santa anita | Horse Racing Free Tips

Ready For Kickoff: Beholder’s First Foal To Debut Sunday At Santa Anita

The great Beholder, who won Eclipse Awards at ages two, three, five, and six and retired with career earnings of $6.1 million, will be represented on Opening Day by her first foal to race—Q B One, a 3-year-old old colt by Uncle Mo. Like his dam, Q B One is conditioned by Richard Mandella, and he's owned by his breeder, Spendthrift Farm.

Foaled in Kentucky on Jan. 30, 2018, the dark bay or brown colt drew post position four in a field of six going 6 ½ furlongs in Sunday's fourth race.

“I've had him for a bit and he's had some minor problems,” Mandella said, “so he was sent out and came back, but he's doing well now.

“He trains good and I think racing will make him better but I don't know that his mind is really on it yet. We'll get a race into him and I'd expect going short he'll probably settle back and finish well, getting him started for better things down the road.”

Beholder, it's worth noting, ran fourth in her debut race before becoming the first horse since 1976 to win a Grade I race at age two, three, four, and five, and being one of only two horses to ever win three Breeders' Cup races.

Asked if Q B One has shown any qualities that his brilliant mother displayed, without giving away any trade secrets, Mandella responded with a typical quip.

“He has a good appetite,” he said.

The post Ready For Kickoff: Beholder’s First Foal To Debut Sunday At Santa Anita appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Hit The Road Gets An Extra Eighth In Sunday’s San Gabriel Stakes

Trainer Dan Blacker's Grade 1-winning Hit the Road figures prominently in Sunday's G2, $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes as a field of seven 3-year-olds and up go a mile and one eighth on turf. The San Gabriel, one of six graded stakes on an 11-race Opening Day card, will be run for the 74th time. Special early first post time on Sunday is at 11 a.m., with admission gates opening at 9 a.m.

A winner of Santa Anita's G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile four starts back on March 6, Hit the Road, a 4-year-old colt by More Than Ready, has been winless since, but he comes off a pair of close third place finishes in graded stakes competition, most recently the G2 City of Hope Mile (turf) here on Oct. 2, in which he was beaten a half length.

Owned by D K Racing, LLC and Radley Equine, Inc., Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, Tony Maslowski and Dave Odmark, Hit the Road, a four-time stakes winner, has run in 11 consecutive one mile turf races and will be trying a mile and one eighth for the first time.

Ridden by midwestern-based Florent Geroux in his last four starts, Hit the Road will be reunited with Umberto Rispoli, who is a perfect three for three with him. With an overall mark of 12-6-0-2, Hit the Road has earnings of $563,751.

Trainer Michael McCarthy's Friar's Road will also be trying a mile and one eighth on turf for the first time, but he'll be shortening up from a solid third place finish going a mile and one half in the G2 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar Nov. 26. Third, beaten a head two starts back going a mile and one quarter in Santa Anita's G2 John Henry Turf Championship Oct. 2, this 4-year-old colt by Quality Road will be seeking his first stakes victory on Sunday.

Originally based at Golden Gate Fields with trainer Quinn Howey, California-bred Indian Peak closed much ground to finish third, beaten three quarters of a length going a mile and one sixteenth on grass in the G2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar Nov. 27 and should appreciate the added distance of the San Gabriel.

A winner versus statebreds going a mile and one eighth over the course in the Snow Chief Stakes 12 starts back on June 20, 2020, this 4-year-old Comic Strip gelding has proven to be versatile and appears to be at the top of his game. Trained by Peter Miller in his last four starts, he'll be saddled by Ruben Alvarado on Sunday and be ridden back by Juan Hernandez.

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

Race 5 of 11 Approximate post time 1 p.m. PT

Indian Peak—Juan Hernandez—121
Friar's Road—Jose Ortiz—121
Bob and Jackie—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—121
Hit the Road—Umberto Rispoli—123
Majestic Eagle—John Velazquez—121
Red Storm Risen—Flavien Prat—121
Ready Soul—Kent Desormeaux–121

First post time for an 11-race card on Opening Day is at 11 a.m. and admission gates will open at 9 a.m.

The post Hit The Road Gets An Extra Eighth In Sunday’s San Gabriel Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Beyond Brilliant, Du Jour Square Off In Santa Anita Mathis Mile

Trainer John Shirreffs' Beyond Brilliant and Bob Baffert's Du Jour head a field of nine sophomores going a mile on turf in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Mathis Mile, one of six graded stakes on an 11-race Opening Day card at The Great Race Place.

