Weekend Lineup | Horse Racing Free Tips

Weekend Lineup: 2021 Preps For Kentucky Derby, Oaks Get Under Way

One year ago, an Into Mischief colt with just a maiden victory to his credit began his march toward glory in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and, eventually, the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic and a likely Horse of the Year title. The colt, Authentic, scored by 7 3/4 lengths in the G3 Sham Stakes as the 6-5 favorite for trainer Bob Baffert.

This year, another son of the Spendthrift Farm stallion trained by Baffert will make his sophomore debut in Saturday's Sham as an even heavier favorite. Life Is Good, who scored in his debut on Nov. 22 at Del Mar by 9 1/2 lengths, was made the 2-5 favorite as he faces four others (including a stablemate) in the one-mile Sham, a race that will be worth 10-4-2-1 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby to the top four finishers.

Santa Anita will also be offering a qualifying points race for the Kentucky Oaks in Sunday's G2 Santa Ynez Stakes for newly turned 3-year-old fillies. Baffert holds the aces there, with four of the seven runners entered from his stable.

Here's a brief look at the weekend's graded stakes (all times Eastern):

Friday, Jan. 1

6:32 p.m. – $200,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes at Santa Anita

The new 6 1/2-furlong turf chute gets used in this G2 sprint for older runners and this race looks wide open with trainer Peter Miller and Doug O'Neill each having a formidable duo. Miller starts defending Hernandez winner Texas Wedge (when the race was at 5 1/2 furllongs) and recent Churchill Downs $62,500 claim Hembree, a turf veteran with seven lifetime wins from 39 starts. O'Neill has Blitzkrieg, winner of the G3 American at a mile, and the always dangerous Wildman Jack. Don't overlook John Sadler-trained Chaos Theory, who usually comes flying late.

https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA010121USA7-EQB.html

Saturday, Jan. 2

6:35 p.m. – $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes at Santa Anita

Count Again showed a strong stretch kick winning the G2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar Nov. 29 in his Southern California debut for Phil D'Amato after a solid season north of the border for trainer Gail Cox at Woodbine, where he won the G2 Singspiel. Longshot players might like Cleopatra's Strike, a close second in this race in both 2019 and 2020 when trained by D'Amato. The 8-year-old Smart Strike gelding was claimed for $62,500 last out by trainer Bob Hess Jr., who gives the mount to the comebacking Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux.

https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA010221USA7-EQB.html

7:05 p.m. – $100,000 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita

The Into Mischief colt Life Is Good earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure in his debut at Del Mar going 6 1/2 furlongs, putting him head and shoulders in that category above his four rivals in here. But this race goes around two turns, and until a horse tries stretching out, you never know whether they can get the added distance.John Shirreffs-trained Parnelli does have two-turn experience and appears to have the bet upset chance.

https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA010221USA8-EQB.html

Sunday, Jan. 3

7:00 p.m. – $200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita

One of four Baffert entries, Kalypso was overtaken in deep stretch by stablemate Varda last out in the G1 Starlet at Los Alamitos after inheriting the lead when a third Baffert runner, heavy favorite Princess Noor, was suddenly pulled up. Kalypso set the pace that day and drops back to seven furlongs here, a distance the Brody's Cause filly might prefer. Kentucky Oaks points (10-4-2-1) to the top four finishers.

https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA010321USA8-EQB.html

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Weekend Lineup Presented by Christmastide Day At Laurel Park: Showdown In The Malibu

Saturday marks opening day at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., and racing secretary Chris Merz has put together an outstanding 11-race program that drew 104 entries (9.5 per race) and features six stakes races, including three Grade 1 contests: the Runhappy Malibu for 3-year-olds going seven furlong, the La Brea for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs, and the American Oaks for 3-year-olds going 1 1/4 miles on turf.

Santa Anita has an early 2 p.m. Eastern/11 a.m. Pacific first post on Saturday.

The highlight will be the Malibu, a race won by such outstanding Thoroughbreds as Round Table, Buckpasser, Damascus, Spectacular Bid, Ferdinand, Shared Belief, Runhappy and City of Light. Omaha Beach won the 2019 renewal.

