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Delacour Hoping Magic Attitude Displays Her ‘Explosive Turn Of Foot’ In Hillsborough

Early last year, Tampa Bay Downs trainer Arnaud Delacour received rave reviews about Magic Attitude, a regally-bred filly who at the time was preparing to make her first 3-year-old start in the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux at Longchamp in Paris.

The daughter of renowned sire Galileo, out of Group 1-winning Margot Did, did not disappoint, notching her first stakes score by 2 lengths. Soon after, owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson purchased Magic Attitude privately on Delacour's recommendation, with the intention of sending her to the conditioner's stable in the United States to compete under their Lael Stables banner.

What transpired was indeed magical: a Grade 1 victory in her first North American start on Sept. 19 in the Belmont Oaks Invitational on the grass.

On Saturday, a freshened, more mature filly will try to launch an even better 4-year-old campaign in the Grade 2, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes at a mile-and-an-eighth on the Oldsmar turf course at Tampa Bay Downs.

The Hillsborough is one of five stakes on Saturday's $1-million Festival Day 41 Presented by Lambholm South card, headed by the Grade 2, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby for 3-year-old Triple Crown hopefuls.

Magic Attitude is one of two Lael Stables-owned and Delacour-trained fillies set to compete on Festival Day 41. The other, 3-year-old filly Be Sneaky, will make her turf debut in the Grade 3, $200,000 Florida Oaks at a mile-and-a-sixteenth.

Entries were taken and post positions drawn today for all five of Saturday's stakes races.

Delacour says Magic Attitude, who will be ridden for the first time by Julien Leparoux, is approaching the Hillsborough in top condition.

“She breezed a half-mile Tuesday (in 49 3/5 seconds), and I'm very happy how she came out of the work,” Delacour said. “We're excited about running her Saturday, but we still have to play it by ear because she is better on firmer turf (there is a possibility of rain Saturday).”

After racing twice against Group 1 competition under the Jackson colors in France while trained by Fabrice Chappet, with a second-place finish in the Prix Saint-Alary, Magic Attitude arrived in Delacour's barn in late July. The timing couldn't have been better: the Belmont Oaks Invitational, normally run in July, had been pushed back to Sept. 19 because of COVID-19, giving the conditioner time to sharpen Magic Attitude's edge.

After trailing early, the Great Britain-bred Magic Attitude took off in the stretch, sweeping to victory against her four rivals under Javier Castellano to earn the coveted Grade 1 victory – the third of Delacour's career, and his first for the Jacksons. Magic Attitude followed that up with a strong third-place performance in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes Presented by Dixiana, also for 3-year-old fillies, on Oct. 10 on good turf at Keeneland.

Magic Attitude received a well-deserved rest before Delacour returned her to training in mid-December at Classic Mile Park in Ocala, where she got in a couple of breezes on Classic Mile's turf before shipping to Tampa Bay Downs in mid-February.

Delacour can't be sure how Magic Attitude will respond to running against older horses for the first time, but he is optimistic.

“She needs to step up, but I think she'll be ready,” he said. “She has an explosive turn of foot and great acceleration for about a sixteenth of a mile, which you like to see from a turf filly.”

Florida Oaks entrant Be Sneaky is a homebred for the Jacksons, by top U.S. sire Into Mischief out of their turf stakes-winning mare Bella Castani. Yet to race on grass, Be Sneaky is 1-for-3, with a second-place finish here in the Suncoast Stakes on Feb. 6 in her most recent start.

Hector Diaz, Jr., will ride Be Sneaky.

“We've always had it in the back of our minds to run this filly on the turf, but at this stage, it's a guessing game,” Delacour said. “She was a little aggressive (in the Suncoast), and we hope she can settle better on the grass and track the speed rather than setting the pace.”

The 45-year-old Delacour was successful switching surfaces at Tampa Bay Downs last year with another Lael Stables homebred, (then)-5-year-old mare Jehozacat. After winning the Wayward Lass Stakes on dirt, she returned three weeks later to win the Grade 3 Lambholm South Endeavour on the grass.

