santa anita | Horse Racing Free Tips

Finite Invades for La Brea

Winchell Thoroughbreds’s multiple graded stakes-winning homebred Finite (Munnings) invades from the east to face off against a talented group of sophomore fillies in the seven-furlong GI La Brea S. at Santa Anita Saturday. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the chestnut put together a four-race win streak which included scores in the Rags to Riches S. and GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill late last year and continued at Fair Grounds with victories in the Silverbulletday S. and GII Rachel Alexandra S. She went to the sidelines following a fourth-place effort in the Mar. 21 GII Fair Grounds Oaks and was well-beaten when returning over the Kentucky Downs turf Sept. 15. She got back on track with a narrowly beaten runner-up effort to Venetian Harbor (Munnings) in the Oct. 17 GII Raven Run S. at Keeneland. She is cutting back to seven furlongs for the La Brea following a win in the one-mile GIII Chilukki S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 21.

Grand Farm Family’s Himiko (American Pharoah), a $1-million Fasig-Tipton November weanling, jumps up to stakes company and stretches out to a mile following a pair of impressive victories. The Bob Baffert trainee suffered through three troubled trips to begin her career before breaking her maiden going six furlongs at Santa Anita Oct. 18. She romped home by 6 1/2 lengths in a 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer at Del Mar last time out Nov. 8.

Baffert also saddles Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud’s Merneith (American Pharoah). Third behind Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GII Santa Anita Oaks in June, the bay filly is coming off a gritty win in the Nov. 7 Qatar Fort Springs S. at Keeneland.

Baffert’s La Brea contingent also includes Speedway Stable’s Provocation (Into Mischief) and Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s Golden Principal (Constitution).

Trainer Chad Brown, who swept into Southern California to dominate holiday racing at Del Mar around Thanksgiving, sends out the lightly raced Motivated Seller (Into Mischief) in the La Brea. The Klaravich Stables runner opened her career with a front-running six-length victory at Gulfstream last January. Off nine months after that effort, she returned to add a Belmont Park allowance Oct. 11 and she was closing late when second behind Merneith in the Fort Springs.

The post Finite Invades for La Brea appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Sharing Looks to End Year on High in American Oaks

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway’s well-traveled Sharing (Speightstown) will look for her second Grade I win over the Santa Anita turf when she heads postward in the GI American Oaks Saturday for trainer Graham Motion. The chestnut filly, who won last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in Arcadia, opened 2020 with a win in the May 23 Tepin S. at Churchill Downs. She shipped overseas to be a gallant second in the June 20 G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot and returned stateside to take the Sept. 4 GII Edgewood S. in Louisville. She shipped west from Motion’s Fair Hill base to be a close-up fourth in the Nov. 29 GI Matriarch S. last time out and makes the return trip for this 1 1/4-mile contest.

Always dangerous with distaff turfers–and on holiday weekends in Southern California–trainer Chad Brown sends out a pair of Klaravich Stables runners in the Oaks. The lightly raced Capital Structure (GB), trying stakes company for the first time Saturday, was a debut winner over the Monmouth turf in July and added a 1 1/16-mile allowance tally at Belmont Park two starts later in her most recent trip to the post Oct. 25. Stablemate Duopoly (Animal Kingdom), also a maiden winner over the Monmouth turf in July, won a Saratoga allowance Aug. 21 before finishing fifth in the Oct. 16 GIII Valley View S. She returned to the winner’s circle with a front-running 3/4-length tally in the Nov. 15 Winter Memories S. at Aqueduct last time out.

Representing the West Coast home team, Going to Vegas (Goldencents) will be looking to break through at the top level after a pair of runner-up efforts in graded company. Claimed for $50,000 in June, the Richard Baltas trainee missed by just a neck when second in the one-mile GIII Autumn Miss S. at Santa Anita Oct. 17 and was caught late when runner-up in the 1 3/8-miles GIII Red Carpet H. at Del Mar last time out Nov. 26.

The post Sharing Looks to End Year on High in American Oaks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

TVG Live On Site For Big Saturday Card At Santa Anita Park

Three Grade 1 stakes, the American Oaks (G1), the La Brea Stakes (G1) and the Runhappy Malibu Stakes (G1), jumpstart TVG's live coverage of the Santa Anita Winter/Spring meet this weekend from Arcadia, Calif. TVG, America's horse racing network, will be live on site at Santa Anita on Saturday, Dec. 26 with coverage and analysis by Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker and Britney Eurton.

Santa Anita's Winter/Spring meet will run through June 20 and feature 95 stakes races including the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 3. Post time on Saturday is 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT.

