Triple Crown | Horse Racing Free Tips

Morello Romps In Jimmy Winkfield; Gotham Could Be Next Stop

Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Craig Taylor and Victoria Taylor's Morello swooped to an emphatic score in Sunday's rescheduled $100,000 Jimmy Winkfield, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The Jimmy Winkfield was initially slated for last Sunday's card which was cancelled due to the impact of a powerful winter storm in the New York City metropolitan area.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen and piloted by Jose Lezcano, Morello broke sharp from the outermost post 5, settling in third position as Hagler punched his way to the front through an opening quarter-mile in 22.60 seconds over the good main track.

Hagler led the field to the turn with Life Is Great stalking in second and Beast Or Famine advancing along the rail. Morello made an early wide move prompting Life Is Great to pop outside of Hagler mid-way through the turn to take command after a half-mile in 45.55.

Morello continued to make up ground outside of Life Is Great and surged clear down the lane en route to a five-length win in a final time of 1:23.30. Life Is Great completed the exacta by 4 1/2-lengths over Beast Or Famine with Dance Code and Hagler rounding out the order of finish.

A $250,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale purchase, the Classic Empire chestnut entered from an impressive 4 1/4-length debut score over next-out winner Inevtabl Conection in a six-furlong maiden special weight on November 27 at the Big A.

“He broke very good today. Last time, he broke a little slow but today it was good, Lezcano said. “He was in the bridle the whole way and was really going like a good horse. I didn't have to touch him with the whip or anything. I just let him go. He had the same kick as last time.”

Dave Lyon, founder and managing partner of Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, said he was impressed with the effort by the colt he named after Tom Morello, guitarist for the rock band Rage Against the Machine.

“This was the plan all along. Sprint him, then take him to seven,” Lyon said. “The allowance race we were looking at didn't go, but we thought this would be the right race to move forward. It looked like by the way he galloped out he could go longer. He handled this field pretty well and we're excited for the future.”

Lyon said he will speak to Asmussen and his Belmont-based assistant Toby Sheets about a potential start in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, a one-turn mile for sophomores on March 5 at the Big A offering 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers.

“I'm going to let Steve and Toby make that decision, but I think it's a realistic spot. I don't think he needs too much time,” Lyon said. “That race is on March 5, so we'll talk to the guys who lead the charge in the training barn and make a decision on that. We're excited, we think we have a good quality horse.”

Bred in Kentucky by Robert B. Tillyer and Dr. Chet Blackey, Morello banked $55,000 in victory while remaining perfect through two starts. Sent to post as the 7-5 mutuel favorite, Morello returned $4.80 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Thursday at the Big A with an eight-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Holy Bull Winner White Abarrio Likely To Await Florida Derby

C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's White Abarrio, a thoroughly professional and dominating winner of Saturday's $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) is likely to return on the Road to the Triple Crown in the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) April 2 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

“We talked it out over at dinner [Saturday] night, and I'd say it's not set in stone, but he's going to straight to the Florida Derby. We don't have to decide now, but everyone was kind of on the same page to go straight to the Florida Derby,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “The spacing works well. He runs well fresh, and hopefully, it will set him up for the Kentucky Derby (G1) to run his best.”

The Holy Bull, which headlined a program with five-graded stakes for 3-year-olds, was the first graded stakes on the Road to the Curlin Florida Derby. The $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) will be the final prep for Gulfstream's premier Triple Crown prep March 5.

Making his first start since finishing third in the Nov. 27 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs, White Abarrio was obviously ready for his return to action despite missing a pair of workouts in preparation for the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull.

“I'm very excited that he won as nicely as you could ask a horse to win a race, and it was the prep with the most depth so far. To be able to come out victorious, it was amazing,” Joseph said. “We had a little setback going into the race. We missed a couple works. You would think he should improve off that. He got a 97 Beyer [Speed Figure]. Just to think he could improve off of that – it's a good feeling.”

The son of Race Day broke sharply to obtain ideal position outside pacesetter Galt into the first turn and rated nicely under Tyler Gaffalione as the longshot pacesetter set fractions of 23.93 and 47.31 seconds for the first half mile. White Abarrio took over on the turn and pulled away to score by 4 ½ lengths over Simplification, the 7-2 second choice who rallied gamely after missing the break and trailing the field early. Mo Donegal, the 8-5 favorite, made a late surge to finish third after breaking slowly and racing in traffic early.

“When you have speed like that and can stay well, you put yourself in a good spot,” Joseph said. “Speed kills in dirt racing. To have that and also have the stamina to go long, it's a strong combo to have.”

