Top News | Horse Racing Free Tips

XBTV Nears 2K Works From Saratoga, Del Mar

Edited Press Release

With closing weekends on the horizon for this summer's Saratoga and Del Mar meets, XBTV.com has already successfully captured, cataloged and uploaded nearly 2,000 morning video workouts for racing's marquee meets. The XBTV workouts are available without cost to those with a 1/ST account.

“An analysis of a published workout based only on final time can lead to a faulty conclusion,” said Jeff Siegel, Xpressbet.com handicapper and one of the country's most respected analysts. “How the breeze was accomplished, and which work mate it was accomplished with, can be just as important, if not more so, especially at Saratoga and Del Mar, where so many young horses make their debuts. Rather than relying on independent analysis, the XBTV.com video workouts allow horseplayers and horsemen to use their own insight and formulate their own opinions to solve the puzzle.”

With Del Mar's GI TVG Pacific Classic and Saratoga's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup set for Saturday, Sept. 3, most runners in the large fields expected in the full cards that day should have workouts on XBTV. As happens at Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park during the Winter and Spring, XBTV camera teams have been trackside each morning working with the Official Clockers at each track to record as many of the workouts as possible. The full XBTV library allows handicappers to the opportunity to look at how a horse's work pattern might have changed–positively or negatively–throughout its career.

Several syndicates / fractional ownership groups, including West Point Thoroughbreds, MyRacehorse, Little Red Feather and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, have separate portals on the XBTV.com site to follow their horses. The workouts are also featured on NBC Sports' Breeders' Cup Challenge Series coverage and on Fox Sports' Saratoga Live.

The post XBTV Nears 2K Works From Saratoga, Del Mar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Ghostzapper’s Goodnight Olive Upsets the Ballerina

In a field which included three Grade I winners, it was first-time stakes starter Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) who came away with the victory–and an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint–in the GI Ballerina S. at Saratoga Sunday. Sent off at 5-1, the dark bay filly was hustled out of the gate before settling into third as Travel Column (Frosted) assumed command through a quarter in :22.09. Goodnight Olive rushed up to press the pacestter after a half in :44.50 and powered past that rival at midstretch before powering clear to the wire.

“They were going a little fast, but she was going the right way,” said winning jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. “She was relaxed and in a good spot. I bided my time and waited. Turning for home, she was there for me. She's a nice filly, but she had never faced Grade I horses in the afternoon, but she did it today and she showed up.”

Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), the 3-2 favorite, was well back in the early going and was some five wide into the stretch, but never threatened while coming home fifth.

“She's a little bit picky when it comes to the track and today it was not her favorite,” said Victor Espinoza, aboard the beaten favorite. “She bounced out of there and she wasn't doing her thing. I was just trying to encourage her to get her rhythm, but it seemed like she struggled. I tried to get her outside and hoped. I tried everything I can and hopefully she could go forward. But it's one of those things where if she doesn't like the track, she will not run. She will be OK. She will get them next time. The most important thing is that she comes out good and we'll go for the next.”

First Row Partners and Team Hanley's Goodnight Olive, a $170,000 Fasig-Tipton October purchase, returned from seven months on the sidelines to romp to an 8 1/2-length maiden score in her second career start at Keeneland last October. She scored by nine lengths at Aqueduct Nov. 21, resurfaced to win a Belmont optional claimer by 5 1/2 lengths June 23 and kept the win streak going with a 3 3/4-length victory going 6 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga Aug. 7.

“I want to thank my team and all these beautiful partners that are in the picture here,” trainer Chad Brown said from the Saratoga winner's circle Sunday afternoon. “There's been more not good phone calls about this filly than good phone calls. She hasn't run a lot. A lot of stop and go with her, not unlike her dad who I worked with, Ghostzapper. Maybe not on the track often, but very talented. She's had some soundness issues, but the team of owners always let me do the right thing, take my time with this horse and never push her beyond what she was ready to do. She finally got it all together. She's nice and sound and healthy, and I appreciate their patience.”

The Ballerina served as a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint. Of a possible Breeders' Cup start, Brown said, “I don't know if I'll run her between now and [the Breeders' Cup]. She just ran back in three weeks, that'd be the reason. We'll see how she's doing. With her, you can't take anything for granted. She's had a lot of stoppages, but now she's good. Knock on wood, she stays that way.”

Pedigree Notes:

Goodnight Olive is a daughter of 2011 GIII Dogwood S. winner Salty Strike, who died in 2019. First Row Partners purchased the winner's half-sister Katie's Keepsake (Medaglia d'Oro), in foal to Tiz the Law, for $65,000 at last year Keeneland November sale, in between Goodnight Olive's romping maiden score and follow-up allowance triumph.

Goodnight Olive is the 49th graded winner for her sire, Ghostzapper, whose daughters Guarana, Paulassilverlining, Judy the Beauty, Better Lucky, Molly Morgan and Starship Truffles have all won at the top level.

