Shaun Bridgmohan | Horse Racing Free Tips

Shaun Bridgmohan, Antonio Gallardo Shift Tack To Woodbine

Veteran jockeys Shaun Bridgmohan and Antonio Gallardo have both shifted their tack to Woodbine for the 2021 season, reports the Daily Racing Form, where they will be represented by agent Tom Patton. Patton formerly represented the recently-retired six-time Sovereign Award-winner Eurico Rosa da Silva.

Bridgmohan had been riding the Kentucky circuit, while Gallardo was most recently based at Presque Isle.

“I think the caliber of riders here has just shot up,” Patton told DRF. “When you've won as many races as Shaun, I don't care who you are, you're pretty good, and he's been riding against the best. He's been second in the Kentucky Derby, and second in Breeders' Cup races. He's done it all.

“Antonio has been the second-leading rider in North America twice in wins. In the last seven years, he's been in the top six five times. I think they're both really good riders.”

Bridgmohan began his Canadian tenure on Sunday, while Gallardo's first mounts come on Thursday's card.

Point Of Entry Filly Emro Takes Untapable Stakes At Kentucky Downs

Kueber Racing's Emro, who won her debut at Ellis Park, ran her record to 2-for-2 in taking the $400,000 Untapable Stakes at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky., a race for 2-year-old fillies the daughter of Point of Entry captured in dominant fashion by 2 3/4 lengths over Taylor's Tourist after a strong stretch run from off the pace under Shaun Bridgmohan.

“I was very proud of her,” said winning trainer Brad Cox. “She's been training well, obviously. She got it done first time out, and we've been pointing for this since she broke her maiden. Very, very happy with the performance and Shaun did a good job.”

After breaking cleanly from the far outside post 11 in the 6 1/2-furlong race on the turf, Emro was reserved in sixth position by Bridgmohan down the hill, 7 1/2 lengths from the front, into the sweeping turn. As the bunched field turned for home, Emro was six wide and 4 1/2 lengths off the pace but made short work of her competition from there. She narrowly led with an eighth of a mile remaining and prevailed by 2 3/4 lengths going away over a course rated good.

“They looked like they were going a little quick and they were spread out around the turn,” said Cox, who on Saturday won the $1-million, Grade 3 Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup with Arklow. “So I thought, well, they were going quick enough and we were laying in the middle of the pack, so I thought we were in a good spot. Then when she came off the turn, it looked like when Shaun asked her to pick it up, she wanted to duck in behind a horse. He straightened her up. She ran on, looks like she was clearing off and then she dropped back in. Obviously still green and has a lot to learn, but very talented filly that we think has a big future.”

The 7-1 fourth betting choice, Emro was timed in 1:16.31. Emro rocketed her earnings from $25,800 to $261,400 after adding the winner's share of $235,600. The final value of the race was $398,500.

“She ran very well, very talented filly,” Bridgmohan said. “She's 2 for 2. Last time she went to the lead. Today she came from off it. It shows her versatility. She ran a nice race.”

Taylor's Tourist, who was 10th and last at the first call under Florent Geroux, proceeded to pass every horse in the field but one. Behind her at the finish in third, beaten 5 3/4 lengths, was early pacesetter Fouzia, who was a neck better than Mad Maddy in fourth. Initial fractions were a torrid 21.48 seconds for the first quarter-mile and 45.15 seconds for four furlongs.

“She ran big,” Geroux said of Taylor's Tourist, who had won her debut by 9 3/4 lengths at Louisiana's Evangeline Downs. “She ran a pretty fast race first time out. But that was dirt. Now she switched to the turf, nobody really knew if she was going to like it. She's a very nice filly, galloped out strong. She was a little bit lost the first quarter-mile, couldn't get out and involved in the race. But she finished very nice.”

The top four were followed in order by Lady Edith, Lady Goldstart, 9-5 favorite Red Ghost, Herald Angel, Kewpie Doll and Becca's Bouquet. The field of 11 was effectively reduced to 10 when La Libertee stumbled badly leaving the gate, unseating Adam Beschizza.

