slam dunk racing | Horse Racing Free Tips

Gregorian Chant Sings New Tune Sprinting To Clockers’ Corner Triumph

Well beaten in a Grade 2 stakes going a mile and one half on turf Nov. 27, trainer Phil D'Amato's English-bred Gregorian Chant shortened up in distance and rallied from last to first in Sunday's $70,000 Clockers' Corner Stakes at Santa Anita, winning by 2 ¼ lengths. Ridden by the meet's leading rider Juan Hernandez, Gregorian Chant got six furlongs out of the Arcadia, Calif., track's turf chute in 1:08.42 over a course listed as firm.

Entered in his first sprint since breaking his maiden at first asking going seven furlongs on a synthetic surface in Ireland on December 7, 2018, Gregorian Chant was ridden confidently by Hernandez, despite the fact he was trying an entirely different game today.

Last, about seven lengths off the lead heading into the far turn, Gregorian Chant was into the bridle as Hernandez angled out while trying to exploit a fast early pace set by Mr Vargas and Thanks Mr. Eidson. Six-wide turning for home, Gregorian Chant gained the advantage a sixteenth of a mile from home and won going away.

“Phil told me don't change his style,” said Hernandez, who had won aboard Gregorian Chant in a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance three starts back at Del Mar on Aug. 29. “It looked like there was plenty of speed and there was. The race set up good for us. Turning for home, I had a lot of horse and he just exploded. He passed those other horses pretty easy.”

Eleventh, beaten 15 ¾ lengths in the G2 Hollywood Turf Cup Nov. 27, Gregorian Chant was off at 10-1 and paid $23.00, $8.20 and $4.60.

“I gotta give Nick Cosato (Slam Dunk Racing) a lot of credit,” said D'Amato. “He thought of this after his last race. Just remembering what a big turn of foot he had from when we bought him, we thought it was worth a try. Juan fits this horse really well. Actually his brother, Jonathan, gallops him in the morning, so it's kind of a little family affair there. Juan has a special touch there with him and gets everything out of him.”

Owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Old Bones Racing Stable, LLC and Michael Nentwig, Gregorian Chant, a 5-year-old gelding, picked up his first stakes win and improved his overall mark to 13-4-0-2. Purchased privately following his maiden win in Ireland, Gregorian Chant picked up $43,920 for the win, increasing his earnings to $165,013.

Although passed by his stablemate at the top of the lane, Strike Me Down, who was five-deep at the time, kept to his task and overhauled Thanks Mr. Eidson by a head for second, giving D'Amato a one-two finish. Off as the 2-1 favorite with Umberto Rispoli, Strike Me Down paid $4.80 and $3.00.

Ridden by Edwin Maldonado, Thanks Mr. Eidson, who tracked Mr Vargas to the quarter pole, stayed on gamely and paid $3.60 to show.

Fractions on the race were 21.76, 44.65 and 56.63.

The post Gregorian Chant Sings New Tune Sprinting To Clockers’ Corner Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Drain The Clock Rebounds With 7 1/2-Length Limehouse Stakes Score

Slam Dunk Racing's Drain the Clock made a triumphant return to Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., Saturday, putting an unfortunate trip out of town behind him with a dazzling 7 ½-length victory in the $75,000 Limehouse Stakes.

The Limehouse, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds, was one of five stakes on Saturday's 11-race program that was headlined by the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man, a mile stakes for 3-year-olds that was the first stop on the Road to the Florida Derby (G1).

Drain the Clock registered the first stakes victory of his career that he launched with back-to-back victories at Gulfstream before making an unfortunate trip to Delta Downs for the Jean Lafitte Stakes, in which the rider was unseated due to a broken iron.

“It was really impressive. He impressed me today,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “He was always highly thought of. He was impressive in his debut. His second win was more workmanlike than impressive. Last time, it was a bit of a mishap. We got him back today and he showed up.”

Drain the Clock, the 9-5 favorite, was rated just off the pace set by Warrior's Pride, who posted fractions of 21.78 and 44.83 seconds while showing the way for the first half-mile. Edgard Zayas sent Drain the Clock after the pacesetter on the turn into the homestretch, and the son of Maclean's Music produced a powerful kick to pull away from the field.

“It was a pretty smooth trip. He broke sharp out of the gate. My only worry was that he was moving a little bit in the gate, but everything worked out really well,” Zayas said. “I was just trying to keep him in the clear and he did it all.”

Drain the Clock ran six furlongs in 1:10.11. Tiger finished second under Luis Saez, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Runway Magic and jockey Julien Leparoux.

Competitive Speed Gives Trainer 1st U.S. Stakes Win in Glitter Woman
John Minchello's Competitive Speed scored a 9-1 upset in Saturday's $75,000 Glitter Woman at Gulfstream Park, providing trainer Javier Gonzalez his first stakes success in the U. S.

“It's my first stakes here. We started the year on the right step. It seems to me that we will have some good things happen this year,” said Gonzalez, who has saddled multiple graded-stakes winners in Puerto Rico.

Hit the Woah, the 3-5 favorite ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., broke poorly from the starting gate and was never a factor while finishing fourth.

Competitive Speed ($20) collected her third straight victory with an off-the-pace performance in the 6 ½-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies. Shop Girl broke alertly, unlike her stablemate in the Christophe Clement barn, to show the way along the backstretch and around the far turn while setting fractions of 22.49 and 45.49 seconds for the first half mile. Competitive Speed launched a three-wide drive on the far turn under Leonel Reyes and set her sights on the pacesetter on the turn into the stretch. The daughter of Competitive Edge overtook Shop Girl approaching the 1/8-pole to capture her stakes debut by three lengths, completing the 6 ½ furlongs in 1:17.08.

