santa anita park | Horse Racing Free Tips

Count Again Storms Home To Capture Thunder Road

Idle since Aug. 21, the Phil D'Amato-trained Count Again was ready for action on Saturday at Santa Anita, as he stormed home through the lane to take the Grade 3, $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes. Ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, the 7-year-old gelding by Awesome Again got one mile on turf in 1:34.12.

With longshot Sniper Kitten showing the way to the far turn, Count Again was next to last in a field of six older horses, about four lengths off the lead heading into the far turn. Heavily favored Subconscious took control at the top of the lane while Count Again was on the move, while fourth and three-wide. In a ferocious stretch rally he inhaled the leaders late to win easily.

“The (time off) did him a ton of good,” said D'Amato. “He told me in his last race at Del Mar (a fifth place finish in the G2 Del Mar Mile), 'Hey, I've had a long campaign, maybe it's time to give me a freshener.' And we did that. The owners have been great. Sam-Son Farms, Mark Martinez of Agave Racing, they just told me to give him all the time he needs, and we brought him back fresh and happy.

“I think Flavien got acquainted with him, breezing him the last couple of times and I think that helped him with his timing. He's a horse that just takes him a while to get in gear, but once he does, he's got a pretty impressive late turn of foot.”

A Grade 2 winner in his first start for D'Amato six races back on Nov. 28, 2020, Count Again, who is out of the Red Ransom mare Count to Three and was bred in Ontario, Canada by Sam-Son Farm, was off at 5-2 and paid and paid $7.60, $2.80 and $2.40.

“I've been on this horse a few times in the morning, so I got to know him,” said Prat, who notched his meet-leading 10th stakes victory. “We had a good trip and he put me in the race. He was traveling super all the way around there and when I asked him to run, he gave me a good kick.”

A Grade 3 winner at Woodbine in Toronto, Count Again is now a three-time graded stakes winner and is 14-5-1-4 overall. With the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $463,665.

The 3-5 favorite with Juan Hernandez, Subconscious appeared to be in control approaching the furlong pole, but he was no match for the winner close home while finishing three lengths in front of Ready Soul. Idle since Nov. 27, Subconscious returned $2.20 and $2.10.

Ready Soul, who is also trained by D'Amato, was off at 7-1 with John Velazquez and paid $2.60 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.32, 47.41, 1:11.16 and 1:22.65.

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Express Train Brings Recent Form Into Six-Horse San Pasqual

In what shapes up as an important prep to the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 5, C R K Stable's Express Train heads a field of six older horses going a mile and one eighth in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita.

A game nose winner over A-List sophomore Hot Rod Charlie in the G2 San Antonio Stakes going a mile and one sixteenth on Dec. 26, Express Train is the defending champ in the San Pasqual and he'll be seeking his fourth graded stakes win on Saturday.

Trained by John Shirreffs, Express Train will be ridden back by Victor Espinoza, who delivered the mail at odds of 7-1 on opening day. A 5-year-old horse by Union Rags, Express Train is easily the leading money earner in the field with $815,800 from an overall mark of 15-5-4-3.

A newly turned 4-year-old, Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Law Professor prevailed in a protracted stretch battle with Grade 1 winner Beyond Brilliant to take the G2 Santa Anita Mathis Mile by a half length on Dec. 26 and he has the look of a “now horse” as he bids for his third consecutive victory.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Law Professor, a 4-year-old gelding by Constitution, was ridden to consecutive wins by Jose Ortiz and will be handled for the first time by Juan Hernandez in the San Pasqual. With a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure in hand, Law Professor, who had raced on turf in his previous two starts, was off at 4-1 in the Mathis Mile, which was switched to the main track due to heavy rains. With three wins from seven starts, Law Professor seeks his second stakes win.

With John Velazquez riding him back, Bob Baffert's Eight Rings, who went to the front in the opening day San Antonio and nearly dead heated with Hot Rod Charlie for the place while beaten a half length by Express Train, rates a big chance in what will be his 14th career start. A Grade 1 winner here at two, Eight Rings is a 5-year-old horse by Empire Maker seeking his second graded stakes win and his fourth overall.

In a dominant gate to wire performance, trainer George Papaprodromou's American Theorem took a second condition allowance at a mile an one sixteenth by 2 ¼ lengths over Shooter's Shoot on Jan 2 and was flattered by the fact the runner-up came back to post a big second here in Saturday's G3 Palos Verdes Stakes.

Owned by Kretz Racing, LLC, American Theorem, who earned a 90 Beyer on Jan. 2, will likely employ similar front-running tactics with Mike Smith back aboard.

A Derby prospect a year ago, Baffert's Spielberg came back running off a 9 ½ month freshening to rally from off the pace and register a three-length win in a one mile second condition allowance Jan 14 and will be ridden back by Flavien Prat as he seeks his second graded stakes win. A 4-year-old colt by Union Rags, Spielberg is owned by Golconda Stables, Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing, LLC, et al and is 10-3-3-1 overall.

THE GRADE 2 SAN PASQUAL WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Kiss Today Goodbye—Abel Cedillo–120
Express Train—Victor Espinoza—124
American Theorem—Mike Smith—120
Eight Rings—John Velazquez—120
Spielberg—Flavien Prat—120
Law Professor—Juan Hernandez–124

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m., admission gates will open at 10:30 a.m.

