Union Rags | Horse Racing Free Tips

Baffert Duo Spielberg, Medina Spirit Take On Competitive Field In Bob Lewis

Although Bob Baffert will be packing a heavy one-two punch with Spielberg and Medina Spirit, Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes has attracted a very competitive field of eight sophomores, with no clear-cut standout. To be contested at a mile and one sixteenth over Santa Anita's main track, the Lewis is a key prep to the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 3. Originally titled the Santa Catalina, the Lewis will be run for the 83rd time on Saturday.

Named in honor of the prominent late owner and philanthropist Robert B. Lewis, who along with his wife Beverly, owned two Kentucky Derby winners, Silver Charm in 1997 and Charismatic in 1999, the Lewis winner will receive 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The second place finisher will receive four, third place nets two points and the fourth place finisher will get one point.

Spielberg comes off a gutty nose victory at the same distance in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 19, which was his sixth career start. The win no doubt took on added luster when the runner-up, Doug O'Neill's The Great One, came back to demolish a field of maidens by 14 lengths this past Saturday.

Purchased for $1 million as a Keeneland September Yearling, Spielberg, a chestnut colt by Union Rags, out of the Smart Strike mare Miss Squeal, has been favored in four of his six starts and he'll be making his fifth graded stakes appearance. Owned by SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm, LLC and Robert Masterson, Spielberg will be ridden back by Flavien Prat and be trying to provide Baffert with his third consecutive Lewis win and his record ninth overall.

A first-out maiden winner going 5 ½ furlongs at Los Alamitos Dec. 11, Medina Spirit far outran his 9-1 odds in finishing a fast closing second, beaten three quarters of a length by his highly regarded stablemate Life Is Good in the G1 Sham Stakes going one mile on Jan. 2. Owned by Zedan Racing Stables, Inc., Medina Spirit, a Florida-bred colt by the Giant's Causeway stallion Protonico, was purchased for a modest $35,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company July 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale, 2020.

Second the entire trip in the Sham, Medina Spirit hit his best stride late and earned a lofty 99 Beyer Speed figure in the process. He'll be ridden back by Abel Cedillo, who comes of a fabulous three-day week at Santa Anita in which he posted nine wins.

Dismissed at 94-1, Doug O'Neill's Hot Rod Charlie made the lead a furlong from home and finished second, beaten three quarters of a length in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Keeneland, earning a 94 Beyer. A one mile maiden winner here two starts back on Oct. 2, this colt by Oxbow is vastly improved, has been training impressively and will get the first time services of Joel Rosario. Owned by Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, LLC and Strauss Bros Racing, Hot Rod Charlie closed much ground at Keeneland and will hope to be rolling late with plenty of pace to exploit in the Lewis.

A $500,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase, C R K Stable's Parnelli could likely pose significant trouble for anyone with front-running aspirations. A galloping 5 ¾ one mile maiden winner two starts back at Del Mar Nov. 28, this colt by Quality Road was a bit rank while under restraint early in the Sham on Jan. 2 and was never a factor thereafter. With a win, three seconds and a third, Parnelli, who is trained by John Shirreffs, will be ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli.

Owned by Reddam Racing, LLC and trained by Doug O'Neill, Wipe the Slate could also add plenty of fuel to the early pace fire, as he comes off an impressive 3 ¼ length maiden win going seven furlongs here on Dec. 26. A Kentucky-bred colt by Reddam's 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, Wipe the Slate looms a legitimate contender in his third start with Mario Gutierrez riding back.

THE GRADE III ROBERT B. LEWIS STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 8 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

Medina Spirit—Abel Cedillo—120
Rombauer—Mike Smith—120
Parnelli—Umberto Rispoli—120
Hot Rod Charlie—Joel Rosario—20
Roman Centurian—Juan Hernandez—120
Waspirant—Ricardo Gonzalez—120
Wipe the Slate—Mario Gutierrez–120
Spielberg—Flavien Prat—124

First post time for an eight-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. All of Santa Anita's races are offered free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager at 1st.com/Bet.

The post Baffert Duo Spielberg, Medina Spirit Take On Competitive Field In Bob Lewis appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Baffert Looking For Spielberg To Supply Him A Ninth Victory In Robert B. Lewis Stakes

Should Bob Baffert win Saturday's Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., he could “retire the cup,” as the expression goes.

It would mark the third straight victory in the steppingstone to the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3 for the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer.

Baffert won the Lewis last year with Thousand Words and in 2019 with Mucho Gusto. Overall, he has won it a record eight times, dating back to 1999 with General Challenge.

