Saratoga Race Course | Horse Racing Free Tips

On to Breeders’ Cup for Max Player

George Hall and Sport BLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player (Honor Code) will train up to the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar following his win in Saturday's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, trainer Steve Asmussen confirmed Sunday.

“Max Player is better than he's ever been and physically he's developed into this,” Asmussen said. “There's more of him. He's a horse that's continued to grow, fill out and mature. There's a lot more of Max Player as a 4-year-old than there was as a 3-year-old. He's bigger and stronger. His next race will be the Breeders' Cup Classic.”

When Del Mar last hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2017, Asmussen was represented by Classic winner Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) and he plans to follow a similar schedule ahead of this year's championship weekend with Max Player.

“We just want to acclimate them to West Coast time,” Asmussen said. “For previous Breeders' Cups in California, we like to get out there and be on Pacific Coast time and I think we've gotten solid runs doing that, so we're planning on doing the same this time. Last time the Breeders' Cup was at Del Mar, we had Gun Runner. He went out and trained at Santa Anita before going to Del Mar.”

Also expected to train up to the Breeders' Cup Classic is Wertheimer and Frere's Happy Saver (Super Saver), who was second while attempting to defend his title in Saturday's Jockey Club Gold Cup for trainer Todd Pletcher.

“There wasn't a lot of pace and he was sort of bottled up. He was wanting to advance, but didn't really get the opportunity until it was too late. The winner was very good and he got the jump on him,” Pletcher said of the Gold Cup result. “I was happy with his performance and he closed well, which is probably a little better suited to a race where there's more pace and everybody spreads out a little more. He got a good trip, but it was behind the wrong pace scenario. He came back in good shape.”

Pletcher also saddled Bass Racing's Annapolis (War Front) to a 'TDN Rising Star' debut over the turf at Saratoga Saturday.

“I was very pleased with him. He trained well into it and delivered the type of performance we were hoping for,” Pletcher said. “The race was slow to develop and the early fractions weren't really fast, but I liked the way he picked it up around the turn. He finished strongly and galloped out well.”

Pletcher said the colt, a son of graded stakes winner My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song), would likely make his next start in the Oct. 3 GII Pilgrim S. over the Belmont lawn, but he did not rule out eventually starting the colt over the dirt.

“At this stage, he's shown us he's a little better on the turf, but he's a big, strong colt,” Pletcher said. “Obviously the mare was second in the Kentucky Oaks, but sometimes these type of horses, as they mature, they get better on the dirt, but for now we'll stay focused on the turf.”

The post On to Breeders’ Cup for Max Player appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Baker Celebrates Saratoga Successes With Cilla, Gold Panda

Standing outside his barn on Saratoga's Oklahoma training track side Sunday morning, trainer Charlton Baker said how much he enjoys training at the Spa in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., but will have to return to Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., once the 40-day summer meet concludes tomorrow.

Baker's affinity for Saratoga is well founded, as the conditioner was one of just 12 trainers to register at least eight wins during the prestigious meet entering Sunday action, carrying an 8-2-2 record with 26 starters into the day.

On Saturday, Baker was credited with his third career graded stakes win and first since 2016 when P. Dale Ladner's Cilla bested favorite Souper Sensational by a half-length to win the $250,000 Grade 2 Prioress for sophomore fillies sprinting six furlongs. The win was a technicality for Baker, who saddled the Louisiana bred for trainer Brett Brinkman, who did not take out a license in New York but was on hand to witness the victory that earned Cilla an 88 Beyer.

While Brinkman remains Cilla's trainer, Baker is the conditioner of record, officially tallying his first graded stakes score since Joking won the 2016 Grade 1 Vosburgh and Grade 2 True North. A connection with former Baker employee Lisa Whitaker, who now works for Brinkman, helped facilitate what turned out to be a winning move for all involved.

“That was impressive. She's a very nice-looking filly to start with and she looks like she has come class to her, and it was nice to see her come in and get the win for them,” Baker said. “One of my old employees works for him, so Brett called him a couple of weeks ago about it. He wanted to come but wasn't sure what to do, so we talked about it and handled it that way.

“I get credited with it, but that's all it is,” Baker added with a laugh. “But Brett did the work.”

Baker has also enjoyed Saratoga success with his own stock, highlighted by Happy Face Racing Stable's Gold Panda, who improved to 2-for-2 at the meet after registering a 2 1/4-length score in a seven-furlong allowance contest on September 3 over the Saratoga main track.

The 3-year-old Goldencents gelding did not make his debut until July when running third in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint at Belmont. Gold Panda followed with a maiden-breaking 5 1/2-length win on August 19 over a sloppy and sealed Spa track before winning his second consecutive start and garnering an 88 Beyer for his Friday victory over a fast track.