Delacour is seeking his first triumphs in both the Hillsborough and Florida Oaks, but his record of achievement with Lael Stables horses is enviable. He has trained such homebred standouts for the Jacksons as Jehozacat and Grade 3 winners Divining Rod and No Dozing, as well as Grade 2 winner Hawksmoor, also the 2019 Lambholm South Endeavour winner; 2018 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint runner-up Chalon; and multiple-Grade 3 winner Ageless.

“I'm very privileged to train for the Jacksons because of the quality of their stock and their confidence in our training program,” said Delacour, who has been with the couple almost 10 years. “They are great ambassadors for our sport, and they have put together a wonderful team of people that works together for one common goal.

“They take a progressive, step-by-step approach and never rush their horses. It doesn't matter what kind of race you're shooting for – you're trying to get them fit enough to compete, move on and use the race as a stepping stone for the rest of the season.”

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Highly Motivated Makes His Sophomore Debut In Saturday’s Gotham

Owner Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown already campaigned a winner in a Kentucky Derby qualifier in New York when Risk Taking captured the Grade 3 Withers last month. On Saturday, they will look to earn “Run for the Roses” points with stakes-winner Highly Motivated in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham for sophomores at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The one-turn mile event is the penultimate local qualifying prep race for the Grade 1, $3 million Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs, awarding the top-four finishers points via a 50-20-10-5 scale. The historic event has been a stopping point for all-time greats like 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, whose final winning time of 1:33.40 was only one second and one-fifth off the world-record time set by 1967 Gotham winner Dr. Fager's 1:32.20 in the 1968 Washington Park Handicap. In 1989, Ogden Phipps' Easy Goer broke Secretariat's one-mile track record, completing the journey in 1:32.40.

Highly Motivated has produced a consistent start to his career, with back-to-back wins following his runner-up debut effort behind stablemate Founder in August at Saratoga Race Course.

Highly Motivated graduated at second asking going 6 ½ furlongs over the Belmont Park main track on September 27, where he defeated eventual two-time winner Known Agenda, who finished third in the Grade 2 Remsen in December.

Last out, Highly Motivated displayed a winning effort in the Nyquist on November 6 traveling 6 1/2-furlongs at Keeneland. The son of Into Mischief settled a close fourth behind a grueling pace and took command just inside the eighth pole to draw off by 4 ½ lengths, defeating next-out winners Quick Tempo and Roderick while recording a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

“All three of his races have been excellent, they have been outstanding efforts,” said Brown, who trained 2016 Gotham-winner Shagaf. “He certainly has kept good company. That's the thing about starting these horses at Saratoga in the summer and at Belmont in the fall, you never know who you'll run into. Looking back, history tells how strong these races are and he was in some pretty strong ones. It looks to be a real solid group of 3-year-olds everywhere, and he's one of them.”

Highly Motivated arrives at the Gotham off a sharp half-mile breeze on February 28 over a fast main track at Payson Park Training Center, completing the four-furlong journey in 49.40 seconds. He shipped to Brown's Belmont Park division on Wednesday morning.

“Every work of his has been an improvement,” Brown said. “His last couple in particular have been very strong works. We rested him a bit and brought him back slowly. We're ready to get his 3-year-old campaign underway.”

Bloodstock agent Mike Ryan selected Highly Motivated as a weanling from Lanes' End's consignment at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale, where he was purchased for $240,000.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano has ridden Highly Motivated in all three of his starts and will return to the saddle, breaking from post 3.

“He's a big, strong horse,” Brown said. “Javier has come back after his races and says he should improve going further. His gallop outs have been eye-catching so that indicated that stretching out in distance won't be an issue.”

Brown and Klaravich also team up with impressive maiden-winner Crowded Trade, a son of More Than Ready. The chestnut colt registered an 83 Beyer on debut when hustled out of the gate and settled a distant fifth off a moderate pace before taking command just a few strides out from the finish line.

Since his debut victory, Crowded Trade has made three appearances on the work tab, most recently completing a four-furlong move in 49.03 seconds on February 28 over the Belmont training track.

Breaking from post 5, Crowded Trade will be piloted by Eric Cancel.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert sends out graded stakes-placed Freedom Fighter after finishing a close second to stablemate Concert Tour in the Grade 2 San Vicente on February 6 at Santa Anita.

Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm and Robert E. Masterson, the son of Violence was after the front end early from his inside post commanding a moderate tempo and dueled with his stablemate throughout the stretch run but came up a half-length shy of victory in the seven-furlong event.

Freedom Fighter was a winner on debut going six furlongs on August 1 at Del Mar six months prior to his next out stakes debut.

“He ran a pretty courageous race after some time off to finish second to Concert Tour, who I think is a nice horse,” Baffert said. “I wanted to keep him one turn for now. I'm not sure what his distance limitations are going to be right now, but I think the Gotham is a good step up going from seven-eighths to a mile. He should be ready for that.”

Freedom Fighter arrives at the Gotham off a sharp five-furlong drill in 59.20 seconds on February 27 at Santa Anita – the fastest of 63 recorded works at the distance.

“He's been working well. He's coming into the race in top form,” said Baffert. “We'll see if he can get the mile. If you look at him, he's built for speed – a sprinter type. But so was [2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner] Smarty Jones. You never know. I'll give the horse a chance to develop on his own.”

Bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. Troy Reed, Freedom Fighter is out of the New York-bred City Zip mare Canadian Ballet, who was a six-time stakes winner going one turn on both dirt and turf. Freedom Fighter was bought for $120,000 from the Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $120,000.

Baffert said Freedom Fighter will have to demonstrate his Derby credentials on Saturday if he is to advance to the first Saturday in May.

“I'm not really thinking Derby with him yet,” said Baffert. “He's going to have to prove himself and then we'll see where he fits in.”

Jockey Manny Franco has the call aboard Freedom Fighter from post 7.

Bing Cherry Racing and Leonard Liberto's Capo Kane returns to the Big A after finishing a pace-setting third in the Grade 3 Withers on February 6.

The California-bred Street Sense colt trained by Harold Wyner graduated at second asking on November 25 at Parx, leading the field the whole way around. He shipped to Aqueduct on New Years' Day to capture the Jerome in similar style, earning 10 Derby points.

Wyner said Capo Kane is likely to rate on Saturday and he prepared the colt with a smart five-eighths breeze in 1:00.21 on February 26 at Parx where he sat off a pair of workmates before circling his company and finishing strong.

Although the Street Sense bay has posted both career wins in gate-to-wire fashion, Wyner noted that Capo Kane ran second on debut in October at Parx going seven furlongs while utilizing an off-the-pace trip.

“We have rated him before,” said Wyner. “In his first race, he came from behind and made the lead and then got a little tired and finished second. Lately, he's been on the lead because he has speed, but I think there will be other speed in the Gotham, so we'll let it play out.”

Wyner said Capo Kane has benefitted from a more consistent training pattern heading into the Gotham.

“I think the cut back to a one-turn mile is going to help him,” said Wyner. “In the Withers, I didn't really have the screws all the way tight on him because I had missed five days of training and I couldn't breeze him when I wanted to breeze him. Going into this race, I was able to breeze him when I wanted to and train him as normal.”

Jockey Dylan Davis, who guided Capo Kane in his last two efforts, will return from post 6.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will send out Atlantic Road following a maiden victory at second asking on February 8 at Aqueduct, where he led from gate to wire to hold off Nepotism by a head.

Owned by Jack and Laurie Wolf's Starlight Racing, the son of Quality Road finished fifth on debut going six furlongs on January 9 at Gulfstream Park in a maiden special weight which saw three other next-out winners. He displayed frontrunning dimensions in his following start when breaking from the rail, shaking off a confrontation from next-out winner Three Two Zone and holding off a late challenge from Nepotism.

Pletcher will be targeting his third Gotham victory having won previously with Cowtown Cat [2007] and Stay Thirsty [2011], who finished a respective 20th and 12th in their subsequent Kentucky Derby efforts.

Atlantic Road breaks from post 1 under Jorge Vargas, Jr.

Reddam Racing's Wipe the Slate ships to New York from California for trainer Doug O'Neill and will remove blinkers and cut back to one turn after a distant sixth in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis on January 30 at Santa Anita.