Six were entered in this year's Malibu, but most eyes will be on the big two: unbeaten morning line favorite Nashville, who made his stakes debut for trainer Steve Asmussen on the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup undercard at Keeneland, winning the Perryville Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths and setting a track record of 1:07.89 for six furlongs; and Charlatan, first in all three of his starts by a combined 22 lengths for trainer Bob Baffert but disqualified from a win in the G1 Arkansas Derby because of a failed post-race drug test for lidocaine.

Unlike last year, when inclement weather pushed opening day back by two days, the forecast is for sunny skies and a high of 69 degrees in Arcadia, Calif.

Laurel Park in Maryland will be a bit colder for its big Christmastide Day program featuring eight stakes races, highlighted by the G3 Allaire duPont Stakes at 1 1/8 miles for fillies and mares, three and up. The forecast calls for clear skies and a high of a brisk 34 degrees on Saturday.

Christmastide Day kicks off at 12:25 p.m. Eastern with the $100,000 Heft Stakes for 2-year-olds going seven furlongs. That race is followed by seven successive stakes, each carrying a $100,000 purse, the $150,000 duPont being the lone exception.

Gulfstream Park has no graded stakes this weekend, but Saturday's card features three turf stakes: the two-mile H. Allen Jerken Stakes and the Tropical Park Derby and Oaks for 3-year-olds and 3-year-old fillies, respectively, at 1 1/16 miles (11, 12, and 13 runners were entered in the respective races). Cool weather prevails at Gulfstream with a high of 64 but the track will be fast and turf course firm.

Here's a brief look at some of the graded stakes (all times Eastern)

Saturday, Dec. 26

3:36 p.m. – $200,000 Mathis Brothers Mile at Santa Anita

Smooth Like Strait was nailed on the money by Chad Brown-trained Domestic Spending in the G1 Hollywood Derby last out, but the Midnight Lute colt is going in top form for trainer Michael McCarthy. Mike Maker sends Field Pass west from Kentucky again after the colt by Lemon Drop Kid finished third behind Smooth Like Strait in the G2 Twilight Derby in October.

https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA122620USA4-EQB.html

3:53 p.m. $150,000 Allaire duPont Stakes at Laurel Park

Eres Tu just won the Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes at Laurel for trainer Arnaud Delacour and the daughter of Malibu Moon is favored to earn her first graded stakes victory. Ice Princess comes off a runner-up effort in the G3 Comely at Aqueduct for trainer Danny Gargan and the New York-bred by Palace Malice figures to be running late. Stakes veteran Another Broad is 3-for-7 at Laurel and returns to Maryland after a third-place finish at Churchill Downs for trainer Steve Asmussen in the G2 Falls City.

https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/LRL122620USA8-EQB.html

5:09 p.m. – $200,000 San Antonio at Santa Anita

Mucho Gusto stepped up to win the G1 Pegasus World Cup in January for trainer Bob Baffert, then finished fourth in the inaugural Saudi Cup. He's making his first start since that effort and will have to contend with the versatile Sharp Samurai, a multiple graded stakes winner on turf for trainer Mark Glatt who ran second on dirt behind Maximum Security in the G1 Pacific Classic and third behind Knicks Go in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland. Contention runs deep in this eight-horse field of older runners.

https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA122620USA7-EQB.html

5:43 p.m. – $300,000 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita

Chad Brown sends Motivated Seller west to try to reverse a narrow loss to Bob Baffert-trained Merneith in the Fort Springs Stakes on the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup undercard at Keeneland, but the Into Mischief filly will also have tepid morning line favorite Finite, from Steve Asmussen's barn, to contend with. The latter has won 6-of-11 with three thirds and comes off a sharp score in the G3 Chillukki at Churchil Downs Nov. 21.

https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA122620USA8-EQB.html

6:17 p.m. – $300,000 American Oaks at Santa Anita

Four fillies shipped from the East Coast for this G1 contest, including two from the barn of multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown – English-bred Capital Structure, making her stakes debut under Joel Rosario, and Duopoly, who gets Flavien Prat in the saddle after winning the Winter Memories at Aqueduct Nov. 15. Graham Motion-trained Sharing, coming off a fourth-place finish to her elders in the G1 Matriarch at Del Mar, won over this course as a 2-year-old when taking the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and is favored in the morning line. Second choice Luck Money is the “now” horse for trainer Arnaud Delacour, coming off back-to-back wins at Keeneland and Belmont. These four appear to have the local runners over a barrel.

https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA122620USA9-EQB.html

6:51 p.m. – $300,000 Runhappy Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita

