Top News | Horse Racing Free Tips

Gulfstream Stakes Winners to Target Pegasus World Cup

Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) will be aimed at the Jan. 28 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational after his victory in the GIII Harlan's Holiday S. Saturday at Gulfstream, while the Christophe Clement-trained stablemates City Man (Mucho Macho Man) and Decorated Invader (Declaration of War), first and second in the GII Fort Lauderdale S., will now target the Jan. 28 GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.

Skippylongstocking won the 2022 GIII West Virginia Derby and was third in the GI Belmont S.

“He's getting better and he's filled out so much,” trainer Saffie Joseph said. “He exceeds all expectations. I never give him that much credit and he keeps delivering.”

Joseph said Skippylongstocking will be joined in the Pegasus by stablemate O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman), who finished fourth as the favorite in the Harlan's Holiday.

“He wears glue-on shoes and they actually separated where one shoe was half on and half off,” Joseph said of the Chilean Group 1 winner's trip in the Harlan's Holiday. “I think that could have been a hinderance. I'd rather lose a shoe than have one half on and half off.”

Also expected to move on to the Pegasus are Harlan's Holiday runner-up Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile) and third-place finisher Simplification (Not This Time).

The Christophe Clement-trained stablemates City Man (Mucho Macho Man) and Decorated Invader (Declaration of War), first and second in the GII Fort Lauderdale S. at Gulfstream Park Saturday, will now be aimed at the Jan. 28 GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Peter and Patty Searles's City Man got a patient ride from jockey Joel Rosario to find room inside late and surged to a 1 1/2-length victory, while West Point Thoroughbreds, William Freeman, William Sandbrook and Cheryl Manning's Decorated Invader emerged from a three-way photo to get second by a neck.

“The two horses came back in good shape and looked good to me this morning,” Clement said Sunday. “We'll speak to the owners, but the idea would be to train them for the Pegasus.”

The 6-year-old City Man won the GIII Forbidden Apple S. at Saratoga last July and was second in the GIII Bernard Baruch H. before winning a pair of New York-bred stakes in the fall.

“He had some very good races [last] year and we just hope we can keep his form for one more race,” Clement said. “The idea is to run in the Pegasus then we'll pull the plug, send him to Ocala and give him a break afterward.”

Co-owner Dean Reeves, who also campaigned City Man's GI Breeders' Cup Classic-winning sire, was excited about City Man's performance.

“We were thrilled. It's just such a satisfying win and I'm just so proud of City Man and of course his stallion,” he said. “It's a double win for me.”

A three-time graded stakes winner, Decorated Invader had to overcome drawing the outermost post in a full field of 12 in the Fort Lauderdale, but was put into contention right away by jockey Tyler Gaffalione, pressing 34-1 longshot pacesetter Winfromwithin and was still there at the end.

“I thought he ran very well because he had the terrible post. It was very encouraging. Let's not forget he was a very nice 2-year-old. It took me a while to get his form back, but I loved the race yesterday,” Clement said. “As long as both horses are doing well and training well, hopefully we'll be able to run them in the Pegasus.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher said Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) would remain under consideration for the Pegasus Turf following his sixth-place finish as the favorite in the Fort Lauderdale. Colonel Liam, who won the Pegasus Turf in 2021 and 2022, was making his first start Saturday since running ninth in the G1 Dubai Turf last March.

The post Gulfstream Stakes Winners to Target Pegasus World Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Santa Anita Cancels New Year’s Day Card Due to Steady Rain

Santa Anita was forced to cancel its New Year's Day racing card Sunday as steady rain soaked the Southern California area throughout Saturday night and into early Sunday morning. The rain began as a light drizzle Saturday morning, but increased in strength throughout the completion of the program, continuing throughout the night.

The holiday card's expected feature, the GIII Santa Ynez S., will be run next Sunday. Santa Anita Director of Racing Chris Merz said entries will be reopened and the field will be drawn on Thursday. The Santa Ynez will share the spotlight next Sunday with the GIII Sham S.

