Steve Asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

Lone Star: Dependable Direct Dial Shows Up Again On Sunday’s Texas-Bred Stakes Card

Five Texas-bred stakes races highlighted Sunday's racing action at Lone Star Park, highlighted by Direct Dial's victory in the Wayne Hanks Memorial.

The W.S. Farish homebred has now pushed his career earnings over $500,000, winning in state-bred company for the fifth time in a year.

Direct Dial is trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Stewart Elliot, who was aboard for all five of the Texas-bred victories.

Favorite, Mr. Money Bags set the pace and was in front from the quarter pole, but Direct Dial got the best of him late to win by a half-length. Kenai Bob was a weakening third.

Final time for the six and a half furlongs was 1:16.37.

First stakes on the card was the $50,000 Texas Horseracing Hall of Fame Stakes and it was Carolyn Barnett and Becky Harding's Sunlit Song ($2.60) was all business focusing on the task at hand. When asked once down the lane he responded perfectly to win by two lengths. Moojab Jr. finished second two and a half lengths ahead of Gotherightonebaby in third. Redatory stalked the early pace and made a bid on the far turn, but came up empty finishing last of the field of five. Beta Lake finished a neck in from of him.

Final time for the mile and a sixteenth on the grass was 1:42.35. David Cabrera was up for the win and said, “I just let him do his thing and he was relaxed sitting second and they so slow it set us up perfect. It's to ride a horse like this.”

This was his eighth win from twelve starts over this course. Winning trainer was Mindy Willis.

Staunch Avenger Division of the Texas Stallion Stakes for Colts & Geldings

Favorite, Tengo Mis Papeles, owned by Wayne Sanders & Larry Hirsch was outstanding in this five furlong contest. The My Golden Song colt broke quickly and clear. Briefly challenged, he put that foe away with ease and drew off to a perfect nine and three quarter length victory in his debut. Pickingupstrangers grabbed the place and Pinky Ring Bling challenged the winner on the turn and faded to third. Bodymoor Heath was last in this short field of four.

Final time for the five eights on the dirt was :58.97.

Winning rider Reylu Gutierrez said, “When I poked a head in front at the quarter pole, I knew it was over.”

Winning trainer was Bret Calhoun

Lane's End Danny Shiffett Scholarship Stakes

Eleven fillies & mares went forward in this and it was De Luca and Sons Stables, Boerne who proved best today. She was away first, then briefly letting Discreet Smile run on the lead, but when she made her bid on the far turn it was all over for the others. Boerne ($11.20) crossed the finish first by one and a quarter lengths. Zarelda was second with third going to Shes Our Fastest. In fourth it was favorite Miss Perfecta followed by Corluna, Ima Discreet Lady, Herbs Love, Discreet Smile, Gee She Sparkles, No Mas Tequila and Tahitian Breeze completed the order of finish. Light Up the Devil was a late scratch.

Winning trainer was Robertino Diodoro, winning jockey, Ramon Vazquez.

Final time was 1:28.83 for the seven and a half furlongs on the Lone Star Park turf course.

Pan Zareta Division of the Texas Stallion Stakes for Fillies

Winning the filly division for owner W. S. Farish was Eagle Express ($6.00), by Eagle. Trained by Steve Asmussen, she finished second in her debut here last month, but showed much improvement today running like a professional. Going forward today as post time favorite, she was five lengths the best in this five furlong contest on the main track.

With Stewart Elliott up, the pair completed the race in :58.82 seconds over a fast track. It's a Gee Thing was second and Texas Thunder was a weakening third beaten by 13 lengths in his debut, racing greenly.

The post Lone Star: Dependable Direct Dial Shows Up Again On Sunday’s Texas-Bred Stakes Card appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Eagle Gets First Winner, Stakes Winner at Lone Star

Eagle Express became the first winner and stakes winner in one fell swoop from just eight first-crop foals for 2016 GIII Ben Ali S. winner Eagle (Candy Ride {Arg}). Second on debut here May 14, the 2-1 favorite broke on top before chasing Texas Thunder through a :22.67 opening quarter. Forced to go wide into the stretch when floated by the pacesetter, Eagle Express soared home from there much the best. The winner has a yearling ful-brother and a foal half-brother by Moonshine Mullin.