Nashville and Charlatan, two 3-year-old sons of Speightstown, both have shown to be dyed-in-the-wool front-runners in their combined six starts, though Charlatan's last two races were around two turns. Like most Baffert runners coming off layoffs or making their debuts, Charlatan has been through a demanding training schedule and doesn't figure to be “short” in his return. Nashville debuted at 6 1/2 furlongs in September at Saratoga, then blitzed rivals at six furlongs in his next two starts. If Charlatan makes him work early, that additional furlong might be a challenge and could set things up for someone like Collusion Illusion, a late-running sprinter who had a terrible trip in the G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint, or Independence Hall, coming off a sharp allowance score for Michael McCarthy after more than six months on the shelf.

https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA122620USA10-EQB.html

Sunday, Dec. 27

6:51 p.m. – $100,000 Robert J. Frankel at Santa Anita

Chad Brown sent Irish-bred Miss Teheran to Santa Anita from Florida in search of his first Robert J. Frankel win, named for his late mentor. Winless in two U.S. starts, Miss Teheran will have Joel Rosario in the irons as she takes on, among others, the former Brown runner Altea, now trained by Michael McCarthy. They'll both have the California-bred Mucho Unusual to beat, however. The Mucho Macho Man filly won the G1 Rodeo Drive over the same course Sept. 26, then was no match for Audarya in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland.

The post Weekend Lineup Presented by Christmastide Day At Laurel Park: Showdown In The Malibu appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Weekend Lineup: Gulfstream Swings Into Graded Stakes Action

The Gulfstream Park championship meet, whose first Saturday featured the popular Claiming Crown races on Dec. 5, kicks into high gear this weekend with an 11-race Saturday program with five stakes, four of them graded, that could showcase horses competing in the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track's Jan. 23 Pegasus World Cup and World Cup Turf.

Gulfstream is the only track offering American graded stakes this weekend, with all of their races available on TVG and your favorite ADW streaming service. Gulfstream's first post is 12:05 p.m., and remember that the track is sticking to estimated post times this meet whenever possible.

Here's a brief look at the four graded stakes at Gulfstream on Saturday (all times Eastern).

1:35 p.m. – $100,000 G3 Rampart

Rohan Chrichton, who won the training title at the recently concluded Gulfstream Park West meet, sends out Bajan Girl off two wide-margin victories at GP West in allowance/optional claiming company – both at one mile, the distance of the Rampart. Bajan Girl's last foray on the Gulfstream Park main track was in March when the Speightstown filly ran fourth behind Swiss Skydiver in the G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks. Letruska, winner of the G3 Shuvee at Saratoga in August, won the Copa Invitacional del Caribe Stakes for her trainer, Fausto Gutierrez, last December at Gulfstream, after arriving from her home base in Mexico City, Mexico.

https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP121220USA4-EQB.html

2:38 p.m. – Sugar Swirl G3

Cinnabunny will be making her first start for Brad Cox in this six-furlong test for fillies and mares, 3 and up, and that's enough to suggest taking a serious look at this daughter of Golden Lad who is coming off a five-length allowance/optional claiming victory at Parx when trained by Kathleen DeMasi. Irad Ortiz Jr. will be aboard. Golden Ami won her debut at Gulfstream in March for trainer Josie Carroll, then won her only start at Woodbine in Canada on Nov. 14. Red-hot Tyler Gaffalione rides. Lady's Island is always tough at Gulfstream, showing seven wins in 11 starts, and she demolished the field in this race last year, winning by 6 3/4 lengths.

https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP121220USA6-EQB.html

4:09 p.m. – Harlan's Holiday G3

Most of the runners in this seven-horse field are known quantities in stakes races – including 2019 Harlan's Holiday runner-up Phat Man, 2019 G2 Jim Dandy winner Tax and 2019 G1 Pennsylvania Derby winner Math Wizard. The most intriguing entrant might be the Tapit colt Tatweej from the Todd Pletcher barn. Winner of three of four starts at Gulfstream up to one mile, Tatweej will be making his stakes debut and trying two turns for the first time. The Harlan's Holiday winner could have his trainer thinking Pegasus World Cup.

