santa anita park | Horse Racing Free Tips

Champion Gamine Returns, Towers Over Field Of Four In Sunday’s Las Flores

Idle since winning the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 7 at Keeneland, Bob Baffert's brilliant 4-year-old filly Gamine towers over her competition going six furlongs in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita.

Supplemented at a cost of $2,000, owner Michael Lund Petersen's Gamine will face three rival fillies and mares in what will be her first start at Santa Anita since she aired by 6 ¼ lengths in her 6 ½ furlong debut on March 7, 2020. A winner of both the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes going a one turn mile at Belmont Park on June 20 and the Grade 1 Test Stakes going seven furlongs at Saratoga Aug. 8, Gamine, who was purchased for $1.8 million at the Fasig Tipton Mid Atlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale in May, 2019, has four wins from six starts with earnings of $883,000.

A disappointing third and subsequently disqualified to last in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks Sept. 4, Gamine and John Velazquez bounced back with a huge effort in a return to sprinting, as she sat second turning for home en route to a 6 ¼ length score as the even money favorite in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

With Velazquez set to ride for the fifth consecutive time, Gamine has been favored in all six of her starts—five of them as the odds-on choice. By Into Mischief out of Peggy Jane, by Kafwain, Gamine is a brilliant talent that will no doubt be pointed to the Breeders' Cup in November at Del Mar.

While Gamine lacks recency, her talented stablemate Qahira, who will be making her third start of the meet, does not and she is the clear-cut second choice. A winner of the 6 ½ furlong Kalookan Queen Stakes Jan. 10, she was subsequently third, beaten 4 ½ lengths by Baffert's Merneith in the Grade 2 Santa Monica going seven furlongs on Feb. 13.

Owned by Baoma Corporation, Qahira has been ridden in her last two starts by the now-departed Joel Rosario, so Flavien Prat has the call on Sunday. A close third going 6 ½ furlongs three starts back in the Grade 3 Chillingworth Stakes here on Sept. 25, Qahira, a 5-year-old mare by Cairo Prince out of the Bates Motel mare Motel Lass, has five wins from nine starts and she'll be seeking her first graded stakes win in the Las Flores.

THE GRADE 3 LAS FLORES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 2 of 9 Approximate post time 1:30 p.m. PT

Gamine—John Velazquez—124
Qahira—Flavien Prat—122
Hang a Star—Abel Cedillo—120
Biddy Duke—Umberto Rispoli–124

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Champion Gamine Returns, Towers Over Field Of Four In Sunday’s Las Flores appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trio Of Turf Races Feature In Friday’s Stronach 5

The Stronach 5 returns Friday with races from Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields along with an industry-low 12-percent takeout.

Friday's sequence includes three turf races – two maiden turf races from Gulfstream and Golden Gate and a competitive 10-horse $32,000 claiming event from Santa Anita.

The Stronach 5 begins at 4:50 p.m. with Gulfstream's eighth race, a claiming event for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs. Five of Hearts breaks from the rail as the 2-1 favorite for trainer Kathleen O'Connell and jockey Edwin Gonzalez. Victor Barboza Jr. saddles the 5-2 second choice I Kickn. The 4-year-old has two wins and four thirds from eight lifetime starts. Edgard Zayas has the mount.

Santa Anita's third race serves as the second leg of the sequence. The six-furlong claiming event for 4-year-olds and up appears to be wide-open with five of the seven starters 4-1 or less. Gulfstream's ninth race is up next. The mile turf event for $50,000 maiden claimers is another wide-open affair with a 3-1 favorite in Gary Barber's Blue Lou Boyle, coming off a second-place finish Feb. 10 for trainer Mark Casse off a 13-month layoff. Trainers Brendan Walsh and Barclay Tagg send out first-time starters while trainer Eoin Harty ships Astroturf in from Tampa off a third-place finish March 14.

