Tag Archives: Bruce Headley

Del Mar, Horse racing

Del Mar selections for Friday, Aug. 5 (4 p.m. first post)

Preview: Just an OK card for a weekday. Phil D’Amato leads all trainers with 5 wins on the grass. Surprisingly a trio of trainers are struggling on the green: Doug O’Neill 0-12, Mike Puype 0-11 and Jerry Hollendorfer 0-11. Either they will get hot or continue the cold streak. You decide.

Race 1: 1. Feel Freely, 2. Red Apple, 3. Ravizzone. LONG SHOT: Miss Bula Bula.

Race 2: 1. Nueces, 2. Boone Docks, 3. Profound Visionary. LONG SHOT: What We Doing.

Race 3: 1. Trust Your Gut, 2. Unapologetic, 3. Chris and Dave. LONG SHOT: Start a Runnin.

Race 4: 1. Rockin Rudy, 2. Cammy’s Music, 3. Thirty Pepperonis. LONG SHOT: Dude’s Dude.

Race 5: #3 Temple Keys (6-1) BEST BET, 2. Tengas Ransom, 3. Lindante. LONG SHOT: Anatolian Heat.
Trainer Richard Baltas takes the blinkers off, a move he is 24% with, and he puts jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard and they are 2-for-10 together.

Race 6: 1. Brother Soldier, 2. Lucky Views, 3. Agent Di Nozzo. LONG SHOT: My Secret Affair.

Race 7: 1. #2 Late Spring (12-1), 2. Shrinking Violet, 3. So Sweetitiz. LONG SHOT: Swift Lady.
For the last few years trainer Victoria Oliver has shipped a few grass horses to Del Mar and they always seem to run good. This filly has a record of 9-3-3-1 at this distance on the grass and Drayden Van Dyke rides.

Race 8: 1. #4 Cyclone Betty (4-1), 2. Patience Lady, 3. Ultimate Game. LONG SHOT: Madera Jubilee.
Trainer Bruce Headley bred this 3-year-old filly and owns the sire Cyclotron, who gets winners at an 18% rate first time out. Headley puts good gate jockey Edwin Maldonado aboard and they are 29% together.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

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Horse racing, Santa Anita

Santa Anita opinions for Sunday, July 10

Preview: Final day of the meet. Thank God. The last three weeks have been torture. Still not sure why Santa Anita couldn’t have waited 10 days to re-sod the turf course. Thank God, on to Del Mar on Friday.

Race 3 – SA
#3 Tuscany Beauty (5-2): This filly just finished second over the track and trainer Bruce Headley is 63% with beaten favorites. Jockey Edwin Maldonado stays aboard and he’s 38% with Headley at Santa Anita.

Race 6 – SA
#6 Tell Me a Story (6-1): Trainer Peter Miller trains out of San Luis Rey Downs so you never know how fast these 2-year-olds really are but this colt has one bullet work and gets Lasix. The sire Telling is 17% with firsters and jockey Fernando Perez is 31% with Miller at Santa Anita.

Race 9 – SA
#1 Distinctive B (12-1): We go back to that man, Peter Miller, here in the finale. This gelding was claimed in April and hasn’t run since. There is a bullet showing in his last work at SLRD and Miller is 34% first off the claim. He puts blinkers on and this 5-year-old has the best Brisnet Late Pace Rating.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

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Horse racing, Los Alamitos

Los Alamitos RC opinions for Thursday, April 28

Preview: We enter the final week of the Los Alamitos meet as the circuit will return to Santa Anita next week and we’ll get some grass racing. Jockey Kent Desormeaux continues to ride with confidence as he leads the standings with 10 wins from 21 mounts. Mario Gutierrez, Tyler Baze and Tiago Pereira all have six wins each.

 

Race 5 – LRC

#5 Proud Fighter (10-1): This gelding has been away from the races more than 18 months, but trainer Justin Clark is 5-for-9 when bringing a horse back off a layoff of more than 90 days. Jockey David Lopez jumps on.

 

Race 8 – LRC

#3 The Gold Monkey (5-1): Trainer Bruce Headley doesn’t start many these days but he can still get winners. This gelding comes out of a key race that has produced two winners already. Jockey Edwin Maldonado, who is 41% with Headley, takes the mount.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

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Horse racing, Santa Anita

Santa Anita opinions for Saturday, June 20

Race 1: #5 Ain’t Misbehavin (5-2)

Trainer Mike Puype claimed this 3-year-old and he is 26% first off the claim. On top of that he makes a big jockey switch to Rafael Bejarano. Pupye is also 40% when he drops off the claim.