https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP121220USA9-EQB.html

4:40 p.m. – Ft. Lauderdale G2

Halladay is unbeaten in three starts over the Hallandale lawn for Todd Pletcher and figures to be out winging under Luis Saez in this 1 1/8-mile contest as he was in the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile last out when leading till inside the furlong pole. Factor This had a troubled trip in that same Breeders' Cup race and will be making his local debut for Brad Cox. Chad Brown and Irad Ortiz Jr. could have a say in the outcome with Delaware, as the son of Frankel looks for his first U.S. win in his fifth start. The Group 3 winner in France is coming off his strongest performance with a close third to Therapist in the Artie Schiller at Aqueduct Nov. 14.

https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP121220USA10-EQB.html

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Weekend Lineup: Cigar Mile Featured At Aqueduct

The 32nd running of the Grade 1 Cigar Mile is the headliner of Saturday's card at Aqueduct which includes a pair of Grade 2, $150,000 nine-furlong events for juveniles in the Remsen and its filly counterpart, the Demoiselle which will offer 10-4-2-1 qualifying points to the top-four finishers towards the 2021 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, respectively.

Live coverage of Cigar Mile Day will be available with America's Day at the Races on FS2 from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. ET.

Saturday, Dec. 5

1:00 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct on TVG

Already a winner at the nine-furlong distance, Known Agenda will attempt to give trainer Todd Pletcher a third Remsen triumph when heads up the five-horse field. Owned and bred by Vincent Viola's St. Elias Stable, Known Agenda rose to the occasion at second asking, breaking his maiden on Nov. 8 at Aqueduct over a fast main track. The chestnut son of Curlin and second offspring out of Grade 1-winner Byrama finished second to eventual stakes-winner Highly Motivated in his career debut on Sept. 27, going 6 ½ furlongs at Belmont Park.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/AQU120520USA4-EQB.html

2:07 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Go for Wand Handicap at Aqueduct on TVG

Teresa Viola Racing Stables and St. Elias Stable's Nonna Madeline cuts back to one mile for the Go for Wand Handicap. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Nonna Madeline boasts a consistent record of 13-4-3-2 with purse earnings of $275,128. The 4-year-old Candy Ride (ARG) bay, bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, broke through in stakes company this summer when capturing the restricted Summer Colony at nine furlongs on the Saratoga Race Course main track.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/AQU120520USA6-EQB.html

3:44 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct on FS2

Shadwell Stable's Malathaat, undefeated in two starts for trainer Todd Pletcher, will look to make the grade in Saturday's Demoiselle. Out of the Pletcher-trained Dreaming of Julia, who captured the 2012 Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont Park, Malathaat boasts a golden pedigree that saw the filly purchased for $1.05 million at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The precocious bay drew off to a 1 3/4-length score when sprinting seven furlongs in her Oct. 9 debut at Belmont Park and followed last out with a 7 3/4-length win in the Tempted at one mile.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/AQU120520USA9-EQB.html

4:13 p.m.—$250,000 Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct on FS2

Performer has checked a lot of boxes while forging a five-race winning streak. Owned by Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm, the 4-year-old son of Speightstown will face Grade 1 competition for the first time as part of a competitive nine-horse field in the Cigar Mile Handicap. Performer went 4-for-4 as a sophomore in 2019, including a victory in the Grade 3 Discovery going 1 1/8 miles last November at Aqueduct. Off an 11-month layoff, Performer picked up where he left off, registering a 1 3/4-length win over optional claimers in a one-turn mile on Oct. 17 at Belmont Park.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/AQU120520USA10-EQB.html

5:28 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos on TVG

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella will seek his first win in the $300,000 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos when he sends out the undefeated Astute in the final Grade 1 of 2020 for 2-year-old fillies. Owned by LNJ Foxwoods, Astute, a daughter of Speightstown and the Langfuhr mare Discerning, went gate-to-wire in her Oct. 12 debut on turf, then moved to dirt and stretched out an extra eighth of a mile to win the 6 ½ furlong Desi Arnaz Stakes by 7 ½ lengths Nov. 14 at Del Mar.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/LRC120520USA5-EQB.html

Sunday, Dec. 6

5:30 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes at Los Alamitos on TVG

Having finished in a dead-heat for the win in the Tranquility Lake Stakes on August 28, Proud Emma and Message meet again in the Bayakoa Stakes going 1 1/16-miles. Trained by Bob Baffert, Message will be making her first start since that dead-heat triumph while Proud Emma enters off a seventh-place run in the Kathryn Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on Oct. 31.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/LRC120620USA5-EQB.html

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