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Red Knight Earns Grade I Glory In Man o’ War S.

By the age of nine, most racehorses have left their best days well behind them. However, 5-1 shot Red Knight (Pure Prize) clearly did not get that memo, pulling off the most important victory of his career in Saturday's GI Man o' War S. at Belmont.

Breaking from the inside gate under Irad Ortiz, Jr., the chestnut trailed the field early while racing inside of favored 3-5 European import Warren Point (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was caught napping at the start with Frankie Dettori in the irons.

Up front, Channel Maker (English Channel) and Strong Tide (English Channel) carved out modest splits of :23.54 and :49.18, however, the early trailers soon began to pick up the tempo, closing on the front rank up the backstretch. As Strong Tide turned up the heat on Channel Maker exiting the far turn, Warren Point and Red Knight continued to track wide approaching the final turn. While the European invader held the advantage over Red Knight straightening for home as the pacesetters continued to duke it out up front, it was the New York-bred that had the best closing kick, sweeping to the front late and fending off a tightly-packed gaggle of rivals, who hit the wire in a blanket finish. In the end, it was closer Soldier Rising (GB) (Frankel {GB}) who got a head in front for second while Strong Tide held onto the show spot. The favorite faded to fifth.

“He started taking me from the five-eighths pole to the quarter-pole waiting for the time to go and when I asked him he responded really well,” explained Ortiz Jr. “I was hoping he would move a little earlier than usual. He's a big horse and has a huge stride and it was in my mind I wanted to let him go a little earlier, but I was stuck there. I think by the five-eighths pole, Frankie's horse [Dettori and Warren Point] started to pick it up a little bit, so I tried to follow him and my horse was doing it easy so I don't want to get in his way. By the quarter pole, he was already in stride. I just bided my time and tipped him out and he did the rest.”

As for the beaten favorite, Dettori explained, “He had to leave the hood on [blindfold and blanket in the gate] until the end which is no good around here because you give too much ground away. He was too rank and too far back. There was no pace. I made a bit of a move, but he basically ran too fresh.”

Recording his first graded stakes victory in the 2020 GIII Sycamore S., the gelding wouldn't visit the winner's circle again until taking last summer's Colonial Cup and duly followed up with a score in the GII Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs later in September. Well-beaten in his next two starts at Keeneland, including an 11th in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in November, he returned to action with a win in Gulfstream's GIII William L. McKnight S. Jan. 28 before coming up only a head short of the win in Keeneland's GII Elkhorn S. Apr. 22.

On a potential start in the 10-furlong GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. June 10, trainer Mike Maker said, “It's too early to say. We wheeled him back a little quicker than we would have liked to today, but it paid off. Having said that, if he tells us he wants to run then we'll be there.”

Pedigree Note:
The New York-bred's victory in the Man o' War earned his sire, Pure Prize, his 18th career Group 1 winner. Prior to Red Knight, Isabel Away's most accomplished runner was Macagone, a stakes-winning son of Artie Schiller that earned over $650,000 on the racetrack. The mare's last reported live foal was Druid (by Magician {Ire}), produced in 2018.

Saturday, Belmont Park
MAN O' WAR S.-GI, $600,000, Belmont, 5-13, 4yo/up, 1 3/8mT, 2:13.74, fm.
1–RED KNIGHT, 122, g, 9, by Pure Prize
                1st Dam: Isabel Away, by Skip Away
                2nd Dam: Indio Rose, by Alydar
                3rd Dam: Misukaw, by Northern Dancer
   1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Trinity Farm, LLC (NY); T-Michael J.
Maker; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $330,000. Lifetime Record: 34-12-9-1,
$1,717,763. *1/2 to Macagone (Artie Schiller), MSW,
$654,981. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Soldier Rising (GB), 118, g, 5, Frankel (GB)–Sahrawi (Ger), by
Pivotal (GB). (240,000gns RNA Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Madaket
Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables &
Michael J. Caruso; B-Dayton Investments Ltd. (GB);
T-Christophe Clement. $120,000.
3–Strong Tide, 118, h, 6, English Channel–Dreamin Big, by Pure
Prize. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Penny S. Lauer; B-Michael E. &
Penny S. Lauer (IN); T-Michael E. Lauer. $72,000.
Margins: 1HF, HD, NO. Odds: 5.40, 7.40, 50.75.
Also Ran: Howe Street, Warren Point (GB), Channel Maker, Verstappen, Value Engineering.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Another Mystery, Fantasioso Dead-Heat In Thrilling John B. Connally Turf Cup

To say that history was on the line in Sunday afternoon's Grade 3, $200,00 John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston Race Park, would be a major understatement. Since its first running in 1995, the race has attracted some of the top turf horses in the country. On Sunday, not one but two turf specialists added their names to the list of John B. Connally Turf Cup champions and history was made as the race resulted in a dead-heat for the win for the first time.

The 1 1/2-mile turf event came to a thrilling conclusion with a three-horse photo finish at the wire. The Turf Cup has always attracted top turf horses from across the country, and Sunday's race was no exception as the Illinois-bred Another Mystery, with races from the Midwest and West Coast, shared the win with East Coast-based, Argentinian-bred Fantasioso.

James Graham-ridden Fantasioso, a 7-year-old horse by Strategic Prince, was bred by Luther Eduardo Carlos in Argentina. He is co-owned by Bloom Racing Stable and his trainer, Ignacio Correas, IV.

