsen in December. Last out, Highly Motivated displayed a winning effort in the Nyquist on November 6 traveling 6 1/2-furlongs at Keeneland.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/AQU030621USA9-EQB.html

5:25 p.m.—$400,000 Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs on FS2 and TVG

Saturday's Tampa Bay Derby will bring together 12 3-year-olds, most with much to prove if they are to continue to advance toward a date with destiny in the Kentucky Derby. Headlining the field will be Candy Man Rocket, who won the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes on February 6. Joining Candy Man Rocket and Super Strong as a graded-stakes winner in the race is trainer Dale Romans's Sittin On Go, who won the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes last September 5 at Churchill Downs, then was a non-threatening ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on November 6 at Keeneland.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/TAM030621USA11-EQB.html

5:45 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park on FS2 and TVG

Bob Baffert's lightly raced Life Is Good heads an outstanding field of seven sophomores in Saturday's San Felipe Stakes. A key prep for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 3, the San Felipe will be contested for the 83rd time, with Baffert bidding to win it for a record eighth time. Owned by CHC, Inc. and WinStar Farm, Life Is Good was making his second start in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes and was off as the 1-5 favorite. Although he opened up a four length advantage at the top of the lane, he narrowly held sway by three quarters of a length over stablemate Medina Spirit, who helps provide Baffert with a solid one-two punch on Saturday.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA030621USA6-EQB.html

6:10 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park on TVG

Juddmonte Farms' two-time winner Sun Path was installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies signed on to compete in the 1 1/16-miles Honeybee, which offers 85 points (50-20-10-5, respectively) to the top four finishers toward the Kentucky Oaks. Trained by two-time Kentucky Oaks-winning conditioner Brad Cox, Sun Path was an emphatic 12-length winner of a Dec. 18 allowance event at Fair Grounds. The Munnings filly attempted stakes company in the $150,000 Silverbulletday but settled for a fourth-place finish after a wide trip throughout the race.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/OP030621USA9-EQB.html

6:52 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Jay Em Ess Stable's graded stakes winning Extra Hope will cut back in distance off of five consecutive routes as he heads a field of nine older horses going seven furlongs in Saturday's San Carlos Stakes. Recent seven furlong allowance winner Exaulted steps into stakes company for the first time, 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Storm the Court tries a new game, recent California-bred stakes winner Brickyard Ride, lightly raced Tigre Di Slugo and reformed claimer Loud Mouth all rate good chances in a race devoid of a dominant favorite.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA030621USA8-EQB.html

7:26 p.m.—$400,000 Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Trainer Michael McCarthy's Smooth Like Strait heads a deep and competitive field of 10 older horses in Saturday's Frank E. Kilroe Mile. A winner of the opening day Mathis Brothers Mile on December 26, Cannon Thoroughbreds' homebred Smooth Like Strait is a head away from three consecutive graded stakes wins and merits top billing in a close call over recent lights-out Grade 3 winner Hit the Road. With a strong local contingent in place, the Kilroe has also attracted five quality eastern shippers, headed by Chad Brown's Flavius, Todd Pletcher's Social Paranoia and Mark Casse's Ride a Comet.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA030621USA9-EQB.html

8 p.m.—$400,000 Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Goldolphin's unbeaten homebred Maxfield heads ups Saturday's Santa Anita Handicap, which has attracted a field of eight older horses. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Maxfield, a 4-year-old colt by Street Sense, rallied from far back to win the Grade 3 Mineshaft Stakes by 3 ¼ lengths at Fair Grounds under Florent Geroux, who will be back aboard Saturday. A Grade 1 winner in his second start at age two in October 2019, Maxfield has three graded victories to his credit.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA030621USA10-EQB.html

Sunday, March 7

5 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita Park on FS2 and TVG

Bob Baffert's well accomplished Kalypso heads a field of five sophomore fillies in Sunday's Santa Ysabel Stakes, which offers 50 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the winner. Baffert will also be represented by Baoma Corporation's Beautiful Gift as well as Pegram, Watson and Weitman's Heels Up in a race that Baffert has won a record five times. Kalyspo, a daughter of Brody's Cause, broke her maiden going six furlongs four starts back in the ungraded Anoakia Stakes on October 18 and then showed the way prior to running second, beaten 1 ½ lengths in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos December 5.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA030721USA4-EQB.html

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TVG’s Weekend Coverage Features Coast-To-Cost Kentucky Derby Preps

Kentucky Derby points will be on the line Saturday as some of California's top three-year-old prospects go to post in the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) from Santa Anita and TVG will have live coverage of the Kentucky Derby prep race as well as the $400,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1), one of the premier races for older horses.

Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker and Britney Eurton will be anchoring the coverage from California with expert analysis and interviews while Mike Joyce and Simon Bray will contribute to the broadcast from home. The featured $400,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) has drawn a field of eight of the top older horses in the country including the undefeated Maxfield who will put his five-win streak on the line for trainer Brendan Walsh and jockey Florent Geroux.

Kentucky Derby points will be available the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) which will offer 50-20-10-5 qualifying points to the top four finishers. Trainer Bob Baffert will saddle two of the seven contenders including Life is Good, a bay son of Into Mischief who notched his first stakes victory with a win in the Sham Stakes (G3) in January. Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith will be aboard.

The road to the Kentucky Derby will continue through Florida and TVG's Gabby Gaudet will be reporting live from Tampa Bay Downs as the track holds its marquee event – the $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G2), the centerpiece of the twelve-race card. Trainer Bill Mott will send out Candy Man Rocket, winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) to square off against eleven rivals in the Kentucky Derby prep race, which offers 50-20-10-5 qualifying points to the top four finishers. The card will also feature four other stakes races, three of which are graded including the $200,000 Florida Oaks (G3) for sophomore fillies.

Gulfstream Park has twelve races on the schedule for Saturday and TVG's Caleb Keller will be trackside with insight and analysis throughout the card which features three stakes races including the $75,000 Hutcheson Stakes, a six-furlong contest that has an esteemed list of winners including Holy Bull and More Than Ready.

Aqueduct will host the $300,000 Gotham Stakes (G3) on Saturday as the featured race on the ten-race card. The race has drawn a field of eight Triple Crown hopefuls including Freedom Fighter who has shipped to the East Coast for trainer Bob Baffert after a runner-up effort in the San Vicente Stakes (G2). Manuel Franco will be aboard the son of Violence. The Gotham Stakes (G3) will offer 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers.

In addition to racing from Santa Anita, Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park, TVG will be featuring racing from Fair Grounds, Oaklawn and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

The post TVG’s Weekend Coverage Features Coast-To-Cost Kentucky Derby Preps appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Versatile Maxfield Takes On Solid Local Contingent In Santa Anita Handicap

Undefeated in five starts, Goldolphin's homebred Maxfield, who has been installed as the 124 pound highweight, will ship in from his New Orleans base to head Saturday's Grade 1, $400,000 Santa Anita Handicap sponsored by San Manuel Casino. The Big 'Cap, which has attracted a field of eight older horses and will be run for the 84th time at the North American classic distance of a mile and one quarter, is also leg one in the inaugural $1 Million Wild West Bonus, which is comprised of the Big 'Cap, the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup May 31 and the Grade 1 TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 21. Any horse that's able to sweep all three stakes would bank a total of $1,870,000.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, Maxfield, a 4-year-old colt by Street Sense, out of the Bernardini mare Velvety, rallied from far back to win the Grade III Mineshaft Stakes at a mile and one sixteenth by 3 ¼ lengths at Fair Grounds under Florent Geroux, who will be back aboard Saturday. A Grade 1 winner in his second start at age two in October, 2019, Maxfield has three graded victories to his credit and with the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic looming in November at Del Mar, “Max” will be getting his first taste of Southern California in the Big 'Cap.

Currently bedded down at Simon Callaghan's barn, Maxfield arrived at Santa Anita late Monday night according to Walsh, who is also here to accompany his stable star.

“There aren't a lot of Grade 1's for older horses this time of year,” said Walsh on Wednesday morning. “The timing is good for the horse, the mile and a quarter will be a good test. There were options at home (Fair Grounds in New Orleans) but this seemed like a good time to ship.”

Although he has rallied from far back in three out of his five starts, he pressed the pace en route to a 2 ½ length win in an ungraded stakes going 1 1/16 miles two starts back at Fair Grounds, demonstrating a versatility that further enhances his chances in the Big 'Cap.

When asked if he thought Maxfield would be as far back early as he was in his most recent start in the Mineshaft on Feb. 13, in which he was 11 lengths off the lead after the first half mile, Walsh responded: “No, he broke a little slow that day, there was a horse next to him that was acting up. We'll have to wait until the draw and take a look at the field, but he's been up close before and we'll just have to see where we want to be.”