Four of Sunday's overnight races that were canceled–races three, five, six and eight–will be brought back as “extras” for Friday's card, which was drawn Sunday. According to Merz, with another substantial rainstorm forecast to hit the area midweek, there will likely be no turf racing Friday.

“We're probably going to be stuck with another all-dirt card,” Merz said.

Racing is expected to resume at the Arcadia oval Monday with 10 races and a first post at noon. Merz expects both the main track and training track to be open for training Monday after both were closed Sunday.

The post Santa Anita Cancels New Year’s Day Card Due to Steady Rain appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Riders Deadheat for Laurel Title, Russell Takes Training Honors

Laurel Park's fall meet ended with a tie for leading rider between journeyman Angel Cruz and 19-year-old apprentice Jeiron Barbosa. In addition, trainer Brittany Russell topped the trainer standings for a third time this year.

It was the first riding title for Cruz, who deadheated with Barbosa with 44 wins apiece. Cruz won two races Saturday to secure the tie with Barbosa. The latter is among the contenders for champion apprentice jockey of 2022 and had won both Laurel's spring meet and Pimlico's fall meet titles. Both riders are from Puerto Rico, where they've known each other for more than a decade, and are represented by agent Tom Stift.

“Angel is the reason Jeiron became a jockey,” said Stift. “They wanted to finish 1-2 [in the standings], and it worked out even better.”

In the training ranks, Russell won 29-24 over Jamie Ness for the fall meet title. She had also wrapped up the honors at Laurel's spring meet and tied for the lead at the Preakness Meet at Pimlico. She is just the fourth female trainer to lead the meet standings in Maryland following Karen Patty, Mary Eppler, and Linda Rice.

For the entirety of 2022 in Maryland, she was second to Claudio Gonzalez, 74-73. Russell set career highs with 453 starters, 100 wins, and more than $4.3 million in earnings for 2022.

Laurel's 2023 winter meet opens New Year's Day with a nine-race card and first post at 12:25 p.m.

The post Riders Deadheat for Laurel Title, Russell Takes Training Honors appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Brown Wins Eighth Straight Year-End Title at NYRA, Davis His First

With 159 winners from 587 starters (27.09%), trainer Chad Brown secured an eighth consecutive year-ending training title at the tracks of the New York Racing Association (NYRA). Over the course of 196 racing days, Brown's runners finished in the top three 59.28% of the time. It was the Mechanicville native's best season on the NYRA circuit, surpassing the 154 he recorded in 2018. He completed the year with total New York purse earnings of just over $17.9 million.

“It means a lot and I'm so proud of my team,” said Brown. “They've worked hard from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. They're an outstanding group of men and women who have various skillsets they bring to our team. We have a lot of loyal clients and partners, and of course, the horses. So many different horses in so many categories really came through for us, so we feel very fortunate to work with these horses.”

Among Brown's 27 graded victories in New York in 2022 were nine at the Grade I level, topped by the successes of 'TDN Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings) in the GI Woody Stephens S. on the Belmont S. undercard in June and the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. in August at Saratoga.

“We had a very diverse group of horses and my team showed that they are able to execute equally as good with turf or dirt horses,” said Brown. “We won with dirt sprinters, route grass horses, male and female. They showed versatility and there's not too many teams that can continue to [perform at this level] with any kind of horse.”

Todd Pletcher and Linda Rice were second and third with 110 and 73 winners, respectively.

Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables won its fourth straight year-end NYRA title, with a record of 228-57-47-29 for earnings of $6,148,551. Horses to carry the red-and-white silks included GI Belmont Oaks Invitational winner McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Early Voting (Gun Runner), who won the GIII Withers S. en route to future success in the GI Preakness S.

Jockey Dylan Davis registered his first NYRA riding title, partnering with the winners of 186 races. The 28-year-old earned his first meet title at the 2021-2022 Aqueduct winter meet.

“It feels great,” said Davis. “I'm grateful and honored and couldn't have done it without the horses, the trainers, the owners, my agent Mike [Migliore]. We've been working hard and sticking it out on the NYRA circuit. Everything is coming together and we're just going to push on and try for a better year next year.”

The post Brown Wins Eighth Straight Year-End Title at NYRA, Davis His First appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post