Subsequent winners were Domestic Dispute (2003), Pioneerof the Nile (2009), Flashback (2013), Dortmund (2015), Mor Spirit (2016) and the aforementioned Mucho Gusto and Thousand Words.

First run in 1935 as the Santa Catalina Handicap, this will mark the 83^rd edition of the race, no matter its name or distance.

Baffert has two Triple Crown prospects nominated to the Lewis, but is likely to run only Spielberg, opting to wait and see how issues such as weather play out with Medina Spirit.

“Spielberg is definite, but Medina Spirit could run; I'm not certain,” Baffert said. “We're going to have a lot of rain next week so I'm not sure.” Both horses worked five furlongs Friday in the identical time of 1:01.20.

Spielberg won the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity at a mile and one-sixteenth by a desperate nose over Doug O'Neill's 33-1 longshot The Great One last Dec. 19 and has displayed an advantageous stalking style. The Great One came back to win on Saturday, Jan. 23, by 14 lengths.

“He's been immature but he's improving mentally,” Baffert said of the $1-million son of Union Rags owned by a partnership of SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, et al.

The Robert B. Lewis is named in honor of the late owner whose Silver Charm (co-owned with wife, Beverly) provided Bob Baffert with his first Kentucky Derby win in 1998. The Lewis's would also go on to win the 1999 Derby with the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Charismatic.

The post Baffert Looking For Spielberg To Supply Him A Ninth Victory In Robert B. Lewis Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Triple Crown Weekend Prep Report Card: Midnight Bourbon Aging Well

One Kentucky Derby qualifying points race was held over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, but there were a couple of other races worth looking at.

The points race was the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes from Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La., a 1 1/16-mile contest offering 17 Derby points to the top four finishers (10-4-2-1). While no winners of the Lecomte have gone on to capture the G1 Kentucky Derby, there are some notable successes in the not-too-distant past, including G1 Preakness winners War of Will (2019) and Oxbow (2013). Going back a few more years to 2007, you'll find Derby runner-up Hard Spun on the Lecomte winner's roster.

Tampa Bay Downs ran the Pasco Stakes, a starting point for the Oldsmar, Fla., track's Derby qualifying points races: the Feb. 6 Sam F. Davis (17 points) and March 6 Tampa Bay Derby (85 points). The Pasco, run at seven furlongs, offered a $125,000 purse but no Derby points and has never produced a winner that had an impact on the Triple Crown.

Finally, California-breds were in the spotlight at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., including 3-year-olds in the Cal Cup Derby. While this might not be a points race, let's remember that a Lucky Pulpit colt named California Chrome launched his 3-year-old championship campaign (including Kentucky Derby and Preakness wins) with a victory in the Cal Cup Derby.

As I wrote in my first 2021 Triple Crown Weekend Prep Report Card, the following grades are entirely subjective and based on my personal “eyeball test,” Beyer Speed Figures from Daily Racing Form, historical significance of the race and perceived quality of fields. I don't employ an “easy” curve in my grading.

Jan. 16: Lecomte Stakes, 1 1/16 miles, Fair Grounds

Midnight Bourbon was second-choice in the wagering behind the Brad Cox-trained Into Mischief colt Mandaloun, the 4-5 favorite who came into the Lecomte undefeated in two starts: a six-furlong maiden win at Keeneland Oct. 24 and an allowance victory at Churchill Downs Nov. 28. Midnight Bourbon, trained by Steve Asmussen, chased the front-running (and likely distance challenged) Jackie's Warrior last time out when third in the G1 Champagne Stakes at a one-turn mile at Belmont Park Oct. 10. Michael Stidham-trained Proxy (by Tapit) won back-to-back maiden and allowance races around two turns in November and December at Fair Grounds after narrowly losing his debut at Monmouth Oct. 24. He was the 8-1 fifth choice in the betting.

Midnight Bourbon and Joe Talamo hold off Proxy and Mandaloun to win the Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds

All three come from serious racing and breeding operations: Midnight Bourbon is a Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred Tiznow colt; Mandaloun is a Juddmonte Farms homebred; and Proxy is a Godolphin homebred produced from the outstanding racemare Panty Raid, winner of the G1 Spinster at Keeneland.

Midnight Bourbon has the goods pedigree-wise, being a half brother to G3 Salvatore Mile winner Pirate's Punch (by Shanghai Bobby); G1 Haskell winner Girvin (by Tale of Ekati); and G3 Iroquois winner Cocked and Loaded (by Colonel John). Now pensioned Tiznow, the two-time G1 Breeders' Cup Classic winner, has been an outstanding sire. He was a late developer, not debuting until late April of his 3-year-old campaign and winding up the year as the champion 3-year-old male and 2000 Horse of the Year. It wouldn't be a stretch to think Midnight Bourbon will age well.

