umberto rispoli | Horse Racing Free Tips

Smooth Like Straight Brings ‘A-Game’ To Twilight Derby At Santa Anita

In a dominant performance, heavily favored Smooth Like Strait sat a close second early, took command turning for home and drew off to an emphatic 1 1/2-length victory in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, the bay colt by Midnight Lute got a mile and one eighth on firm turf in 1:46.89.

With pacesetter Dominant Soul grudgingly giving way at the top of the lane, Smooth Like Strait shook loose of eventual third-place finisher Field Pass in the final furlong to register his third graded stakes win and his third tally in his last four starts.

“I studied the race yesterday and this morning because I really wanted to win,” said Rispoli, who first rode him at Del Mar on Aug. 9. “We know how he could be keen in the first part of the race, but Michael does such an amazing job, he's been relaxed. You can see him behind horses now and he really understands to be calm. Even when the horses reached me at the three eighths pole, I thought about what to do. 'Am I going to go or stay?' At the top of the straight I knew I had the race in my hand.”

Most recently fourth as the favorite in a G2, 1 1/16-mile turf stakes at Churchill Downs Sept. 5, Smooth Like Strait was off as the 6-5 favorite in a field of nine sophomores and paid $4.60, $3.20 and $2.40.

Owned and bred in Kentucky by Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC, Smooth Like Strait picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $397,823. A winner of the G3 La Jolla Handicap two starts back on Aug. 9, Smooth Like Strait, who is out of the Flower Alley mare Smooth as Usual, improved his overall mark to 10-5-1-1.

“I was a little disappointed in the way he ran at Churchill Downs,” said McCarthy. “I didn't think there was a horse around that could beat him that day…This horse has come back, and he has not disappointed since we've been back (at Santa Anita). I was a little skeptical about a mile and one eighth, but he won going a mile and a sixteenth in the La Jolla Handicap very well.

“All the stars aligned today. He brought his A-game. Umberto rode him like the leading rider he is. I'm very happy for the Cannons and everybody involved, even my groom Mike Munoz and Cleo Thomas, they do an excellent job with this horse…”

Scarto, who was unhurried while shuffled back a bit around the far turn, put in a determined late bid and proved second best under Juan Hernandez, finishing second by three-quarters of a length over Field Pass. Off at 7-1, Scarto paid $5.60 and $3.60.

Field Pass, with Drayden Van Dyke up, was off as the second choice at 3-1 and paid $3.20 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.60, 47.84, 1:11.74 and 1:35.14.

The post Smooth Like Straight Brings ‘A-Game’ To Twilight Derby At Santa Anita appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Galilean Emerges From Stretch Duel, Inquiry With California Flag Win

Trainer John Sadler's classy Galilean cut back in distance, added blinkers and survived a stewards inquiry to prevail in Sunday's $100,000 California Flag Handicap at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, the 4-year-old colt by Uncle Mo was up to nip Ultimate Bango by a head while getting 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:02.13.

Away alertly from his outside post, Galilean tracked pacesetter Mikes Tiznow and Ricardo Gonzalez into and around the far turn and was one length off of him a quarter mile out. As Mikes Tiznow began to shorten stride, Galilean drifted inward some, causing Gonzalez to steady at the sixteenth pole and from there, Galilean was able to outrun Ultimate Bango late.

“Unfortunately, my horse didn't want to switch leads and he was hanging in the whole way,” said Rispoli, who had ridden him for the first time at Del Mar on Aug. 23. “I was obligated to just ride it with him and to try to make him as straight as I can, but he's a huge horse. I got (the win) because he was the (best) horse in the race.”

Fifth to world-class turf miler Mo Forza in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile Handicap on turf Aug. 23, Galilean was off as the 3-2 favorite in a field of five California-bred or sired 3-year-olds and up and paid $5.00, $3.00 and $2.20.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Denise Barker, William Sandbrook, John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith, Galilean, who is out of the El Prado mare Fresia, notched his sixth win, all stakes, in his 12th career start. With the winner's share of $60,000, he now has earnings of $577,098.

“He's a really good horse,” said Sadler who took over training duties five starts back on Feb. 29, 2020. “This is the third stakes we've won with him. … He's got so much class. We changed things up today, running short, but we added blinkers and as you saw, he's got a ton of natural speed. Long range, it's exciting because these Uncle Mo's are becoming great stud prospects and that's very encouraging for him.

“We're excited about the new turf chute here at Santa Anita and we'll look at running him in a stake going six and a half (furlongs) this winter. We'll probably stick with the state-bred program, there's just so much money there.”

