umberto rispoli | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cal-Bred The Chosen Vron Changes Tactics In Affirmed Triumph

In a race in which most observers thought trainer Eric Kruljac's talented California-bred The Chosen Vron would be on or contending for the early lead, instead the 3-year-old Vronsky gelding was last early and although Bob Baffert's Defunded had what appeared to be an insurmountable four-length edge turning for home, it was The Chosen Vron who rallied for an impressive 1 ¼-length score in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, he got 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.01.

Stretching out for the first time off a huge win in the G3 Lazaro Barrera Stakes going 6 ½ furlongs, The Chosen Vron settled nicely under Rispoli heading into the first turn as longshot Jimmy Irish and Defunded contested the early going.

With Defunded assuming command around the far turn, he quickly dispatched of his favored stablemate Classier and had what appeared to be a winning advantage a quarter mile out but The Chosen Vron, who had moved into contention at the rail, switched leads straightening for home and reeled in the leader just inside the sixteenth pole to leave no doubt about who was best on the day.

“I thought he'd show more natural speed but they sent a couple horses real hard and Umberto took the initiative,” said Kruljac. “He rode the horse with a lot of faith and he got there. He had a lot of kickback (dirt) on him, but he'll run through it, this horse…The way the track was playing all day…I told Umberto, if the opportunity is there, if there's not much pace, feel free to go.

“And then I said, 'By the way, for the next 10 minutes, you own this horse.' And he rode him his way…I think we're going to be going for the easy money now, I mean those races are going to be tough too, there's some good Cal-breds. But it looks like we'll run for a $175,000 in the Real Good Deal going seven furlongs at Del Mar (for Cal-breds on July 30).”

A two-time stakes winner coming into Sunday, The Chosen Vron was off as the 8-5 second choice in a field of five sophomores and paid $5.20, $2.80 and $2.10.

“When the gates (opened) his intent was to go, obviously he's coming from a (sprint) race, but it's so far he understood that when we didn't go anywhere, he just switched off his mind and on the first turn he was just completely relaxed,” said Rispoli, who was aboard for the second consecutive time today. “I had him in a good spot, I threw him on the inside because I know he likes the kickback, and I traveled all the way inside to find a good spot at the three furlong pole just moving him up.

“At that point I knew he was the horse to beat. I felt that I had so much horse under me that he did the rest. After I got behind Classier, I came out and said, 'Okay, it's business time,' and it was just a feeling that he was going to switch his lead and I knew he was going to go by them easy. He's a small horse but he's got a big heart. He's got an amazing mind to go from (6 ½) furlongs to a mile and one sixteenth for the first time.”

Owned by Eric Kruljac, Robert Fetkin, John Sondereker and Richard Thornburgh, The Chosen Vron is out of the Tiz Wonderful mare Tiz Molly and was bred in California by Tiz Molly Partners. A 6 ½-length maiden winner versus statebreds here on Dec. 27, he's now got a pair of graded stakes wins and an overall mark of 5-4-0-1. With the winner's share of $60,000, The Chosen Vron increased his earnings to $270,600.

Defunded, who was ridden by Abel Cedillo, finished 11 lengths in front of Classier and paid $3.00 and $2.10 while off at 3-1.

Classier, idle since well beaten in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland Nov. 6, was off as the 7-5 favorite with Flavien Prat and with no apparent excuses, paid $2.10 to show while finishing 14 lengths clear of Mr. Impossible.

Fractions on the race were 23.25, 46.34, 1:10.82 and 1:37.23.

Three days remain in Santa Anita's current Winter/Spring Meeting, with first post time for an 11-race card on Friday at 1 p.m.

The post Cal-Bred The Chosen Vron Changes Tactics In Affirmed Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The Chosen Vron Goes For Third Straight Victory In Affirmed Stakes

The Chosen Vron seeks new worlds to conquer in Sunday's Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes for three-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles.

The California-bred son of Vronsky has three wins from four starts, all sprints, the last against open company May 15 in the Grade 3 Laz Barrera Stakes, scoring by a widening 3 ½ lengths at 6 ½ furlongs under Umberto Rispoli, who rides again Sunday.

“It's a wait-and-see situation,” said Eric Kruljac, who trains the chestnut gelding for a partnership of which he is a member.

“When you have a nice horse like this you want to see if he can stretch out, so that's part of the motive in running here. If he doesn't stretch out (successfully), we can concentrate on sprints.

“But I think it's time to try two turns. There isn't much between now and the Real Good Deal (a $175,000 race at seven furlongs for Cal-breds July 30 at Del Mar, which Kruljac had on the agenda). I'd have to work him maybe seven or eight times for that race if we didn't run in the Affirmed.

“I just felt it was time. Umberto said he had a lot of horse left in the Laz Barrera. He said he didn't use him up.”

The G3 Affirmed Stakes, named for the 1978 Triple Crown winner trained by the late Laz Barrera, is race 10 of 11 with a 1 p.m. first post time. The field for the Affirmed includes Classier, Flavien Prat, 2-1; Jimmy Irish, Trevor McCarthy, 20-1; The Chosen Vron, Umberto Rispoli, 8-5; Defunded, Abel Cedillo, 5-2; and Mr. Impossible, Juan Hernandez, 7-2.

