Tyler Gaffalione | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saturday’s Insights: American Pharoah Filly Arrives at Aqueduct

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

1st-AQU, $80K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:20 p.m.

WITH BELLS ON (American Pharoah) starts her career for owners Bass Stables LLC and Cheyenne Stables after realizing $300,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The dam, a juvenile stakes winner on the turf by Giant's Causeway, has already produced two winners on the dirt including Princess Mo (Uncle Mo). Second dam Marylebone (Unbridled's Song) was also a stakes winning juvenile, taking the GI Matron S. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 11-36 over the last five years with 3-year-old first-time starters on the dirt at Aqueduct and looks to add to that tally here. TJCIS PPs

MILLION-DOLLAR YEARLING FILLY DEBUTS AT TAMPA

6th-TAM, $40K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 2:44 p.m.

When the hammer finally dropped at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, GINA ROMANTICA (Into Mischief) left the ring for a final bid of $1,025,000, another million-dollar feather in her sire's cap. The filly makes her career debut here for owner Peter Brant and trainer Chad Brown after several quick works at Payson Park, including her most recent Mar. 6 where she went four furlongs in :49 4/5 to be the third-fastest of 33 at the distance. Gina Romantica is out of the prolific broodmare Special Me (Unbridled's Song) who, though not a winner herself, has produced the likes of MGSW Stonetastic (Mizzen Mast), MGSW Special Forces (Candy Ride) and MGSW and Lane's End stallion Gift Box (Twirling Candy). She picks up Irad Ortiz for the ride. TJCIS PPs

INTO MISCHIEF COLT TAKES ON THE TURF

6th-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 7 1/2fT, 3:01 p.m.

Bred by Hare Forest Farm, WATASHA (Into Mischief) tries the turf for the first time for trainer Chad Brown. The bay colt realized a final bid of $450,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and returns off an eight-month layoff since making his only start as a juvenile, a distant fifth-place effort on the dirt July 24 at Saratoga. Watasha will seek to be the seventh winner out of the Elusive Quality mare Alwaan. He adds Lasix for the first time here, stretches out the extra furlong and a half, and gets Tyler Gaffalione aboard. TJCIS PPs

SPEEDY LORD NELSON COLT REACHES DEBUT

9th-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 4:38 p.m.

From the first crop of recently deceased stallion Lord Nelson, CAPE TRAFALGAR (Lord Nelson) makes his first start at Gulfstream Park for owner Peachtree Stable. Bred by Spendthrift Farm LLC, the colt brought $325,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Sale, the second highest price paid for a Lord Nelson yearling that year. Cape Trafalgar is out of Goldrush Girl (Political Force), who placed second in the GII Golden Rod S. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., he comes into this race off a bullet drill Mar. 5 where he worked five furlongs in :59 to be the best of 31 at the distance. TJCIS PPs

The post Saturday’s Insights: American Pharoah Filly Arrives at Aqueduct appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

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.”

Source of original post

‘We’ve All Got To Do Our Part’: Gaffalione Returns From Quarantine With Four-Win Day

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione bagged four winners Wednesday at Gulfstream Park in Hallendale Beach, Fla., making it a pretty good first day back after sitting out last weekend's races after testing positive for Covid-19.

“My valet tested positive early last week,” Gaffalione said. “Instead of putting anyone at risk, I went ahead and took a test at home and sat out the necessary days. Unfortunately I missed out on a few winners, but we've all got to do our part.”

The Davie, Fla. native and 2015 Eclipse Award winner as champion apprentice, who said he experienced only mild symptoms, captured Wednesday's opener on Slam Dunk Racing's Banker's Hours ($5.60), a mount he picked up from Irad Ortiz Jr., who has been out with a right knee injury.

Represented by agent Matt Muzikar, Gaffalione won Race 4 with Robert Cummings and Donna Cummings' 4-year-old filly Jazzy T ($8), and followed up in Race 8 aboard Pocket Aces Racing's 4-year-old gelding Critical Threat ($8.60) and Race 9 with Patricia's Hope LLC's Chacalosa ($6.20).

