Top News | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Rising Star’ Makes ‘Good’ in Sham

China Horse Club and WinStar’s Life Is Good (Into Mischief) lived up to his dazzling, ‘TDN Rising Star’-worthy debut with a good-looking score in Saturday’s GIII Sham S. at Santa Anita. Romping by 9 1/2 lengths in his 6 1/2-panel unveiling at Del Mar Nov. 22, he fired a pair of bullet works in the interim and was hammered down to 1-5 favoritism to repeat in this first try at two turns.

Not off to the fastest start from the outside post in this five-horse affair, the $525,000 KEESEP purchase seized the early advantage and galloped along on a clear lead, clocking a 23.56 first quarter and :46.67 half-mile. Turning for home alone, Life Is Good was still going along at an easy gallop in the lane and neither he or his motionless pilot Mike Smith flinched as stablemate Medina Spirit (Protonico) closed the gap to 3/4 of a length at the wire.

“He’s a good horse and I could tell that Mike was just cruising out there,” Hall of Famer Bob Baffert said. “It reminded me a lot of Authentic (Into Mischief) last year, when he did the same thing, he looked like a drunk out there coming down, he almost hit the rail and stuff. Just to get the two turns out of the way, it’s big. I always feel that the second race is most important, you’re going up against winners. I think Mike did a great job just sort of cruising around there and it was just the kind of race we were looking for. They ran pretty fast, these are two good horses. It is so exciting he passed the two-turn test.”

Pedigree Notes:

Life Is Good is the 84th black-type winner and 36th graded winner for red hot sire Into Mischief. He is also the 104th black-type scorer and 48th graded victor out of a daughter of longtime leading stallion Distorted Humor. The winner’s second dam is SW & MGISW Bonnie Blue Flag (Mineshaft), who is a half-sister to MGISW Diamondrella (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}). His dam Beach Walk did not have a foal in 2019, but had a Blame filly Feb. 27 of last year and was bred back to Candy Ride (Arg).

Saturday, Santa Anita
SHAM S.-GIII, $100,000, Santa Anita, 1-2, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.63, ft.
1–LIFE IS GOOD, 120, c, 3, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Beach Walk, by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Bonnie Blue Flag, by Mineshaft
3rd Dam: Tap Your Feet, by Dixieland Band
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($525,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). ‘TDN Rising Star‘ O-CHC INC & WinStar Farm LLC; B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Mike E Smith. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $94,200. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
2–Medina Spirit, 120, c, 3, Protonico–Mongolian Changa, by Brilliant Speed. ($1,000 Ylg ’19 OBSWIN; $35,000 2yo ’20 OBSOPN). O-Zedan Racing Stables Inc; B-Gail Rice (FL); T-Bob Baffert. $20,000.
3–Parnelli, 120, c, 3, Quality Road–Sip Sip, by Bernardini. ($500,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-C R K Stable LLC; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd (KY); T-John A Shirreffs. $12,000.
Margins: 3/4, 13, 6. Odds: 0.20, 9.40, 4.60.
Also Ran: Waspirant, Uncle Boogie. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post ‘Rising Star’ Makes ‘Good’ in Sham appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Union Rags Firster Proves Best in Big Easy

10th-Fair Grounds, $50,000, Msw, 1-2, 3yo, 6f, 1:11.06, ft, 2 1/4 lengths.

Making his first career trip to the post, DEFEATER (c, 3, Union Rags–Internal Affair, by Orientate) spoiled the debuts of the Godolphin favored entry of Colonel Bowman (Curlin) and Gershwin (Distorted Humor) to take out the Saturday finale at Fair Grounds. A firming proposition to be off as the 8-5 second favorite, the $210,000 Keeneland September yearling graduate raced last but one as Gershwin conducted his business up front. That half-brother to ‘TDN Rising Star’ Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) cut the corner going well into the lane, but Defeater had crept into it under a hold on the turn, knifed through to launch his bid three or four deep in upper stretch, bothered the rallying Colonel Bowman inside the furlong marker and proved easily best. A claim of foul by Florent Geroux aboard Colonel Bowman was disallowed by stewards.

The winner is a full to Dinar, SP, $165,912, who was third over this track in the 2019 Tenacious S.; and a half to listed winner Backdoor Kenny (Half Ours). Dam Internal Affair produced a now-freshman colt by Classic Empire who RNA’d at the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale for $55,000. Her 2020 filly is by Empire Maker and she was bred back to Union Rags for this spring. Sales history: $210,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $30,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

O-Nice Guys Stables, Manganaro Bloodstock & Steve Hornstock; B-Royal Oak Farm & Chadds Ford Stables (KY); T-Thomas M. Amoss.

The post Union Rags Firster Proves Best in Big Easy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Mutasaabeq Makes Successful Dirt Return in Mucho Macho Man

‘TDN Rising Star‘ Mutasaabeq (Into Mischief), already a graded winner on turf of the GII Bourbon S. at Keeneland last season, returned to the main track and asserted his authority late to take Saturday’s Mucho Macho Man S. at Gulfstream Park. Away in good order, the $425,000 Keeneland November weanling fell into a good stalking trip as Awesome Gerry took them along at a solid tempo down the backstretch. The 11-10 chalk appeared to be making hard work of it as they hit the three-furlong marker and Luis Saez was all over his mount, but Mutasaabeq responded to the busy ride to claim the lead with a furlong and a half to race and bounded home a clear-cut winner.

