Triple Crown | Horse Racing Free Tips

100-Point Prep Next On The Agenda For Dominating Oaklawn Allowance Winner Zozos

If it was a case of who beat who and by how much, Zozos' stakes audition was a smashing success.

Facing winners for the first time in his two-turn debut, Zozos roared to a 10 ¼-length victory in Friday's featured eighth race at Oaklawn, a $100,000 entry-level allowance, to remain unbeaten in two lifetime starts for trainer Brad Cox and breeder/owners Barry and Joni Butzow.

Among the horses Zozos ($9.80) vanquished was heavily favored Barossa, who dead-heated for second in his first start for trainer Rodolphe Brisset after previously being based in Southern California with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Barossa was exiting a third-place finish, beaten 10 lengths, in the $300,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) Dec. 11 at Los Alamitos. The 1-2 finishers, Slow Down Andy and Messier, were separated by a length in the 1 1/16-mile race.

Messier was a 15-length winner of the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) Feb. 6 at Santa Anita in his 3-year-old debut. Slow Down Andy is scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut in the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds.

Cox, the reigning two-time Eclipse Award winning trainer, said Zozos will be pointed to a major Kentucky Derby points race, but when and where are question marks.

“He'll get time now,” Cox said after watching his horses train Saturday morning at Oaklawn. “I'm not running him back quick. So, if anybody's asking, he's going to get his time. He's going to get one big swing and then he'll tell us. He could pop up in the Louisiana Derby, the Arkansas Derby or the Blue Grass. There are other options, so we'll give him the time. He looked like he came out of the race in great shape.”

The $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) is Feb. 26 at Fair Grounds. The $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) is April 2 at Oaklawn. The $1 million Blue Grass Stakes (G1) is April 9 at Keeneland.

Zozos, a son of Munnings, had to work hard in his career debut victory, a grinding half-length decision at 6 furlongs Jan. 23 at Fair Grounds. Friday was a breeze under Florent Geroux.

Zozos stalked Barossa through modest fractions of :23.83 for the opening quarter and :48.92 for a half-mile before taking command on the outside turning for home. Zozos was four lengths clear in midstretch and the advantage snowballed in the run to the wire. The winning time over a fast track was 1:44.40.

“Ran good,” Cox said. “We liked him a lot when he ran first time. I thought his first race was OK. Bounced out of it in good order and gave us a good work last week. That's why we ran him back a little quick, quicker than normal. Thought it was a good run. Was encouraged to see that he'd like two turns. Kind of thought he would, but you never know until you try it and he showed us what we needed – obviously to a Derby prep.”

Geroux was riding Zozos for the first, but said he had been on the colt in the morning “a long time ago.” Geroux noted that Zozos was on his left lead through the stretch in his debut, possibly a sign of greenness. Zozos switched to his right lead, on cue, in the upper stretch Friday.

“I expected him to run a good race, but he ran even better than I expected,” Geroux said. “It was a good surprise. I thought he would like the distance. It's great, hopefully, for the future. We hope he can step it up at the stakes level. It looked like he improved a lot stretching out and ran a much straighter race than he did the first time, too, so that was encouraging.”

Geroux and Cox teamed to win the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G2) for older horses in 2020 at Oaklawn with Warrior's Charge, another son of Munnings.

The post 100-Point Prep Next On The Agenda For Dominating Oaklawn Allowance Winner Zozos appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Pharoah Colt MacKinnon Tops 11-Strong Field For El Camino Real Derby

Eleven 3-year-old colts and geldings are slated for a chance to earn 10 Kentucky Derby points and a free Preakness berth in the feature race at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday afternoon, the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby at 1 1/8 miles on Tapeta. The El Camino Real Derby goes as Race 8 on a nine-race program.

Last year, 2021 winner Rombauer took advantage of his free Preakness berth, which has been offered to the winner of the El Camino Real Derby the last four years, and went on to win the second leg of the Triple Crown.

