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Glatt: Kentucky Derby ‘On Our Radar’ After Barrera Win By Collusion Illusion

Although it appeared Bob Baffert's Ragtime Blues may have had matters in-hand at the top of the stretch, the Mark Glatt-conditioned Collusion Illusion had only begun to fight, as he kicked into high gear and motored to an impressive 3 ¼-length tally in Saturday's Grade III, $100,000 Lazaro Barrera Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Flavien Prat, the bay colt by Twirling Candy got 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16.03 and has his connections thinking about the first Saturday in September.

Breaking alertly from the rail in a field of five, Collusion Illusion was unhurried early as Phantom Boss and Ragtime Blues disputed the early running heading to the far turn. With Mike Smith encouraging Ragtime Blues, he assumed command a half mile out and appeared to get the jump on Collusion Illusion as he opened up a three length advantage a quarter mile from home.

“He had me a little worried there at the top of the stretch, but I think he's a pretty smart horse and Flavien has a lot of confidence in him,” said Glatt. He's very athletic, there's no wasted action in his stride.”

Is the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 a possibility?

“It's on our radar,” said Glatt, whose horse appeared to gallop out in front around the Club House turn by half a football field. “We paid the late supplement ($3,000). I don't know what's next. I just wanted to get by today. We'll need to stretch him out and figure out how to get enough points.”

A stirring three-length allowance winner going six furlongs off a 7 ½ month layoff on May 17, Collusion Illusion was off at 2-5 and paid $2.80, $2.10 and $2.10.

Owned by Dan Agnew, Rodney Orr, Jerry Schneider and John Xitco, Collusion Illusion, who is out of the First Dude mare Natalie Grace, picked up his second graded stakes win and now has four wins from five career starts. With the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $248,751.

“Mike Smith opened up a little at the turn, so I wasn't super confident, but I knew as soon as we turned for home, if we switched leads, he would give me a good kick,” said Prat, who is now three for three aboard “Collusion.”

Ragtime Blues, who had won two of his three starts and was trying stakes competition for the first time, offered little resistance late while finishing 3 ¼ lengths in front of longshot Howbeit. Off at 2-1, Ragtime Blues returned $2.20 and $2.10.

Off at 43-1 with Umberto Rispoli, Howbeit paid $3.60 to show.

Fractions on the race were 21.90, 44.73 and 1:09.66.

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Twirling Candy’s Collusion Illusion Takes Laz Barrera

COLLUSION ILLUSION (c, 3, Twirling Candy–Natalie Grace, by First Dude) saved ground in second as Ragtime Blues (Union Rags) zipped through a :21.90 first quarter. Biding his time a bit as the half went in :44.73, the 2-5 chalk swept past the leader in the final sixteenth for a decisive score in the GIII Lazaro Barrera S. Opening his account with a pair of wins, including the GII Best Pal S. in August, Collusion Illusion was pulled up and walked off in the GI American Pharoah S. Sept. 27 when trying two turns. He rebounded with a six-panel optional claimer win in Arcadia May 17. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0.

O-Agnew, Orr, Schneider & Xitco; B-Donald Dizney (FL); T-Mark Glatt.

The post Twirling Candy’s Collusion Illusion Takes Laz Barrera appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Classy Toinette Closes For Confident Score In ‘Strangely Run’ Wilshire

In a topsy turvy race that saw a heavily favored pacesetter concede the lead to an 11-1 longshot 4 ½ furlongs from home, only to be reeled in a furlong out, Neil Drysdale's classy Toinette, idle since Dec. 1, proved much best in winning Saturday's Grade III, $100,000 Wilshire Stakes by 2 ¾ lengths. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Toinette got a flat mile over the Santa Anita turf in 1:35.20.

