Team Hanley | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saffie Joseph, Jr. Points Mischevious Alex To Forego At Saratoga

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said Cash is King and LC Racing's Mischevious Alex had a good breeze back on Friday in his first timed work since an off-the-board finish in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt on July 31 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The 4-year-old Into Mischief bay worked a half-mile solo in :48.45 on the main track in preparation for a start in the $600,000 Grade 1 Forego at seven furlongs on the main track on Travers Day August 28.

“He's bounced out of the race good. We haven't seen anything to deter us running back in the Forego,” Joseph, Jr. said. “He got the thumps last time pretty bad. Hopefully, that was the reason for his performance.”

A multiple graded stakes winner, Mischevious Alex has won 3-of-5 starts this year, including scores in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., in February and the Grade 1 Carter Handicap in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Joseph Jr. said Friday's breeze have him confidence that Mischevious Alex could return to form in the Forego.

“He went a good half by himself. Hopefully, the real Alex shows up and if he does, he'll have a good chance,” Joseph, Jr. said.

Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael Nentwig's Drain the Clock, a sophomore son of Maclean's Music, also breezed Friday covering a half-mile in :48.83 on the main track.

Boasting a record of six wins and two seconds from nine starts, Drain the Clock bested Jackie's Warrior by a neck on June 5 at Belmont in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens.

Last out, in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2 Amsterdam, Jackie's Warrior turned the tables with a romping 7 1/4-length score over a sloppy and sealed Saratoga main track.

Joseph Jr. said he is hopeful Drain the Clock will one-up his familiar foe in the $500,000 Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial on Travers Day.

“No one was beating Jackie that day. He ran dynamite. Maybe our horse didn't run his best that day but all credit to Jackie,” Joseph, Jr. said. “We have no excuse. We had a good trip. The record is one and one. He's beat us once, we beat him once. We'll try again in the Allen Jerkens.”

John Fanelli, Cash is King, LC Racing, Paul Braverman, and Team Hanley's Ny Traffic, a 4-year-old New York-bred son of Cross Traffic, breezed a half-mile in :48 flat Sunday on the main track.

The talented colt finished second in a trio of graded events last year, including the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in March at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La., the Grade 3 Matt Winn in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., in July in which he finished just a nose back of Authentic.

Ny Traffic won his seasonal debut in May at Belmont by 6 3/4-lengths sprinting seven furlongs against fellow state-breds in an optional claimer and followed with a close second in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile in June at Monmouth.

Last out, Ny Traffic faded to fourth in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Monmouth Cup on July 17.

[Story Continues Below]

“He went good this morning. It was his first breeze back since Monmouth, I had him in 47 and 4. It was a good work back,” Joseph Jr. said. “There's a possibility he could go in the Forego or the Charles Town Classic.”

Joseph Jr. said Ny Traffic will breeze again next weekend before he decides on cutting back to seven furlongs for the Forego or stretching out to nine furlongs for the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic at Charles Town in Charles Town, W.Va. on August 27.

Overall, Joseph, Jr. said he has been pleased with Ny Traffic's performances this season.

“He won his debut at Belmont and in his second race at Monmouth he ran second but it was a good race,” Joseph, Jr. said. “Last time he disappointed a little bit if you just look at the running lines, but the reality is that he acted up pre-race back at the barn and I think he lost his race there. It wasn't a true run.”

Joseph, Jr. said e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Gibberish will turn back to nine furlongs for the $120,000 Summer Colony on August 22 at the Spa.

Last out, the 4-year-old daughter of Lea was a game second to Miss Marissa in the 10-furlong Grade 2 Delaware Handicap on July 10.

The post Saffie Joseph, Jr. Points Mischevious Alex To Forego At Saratoga appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Nevin Sends Our Last Buck, My Boy Tate In John Morrissey

Trainer Michelle Nevin will send out stakes-winning veterans Our Last Buck and My Boy Tate in Thursday's $100,000 John Morrissey, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for New York-breds 3-years-old and up, at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

My Boy Tate, bred, trained, and co-owned by Nevin with Little Red Feather Racing boasts a ledger of 24-9-5-2 with purse earnings of $584,988. The Boys At Tosconova gelding is a five-time stakes winner at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., including scores in the Hollie Hughes and Haynesfield earlier this year.

The hard-knocking 7-year-old has also enjoyed success at Saratoga, posting a perfect in-the-money record of 4-1-2-1, including a third-place finish in last year's Morrissey.