“I'm fine,” Beschizza said back at the jockeys' room. As far as what happened, “I have no idea. Sometimes they don't catch themselves properly. She's a 2-year-old. She's a very sharp 2-year-old. She's always ready at any given moment. She probably rushed the start a little bit and couldn't catch any of her legs. Listen, she's got a bright little year ahead of her, what's left of it. She seemed to be unscathed, touch wood. She didn't go crazy running loose by herself.”

Payoffs were ample, with Emro rewarding her $2 backers $16.80 to win, $9.00 to place and $7.40 to show. Taylor's Tourist paid $21.20 and $14.60 to place and show, and Fouzia returned $8.40 to show.

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Factor This Digs In To Win Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup

The pressure never let up on Factor This as he made his 1 ¼-mile trek around Ellis Park on Sunday. It was an expected byproduct that comes with the burden of heavy favoritism, but it still made trainer Brad Cox's nerves fray slightly as he watched it unfold from afar.

While being the target comes with the territory when one brings a streak of graded victories to the table, so too does having the mettle to turn back any attempts to thwart that momentum. So after sending one threat after another on its way during the $100,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup Stakes, Factor This dug into the depths of his class in the final strides to keep the late-charging Hierarchy at bay by a half-length and notch his fourth straight triumph.

The Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Stakes was one of five turf stakes on Sunday's card comprising Kentucky Downs Preview Day at the RUNHAPPY Summer Meet at Ellis Park. A total of $4,118,000 was wagered on the 10-race card, one of the highest in track history.

Having earned consecutive wins in the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Stakes, Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Classic, and Grade 2 Wise Dan Stakes this season, Factor This came into the Preview Turf Stakes with the biggest reputation in the 11-horse field and, by extension, the most to lose. His front-running style is no secret so when the 4-5 favorite bounded away under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, he was met first by longshot Phantom Currency, who kept his head in front through opening fractions of :24.99 and :50.25.

“There was obviously another horse up there on the pace. That's a tough post (10) to win from, the way they angle the gate at the quarter pole,” said Cox, who watched the race from his base in Louisville. “He had to overcome some things today. Laid in the two path around both turns. But overall, I was super pleased with the horse. He always shows up.”

Factor This put his neck in front of Phantom Currency past the half but just as that challenger began to drop back, Ry's the Guy started to come with his bid and drew even with the son of The Factor around the far turn.

The nimble turn of foot from Factor This allowed him to put a bit of daylight between himself and his rivals entering the lane but that reprieve was short lived as Hierarchy came to him in deep stretch. To Cox's relief, that's as far as an upset bid would get as Factor This hit the wire a half-length in front to capture the race for a second straight year.

“Our horse wears blinkers and I think wants he feels the pressure of the other horse, he's got a lot of fight in him,” Cox said. “He showed that this winter at the Fair Grounds and probably showed it more than ever this summer at Churchill in the Wise Dan.

“(The soft turf) was another thing he had to overcome today. There was some pace presence today, the post and he won this race last year and set the track record – I know the race has only been run a few times at that distance.”

The final time was 2:04.52 over a course rated soft. Split the Wickets was third, 3 ¾-lengths behind runner-up Hierarchy.

“He got a perfect trip saving a lot of ground and got out, but he was second-best,” said Corey Lanerie, jockey of Hierarchy. “We just couldn't go by him.”

Factor This has two fees-paid berths in $1 million races: the Grade 3 Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup on Sept. 12 at 1 1/2 miles – a race he was fourth in last year – and the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on September 5 for winning the Fair Grounds' Grade 2 Muniz.

“We're going to let the dust settle. I think we'd like to take a shot in the Grade 1 on Derby Day,” Cox said. “I feel l like kept a pretty close eye on that division from a mile and an eighth to a mile and a quarter and I don't see anyone to be scared of, to be honest with you. I think this horse can win a Grade 1, given the right set up and the distance.”

Owned by Gaining Ground Racing and bred in Kentucky out of the Singspiel (IRE) mare Capricious Miss (GB), Factor This has won four of five starts in this his 5-year-old campaign with his lone defeat being a third-place run in the Colonel E. R. Bradley Stakes at Fair Grounds on January 18. He is also unbeaten in three starts at Ellis Park and improves his overall mark to 11 wins from 30 starts with $902,780 in earnings.

