silver state | Horse Racing Free Tips

Fantastic Five For Whitney

A compact, but talented field of five will face the starter for Saturday's GI Whitney S., a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar Nov. 6.

Korean Racing Authority's Knicks Go (Paynter) has been pegged as the 6-5 morning-line favorite for trainer Brad Cox and jockey Joel Rosario. The 5-year-old is perfect in his last five starts around two turns, including a latest blow-out, big-figure success in the GIII Cornhusker H. at Prairie Meadows July 2. Cox attributes his losses in the Saudi Cup in February and in the GI Met Mile to a one-turn route configuration

“There was no hangover with him [out of the Saudi Cup] with how he was training, but back of my mind that one turn isn't his thing,” Cox told NYRA's Andy Serling after Knicks Go drew gate four, before telegraphing an unsurprising race strategy.

“Once the gate opens, it's up to Joel. Speed is his weapon and we'll try to utilize it,” Cox said.

Cox won last weekend's GII Jim Dandy S. for Godolphin with champion Essential Quality (Tapit), and Maxfield (Street Sense) will look to keep the ball rolling for the 'boys in blue.' Defeated into third in the GI Santa Anita H. in March, the homebred has since rolled to easy victories in the GII Alysheba S. and GII Stephen Foster S. at Churchill Downs. The 8-5 morning-line second choice departs the five hole with regular rider Jose Ortiz.

“He like the rest of us has enjoyed the weather. He's had a great preparation and he's ready to go,” Godolphin USA President Jimmy Bell said post-draw.

Silver State (Hard Spun) carries an imposing six-race winning streak into the Whitney, capped by a one-length defeat of the re-opposing By My Standards (Goldencents) in the Met June 5. Ricardo Santana, Jr. rides the 4-1 chance from the two hole, while By My Standards, runner-up to Improbable (City Zip) last year, has regular partner Gabriel Saez in gate one.

Swiss Skydiver (Dardevil) has already beaten the boys once in her career, taking down the colors of eventual Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief) in last year's GI Preakness S. She will look to join the likes of Personal Ensign and Lady's Secret as female winners of the Whitney.

“The way the ball bounced, we really wanted to get her back into the game,” said trainer Ken McPeek, whose barn has only recently emerged from quarantine. “She's doing super. We're excited, she's won here before and it's going to be a fun weekend. We try to get her in a nice rhythm out there and let her make a run.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call on the 6-1 gamble from post position three.

Saturday, Saratoga

WHITNEY S.-GI, $1,000,000, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m

1 By My Standards (Goldencents), Calhoun, G Saez, 10-1

2 Silver State (Hard Spun), Asmussen, Santana Jr, 4-1

3 Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), McPeek, Ortiz Jr, 6-1

4 Knicks Go (Paynter), Cox, Rosario, 6-5

5 Maxfield (Street Sense), Walsh, Ortiz, 8-5

The post Fantastic Five For Whitney appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Maxfield Tops Essential Quality In Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings

For the sixth consecutive week, Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield is the No. 1 rated horse in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, a weekly poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). This year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic will be run at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 6 as the final race of the 38^th Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Maxfield, trained by Brendan Walsh, received 22 first-place votes and 280 total votes. Maxfield earned an automatic berth into this year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs on June 26.

Godolphin's 3-year-old Essential Quality, last year's TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner, remained in second place with 273 votes. Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality won Saturday's 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga by a half-length over Keepmeinmind. The victory was Essential Quality's fourth in five starts this year and was his first start since winning the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 5.

Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss's 3-year-old Hot Rod Charlie, trained by Doug O'Neill, is in third place with 225 votes.

Korea Racing Authority's 5-year-old Knicks Go, winner of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park in January and the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) on July 2, moved up one spot to fourth place with 163 votes.

Also trained by Cox, Knicks Go is expected to face Maxfield and Silver State in this Saturday's Whitney (G1) at Saratoga, which is a “Win and You're In” for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Juddmonte's 3-year-old Mandaloun drops one spot to fifth place with 161 votes. Also trained by Cox, Mandaloun finished a nose behind Hot Rod Charlie in the July 17 TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park, but was declared the race winner following the disqualification of Hot Rod Charlie for interference in the stretch.

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's 4-year-old Silver State remained in sixth place with 105 votes. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Silver State is unbeaten in four starts this year, which includes victories in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and Belmont's Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1).

St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska stayed in seventh place with 85 votes. Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska won the Ogden Phipps (G1) at Belmont Park and the Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in her last two starts.

CRK Stable's 4-year-old Express Train, winner of the San Diego Handicap (G2) at Del Mar, rose from 10^th to eighth place with 66 votes. George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp.'s 4-year-old Max Player, winner of Belmont's Suburban (G2), is tied in ninth place with Wertheimer and Frere's 4-year-old Happy Saver, who finished third in the Suburban. Max Player, also trained by Asmussen, and Happy Saver, trained by Todd Pletcher, have 59 points apiece.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Aug. 3, 2021*

Rank	Horse	Votes	First-Place Votes	Previous Week
1	Maxfield	280	22	1
2	Essential Quality	273	7	2
3	Hot Rod Charlie	225	1	3
4	Knicks Go	163	0	5
5	Mandaloun	161	0	4
6	Silver State	105	0	6
7	Letruska	85	0	7
8	Express Train	66	0	10
9	Happy Saver	59	0	9
9	Max Player	59	0	8

*Note – The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

The 2021 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 ¼ miles on the main track, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC.

