Simon Callaghan | Horse Racing Free Tips

Up-And-Comers Look For Breakthrough in Torrey Pines

An unproven but potential-laden field of seven will do battle early on Saturday’s blockbuster card at Del Mar in the GIII Torrey Pines S. going a mile over the main track.

Pam and Martin Wygod’s Secret Keeper (Into Mischief) looks to remain unbeaten in her two-turn bow. Unveiled going 5 1/2 furlongs May 25 at Santa Anita, the homebred reeled in an odds-on Bob Baffert firster to triumph going away before stretching out a furlong and scoring in similar fashion over Baffert’s re-opposing pair of Merneith (American Pharaoh) and Provocation (Into Mischief) here July 25.

Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor’s Harvest Moon (Uncle Mo) will try to make it three in a row for Simon Callaghan. Third when unveiled going a grassy mile June 12 at Santa Anita, the bay moved to the dirt to graduate July 3 at Los Alamitos and repeated sharply by 4 1/4 lengths in a track-and-trip optional claimer July 27.

‘TDN Rising Star’ Aurelia Garland (Constitution) ships in for trainer Rodolphe Brisset. A dominant first-out victress under the tutelage of Wesley Ward last May, the chestnut was off a year and two weeks before returning with a late-running third in a Churchill optional claimer May 16. Filling the same slot at 4-5 in her two-turn debut there June 11, she finished second last out in the GIII Iowa Oaks July 5 at Prairie Meadows.

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Donna Veloce Back in Kentucky Oaks Picture

Considered one of the leading members of her division before she went to the sidelines this spring Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo) has reemerged as a serious candidate for the Sept. 4 GI Kentucky Oaks.

After finishing second as the favorite in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and again in the GI Starlet S., Donna Veloce began her 3-year-old campaign with a win over Speech (Mr. Speaker) in the GIII Santa Ysabel S.Mar. 8 at Santa Anita. Sidelined with what trainer Simon Callaghan called “a little minor thing,” she has not run since the March race.

“She is a possibility for the Oaks,” Callaghan said. “She will have an important breeze on Friday [at Del Mar]. We are actually planning on doing it just before the races begin and [jockey] Flavien Prat will breeze her. That will be a pretty good indicator of whether we think the Oaks is the right race for her or whether we go in the [Sept. 4 GII] Eight Belles [S.]. I am pretty sure she will be coming to Churchill for one race or the other.”

Donna Veloce worked three furlongs at Del Mar July 10, her first work since Apr. 4. Since her return she’s had six works, the last two at five furlongs.

Whether she goes in the Sept. 4 Oaks or the seven-furlong Eight Belles, Donna Veloce will face the difficult task of having to face top competition after a layoff of nearly six months. Callaghan said his filly is up to the task.

“Typically, this obviously would be a big ask for any horse,” he said. “This filly does seem to fire really good races fresh. She is that type of filly. She broke her maiden first time out after a relatively light breeze campaign. When we gave her some time off and brought her back this year for the Santa Ysabel she came back and won off a layoff. She gets herself pretty fit in the morning and she puts a lot into her breezes. She’s extremely clean winded and is definitely the type of filly that can get herself ready.”

Should she go in the Oaks, she’ll also have to prove she has the ability to beat what may be two of the best fillies to come around in years in Gamine (Into Mischief) and Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil)

“They are two super talented fillies,” Callaghan said. “There’s no doubt about that. Gamine might have some distance limitations. I’m not saying she does but she could, But she is insanely talented and so is Swiss Skydiver. It is without question a very, very deep field.”

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Second Chances: Vittorio

In this continuing series, TDN’s Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Vittorio (c, 2, Ghostzapper-Roberta Turner, by Smart Strike), a $750,000 OBS Spring purchase by Kaleem Shah, has every right to build off a better-than-it-looked debut fifth going five furlongs at Del Mar Aug. 1 (video).

Off to a tardy beginning after breaking inward at the start, the 4-1 chance, equipped with blinkers, was slow into stride and trailed the field in ninth through an opening quarter in :23.28. He began to make a flashy, sweeping move while four/five wide on the far turn beneath Mike Smith as Freedom Fighter (Violence) led with Dixie’s Two Stents (Quality Road) in hot pursuit in second.

Into fifth and looking a potential danger as they turned for home despite the slow start and wide trip, Vittorio raced a bit greenly from there hanging on his left lead and lugging in some as the top two ran away from the field with Freedom Fighter digging down gamely for a head victory. It was another 5 1/4 lengths back to Petruchio (Into Mischief) in third, who chased the top two throughout in a race that the speed held very well together.

Vittorio, 8 1/4 lengths adrift the winner, earned a 53 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. He is trained by Simon Callaghan.

“He got left behind at the start and lost all chance,” Shah said. “Mike Smith liked the horse, and with more gate works in him, he should be a different horse in his next start. Vittorio came out of his race in good shape. He should improve with more distance down the road.”

Vittorio, a $250,000 Keeneland September yearling graduate, was the fifth most expensive purchase at this year’s postponed Spring Sale in Ocala after breezing an eighth in a bullet :9 4/5 from the Sequel Bloodstock consignment. Bloodstock agent Ben McElroy signed the ticket on behalf of Shah.

“The good horses cost a lot of money for sure,” Shah said. “I do like the 2-year-old in training sales where most of my horse racing success has come from and I had to stretch a lot to get him–Bob Baffert was the underbidder. Simon Callaghan and Ben McElroy liked this horse a lot at the sale.”

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Vittorio is out of a half-sister to MSW & MGSP Foxy Danseur (Mr. Greeley), the dam of graded stakes-winning ‘TDN Rising Star’ Ever So Clever (Medaglia d’Oro).

“Vittorio means victorious in Italian,” Shah concluded. “I sure hope he is a winner of many prestigious races down the road.”

Previous standouts featured in ‘Second Chances’ include: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code), Royal Ascot G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), MGISW and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), MSW and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. runner-up Candy Tycoon (Twirling Candy).

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BC Announces Guests for Cocktails and Conversation Broadcast

Trainer Simon Callaghan and Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano are the special guests for this week’s installment of the Breeders’ Cup’s Cocktails & Conversation. The broadcast is a recurring virtual happy hour series designed to rally the industry into raising funds for communities that have been profoundly impacted by COVID-19.

It airs Thursday, Aug. 6 at 6 p.m. ET via Breeders’ Cup’s Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The episode will be hosted by Nick Luck and Britney Eurton of NBC Sports and 21 Club mixologist and creator of Breeders’ Cup’s official cocktails Mark Tubridy.

All proceeds generated from Cocktails & Conversation are wholly donated to the following organizations benefitting the horse racing and hospitality industries: Race Track Chaplaincy of America, USBG National Charity Foundation and Restaurant Workers Relief Program.

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