“My agent does a great job. He always puts me on live horses, I've just got to come out here and get it done,” Gaffalione said. “They're running well today and I'm enjoying myself. I'm glad to get back to work.”

Gaffalione had not ridden since finishing third with Philzano in the 10th race finale Jan. 6. He ranks third in the Championship Meet standings with 27 wins, trailing Luis Saez (49) and Paco Lopez (30).

“It feels great. I was starting to run circles in my house with just not much to do,” Gaffalione said. “I'm really happy to be back.”

The post ‘We’ve All Got To Do Our Part’: Gaffalione Returns From Quarantine With Four-Win Day appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Grand Sonata Leads 1-2 Pletcher Finish In Dania Beach; ‘Field Filler’ Alittleloveandluck Takes Ginger Brew

The photo-finish ending to Saturday's $100,000 Dania Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park was one that trainer Todd Pletcher never had to sweat. That's because the one-two finishers — Grand Sonata and Chanceux — are both in the care of the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track's leading trainer each of the past 18 years.

“I felt bad for the other horse, though,” Pletcher said of front-running Chanceux after Grand Sonata nipped his stablemate at the wire in the one-mile turf stakes. “He ran his heart out. Just got nailed the last jump. But both horses ran great.”

Under jockey Tyler Gaffalione, Grand Sonata put in a determined bid in late stretch to barely get past Chanceux.

“He's got a tremendous turn of foot, so we were relying on that,” Gaffalione said. “I could tell around the turn I had a ton of horse.”

Jockey Luis Saez sent Chanceux through soft opening fractions and nearly had enough left in the tank at the end to prevail. But Grand Sonata was just a tick better, closing late to get his head in front at the wire for his first stakes win.

Grand Sonata, a 3-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro and owned by Whisper Hill Farm LLC, was coming off a troubled fifth-place effort Nov. 27 in the Central Park Stakes at Aqueduct.

“He had a really rough trip last time at Aqueduct,” Pletcher said. “It cost him. He was stuck down inside and couldn't get extricated until late.”

Pletcher said he has no immediate plans for Grand Sonata and didn't dismiss the possibility of putting him back on dirt in his next start. The colt broke his maiden on the dirt at Keeneland in October.

“It's something we'll look into,” Pletcher. said. “I just think, as a young horse, he's been a little better on the turf. But he's got a dirt pedigree and at some point we might step out. They've also got a great turf program here, so you hate not to take advantage of it.”

Alittleloveandluck kicks in late to capture $100,000 Ginger Brew Stakes
Alittleloveandluck was both good and — and just a little lucky — on Saturday in winning the $100,000 Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

That's because owner and trainer Mike Dini never intended to race the 3-year-old filly in the mile turf stakes and did so only because the track racing office talked him into it in order to fill the race.

“They were short on horses,” Dini said.

Dini's good fortune paid off in the form of the gray filly's 1half-length victory over Ocean Safari. Even-money favorite Opalina was third in the field of seven. Jockey Paco Lopez gave the filly a ground-saving trip before powering past four horses in the stretch for the win.

Dini felt Alittleloveandluck was destined for turf racing but began to have his doubts when the Florida-bred daughter of Arrogate failed to hit the board in either of her first two career turf starts.

She broke maiden on Nov. 12 at Gulfstream in what was his fourth career start, and first on Tapeta.

When the Gulfstream racing office called to see if he would try her once again on turf in the Ginger Brew, Dini figured why not?

“I said, well, I might as well try her one more time on the grass with a short field,” Dini said.

Now, Dini said he intends to keep her on grass, at least for the time being.

The post Grand Sonata Leads 1-2 Pletcher Finish In Dania Beach; ‘Field Filler’ Alittleloveandluck Takes Ginger Brew appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post