santa anita | Horse Racing Free Tips

Baltas Hunting For Grade 1 After Luck’s Impressive Victory In Robert J. Frankel

Ridden confidently, LNJ Foxwoods' homebred Luck, whose dam is a half sister to the legendary Goldikova, rallied with ferocity leaving the quarter pole and easily took Santa Anita's Grade 3, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes on Saturday under Flavien Prat, winning in-hand by 3 ¼ lengths. Trained by Richard Baltas, Luck, a 5-year-old mare by Kitten's Joy, got 1 1/8 miles on turf listed as “good” in 1:48.26.

Next to last at the rail leaving the clubhouse turn, Luck was unhurried in the run up the backside but Prat stepped on the gas mid-way around the far turn and she wheeled five-deep at the top of the lane en route to easily gaining command a furlong out and providing Prat with his fourth win on New Year's Day. He would go on to win two more, completing his day with victories aboard As Time Goes By in the G3 La Canada and Riding With Dino in the final race of the day, an allowance/optional claiming event.

Second, beaten a pair of heads in the G3 Red Carpet Handicap and the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes on Nov. 25 and Oct. 2, Luck, in her fourth stateside start for Baltas, was off as 4-5 favorite in a field of seven older fillies and mares and paid $3.80, $2.80 and $2.10 in what was her first graded stakes win. Out of the Caerleon mare Gold Round, Luck is now 8-4-3-0 and with the winner's share of $60,000, she has earnings of $208,470.

“She's a very special filly,” said Baltas. “She got beat the last time because of the slow fractions. They weren't going too fast today, but she ran liked we knew she was capable of running. We are thankful to have a filly this good and thank the ownership of Jaime Roth and LNJ Foxwoods for this great opportunity. … We have to start looking at a Grade 1 race sooner or later for her.”

English-bred Bodhicitta, who sat third early, outdueled multiple G1 winner Mucho Unusual by a nose for second and paid $6.20 and $3.20 with Kent Desormeaux up at 7-1.

Ridden by John Velazquez, Mucho Unusual made the lead very briefly at the furlong pole and just missed the place, while finishing 2 ¾ lengths in front of pacesetter Moraz. Off as the second choice at 3-1, Mucho Unusual paid $2.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 24.38, 49.26, 1:12.50 and 1:36.71.

The post Baltas Hunting For Grade 1 After Luck’s Impressive Victory In Robert J. Frankel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘New’ Year, Same Story in Sham

Already with a record seven GIII Sham S. trophies, including the two prior runnings and three of the last four, trainer Bob Baffert and the ever-present ownership group nicknamed The Avengers celebrated another big score Saturday at Santa Anita with front-running Newgrange (Violence). The handsome dark bay earned an 80 Beyer Speed Figure for a 1 1/2-length debut tally at Del Mar Nov. 28 over pricey and highly regarded Got Thunder (Arrogate), who was second to newly minted Avengers-owned 'TDN Rising Star' Wharton (Candy Ride {Arg}) Friday afternoon.

Away as the third choice at 5-2 behind GIII Nashua S.-winning stablemate Rockefeller (Medaglia d'Oro) and surprisingly well-backed GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf third Mackinnon (American Pharoah), Newgrange broke in concert with Rockefeller before taking a narrow edge into the first turn under Hall of Famer John Velazquez. He cruised along at a comfortable tempo through splits of :24.46 and :48.94, and was given his cue to quicken near the 3/8 pole. Rockefeller couldn't keep pace, and Mackinnon tried to get going over the unfamiliar surface, but nobody was getting to Newgrange as he floated under the line an 2 3/4-length winner. Rockefeller narrowly held second from late-running GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile fifth Oviatt Class (Bernardini).

“There was one speed, the other Bob Baffert horse (Rockefeller) and I'm pretty sure he didn't want them in a head and head,” Velazquez said. “He told me to put my horse on the lead. Once my horse got to the lead he waited. I took a little hold of him and he kind of started waiting for the horses, so I started waiting for the horses to come to him, by the time we got to the backside I kind of let him do his own thing. I let him get in a comfortable rhythm, after that it was pretty easy though.

“He's so green, he feels like he got on by himself, he was waiting for horses so, I had to give him a little reminder to keep his mind on running and his gallop out was pretty good so it still seems like he's learning.”

A version of this same ownership group spearheaded by SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables took the 2020 running of the Sham with eventual GI Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief).

“He looked good,” Baffert said of Newgrange. “He had been training really well and working together with Rockefeller. The quality is there. I'm happy we have a great team and we are moving forward with him. I thought Rockefeller would be a little closer. We'll have to figure things out on where the two go from here.”