Joe Talamo, subbing for jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. aboard Midnight Bourbon, took it to his rivals early, outhustling Proxy and Mandaloun for the early lead and laying down 24 and change fractions all the way around the Fair Grounds oval and repelling bids from Proxy and a three-wide Mandaloun from the three-eighths pole to the wire, holding them at bay by one length. Trainer Cox said he might put blinkers on Mandaloun for his next start in the Risen Star, where he'll get a rematch with Midnight Bourbon.

The winner earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure in the Lecomte, a significant improvement from his previous best Beyer, 80, when second to late-running Sittin On Go at Churchill Downs in the G3 Iroquois Sept. 5 after making a bold move to the lead on the turn for home.

Midnight Bourbon ran his final sixteenth in 6.32 seconds and the final five-sixteenths in 30.85 in his first true two-turn test (he broke his maiden going a mile on the peculiar Ellis Park layout where they start coming out of a chute on the clubhouse turn).

Grade: B

Jan. 16: Pasco Stakes, seven furlongs, Tampa Bay Downs

The Bill Mott-trained Union Rags colt Nova Rags jumped off the Daily Racing Form past performances page as the only 3-year-old in the eight-horse lineup to contest a graded stakes, finishing fourth in the G3 Nashua at Aqueduct on Nov. 8.

Nova Rags was made the 13-10 favorite and ran to his odds, winning by 2 ¾ lengths under Samy Camacho despite going very wide throughout (five wide going into the final turn). Nova Rags covered seven furlongs in 1:24.55 and earned a 75 Beyer Speed Figure, three ticks lower than a 78 Beyer in his debut maiden victory at Belmont Park Oct. 10.

Nova Rags draws off late under Samy Camacho to win the Pasco Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths

Out of a Smart Strike mare, the Michael Shanley homebred should improve with distance and Hall of Famer Mott is known for his patience with all of his horses. It's hard to take much from this race, especially when you go back and look at how soundly he was defeated in the Nashua, where he lost by 14 ¼ lengths without apparent excuse.

Grade: D

Jan. 16: California Cup Derby 1 1/16 miles, Santa Anita

Trainer David Hofmans added blinkers to Big Fish's equipment for this race restricted to California-bred or -sired horses after removing the hood two starts back. This a long-striding colt by the Dynaformer stallion Mr. Big who probably wasn't best suited when sent out for a 4 ½-furlong maiden test last June 19 in his debut, finishing second. After another sprint try on dirt where he finished third to Cal Cup Derby favorite Good With People, Hofmans moved Big Fish to turf, where he graduated against state-breds going one mile, then won the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes against open company at the same distance.

Big Fish put in a big stretch run to win the California Cup Derby under Juan Hernandez

In the Cal Cup Derby, jockey Juan Hernandez allowed Big Fish to settle well behind the early leaders, commenced a drive around the three-eighths pole, saved ground into the stretch and ran down Good With People and Peter Miller stablemate None Above the Law. Big Fish won going away by 1 ½ lengths in a fairly pedestrian 1:46.37 for 1 1/16 miles, earning a 71 Beyer Speed Figure.

Hofmans now has options for the Legacy Ranch homebred, who comes from the same female family as Pasco winner Nova Rags. The fourth dam of Big Fish is Kaylem Ho, and Kaylem Ho is the second dam of Nova Rags. Kaylem Ho was a member of Mrs. Henry D. Paxson's excellent broodmare ban in the late 1970s in Pennsylvania.

Grade: C-

Coming up on Friday's opening-day card at Oaklawn is the Smarty Jones Stakes at a mile, with 17 Derby points offered. The following weekend, the Road to the Kentucky Derby gets more serious with the Jan. 30 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream Park and Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita.

Previously: Jan. 3 Triple Crown Weekend Prep Report Card

The post Triple Crown Weekend Prep Report Card: Midnight Bourbon Aging Well appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘Rising Star’ Summons $875K at KEEJAN

It’s been quite a week for the 3-year-old colt Carillo (Union Rags). He captured his debut at Aqueduct in ‘TDN Rising Star’-fashion last Friday and summoned a whopping $875,000 from bloodstock agent Lauren Carlisle at Keeneland January Thursday. The Paul Pompa homebred sold as part of the complete dispersal of that late owner and breeder’s estate, which was handled by Lane’s End Farm.

The post ‘Rising Star’ Summons $875K at KEEJAN appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post