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Race 4: #2 Rocker (15-1)

This gelding has been running at Golden Gate on the grass for trainer Steve Miyadi, who is 63% when he drops a horse off a win. The sire Grazen is 28% on the grass, but maybe more importantly this 3-year-old is running against Cal-breds for the first time since his career debut and jockey Alex Solis jumps on.

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Race 9: #12 Gigantis (12-1)

Trainer Bruce Headley hit with a first-time router on Thursday and he tries the same formula here with the same jockey in Edwin Maldonado. Headley is 40% first-time route and 21% first time grass. The sire Cyclotron is 20% first tome grass. The post is an obstacle, but that just means a bigger price.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

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Horse racing, Santa Anita

Santa Anita opinions for Thursday, June 19

Race 2: #2 The Gold Monkey (5-1)

Trainer Bruce Headley is 40% first time going long from his last 15 races and he puts one of his barn’s top riders aboard in Edwin Maldonado (24%).

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Race 5: #9 Tiz a Tommy Town (9-2)

Tommy Town Thoroughbreds LLC puts its horses where they can win and this first-time starter by Speightstown (16% first time out) is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, who wins 28% with first-time starters.

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Race 8: #10 Catalina Bonita (12-1)

Maybe the light bulb has turned on for this 4-year-old filly. She has been training lights out the last month. So good in fact that trainer Kristin Mulhall moves her up a class level, a move she is 27% with. Look for an improved effort with Edwin Maldonado aboard.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

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Horse racing, Santa Anita

Santa Anita early opinions for Sunday, Dec. 28

Race 2: #6 Tough Sunday

One of these days this 2-year-old is going to get out of the gate in good shape and win going away. He has gate issues twice in a row and now jockey Tyler Baze takes over for trainer Steve Miyadi, who is 23% second off the layoff.

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Race 4: #6 Mangita

British jockey Kieran Fallon is calling Santa Anita home this meet and he should excel on the turf. Not sure why trainer Bruce Headley ran this 4-year-old filly on the dirt last time because she has never finished worse than second in six tries on the Santa Anita grass.

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Race 9: #3 A Colt Following

This gelding gets two turns for the first time and that should be no problem for the son of Montbrook. Trainer Jeff Bonde is 20% going sprint to route and is 22% with jockey Edwin Maldonado.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

Friday’s top choice winners: 3 (Hurry Up Henry $11.40, third race; Shared Belief $3, eighth; Dea $21, ninth)

Friday’s second choice winners: 0

Friday’s third choice winners: 4 (Justonemorething $8.20, first; May B $7.80, second; Bench Light $8.80, fifth; Alert Bay $20.40, seventh)

Friday’s long shot winners: 0

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Saturday’s top choice winners: 1 (Dancinthenightaway $3, seventh race)

Saturday’s second choice winners: 1 (Where Is My Mind $21.60, second)

Saturday’s third choice winners: 3 (Bea’s Duchess $10.60, third; Buymeabond $27.20, fourth; Bolo $5.60, sixth)

Saturday’s long shot winners: 0

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Horse racing, Santa Anita

Santa Anita selections for Thursday, Oct. 2 (updated)

FIRST RACE: 1. Empire Cat, 2. Bandido Too, 3. Slapshot Man. LONG SHOT: Whoyougonnacall.

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SECOND RACE: 1. Valentine Boy, 2. Zip Cat, 3. World Famous Sam T. LONG SHOT: Nextdoorneighbor.

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THIRD RACE: 1. Bardy, 2. Thirtyfirststreet, 3. Malibu Way. LONG SHOT: Woodmans Luck.

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FOURTH RACE: 1. Easter Fever, 2. Princess Bertrando, 3. Stormy Adieu. LONG SHOT: Party Rock (SCRATCHED) new long shot: Ashley’s Sassy.

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FIFTH RACE: 1. Toppers Sunshine, 2. Boller Bomb, 3. Highly Rated. LONG SHOT: Marina Del Heat.

Completely throw out TOPPERS SUNSHINE’S (10-1) last race at Del Mar. This filly has a win and two thirds over the course and has five wins lifetime at this distance. Trainer Robertino Diodoro and jockey Fernando Perez are a 26% combination at Santa Anita.