Prominent among a solid local contingent is C R K Stable's Express Train, who comes of a huge 3 ¼ length win going a mile and one eighth in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes on Jan. 30. Trained by John Shirreffs, Express Train, a 4-year-old colt by Union Rags, was second by 4 ½ lengths to potential superstar Charlatan going seven furlongs two starts back in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26 and will be ridden for the third consecutive time by Juan Hernandez.

A $500,000 Keeneland September Yearling, Express Train sat close to the pace in the San Pasqual and will likely employ similar tactics as he stretches out a furlong on Saturday. With three wins and as many seconds from eight starts, he appears to be coming to his best as Shirreffs and C R K seek their first victory in “The Granddaddy of Them All.”

A well beaten fifth in the opening day Malibu, trainer Michael McCarthy's Independence Hall rebounded with a big third place finish going a mile and one eighth in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park Jan. 23, a race in which he earned a Big 'Cap best last-out Beyer Speed figure of 104. A 4-year-old colt by Constitution, Independence Hall is owned by WinStar Farm, LLC, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Twin Creeks Racing Stables LLC and RKV Racing, LLC and will be making his fourth start for McCarthy in the Big 'Cap and will again get the services of leading man Flavien Prat.

Originally trained by Michael Trombetta, Independence Hall was a Grade 3 winner in his second start at Aqueduct at age two and his fifth and final start with Trombetta, was a well beaten fifth at 3-1 in the Grade 1 Florida Derby four starts back on March 28, 2020. With four wins from eight overall starts, he, like the rest of the field, will be trying a mile and one quarter for the first time on Saturday.

Third as the even money favorite in the San Pasqual Jan. 30, Idol, who shipped in from Churchill Downs to run a close second at 4-1 in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes Dec. 26, finished like a horse who should run better with added distance, which is further evidenced by a 5 ¾ length allowance win going 1 3/16 miles at Churchill three starts back on Nov. 8.

Trained by Richard Baltas and owned by Calvin Nguyen, this 4-year-old colt by Curlin has been ridden by eastern-based Gabriel Saez in his last four starts, but will be handled for the first time Joel Rosario in the Big 'Cap. With an overall mark of 5-2-2-1, Idol rates a big chance to spring an upset.

Although a well beaten sixth in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Jan. 23, Coastal Defense lends credible depth to the Big 'Cap field for trainer Dale Romans. Currently based at Gulfstream, this 5-year-old full horse by Curlin was a close fourth in a pair of Kentucky Stakes two and three starts back—the Grade 1 Clark at Churchill Downs on Nov. 27 and the Grade 2 Fayette at Keeneland Sept. 27. Owned by Albaugh Family Stables, LLC and the Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust, Coastal Defense is stretching out a furlong off of three consecutive races at a mile and one eighth and can employ a stalking or off-the-pace style when ridden for the first time by John Velazquez.

THE GRADE 1 SANTA ANITA HANDICAP WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 10 of 11 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

Independence Hall—Flavien Prat—120
Maxfield—Florent Geroux—124
Kiss Today Goodbye—Mike Smith—119
Coastal Defense—John Velazquez—116
Express Train—Juan Hernandez—123
Idol—Joel Rosario—119
Tizamagician—Drayden Van Dyke—119
King Guillermo—Abel Cedillo–116

Special early first post time for an 11-race card, which will include three other graded stakes, is at 12 noon. All of Santa Anita's races can be viewed free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can wager via 1st.com/bet. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Versatile Maxfield Takes On Solid Local Contingent In Santa Anita Handicap appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘A Good Test For Him’: Unbeaten Maxfield Confirmed For Santa Anita Handicap

Trainer Brendan Walsh confirmed to the Daily Racing Form on Sunday that the undefeated 4-year-old Maxfield will make his next start in Saturday's Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in Arcadia, Calif. The Godolphin-owned son of Street Sense has won four stakes races in his stop-and-start career, including the Feb. 13 Mineshaft (G3) at his winter base, the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La.

“It will be a good test for him to go a mile and a quarter and in a Grade 1 as well,” Walsh told drf.com. “It would be nice to win a Grade 1 as an older horse.”

Florent Geroux will travel west to ride the colt in the Big 'Cap.

Maxfield won the G1 Breeders' Futurity as a 2-year-old and was one of the leading contenders for the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile before he an injury derailed those plans. Re-appearing as 3-year-old in the G3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill in May, Maxfield again dominated his competition, but another injury suffered in that race forced a seven-month layoff.

The colt returned to win the listed Tenacious Stakes at the Fair Grounds on Dec. 19, and added the Feb. 13 Mineshaft to his resume with a 3 1/4-length triumph. Maxfield has won all five of his career starts and boasts earnings of $615,262.