stilleto boy | Horse Racing Free Tips

Stilleto Boy Aims for Gold Cup Glory

Steve Moger's Stilleto Boy (Shackleford), who has been knocking on the door to top-level success, will attempt to gain that first Grade I victory while facing four rivals in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita Monday. The chestnut gelding, 7-5 on the morning line, was second in last year's GI Awesome Again S. and third in the GI Malibu S., GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, and GI Santa Anita H. before scoring a front-running victory in the Apr. 30 GII Californian S. last time out.

Pegram, Watson and Weitman's Defunded (Dialed In) looked poised for big things when second in last year's GIII Affirmed S. and GIII Los Alamitos Derby, but went to the sidelines following an optional-claimer romp at Del Mar in August. The 4-year-old, 3-1 on the morning line, resurfaced with a powerful victory in a one-mile optional claimer at Santa Anita May 8 in his first start for trainer Sean McCarthy.

Fox Hill Farms and Siena Farm's Royal Ship (Brz) (Midshipman) missed by just a head to subsequent G1 Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammer (Tonalist) in last year's Gold Cup. He returned from eight months on the sidelines to score a front-running victory in the Apr. 10 John Shear S. last time out.

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Express Train Seeks Elusive Grade I in Big ‘Cap

Placed no fewer than four times at the top level, C R K Stable LLC's Express Train (Union Rags) looks to get over the hump in Saturday's GI Santa Anita H., the last of six graded events on a blockbuster program at the Great Race Place.

Runner-up to Charlatan (Speightstown) in the 2020 GI Malibu S., the $500,000 Keeneland September acquisition filled the same spot behind Idol (Curlin) in this event 12 months ago. Third to recent G1 Saudi Cup second Country Grammer (Tonalist) in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup a couple starts later, the bay was third to the late Medina Spirit (Protonico) in the GI Awesome Again S. and exits victories in the GII San Antonio S. Dec. 26 and a successful defense of his title in the GII San Pasqual S. Feb. 5.

“I hope there's a little speed in the race and we can sit a bit off it if all goes well,” said trainer John Shirreffs. “We're really happy with Express Train, how he's doing now and what he's accomplished.”

Though he has yet to get his picture taken in six outings since bringing $420,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton July HORA Sale, Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) has earned back better than $483,000 with some high-profile performances. After completing the exacta at nearly 55-1 in the Awesome Again, the chestnut was a respectable fifth behind Horse of the Year Knicks Go (Paynter) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in November before cutting back to seven furlongs to finish third to 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) in the GI Runhappy Malibu S. He punched above his weight yet again when a longshot third to 'Rising Star' and G1 Dubai World Cup-bound Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Jan. 29 and is in line for another handsome payday here.

Warrant (Constitution) hasn't missed the top three in his eight trips to the post to date, finishing runner-up in the GIII West Virginia Derby last August ahead of a convincing 1 3/4-length success in the GIII Oklahoma Derby Sept. 26. Given a bit of a breather, the Twin Creeks homebred stands to come on greatly for his third-place effort to 'Rising Star' Mandaloun (Into Mischief) and Saudi Cup third Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) in the GIII Louisiana S. at the Fair Grounds Jan. 22.

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Desormeaux Arrested for Domestic Abuse

Kent Desormeaux, scheduled to ride Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) for trainer Steve Moger in Saturday's Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream, was arrested Friday for “Domestic Abuse Battery/Strangulation” according to a Facebook post from the Breaux Bridge, Louisiana police department.

Desormeaux, 51, “was arrested, booked and transported to the St. Martin Parish Jail on the above mentioned charge,” reads the post, which includes a shot of Desormeaux taken upon his arrest. It was unclear who the altercation was with.

Reached Friday, the police department said they did not have any further information. A poster named Nona Kaenel wrote, “I can't stop crying. What he did to my friend was inexcusable. No more hiding.” She also shared the photo and the police department's post of Desormeaux on her own Facebook page at around 1:30 Eastern today and said, “prayers for my friend. She's at the hospital now. Absolutely did not deserve what happened to her.”

Desormeaux is from nearby Maurice, and family lives in the Breaux Ridge area, and speculation was that he may have been there to visit them on the way to ride in the Pegasus. Desormeaux has been riding at Santa Anita, where he is currently sixth in the standings with earnings of $470,000 from five wins in 42 starts.

Desormeaux has had a long history of trouble with the law and racing authorities. Just last week, the California Horse Racing Board released a complaint against him for causing a disturbance in November.

“The offense alleged occurred on or about November 23, 2021 and is as follows,” the complaint reads. “Kent Desormeaux got into a disturbance at the RV park area of Del Mar. He was seen getting into an argument with his girlfriend and yelling causing a disturbance in the RV park area where security had to respond to the location. Desormeaux admitted to drinking alcohol throughout the year which is in violation of Official Ruling DMTD092 in which he was supposed to follow the recommendations of the Winners Foundation. On 12/14/2020, Kent signed an agreement to abstain from using any mind altering or mood changing substances from 12/14/2020 through 12/26/2021.”

