santa anita | Horse Racing Free Tips

Uncle Mo Filly Gets Better of Her Elders in ‘Win and You’re In’ Zenyatta

Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor’s Harvest Moon (Uncle Mo), the only 3-year-old in the four-horse field, put away favored Fighting Mad (New Year’s Day) at midstretch and then held off Hard Not To Love (Hard Spun) in the dying strides to win the GII Zenyatta S. at Santa Anita Sunday and earn an automatic berth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

“I’m absolutely thrilled today, completely over the moon for Harvest Moon,” said Bamford. “She’s a homebred and she’s just so deep in my heart and in my family’s heart. It was so good to see her so well ridden today, showing off her beautiful stride. We lost her mother this year, Qaraaba, who was a stunning, stunning filly and each time I tell her, ‘Harvest Moon, go and do it for your Mama.’ And she has.”

Sent off at 7-2 and making her first start beyond a mile, the lightly raced Harvest Moon tracked pacesetting Fighting Mad through fractions of :23.37 and :46.51. She rolled up to engage the favorite entering the homestretch and, while Fighting Mad attempted to claw her way back, Harvest Moon was always going the better of the two and inched away to the wire for her fourth straight victory. Hard Not To Love closed for second, while Fighting Mad, who was coming off a wire-to-wire victory in the GI Clement L. Hirsch S., stayed on for third.

“We thought Fighting Mad would go to the lead and we wanted to keep pressure on her,” said winning jockey Flavien Prat. “My filly had never been a mile and a sixteenth, but Fighting Mad was carrying 126 pounds. You never know with a 3-year-old against older, but we got eight pounds, so that was good. It turned out this was a good distance for my filly and she really ran well.”

Harvest Moon was making just her fifth career start in the Zenyatta. The bay filly opened her career over the turf, finishing third in a one-mile maiden special weight at Santa Anita June 12. She graduated second time out when moved to the main track at Los Alamitos July 3 and added an optional claimer at the oceanside oval July 27 before making the jump to the graded stakes ranks with a 1 1/4-length victory in the Aug. 22 GIII Torrey Pines S. last time out.

“We have been really patient with her early on and that’s a credit to Alice and Michael Tabor,” said winning trainer Simon Callaghan. “It was said that this filly has a lot of talent and they were so patient throughout the whole process. She took her time to come to hand, but she’s come a long way in a short period of time.”

Pedigree Notes:

Qaraaba, who died earlier this year, produced a colt by Air Force Blue last year. The mare’s third dam is G1 Irish Derby winner Salsabil (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells).

Harvest Moon’s sire Uncle Mo doubled up on graded victories just 20 minutes after the Zenyatta when Envoutante glided to victory in the GIII Remington Oaks.

Sunday, Santa Anita
ZENYATTA S.-GII, $196,000, Santa Anita, 9-27, 3yo/up, f/m,
1 1/16m, 1:43.03, ft.
1–HARVEST MOON, 118, f, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Qaraaba (GB) (GSW, $171,119), by Shamardal
2nd Dam: Mokaraba (GB), by Unfuwain
3rd Dam: Muhaba, by Mr. Prospector
O-Alice Bamford & Michael B. Tabor; B-Alice Bamford (KY);
T-Simon Callaghan; J-Flavien Prat. $120,000. Lifetime Record:
5-4-0-1, $240,720. *1/2 to Californiagoldrush (Cape Blanco
{Ire}), GSW & GISP, $322,345.
2–Hard Not to Love, 122, f, 4, Hard Spun–Loving Vindication, by
Vindication. ‘TDN Rising Star’ ($400,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP).
O-Mercedes Stables LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott
Dilworth, Dorothy & David Ingordo & F. Steve Mooney;
B-Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. (ON); T-John A. Shirreffs. $40,000.
3–Fighting Mad, 126, f, 4, New Year’s Day–Smokey’s Love, by
Forestry. O/B-Gary & Mary West Stables (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
$24,000.
Margins: 3/4, 3/4, 7 1/4. Odds: 3.90, 3.30, 0.40.
Also Ran: Proud Emma. Scratched: Hang a Star. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Get Her Number Upsets American Pharoah Stakes In Dirt Debut

From turf to dirt, to victory in Saturday's Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., the Peter Miller-trained Get Her Number marched to a three-quarter length victory, thus assuring him a fees-paid berth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland on Nov. 6. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Get Her Number covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.92.

A restrained second, one length off of longshot Dyn O Mite around the first turn, Get Her Number settled into a fluid stride down the backside, took command three furlongs out and had a two-length edge on Rombauer three-sixteenth of a mile from home and was not threatened from there.

A first-out five-furlong maiden turf winner on Aug. 14, Get Her Number was most recently fourth, beaten one length in an ungraded one mile turf stakes on Sept. 7 at Del Mar. Off at 8-1 in his first main track try, Get Her Number paid $18.20, $8.20 and $3.40.

Owned by Gary Barber, Get Her Number, who was purchased for $45,000 out of the OBS April 2-year-olds in training sale, picked up $180,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $219,000.

Sixth in the same race the winner exited on Sept. 7, Rombauer was also trying dirt for the first time and he responded with a big effort for trainer Michael McCarthy, finishing 4 3/4 lengths clear of favored Spielberg. Off at 11-1 with Mike Smith, Rombauer paid $9.60 and $4.40.