The post The Chosen Vron Goes For Third Straight Victory In Affirmed Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

No Denying Smooth Like Strait From Grade 1 Victory In Shoemaker Mile

Although he was pressed hard early, Cannon Thoroughbreds homebred Smooth Like Strait unleashed a devastating turn of foot the final quarter of a mile to take Monday's Grade 1, $300,000 Shoemaker Mile by 1 ½ lengths under Umberto Rispoli, who collected his third win of the day at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Smooth Like Strait, a 4-year-old colt by Midnight Lute, got the mile on grass in 1:34.19.

With the Shoemaker Mile being a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, Smooth Like Strait will be entitled to an automatic entry to the 2021 Breeders' Cup Mile, to be run at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

Breaking alertly from his number two post position, Smooth Like Strait went to the lead, but was pressed by both Say the Word and Restrainedvengeance, with Say the Word never more than a half length back to his outside in the run to the quarter pole, whereupon Smooth Like Strait opened up a length and half as he straightened up for the stretch run.

“The horse responded beautifully to Umberto, they have become quite the partnership,” said McCarthy, who along with Rispoli, had suffered through a pair of gut-wrenching neck defeats in the G1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs May 1 and in the G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita on March 6. “I'm super happy for the horse and the connections. I don't think he was getting the respect he deserved earlier in the year, but he showed up and put together a nice campaign. He was so relaxed for Umberto out there today.

“I've had an immense amount of faith in this horse all along, and I really believe that there are big things coming for him later in the year.”

A four-time graded stakes winner coming into today, Smooth Like Strait was off at 3-5 in a field of six three-year-olds and up and paid $3.40, $2.40 and $2.20.

Out of the Flower Alley mare Smooth As Usual, Smooth Like Strait now has seven wins from 15 starts and with the winner's share of $180,000, increased his earnings to $93,823.

“I love the way (he) runs, (he) puts himself in the race, (he doesn't) cheat and (he's a fighter,)” said Rispoli, who has orchestrated all four of Smooth Like Strait's graded stakes victories. “That's what we jockeys like, we fight with them and go down to the wire together and get the job done.”

Far back early, Say the Word rallied well through the lane to be second by 1 ¾ lengths in front of Restrainedvengeance. The second choice at 5-2 with Flavien Prat, Say the Word paid $3.40 and $2.80.

Ridden by Tyler Baze, Restrainedvengeance was off at 19-1 and paid $3.60 to show while finishing a neck in front of Next Shares.

Fractions on the race were 23.46, 46.43, 1:10.09 and 1:22.04.

The post No Denying Smooth Like Strait From Grade 1 Victory In Shoemaker Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Smooth Like Strait Likely Favorite In Monday’s ‘Win And You’re In’ Shoemaker Mile

Cannon Thoroughbreds' consistent Smooth Like Strait heads a field of seven 3-year-olds and up in Monday's Grade 1, $300,000 Shoemaker Mile, one of three Grade 1 stakes on a nine-race Memorial Day program at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

A Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, the nominated winner of the Shoemaker Mile will be entitled to an automatic entry to the 2021 Breeders' Cup Mile Turf, to be run at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Smooth Like Strait, a four-time graded stakes winner on turf, will face stiff competition, headed perhaps by Phil D'Amato's Say the Word, who was supplemented at a cost of $6,000.

A 4-year-old colt by Midnight Lute, Smooth Like Strait comes off a pair of neck defeats—a third place finish in the G1 Turf Classic at 1 1/8 miles on May 1 at Churchill Downs and in the G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita on March 6.

A three-quarter length winner of the G2 Mathis Brothers Mile three starts back on Dec. 26, Smooth Like Strait, dating back to his 2 ½-length win in the G2 La Jolla Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 9, has been favored in six of his last seven starts, all graded stakes, and he's won three of them.

With regular rider Umberto Rispoli back aboard, Smooth Like Strait, who earned a best last-out Beyer Speed Figure of 100 in the Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, is 14-6-3-2 overall with earnings of $753,823.

An impressive 1 ½-length winner of the G2 Elkhorn Stakes going 1 1/2 miles over a soft turf at Keeneland April 17, Say the Word was second, beaten three quarters of a length two starts back going the same distance here in the G3 San Luis Rey Stakes on March 20.

A 6-year-old Ontario/Canadian-bred gelding by More Than Ready, Say the Word, who will be cutting back to a flat mile for the first time since Sept. 1, 2019, will be making his fifth start for D'Amato on Monday. With Flavien Prat engaged, he's well-spotted for owners Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm.

A G1 winner in his final start at Woodbine Race Course on Oct. 18, Say the Word brings an overall mark of 29-6-3-5 and earnings of $609,292 to Monday's Shoe Mile.

GRADE 1 SHOEMAKER MILE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS

IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Next Shares—Trevor McCarthy—122
Smooth Like Strait—Umberto Rispoli—124
Crossfirehurricane—Mario Gutierrez—122
Restrainedvengeance—Tyler Baze—122
Raymundos Secret—Juan Hernandez—124
Whisper Not—Geovanni Franco—122
Say the Word—Flavien Prat—124

First post time for a nine-race card on Monday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Smooth Like Strait Likely Favorite In Monday’s ‘Win And You’re In’ Shoemaker Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post