A pair of Southern California shippers make the trip north. The headliner in the field is Doug O'Neill trainee MacKinnon, who won a pair of stakes on turf as a 2-year-old-the Juvenile Turf at Del Mar and the Zuma Beach at Santa Anita-before finishing third in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf last November. Most recently, the son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah finished fourth behind next-out Southwest Stakes victor Newgrange in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on dirt at Santa Anita. Southern California-based jockey Abel Cedillo, who has a total of four mounts on the day, is named to ride McKinnon.

O'Neill saddles a second entrant in Del Mo, who won a maiden special weight at Golden Gate on Jan. 9 and has trained in the Bay Area leading up to the El Camino Real Derby.

Trainer Bob Baffert won the El Camino Real Derby in 2019 with Azul Coast and sends out $620,000 yearling purchase Blackadder in the 2022 edition. In his most recent afternoon appearance, the son of Quality Road broke his maiden in a two-turn race at Santa Anita on Dec. 26. He faces winners for the first time and will be ridden by Edwin Maldonado for the first time. Blackadder is owned by the large partnership of SF Racing LLC, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable and Siena Farm LLC.

Local contenders run deep in the El Camino Real Derby. Temple City colt Boise attempts to rebound after a poor performance in the Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita on turf. Trained by leading Northern California conditioner Jonathan Wong, Boise broke his maiden at Golden Gate and won the Gold Rush Stakes in December over the Tapeta main track.

Dr. Pescado picked up a stakes victory in the Golden Nugget Stakes sprinting on Tapeta last fall and freshens up two months after finishing third behind Boise in the Gold Rush.

C'Mon Man, who rounded out the superfecta in the Gold Rush and was a non-factor in the Eddie Logan, is another 3-year-old from the local contingent entered.

Unraptured, who has always been well regarded by his connections and the Bay Area racing community, is a perfect two-for-two on the Golden Gate Tapeta. He enters fresh off a dominant allowance win. The Tim McCanna trainee possesses the pedigree to be a decent racehorse: he is a half sibling to Grade 3 winner and $500,000 earner Jalen Journey. Another sibling, Derek Adrian, was a Group 1 winner in South America and won 12 races from 16 lifetime starts.

Allowance winner Stormy Samurai stretches out in distance after beating a salty bunch of sprinters, two-turn maiden special weight victor Il Bellator sports an improving pattern leading up to this stakes debut, and maiden Meetmeattheclub is entered ambitiously in search of a massive upset. Nuestro Engriedo, who finished third behind Stormy Samurai in an allowance race two weeks ago, rounds out the field.

First post on Saturday afternoon is 12:45 PM PT. Fans who wish to attend the race card, or any future race programs, can purchase tickets online at Goldengatefields.com.

The El Camino Real Derby (Race 8 of 9. Approximate post time: 4:15 PM PT)

#1 Stormy Samurai (Jockey William Antongeorgi III…trainer Jack Steiner)

#2 McKinnon (Abel Cedillo…Doug O'Neill)

#3 Unraptured (Armando Ayuso…Tim McCanna)

#4 Blackadder (Edwin Maldonado…Bob Baffert)

#5 Nuestro Engriedo (Santos Rivera…Felix Rondan)

#6 Boise (Evin Roman…Jonathan Wong)

#7 Dr Pescado (Pedro Terrero…Felix Rondan)

#8 Meetmeattheclub (Silvio Amador…Dan Franko)

#9 C'Mon Man (Irving Orozco…Bill McLean)

#10 Il Bellator (Alejandro Gomez…Jose Bautista)

#11 Del Mo (Ruben Fuentes…Doug O'Neill)

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Howling Time, Classic Causeway Lead Big Field For Sam F. Davis At Tampa Bay Downs

For a number of 3-year-old Thoroughbreds whose connections hold Kentucky Derby aspirations, 4:54 p.m. ET on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla., is show-and-tell time.

A field of 12 sophomores, a few more promising than the others, is expected to line up about that time for the 42nd running of the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race awarding “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points to the first four finishers on a 10-4-2-1 scale.

