Venetian Harbor | Horse Racing Free Tips

Venetian Harbor Makes It Look Easy In Monrovia

Classy Venetian Harbor, in her first start since well beaten in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Keeneland Nov. 7, seized immediate control and drew off to win Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Monrovia Stakes at Santa Anita by 3 ½ lengths, her third graded stakes victory and first on turf. Trained by Richard Baltas and ridden for the first time by Mario Gutierrez, Venetian Harbor got 6 ½ furlongs on grass in 1:15.06.

Breaking from post position seven in a field of eight fillies and mares, Venetian Harbor sped to the lead while pressed by well fancied Superstition to her outside as well as Nasty and Never for Money, who tucked in just behind in the run to the far turn.

With a one length advantage a quarter mile out, Venetian Harbor opened up turning for home and won in-hand in a tremendous effort.

“I had the opportunity to work her in the mornings, so I already knew a lot about her,” said Gutierrez. “I knew she carried the speed, that was never the question. I just let her break and right away, try to not ask her too much, she did the rest. She put herself in the race, after that, it was just wait for the time to kick home and she got the job done.”

A winner of the G2 Raven Run Stakes going seven furlongs on dirt two starts back at Keeneland Oct. 17 and a winner of Santa Anita's G2 Las Virgenes Stakes at one mile in her third career start, Venetian Harbor was the narrow 2-1 favorite over Superstition and paid $6.40, $3.60 and $2.60.

Owned by Ciaglia Racing, LLC, Highland Yard, LLC, River Oak Farm and Domenic Savides, Venetian Harbor, a 4-year-old filly by Munnings out of the Street Cry mare Sounds of the City, is now 9-4-4-0 and with the winner's share of $120,000, increased her earnings to $633,400.

“She ran the way we thought she would,” said Baltazar Marroquin, assistant to Baltas, who was out of town on Saturday. “Yes, we expected her to go to the lead. She's run against some of the best fillies and Mario has worked her a couple of time, so he knows her.”

Next to last around the far turn, Contantia swung six-deep turning for home and was clearly second best in a big effort. Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Constantia was the third choice at 5-2 and paid $3.40 and $2.20.

Ridden by Abel Cedillo, Superstition emptied out chasing the winner and had to settle for third money while beaten 1 ½ lengths by Constantia. Off at 2-1, Superstition paid $2.60 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.48, 44.96 and 1:08.79.

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m. There is a mandatory payout in Sunday's 20 cent Rainbow Pick Six, with the total pool expected to approach $3 million.

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Late-Developing Idol, Runner-Up In San Antonio, Has Connections Thinking Big ‘Cap

Richard Baltas, an active participant at Santa Anita Park's entry box, has San Antonio runner-up Idol pointed to the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes on Jan. 30, a major steppingstone to the G1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6.

Owned by Calvin Nguyen, the son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin had won two overnight races at Churchill Downs by daylight margins as a 3-year-old before tackling older in the San Antonio on Dec. 26.

Out of stakes-winning A.P. Indy mare Marion Ravenwood, Idol commanded a final bid of $375,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The late-developing colt did not debut until Sept. 5 of his sophomore season, then broke his maiden and won an allowance, both at Churchill Downs, by a combined 8 1/4 lengths. Idol's second-place finish in the San Antonio came in just his fourth career start.

Through 12 racing days, Baltas has run 42 horses to rank third behind perennial category leader Doug O'Neill (55) and Peter Miller (44).

Meanwhile, Venetian Harbor is “almost ready to come in” from Kentucky after a three-month freshening following her race in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 6, in which she finished far back after attending the pace early in the seven-furlong event.

“We gave her 90 days off at the farm and she's coming back into training,” Baltas said of the daughter of Munnings, winner of two Grade 2 stakes last year, the Las Virgenes at Santa Anita and the Raven Run at Keeneland.

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Belmont To Keeneland Cross-Country Pick 5 Pays $6,202

The Cross-Country Pick 5, featuring action from Belmont Park and Keeneland Race Course, returned a handsome $6,202.75 for selecting all five winners for Saturday's 50-cent wager, with a total pool of $145,967.

Thinking commenced the sequence with a 1 1/2-length victory in Keeneland's Race 7 for 2-year-old maiden fillies going seven furlongs on the main track. Trained by Graham Motion, the daughter of Nyquist closed strongly coming off the pace, besting Three Tipsy Chix to complete the course in 1:29.66. Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Thinking returned $10 on a $2 win wager.

Belmont took its turn when Lead Guitar strummed along for a three-quarters of a length victory in the $80,000 Floral Park for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going six furlongs on the inner turf in Race 9. The George Weaver trainee rewarded her favoritism by drawing away from Bohemian Bourbon, completing the course on the soft turf in 1:11.45 under jockey Luis Saez. Lead Guitar, off at 2-1, paid $6.40.

Alternating back to Keeneland, Sugoi was the sequence's longest shot, pulling off the upset at 23-1 to win the 1 1/8-mile turf test for 3-year-olds and up in Race 8. Conditioned by Michael Tomlinson, Sugoi took command by the half-mile mark and never relinquished the lead, registering a final time of 1:49.06 under Joseph Rocco, Jr. Sugoi returned $48.60.

The finale of the Belmont card made up the Cross Country Pick 5's fourth leg, with Good Credence a runaway 6 1/4-length winner as the favorite in Race 10 for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. Good Credence, trained by Anthony Margotta, Jr. and ridden by Junior Alvarado, paid $5.60 as the favorite going 1:22.53 in the seven-furlong sprint over Big Sandy.

The sequence's lone graded stakes race closed out the wager, with the favorite Venetian Harbor capturing the Grade 2, $200,000 Raven Run for sophomore fillies going seven furlongs on the dirt in Keeneland's Race 9. Trained by Richard Baltas, Venetian Harbor [$5.20] went gate-to-wire under rider Manny Franco, completing the course in 1:23.03.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

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Filly & Mare Sprint: Raven Run Winner Venetian Harbor To Remain At Keeneland ‘For Now’

California-based trainer Richard Baltas has a string of horses at Churchill Downs, but for now Venetian Harbor will remain at Keeneland following her neck victory over Finite in Saturday's $200,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2) at the Lexington, Ky., track.

“She will stay at Keeneland for now, and we will see how she is doing in the next few days,” Baltas said via text Sunday morning.

Owned by Ciaglia Racing, Highland Yard, River Oak Farm and Domenic Savides, Venetian Harbor may have earned herself a spot in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Keeneland on Nov. 7, a spot that co-owner Joseph Ciaglia said was likely after the race.

Venetian Harbor found herself on an uncontested lead and was able to hold off Finite to secure her second Grade 2 victory.

The runner-up finish by Finite came on her first start on dirt in seven months.

“Yesterday was a big effort and we'll see how she trains going forward,” said David Fiske, Racing and Bloodstock Manager for Winchell Thoroughbreds, the principal owner in the filly's partnership group, via text. “There are no plans for her yet. We all were pleased to see her return to a level of competition that we thought she was capable of.”

Trainer Cherie DeVaux said Lael Stables' Reagan's Edge, who finished fourth beaten a nose for third and less than a length for the win, came out of the race in good shape.

“She ran her heart out yesterday and is a little tired this morning,” DeVaux said. “She is nominated to the (Qatar) Fort Springs (here on Nov. 7) but that may be coming back a little quick.”

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