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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
The Road to the Kentucky Derby will not officially begin in South Florida until the Jan. 31 Holy Bull Stakes (G3). However, the first weekend of the new year will offer an early glimpse of which youngsters might play a role in the series.View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Gary and Mary West's homebred Rancho Santa Fe (Tapit), unbeaten in a pair of lifetime starts, is expected to make his stakes debut in the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park Saturday. The 3-year-old colt debuted with a victory going one mile at Ellis Park Aug. 24 and added a 1 1/16-mile allowance win at Keeneland Oct. 11. He had four published works at Payson Park in December, most recently going five furlongs in 1:02.00 (2/11) Dec. 27. “He's doing great,” trainer Brad Cox said. “His last work at Payson was really good. I think he's physically developed a bit since his last run at Keeneland. It was kind of by design to space his races a little bit and to point him for the Smarty Jones for a while. Here we are.” Rancho Santa Fe is out of multiple graded stakes winner and Grade I-placed Family Tree (Smart Strike) and is a half-brother to graded winner Heroic Move (Quality Road). “Typical Tapit, the farther the better,” Cox said of the colt. “Good stride, good mover, pretty good mind. Excited about getting his year kicked off.” The 1 1/16-mile Smarty Jones is Oaklawn's first of four GI Kentucky Derby qualifying races and will offer 21 total points (10-5-3-2-1) toward starting eligibility for the first leg of the Triple Crown. Cox will saddle 2024 Smarty Jones winner Catching Freedom (Constitution) in a 1 1/16-mile allowance contest at Oaklawn Park Sunday. The newly turned 5-year-old is winless in seven starts since winning the 2024 GII Louisiana Derby, but finished fourth in that year's Kentucky Derby and third in the GI Preakness Stakes. He was most recently third in a Churchill Downs allowance Nov. 21 and worked four furlongs in :48.40 (4/16) at Fair Grounds Dec. 30. “Obviously, it's no secret he's been a little bit inconsistent in his career with some of his runs,” Cox said. “But he's doing well. He seems to always be doing well. It's just getting him back in the winner's circle. Hopefully, we've got the right spot for him. He seems to be training well. When he puts it all together, he's very good. It's just about getting everything to click for him on race day.” The post Rancho Santa Fe Set to Make Stakes Debut in Smarty Jones appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Explora, runner-up as the favorite in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar, kicks off her 3-year-old campaign Jan. 3 in the $100,000 Santa Ynez Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park.View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
By Jonny Turner Craig Ferguson hopes playing chess rather than checkers with Wag Star will pay winning dividends in today’s Group 3 Central Otago Cup. Ferguson heads to Omakau knowing he has a horse to match it with any of his rivals in the 2000m feature. So the trainer-driver has been doing everything he can to encourage his stable star to show it to the big crowd that will be watching at Central Otago’s biggest annual race meeting. “He can be a moody horse and when he is on the job he can keep rolling at high speed and be very hard to get past.” “Other times he can be a bit casual about everything and he doesn’t give you the same feeling.” “We have been working on a few things lately to keep him happy and bring the best out in him.” “We had a few troubles with his feet but we seem to be on top of them now.” “We’ve changed his feed around and changed his work around and he seems to be in a good place at the moment.” “He is the sort of horse where it can depend what sort of mood he is in on the day but everything is looking pretty positive going into Omakau.” Wag Star brings the best possible form reference into the Central Otago Cup with his third behind Republican Party in the Group 1 Invercargill Cup. The six-year-old sat parked early before slotting into the one-one and going a nice race. “I was quite happy with his run it was his first run with the galloping hood on and he travelled well,” Ferguson said. “If he could go as