The Sam F. Davis is one of four main-track stakes races on a good-looking, 11-race Festival Preview Day card beginning at 12:11 p.m. The program includes three other stakes races: the $150,000, mile-and-40-yard Suncoast Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, a Road to the Kentucky Oaks points race to be contested as the eighth race; the $100,000, six-furlong Pelican Stakes, for 4-year-olds and-upward, which is the seventh race; and the $50,000, six-furlong Minaret Stakes, for fillies and mares 4-and-upward, scheduled as the sixth.

In addition to being a field of dreams for breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys and stable workers, the Sam F. Davis is the major prep race for the Grade 2, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, which is the showcase event of a $1-million-plus Festival Day card on March 12 featuring four graded stakes races.

To get to Festival Day, the Sam F. Davis entrants need to show they've upped their games off their 2-year-old performances. There is no shortage of confident handlers.

“It's a good (Kentucky) Derby prep race, the timing is good and our horse is healthy and doing everything right,” said Dale Romans, the trainer of Kentucky-bred colt Howling Time, expected to be one of the betting favorites.

“(The Sam F. Davis) is a good race to get your horse to the next level, and it's a great race to win on its own. But we are looking down the road (with Howling Time),” Romans said.

Howling Time, who is owned by Albaugh Family Stables and will be ridden by his regular jockey, Joseph Talamo, won his first two starts as a 2-year-old, including the Street Sense Stakes on Oct. 31 at Churchill Downs, before fading to a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes on Nov. 27 at Churchill. “No one else wanted the lead,” Romans said, “and I don't think that's where this horse wants to run.”

Romans said he hopes Talamo can place Howling Time somewhere behind the leaders before unleashing his best run late. “This horse never gets tired, and we just want to get him to finish with a nice run and hopefully win,” Romans said.

Joining Howling Time from the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes is Kentucky-bred colt Classic Causeway, who finished a solid second in that race to Smile Happy. Irad Ortiz, Jr., will take over the riding assignment from Joel Rosario. Classic Causeway is 1-for-3, including a third-place finish on Oct. 9 in the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland.

Trainer Brian Lynch said he is sending Classic Causeway from his south Florida base to Tampa Bay Downs on Thursday, with the intention of jogging him Friday morning and schooling him in the paddock Friday afternoon.

“I'd like to see him get his first graded-stakes victory and keep picking up Derby points,” said Lynch, who trains Classic Causeway for Kentucky West Racing and Clarke M. Cooper. “His workouts have been solid, and everything about them suggests he should run well.

“I feel that if he runs his race, he will certainly fit with these horses,” Lynch said. “He has a high cruising speed and he has gotten much bigger and stronger as a 3-year-old. He has the tactical speed to not be very far from the engine room, and hopefully he will be first to the wire.”

While Classic Causeway earned six points on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” for his two graded-stakes efforts, Red Oak Stable's unbeaten (3-for-3) colt Make It Big gained 10 points on Dec. 17 by winning the Springboard Mile Stakes at Remington Park in Oklahoma, his second stakes victory.

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., said Jose Ortiz, Irad's brother, will again ride Make It Big.

“I talked it over a few weeks ago with Rick Sacco, the racing manager for Red Oak, and he recommended the (Sam F. Davis) would be a good choice for his 3-year-old debut,” Joseph said. “We didn't expect the race to come up this tough, but I'm excited to see how he stacks up.”

Joseph said Make It Big was forced to overcome adversity in the Springboard Mile. “He got in between horses and had to rate a bit, and then he got hooked late (by runner-up Osbourne) and had to out-battle him to the wire. It was a very professional performance,” Joseph said.

“This horse has a good mind, and he has found a way to win each time. He probably needs to improve to win Saturday, but he has improved in each race, so hopefully he will follow suit.”

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse has entered three horses in the Sam F. Davis, including Grade 3 Grey Stakes winner God of Love, a supplementary entry after not being originally nominated. Casse's other runners are Golden Glider and Volcanic.