Last seen finishing fourth in an open allowance sprint at Parx in May, My Boy Tate has reeled off six weekly works dating to June 13, including a five-eighths effort in 1:01.54 on July 20 on the Saratoga main track.

“He's doing good. He had a little bit of a freshening and he's right on track,” Nevin said. “I would say Aqueduct is his favorite track, but Saratoga is a track he's shown an affinity for, too.”

Nevin said that My Boy Tate, who has finished no worse than fourth in his last nine starts dating back to running third in last year's Morrissey, continues to thrive.

“He seems like he's still the same old fella,” Nevin said. “He's definitely a barn favorite. He always tries. We've had him since he was two and he's seven now and is just a great horse to have.”

J and N Stables' Our Last Buck, a 7-year-old Courageous Cat gelding bred by Gerardus S. Jameson, enjoyed a productive 2020 campaign with a record of 8-4-2-0. The success continued into January with a first stakes score in the seven-furlong Say Florida Sandy last out at the Big A.

Our Last Buck has breezed weekly at Belmont dating back to June 3, including a five-eighths effort in 1:02.23 on the dirt training track on July 20.

Nevin said the lengthy freshening was by design.

“He had plenty of races last year and we were looking to give him a little break,” Nevin said. “After his big win, we decided to give him some time and he's been back on the track getting ready and we finally feel like we're ready to go.

“He got very good last year and was running very consistently,” Nevin continued. “He was showing up every time. He's definitely improved as he's gotten older.”

Manny Franco will guide My Boy Tate from post 3, while Our Last Buck will emerge from post 4 under Luis Saez.

[Story Continues Below]

Charles Hallas' Morning Breez sports a ledger of 42-5-12-11 with purse earnings of $569,929, but has yet to secure an elusive first stakes win.

The 6-year-old Morning Line gelding, bred by Hart Farm and Rhapsody Farm, has flourished in his last three starts sprinting six furlongs in open allowance company, including a last-out half-length score on May 13 at Belmont that garnered an 87 Beyer.

Transferred to the care of trainer Pat Reynolds, Morning Breez will be piloted by returning rider Jose Lezcano from post 6.

Team Hanley's multiple stakes-winner Captain Bombastic, bred by Chester and Mary Broman, won a pair of stakes last season, including the seven-furlong Mike Lee at Belmont and the 6 1/2-furlong NYSSS Times Square in August at Saratoga for former conditioner Jeremiah Englehart.

Transferred to Chad Brown to launch his 4-year-old campaign, the Forty Tales chestnut finished off-the-board in a pair of state-bred stakes at Belmont and will now race for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen from post 2 under Ricardo Santana, Jr.

Rounding out a competitive field are Wow Brown [post 1, Michael Davila, Jr.], Wudda U Think Now [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], Foolish Ghost [post 7, Joel Rosario], Jemography [post 8, Dylan Davis] and Runningwscissors [post 9, Tyler Gaffalione].

The John Morrissey is slated as Race 9 on Thursday's 10-race card. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Nevin Sends Our Last Buck, My Boy Tate In John Morrissey appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

First Winner for Keen Ice at Indiana Grand

4th-Indiana Grand, $31,000, Msw, 5-3, 2yo, 5f, 1:00.81, gd, neck.
ICY STORM (c, 2, Keen Ice–Downton My Lady, by Pioneerof the Nile) was sent off at 7-2 to become the first winner for his 2015 GI Travers S.-winning freshman sire (by Curlin). Part of a five-way skirmish for the early lead, the dark bay colt sat second as Gormleys Got Game (Gormley) broke away from the pack after a quarter in :22.71. He surged by that foe inside the final furlong and just held off the late rush of Atta Boy Anthony (Karun {Ven}) to graduate by a neck. Gormleys Got Game was fourth. Downton My Lady produced a filly by Ransom the Moon last year. Again in foal to that stallion, she sold for $6,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale. Her then-weanling filly sold for $1,700 at that same auction. Click for the Equibase.com chart. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $18,600.
O-Team Hanley and Parkland Thoroughbreds; B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.

The post First Winner for Keen Ice at Indiana Grand appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

‘These Fillies Have Answered Every Question’: Motion Sends Two In Search Of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Encore

A year after Sharing posted a 13-1 upset of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, trainer Graham Motion comes into the 2020 renewal at Keeneland aiming to find that magic again with two runners converging from different paths.

