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True Timber, Jesus’ Team Turn Post Solid Workouts In Preparation For Pegasus

Calumet Farm's True Timber took trainer Jack Sisterson by surprise Saturday morning during his five-furlong breeze in preparation for a third start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (Grade 1) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Working in company with multiple-stakes winner American Tattoo, True Timber covered five furlongs in 1:00.20 under exercise rider Mark O'Dwyer at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

“He worked great this morning. It was probably one of the better breezes he's done with us. He went in company with another older horse, American Tattoo, and Mark sort of tapped his hip and he came home in 11 [seconds] and galloped out very strong,” Sisterson said. “I was quite surprised the way he went. Usually, he's rather workmanlike and … slow, but he was extremely fast this morning.”

The 7-year-old son of Mineshaft, who captured the Cigar Mile (G1) at Aqueduct had previously turned in two half-mile workouts in 53.45 seconds and 51 seconds, respectively.

“He's 7 years old and he knows exactly what his job is. We just train him the way he wants to be trained and keep him happy,” said Sisterson, who took over the training of True Timber following the retirement of previous trainer Kiaran McLaughlin toward the middle of 2020. “He seems to be turning the corner for us.”

In his two previous starts in the Pegasus, True Timber finished seventh in 2019 and eighth last year.

Grupo 7C Racing Stable's Jesus' Team breezed six furlongs Saturday morning in preparation for a planned start in the Pegasus World Cup.

The multiple G1 stakes-placed son of Tapiture was timed in 1:13.40 at Palm Meadows. Regular exercise rider Simon Rodriguez was aboard for the workout.

“The hard work was last week. He did it in the way I want,” said trainer Jose D'Angelo, who 4-year-old colt produced a five-furlong bullet workout Jan. 2. “I wanted an easy work. I think he's ready. He'll just have one more four-furlong work to main his condition.”

Jesus' Team, who broke his maiden for a $32,000 claiming price at Gulfstream last March, has been stakes-placed in his last five starts, including a third-place finish in the Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes (G1) and a second-place finish in the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland. The Kentucky-bred colt most recently captured the Dec. 2 Claiming Crown Jewel at Gulfstream.

“It's very exciting. It is the most important race of our calendar in South Florida at Gulfstream Park,” D'Angelo said. “I think it's a big test for both me and Jesus.”

Victoria's Ranch's King Guillermo breezed five furlongs in 1:00.93 Saturday morning at Gulfstream Park for a possible start in the Pegasus World Cup.

The son of Uncle Mo, the 2020 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner, finished fourth behind True Timber in the Cigar Mile while coming off a seven-month layoff.

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Knicks Go breezed five furlongs in 1:00.40 at Fair Grounds Saturday morning in preparation for the Pegasus.

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Likely Eclipse Award Finalist Crispin Achieves Second Consecutive Four-Win Day At Laurel Park

Five-pound apprentice Alexander Crispin, expected to be among the Eclipse Award finalists when they are announced later this month, registered his second consecutive four-win day Friday at Laurel Park.

The 22-year-old native of Puerto Rico, who went four-for-eight during Laurel's last live program Jan. 3, won four of the last five races Friday. Crispin began his run with Michel Scheffres' Maryland-bred gelding Sue Loves Barbados ($8.80) in Race 8, a waiver maiden claimer for 3-year-olds sprinting 6 ½ furlongs.

Without a mount in Race 6, Crispin ended the day by sweeping the final three races aboard Solea ($10.60) for owner-trainer Ed Merryman; Marcial Cornejo's Wonderwall ($9), trained by Maryland's four-time defending champion Claudio Gonzalez; and Lacey Gaudet owned-and-trained Candygramformongo ($9).

“Today was really good. I started my [day] like always, getting here early so I know what exactly what I'm going to do,” Crispin said. “I had a good feeling today with all my horses. I'm always positive with all the horses ride. I had that feeling that today was going to be a good day.”