A return to Santa Anita for its fourth race and the fourth leg of Friday's sequence. A claiming event for 4-year-olds and up at six furlongs on the turf has a 5-2 favorite in Where We At's Castle, who enters off a second-place finish Feb. 21 off a near year layoff. The 2019 winner of California Flag Handicap has Abel Cedillo named to ride. Psycho Dar (4-1) goes out for the Kristin Mulhall barn, which clicks at 25-percent in turf sprints. Gary Barber's Blackout (4-1), conditioned by Peter Miller, gets blinkers on.

The Stronach 5 wraps up at Golden Gate with Race 4, a maiden $20,000 for 3-year-olds at a mile on the turf. Stormin Galileo (5-2) breaks from the rail after a fifth-place finish against state-bred maiden special weight company. Space Odessey drops from an $80,000 claiming event Feb. 27 at Santa Anita for trainer Simon Callaghan. The gelded, Maryland-bred son of Malibu Moon fetched $225,000 as a yearling at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Friday's races and sequence

Leg One –Gulfstream Park 8th Race: (8 entries, 6 furlongs) 4:50 ET, 1:50 PT
Leg Two – Santa Anita Park 3rd Race: (7 entries, 6 furlongs) 5:13 ET, 2:13 PT
Leg Three –Gulfstream Park 9th Race: (8 entries, 1 mile turf) 5:22 ET, 2:22 PT
Leg Four –Santa Anita Park 4th Race: (10 entries, 6 furlongs (turf) 5:44 ET, 2:44 PT
Leg Five –Golden Gate Fields 4th Race: (9entries, 1-mile turf) 5:59 ET, 2:59 PT

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The Stronach 5 In the Money podcast, hosted by Jonathan Kinchen and Peter Thomas Fornatale, will be posted by 2 p.m. Thursday at InTheMoneyPodcast.com and will be available on iTunes and other major podcast distributors

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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Going Global Chasing Third Straight Win In Providencia

Sensational in her two previous stateside starts, Phil D'Amato's Irish-bred Going Global heads a field of seven sophomore fillies going a mile and one eighth on turf in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita.

Special early first post time on Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Day this Saturday, is at 12 noon. The Providencia is one of six stakes on a blockbuster 12-race program.

Ridden by leading man Flavien Prat in both local starts, Going Global, at odds of 8-1, surged late in her U.S. debut, the Grade 3, six furlong Sweet Life Stakes on Feb. 14. In her first try around two turns, Going Global was off as the even money favorite in the one mile turf China Doll Stakes March 6 and she did not disappoint as she unfurled an explosive stretch rally en route to a three quarter length score.

“We were going a route of ground today and I was very happy with the way she was traveling and the way she relaxed,” said Prat following the China Doll. “She was very impressive.”

A winner of one of four starts in her native Ireland, Going Global bids for her third consecutive win in what will be her seventh career start.

A deep closer, fellow Irish-bred Quattroelle finished well to be third, beaten three lengths by Going Global in the China Doll and would certainly be helped by a fast early pace. Trained by Jeff Mullins and owned by Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal, Quattroelle broke her maiden going one mile on turf in her U.S. debut Oct. 20 and came back to run a close third at one mile on turf in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 28.

A three quarter length winner of the ungraded Blue Norther at one mile on grass two starts back on Dec. 31, Quattroelle was a close third versus males in a field of 18 in her lone Irish start, a seven furlong turf affair Aug. 13. She seeks her first graded victory in what will be her sixth career start on Saturday.

Carla Gaines' hard knocking California-bred Sensible Cat has won three out of her last four starts, including a 2 ¾ length score in a one mile allowance versus open company on March 7. Owned by Irvin Racing Stable, Sensible Cat was bred by their C-Punch Ranch.

Neil Drysdale's Irish-bred Royal Address, although well beaten in her U.S. debut, is an interesting longshot that made a solid move around the far behind Going Global in the Grade 3 Sweet Life on Feb. 14 and has license to improve stretching out for the first time with a recent race to her credit. Owned by Marsh Naify, Royal Address won three out of her six starts in Europe.