The son of second crop sire Nyquist was second to highly-regarded Life Is Good on debut at Del Mar before a second-out graduation on December 26 at Santa Anita going seven furlongs, which he won by 3 ¼ lengths while garnering an 88 Beyer.

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche rides Wipe the Slate from post 4.

Completing the field are Flanagan Racing's nine-furlong maiden winner The Reds [post 2, Pablo Morales] for trainer John Kimmel and seven-furlong maiden winner Weyburn [post 8, Trevor McCarthy] for owner Chiefswood Stables and trainer Jimmy Jerkens.

The Gotham is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 10-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

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Wendell Fong Will Try To ‘Run The Show’ In Tom Fool

Gold Square's Wendell Fong will look to make the grade in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for older horses at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Tom Fool is part of a loaded Saturday card that includes the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, a one-turn mile contest that provides 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers; the $250,000 Busher Invitational for 3-year-old fillies offering 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points; and the $125,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational, a one-turn mile for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up.

Wendell Fong provided trainer Natalia Lynch – previously an assistant and exercise rider for Jeremiah Englehart – her first career win last out with a neck score in the six-furlong Fire Plug on January 16 at Laurel Park.

“He's pretty special,” said Lynch, who went out on her own last year. “He has so much personality. It's his world and we live in it at the barn. He really runs the show.”

Lynch helped prepare the 5-year-old son of Flat Out, previously trained by Englehart, for a winning career debut in December 2018 at Laurel. She was also along for the journey with Wendell Fong through a win in the 2019 Gold Fever at Belmont in a campaign that ended with a prominent fifth in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens at Belmont and a tenth in the Grade 2 Amsterdam at Saratoga.

Winless in six starts last season, Wendell Fong made his seasonal debut a winning one in the Fire Plug. Due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, Lynch had to send Wendell Fong to the care of trainer Brittany Russell, who Lynch had previously worked for in Maryland.

Lynch said Wendell Fong's successful return to stakes company was very rewarding.

“When he first came to me in the fall a lot of people wanted me to put him in for a tag, but I always felt we could get him back to where he deserved to be,” said Lynch. “It's been a lot of believing in him and letting him tell us what he needed. To see him win that stakes race was really special. He showed so much heart. He ran back to how he used to run and he knew he won. When he got home, he bounced off the trailer. He was really proud of himself.”

Following a brief freshening, Wendell Fong worked an easy half-mile in 50.50 seconds with Lynch up on February 26 on the Belmont dirt training track.

“He went to Patty Hogan's farm for a bit of a break. He went out and played in the field for a few weeks and was a horse,” said Lynch. “When he came back in it didn't look like he lost too much fitness running around the field. We gave him a nice little breeze and it felt like he handled it OK.

“I don't let anyone else sit on him. He's a handful,” added Lynch “He was with me for a lot of the time in Maryland at Laurel. He came there before his first race and ended up staying through to the Woody Stephens.”

Lynch said she has worked on having the strong-minded Wendell Fong return to a settle and pounce racing style. The dark bay posted a good runner-up effort from off the pace on December 3 under Trevor McCarthy on December 3 at Laurel ahead of the last-to-first score with Sheldon Russell up in the Fire Plug.

“In the Woody Stephens, they changed his running style a little bit and sent him straight to the lead,” said Lynch. “After that, he kept trying to go to the lead and we had to get him back in the habit of coming from off the pace.

“The race before last, Trevor did a good job of getting him to settle and make his one run and it paid off in the Fire Plug,” added Lynch. “Sheldon did the same thing last time and let him take a deep breath. He loves to stalk horses.”

Lynch said a good result on Saturday could set up a return to Grade 1 company for Wendell Fong in the $300,000 Carter Handicap, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses on April 3 at the Big A.

“I hope it sets up on Saturday the way we want. I really want to get him over the surface and see how he handles it,” said Lynch. “If he likes it and is doing OK, we can head to the Carter.”

McCarthy has the call on Wendell Fong from the outermost post 6.

Multiple graded stakes-winner Share the Ride, trained by Antonio Arriaga for owner Silvino Ramirez, captured the Grade 3 Fall Highweight in November at the Big A and added a score in the Grade 3 General George last out on February 20 at Laurel Park.