Crispin has put together three consecutive multi-win days in 2021, winning once on the New Year's Day program and registering a riding triple Jan. 2. He has 12 wins, two seconds and six thirds from 28 mounts this year with purse earnings of more than $250,000.

According to Equibase statistics, Crispin leads all North American jockeys in wins to start 2021, and ranks ninth in purses earned. He finished 2020 with 103 wins and $2,194,030 in purse earnings from 539 mounts.

“I'm going out on the track and have been working hard and dedicated, and to give it all on the track and see the results feels good,” Crispin said. “Everything's going good, thankfully.”

Finalists for the 50^th annual Eclipse Awards will be announced Saturday, Jan. 16. The winners in 17 human and equine categories will be announced in a virtual ceremony beginning at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28 and live streamed on several outlets.

Maryland-based riders have captured 11 of the 46 Eclipse Awards as champion apprentice, the most recent being Weston Hamilton in 2018. Other winners are Chris McCarron (1974), Ronnie Franklin (1978), Alberto Delgado (1982), Allen Stacy (1986), Kent Desormeaux (1987), Mike Luzzi (1989), Mark Johnston (1990), Jeremy Rose (2001), Ryan Fogelsonger (2002) and Victor Carrasco (2013). Hamilton and Carrasco continue to be based in Maryland.

Notes: There will be carryovers of $489.19 in the $1 Super Hi-5 (Race 1) and $411.56 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 4-9) for Saturday's nine-race program. Tickets with five of six winners in Friday's Rainbow 6 each returned $39.20 … First-race post time is 12:25 p.m.

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Overtook, Hello Hot Rod Faced With Possible Showdown In Grade 3 Withers Next Month

Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's royally bred maiden winner Overtook is on target for the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers on Feb. 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The nine furlong event over the Big A main track is the next local prep on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and offers the the top-four finishers points based off a 10-4-2-1 scale.

Third time was the charm for Overtook, who graduated on December going a one-turn mile at the Big A for trainer Todd Pletcher – a three-time winner of the Withers. The son of Curlin came from 10 lengths off the pace with a six wide move nearing the three sixteenths and drew off a two-length winner under jockey Eric Cancel, while garnering a 70 Beyer Speed Figure.

Since his maiden score, Overtook breezed once over the Belmont Park training track, competing a half-mile work in 48.70 seconds on Jan. 3.

“He's come out of his maiden win in good shape and he's been training well,” said Pletcher's assistant trainer Byron Hughes. “I think he's earned a chance in that race at this point in his career.”

Bred in Kentucky by Hill 'N' Dale Equine Holdings and Phillip Steinberg, Overtook is out of the G1-winning A.P. Indy broodmare Got Lucky, who also was conditioned by Pletcher. He was purchased by his owners for $1 million at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

“He's bred for the two turns,” Hughes said. “She [Got Lucky] was a two-turn horse. She was a very classy filly and the further the better for her so we're hoping that he is the same way.”

Following a distant fourth on debut at Belmont Park, Overtook was third behind stablemate and subsequent graded stakes-placed Known Agenda going the Withers distance on Nov. 8 at Aqueduct.

BTR Racing and Dark Horse Racing's Hello Hot Rod has handled a stretch out in distance in each of his first three career starts and could continue that trend in his next outing in his stakes debut, trainer Brittany Russell said.

After winning at seven furlongs on Nov. 13 and capturing a one-turn mile on Dec. 13 at Laurel Park, Hello Hot Rod could also be a possibility to compete in the G3 Withers on Feb. 6 at the Big A.

The Mosler sophomore ran second by a neck to Doubleoseven in a six-furlong debut sprint on October 30 at Laurel. Russell kept Maryland-bred Hello Hot Rod at the same track for his next two starts, where he registered a maiden-breaking effort by 4 1/4 lengths before posting a 2 1/4-length victory over next-out winner Shackqueenking as the even-money favorite last month in an allowance optional claimer.