Though he had made 12 starts at the distance previously, Fantasioso was cutting back from his last race, the two-mile H. Allen Jerkins Stakes at Gulfstream in which he finished third. He has hit the board in several stakes but was in search of an elusive win.

“He's such a cool horse,” said co-owner Jeff Bloom. “This was a well-deserved victory as he has been close in so many of his races. James rode him perfectly and it was so gratifying to see him win a graded stakes in the United States.”

Fantasioso won several graded stakes in his native Argentina but this was his first graded stakes victory in North America. He has earned $259,539 in 32 career starts and has finished in the money in 19 starts, including six victories.

Graham was able to close despite slow fractions and create the trip his horse needed.

“They went slow in front of us, but he ran his rear end off and I was glad to finally win a Connally Cup,” said Graham, who made the trip to Sam Houston from Fair Grounds. “This horse has a good kick and I appreciated the opportunity to ride for Ignacio and Jeff.”

Another Mystery is a 6-year-old horse by Temple City, bred and owned by Team Block and trained by Chris Block. This marked the second Connally Turf Cup win for Team Block, who also brought Fort Prado to the winners' circle in 2006.

“Two years ago he ran in the Connally coming off a ten-day rest,” said Block. “He's matured a lot and as my dad would say, he's been crying out for three turns. He had a good rest and trained great coming into the race. The Ioya family is all turf and Jareth put a great ride on him.”

Jareth Loveberry had the call on Another Mystery after riding the horse twice at the Fair Grounds, including a win in the Bob F. Wright Memorial Stakes. He is multiple graded stakes placed with $358,000 in earnings and picked up his seventh career win in 24 starts.

“He ran a really good race and handled the turf course well today,” said Loveberry. “He was grabbing the bit and had his head down at the right time. I want to thank Chris and the whole team for getting him ready.”

He'll get a rest and run next at Fair Grounds, according to Block. Jeff Bloom said that Fantasioso will likely be pointed to Keeneland.

The final time for the stake was 2:31.28. Both horses closed from far back to hit the wire together after letting Dyn O Mite and Strong Tide set the fractions up front. Strong Tide held on to be involved in the photo finish at the wire and was placed third.

Strong Tide is a homebred for Michael and Penny Lauer of Indiana; Penny Lauer owns and Michael Lauer trains the 5-year-old son of English Channel. Geovanni Franco traveled to Houston to ride Strong Tide, who he also rode to victory in an optional claiming event at Oaklawn in their last start.

Hierarchy and Corey Lanerie led the rest of the field in fourth place, followed by pacesetter Dyn O Mite, post-time favorite Ajourneytofreedom, Malthael, Decision Maker, Tide of the Sea, Logical Myth, Parrot Head and Conviction Trade.

The John B. Connally Turf was awarded Grade 3 status in 2006 and boasts a solid roster of past winners including Chorwon, Warleigh, Fort Prado, Rod and Staff, Swift Warrior as well as three-time champions, Candid Glen and Bigger Picture.

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Strong Tide Living Up To His Dam’s Legacy With Third Stakes Win Of 2020

Having a very successful mother can be hard to live up to, but Strong Tide has risen to the challenge. The son of Dreamin Big, winner of more than $600,000 and listed second on the list of all-time leading Indiana bred females in earnings, is now a three-time stakes winner this season for Mike and Penny Lauer.

Bred to run on the turf, Strong Tide stepped up to tackle opponents on the dirt in the 23rd running of the $100,000 To Much Coffee Stakes. Named in honor of one of Indiana's first standouts, To Much Coffee, multiple stakes winning and track record setting gelding, the race showcased the state's best older males in the event.

Strong Tide began his journey from the center of the starting gate and was in the midst of an all-out charge to the first turn of the one and one-sixteenth mile event. Horses were stacked seven-deep into the first turn and jockey Marcelino Pedroza found a resting spot along the inside early on as Mystery Unbridled and Kendal Sterritt emerged as the first leader of the 12-horse field.

Down the backstretch, the field remained tightly packed with Uphold and Jesus Castanon moving to the lead by the halfway marker. Pedroza had Strong Tide right at his heels tracking every move he made heading into the turn. Mystery Unbridled was not going away easily on the inside in the turn, and it gave Strong Tide the opportunity to move out three-wide and get ready for the attack in the stretch.

Strong Tide and Uphold began to match each other stride for stride in the early stages of the stretch drive, but as the wire neared, Strong Tide was able to get into another gear and get by Uphold. The three-year-old son of English Channel was a two-length winner at the wire over Uphold for second. Max Express and Alex Achard closed quickly on the outside for third.

“We were able to get right behind the two (Uphold) early on, and I thought that was a great place to be,” said Pedroza, who scored four wins on the Wednesday racing card. “I thought the two (Uphold) had a shot after looking at the way he ran in his last race, so we stayed right there until we got a shot to get through. Once we got through and he got by the two (Uphold), he really responded and was strong all the way to the wire.”

It was the fifth win in 17 starts for Strong Tide, who is a homebred by the Lauers, who also campaigned Dreamin Big. Mike handles the training duties while is wife, Penny, is the owner. The sophomore colt now has in excess of $247,000 in purse earnings.

The abbreviated 2020 racing season comes to a close Thursday, Nov. 19 with a mandatory payout in the Straight Fire 6. The carryover heading into closing day is in excess of $140,000 and will begin in Race 5 to capture the final six Thoroughbred races of the season. Racing dates for 2021 will be approved and announced by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission in December.

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