Breaking from the outside in a field of five fillies and mares, Toinette, while under restraint, put immediate pressure on Keeper ofthe Stars into the Club House turn, making the lead as the field turned up the backside. From there, Mike Smith, aboard Gypsy Spirit, could wait no longer and he forged to lead in the run to the far turn, providing the winner with a target, on which she took dead aim.

“It was a strangely run race, but I liked the outcome,” said Drysdale, who last started 5-year-old Toinette on Dec. 1. “You're always a little concerned when a horse has had six months off. It's great to have her back.”

A three-time graded stakes winner, Toinette, who was a close fourth in the Grade I Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar Dec. 1, was the 3-5 favorite today and paid $3.40, $2.60 and $2.40.

“There was no pace,” said Prat. “She was a little fresh, she took me into the race. The three-horse (Gypsy Spirit) made the move to the outside, she got the race to go. My horse took a little breather and she was in the race from there. I didn't want to be on the lead, so I was glad there was a horse that made the move and made some pace.”

A 5-year-old mare by Scat Daddy out of the Sunriver mare I Bet Toni Knows, Toinette, who is owned by Ken Baca, and Edward and Lynne Hudson, notched her fourth graded stakes win and her eighth win from 12 lifetime starts. With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $566,720.

Irish-bred Red Lark, who trailed the field to the top of the lane, made a good run into a tepid pace and was up for second money by a half length over Querelle. Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Red Lark was off at 14-1 and paid $6.60 and $4.20.

Next to last early, Querelle, who was ridden by Umberto Rispoli, was just up for third, finishing a neck in front of Gypsy Spirit. The longest shot in the field at 26-1, Querelle paid $6.00 to show.

The second choice at 6-5, Keeper ofthe Stars, who was immediately engaged by the winner, never seemed comfortable and tired to finish last with Abel Cedillo up.

Fractions on the race were 23.89, 47.68, 1:11.34 and 1:23.31.

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Becerra Hoping To Score Big With Touchdown Brown After Sharp Debut Win

Veteran trainer Rafael Becerra was all smiles Saturday morning, as his talented California-bred juvenile Touchdown Brown ran lights-out in his debut in Friday's fourth race, demolishing seven Cal-bred rivals by 5 ¼ lengths while getting 4 ½ furlongs in 52.81 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

“He's really good this morning, he pulled up great,” said the popular Becerra, 65. “The owners told me they're already getting a lot offers, but the good news is, they're not selling. I got this horse in mid-March and from day one, he acted like a good horse. We went to the track with him right away and he galloped perfect and he's got a very good mind.

“You could see he's got a nice way of moving and my exercise rider really liked him right from the start. When we started breezing him, he did everything easy and outworked a good horse of mine in company.”

A homebred colt by Cairo Prince out of the Cherokee Run mare Chicalelee, Touchdown Brown, who is owned by Edward J. Brown, Jr., Alan Klein and Phillip Lebherz, was off as the 3-2 favorite and paid $5.00 to win.

Breaking alertly from post position seven, Touchdown Brown, who was ridden by Evin Roman, was on the move while third, about 1 ½ lengths off the lead approaching the quarter pole. From there, he entered the stretch three-deep and when he switched to his left lead, forged to the front approaching the sixteenth pole winning under a hand ride in a tremendous effort.

Becerra, who started on the racetrack at age 16 in 1971 with the legendary Farrell Jones and his Hall of Fame son, Gary, has been training on his own since Gary Jones' retirement in 1996 and has long been regarded as a hard working, no-nonsense horseman who helped develop multiple graded stakes winner Kingdom Found, a California-bred gelding, foaled in 1990, who banked $810,863 in a career that spanned seven racing seasons.

What's next for Touchdown Brown?

“With all the money that's available, the owners agree that we're going to stay with Cal-breds for now,” said Becerra. “We're going to run him in the Graduation Stakes (5 ½ furlongs, Aug. 2 at Del Mar) and we'll see where we go from there.”

If yesterday's result was any indication, Touchdown Brown figures to go a long, long way indeed.

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