Saturday, Santa Anita
SHAM S.-GIII, $100,000, Santa Anita, 1-1, 3yo, 1m, 1:38.32, ft.
1–NEWGRANGE, 120, c, 3, by Violence
1st Dam: Bella Chianti, by Empire Maker
2nd Dam: Bella Chiarra, by Phone Trick
3rd Dam: Bannockburn, by Count Brook
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($125,000
Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Golconda Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, SF
Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Starlight Racing, Stonestreet
Stables LLC, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan,
Robert E Masterson & Jay A Schoenfarber; B-Jack Mandato &
Black Rock Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-John R
Velazquez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $102,000. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating:
A+.
2–Rockefeller, 124, c, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Dance to Bristol, by
Speightstown. ($750,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Golconda Stable,
Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Starlight
Racing, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Waves Edge Capital LLC,
Catherine Donovan, Robert E Masterson & Jay A Schoenfarber;
B-Colts Neck Stables LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $20,000.
3–Oviatt Class, 120, c, 3, Bernardini–Occasionally, by Tiznow.
($37,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $60,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-James E
Downey; B-Godolphin & Morgan's Ford Farm (VA); T-J Keith
Desormeaux. $12,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, NO, 3/4. Odds: 2.70, 1.50, 4.20.
Also Ran: Mackinnon, Degree of Risk. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
The second-least-expensive of 28 colts purchased for a combined $11,250,000 ($401,786 average) by the Avengers at the 2020 Keeneland September sale, Newgrange becomes Violence's 13th graded stakes winner. The Avengers have also shown an affinity for, and had significant success with, sire Empire Maker. The excellent broodmare sire influence is responsible for 30 graded winners, including 2021 GISWs Silver State (Hard Spun), Mandaloun (Into Mischief) and Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}). The winner's unraced dam is a daughter of Grade II winner Bella Chiarra (Phone Trick). She produced another Violence colt last April before being bred to War of Will.

The post ‘New’ Year, Same Story in Sham appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Chewing Gum Sticks It To Favored Beer Can Man In Joe Hernandez

In a thrilling photo finish, Chewing Gum was up to win by a thin nose over favored Beer Can Man in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Named for the original Voice of Santa Anita, the Hernandez, originally scheduled to be run at about 6 ½ furlongs on the track's hillside turf course, was instead run out of the 6 ½ furlong turf chute, with Chewing Gum, a 7-year-old full horse by Candy Ride, getting the distance under Umberto Rispoli in 1:15.27. Trained by William Mott, Chewing Gum, who shipped in from his New York base, notched his first-ever stakes win in his 23^rd career start.

Next to last with three furlongs to run, Beer Can Man saved ground at the rail around the turn, tipped out four-wide at the top of the lane and was just up.

Most recently third in an ungraded six furlong turf stakes Nov. 27 at Aqueduct, Chewing Gum was off at 5-1 in a field of seven older horses and paid $13.40, $4.20 and $3.00.

“He is the kind of horse that you have to kind of forget him the first part of the race and Mr. Mott gave me the instructions to be on the outside, and in the stretch I had that gap so I didn't want to lose that chance,” said Rispoli. “For the first part he needs to find his legs and find his rhythm. I would say the ground really, really helped him, he really enjoyed that.”

Owned by Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable and Jerold L. Zaro, Chewing Gum, who is out of the Forestry mare Shared Heart, is now 23-4-4-8 overall and with the winner's share of $150,000, he increased his earnings to 591,788.

Beer Can Man, who pressed the issue throughout from his rail post position, was back in front a jump past the wire and finished 1 ½ lengths in front of French-bred Bran. Off as the even money favorite under Flavien Prat, Beer Can Man paid $2.80 and $2.20.

Bran, who was making his U.S. debut under Joe Bravo, rallied five-deep at the top of the lane and was third best. Off at 6-1, he paid $3.80 to show while finishing a neck better than English-bred Delaware.

Fractions on the race were 23.32, 46.10 and 1:09.26.

The post Chewing Gum Sticks It To Favored Beer Can Man In Joe Hernandez appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Plush Horse Donations on Santa Anita Opening Day Net $25K for Aftercare

Mathis plush toy horses, which were available for a $20 donation at Santa Anita Park on last Sunday's opening day, generated a total of $25,000 for the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA) and Thoroughbred aftercare. Opening day attendees also received water bottles or Mathis Mile hats. Mathis and Santa Anita Park have already committed to doing the same promotion next year.

“We're thrilled to have raised $25,000 for CARMA, a non-profit organization that will ensure each racehorse has a bright future after racing,” said Bill Mathis, President of Mathis Brothers. “Together with the thousands of fans who participated on Santa Anita's Opening Day, Mathis Brothers is proud to have helped put the horse first.”

“We can't thank our fans and Mathis Brothers enough for their tremendous support of Thoroughbred aftercare,” said Santa Anita Senior Vice President and General Manager Nate Newby. “Each dollar raised from this promotion is going directly to CARMA to support the rehabilitation, retraining and retirement of California-raced Thoroughbreds.”

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