A 4 1/2-length debut winner at Saratoga at first asking Aug. 8, earning the ‘Rising Star’ designation in the process, Mutasaabeq was a distant third to Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music) in the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. Sept. 7, then overcame a tardy dispatch to win the Bourbon with a furious stretch rally. An 11-2 chance in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, the bay raced wide on both turns and was beaten better than 10 lengths in 10th behind Fire At Will (Declaration of War).

Mutasaabeq is out of a half-sister to MGSW Cool Cowboy (Kodiak Kowboy) who was acquired with this foal in utero for $180,000 at the 2018 Keeneland January sale. Her progeny in the pipeline include: a California Chrome filly of 2019 and an Uncle Mo colt of 2020. She was bred to Audible for 2021.

“We’ve been targeting this,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I thought he ran great. We wanted to make sure he got away from the gate cleanly–that hasn’t always been his best first step. I thought he broke pretty well today and put himself in a good spot. Luis had to get after him a little bit on the turn and kept responding and finding more. I thought it was a big effort. We’ll look to try another one on dirt. I’ll talk to the team at Shadwell and come up with a plan. I think today he showed his versatility. He’s now a stakes winner on both surfaces. It’s exciting to have one like that.”

MUCHO MACHO MAN S., $100,000, Gulfstream, 1-2, 3yo, 1m, 1:35.98, ft.
1–MUTASAABEQ, 122, c, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Downside Scenario, by Scat Daddy
                2nd Dam: Grand Breeze, by Grand Slam
                3rd Dam: Breeze Lass, by It’s Freezing
($425,000 Wlg ’18 KEENOV). O-Shadwell Stable; B-BlackRidge
Stables LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Luis Saez. $59,520.
Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 5-3-0-1, $259,120.
‘TDN Rising Star’
2–Papetu, 120, c, 3, Dialed In–Lady Malkin, by Sharp Humor.
($80,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Magic Stables LLC; B-Almar Farm,
LLC (KY); T-Antonio Sano. $19,200.
3–Awesome Gerry, 120, c, 3, Liam’s Map–Star of Munster, by
Tribal Rule. ($45,000 RNA Wlg ’18 KEENOV; $37,000 RNA Ylg
’19 KEESEP; $50,000 RNA 2yo ’20 OBSMAR). O-John Fanelli,
Cash is King LLC, LC Racing LLC, Paul Braverman & Timothy
Pinch; B-John Liviakis (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.. $9,600.
Margins: 1HF, 1 1/4, 8HF. Odds: 1.10, 20.30, 5.10.
Also Ran: Pickin’ Time, Ultimate Badger, Big Thorn, Raison d’Air, Easy Time, Kiger. Scratched: Jirafales.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Mutasaabeq Makes Successful Dirt Return in Mucho Macho Man appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Maclean’s Music’s Drain the Clock Bounces Back in Limehouse

Looking to atone for his first career defeat when he suffered an equipment malfunction in the Jean Lafitte S. at Delta Downs Nov. 30, Slam Dunk Racing’s Drain the Clock (Maclean’s Music) made light work of his rivals as the 9-5 chalk in Saturday’s Limehouse S. at Gulfstream Park.

Smoothly away beneath Edgard Zayas, the chestnut stalked a fast pace outside of front-running Warrior’s Pride (Poseidon’s Warrior), eased to the front approaching the stretch and kicked home smartly to defeat the blinkered Tiger by a handy margin. Runway Magic (Runhappy) finished third.

“It was a pretty smooth trip,” said the winning rider. “He broke sharp out of the gate. My only worry was that he was moving a little bit in the gate, but everything worked out really well. I was just trying to keep him in the clear and he did it all.”

Drain the Clock, a six-length maiden winner in the local slop on debut Sept. 12, added a one-length allowance tally at Gulfstream West Oct. 28 ahead of his Delta debacle, where an iron broke and he lost his jockey.

Drain the Clock is the 21st stakes winner for his Hill ‘n’ Dale-based sire and has a yearling half-brother by Mineshaft. His dam is due to Vino Rosso for 2021. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

LIMEHOUSE S., $75,000, Gulfstream, 1-2, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.11, ft.
1–DRAIN THE CLOCK, 120, c, 3, by Maclean’s Music
1st Dam: Manki, by Arch
2nd Dam: Private Ice (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
3rd Dam: Midnight Air, by Green Dancer
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Slam Dunk Racing; B-Nick Cosato (KY); T-Saffie A Joseph Jr; J-Edgard J Zayas. $45,570. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $91,170.
2–Tiger, 118, c, 3, Dialed In–Sally’s Song, by Unbridled’s Song. O/B-Arindel (FL); T-Juan Alvarado. $14,700.
3–Runway Magic, 118, c, 3, Runhappy–Divine Escapade, by A.P. Indy. O-Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings Inc (J G Sikura) & Bruce Lunsford; B-W Bruce Lunsford & Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm (KY); T-George R Arnold II. $7,350.
Margins: 7HF, 1 3/4, 2. Odds: 1.90, 8.00, 3.30.
Also Ran: Newyearsblockparty, Warrior’s Pride, Highway Bound, Ocean Ride. Scratched: Willy Boi.

The post Maclean’s Music’s Drain the Clock Bounces Back in Limehouse appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post