winchell thoroughbreds | Horse Racing Free Tips

Finite Invades for La Brea

Winchell Thoroughbreds’s multiple graded stakes-winning homebred Finite (Munnings) invades from the east to face off against a talented group of sophomore fillies in the seven-furlong GI La Brea S. at Santa Anita Saturday. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the chestnut put together a four-race win streak which included scores in the Rags to Riches S. and GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill late last year and continued at Fair Grounds with victories in the Silverbulletday S. and GII Rachel Alexandra S. She went to the sidelines following a fourth-place effort in the Mar. 21 GII Fair Grounds Oaks and was well-beaten when returning over the Kentucky Downs turf Sept. 15. She got back on track with a narrowly beaten runner-up effort to Venetian Harbor (Munnings) in the Oct. 17 GII Raven Run S. at Keeneland. She is cutting back to seven furlongs for the La Brea following a win in the one-mile GIII Chilukki S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 21.

Grand Farm Family’s Himiko (American Pharoah), a $1-million Fasig-Tipton November weanling, jumps up to stakes company and stretches out to a mile following a pair of impressive victories. The Bob Baffert trainee suffered through three troubled trips to begin her career before breaking her maiden going six furlongs at Santa Anita Oct. 18. She romped home by 6 1/2 lengths in a 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer at Del Mar last time out Nov. 8.

Baffert also saddles Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud’s Merneith (American Pharoah). Third behind Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GII Santa Anita Oaks in June, the bay filly is coming off a gritty win in the Nov. 7 Qatar Fort Springs S. at Keeneland.

Baffert’s La Brea contingent also includes Speedway Stable’s Provocation (Into Mischief) and Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s Golden Principal (Constitution).

Trainer Chad Brown, who swept into Southern California to dominate holiday racing at Del Mar around Thanksgiving, sends out the lightly raced Motivated Seller (Into Mischief) in the La Brea. The Klaravich Stables runner opened her career with a front-running six-length victory at Gulfstream last January. Off nine months after that effort, she returned to add a Belmont Park allowance Oct. 11 and she was closing late when second behind Merneith in the Fort Springs.

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Bankit Ends Win Drought, Defeats Mr. Buff In Alex M. Robb

Bankit posted a slew of close efforts in the 17 months since his previous win. But Saturday, the 4-year-old son of Central Banker left no doubt, overtaking Mr. Buff at the top of the stretch and cruising to a 4 3/4-length victory in the $100,000 Alex M. Robb for New York-bred 3-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing, Bankit registered his first win in 14 starts – in a span that encompassed five runner-up finishes – outkicking two-time defending Alex M. Robb winner Mr. Buff for his first score since the New York Derby in July 2019 at Finger Lakes.

Bankit, a last-out third-place finisher in the NYSSS Thunder Rumble on November 22 at the Big A, tracked in fourth position as Sea Foam led the six-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 24.16 seconds and the half in 48.47 on the fast main track amid foggy conditions.

Jockey Jose Lezcano tipped Bankit out approaching the far turn, moving up to third. When straightened for home, Bankit found an extra gear from the outside, easily overtaking Sea Foam before running eye-to-eye and then passing 6-5 favorite Mr. Buff, completing the 1 1/8-mile course in a final time of 1:51.59.

“I watched a couple replays and it looked like sometimes he hangs a little bit,” Lezcano said. “Today, he broke well and I had him behind the two horses I thought we had to beat. When I asked him, he gave me everything he got.”

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Bankit turned the tables on Mr. Buff, reversing the order of the 1-2 finish in the Empire Classic on October 24 at Belmont going the same distance.

Off at 5-2, Bankit, bred by Hidden Brook Farm and Blue Devil Racing, returned $7.70 on a $2 win bet. He improved his career bankroll to $816,675.

“He had a nice pace set up and Jose [Lezcano] put him in a good spot. He got good position and ran a good race,” said Toby Sheets, assistant to Asmussen.

Chester and Mary Broman's Mr. Buff, wheeled back exactly one week after running fifth in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile, came up short in his bid for three straight Alex M. Robb victories for trainer John Kimmel but ran three lengths clear of Yankee Division for second.

Sea Foam, Danny California and City Man, who broke through the gate before being reloaded, completed the order of finish.

“My horse broke bad because the horse inside [City Man] acted up a little and broke through the gate,” said jockey Kendrick Carmouche, aboard Mr. Buff. “He got a little fussy in there and broke a step slow, but I got him to where I wanted to have him in the race. He ran hard. He tried his best. I think if he hadn't ran seven days ago, it would be a different outcome, but congratulations to the winner.”

Live racing will resume on Sunday at Aqueduct with a nine-race card featuring the $100,000 Bay Ridge, a nine-furlong test for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. First-race post time is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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Tight Ten to Stand in PA

MGSP Tight Ten (Tapit–Devils Humor, by Distorted Humor) will stand at Mountain Springs Farm in Pennsylvania. He will have an introductory fee of $2,500 live foal and additional mares can be bred for $2,000 each. A lifetime breeding right to Tight Ten will be awarded to breeders after booking four mares.
A debut winner at Churchill as a juvenile, the Winchell homebred was second in both the 2018 GII Saratoga Special S. and GIII Iroquois S. for trainer Steve Asmussen. He retires with a record of 14-2-3-1 and earnings of $132,369.

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Finite Favored In Chilukki Stakes At Churchill Downs

Winchell Thoroughbreds, Thomas Reiman, William Dickson and Deborah Easter's multiple graded stakes winning filly Finite was made the 8-5 morning line favorite for Saturday's 35th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Run at one-mile, the Chilukki is carded as Race 9 with a post time of 5:06 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post for the 10-race program is 1 p.m.

Finite, a 3-year-old filly by Munnings, was the narrow runner-up finisher behind Venetian Harbor in last month's $200,000 G2 Raven Run at Keeneland. Previously, the Steve Asmussen-trained Finite was on the Kentucky Oaks trail after victories in the $120,000 Rags to Riches, $300,000 G2 Golden Rod, $150,000 Silverbulletday and $300,000 G2 Rachel Alexandra. Following her fourth-place effort in the $400,000 G2 Fair Grounds Oaks, Finite underwent minor ankle surgery but returned to Asmussen's stable a few months later.

The complete field for the Chilukki from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): New Roo (Brian Hernandez Jr., Tommy Drury, 20-1); Finite (Santana, Asmussen, 8-5); Grand Cru Classe (Tyler Gaffalione, Bill Mott, 5-2); Whoa Nellie (Joe Rocco Jr., Larry Jones, 4-1); Gold Standard (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 15-1); Risky Mandate (Miguel Mena, Tom Amoss, 5-1); Crazy Sexy Munny (Crystal Conning, Bill Morey, 50-1); Unique Factor (Corey Lanerie, Peter Miller, 10-1); and Sanenus (Rafael Bejarano, Michael McCarthy, 20-1).

The Chilukki is named after the three-time Churchill Downs stakes-winning filly. Trained by Bob Baffert, Chilukki set two track records beneath the Twin Spires – her 1999 4 1/2-furlong debut performance in :51 and a scorching one-mile clocking in 1:33.57, breaking the 31-year track record in this event in 2000.

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