The 6-year-old Candy Ride gelding enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2020, posting a record of 4-2-1 from nine starts.

Share the Ride will emerge from post 2 under returning rider Victor Carrasco.

Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram, and Paul Weitman's Speed Pass, a 5-year-old son of Bodemeister trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, will make his first start outside of California.

The lightly raced gelding earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure for a seven-length optional-claiming romp in December 2019 at Los Alamitos Race Course ahead of a third in the Grade 3 Palos Verdes in January 2020.

Speed Pass returned off an 11-month layoff last out to finish third in an optional-claiming sprint on January 30 at Santa Anita.

“He needed that race,” Baffert said. “This is going to be a step up. There was a race here at Santa Anita going seven furlongs, but I think six furlongs is going to be his limit. We'll take a swing at it and see how he fits in. Those New York horses are pretty tough.”

Manny Franco will guide Speed Pass from post 5.

Michael Dubb's Pete's Play Call was claimed for $62,500 out of a winning effort in an optional-claiming sprint in November and promptly won the Gravesend on January 2 at 6 1/2-furlongs over a muddy and sealed Aqueduct main track.

The 8-year-old Munnings chestnut followed that effort last out with a pacesetting second to American Power in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Toboggan on January 30 at the Big A.

Pete's Play Call will exit the inside post under Jorge Vargas, Jr. on the slight turnback in distance.

Dubb will also be represented by Chateau for trainer Rob Atras. The 6-year-old Flat Out gelding has hit the board in 23 of 32 starts, including six wins with purse earnings of $367,769.

The dark bay used his good early foot last out to notch a gate-to-wire score in a six furlong optional-claiming sprint on January 18 at the Big A that garnered a lofty 96 Beyer.

Kendrick Carmouche retains the mount from post 3.

Rounding out the field is M and A Racing's graded stakes winner Happy Farm, who steps up from a 1 3/4-length score last out when in for a $50,000 tag on February 6 at the Big A for trainer Linda Rice.

The 7-year-old Ghostzapper gelding won the 2019 Grade 3 Fall Highweight and was second in the Tom Fool last year to multiple Grade 1-winner Mind Control. The dark bay made his seasonal debut with a troubled fifth in the Gravesend.

Eric Cancel will pilot Happy Farm from post 4.

The Tom Fool is slated as Race 7 on Saturday's 10-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

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Laurel’s Spring Meet Features Seven Stakes Worth $750,000

Laurel Park will offer seven stakes worth $750,000 in purses, including automatic qualifiers for the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Black-Eyed Susan (G2), Saturday, April 17 as part of its upcoming spring meet.

The 19-day spring meet opens Thursday, April 1 and runs through Sunday, May 2, serving as a bridge between Laurel's ongoing winter meet, which began Jan. 1, and the Preakness Meet at historic Pimlico Race Course.

Racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday during the spring meet, with the exception of Easter Sunday, April 4. Post time will be 12:40 p.m. with a special 12:15 p.m. post on Kentucky Derby day, Saturday, May 1.

Co-headlining the stakes program are the $125,000 Federico Tesio for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles and the $125,000 Weber City Miss for 3-year-old fillies at about 1 1/16 miles. The Tesio serves as a 'Win and In' qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, the 146th Preakness May 15, and the Weber City Miss is a 'Win and In' event for the 97th Black-Eyed Susan May 14.

Last year's Tesio winner, Wertheimer and Frere's homebred Happy Saver, went on to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) against older horses in his subsequent start to complete a perfect 4-0 sophomore campaign.

Sprinters 3 and up will go six furlongs in the $100,000 Primonetta for females and seven furlongs in the $100,000 Frank Y. Whiteley. Laurel's world-class turf course is scheduled to host its first stakes of the season – the $100,000 Dahlia for fillies and mares 3 and older and $100,000 Henry S. Clark for 3-year-olds and up, both going one mile, and the $100,000 King T. Leatherbury for 3-year-olds and up sprinting five furlongs.

Live racing returns to Laurel Park with an eight-race program Friday, March 5. The winter meet runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Sunday, March 28.

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