TEXAS STALLION PAN ZARETA DIVISION S., $75,000, Lone Star, 6-13, (C), 2yo, f, 5f, :58.82, ft.
1–EAGLE EXPRESS, 118, f, 2, by Eagle
                1st Dam: My Girl Bess, by More Than Ready
                2nd Dam: Rapunzel Runz, by Explodent
                3rd Dam: Fortune's Favour, by Sir Ivor
($6,500 RNA Ylg '20 TTAYHR). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-W. S.
Farish (TX); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Stewart Elliott. $45,000.
Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $51,760. First winner & stakes
winner for freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}).
2–Its a Gee Thing, 118, f, 2, Early Flyer–Gucci Brown, by Big
Brown. ($10,000 Ylg '20 TTAYHR). O-GFB Racing LLC & Danny
Pish; B-Ashley Hiller (TX); T-Danny Pish. $15,000.
3–Texas Thunder, 118, f, 2, Bradester–Bronxgirl, by Corinthian.
($5,000 Ylg '20 TTAYHR; $112,000 2yo '21 TTAAPR). O-Carl R.
Moore Management LLC; B-Robert C. Francis (TX); T-Karen E.
Jacks. $8,250.
Margins: 5, 8 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 2.00, 2.30, 8.40.
Also Ran: Wicked Song, Mysterious Star, Sea of Life, Pow Pow, Jan's Turn to Win.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Eagle Gets First Winner, Stakes Winner at Lone Star appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Pletcher-Trained Basin Will Try To Spring The Upset In Salvator Mile

It isn't often that a Grade 1 winner trainer by Todd Pletcher gets overlooked in a stakes race. But with defending champion Pirate's Punch and the talented Ny Traffic heading the field for Saturday's Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park, that seems to be the case with Basin.

The 4-year-old son of Liam's Map, who won the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga as a 2-year-old and then was second in the Arkansas Derby last year to Charlatan, will be making just his fourth start for Pletcher.

Fellow Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen had Basin for his first seven career starts.

A $150,000 yearling purchase who has earned $568,260 in 10 lifetime starts, Basin is coming off an eighth-place finish in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes on May 1 – though he was beaten just 3¾ lengths in that seven-furlong race.

“He wasn't beaten far at Churchill,” Pletcher said. “The whole field was two or three lengths apart. He got squeezed out late but he was just starting to not hold his spot late. I thought he ran competitively in a pretty deep field.”

In three career starts for Pletcher, Basin, owned by Jackpot Farm, shows a second in the Grade 2 Amsterdam last August at Saratoga and a win in the Sir Shackleton Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 27.

His best efforts, with the exception of the Arkansas Derby, have come at seven furlongs or less. But Pletcher is confident the two-turn Salvator Mile, which has attracted a field of 10, won't be an issue.

“We felt like a two-turn, one-mile race suits him well,” Pletcher said. “He trains like the two turns and longer won't be an issue. I felt like timing-wise this was (a) good (spot) and he's had good breezes since the Churchill race.”

Pirate's Punch, who notched a two-length victory in the Salvator Mile last year, has not raced since the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 7. Trainer Grant Forster said the 5-year-old gelding had a chip surgically removed from one of his knees following that race but that he has trained exceptionally well during the time off.

Ny Traffic, second by nose to 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic in last year's TVG.com Haskell Stakes, turned in an impressive first race back for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. as a prep for this race. He won an allowance optional claimer at Belmont Park by 6 ¾ lengths on May 2.

The 74th running of the Salvator Mile, which carries a purse of $150,000, will go as the 10th race on a 13-race card. First race post time is 12:15 p.m.

The post Pletcher-Trained Basin Will Try To Spring The Upset In Salvator Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Pricey Bernardini Debutante Romps in Belmont Graduation

3rd-Belmont, $78,300, Msw, 6-10, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:06.47, ft,
9 3/4 lengths.
VELVET SISTER (f, 2, Bernardini–Backslash, by Sharp Humor), bought for $500,000 after breezing a :10 1/5 furlong at Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream, debuted a sharp maiden winner Thursday at Belmont for Stonestreet Stables and Steve Asmussen. Showing a quartet of half-mile works at Keeneland, highlighted by a :47 2/5 (5/99) spin from the gate May 8, and a pair of maintenance spins over the local training track, the New York-bred was made a distant 12-5 second choice in a three-horse field behind 1-2 Chad Brown firster Gerrymander (Into Mischief). Out-breaking that rival as remaining foe Amazing Dream (First Samurai) stumbled, the bay dictated terms narrowly while pressed by the favorite through a :22.72 quarter. Gerrymander began to come under more urging nearing the stretch as Joel Rosario sat chilly on the frontrunner, and Velvet Sister shook away outside the furlong grounds, driving clear from there to win wrapped up late by 9 3/4 lengths. Gerrymander, who swapped leads several times in the stretch, was second; Amazing Dream never got involved. The winner is a half-sister to My Boy Tate (Boys At Tosconova), MSW, $584,988. Her dam is responsible for a yearling Frosted filly and foaled a filly by Congrats Apr. 9. Sales History: $165,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $500,000 2yo '21 FTFMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Michelle Nevin & Godolphin (NY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.

The post Pricey Bernardini Debutante Romps in Belmont Graduation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post