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SIXTH RACE: 1. Barbs Angel, 2. Constantine, 3. Arctic Code. LONG SHOT: Athens.

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SEVENTH RACE: 1. Wanstead Gardens, 2. Sammy Mandeville, 3. Patriots Rule. LONG SHOT: Grachus the Hunter.

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EIGHTH RACE: 1. Our Love Affair (best bet), 2. Steel lady, 3. Fast Magoo. LONG SHOT: Onedewoman.

OUR LOVE AFFAIR (4-1) finished a good second at Los Alamitos in July and was given Del Mar off by trainer Bruce Headley, who hates Polytrack. This 4-year-old filly pressed the pace under apprentice jockey Drayden Van Dyke, who keeps the mount.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

Sunday’s top choice winners: 4 (Midnight Candy $3.20, second race; Daddy’s Duo $3.40, sixth; Bright Thought $16.40, seventh; Royal Temptress $12.60, ninth)

Sunday’s second choice winners: 1 (Awesome Indy $27.80, fifth)

Sunday’s third choice winners: 0

Sunday’s long shot winners: 1 (Chief Lion $26, third)

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Horse racing, Santa Anita

Santa Anita picks for Saturday, Jan. 11 (updated)

FIRST RACE: 1. Fuzzy Logic, 2. Red N Black Attack, 3. Matt the Hammer. LONG SHOT: Ten to Show.

MATT THE HAMMER has been working well so watch out.

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SECOND RACE: 1. Carlsbad Mountain, 2. Golden Itiz, 3. Mega Heat. LONG SHOT: Planet Sunshine.

CARLSBAD MOUNTAIN, a 5-year-old gelding, is making his first start for a claiming tag against winners. He broke his maiden over this track in October and trainer Bruce Headley is 31% with claimer. He also puts jockey Edwin Maldonado back aboard and they are 50% (5-for-10) at Santa Anita the last two years.

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THIRD RACE: 1. Anita Marie, 2. Madoffwiththemoney, 3. Rossi Reserve. LONG SHOT: Sibella.

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FOURTH RACE: 1. High On Final, 2. Satch, 3. Fly High. LONG SHOT: Old Pueblo.

Looks like owner/breeder John Harris is holding a fire sale here with HIGH ON FINAL as this son of Swiss Yodeler has finished third in two straight Cal-bred maiden special weight races and now drops to a maiden claimer for $20,000. We can understand Harris’ thinking since this is a 4-year-old gelding and Harris is looking for younger horses. This one has good speed and could be long gone once the gate is popped.

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FIFTH RACE: 1. Top Fortitude, 2. Midnight Hawk, 3. Kristo. LONG SHOT: Ontology.

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SIXTH RACE: 1. Peacenik, 2. Street Car, 3. Bertran Hill. LONG SHOT: Guidopanzini.

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SEVENTH RACE: 1. Gab Power, 2. Mr. Candy Bar, 3. Major Magic. LONG SHOT: Danderek.

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EIGHTH RACE: 1. Blingo, 2. Blueskiesnrainbows, 3. Rousing Sermon. LONG SHOT: Majestic City.

Tough race; if Majestic City gets the same kind of track he got on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita (speed favoring) watch out.

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NINTH RACE: 1. Footstepsinbronze, 2. Melatonin, 3. Friendswith K Mill. LONG SHOT: Home Run Kitten.

Taking a shot here with first-time starter bred in Europe for the red-hot Simon Callaghan barn. Outside horses have the advantage.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

Friday’s top choice winners: 4 (Dreamnofatticus $5.60, second race; Whipstock $5, fourth; Jet Warrior $3.20, fifth; Warrens Puppy Love $12, eighth)

Friday’s second choice winners: 0

Friday’s third choice winners: 1 (Changethechannel $27.40, seventh)

Friday’s long shot winner: 1 (Lady of the Nile $12.60, third)

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Horse racing, Santa Anita

Updated Santa Anita picks for Thursday, Oct. 10

Don’t forget a Pick Six carryover of more than $575,000 starting in today’s third race. Also, check weather report and track conditions as rain was suppose to hit Southern California Wednesday afternoon.

LATE NEWS: Jockey Garrett Gomez has been taken off all mounts by track stewards.

FIRST RACE: Tribal Rain, 3, Katy’s Kitty, 3. Miz Wounded Knee. LONG SHOT: Warren’s Lorie S.

Trainer Bob Hess claimed TRIBAL RAIN, a son of Tribal Rule, at Golden Gate and ships her down to SoCal. Leading jockey Rafael Bejarano jumps aboard so that’s good enough for me.