In what was the best race of his career, Beyond Brilliant controlled the pace throughout en route to taking the G1 Hollywood Derby at a mile and one eighth on turf Nov. 27 at Del Mar. Off at 10-1 in a field of 14, Beyond Brilliant, who was a close third two starts back in the G2 Twilight Derby here on Oct. 31, has now won two out of his last three races—all with Kent Desormeaux, who rides back on Sunday.

A bay colt by Twirling Candy, Beyond Brilliant is owned by Lee and Susan Searing's C R K Stable LLC and is 9-3-2-2 with earnings of $381,280.

Originally trained by Baffert, Du Jour was sent to trainer Bill Mott to run in the G1 Belmont Derby July 10, a race in which he finished fourth. Subsequently third in the G1 Saratoga Derby Aug. 7, he was most recently a dull eighth as the 9-5 favorite in the ungraded Dueling Downs Derby going 1 5/16 miles on turf Sept. 5 at Kentucky Downs. Following that race, Du Jour was returned to Baffert at Santa Anita and the bay colt by Temple City has a series of six drills, all on Santa Anita's inner training track, for his return.

Twin Creeks Racing's homebred Law Professor comes off a sharp off the pace win in a first condition allowance going one mile on turf Nov. 27 at Del Mar and appears to have found a home on the grass. Trained by Michael McCarthy, this gelding by Constitution earned an 85 Beyer in his most recent start and should get a lively pace to run at on Sunday.

THE GRADE 2 SANTA ANITA MATHIS MILE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGTHS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 11 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT

None Above the Law—Joe Bravo—124
Tarantino—Juan Hernandez—120
Airman—Umberto Rispoli—120
Zoffarelli—Drayden Van Dyke–122
Cane Creek Road—Victor Espinoza—120
Flashiest—Abel Cedillo—122
Du Jour—Flavien Prat–122
Beyond Brilliant—Kent Desormeaux—124
Law Professor—Jose Ortiz—120

One of six graded stakes on Sunday, the Santa Anita Mathis Mile has been carded as the seventh race on an 11-race Opening Day program which gets underway at 11 a.m. Admission gates open at 9 a.m.

The post Beyond Brilliant, Du Jour Square Off In Santa Anita Mathis Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Hot Rod Charlie Back For More In Sunday’s San Antonio

One of America's most consistent and talented 3-year-olds throughout 2021, Hot Rod Charlie heads a field of seven 3-year-olds and up in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita. An iconic prep for the G1 Santa Anita Handicap, the San Antonio will be run for the 84th time and is one of six graded stakes on a blockbuster 11-race Opening Day program.

Most recently fourth, beaten 4 ½ lengths by presumptive Horse of the Year Knicks Go in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6, Hot Rod Charlie has been a gem of consistency, while on occasion very unlucky, for O'Neill. A handy winner of the G1 Pennsylvania Derby two starts back on Sept. 25, he was disqualified from a hard fought nose victory three starts back in the G1 Haskell Invitational.

A massive second, beaten 1 ¼ lengths by A-Lister Essential Quality in the G1 Belmont Stakes June 5, he was a troubled third, beaten one length by Medina Spirit in the G1 Kentucky Derby five starts back on May 1.

A winner of the G2 Louisiana Derby in his second start of the year on March 20, Hot Rod Charlie is 7-2-1-2 on the year, with 2021 earnings of $2,087,500. Owned by Boat Racing, LLC, Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck), Roadrunner Racing & William Strauss, Hot Rod Charlie will reportedly use the San Antonio as a prep to the G1 Dubai World Cup in March.

Freshened since running third to Medina Spirit in the G1 Awesome Again Stakes Oct. 2, C R K Stable's Express Train has been in the money in six out of his seven career starts at Santa Anita and rates a big chance off the bench. Trained by John Shirreffs, Express Train's last win came three starts back in the G2 San Diego Handicap on July 17. With an overall mark of 14-4-4-3, this 4-year-old colt by Union Rags has earnings of $695,800.

A half-length winner of the G3 Native Diver Handicap on Nov. 20, Bob Baffert's Azul Coast could rate second billing as he seeks his second graded stakes win. Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Azul Coast, who has four wins from 10 starts, will be ridden for the first time by John Velazquez.

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

Race 6 of 11 Approximate post time 1:30 p.m. PT

Extra Hope—Tyler Baze–121
Express Train—Victor Espinoza—125
Go On—Mario Gutierrez–119
Hot Rod Charlie—Flavien Prat—123
Eight Rings—John Velazquez—121
Kiss Today Goodbye—Kent Desormeaux—121
Azul Coast—Juan Hernandez–123

First post time for an 11-race Opening Day card Sunday is 11 a.m. Admission gates will open at 9 a.m.

The post Hot Rod Charlie Back For More In Sunday’s San Antonio appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post