Third with no apparent excuses, Spielberg, who was off at even money with Luis Saez, paid $2.40 to show.

It's worth noting that the winner was very fractious in the saddling paddock, but had no apparent issues once the field came on the track.

Fractions on the race were 23.12, 47.07,1:12.46 and 1:37.97.

The American Pharoah is named for Bob Baffert-trained 2015 Triple Crown winner and is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

The post Get Her Number Upsets American Pharoah Stakes In Dirt Debut appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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United Takes Flight In Wire-To-Wire John Henry Turf Championship Win

With little early speed in the seven-horse field, jockey Flavien Prat put LNJ Foxwoods' United in front at the start and the 5-year-old Giant's Causeway gelding was never seriously challenged en route to an easy victory as the 3-5 favorite in Saturday's Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Irish-bred Originaire finished second, followed by Another Mystery in third, French-bred Proud Pedro fourth and Irish-bred Oscar Dominguez fifth in the field of seven older horses. Kazan was scratched.

United, produced from the Pulling Punches mare Indy Punch, was bred in Kentucky by Rosemont Farm. He is trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella.

United paid $3.40 to win and covered 1 1/4 miles on firm turf in 1:59.17 after setting fractions of :24.57, :49.07, 1:1;3.20 and 1:36.46. The final time was just over one second faster than Mucho Unusual took to win the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes for fillies and mares going the same distance.

Mandella indicated the Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland would be next for United, who has now won seven of 16 starts, with four seconds. One of those runner-up performances came in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Turf when second, beaten a head by eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar.

United has won four of five starts in 2020, all of the wins coming in G2 races: the San Marcos in February, Charles Whittingham in May, Eddie Read in July and now the John Henry in September. His only defeat this year came in his most recent outing when second, beaten a head by Red King, in the G2 Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 22.

The post United Takes Flight In Wire-To-Wire John Henry Turf Championship Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Dialed In’s Get Her Number Upsets the American Pharoah

Get Her Number (Dialed In) and Rombauer (Twirling Candy), also-rans in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Sept. 7, reported home one-two to spring an upset in Saturday’s GI American Pharoah S., a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland. It was another gap back to the favored maiden Spielberg (Union Rags) in third.

Nicely away from gate six, Get Her Number set up camp just to the outside of longshot Dyn O Mite (Goldencents) as Spielberg settled in an apparently good spot, just behind the speed. Well held on the far-turn run, Get Her Number struck to the lead with a quarter mile to race and and held sway late.

Rombauer, also making his dirt debut, dropped out to the tail of the field, made a menacing wide move into contention at the head of the lane and plugged on gamely for second while covering 14 more feet than the winner, according to Trakus.

Get Her Number, a $45,000 OBS Spring (:21) purchase by Gary Barber, debuted with a victory sprinting on the Del Mar lawn for Peter Miller Aug. 14 prior to finishing fourth as the favorite after setting the pace in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf.

“I thought it was a great move [switching to dirt],” winning jockey Flavien Prat said. “He was a bit disappointing last race. I thought I had good race, easy pace and he didn’t really show a turn of foot. We had a good trip; he broke well and he put me in the race. He reacted well on the backside and by that point I felt in control. It is great, Breeders’ Cup is always something we all look forward to so it’s cool.”

Pedigree Notes:

Dialed In has been quietly accruing a bevy of nice runners and Get Her Number, who is his sire’s fifth graded winner and 15th black-type winner overall, is the first Grade I winner for the Darby Dan stallion, although he’s come close with six GI/G1 placings by Gunnevera and additional GI placings for both Chalon and Finnick the Fierce. Get Her Number’s dam, Fancier, is by another under-the-radar performer in Bernstein, whose 63 stakes winner out of his daughters include champion Champagne Room (Broken Vow) and MGISW Gormley (Malibu Moon). Fancier sold to William Nicks for just $1,300 in foal to Astern (Aus) at the 2019 Keeneland November sale, but a foal has not been reported for her this year. Get Her Number’s American Pharoah win is the first black-type in the family since his third dam, Shy Princess, placed in the 1986 G1 Prix Morny. Shy Princess was a half-sister to GI Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Opening Verse (The Minstrel) and produced GSW Diffident (Fr) (Nureyev).

Saturday, Santa Anita
AMERICAN PHAROAH S.-GI, $301,000, Santa Anita, 9-26, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.92, ft.
1–GET HER NUMBER, 122, c, 2, by Dialed In
                1st Dam: Fancier, by Bernstein
                2nd Dam: Princess Pegasus, by Fusaichi Pegasus
                3rd Dam: Shy Princess, by Irish River (Fr)
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
WIN. ($45,000 2yo ’20 OBSAPR). O-Gary Barber; B-Philip &
Brenda Robertson (KY); T-Peter Miller; J-Flavien Prat.
$180,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $219,000. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Rombauer, 122, c, 2, Twirling Candy–Cashmere, by Cowboy
Cal. O/B-John & Diane Fradkin (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy.
$60,000.
3–Spielberg, 122, c, 2, Union Rags–Miss Squeal, by Smart Strike.
($1,000,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing,
Madaket Stables LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm LLC &
Robert Masterson; B-G. Watts Humphrey (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
$36,000.
Margins: 3/4, 4 3/4, 4HF. Odds: 8.10, 11.70, 1.10.
Also Ran: Waspirant, Dyn O Mite, Touchdown Brown, Notable Exception. Scratched: Weston. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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