Here is the full field for the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes in post position order, with trainers and jockeys:

1. Mr Rum Runner, Patrick Biancone, Romero Ramsay Maragh

2. Unpredictable Bay, Alnaz Ali, Alonso Quinonez

3. Classic Causeway, Brian Lynch, Irad Ortiz, Jr.

4. Golden Glider, Mark Casse, Antonio Gallardo

5. God of Love, Mark Casse, Rafael M. Hernandez

6. Trademark, Victoria Oliver, Daniel Centeno

7. Make It Big, Saffie Joseph, Jr., Jose Ortiz

8. Shipsational, Edward Barker, Javier Castellano

9. Howling Time, Dale Romans, Joseph Talamo

10. Volcanic, Mark Casse, Edwin Gonzalez

11. Strike Hard, Matthew J. Williams, Leonel Reyes

12. Kitten Mischief, Jonathan Thomas, Manuel Franco;

13. (also-eligible) Little Vic, Juan Carlos Avila, Paco Lopez.

The 42nd edition of the Suncoast Stakes appears to have a standout in Nest, 2-for-3 after her victory on Dec. 4 at Aqueduct in the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes. The daughter of Curlin, out of the A.P. Indy mare Marion Ravenwood, is owned by Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House and is trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher.

Here is the full field for the $150,000 Suncoast Stakes in post position order, with trainers and jockeys:

1. Blamethechampagne, Ian Wilkes, Rafael M. Hernandez

2. Nest, Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz, Jr.

3. Alittleloveandluck, Mike Dini, Paco Lopez

4. Mining Chrome, Gerald Bennett, Roberto Alvarado, Jr.

5. Mirth 'n Merriment, Tim Hamm, Rocco Bowen

6. Peaceful Surprise, Christophe Clement, Samy Camacho

7. Ha' Penny, Joseph Orseno, Luca Panici

8. Princess Elin, Alnaz Ali, Alonso Quinonez.

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Pletcher Plans: Mo Donegal Could Target Wood Memorial, Emmanuel To Fountain Of Youth

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has 42 horses nominated to the Triple Crown, and offered up plans for some of the top Kentucky Derby hopefuls in his barn to the Thoroughbred Daily News this week.

Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), winner of the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct and last-out third in Gulfstream's G3 Holy Bull, could head back to New York for his final Derby prep. How Mo Donegal trains over the next few weeks will determine whether the colt runs again prior to the G2 Wood Memorial on April 9. The Donegal Racing/Jerry Crawford-owned colt has won two of his four starts thus far, and was acquired as a $250,000 yearling purchase at the Keeneland September sale.

“The Wood Memorial is the 100-point race that we've got him targeted for since he won the Remsen at Aqueduct,” Pletcher told TDN. “I actually thought he ran a sneaky good race the other day [in the Holy Bull]. He was making up some ground late. It's just that everything kind of unfolded the wrong way for him and it took him a while to get out in the clear and able to make his run. It was the kind of effort we were hoping for, even though it wasn't the result we were wanting.”

Emmanuel (More Than Ready) has won a maiden race at Gulfstream and a first-level allowance at Tampa Bay Downs for owners WinStar Farm and Siena Farm, and could next be pointed to the G2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream on March 5. Pletcher has penciled in the colt, a $350,000 yearling at Keeneland September, as progressing through the G1 Florida Derby en route to Louisville.

Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile) required three starts to break his maiden, but won a first-level allowance at the Fair Grounds on Jan. 22 to set him up for a run in the G2 Risen Star on Feb. 19. The homebred Sumaya U.S. Stable colt is out of stakes-winner Lights of Medina.

Major General (Constitution) hasn't started since winning the G3 Iroquois at Churchill Downs, but could reappear in the Mar. 12 G2 Tampa Bay Derby. Owned by WinStar and Siena Farm, the undefeated colt was a $420,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland September.