well from the good draw (3) he has on Friday he would have to be a pretty good chance.” Ferguson starts a strong team at the Omakau meeting including Turn N Burn who ran second on her debut on Invercargill Cup Day. While that looks strong form Ferguson wasn’t thrilled with the filly that he races himself. “On the sectionals she ran she was a little bit average.” “The occasion of her first start may have got to her a little bit because it wasn’t up to her trials.” “She has improved with the run and her work has been quite sharp so hopefully she will be harder to beat this time.” Babe On The Beach has been the big improver in the Ferguson camp this summer and she heads to Omakau in strong form. “I reckon she has improved about three seconds this year.” “She’s doing a bit of work and showing plenty of fight – she’s stepped up.” “This week it will be a bit hard from the draw (12) but hopefully she can get a bit of luck and go another nice race.” Ferguson also has Beluga and Franco Seb going head to head at Omakau. “Beluga has been consistent lately and his work has stepped up a bit.” “He’s got the draw and gate speed but he has made a mistake early so we will have to play it by ear.” “Franco Seb has been an improver his last run was handy enough.” “He probably just needs a bit of luck from his draw (12).” Ferguson drives most of his team with Mark Hurrell to partner Franco Seb and Riley Harrison to drive Babe On The Beach. Pinseeker looking to slingshot them late in Central Otago Cup By Michael Guerin Jonny Cox is hoping his rivals go crazy in today’s $40,000 Ranfurly Transport Central Otago Cup. Because the Canterbury trainer-driver believes that could set the race up for his speedster Pinseeker in the signature race at Omakau’s popular annual meeting. Pinseeker is one of the best pacers in the 2000m mobile but had an interesting 2025, starting with a placing in this race last year, a Group 3 win in March, competing at the Inter Dominions and then choking down to finish last in the New Zealand Cup. One thing which isn’t in doubt is his speed and once he learns to control that he will sit comfortably in any elite class field in this country. That being the case he can win today but his fortunes may be dictated by what those drawn inside him do as he starts from the outside of the front line. “The draw obviously isn’t ideal but it could work out okay,” says Cox. “There is a lot of speed drawn inside him so we can’t go forward at the start so we will have to try and sneak into the running line somewhere. “Then his chances might depend on what the others do. “If they all get stuck into each other the we might get the chance to slingshot them late. “What we don’t want is a horse like Wag Star or Franco Sinatra to get an easy lead and enjoy an easy time in front.” Cox says he has had to put the dreadful New Zealand Cup experience behind Pinseeker and is looking forward. “I spoke to Mark Purdon after the race as I was following him and he said he could hear our horse’s breathing wasn’t right between the 1400m and the 1000m mark and then I felt him just stop. “So we are sure he choked down.” Pinseeker spent two weeks at the beach in the care of fellow trainer Bob Butt soon after and pleased Cox by bouncing back with a third in the Green Mile at Methven. “He has had his joints treated since then and has been working really well so he gets his chance here but so much will depend on how the race will be run. “Not only do you have those speedsters drawn inside us but a good horse in Alta Meteor drawing one on the second line by himself so he should be able to get away from the markers and into a nice spot pretty quickly.” Wag Star opened the $2.90 Cup favourite and was quickly backed in but while he has the best draw of the favourites it has been a long time since he won a race, albeit he has produced some smart performances in top class fields. While the Pacing Cup has a number of tempo-related scenarios the $40,000 Trotting Cup looks perfect for I Dream Of Jeannie (R11, No.5), who is in career-best form and finds herself in a field with plenty who are struggling to find their best at the moment. Earlier in the meeting Cox brings his talented trotter Prestigious (R8, No.9) to the lower grade trot and runs into a daunting rival in He Aint Fakin. The latter, a converted pacer, has won twice in three starts as