After running 1 1/16-miles in 1:42/80, White Abarrio galloped out strongly under Gaffalione, who called on an outrider for assistance in pulling the winner up.

“That's what you want to see when a horse goes two turns, because you've got to get a mile and a quarter. He's done everything so far that it seems like it's within his reach,” Joseph said.

White Abarrio was purchased privately by brothers Mark and Clint Cornett following his eye-catching Sept. 24 debut victory at Gulfstream, in which he scored by 6 ¾ lengths at 6 ½ furlongs.

“Mark Cornett called and said he bought a horse. I said, 'Wow, you bought that horse? He was very impressive,'” Joseph recalled. “He said, 'I bought him and vetted him already, just go pick him up when everything is cleared.' He didn't tell me he was going to buy him.”

The gray Kentucky-bred colt went on to win a mile optional claiming race by four lengths on the lead at Gulfstream before finishing third behind Smile Happy and Classic Causeway in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club.

“He's an athletic horse. He's very light on his feet. He's a beautiful-moving horse. It carries over to race day, which is the main test. He saddles very professionally – cool, calm,” Joseph said. “He can get a little keen in the morning. When he gallops, he can get a little keen in the morning, but when you work him in company, he'll relax. It's a good attribute to have – to have speed but the ability to rate.”

Trainer Antonio Sano reported that Simplification had a 'very good' morning following his remarkable recovery from a horrible start, in which he broke last as he tossed his head as the gates opened. The son of Not This Time, a front-running winner of the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man, raced three and for wide to work his way up to second under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

“In the front or behind, he's a good horse. The horse that won is an excellent horse. If my horse breaks good, the race could be different,” Sano said. “The good news after the race is that he is a good horse, on the front or from behind.”

Simplification will be pointed to the Fountain of Youth. Sano saddled Gunnevera for a second-place finish in the 2012 Holy Bull before his stretch-running winner of $5.5 million went on to win the Fountain of Youth.

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White Abarrio Pulls Off 6-1 Upset In Holy Bull

C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable's White Abarrio took advantage of a favorable pace scenario to win Saturday's Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes by about five lengths, upsetting the nine-strong field as the fifth choice at odds of 6-1. Unraced since his third-place finish in the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes on Nov. 27, White Abarrio reiterated his preference for the Gulfstream surface over which the colt won his first two races.

The 3-year-old son of Race Day pressed the early pace and took command turning for home, pulling away under Tyler Gaffalione to complete 1 1/16 miles over Gulfstream's fast main track in 1:42.80. Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., White Abarrio's victory earned him 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

After missing the break, Mucho Macho Man Stakes winner Simplification (7-2) rallied in the lane to hold the place over late-running 8-5 favorite Mo Donegal in third. Galt, the full brother to champion Songbird, finished fourth, while Cajun's Magic was fifth.

“It was a big performance,” Joseph said of his winner. “We were ahead of schedule all the time and then he got sick and we missed two works. We ended up going from being ahead of schedule to being behind. Quality horses overcome those things.

“He trains like a horse that will handle a distance, but until they do, you never know for sure. I thought the [Kentucky] Jockey Club was a great education. He showed he could get two turns and today he answered it emphatically.”

Breaking near the outside of the field, White Abarrio was very sharp out of the gate and was able to make it over to the two-path to stalk unexpected pacesetter Galt. Simplification, the speed of the race on paper, was forced to make his run from seventh after missing the start.

White Abarrio kept up the pressure on Galt through fractions of :23.93 and :47.31, drawing even with that rival around the far turn. In the short run to the first wire, Gaffalione kept White Abarrio busy as the colt easily pulled away from the field to win by about five lengths. Simplification made his way up to second, and while never threatening the winner he was game to hold off the very late run from favorite Mo Donegal and secure the place. Galt faded to finish fourth.

“It was an ideal trip,” Gaffalione said. “The horse broke sharply and put me where I wanted to be. He settled nicely on the backside and when I called on him, he gave me another gear and finished the job well.

“I don't think distance is going to be a problem. He was just hitting his best stride down the lane and, galloping out, I had a really difficult time pulling him up. I was calling for the outrider.”

Bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm, White Abarrio is out of the unplaced Into Mischief mare Catching Diamonds, who is a half-sister to multiple Group 3 winner Cool Cowboy. Purchased for $7,500 as a yearling at the OBS Winter sale, the colt returned to the OBS ring in March to command a final bid of $40,000. Now a three-time winner from four starts, White Abarrio boasts earnings of over $240,000.