“He's getting better every start. We figured we'd give him a little bit of time before his next race and go from there. He's definitely developing,” said Baker, who said his next start will likely be a two-other-than at Belmont. “Eventually, if he keeps on progressing, I think he's headed to [stakes] company. He has the mind to do it and the ability. He can be a nice horse.”

Gold Panda, a $65,000 purchase at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-Bred Yearling Sale, was bred in the Empire State by T/C Stable. Baker said the patience in not racing him as a juvenile has paid off as Gold Panda continues to progress.

“He just needed to mature. As a 2-year-old, we wasn't ready to go. We gave him some time and let him mature and brought him back this year and he's got better and better,” Baker said. “He ran a good race the first time out and then he came back and won. He learned from the first and I think he's just going to go forward from there.”

The post Baker Celebrates Saratoga Successes With Cilla, Gold Panda appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Max Player Scores Second BC Classic Spot With Gold Cup Victory

Max Player followed up his last-out neck victory in the Grade 2 Suburban with a dominating win over five others in the 1 1/4-mile Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Under jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr., the 4-year-old Honor Code colt earns a second berth in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

The field of six broke cleanly, with Forza Di Oro, seeking his first Grade 1 win, taking a short lead as Max Player and Santana stalked him on the outside. Around the first turn, Forza Di Oro stretched his lead out to a length, but, after fractions of :24.05 for the first quarter and :48.70 for the first half-mile, Max Player began to press the leader, shortening the margin between them to a neck. Into the far turn, Forza Di Oro was still neck to the good, with Max Player and Happy Saver poised to challenge on the outside.

In the stretch, Max Player pulled even with Forza Di Oro, but the former leader began to tire as Santana asked Max Player to go, easily taking over the lead in the race's final furlongs. The margin of victory was six lengths, Happy Saver passing Forza Di Oro in the final yards to take over second. Night Ops was fourth, with Chess Chief and Forewarned rounding out the field.

The final time for the 1 1/4 miles was 2:02.49 over a fast track. Find this race's chart here.

Max Player paid $9.60, $4.70, and $2.60. Happy Saver paid $3.80 and $2.20. Forza Di Oro paid $2.10 to show.

The G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, new to Saratoga for 2021, is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series. The winner gets a fees-paid guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding race at the Breeders' Cup World Championships, to be held Nov. 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

“It was beautiful. Max, in the [Grade 1] Suburban [victory], ran that race under different circumstances on an off track. For him to do this on a fast track in the Jockey Club Gold Cup here at Saratoga, it is very satisfying. This is who he is, and I thought it was a dominating win,” trainer Steve Asmussen said after the race.

“I was happy with him,” Santana told the NYRA Press Office after the Gold Cup. “Today, he broke good, so I was really happy with it. The trainer is doing all the [work].”

Bred in Kentucky by K and G Stables, Max Player is out of the Not For Love mare Fools In Love, a black-type stakes winner. Owned by George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds, the 4-year-old was a $150,000 RNA consigned by Lane's End at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup is Max Player's second win in four starts in 2021 for a lifetime record of four wins in 10 starts.

The post Max Player Scores Second BC Classic Spot With Gold Cup Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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War Like Goddess Earns Breeders’ Cup Berth With Flower Bowl Win

In a longtime turf stakes race run at a new distance and a new venue, War Like Goddess got a new title: Grade 1 winner. The daughter of English Channel bided her time behind the front-running La Signare, waited for the final turn to make her move, and sprinted away to victory over Great Island and My Sister Nat in the 1 3/8-mile Flower Bowl at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Breaking from the third post, War Like Goddess got a clean start, settling in third behind La Signare and Great Island early. On the backstretch, Lovely Lucky took over third, leaving War Like Goddess six lengths behind the front-running La Signare, who set early fractions of :24.71 for the first quarter, :48.83 for the half-mile, and 1:13.66 for six furlongs. Entering the final turn, the lead was down to two lengths as Great Island started to challenge La Signare's lead going into the Saratoga straight. Julien Leparoux angled War Like Goddess out from the hedge on the turn, seeking a clear running lane in the race's final furlongs.

In the stretch, Great Island made the lead as War Like Goddess sprinted down the center of the track, passing Great Island to take the lead and win by two lengths. Great Island held off a surging My Sister Nat to finish second.

The final time for the 1 3/8-mile G1 Flower Bowl was 2:13.07 over a firm turf course.

The Flower Bowl is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series. As a Win and You're In race for the Filly and Mare Turf, the winner earns a feed-paid guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding race at the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, War Like Goddess is a 4-year-old filly out of the North Light mare Misty North. Owned by George Krikorian, the filly is trained by Bill Mott. With her win in the Flower Bowl, the filly has four wins in five starts, for a lifetime record of six wins in seven starts. Consigned by Hemingway Racing and Training Stables, War Like Goddess was purchased by H N D Bloodstock for $30,000 at the 2020 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age sale.

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