Motion is guaranteed to have Grade 1-placed stakes winner Alda in the field on Friday, but he'll need a scratch to bring multiple stakes-placed Invincible Gal into the gate from the also eligible list. If Invincible Gal makes it into the field, it will mark the first time Motion will send two starters in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Sharing flew under the radar with bettors during last year's race, and Motion's two runners figure to do the same this time around. While there is some crossover in their paths to the Breeders' Cup, Motion was slow to draw too many parallels between Sharing – who has developed into one of his barn's biggest stars – and his two contenders this year, given what he's seen from the two younger fillies so far.

“We always felt Sharing was exceptional,” Motion said. “She really hadn't done anything wrong coming into the Breeders' Cup, having won her prep race. Neither one of these fillies won their prep races, so that makes it a little tougher, but I certainly felt that these two fillies were two of the best that we had. You can often be wrong with 2-year-olds, but these fillies have answered every question, and they've kind of brought us here.

“On a talent level, are they as good as Sharing? It's a little hard for me to say, because she was exceptional and she won the Breeders' Cup, so these two have got to step up on Friday, but I feel good about them, and they both deserve a shot in there,” the trainer continued. “Both of them have different running styles, too, which I think hopefully somewhat complements each other.”

Alda, a daughter of Munnings with a nail-biting closing style, is the more heralded of Motion's two Juvenile Fillies Turf contenders.

She enters Friday's tilt off a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine, where she had Lady Speightspeare in her crosshairs, but she was unable to finish the job and ended up 3/4 lengths behind the winner. Prior to that start, Alda won the Catch A Glimpse Stakes at Woodbine by a nose.

Racing as a homebred for Wertheimer et Frere, Alda reunites on Friday with jockey John Velazquez, who rode the filly in her first two starts at Belmont Park this summer.

“She was one of our earliest 2-year-old runners,” Motion said. “She started at Belmont, and the first time she ran, Johnny just got beat on her (third by 1 1/4 lengths). She came back and won pretty nicely.

“We wanted to get her to one of the big Breeders' Cup preps, and I thought the best way to do that was in the Natalma,” Motion continued. “She ran huge in the prep race (the Catch A Glimpse), and I think she might have regressed a little bit four weeks later in the Natalma, but she's had plenty of time to get over that, and she's done very well since.”

Alda jogged a mile and a half over Keeneland's synthetic training track on Wednesday. Both of Motion's Juvenile Fillies Turf contenders have been breezing regularly over the all-weather track at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland, but the trainer said the race conditions will be quite different for Alda at Keeneland on Friday, compared to what she'd gotten accustomed to at Woodbine.

“They're very different,” Motion said. “Woodbine is much more European-style, [Keeneland] is much tighter. She's a filly that's going to benefit from pace, and I think there's going to be a lot of pace in the race.”

If she draws in, part of that pace factor could come from Invincible Gal, who finished second by a half-length in the Sorority Stakes at Monmouth Park, then lost a stretch duel in the Selima Stakes over a yielding turf course at Pimlico to run second by 2 1/4 lengths in her most recent effort.

Invincible Gal, a British-born daughter of Invincible Spirit, races for Mike Ryan, Jeff Drown, and Team Hanley. Though she doesn't have the wins on her record that Sharing did at this point in the season, Motion said Invincible Gal's “Pimlico by way of Saratoga” route to the Breeders' Cup did mirror last year's winner.

“With Invincible Gal, we need a little bit of luck to get in, but we took the Sharing route by running at Pimlico, and she ran on extremely soft ground that day, the likes of which we really don't run on in this country,” Motion said.

Invincible Gal also stretched her legs at a mile and a half on Wednesday morning, but she did so over the dirt of Keeneland's main track.

With 41 prior Breeders' Cup starters to his name heading into this year's event, Motion is familiar with the waiting game that comes with this part of the week. Save for a bit of last-minute fortune to get Invincible Gal off the bench, the trainer knows what cards he has in his hand. All that's left to do is to play them.

“I wouldn't change anything about their preparation,” he said, “Two-year-olds in general, it's always tricky, because to get them to these races, you kind of have to play your cards right after they break their maiden. Things have really fallen into place with these two.”

The post ‘These Fillies Have Answered Every Question’: Motion Sends Two In Search Of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Encore appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post