“He's a cool horse. I get along with him and he makes my job easy,” Bridgmohan said. “You just have to get him in position and he usually does it all. They come to him and he fights. He makes me look good every time. He's a hard-trying horse and as gutsy as they come. I'm just a passenger on him. He does all the work.”

Background: Factor This taking owners on “pretty crazy” ride

Quotes
Brad Cox, winning trainer, Factor This (by phone from Louisville): “There was obviously another horse up there on the pace. That's a tough post (11) to win from, the way they angle the gate at the quarter pole. He had to overcome some things today. Laid in the two path around both turns. But overall, I was super pleased with the horse. He always shows up. Very happy with Shaun and the position he put him in. We talked it over this morning how we thought the race would come up. Shaun had a good feeling the horse next to us on the lead would be right there, so he was prepared for that. He did a good job evaluating that. He really gets the most out of this horse.”

(On 1 Hierarchy coming on late) “Yeah he was. Our horse wears blinkers and I think wants he feels the pressure of the other horse, he's got a lot of fight in him. He showed that this winter at the Fair Grounds and probably showed it more than ever this summer at Churchill in the Wise Dan.”

Factor This has two fees-paid berths in $1 million races: the $1 million, Grade 3 Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup on Sept. 12 at 1 1/2 miles (a race he was fourth in last year after setting the pace) from winning the Ellis race, and the 1 1/8-mile Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on Sept. 5, Derby Day for winning the Fair Grounds' Grade 2 Muniz.

“We're going to let the dust settle. We'll talk to Tom and Brian Cutshall. I think we'd like to take a shot in the Grade 1 Derby Day. People are going to say it's a Grade 1. I feel l like kept a pretty close eye on that division from a mile and an eighth to a mile and a quarter and I don't see anyone to be scared of, to be honest with you. I think this horse can win a Grade 1, given the right set up and the distance.”

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Factor This Posts Game Front-Running Wise Dan Triumph

Gaining Ground Racing LLC's 5-year-old Factor This collected his third consecutive stakes win with a hard-fought, front-running triumph while holding off a fast-closing English Bee in Saturday's 31^strunning of the $200,000 Wise Dan (Grade II) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan and trained by Brad Cox, Factor This ran 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:41.15 to win by a neck as the even-money favorite. The $119,040 winner's share of the purse jumped his career record to 29-10-3-4—$844,070.

Pressured into the first turn, down the backstretch and leaving the final turn by English Bee's Calumet Farm stablemate Ritzy A.P., Factor This dictated the pace through splits of :23.93, :47.53 and 1:11.46. Bridgmohan dropped his hands at the top of the stretch and Factor This responded with determination as he inched clear and was able to hold off a rallying English Bee.

“We got a lot of pressure early and, once we sort of got into a rhythm, I tried to wait on him as much as possible,”Bridgmohan said. “I looked over and (Ritzy A.P.) was actually about to take the lead and then I had to go. He was still able to hold off the charge after getting that pressure early. He has a lot of fight and determination; he's just getting better.”

Factor This paid $4, $3.60 and $2.40. English Bee, with James Graham up, returned $8.60 and $5.40. Parlor was another three-quarters of a length back in third under Tyler Gaffalione and paid $3.80 to show.

Aquaphobia, Emmaus (IRE), March to the Arch, Casa Creed, Just Howard and Ritzy A.P. completed the order of finish. Hembree and Eons were scratched.

Factor This, a $62,500 claim in 2018, has won six races for Cox and Brian and Tom Cutshall, who race as Gaining Ground Racing LLC. Before the Wise Dan, Factor This won the $150,000 Fair Grounds (GIII) and $300,000 Muniz Memorial (GII) at Fair Grounds.

“That wasn't as easy as an even-money shot is supposed to win but he ran a huge effort,” Cox said. “He got pressure early and every step of the stretch he was able to fight off his rivals. It was an impressive effort on the front end. We'll get with the owners and determine a plan from here but it was very exciting to see how hard he ran today with that adversity.”

Factor This is a bay son of The Factor out of the Singspiel (IRE) mare Capricious Miss (GB). He was bred in Kentucky by Maccabee Farm.

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