Horse Racing: Sat. Belmont's card (post #1134), NBC coverage begins at 4:30 pm ET

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Jenn Miller was injured in West Virginia Saturday night and suffered a broken jaw and concussion among other injuries. Her brain is being monitored according to one article.

She was an equestrian rider prior to this year -- specifically the skilled dressage competition -- and became an apprentice (bug) generally later in life at the age of 32. She won at a few tracks on the East coast from Suffolk Downs in Massachusetts (her home), to Laurel to the Penn tracks and others mostly in the mid-Atlantic. She was listed on a horse at Gulfstream in south Florida this weekend but was replaced.

Here is hoping for a complete recovery.

More info can be found on Joe Bravo's Twitter account:

Joe Bravo (@bravoace) | Twitter

==========

Philly-based rider Frankie Pennington, who was injured over the weekend in the Kentucky Derby prep race at Churchill Downs, had surgery and will be out 4-to-6 weeks.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Aqueduct (New York):

• The big boys came to work today. Jose Ortiz won three consecutive races and Johnny Velazquez also won three times. Other top riders who won on the 9-race card include Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Joel Rosario, the latter who won the New York Stallion Series Stakes feature race and its $125,000 purse. Pablo Fragoso won the finale.
• Javier Castellano (winner), Jose Ortiz and Mike Smith were the nominees for the Eclipse Awards in January 2017. It could be tough to include Smith on that list this year especially since John Velazquez may have out-Smith'd Smith in 2017, meaning succeeded with the elites while volume is smaller by comparison to other riders. The Eclipse nominees are limited to three for each category. The two Ortiz boys are among my final four -- and should be among the three Eclipse finalists, or is that one too many? Castellano is the defending champ but 2017 has not been nearly his best year. As bizarre as this may sound, is it possible Javier Castellano is left off the list of three finalists for the Eclipse?

Turfway (Kentucky):

• The meet opener is tonight. Turfway replaces Churchill Downs on the Kentucky racing schedule.

==================
The good news regarding fallen rider Jenn Miller is that she was reportedly walking though with assistance while hospitalized. Her family set up a GoFundMe page with a goal of $10,000 and not only was that reached but more than doubled in less than two days.

She is a 32-year-old apprentice who was in equestrian/dressage competition prior to this year. Saturday night, she was injured with what has been described as broken mandible and a concussion but what appears to be most severe is bleeding on the brain.

Hopefully, she can recover. She has an obvious love for horses having majored at a college in Massachusetts in the equine industry. She rode mainly in the mid-Atlantic (Maryland, Penn, Delaware among others).

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

This is among the lightest Thursdays on the calendar year with only New York and Louisiana running in the early afternoon. Illinois, Kentucky, California and others ran later in the day while others ran in the evening. Florida was dark with a rare break in the calendar.

November 30, 2017

Aqueduct (New York):

• Irad Ortiz, Jr. is the leading rider in North America in 2017 and added three more wins to his resume. Twice the victories paid over $19.
• Luis Saez and Manuel Franco are both serving suspensions for riding infractions. Both are scheduled to ride Saturday.
• Martin Garcia is an awful 27 0-0-2 at the meet. He did win at Penn National but that is his only victory on the East coast since relocating from California. It won't be an easy transition for him, at least initially.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Adam Beschizza is a European 25-year-old who lost his bug while riding overseas. He has rocketed to a quick start in the states with wins in 4 of his first 11 mounts. His remarkable start is 11 4-2-4 (10 times in the money in his first 11 mounts). He is riding mainly for Joe Sharp.

Turfway Park (Kentucky):

• Michael Maker is a good trainer, of course, and he was the recipient of his 2,000th career win.

=======================
The leading riders in wins in 2017 among major North American circuits are:

1. Irad Ortiz, Jr (283)
2. Tyler Gaffalione (268)
3. Jose Ortiz (264)
​

The leading riders in money earned in 2017 among major North American circuits are:

1. Jose Ortiz ($27,000,000+)
2. Javier Castellano ($23 m)
3. Irad Ortiz, Jr. ($19 m)
4. John Velazquez ($19 m)
5. Mike Smith ($19 m)​

It probably would surprise some that Joel Rosario is sixth on that list? Tough to call his campaign a comeback season but it is slightly better than the last two or three or so it seems especially the latter half of the year.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Oaklawn in Arkansas has been my sleeper meet for a while. Good solid pay outs especially early in the meet. It is a handicapper's dream and nightmare rolled into a ball of confusion and satisfaction if not frustration. It tests one's mettle.

