Tripoli | Horse Racing Free Tips

Hot Rod Charlie Works In Preparation For BC Classic

Hot Rod Charlie worked six furlongs at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., Saturday in 1:14 as he prepares for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., on Nov. 6.

With Mike Smith filling in for regular rider Flavien Prat, who was winning the Grade I Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keenland Saturday by five lengths aboard Shantisara, the three-year-old son of Oxbow has two more major breezes in store.

“We were happy,” said trainer Doug O'Neill, who won two races at Santa Anita yesterday to take a 9-6 lead over runners-up Peter Miller and Bob Baffert. “He cooled out good. If all goes well and he stays injury-free, we're two works away. He'll have one at Santa Anita and one at Del Mar.

“I'm a little biased because I'm part of the race, but I think it's coming up as one of the most contentious Classics in a while.

“It's a wide-open race with tons of contenders.”

Pacific Classic winner Tripoli, also working for the Classic, went five furlongs Sunday at Santa Anita in 1:01 for John Sadler.

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Sadler: Tripoli Needs The Right ‘Trip’ For A Shot In Breeders’ Cup Classic

John Sadler hopes Tripoli returns to his winning ways when the four-old Kitten's Joy colt runs in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 6, but he realizes it's a daunting task.

Tripoli disappointed finishing fourth of eight by 6 ¼ lengths behind runaway front-running five-length winner Medina Spirit in the Grade I Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 2.

“He had his first work Monday in preparation for the $6 million Breeders' Cup in 47 and four (47.40) and he's going to work five furlongs on Sunday,” the trainer said of Tripoli.

“He just didn't get the trip he needed (in the Awesome Again),” continued Sadler, who won the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2018 with Accelerate. “He got hung out wide all the way, so it's more about the trip for him, but he appears to have come out of it good, so it's on to the Breeders' Cup.

“The Classic is a great race, and it should be. That's the big race and you've got a top 3-year-old (Medina Spirit) and Knicks Go; it's a really good race.”

Medina Spirit worked five furlongs Friday morning in 59.60 seconds for Bob Baffert, who also breezed champion filly Gamine six furlongs in 1:12 flat.

Meanwhile, Sadler has multiple graded stakes winner Flagstaff set for the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

“He just worked (four furlongs) this morning in 47 and three (:47.60),” Sadler said of the 7-year-old Speightstown gelding, a gem of consistency with a 7-6-4 record from 21 starts with earnings of $1,035,585.

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Medina Spirit Takes On Accomplished Elders in Awesome Again

Medina Spirit (Protonico) looks to secure his spot in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic as he faces his elders Saturday in the GI Awesome Again S. at Santa Anita. Winner of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. here in January, the Florida-bred was second in both the Mar. 6 GII San Felipe S.–won by his former stablemate and recent GII Kelso H. victor Life is Good (Into Mischief)–and Apr. 3 GI Santa Anita Derby. The dark bay went wire to wire in the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby, a win that is now in question after a minor overage of betamethasone was detected in post-race testing. Third after setting the early pace in the GI Preakness S. May 15, he scored a facile, front-running victory in the Shared Belief S. at Del Mar last time Aug. 29. Medina Spirit was entered to run in last weekend's GI Pennsylvania Derby, but trainer Bob Baffert scratched him in favor of this test after the draw. Stablemate Azul Coast (Super Saver) breaks to Medina Spirit's outside here after taking a Del Mar optional claimer Aug. 22

GI Pacific Classic top two Tripoli (Kitten's Joy) and Tizamagician (Tiznow) both return in this spot. The former has run on the turf for most of his career, but sports a record of 3-2-1-0 since switching dirt, winning a local optional claimer June 19 and finishing second in the GII San Diego H. July 17. Tizamagician entered the Pac Classic off a win in the GIII Cougar II S. at Del Mar July 18.

GI Santa Anita H. victor Idol (Curlin) was sidelined after scoring that career high Mar. 6 and makes his first start off the bench in this Breeders' Cup qualifier. He boasts a strong worktab in preparation, most recently breezing a bullet six furlongs in 1:12 flat here Sept. 26.

John Shireffs sends out two in here in Express Train (Union Rags) and Midcourt (Midnight Lute). Winner of the GII San Diego H. July 17, Express Train was a well-beaten sixth in the Pac Classic, but is typically a consistent money earner and could get a piece here. MGSW Midcourt comes into this off an allowance win at this oval June 18. Shared Belief third Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) rounds out the field.

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‘Honest’ Tripoli Has Found A New Home On The Main Track

Sired by Kitten's Joy, America's leading active turf stallion eight years in a row and the sire of more than 100 stakes winners in 12 crops, it made sense to have Tripoli race exclusively on grass when the chestnut colt began his career at Santa Anita on May 23, 2020.

It was far from an auspicious debut, however, as Tripoli finished 12th and last at 13-1 in the 5 ½ furlong turf sprint. He did a complete turnaround in his next race, winning by a nose over the same venue at odds of 46-1.

Tripoli captured one more turf victory in nine subsequent grass starts, this one going a mile at Santa Anita on May 1. After that, trainer John Sadler and owners Hronis Racing LLC sought greener pastures in the form of three straight runs on the main track, capping them with a victory in the Grade 1 TVG Pacific Classic at a mile and a quarter on Aug. 21.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it, so next up is Saturday's Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes on Santa Anita's main track, one of five graded events that day, three of them Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Races giving the winner a fees-paid berth to their respective Breeders' Cup races on Nov. 5 and 6 at Del Mar.

“Tripoli won a nice race (on dirt) at Santa Anita in the spring,” Sadler said, referring to an overnight route on June 19. “We took him to Del Mar and he continued his improvement with a second (by a half-length) in the Grade II San Diego Handicap (July 17).

“Then he came back and won the Pacific Classic. He's a horse that just loves the dirt right now. He's honest and consistently runs well. He was unlucky a few times on the turf but he should run well on Saturday.

“It looks like a good spot.”

A son of the Irish-bred stallion El Prado, Kitten's Joy stands for $60,000 at Hill 'n' Dale farms in Paris, Ky.

Sadler reports that Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World, who was nominated to the Awesome Again, will instead be pointed to the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at a mile and one eighth on turf closing day, Oct. 31.

The Awesome Again, race 10 of 11 with an early 12:30 p.m. first post time: Tizamagician, Flavien Prat, 4-1; Midcourt, Edwin Maldonado, 12-1; Express Train, Juan Hernandez, 4-1; Stilleto Boy, Kent Desormeaux, 20-1; Medina Spirit, John Velazquez, 5-2; Azul Coast, Abel Cedillo, 12-1; Tripoli, Tiago Pereira, 3-1; and Idol, Joe Bravo, 5-1.

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