Loud Mouth is ‘very well’ for California Flag

Neptune’s Storm back at a mile in the Lure; CHRB meetings this Tuesday and Wednesday

ARCADIA, Cali. – Loud Mouth, fresh and fit after being promoted to victory in the E. B. Johnston Stakes at Los Alamitos on Sept. 12, his first race in three months, returns to turf in 

Sunday’s $100,000 California Flag Handicap at about 6 ½ furlongs.

A five-year-old full horse by Boisterous trained by Steve Knapp for owner Ron Thomsen, Loud Mouth’s lone grass win came in a $32,000 claiming sprint at Santa Anita Feb. 17, 2020.

“He’s got plenty of speed for Abel (Cedillo) to come out of the gate and place the horse where he wants,” Knapp said. “The horse is doing very well right now. He had a three-month rest because he needed it. Now he’s starting to come around again.”

Winner of the $100,000 Cary Grant for Cal-breds at Del Mar last Nov. 22, Loud Mouth has eight wins from 29 starts with earnings of $374,070.

“Ron’s been with me for three or four years and we’ve done well together,” Knapp said. “He’s got nine horses with me now.”

The California Flag goes as race seven of nine with a 1 p.m. first post time: 

1. Give Me the Lute, Kent Desormeaux, 3-1

2. Ground Attack, Edwin Maldonado, 20-1

3. Tiger Dad, Victor Espinoza, 20-1

4. North County Guy, Umberto Rispoli, 5-2

5. Loud Mouth, Abel Cedillo, 8-1

6. Unbridled Ethos, Ricardo Gonzalez, 12-1

7. Whooping Jay Joe Bravo, 4-1

8. Desmond Doss, Kyle Frey, 6-1

9. Indian Peak, Juan Hernandez, 6-1

Mile suits Neptune’s Storm in Lure Stakes

Neptune’s Storm took command a quarter mile from home and went on to an impressive one length tally in the $150,000 Cinema Stakes June 2, 2019. (Benoit)

Neptune’s Storm, a versatile son of prolific turf sire Stormy Atlantic, returns to a distance he fancies—one mile on grass—in next Saturday’s $70,000 Lure Stakes for three-year-olds and up.

The bay gelding is coming off an eventful ninth-place finish in the Grade II John Henry Turf Championship at a mile and a quarter, the longest route ever attempted in his 23 career starts.

“A mile is a better distance for him,” said trainer Peter Miller, alluding to the tractable campaigner’s record of five wins, one second and one third over that venue.

Leading rider Flavien Prat, who won the restricted Wickerr Stakes on Neptune’s Storm at a mile on Del Mar’s turf course July 18, will be back aboard.

“He’s a nice horse that tries hard,” said Miller, who has had Neptune’s Storm for his last four races, the gelding having previously been trained by Richard Baltas and earlier Bill Morey. 

CHRB meetings to be held this week

The California Horse Racing Board will conduct a teleconference meeting 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20. The CHRB Medication, Safety, and Welfare Committee will conduct a teleconference meeting also at 9:30 a.m. the previous day, Tuesday, Oct. 19.

Consistent with Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order N-29-20, these meetings will be teleconference only. No physical locations will be provided. The public may participate in either of two ways. The webcast audio link on the CHRB website will continue to provide a way for the public to listen to these meetings. Those wishing to speak during the meetings may dial 888-392-4564 and enter 6896291# to join the teleconference.

To speak on any item, press star 1 to enter the speakers’ queue. Those providing unsolicited public comment on individual agenda items are limited to two minutes. Comments must relate specifically to the agenda items. Note that for the Board agenda item #8 and the Committee agenda item #2, Public Comment, no further comments will be permitted after 30 minutes.

The agenda and package of materials for the Board meeting and the agenda for the Committee meeting are available on the CHRB website. There is no package for the Committee meeting.

FINISH LINES: Santa Anita Sprint Champion winner Dr. Schivel worked four furlongs this morning in 49.80 for Mark Glatt, who is preparing the three-year-old Violence colt for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 6. Also working towards the Breeders’ Cup were Santa Anita Handicap winner Idol (Classic), four furlongs in 47.80 for Richard Baltas and Hot RodCharlie (Classic), six furlongs in 1:14 for Doug O’Neill. Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World went five furlongs in 1:01 for John Sadler, with designs on the Grade II Twilight Derby closing day, Oct. 31. In all there were 186 recorded workouts Saturday, 52 on the training track…
Congrats to Andrew Lerner, 32, who won Friday’s first race with Biggleague Racing,LLC’s,Loud Loud Music.Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke,Loud Music won by 2 ¼ lengths an paid $6.60 to win.Lerner recently announced that he’ll transition from training back to owning Thoroughbreds in an effort to spend more time with wife Katie and their recently arrived daughter, Kinsley Abigail…Tom Quigley’s simulcast handicapping guest today is horseplayer and Academy Award winning script writer (Forrest Gump) Eric Roth.Quigley’s special guest on Sunday is Matt Dinerman, the voice of Golden Gate Fields.Start time for Quigley’s pre-race seminars is 70 minutes prior to first post time at 11:50 a.m. 

LATEST CONTENT FROM XBTV:

Features: 

Eddie Olczyk’s Hat Trick at Santa Anita Park 10-16-21
Preview of the California Distaff Handicap 
Preview of Race 4 

Workouts:

Enbarr (Outside) and Corniche (Baffert) 10-16-21

Dubby Dubbie (Outside) and Rock Your World (Sadler) 10-16-21

Hot Rod Charlie (Outside) and Town Boy (O’Neill) 10-16-21

Barton Strong (Outside) and Exit Row (Gaines) 10-16-21

Going to Vegas (Baltas) 10-15-21

Gamine (Outside) and Sumo (Baffert) 10-15-21

Mackinnon (O’Neill) 10-15-21

Grace Adler (Outside) and Montebello (Baffert) 10-15-21

Echo Zulu (Outside) and Gunite (Asmussen) 10-15-21

Private Mission (Baffert) 10-15-21

Forbidden Kingdom (Mandella) 10-14-21

Triple Tap (Outside) and Bronn (Baffert) 10-14-21 

United (Mandella) 10-14-21

Kalypso (Baffert) 10-11-21

Tripoli (Outside) and Southern Horse (Sadler) 10-11-21

Algeria (Knapp) 10-11-21

Bombard (Outside) and Keystone Field (Mandella) 10-11-21 

Union Train (Outside) and Courtside (Shirreffs) 10-11-21

For info on the Best Breeders’ Cup Seminar click HERE.

Santa Anita Stable Notes by Ed Golden

Loud Mouth, a 1/2 length back, won the E.B. Johnson Stakes on Sept. 12 by default after Peaceful Transfer was DQ’d and moved to second for floating and bumping Loud Mouth. (Benoit Photos)