The 1 1/8-mile Withers would mark the first two turn race of Hello Hot Rod's career and would allow him the opportunity to compete in a Kentucky Derby prep race that offers 10-4-2-1 qualifying points to the top-four finishers. Russell also said the $100,000 Miracle Wood contested at one mile on Feb. 13 at Laurel remains a possibility as well.

“He seems like distance shouldn't be an issue forward,” Russell said. “We could wait for the Miracle Wood. We nominated around to give ourselves some options. They both are options. We're just going to get him back on a work schedule and see how he moves forward from there.”

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Santa Anita’s Sunshine Bonus Incentive Helps Convince Vaccarezza To Test West Coast Waters

Carlo Vaccarezza is a new name among trainers in Southern California but he's not a racing novice. He is far from it.

The 68-year-old native of Italy who immigrated to the United States in the 1960s sent out longshot King Theo to a ninth-place finish in Friday's seventh race at one mile on turf, a course over which Vaccarezza has had success in the past, although not as a trainer.

He was the breeder and his wife, Priscilla, the owner of Florida-bred gelding Little Mike who posted a 17-1 upset in the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita in 2012, when trained by Dale Romans.

Vaccarezza currently has six head at Santa Anita and another six due in this Wednesday from Keeneland, two of them related to Little Mike, a 4-year-old filly (Little Jewel) and a 3-year-old colt (Militarist), both sired by Liam's Map. Vaccarezza, who will have a string of horses at Santa Anita for the first time, has been training since 2014 but he is not a one-trick pony.

“I've been in the restaurant business all my life,” he said. “I own restaurants in New York City and I'm building one in Lexington, Kentucky. I have a couple in South Florida, and I'm involved in an olive oil company in La Mirada, California, but my passion was always horse racing.”

All his restaurants are named Frank and Dino's, after Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

“They are high-end Italian restaurants and we play the Rat Pack music and rock and roll,” Carlos said. “I used to cook for Frank.”

How high-end are they? Spaghetti primavera is 26 bucks and a dish called Fagottini Sinatra goes for $30.50, but it's worth visiting Frank and Dino's website to ogle the mouth-watering fare on the expansive menu.

But back to racing.

“In 2007 I got lucky and bred a mare (Hay Jude) that actually was a giveaway, to Spanish Steps and the rest is history,” Carlo said. “The foal was Little Mike (named for Carlo's 18-year-old son; Carlo's 21-year-old son Nicholas, who earned his spurs as a foreman and assistant to Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, now assists with his Dad's business).”

Both sons miraculously survived the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history on Feb. 14, 2018, when a gunman killed 17 people and injured 17 others at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, 15 miles from Vaccarezza's Frank and Dino's restaurant in Boca, where on Feb. 25, Carlo raised $182,254 in a fundraiser to benefit the school.

Little Mike, who had a 14-2-1 record from 30 starts with earnings of $3,543,392, was Hay Jude's second foal. Spanish Steps was an unraced son of Unbridled who had a modest stud fee of $5,000.

California always held a special place in Vaccarezza's heart.

“(Del Mar Racing Secretary) David Jerkens had invited me to race there and I just couldn't make it, but when Chris (Merz) took over (as Director of Racing and Racing Secretary) at Santa Anita, things sort of fell into place.

“I was a board member of the HPBA (Horsemen's Protective and Benevolent Association) in South Florida, so I know The Stronach Group really well. Craig Fravel (CEO of The Stronach Group) called me and got me involved with Chris and I couldn't wait to try Santa Anita.”

A key factor is Santa Anita's Sunshine Bonus Incentive Program, which offers a guaranteed $3,000 bonus for any eligible starter in its initial Santa Anita race (stakes excluded) whose previous start was made outside California.

Also, there is an additional 35 percent bonus applied to a horse's purse earnings (first through fifth) in its initial Santa Anita race (stakes excluded) whose previous start was made outside California.

“It's an extra incentive,” Carlo said of the program, “a beautiful gift.”

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