santa anita | Horse Racing Free Tips

Vancouver Filly a Perfect Three-for-Three with Surfer Girl Win

Kaleem Shah’s Madone made it a perfect three-for-three with a late-charging victory in the Surfer Girl S. at Santa Anita Sunday. Made the even-money favorite off of two wins going a mile over the Del Mar lawn, the dark bay filly settled well off a quick pace. She made rapid progress nearing the lane and pounced to the lead at midstretch before gamely holding off Tetragonal, who came from last to just miss. Purchased for $125,000 at this year’s OBS March sale off a :10 1/5 breeze, Madone opened her career with a one-length victory over the Del Mar lawn July 31 and she closed late to add the Sept. 6 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf S. last time out.

“I liked where we were after the first quarter, it seemed like they were going fast enough up front,” said winning rider Flavien Prat. “The fractions don’t say it, but down the backside, it seemed like they slowed it down a little so I moved and I think I moved a little too soon. When she makes the lead, she pulls herself up a little. In all of her races, she doesn’t win by much, but she’s got a lot of talent.”

Conditioner Simon Callaghan added, “They went fast, which we thought could happen, so Flavien just let her settle back early and let her get comfortable. He made a big move with her and thankfully she had enough to hold off the filly that was running at us.”

Callaghan confirmed that Madone would now point for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 6.

“She is professional, she has really grown up a lot,” he said. “She took a little bit of time to come around, but she’s really developing into a real professional.”

The winner hails from the extended female family of Grade I winners Gold Fever and Boisterous. She has a yearling half-sister by Astern (Aus) who was purchased by agent Ben McElroy, who also purchased Madone. Indian Love Call produced a Cairo Prince colt this term before being bred back to Gormley.

SURFER GIRL S., $102,000, Santa Anita, 10-4, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.83, fm.
1–MADONE, 122, f, 2, by Vancouver (Aus)
                1st Dam: Indian Love Call, by Cherokee Run
                2nd Dam: Mood Music, by Kingmambo
                3rd Dam: Lead Kindly Light, by Majestic Light
($70,000 Wlg ’18 KEENOV; $50,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP; $125,000
2yo ’20 OBSMAR). O-Kaleem Shah, Inc.; B-Glendalough LLC
(KY); T-Simon Callaghan; J-Flavien Prat. $60,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-3-0-0, $141,300.
2–Tetragonal (Ire), 118, f, 2, Mehmas (Ire)–Crystal Snowflake
(Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (€22,000 Ylg ’19 TIRSEP).
O-Slam Dunk Racing & Joey Platts; B-Mrs Mary Gallagher (IRE);
T-Richard Baltas. $20,000.
3–Pizzazz, 118, f, 2, War Front–A Little Bit Sassy, by More Than
Ready. O-Perry R. II & Ramona S. Bass, Ramona S.; B-Bass
Stables, LLC (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $12,000.
Margins: NK, 3HF, NO. Odds: 1.10, 25.50, 8.20.
Also Ran: Closing Remarks, Canoodling, Maxim Strider, Consternation (Ire), Nimbostratus (Fr), Reign of Fire.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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First Stakes Winner for Awtaad Comes in California

Ebeko, who was second in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf in his Stateside debut Sept. 7, went one better and came out on top of a tight one to become the first black-type winner for his Derrinstown Stud-based freshman sire (by Cape Cross {Ire}). A third-up winner for trainer Paddy Twomey at Leopardstown July 16, the bay was acquired privately thereafter and brought to Del Mar, where he showed a completely different running style than he had in Europe to rally from last. Showing a bit more early zip this time to sit perched in third, the bay mounted a four-wide rally into the lane and was one of five who appeared in with a chance at that point. The top three emerged from the pack late, and Ebeko made the last and winning move get up in the final jump.

“We’ve been on an incredible run,” said trainer Peter Miller, whose wins on Saturday included an impressive victory with Mo Forza (Uncle Mo) in the GII City of Hope Mile. “We’ve won with our last four, just everything is falling into place right now. I thought Ricky [Gonzalez] rode an incredible race. We knew this horse was doing well and Ricky saw that the pace was pretty slow, so he had him closer today.

Miller added, “To be honest, there’s no doubt in my mind that he could’ve won much easier today if we didn’t have the new [whip] rules… I’m just being honest… We’re definitely going to look at the [Nov. 6 GI] Breeders’ Cup [Juvenile Turf] with this horse. He deserves it and we’re looking forward to going.”

The winner is out of a half-sister to French Group 2 winner Canticum (GB) (Cacique {Ire}) and hails from the female family of highest-level winners Distant Music, African Rose and Vanlandingham. He has a yearling half-brother by Gleneagles (Ire). Awtaad took the 2016 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas for Shadwell.

