Shared News | Horse Racing Free Tips

Alittleloveandluck a Dual-Surface Threat in Florida Oaks

With a near 100% chance of precipitation in greater Tampa, Saturday's GIII Florida Oaks is at the mercy of Mother Nature, but whether the race remains on the grass or is transferred to the main track, the Mike Dini-owned and -trained Alittleloveandluck (Arrogate) stands an excellent shot of getting her picture taken post-race.

The gray tried open company in her first three appearances, rounding out the triple in a one-mile Parx maiden in October before besting her fellow Florida-breds by a nose in a sythetic-track test at Gulfstream Nov. 12. Up late to take the grassy Ginger Brew S. Jan. 1–in which she had next-out GIII Sweetest Chant S. heroine Opalina (Optimizer) back in third–Alittleloveandluck was second–albeit well-beaten–behind the promising Nest (Curlin) in the Feb. 12 Suncoast S. over the local main track.

Domain Expertise (Kitten's Joy) gave trainer Chad Brown a second Florida Oaks last year and the conditioner has a pair of entrants to try to put them back-to-back. Spicer (Quality Road), a debut third at Belmont Oct. 9, was a convincing 3 3/4-length maiden winner–with Ambitieuse (Medaglia d'Oro) third–at Aqueduct Nov. 19 and adds Lasix for this potential return to action. Brown also saddles French import Dolce Zel (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}), well-beaten in her Dieppe debut last July, but a latest 24-1 winner of a ParisLongchamp maiden for Alessandro and Giuseppe Botti Oct. 14. The bay would almost certainly come out of the race if removed from the turf.

Ambitieuse progressed from her debut third to graduate when tried over the Gulfstream Tapeta Dec. 29 and finished full of run when going down by three-parts of a length in the Sweetest Chant. Bred on the same cross that has produced MGISW Elate and a similar one to multiple champion Songbird, Ambitieuse is also a candidate to contest a main-track Oaks.

The post Alittleloveandluck a Dual-Surface Threat in Florida Oaks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Classic Causeway Looks To Hold Serve in Tampa Bay Derby

Currently ranked number one on the TDN Triple Crown Top 12, Kentucky West Racing LLC & the Clarke M. Cooper Family Living Trust's Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) will attempt to further cement his position as a chief protagonist of the 2022 sophomore crop when he jumps a warm favorite in Saturday's GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby on what projects a pretty wet afternoon on Florida's Suncoast.

One of three from the final crop of the 'Iron Horse' and one of two in the race, the blaze-faced chestnut made the most of a late start to his freshman campaign with an eye-catching debut score at Saratoga in September and was third from a horror draw when favored at 19-10 in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland the following month. A clear runner-up–with GIII Holy Bull S. hero White Abarrio (Race Day) second–in what has become a key running of the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill Nov. 27, Classic Causeway made all the running in this track's GIII Sam F. Davis S. Feb. 12, controlling the pace while stuck down inside of a longshot rival before charging home 3 3/4 lengths to the good of New York-bred Shipsational (Midshipman).

“He came out of the [Sam F. Davis] very well, he's carrying good weight and he has great energy, so we're counting our blessings,” trainer Brian Lynch said. “He seemed to really like the racetrack, so we thought the smart thing was to take him back over there and have a crack at the Tampa Bay Derby.”

The last to complete the Davis/Derby double was Destin–a son of Giant's Causeway–in 2016, while the stallion's Carpe Diem took the 2015 Derby. Giant's Causeway is also the broodmare sire of 2013 Tampa Derby hero Verrazano (More Than Ready).

Giant Game (Giant's Causeway), third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but well beaten in the Holy Bull, resurfaces here after being scratched out of last weekend's GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S.

Perfect in a pair of juvenile appearances, WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Major General (Constitution) makes his 3-year-old bow Saturday. The $420,000 Keeneland September grad narrowly bested a group of Saratoga maidens on debut Aug. 21 and made it two straight with a neck success in the GIII Iroquois S. in Louisville Sept. 18. The dark bay tries two turns for the first time here.

The well-tried Strike Hard (Flashback) won a Gulfstream allowance going the one-turn mile Dec. 5, earning 4-5 favoritism for the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man S. over the same track and trip. Beaten four lengths into second by Fountain of Youth hero Simplification (Not This Time) on that occasion, he endured a difficult wide trip in the Davis and although he failed to make up any ground in the final furlong, clawed his way past three rivals to finish fourth. He's slightly better drawn here and gets a significant jockey upgrade from Leonel Reyes to Luis Saez.

New shooters include Happy Boy Rocket (Runhappy), a good-looking allowance winner going two turns in Hallandale Jan. 29; Money Supply (Practical Joke), who Beyered 91 in breaking his maiden at first asking going six furlongs over this strip Feb. 12; and Belgrade (Hard Spun), who topped the horses-of-racing-age section at Keeneland January on a bid of $700,000 and exits a determined entry-level allowance score over six furlongs Feb. 19.

The post Classic Causeway Looks To Hold Serve in Tampa Bay Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Emerald Downs to Up Purses Again

Washington's Emerald Downs will increase purses by an additional 10% for the upcoming 2022 meeting. The overnight purse increase is the second 10% boost for the meet, making the total increase a robust 20% from last season, and comes on the heels of several incentive programs. It is also the track's third 10% increase since 2019.

“The more people that get tickets, buy food and beverage, and wager on the live races allows us to offer higher purse supplements,” said track president Phil Ziegler. “We are excited to welcome back families for a day of exciting horse racing plus the fun promotions we have with Corgi races, 3rd of July fireworks, and Indian relay races, just to name a few.”

Emerald Downs, owned and operated by the Muckleshoot Tribe, receives approximately 20% of all purses as a supplement from the Tribe. Opening day for the 52-day meet is Sunday, May 15.

The post Emerald Downs to Up Purses Again appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Letter to the Editor: J. William Boniface of Bonita Farm

Editor's Note: Go for Gin, winner of the 1994 GI Kentucky Derby and a former Bonita Farm stallion, died this week at age 31.

In 2011 my partner in Go for Gin, Joe Cornacchia, who was a true pillar of the sport and the old-style owner who, like myself, cared about the retirement of his horses, asked that I contact the Kentucky Horse Park about his placement there. Many thanks to the Park for his care during his last 10 years.

Ironically, he lived next door to another stud at Bonita Farm named Deputed Testamony, who is buried on the farm after his demise at age 32. Now in that stall is retired stallion Mojave Moon, who, at 26 years of age, shows no sign of slowing down.

I'm beginning to think that the Fountain of Youth may not be in Florida but instead in Darlington, Maryland.

Thanks again to all the personnel at the Kentucky Horse Park that provided care for Go for Gin.

The post Letter to the Editor: J. William Boniface of Bonita Farm appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post