thor's echo stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Absent a suicidal pace duel, the Craig Lewis-trained Brickyard Ride settled into a rhythmic stride out of the gate and coasted gate to wire in Saturday's $100,000 Thor's Echo Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., winning by 4 ¾ lengths. Ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez, Brickyard Ride got six furlongs in 1:09.34.

Winless in two starts since taking the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs on March 6, Brickyard Ride was pressed through opening quarter miles of 21.40 and 21 flat in his last two starts—resulting in a fourth-place finish in a six-furlong classified allowance May 7 and a second-place finish in the G3 Kona Gold Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs on April 18.

With an opening quarter mile of 22.62, Brickyard Ride was in complete control of the Thor's Echo, and although Colt Fiction appeared full of run while two lengths back turning for home, Brickyard Ride was never challenged through the lane.

“Craig told me a clean break with him was the key today,” said Hernandez. “I never bothered him, he felt comfortable the whole way. It felt like he ran faster when I worked him the other day (a bullet five furlongs in 58 flat on June 4) than he ran today. I looked at three or four replays of his races and it looked like today, he relaxed better.”

Owned and bred in California by Alfred Pais, Brickyard Ride was off as the 8-5 favorite and returned $5.20, $3.60 and $2.60.

“I don't like to make excuses for my horses but, he was pretty much eliminated last time,” said Lewis. “He hit the gate and then he ducked in real bad, he just lost his best attribute, which is speed. I just felt like he trained well and we know he's a brilliant horse when he's right…Juan knew he had a lot of horse under him.

“We're probably going to point for the Bing Crosby (G1, six furlongs at Del Mar July 31), possibly. We could stretch him out in a Cal-bred stake. He's a lovely moving horse, big horse with a wonderful stride, very athletic and has plenty of speed…We don't know if he can could do it (be effective routing) but we know this, he will be in front.”

A striking looking 4-year-old chestnut colt by Clubhouse Ride out of the Southern Image mare Brickyard Helen, Brickyard Ride notched his third stakes victory and he now has six wins from nine Santa Anita starts. With an overall mark of 16-8-1-2, the winner's share of $60,000 increased his earnings to $464,477.

Ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli, the Bill Spawr-conditioned Colt Fiction saved every inch of ground from his rail post and although he accelerated when called upon was no match for the winner, finishing 1 ¼ lengths in front of Fashionably Fast.

The second choice at 5-2, Colt Fiction paid $3.20 and $2.20.

Fashionably Fast, who was off at 7-2 with Tiago Periera, paid $2.60 to show while finishing 2 ¾ lengths in front of Loud Mouth.

Fractions on the race were 22.62, 45.16 and 56.99.

Sponsored by the CTBA, the Thor's Echo is part of the lucrative Golden State Series for eligible California-bred or sired horses.

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With most of the attention focused on last year's winner, trainer Carla Gaines' “Avis choice,” consistent Tiger Dad, set the tone early as he battled head and head for the lead with a well-meant Principe Carlo, eventually gaining the ascendency in deep stretch as he drew off to win Saturday's $100,000 Thor's Echo Stakes by three quarters of length at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Ridden by regular pilot Victor Espinoza, Tiger Dad, a 4-year-old California-bred gelding by Smiling Tiger, got six furlongs in 1:09.56 while never threatened by his well fancied stablemate Desert Law, who checked in third as the even money favorite.

“I have been riding him quite a few times (his last eight races), so I really have the confidence in him. When some other horse is outside, it is exactly what he wants because he won't let them go by. I didn't want to take the lead too soon because he has a bad habit of waiting for horses, so today I was just hoping the outside horse (Principe Carlo) would keep going and keep me company all the way to the wire and it worked out perfectly.”

Most recently second to highly regarded Collusion Illusion in a six-furlong allowance here on May 17, Tiger Dad was the third choice at 5-2 in a field of five California-bred or sired three year olds and up and paid $7.60, $3.80 and $2.20.

“He ran fantastic,” said Gaines. “He really dug in and Victor knows him so well. As I said pre-race, my other horse (Desert Law) needs a race off of a layoff. He got a little far back.”

Owned by his breeders, Mark Devereaux and Scott Gross, Tiger Dad, who had been out of the money in just two of his previous 14 starts, notched his first stakes victory and improved his overall mark to 15-4-5-3. Out of the Unusual Heat mare Q T Shae, Tiger Dad bagged $60,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $276,661.

Breaking from the far outside with Agapito Delgadillo up for trainer Ryan Hanson, Principe Carlo, who was claimed two starts back for $20,000, battled gamely throughout and finished 1 ¼ in front of Desert Law. A winner of his last two starts, Principe Carlo was the narrow second choice at 5-2 and paid $3.60 and $2.20.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, Desert Law, who had been idle since running second in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on July 27, paid $2.10 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.33, 45.06 and 57.09.

Sponsored by the CTBA, the Thor's Echo, for 3-year-olds and up, is part of the lucrative Golden State Series for California-bred or sired horses.

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