Sunday, Saratoga
BALLERINA H.-GI, $500,000, Saratoga, 8-28, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:21.40, ft.
1–GOODNIGHT OLIVE, 118, f, 4, by Ghostzapper
          1st Dam: Salty Strike (MGSW, $485,266), by Smart Strike
          2nd Dam: Lake Huron, by Salt Lake
          3rd Dam: My Rainbow, by Lyphard
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
   WIN. ($170,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT). O-First Row Partners and
Team Hanley; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY);
T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $275,000. Lifetime Record:
6-5-1-0, $499,950. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
   Werk Nick Rating: B+.
   Click for free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Caramel Swirl, 119, f, 4, by Union Rags
          1st Dam: Caramel Snap, by Smart Strike
          2nd Dam: Fast Cookie, by Deputy Minister
          3rd Dam: Fleet Lady, by Avenue of Flags
   1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott.
$100,000.
3–Obligatory, 123, f, 4, by Curlin
          1st Dam: Uno Duo (SW, $171,300), by Macho Uno
          2nd Dam: Willstar, by Nureyev
          3rd Dam: Nijinsky Star, by Nijinsky II
O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-William I. Mott. $60,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 1HF, 3 3/4. Odds: 5.80, 15.30, 2.75.
Also Ran: Travel Column, Ce Ce, Lady Rocket, Bella Sofia.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPshttp://www.equineline.com/tdn/pedigree.cfm?tk=SAR&cy=USA&rd=09/07/2015&rn=9&de=D &ref=9104432. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Ghostzapper’s Goodnight Olive Upsets the Ballerina appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

No ‘Maybe’ About It: Upstart Filly Crushes Saratoga Foes for ‘Rising Star’ Nod

Lael Stables' THE GREAT MAYBE (Upstart), let go at 8-1 in a live-looking field of juvenile fillies Sunday at Saratoga, made that price look like a gift when winning a far-turn pace duel and bursting clear in the stretch for a first-out romp and 'TDN Rising Star' honors.

Bought by De Meric Sales for $55,000 at Fasig-Tipton October, the dark bay blossomed into a $425,000 OBS March 2-year-old after breezing a furlong in :10 flat–her sire's most expensive progeny to sell thus far in 2022–and showed an above-average but not spectacular worktab on paper, capped by a half-mile gate breeze here in :48 3/5 (6/67) Aug. 21. Made the fourth choice in a field where only one of the 10 fillies had experience, The Great Maybe was away well enough from her rail draw and settled in third early as I'm a County Girl (More Than Ready) was quickest past a salty :22.13 quarter. Sneaking through inside and soon going by that rival midway around the turn, the Cherie DeVaux trainee left the half behind in :45.28 and showed no signs of stopping down the lane, pouring it on en route to a eight-length romp in 1:10.24. Love to Shop (Violence), the 9-5 favorite, edged out longshot Quiescent (Nyquist) for second.

The winner is the second foal to race out of her dam, a half-sister to three black-type performers who has a yearling Midshipman colt and produced a colt by Promises Fulfilled this season before returning to Upstart for 2023.

6th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-28, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.24, ft,
8 lengths.
THE GREAT MAYBE f, 2, Upstart
1st Dam: Pure Legacy, by Simon Pure
2nd Dam: Legacy's Silver, by Robyn Dancer
3rd Dam: Caught Ree, by Eastern Echo
Sales History: $55,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $425,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,750. O-Lael Stables; B-Monica Egger (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. Click for the Equibase.com chart, free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post No ‘Maybe’ About It: Upstart Filly Crushes Saratoga Foes for ‘Rising Star’ Nod appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Bolt d’Oro Gets First Stakes Winner At Gulfstream

After switching from the dirt to Gulfstream's synthetic surface and breaking his maiden emphatically by 6 1/2 lengths at second asking Aug. 20, Mounsieur Coco entered stakes company just eight days later with the 1-2 edge. Two wide with J R's Pride (Ride On Curlin) for the lead through a half in :21.95, he took over command under his own power midway around the far turn. Much the best into the final furlong, he didn't give the closers a chance, widening his margin and hitting the line 4 1/2 lengths ahead. The first black-type winner for Bolt d'Oro (by Medaglia d'Oro), Mounsieur Coco is out of a half-sister to MGSP and Pennsylvania-based sire Uptowncharlybrown (Limehouse). His only younger sibling is a yearling half-brother by Bernardini while his dam was sent to Tapiture for a 2023 foal. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

PROUD MAN S., $65,000, Gulfstream, 8-28, 2yo, 5 1/2f (AWT), 1:04.16, ft.
1–MOUNSIEUR COCO, 120, c, 2, Bolt d'Oro–Cooking Mama, by
Bandini. ($85,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN.
O-St. George Stable LLC; B-Rose Hill Farm (KY); T-Fausto
Gutierrez; J-Miguel Angel Vasquez. $38,610. Lifetime Record:
3-2-0-0, $64,210. *1/2 to Mojo Man (Stay Thirsty), MSP,
$561,326. **First SW for sire.
2–Mariachi Crush, 120, c, 2, Cross Traffic–Stockings, by
Hennessy. ($82,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE.
O-St. George Stable LLC; B-Thomas S. & Henry L. Hinkle (KY);
T-Fausto Gutierrez. $12,870.
3–Cheerful Charlie, 118, c, 2, Adios Charlie–Sainted Dancer, by
Saint Anddan. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Spencer McDonald;
B-Oakleaf Farm, Liz & Norman Wilson (FL); T-Luis Olivares.
$7,722.
Margins: 4HF, HD, 4HF. Odds: 0.50, 8.60, 14.70.
Also Ran: Dangerous Ride, D Coldest, J R 's Pride.

The post Bolt d’Oro Gets First Stakes Winner At Gulfstream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post