The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers, and members of the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. Rankings will be announced each week through Oct. 11. A list of voting members can be found here.

In the Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.

The post Maxfield Tops Essential Quality In Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Letruska On Top In NTRA Thoroughbred Poll

St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska remains at No. 1 in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, with the order of the top 10 horses staying almost the same as last week.

Letruska, trained by Fausto Gutierrez, has 16 first-place votes and 327 points. This year, Letruska has Grade 1 victories in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park and in the Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park. She also has a Grade 2 win in the Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfied, trained by Brendan Walsh, is in second place with six first-place votes and 279 points. A winner three times in four starts in 2021, Maxfield captured the June 26 Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs in his most recent start.

Klaravich Stables' Domestic Spending, and Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's 4-year-old Silver State, are now in a third-place tie, each with 250 points. Trained by Chad Brown, Domestic Spending, with seven first-place votes, finished in a dead heat for first with Colonel Liam in the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic, and won the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park. Silver State, trained by Steve Asmussen, has won all four of his starts this year, including a last-out victory in the Grade 1 Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 5 at Belmont. Silver State received three first-place votes this week.

Godolphin's 3-year-old Essential Quality, who won the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, remained in fifth place. Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality, who is being pointed to this Saturday's Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, has three first-place votes and 215 points.

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go, also trained by Cox, is in sixth place. Winner of the Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap on July 2 and Gulfstream Park's Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January, Knicks Go has 151 points.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Mystic Guide was taken out of training last week due to a knee injury. Trained by Mike Stidham, Mystic Guide, the Group 1 Dubai World Cup winner, retained seventh place with two first-place votes and 104 points.

Michael Lund Petersen's 4-year-old Gamine, the 2020 champion female sprinter, is three for three this year, including a victory in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff presented by Kendall Jackson Winery at Churchill Downs. Trained by Bob Baffert, Gamine is in eight place with 101 points.

Juddmonte's 3-year-old Mandaloun, who was moved up from second to first place in the Grade 1 TVG.com Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 18 following the disqualification of Hot Rod Charlie, retained ninth place. Mandaloun, who finished second in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, has 55 points.

Hot Rod Charlie, owned by Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss, moved from 11th to 10th place this week, replacing Godolphin's Althiqa (GB). Hot Rod Charlie, second in the Belmont Stakes, has 48 points.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through Nov. 6.

The full results for the NTRA Thoroughbred Polls can be found on the NTRA website at: https://www.ntra.com/ntra-top-thoroughbred-poll-july-26-2021/

The post Letruska On Top In NTRA Thoroughbred Poll appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Letruska Retains Her Lead In NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

For the third consecutive week, St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska has been voted No. 1 in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, while Klaravich Stables' 4-year-old gelding Domestic Spending has risen to third place.

Letruska, trained by Fausto Gutierrez, has Grade 1 victories in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park and in the Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park. She also won her most recent race, the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs. A daughter of 2010 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, Letruska has 13 first-place votes and 280 points.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfied, trained by Brendan Walsh, holds onto second place with five first-place votes and 246 points. Maxfield has won three of four starts this year, including a commanding victory in the June 26 Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs. Maxfield's only career defeat in eight starts was a third-place finish in this year's Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap.

Domestic Spending, trained by Chad Brown, entered the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll at No. 10 on May 3 after finishing in a dead heat for first with Colonel Liam in the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic. Since then, Domestic Spending has steadily climbed in the rankings, helped largely by his 2 ¾-length victory in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park on June 5. Domestic Spending moved from fourth to third place this week, earning six first-place votes and 216 points.

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's 4-year-old Silver State has won all four of his starts this year, including a last-out victory in the Grade 1 Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 5 at Belmont. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Silver State rose from fifth to fourth place with three first-place votes and 207 points.

Godolphin's 3-year-old Essential Quality, who won the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, improved from sixth to fifth place. Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality, who also captured the Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, has three first-place votes and 181 points.

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go, also trained by Cox, won the Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap on July 2 by 10 ½ lengths. Also victorious in Gulfstream Park's Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January, Knicks go is in sixth place with 122 points.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Mystic Guide, winner of the Group 1 Dubai World Cup and second in the Grade 2 Suburban at Belmont, slipped from third to seventh place this week after the announcement that he will require surgery for a knee chip. Trained by Mike Stidham, Mystic Guide received two first-place votes and 102 points.

Michael Lund Petersen's 4-year-old Gamine, the 2020 champion female sprinter, has won all three of her starts this year, including the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff presented by Kendall Jackson Winery at Churchill Downs. Trained by Bob Baffert, Gamine has 81 points and is in eighth place.

Moving from 18th to ninth place this week is Juddmonte's 3-year-old Mandaloun. The third runner in the top 10 trained by Cox, Mandaloun was moved up from second to first place in the Grade 1 TVG.com Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday following the disqualification of Hot Rod Charlie. Mandaloun, who finished second in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, has 47 points.

Rounding out the top 10 is another turf star, the 4-year-old filly Althiqa (GB). Owned by Godolphin and trained by Charlie Appleby, Althiqa captured her second Grade 1 this year on Saturday when she took the Diana Stakes at Saratoga. Althiqa, who has 45 points, also won the Longines Just a Game on June 5 at Belmont.

The full results for the NTRA Thoroughbred Polls can be found on the NTRA website at: https://www.ntra.com/ntra-top-thoroughbred-poll-july-19-2021/

The post Letruska Retains Her Lead In NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post