While a successful jockey from the time he started riding in 1986, Desormeaux has also struggled with substance abuse and alcohol problems. He failed breathalyzer tests in 2010 at Woodbine, and in 2012 at Belmont. He struck a NYRA security guard with his car in 2011. In 2016, he checked himself into an alcohol rehabilitation program. He was banned from Del Mar in July, 2020 after getting into an altercation, and the following September, the Del Mar stewards suspended the jockey for 15 days for “disorderly conduct–racial slurs, aggressive behavior.”

Following that incident, he enrolled in a three-month program at a local facility, and was evaluated by the Winners Foundation which helps backstretch workers dealing with substance abuse problems. when he came out of the program, he said he had never been “clean this long.” He returned to riding at Santa Anita in December 2020.

According to the Gulfstream Park publicity department, Jose Ortiz will ride Stilleto Boy.

This story will be updated if additional information becomes available.

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Titans Square off in Pegasus World Cup

When a racetrack musters a $3-million purse for a featured event, the hope is that racing's stars will attend the big dance. And this year's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. certainly succeeded in attracting two of the biggest names–Knicks Go (Paynter) and Life Is Good (Into Mischief)–in the American handicap division.

Knicks Go, a 2 3/4-length winner in last year's Pegasus World Cup, finished fourth in the G1 Saudi Cup and GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. before reeling off four-straight wins, including the GI Whitney S. and in his latest race, the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar Nov. 6. Knicks Go was named the 2021 Longines World' Best Racehorse during a virtual ceremony at the National Horse Racing Museum in Newmarket, England Tuesday.

“The Breeders' Cup Classic was his biggest race he's had to date,” said trainer Brad Cox. “He's going to go to Taylor Made after the Pegasus to become a stallion. After the Classic, we had decided if he came out of the race in good order, which he did, we would pursue the Pegasus. He has trained as well as he did going into the Classic.”

He continued, “After the [Saudi Cup] last year, he was fresh and came back and didn't run as well as we had hoped in the Met Mile. Personally, I think that had a lot to do with that race being around one turn. He has not had a lot of time off, and that's very similar to what we did with the [2020 GI Breeders' Cup] Dirt Mile and last year's Pegasus. So, we have pretty much kept him on the same routine. He went over to Taylor Made for three to four days to be shown to potential breeders and was shown on a shank. Aside from that, he's been training the whole time. He's been doing well, his weight is great and his attitude is good. And he's been training great and his works have been phenomenal.”

The striking grey was installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in a field of nine older horses after drawing the one hole Tuesday. Joel Rosario has the call.

“We're not really going to deviate from what we've done in the past,” affirmed Cox. “[Life Is Good] is a very fast, brilliant horse. We're not going to let him have his own way, and I think he's probably not going to let us have our own way. We're going to break running, hopefully, get to the lead. We're going to be very aggressive to get him there.”

He added, “It's the same approach we took in the Breeders' Cup. We'll see how it goes. He's proven at a mile and an eighth and he does like the surface there. He likes the configuration of the racetrack there at Gulfstream–he proved that last year. We're just going to come out of there running and see what happens.”

China Horse Club and WinStar Farm are represented by Life Is Good, who has done very little wrong in his career, winning four of five graded attempts, including a tour-de-force victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar last November. Under the guidance of Bob Baffert, the powerful bay became a 'TDN Rising Star' with a 9 1/2-length score at Del Mar in the fall of 2020 before returning the following spring to annex the GIII Sham S. and GII San Felipe S.–defeating subsequent GI Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protanico) on both of those occasions.

“He came to us with high expectations, and he had a great resume,” said trainer Todd Pletcher of Life Is Good's arrival. “Initially, we were just getting to know him and see how he trains. He trained exceptionally well, so we had high hopes for him.”

After joining the Pletcher string, the $525,000 KEESEP yearling graduate came up a neck short to Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial at Saratoga. With Irad Ortiz Jr. taking over riding duties for the Sept. 25 GII Kelso H. at Belmont, the sophomore drubbed older rivals for the first time to win by 5 1/2 lengths and came back with an even more sparkling performance when winning for fun on Breeders' Cup Day.

“We were unlucky in the Allen Jerkens to be beaten that day, but we mapped out a course at that point and we felt like the Dirt Mile was the correct race for him,” explained Pletcher. “The Kelso seemed like a good race to bridge the gap between the Jerkens and the Dirt Mile and I worked out well for him. Since that, we've been focused on this race. And we're going great.

“Knicks Go is a very fast horse. We know that. But we're not going to alter our style of running. And we're not going to take away his strength, which is his high-cruising speed. I honestly don't know for sure what's going to happen, at least in the first quarter or half, because you are going to have two horses that are looking for the same kind of trip.”

Hoping to pick up the pieces should a speed duel develop up front, 2019 GI Belmont S. victor Sir Winston (Awesome Again) enters the fray off a win in Woodbine's 12-furlong GIII Valedictory S. Dec. 5. Edwin Gonzalez gets the mount for trainer Mark Casse. Also likely to settle just off the pace and hope for a meltdown up front, Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) has hit the board in five of seven stakes races in 2021, including a win in the Iowa Derby and a second in the GI Awesome Again S. He was last seen finishing third in the seven-furlong GI Malibu S. Dec. 26.

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