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Fasig-Tipton Puts Santa Anita 2-Year-Old Sale On Hiatus For 2022

Logistical issues and a limited supply of horses has led Fasig-Tipton to put its Santa Anita 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale on hiatus for 2022, BloodHorse reports.

The auction was initially scheduled to be held in June at Santa Anita Park.

Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning told BloodHorse that beyond lacking the equine numbers to make the catalog work, not having dedicated stalls at Santa Anita to house sale horses created some issues. Last year, some trainers had to be displaced from their barns to make room for the sale horses.

The auction company's California Fall Yearlings Sale is still scheduled for Sept. 27 at Fairplex in Pomona, Calif.

Fasig-Tipton took over the mantle as California's primary auction company for 2-year-olds in training sales in 2019, following the closure of Barretts Equine Sales the prior year.

Venerable Say The World Tops Sunday’s San Marcos Stakes

At the top of his game at age seven, trainer Phil D'Amato's venerable gelding Say the Word, fresh off a big come from behind victory in his most recent start, heads a compact field of six older horses going a mile and one quarter on turf in Sunday's Grade 2, $225,000 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita.

Third to Say the Word in the G2 Hollywood Turf Cup Nov. 26, Friar's Road came up a nose short as the 3-5 favorite in the G3 San Gabriel Stakes here on Dec. 26 and will hope for better luck going an extra furlong.

Irish-bred Lincoln Hawk, although trying graded stakes competition for the first time since running a close fifth at 28-1 five starts back in the G2 Del Mar Derby, could certainly qualify as a “now” horse as he comes off an impressive allowance tally over the course at a mile and one eighth.

With a short field in prospect and what appears to be a dearth of front-running speed, eight-year-old Acclimate, a highly accomplished California-bred gelding, could be long gone on the San Marcos lead.

Throw in San Gabriel winner Bob and Jackie, who will be tasked with keeping Acclimate busy early, and the San Marcos looks to be very competitive affair.

Under a well-timed ride from Kent Desormeaux, Say the Word, an Ontario/Canadian-bred son of More Than Ready, flew from far off the pace to collar Acclimate late going a mile and one half on the Del Mar Turf and won the Hollywood Turf Cup going away by one length while earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

A Group 1 winner in his final Canadian start at Woodbine nine starts back on Oct. 18, 2020, Say the Word has won two of his eight starts for D'Amato, including a G2 stakes at Keeneland on April 17, 2021. Owned by Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm, he'll be ridden back by Desormeaux as he bids for his fourth graded stakes win and his eight overall victory from what will be his 34th career start.

Off as the 3-5 favorite with Irad Ortiz in the G3 San Gabriel, Friar's Road stalked the early pace, wheeled three-deep turning for home and just missed in what was his fifth start of 2021. Third, beaten 1 ¼ lengths by Say the Word two starts back in the Hollywood Turf Cup, Friar's Road flew late to be third, beaten a head by multiple G1 winner United three starts back in the G2 John Henry Turf Championship here on Oct. 2.

With Flavien Prat taking over, look for Friar's Road, who seeks his first graded stakes win, to get plenty of pari-mutuel attention. Owned by Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren, Friar's Road, a 5-year-old horse by Quality Road, is trained by Michael McCarthy and brings an overall mark of 12-2-4-2.

Although his Bob and Jackie comes off a gusty nose win in the G2 San Gabriel, trainer Richard Baltas may have an Ace in the hole with Lincoln Hawk, who surged late to take a first condition allowance on Dec. 27. Patiently handled by Juan Hernandez, Lincoln Hawk is one of several who will have to hope for a realistic pace on Sunday. Owned by Rockingham Ranch and Supreme Racing, Lincoln Hawk, who has won two of his seven stateside starts with D'Amato, is 12-2-2-2 overall and will be trying a mile and one quarter for the first time.

If he's up to the challenge at age eight, conditions could be to order for front-running Acclimate as it doesn't appear anyone can match strides with him early. A gate to wire winner of the mile and three quarters turf G3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes five starts back on June 19 of last year, Acclimate, a three-time graded winner, will be handled for the seventh consecutive time by Ricky Gonzalez.

The lone Cal-bred in the field, Acclimate, who is by the Eclipse Award-winning Unusual Heat stallion Acclamation, is trained by Phil D'Amato and is owned by the Ellwood Johnston Trust, Timmy Time Racing, LLC, Brooke Bartlett, Ryan Bartlett, Michael Goritz and Kenneth Tevelde. With an overall mark of 29-7-6-5, he has earnings of $683,872, $306,000 of which was earned at age seven last year.

Owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran, Bob and Jackie, who was off at 5-1, took the Dec. 26 San Gabriel in gate to wire fashion, managing to hold off Friar's Road by a nose. A 6-year-old horse by Twirling Candy, he notched his first graded stakes win and his fourth overall stakes tally in the San Gabriel under a perfect ride from Jose Valdivia, Jr., who rides back on Sunday.

With an overall mark of 16-5-5-1, Bob and Jackie, who will be trying a mile and one quarter for the first time, will hope to keep Acclimate honest in the early going.

THE GRADE 3 SAN MARCOS WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

Dicey Mo Chara—Abel Cedillo–120
Lincoln Hawk—Juan Hernandez—120
Say the Word—Kent Desormeaux—124
Friar's Road—Flavien Prat—120
Acclimate—Ricardo Gonzalez—122
Bob and Jackie—Jose Valdivia, Jr.–122

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m., with admission gates opening at 10:30 a.m.

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