Shop Girl, ridden by Luis Saez, finished second, 6 ½ lengths ahead of Gone to Cabo.

The post Drain The Clock Rebounds With 7 1/2-Length Limehouse Stakes Score appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Flashy 2-Year-Old Drain The Clock Making ‘Next Move Forward’ In Wednesday Allowance

Slam Dunk Racing's Drain the Clock is set to make a greatly anticipated return to action Wednesday at Gulfstream Park West, where the son of Maclean's Music will likely be a heavy favorite in the featured optional claiming allowance for 2-year-olds.

The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained colt debuted in a Sept. 12 off-the-turf maiden special weight race at Gulfstream Park, where he sprinted to the lead from his rail post position, shook off mild pressure and drew away to score by six lengths. The son of Maclean's Music ran five furlongs in slop in 58.73 seconds as the 8-5 favorite.

“He's a horse who, early on, showed a lot of promise. We thought we'd get him started on the turf. He trained well enough on dirt also, but we thought the turf would be easier fitness-wise to get him started in,” Joseph said. “He won nicely that day on the slop and we decided to keep him on the dirt and see where he stacks up. It's a nice spot, hopefully, to make a next move forward.”

Omaha City, who finished third, went on to graduate next time out in the Hollywood Beach Stakes on turf.

“Our horses, we don't press them to win first time out. If they win first time out, like him, that means they're just much better than the competition,” Joseph said. “You'd expect him to improve off that run. He's trained well. He had a nice five-eighths workout last week. He's going an extra furlong, but it doesn't seem like it should be an issue.”

Samy Camacho picks up the mount from leading rider Edgard Zayas, whose wife is scheduled to give birth to their second daughter Wednesday.

Joseph is also scheduled to saddle Don and Rebecca Ming's Worlds On High, another recent debut winner, in Wednesday's feature. The son of Shanghai Bobby captured a $50,000 maiden claiming race by 2 ¼ lengths under returning Alberto Burgos.

“He won nicely that day. Ideally, I would have liked to run him in a starter allowance, but there hasn't been one,” Joseph said. “I don't think he has the class of Drain the Clock, but again, you would think he'd improve second time out. It'll be interesting to see how he fits this time.”

Kathleen O'Connell-trained The Distractor, who also graduated against $50,000 claiming maidens while winning his debut by 7 ½ lengths at Gulfstream Park West Oct. 11, is also entered in the field of six juveniles.

Wednesday's feature is carded as Race 6 and will be included in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 sequence, which will span Races 4-9. The Rainbow 6 will have a guaranteed pool of $125,000.

The post Flashy 2-Year-Old Drain The Clock Making ‘Next Move Forward’ In Wednesday Allowance appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Maxim Rate Overpowers Competitition In Goldikova Stakes

A menacing presence a quarter mile from home, trainer Simon Callaghan's Maxim Rate cruised to the lead from there and marched to an emphatic 2 1/2-length win in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Goldikova Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, the 4-year-old daughter of Exchange Rate got one mile on turf in 1:33.85.

Ridden to a pair of wins by Rispoli this past summer at Del Mar, Maxim Rate was most recently second in the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at a mile and one quarter on the Santa Anita turf Sept. 26 when ridden by Luis Saez. With Rispoli back aboard today, she was into the bridle while third, about 1 1/2 lengths off the lead coming to the quarter pole, wheeled three-wide turning for home and went on to win in a fashion that indicated she could've prevailed at any distance.

“I think she has no problem with the distance,” said Rispoli. “I think Simon knows what he is doing. We know that she can go further…and that's why I wasn't afraid to go a mile and three-wide. Everybody knows I like to save ground, but that was not the case (today). I knew that she could go further and she responded really well. When she took the lead, she kind of pulled herself up a little bit, but she's definitely improving and I think she still can improve.”

With pacesetter Raymundos Secret dominating the wagering, Maxim Rate, who had been installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite, was a considerable overlay at 2-1 in a field of seven fillies and mares and paid $6.80, $4.00 and $2.40.

“She was always a very good filly, won her first time out and then she just plateaued a little bit as a 3-year-old, so we gave her some time off,” said Callaghan. “Thankfully the owners were really patient with her and that really helped her develop. I think she definitely is a better filly now, but I honestly think there's more scope for improvement. Obviously a very exciting filly for the future…

“I'm thinking the Matriarch (G1, one mile turf on Nov. 29) at Del Mar. That was actually our initial plan. After her last race I sat down with all the owners and that was the plan. She came out of her last race so well so I said, 'To be honest, we kinda need to run this filly because she is doing great.' Thankfully it worked out. It was a great win today.”

Owned by Nick Cosato's Slam Dunk Racing and James D. Branham, Maxim Rate, a G3 turf stakes winner at age 3, notched her second graded victory and her fifth win from 13 overall starts. Out of the Unbridled's Song mare Catch My Eye, Maxim Rate picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing her earnings to $402,185.

Next to last after the first half mile, Zee Drop rallied well to outfinish Tonahutu by one length under Mario Gutierrez. Off at 21-1, Zee Drop paid $14.20 and $6.00.

Irish-bred Tonahutu, who laid a close second to Raymundos Secret heading to the quarter pole and proved third-best, finishing a half length in front of “Raymundo.” Off at 6-1 with Abel Cedillo up, Tonahutu paid $4.60 to show.

In search of her third consecutive win under Flavien Prat, Raymundos Secret had no apparent excuses in a disappointing effort at even money.

Fractions on the race were 22.79, 46.20, 1:09.92 and 1:21.91.

Live racing will resume at Santa Anita with the track's traditional Winter/Spring opener on Saturday, Dec. 26. For more information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Maxim Rate Overpowers Competitition In Goldikova Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post