Top News | Horse Racing Free Tips

American Pharoah Colt Breaks Maiden in Cinema

A maiden facing winners in Sunday's $100,000 Cinema S. at Santa Anita, Hudson Ridge parlayed a stalking trip into a one-length defeat of favored Sword Zorro (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), becoming the 16th black-type winner for his Triple Crown-winning sire.

Forced to take some evasive action at the start when Jimmy Irish (Jimmy Creed) ducked out at the start, forcing Hubris (Paynter) out and into Hudson Ridge, the bay colt settled in third position of the quintet into the first turn and inherited second position when Hubris was pulled up and out of the race at the six-furlong maker. Clocking every move made up front by Jimmy Irish, Hudson Ridge crept closer under a hold, was sent into the lead passing the quarter pole and sprinted better than Sword Zorro for the victory. Stewards conducted an inquiry into the start, but the result was allowed to stand.

Hudson Ridge beat two home in his six-furlong debut over this course Feb. 6, before making belated progress to be fourth in a main-track maiden over a mile Mar. 5. Down one spot when wheeled back on 15 days' rest, he found late trouble in a similar spot May 1 and missed by a head while sharing the spoils for second.

Bred on the same cross as European GSW & G1SP Pista, Hudson Ridge is out of a Group 3-placed half-sister to MGSW & MGISP Diabolical (Artax) and MGSW/G1SP What a Name (Ire) (Mr. Greeley). Hudson Ridge's third dam is GISW Plenty of Grace (Roberto). Shell House is the dam of a 2-year-old colt by War Front, a yearling full-brother to Hudson Ridge and produced a colt by Justify Mar. 2. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

CINEMA S., $98,500, Santa Anita, 5-23, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:49.06, fm.
1–HUDSON RIDGE, 120, c, 3, by American Pharoah
1st Dam: Shell House (Ire) (GSP-Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Bonnie Byerly, by Dayjur
3rd Dam: Plenty of Grace, by Roberto
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Double L Racing & Natalie J. Baffert;
B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Abel
Cedillo. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 5-1-1-0, $75,140.
2–Sword Zorro (Ire), 124, c, 3, Zoffany (Ire)–Sarawati (Ire), by
Haafhd (GB). (€165,000 Ylg '19 GOFOR). O-Yuesheng Zhang;
B-Pigeon Park Stud (IRE); T-John W. Sadler. $20,000.
3–Airman, 120, c, 3, Tonalist–Aconcagua, by Intikhab. O-John
M. B. O'Connor; B-Anastasie Astrid Christiansen-Croy (KY);
T-John A. Shirreffs. $12,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2 1/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 5.80, 1.90, 4.00.
Also Ran: Jimmy Irish, Hubris.

The post American Pharoah Colt Breaks Maiden in Cinema appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Speightstown Firster Overcomes Wide Trip at Churchill

6th-Churchill Downs, $100,000, Msw, 5-23, 3yo/up, f/m, 5 1/2fT, 1:04.51, fm, neck.
TOWN AVENGER (f, 3, Speightstown–Unavenged, by Empire Maker) was crunched into 7-2 at post time from a morning line of 12-1 and was up in the shadow of the post for a good-looking victory at first asking. Settled behind midfield, but trapped out wide after departing the 10 hole, the $380,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase looped rivals four deep on the turn and carried a full head of steam into the lane despite the significant ground loss. The dark bay began to zero in on pacesetting Dynamite Gift (Justin Phillip) entering the final furlong and needed every inch of that final 220 yards before scraping in best. A $50,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $110,000 Keeneland April breezer, Town Avenger's dam won five of her 16 career starts on the competitive Japan Racing Association circuit, graduating over 2000 meters in soft turf at first asking before adding four wins on the dirt at distances from a mile to 2100 meters while earning better than $861,000. Repatriated and bred to Distorted Humor in early 2015, Unavenged–a half-sister to GSW Naughty New Yorker (Quiet American) and SW & MGSP Pupil (Unbridled)–was led out unsold on a bid of $400,000 at that year's Keeneland November sale. Town Avenger is kin to the 2-year-old colt Into Mission (Into Mission) and Unavenged was most recently served by Bolt d'Oro. Sales history: $380,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,488. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Jim & Susan Hill; B-WinStar Farm LLC (KY); T-Brian A Lynch.

The post Speightstown Firster Overcomes Wide Trip at Churchill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Happy Saver Returns Friday at Belmont

Wertheimer and Frere's unbeaten Happy Saver (Super Saver), last seen winning the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup last October, will make his 4-year-old debut in an allowance at Belmont Park Friday.

“I'm happy to get his season under way,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “Hopefully, we've done enough with him to have him ready, but I'm looking forward to getting him going.”

Following some down time at WinStar Farm, Happy Saver began working regularly at Palm Beach Downs in early April before shipping to Pletcher's division in Saratoga. His most recent breeze was a five-furlong work in 1:01.70 (3/13) May 21 over the Saratoga main track.

Happy Saver will put his four-for-four record on the line in the third race–a one-mile optional claiming event–at Belmont Friday. The field also includes stakes-placed Three Technique (Mr Speaker) and recent allowance winner Locally Owned (Distorted Humor).

Pletcher has added Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' multiple Grade I winner Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) to his stable. The 2018 GI Hopeful S. and 2019 GI H. Allen Jerkens S. winner, previously trained by Greg Sacco, is being pointed towards the July 4 GII John A Nerud S. at Belmont Park.

Mind Control, who opened 2021 with a runner-up effort in the Apr. 3 GI Carter H., was seventh last time out in the May 1 GI Churchill Downs S. He worked a half-mile in :48.30 (11/91) Saturday on the Belmont dirt training track.

“The John Nerud is what we're targeting at the moment,” Pletcher said. “He came to me in great shape and he's a very straightforward and good-training horse. He looks good.”

The post Happy Saver Returns Friday at Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

First Winner for Practical Joke at Lone Star

Freshman sire Practical Joke got off the mark with his first winner Saturday at Lone Star Park. Under a ride and outsprinted in fifth through an opening quarter in :22.59, Tom Durant homebred Catchusifyoucan (Practical Joke), off at odds of 5-1, rode the rail into the stretch and snuck up the fence in the late stages to secure a half-length decision over Free Like a Girl (El Deal). The winner's stakes-winning dam Legal Mind (Bellamy Road) is also represented by a Sky Kingdom colt of 2020. She was bred to Exaggerator for 2021. Led by a $575,000 colt at Keeneland September, 74 out of 92 yearlings switched hands from the first crop of Practical Joke for an average of $120,243 last year. He stands the 2021 season for a $22,500 fee at Ashford Stud.

5th-Lone Star, $34,000, Msw, 5-22, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :53.06, ft, 1/2 length.
CATCHUSIFYOUCAN (f, 2, Practical Joke–Legal Mind {SW}, by Bellamy Road) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $20,340. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O/B-Tom R. Durant (KY); T-W. Bret Calhoun.

The post First Winner for Practical Joke at Lone Star appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post