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SECOND RACE: 1. Small Moves, 2. Scherzinger, 3. Corlett Drive. LONG SHOT: Pebble Beach Baby.

Trainer Joshua Litt doesn’t have a big barn or start many horses on the circuit, but he has two running today and SMALL MOVES looks like the most likely winner. Litt is 25 percent (2-for-8) off layoffs of more than 180 days. This 3-year-old filly broke her maiden on the Santa Anita dirt and could be ready for a big effort.

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THIRD RACE: 1. Barney Rebel, 2. Danderek, 3. Mr. Candy Bar. LONG SHOT: Anythingscookin.

The Pick 6 starts with a pretty tough event. Trainer Dan Blacker seems to be starting his whole barn today (four horses) and BARNEY REBEL looks like a decent sort at a price. He finished second at Del Mar and moves up in class. He has a win and third over this turf course so let’s hope the race stays on the grass. ANYTHINGSCOOKIN comes out of a key race at Del Mar where three horses have come back to the winner’s circle.

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FOURTH RACE: 1. For Emma, 2. Lady of the Nile, 3. Gracie Ragazza. LONG SHOT: First Mil.

SCRATCHES: Gracie Regazza, First Mil.

NEW PICKS: 1. For Emma, 2. Lady of the Nile, 3. Goodhumorgirl. LONG SHOT: La Casadora.

Another tough race for handicappers. FOR EMMA comes from the Peter Miller barn and is by a decent first-out sire in D’wildcat. She has some decent works over at Hollywood Park and Miller isn’t adverse to getting a price. LADY OF THE NILE is from the Bob Baffert barn and he scores with 32 percent of his maiden claimers.

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FIFTH RACE: 1. Always a Chance, 2. Love Tale, 3. Town Belle. LONG SHOT: Miss Well Molded.

Trainer Sean McCarthy, who also works for HRTV, stretches this filly out off a third-place finish at Del Mar. She comes out of a key race and has been working OK for her return to the turf. Jockey Joe Talamo gets aboard and he leads SoCal riders in turf races won.

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SIXTH RACE: 1. Scarly Charly (Best bet), 2. Crucero, 3. Cat Burglar. LONG SHOT: Expo and Fig.

This is one tough maiden race and you can make a case for a lot of horses in here. Trainer Janet Armstrong knows how to get horses ready, especially on the dirt (27 percent). SCARLY CHARLY, a 4-year-old gelding, is making only his fourth career start but seems to like to come from off the pace and that might fit perfectly in his first try around two turns. Armstrong and jockey Mario Gutierrez have combined to win two of their three attempts the last two years with a large ROI ($11.20).

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SEVENTH RACE: 1. Holladay Road, 2. Segway, 3. Artic North. LONG SHOT: Lumberyard Jack.

HOLLADAY ROAD has never been worse than third in three tries over the Santa Anita turf course. Jockey Julien Leparoux jumps aboard for trainer Julio Canani, who has been in a bit of a slump for the last few months. SEGWAY is a first-time gelding for the Richard Mandella barn.

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EIGHTH RACE: 1. Angel’s Moon, 2. Make More Money, 3. Truly Beautiful, 4. Full of Spice. LONG SHOT: Harlan’s Trick. NOTE: As suspected, ANGEL’S MOON IS SCRATCHED.

I don’t often pick four horses but ANGEL’S MOON is on the also-eligible list and will need a scratch to get in the race. ANGEL’S MOON is from the Bruce Headley barn and drops into a maiden claimer for the first time. Jockey Edwin Maldonado keeps the mount and he is 3-for-6 riding for Headley the last two years. MAKE MORE MONEY finished second in his first race on the circuit for trainer Jeff Mullins and has been training well over the Santa Anita surface.

BELMONT PARK ALERT: Bloom Racing Stable has a first-time starter named Freddie G running in Belmont’s 6th race on Thursday. I know owner Jeff Bloom has been high on this New York-bred for a while and been patiently waiting for his debut. Jockey Javier Castellano takes the mount and Freddie G is 3-1 on the morning-line. Just looking at the works, they seem pretty good, but trainer Gary Contessa is 3% with first-timers. I joked to Bloom over the summer that I would be waiting until his second start to bet on him and then Contessa won with two first-timers shortly thereafter. I have no inside info here other than I know he’s suppose to be a nice NY-bred.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

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