THE GRADE 3 PROVIDENCIA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 5 of 12 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT

Sensible Cat—Juan Hernandez—124
Quattroelle—Tyler Baze—124
Derby Quest—Alexis Centento–120
Going Global—Flavien Prat—124
Royal Address—Mario Gutierrez—120
Closing Remarks—Umberto Rispoli—124
Ivy League—Mike Smith–120

Special early first post time for a 12-race card on Saturday is at 12 noon. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Going Global Chasing Third Straight Win In Providencia appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Beautiful Gift, Moraz Square Off Over Oaks Points At Santa Anita

Separated by a head when last they met on March 7, Bob Baffert's Beautiful Gift and Michael McCarthy's Moraz will square off again as they head a field of five sophomore fillies in Saturday's Grade 2, $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks at a mile and one sixteenth.

In addition to first prize of $240,000, the Santa Anita Oaks winner will receive 100 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points, with 40, 20 and 10 points to the next three finishers. The Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks will be run on Friday, April 30 at Churchill Downs.

Owned and bred in Kentucky by Baoma Corporation, Beautiful Gift broke her maiden two starts back on Oct. 23 at a flat mile and then rallied to nail Moraz on the money in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel at 1 1/16 miles here on March 7.

Ridden for the first time by John Velazquez, Beautiful Gift, a bay filly by Medaglia d'Oro out of the A.P. Indy mare Sea Gift, was off at 3-1 and overcame significant trouble at the top of the stretch but surged late to get the win in an impressive effort.

While Moraz and Umberto Rispoli were able get first run, Velazquez had to wait for room and with a sixteenth of a mile to run, Beautiful Gift was somehow able to overcome a 2 ½ length deficit.

“She was full of run and I was trying to keep her from getting dirt in her face but when Rispoli pushed Joel (Rosario, aboard Kalypso) in, I had to take a hold of her,” said Velazquez. “But she was able to overcome it…By the time I got her to the outside, I got her rolling and I was hoping she would get there before the wire and she did.”

With two wins from three starts, Beautiful Gift has shown marked improvement for Baffert in her three prior starts and looms the horse to beat.

Owned and bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation, Moraz has been ridden in all four of her starts by Rispoli. By Empire Maker out of the A.P. Indy mare Malvinia, Moraz has routed in all of her races and she'll be making her fourth start of the meet on Saturday.

An 11 length maiden winner going one mile on Jan. 8, she was then third at the same distance in the Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes on Feb. 6. Off at 2-1 in the Santa Ysabel, she'll be trying a mile and one sixteenth for the second time as she tries to turn the tables on Beautiful Gift.

Trainer Eoin Harty will saddle Godolphin homebred Javanica, who comes off a solid second, beaten a neck by talented Rombauer when facing males going a mile and one eighth on synthetic Tapeta in the El Camino Real Derby Feb. 13 at Golden Gate Fields.

Including the El Camino Real, Javanica has now rallied from off the pace to run second in four consecutive stakes; the one mile turf Blue Norther here on Dec. 31, the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante at one mile on turf at Del Mar Nov. 28 and the seven furlong Glorious Song, run on Polytrack synthetic at Woodbine Oct. 17.

With a one mile maiden turf win at Arlington Park on Sept. 18 to her credit, Javanica, a bay filly by Medaglia d'Oro out of the Elusive Quality mare Shuruq, will be trying dirt for the first time in what will be her seventh career start.

With Mike Smith engaged to ride, Javanica could be a factor if she's able to handle the main track as well as she has turf and synthetic.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Soothsay rallied from off the pace to break her maiden first time out going six furlongs on Feb. 26 and will be ridden back by Flavien Prat as she stretches out. Owned by Claiborne Farm, Perry Bass, Ramona Bass and Adele Dilschneider, Soothsay is by Distorted Humor out of the Bernardini mare Spellbound.

THE GRADE 2 SANTA ANITA OAKS WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 6 of 12 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT

Moraz—Umberto Rispoli—124
Brilliant Cut—Abel Cedillo–124
Soothsay—Flavien Prat—124
Javanica—Mike Smith–124
Beautiful Gift—John Velazquez—124

Special early first post time on Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Day, this Saturday, is at 12 noon. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Beautiful Gift, Moraz Square Off Over Oaks Points At Santa Anita appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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