ZUMA BEACH S., $101,000, Santa Anita, 10-4, 2yo, 1mT, 1:36.55, fm.
1–EBEKO (IRE), 118, c, 2, by Awtaad (Ire)
                1st Dam: Allegrezza (GB), by Sir Percy (GB)
                2nd Dam: Allegro Viva, by Distant View
                3rd Dam: Musicanti, by Nijinsky II
(20,000gns RNA Ylg ’19 TATOCT). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN.
O-Altamira Racing Stable, CYBT, Marc Lantzman & Michael
Nentwig; B-Roundhill Stud & J. S. Investments (IRE); T-Peter
Miller; J-Ricardo Gonzalez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-0,
$106,430. *First black-type winner for freshman sire (by Cape
Cross {Ire}).
2–Tarantino, 120, c, 2, Pioneerof the Nile–Without Delay, by
Seeking the Gold. ($610,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC,
Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC,
Golconda Stables, Siena Farm LLC & Robert E. Masterson;
B-Fred W. Hertrich III & John D. Fielding (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
$20,000.
3–Cotopaxi (Ire), 118, c, 2, Sir Prancealot (Ire)–Beth (GB), by
Deportivo (GB). (£22,000 Ylg ’19 GOFFPR). O-Red Baron’s Barn
LLC & Rancho Temescal LLC; B-Tally Ho Stud (IRE); T-Jeff
Mullins. $12,000.
Margins: NO, 3/4, NK. Odds: 3.40, 3.30, 6.10.
Also Ran: Caisson, Big Fish, Ingest, Dennis Celery.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Heavily Favored Mo Forza Rolls To Another Victory In City Of Hope Mile Stakes

Heavily favored and on his way. That pretty much sums up the performance tendered by Mo Forza in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as the 4-year-old son of Uncle Mo rallied from off the pace to win by 1 3/4 lengths while in-hand under Flavien Prat. Trained by Peter Miller, Mo Forza got a mile on turf in 1:32.09 and he and his connections now eye an engagement in the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

Breaking alertly from the outside in a field of seven, Mo Forza rated kindly and settled into a fluid rhythm down the backside, about five lengths off pacesetting Blitzkrieg with a half mile to run. Three-deep turning for home, he was hand ridden while lugging in a bit through the lane and won with consummate ease over multiple graded stakes winner Sharp Samurai.

“He pretty much had the same trip as he did in the Del Mar Mile (G2, Aug. 23),” said Prat. “I think he's getting more professional, which is great. Today he showed up again. We can probably go further, but as of right now, he's running pretty well, so I wouldn't change anything.”

A 4 1/4-length winner of the Del Mar Mile Handicap on turf, Mo Forza was off as the 3-5 favorite and paid $3.20, $2.20 and $2.10.

“That's him,” said Ruben Alvarado, assistant to Miller. “He relaxes early and then you saw the way he finished up. He ran today just like he did at Del Mar. We're very happy and we're looking forward to the Breeders' Cup.

Bred in Kentucky by former trainer Barry Abrams' Bardy Farm and owned by Bardy Farm and OG Boss, Mo Forza, who is out of the Unusual Heat mare Inflamed, notched his fifth graded stakes win and he has now won five out of his last six races with four of them over the Santa Anita turf. With six wins from 12 overall starts, he's four for five at one mile on grass and with the winner's share of $120,000, has earnings of $734,460.

Sharp Samurai, who sat a close third behind Blitzkrieg and eventual third-place finisher Bob and Jackie, kept to his task to finish second by 1 1/4 lengths and paid $3.00 and $2.60 as the 7-2 second choice with Juan Hernandez up.

Off at 24-1 with Heriberto Figueroa, Bob and Jackie prevailed by a head over Blitzkrieg and paid $5.60 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.58, 45.61, 1:08.76 and 1:20.53.

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‘We Can’t Ride Them To Their Full Potential’: Santa Anita Jockeys Struggle With New Whip Rules

Following the first day under new whip rules at Santa Anita Park, several jockeys shared their continuing frustrations with the Daily Racing Form.

The California Horse Racing Board regulations include:

Riders cannot use the crop more than six times during a race, excluding showing or waiving the crop or tapping the horse on the shoulder.
Riders cannot use the crop more than two times in succession (within the six-time limit) without giving the horse a chance to respond before using the crop again.
The crop must be used in an underhanded position with the crop always at or below the shoulder level of the jockey.

“We can't ride them to their full potential, even if it's a light overhanded tap left-handed,” Drayden Van Dyke told drf.com. “People have to understand to get that whip over to your left hand, there are certain techniques you have to do. Underhanded bars you from being able to do it as quickly. This is a game when every millisecond matters. I think it's really discouraging.”

“In my professional opinion, it's not going to work,” Hall of Famer Mike Smith said. “If you're on a deep track and they're tiring, it doesn't work. It'll cost somebody second money, a win, or third money.”