Saturday's $300,000 American Oaks (G1), which will be run at 1 ¼ miles on the turf., has attracted a field of ten sophomore fillies from some of the top barns throughout the country including 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) champion Sharing for trainer Graham Motion. She will have John Velazquez in the irons. In addition, trainer Chad Brown will send out two contenders – Capital Structure with Joel Rosario and Duopoly with Flavien Prat.

The $300,000 Runhappy Malibu Stakes (G1) is the featured tenth race on the card and the seven-furlong contest will feature some of the fastest 3-year-olds in training. Steve Asmussen will send out the undefeated Nashville who will be making his graded stakes debut after an impressive victory in the Perryville Stakes at Keeneland in November. Regular rider Ricardo Santana Jr. will be aboard the son of Speightstown. The race will also mark the return to action for Charlatan, one of two horses in the race for trainer Bob Baffert.

On Christmas Day, TVG will be airing TVG Classics featuring highlights of major races throughout the years featuring memorable performances from Zenyatta, Gun Runner and Justify as well as some marquee events from 2020 including the TVG Pacific Classic.

In addition to opening weekend from Santa Anita, TVG will be featuring racing from Gulfstream Park, Fair Grounds, Tampa Bay Downs 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 Live On Site For Big Saturday Card At Santa Anita Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Rideforthecause Debuts For McCarthy In Sunday’s Robert J. Frankel Stakes

Trainer Michael McCarthy has two new shooters and thus holds what appears to be a solid two-card hand in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel as Rideforthecause and Altea bring solid credentials to a field of 10 fillies and mares going a mile and one eighth over the Santa Anita turf.

Most recently fourth, beaten 2 ¾ lengths as the 5-2 favorite in the G1 E.P. Taylor Stakes going a mile and one quarter on turf at Woodbine, Rideforthecause, a 4-year-old Ontario-Canadian-bred daughter of Candy Ride, took the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf Sept. 12 and brings a record of 11-4-0-1, good for earnings of $291,226 to the Frankel. A Sam-Son Farm homebred, she was formerly trained by Gail Cox and will make her first start for McCarthy while ridden by Umberto Rispoli.

Based in New York with Chad Brown through the month of October, Altea, a 5-year-old French-bred mare, is winless in seven starts this year, and has but two wins from 23 starts. However, she has amassed earnings of $290,664 from an overall mark of 23-2-8-4. In what will be her first start for McCarthy, she'll be ridden by Abel Cedillo.

Eastern-based juggernaut Chad Brown also figures prominently as he'll send out Irish-bred Miss Teheran, a lightly raced 4-year-old filly who will be ridden by Joel Rosario. Most recently fifth, beaten 1 ¼ lengths in an ungraded turf stakes going a mile and one sixteenth at Aqueduct Nov. 27, Miss Teheran, who was two for four as a juvenile in France, was unraced at three and will be making her third start this year in the Frankel.

Best suited from off the pace, Miss Teheran should handle the distance, as she shows a win going 1 3/16 miles on turf in her final French start on Dec. 5, 2018. With Rosario teaming with Brown, she should attract plenty of pari-mutuel attention.

George Krikorian's California-bred Mucho Unusual, winner of the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at a mile and one quarter on turf two starts back on Sept. 26, figures prominently as she tries to rebound from a 12th place finish in the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Nov. 7.

Phil D'Amato's consistent Zee Drop, second two starts back in the G2 Goldikova Stakes here on Nov. 28, and Hall of Famer Ron McAnally's homebred She's Our Charm, beaten four lengths in the G1 Matriarch going one mile on turf at Del Mar Nov. 29, also rate solid chances on Sunday.

Named in honor of the late Hall of Fame trainer who passed away at age 68 in 2009, Bobby Frankel was a five-time leading Winter/Spring trainer at Santa Anita and he remains the track's all-time leader by races won with 917 and is third on the all-time stakes won list with 146. Frankel won the race's precursor, the San Gorgonio Stakes, a record seven times.

THE GRADE III ROBERT J. FRANKEL STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 10 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

Rideforthecause—Umberto Rispoli—125
She's Our Charm—Juan Hernandez—121
Never Be Enough—Tiago Pereira—123
Miss Teheran—Joel Rosario—121
Altea—Abel Cedillo—121
Meal Ticket—Tyler Baze—121
Colonial Creed—Mario Gutierrez—121
Posh Holly—Alexis Centeno—121
Zee Drop—Flavien Prat—121
Mucho Unusual—John Velazquez—125

Special early first post time for a 10-race card on Sunday is at 11:30 a.m. All of Santa Anita's races are available free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager at 1st.com/Bet. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Rideforthecause Debuts For McCarthy In Sunday’s Robert J. Frankel Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post