Ultimate Bango, who was also adding blinkers in his first start for Mark Glatt, tracked Galilean to the far turn, kept inside of Mikes Tiznow through the stretch drive while making the lead inside the furlong pole, but couldn't keep the winner safe late. Off at 9-2 with Abel Cedillo, Ultimate Bango paid $5.00 and $3.20 while finishing 1 1/4 lengths in front of Rookie Mistake.

Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Rookie Mistake finished well at 9-1 and paid $4.60 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.71, 45.09 and 56.29.

Named for the Hi Card Ranch-bred winner of the 2009 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, the California Flag is for eligible California-bred or sired 3-year-olds and up and is part of the lucrative Golden State Series, which is sponsored by the CTBA.

The post Galilean Emerges From Stretch Duel, Inquiry With California Flag Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Sneaking Out Auditions For Breeders’ Cup In Saturday’s Thoroughbred Club Of America

Kevin Nish's KMN Racing's homebred filly Sneaking Out has not been sneaking up on anyone in her past two starts and that is one of the reasons trainer Jerry Hollendorfer shipped her to Keeneland from her Southern California base for Saturday's 40th running of the $200,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) going 6 furlongs on the main track.

“This filly has won two graded stakes, and we felt like she deserved a shot against the best,” Hollendorfer said from Los Alamitos Wednesday morning. “It is an important race before the Breeders' Cup.”

The California-bred daughter of Indian Evening won the Great Lady M (G2) at Los Alamitos on July 4 and then the Rancho Bernardo (G3) at Del Mar on Aug. 21. Both races were at 6½ furlongs.

Sneaking Out has compiled a record of 12-6-4-0, and Hollendorfer feels she is at the top of her game.

“I think so,” Hollendorfer said of Sneaking Out, whose most recent work at Los Alamitos was six furlongs out of the gate in 1:11.60. “Her rider (Umberto Rispoli) is very keen on her and loved her race at Del Mar.”

Rispoli, who was aboard Sneaking Out in a race for the first time at Del Mar, has the mount Saturday.

Sneaking Out arrived at Keeneland Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning took a trip through the Paddock and then jogged.

The TCA is a “Win and You're In” race for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) to be run here Nov. 7.

“Right now, we are not looking past Saturday,” Hollendorfer said, regarding whether Sneaking Out would stay here with a victory or go back to California. “I'll discuss it with Kevin and make a decision.”

The field for the Thoroughbred Club of America, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Sneaking Out (Rispoli, 122 pounds), Dos Vinos (Mitchell Murrill, 120), On Probation (Adam Beschizza, 120), Divine Queen (Calvin Borel, 120), Palace Avenger (Luis Saez, 118), Inthemidstofbiz (Martin Garcia, 120) and Lady's Island (Tyler Gaffalione, 120).

The post Sneaking Out Auditions For Breeders’ Cup In Saturday’s Thoroughbred Club Of America appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Into Chocolate Upsets Chillingworth Stakes At Santa Anita

With well backed favorites Qahira and Amuse slugging it out to deep stretch, longshot Into Chocolate came running three wide late and was up to win Friday's Grade 3, $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Owned and bred by Pam and Martin Wygod, the 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief got 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15.86 and was ridden to the three-quarter-length victory by Umberto Rispoli.

“I didn't know much about her, but Mr. Sise said she was doing really good and she should run a lot better than she did at Del Mar,” said Rispoli, who was aboard for the first time. “It looked like they were going pretty fast in front and my filly was very professional.”

A second condition allowance winner going six furlongs at Belmont Park July 12, Into Chocolate returned to Del Mar and was subsequently beaten 20 lengths while never a factor in the G3 Rancho Bernardo Stakes going 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 21.

Off at 8-1 in a field of five fillies and mares today, Into Chocolate paid $19.60, $4.80 and $2.80.

“We threw her last race at Del Mar out,” said Sise. “She came out of that race body sore and then her blood count was off. She's been feeling really good here since we got back and I could tell saddling her today that she was doing good and she was ready. Those were some nice fillies and it's always good to win.”

Out of the Wygods' Candy Ride mare Candy Drawer, Into Chocolate picked up her first stakes win and notched her fourth win from 11 starts. With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $216,031.

Bob Baffert's Qahira, was off as the 3-5 favorite, out-gamed Amuse for the place and paid $2.60 and $2.10 with Luis Saez aboard.

Amuse, who was lapped on the favorite throughout, finished a half length clear of Hang a Star. Off at 2-1 with Drayden Van Dyke up, she paid $2.10 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.18, 44.94 and 1:09.51.

Formerly run as the LA Woman Stakes, the Chillingworth honors the memory of longtime Oak Tree Racing Association Executive Vice President Sherwood Chillingworth, who passed away in October 2019 at the age of 93.

The post Into Chocolate Upsets Chillingworth Stakes At Santa Anita appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post