“I would say off this, the ball is in our court, why not go straight to the [G1] Florida Derby [April 2]?” Joseph suggested. “It gives him good spacing, and …if he makes the Kentucky Derby it will be his third race [this year]. That would be ideal right now, but we'll talk it over whether to go to the [G2] Fountain of Youth [March 5] or not.”

Additional Quotes from Placed Connections:

Jockey Javier Castellano (Simplification, 2^nd): “I'm not disappointed at all. I'm very satisfied the way he did it. I know we expected to be on the lead, but we learned something. He's starting to develop himself, and the good thing it seems to me that he doesn't have to be on the lead. He proved that he can come from behind, also. The first time going two turns, he did it and he did it really well. He finished up really good. The other horse, he got the jump and unfortunately we had the bad break.”

“He didn't break sharp out of the gate. There was so much noise and everybody screaming 'no' and he backed up a little bit. When he backed up they opened the gate. It was the wrong time when they opened the door and he didn't break sharp. But I don't have anything negative with the horse. I'm very positive on the horse. I think he's going to move forward. He was running at the end and he was galloping out good. I think he's a really nice horse. He put himself right behind horses and I let him feel the dirt in the face and then angled out a little bit to give him a little break and keep track of the horses. He did it really well.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher (Mo Donegal, 3^rd): “I thought he finished really well, it just took him a little while to get out in the clear and get going. The last hundred yards he was making up a lot of ground. He just kind of ran out real estate at the end. I was happy with the way he closed. It actually kind of hurt us that [Simplification] didn't break well because it kind of altered the fractions of the race and there wasn't a whole lot of pace on and that's always a disadvantage at Gulfstream. I was pleased with the horse's performance. He ran well and finished up good.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Mo Donegal, 3^rd): “I had a little stumble out of there. It was the last thing I wanted to happen, but it happened. I went to Plan B after that. I tried to save some ground and try not to be too far and I had to keep on him to help him to improve my position the whole time. He still finished good. He was in some position by the second turn. I didn't want to be waiting by the three-eighths pole because I know my horse. I know he needs to go start going a little earlier but I had nowhere to go, so I had to wait and go around them into the clear and he was flying at the end, honestly. He ran a good race.”

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Early Voting Never Challenged In Aqueduct’s Withers

Seth Klarman's Early Voting delivered as the 6-5 post-time favorite in Saturday's Grade 3 Withers Stakes, leading the field from gate-to-wire to hit the Aqueduct finish line 4 1/2 lengths clear of his nearest rival. In just his second career start, the 3-year-old son of Gun Runner earned 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Trained by Chad Brown and ridden to victory by Jose Ortiz, Early Voting ran nine furlongs over the muddy main track in 1:55.90.

“The plan was to sit second behind the one-horse [No. 1, Constitutionlawyer], but he broke sharply and I wasn't taking that away from him,” Ortiz said. “He finished well on a tiring track. One step at a time, but we're going the right way.”

Un Ojo closed from the back of the field to finish second at 28-1, earning 4 points, while Gilded Age (6-1) held third to earn 2 points. Grantham checked in fourth to earn the final point toward the Run for the Roses.

Debuting over a mile at Aqueduct on Dec. 18, Early Voting contested the early pace and drew away under steady urging in the stretch to win by 1 1/2 lengths. This time, Ortiz sent Early Voting a bit quicker out of the gate to take the lead around the clubhouse turn, and allowed the colt to pull away for a 1 1/2-length advantage down the backstretch.

After early splits of :23.57 and :48.04, Early Voting pulled away from the field by three lengths, then by as many as six at the head of the lane. Ortiz kept the colt to task down the stretch, and Early Voting crossed the wire much the best. Un Ojo rallied from well off the pace to be second, while Gilded Age made a big move on the outside around the far turn and was just out-finished for the place. Grantham was forwardly-placed throughout and managed to hold fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm, Early Voting is the third foal out of the unraced Tiznow mare Amour d'Ete. His dam is a half-sibling to millionaires Speightstown and Irap. A $200,000 yearling purchase at the Keeneland September sale, Early Voting now boasts earnings of over $190,000.

“He showed some speed in his first race, so we were pretty confident that he would stretch out even further to a mile and an eighth,” said Brown's assistant Dan Stupp. “He broke well and Jose [Ortiz] did the rest from there. I was confident in the mile and an eighth. He's out of a Tiznow mare, so he's bred to run all day. We were very confident in the distance.

“He's a horse that's going to progress with each race. Each race is going to propel him, and we've seen that in the morning with him. He was very impressive in his works. Especially, in his last two works leading up to this. He's an exciting horse and I was really ready to see him run today. I think he'll move forward nicely in his 3-year-old year.

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