a trotter and will be extremely hard to beat if his manners hold up in his first standing start. “He will take some beating but we really like our trotter long term,” says Cox. “Our boy is still a work in progress the win two starts ago showed he has a good motor so he could be in for a good year.” Racing journalist Jonny Turner’s Five To Follow at Omakau. Turn N Burn – Race 3 This filly looks to hold a key tactical advantage over her key rivals. Every year it is vital that horses race close to the pace at Omakau as getting too far back can be disastrous. Draws are an essential part of the equation, with barrier 2 looking a perfect spot for Turn N Burn. While her key rival Cinderella Franco has also drawn well in barrier 3, Turn N Burn holds a clear advantage. If Turn N Burn can hold the lead it could prove too much of a task for Cinderella Franco to come from behind her or outside her to beat her. Sonofamistery – Race 4 He’s simply better than his rivals and it is going to take a big slice of bad luck for him to get beaten. Sonofamistery’s luck is surely due to turn after he had to be pulled up at his last start at Ascot Park due to a gear malfunction. The three-year-old was impressive in his prior outing at Addington, running to an easy win. At $1.14 he’s no win betting proposition but Sonofamistery’s race is part of the early quaddie, and there are Trifectas and First4s to consider. He Aint Fakin – Race 8 This pacer turned trotter will traverse Australasia to have his first standing start at Omakau. While the newcomer to the trotting gait brings all the right form, he hasn’t seen the standing start tapes once in his 51 starts. It is certainly something for punters to ponder and it would be bold to think he is going to ping away quickly and settle right up on the pace. But there is one man that tips the scales of probability into the positive – the old master Phil Williamson. Knowing Phil, he’s put the time into teaching He Aint Fakin the standing start ropes and will have him prepped to make a safe getaway if circumstances allow. While some of his rivals are handy types, the eight-year-old should take plenty of holding out if he trots safely. One Over Da Line – Race 10 There aren’t the same concerns over One Over Da Line’s standing start prowess, though there are some similarities between him and He Aint Fakin. Both trotters are out to secure penalty-free wins for their junior drivers. One clear advantage One Over Da Line has is that his driver Riley Harrison knows him well. The trotter brings strong form in stronger company than he meets at Omakau and looks one of the stronger winning threats on the card Palladium – Race 12 He’s another whose winning price isn’t inspiring but that’s beyond punters’ control. Palladium was excellent in his last-start second at Ascot Park among a quality field of two-year-olds. He hadn’t been sighted at the races since early October and that run is sure to have tightened him up for his Omakau mission. In that October win, Palladium handled older horses in style suggesting that stepping out of age-group company and back in amongst hardy types won’t be a problem. After being a touch unlucky in his last-start second, chances are he will be in front and out of trouble this time. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Selections for Omakau today. Head to www.tab.co.nz to place your bet! Omakau Jonny Turner Racing Journalist Race 1 12.28pm 6 Mr Cash Man 8 Destiny’s Dream 7 Bettor Way 3 Nyla Race 2 12.59pm 4 Kairo 8 Jaccka Jim 11 Fiery Adi 8 What’s The Whisper Race 3 1.32pm 2 Turn N Burn 3 Cinderella Franco 10 Captain Christina 12 Mighty Flying Miki Race 4 2.06pm 8 Sonofamistery 10 By Chance 6 Rise Up N Dance 9 Quinn Race 5 2.42pm 8 Princess Sadie 7 Dreams Pat 3 Vertigo 4 Randel Huston P Race 6 3.17pm 2 Beluga 5 Anita Mary 3 Rockoutray 11 Franco Seb Race 7 3.50pm 4 Party Up Denario 3 Bannockburn 12 Babe On The Beach 10 Burnham Girl Race 8 4.25pm 4 He Aint Fakin 9 Prestigious 8 Harriet’s Moment 7 Major Fear Race 9 5.02pm 3 Wag Star 8 Pinseeker 9 Alta Meteor 7 Ruby Roe Race 10 5.34pm 6 One Over Da Line 10 B D Hall 1 Kracka Looka 9 Royal Rock Race 11 6.08pm 5 I Dream Of Jeannie 6 Midnight Dash 3 Jimmy Carter 1 Maui Race 12 6.39pm 4 Palladium 2 Henry Winkler 6 Tua Lipa 8 Fitzthebill View the full article
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