Four Kentucky Derby prep races go through the track. The Oaklawn meet is one of my annual favorites.

That said, many names are relocating to Arkansas for the meet which begins in January.

Trainers:

• Norman McKnight, who is second only to Mark Casse in wins at the meet in Woodbine and who has never left Canada, is wintering at Oaklawn.
• Peter Miller, who won multiple Breeders Cup races four weeks ago, is bringing a stable from Cali, his first venture into Arkansas.

Jockeys:

• Alan Garcia, who was in Woodbine, will be headed to Oaklawn for the first time.
• Hall-of-Famer Gary Stevens is moving to Arkansas.
• David Cohen, who is currently getting back into condition at Fair Grounds in Louisiana after a series of personal issues including deaths of two family members and a paddock injury of his own, is making a comeback after being off for more than three years.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 1, 2017

Aqueduct (New York):

• Dylan Davis was the star of the day with a $70.00 winner in race 6 and then a $12.80 winner in race 8. He also had two runner up finishes in six rides. Davis, who doesn't get the best horses, is 11 2-4-1 the last two days.
• John Velazquez won twice, both on first-time starters. One of the horses is named Blewitt after commentator Jason Blewitt. Owner by Mike Repole and trained by Todd Pletcher.
• The opener was a $91.50 winner.
• The Andre Worrie/Angel Arroyo double to open the day paid $239.25 for a successful $1 bet.
• The $2 Pick 6 paid over $73,000.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Rider Jevian Toledo won three times as did trainer Graham Motion.
• Trainer Howard Wolfendale, who entered the day with just eight wins in 2017, won twice. It was his first 2-win day of 2017.
• In race 8, even though the winner paid only $10, the $1 super returned more than $7,000 thanks to an 82-to-1 in fourth.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Mitchell Murrill had two winners today and both paid over $32.00.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday preview.

Gulfstream Park has as many as 163 horses entered for its 11-race card opener. The purses have already been increased for December based on a better than expected Gulfstream Park West meet. If this is any indication of the meet to come, it should be a blast.

Meanwhile, back in New York, where a wonderful betting card is highlighted by...

Cigar Mile Handicap

• Where: Aqueduct Racetrack (New York)
• When: Saturday, December 2, 2017, Race 10
• Time: 4:16 pm Eastern Time
• Grade: I
• Distance: One mile
• Surface: Dirt
• Purse: $750,000
• Age/sex: 3-year-old and up; open

[TR][TH]PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Mind Your Biscuits (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Chad Summers	5-1
2	Seymourdini (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	117	Linda Rice	6-1
3	Just Call Kenny (VA)	Forest Boyce	115	Patrick B. McBurney	30-1
4	Tom's Ready (PA)	Mike E. Smith	118	Dallas Stewart	8-1
5	Americanize (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	116	Simon Callaghan	12-1
6	Sharp Azteca (KY)	Javier Castellano	125	Jorge Navarro	2-1
7	Vulcan's Forge (KY)	Luis Saez	114	Todd A. Pletcher	20-1
8	Practical Joke (KY)	Joel Rosario	120	Chad C. Brown	7-2
9	Summer Revolution (KY)	Manuel Franco	114	Rudy R. Rodriguez	15-1
10	Beasley (KY)	Junior Alvarado	114	Mark A. Hennig	12-1

[TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY][/TH][/TR][/TBODY]

[TBODY][TR][TH]

• This is a field loaded with talented runners.
• Rafael Bejarano and Mike Smith are California-based. Forest Boyce is from Maryland.
• John Velazquez rides on the card but is without a mount in the feature.
• The eldest horse is #3 at 6 years old. The 8 and 10 are the babies at the age of 3.
• Sharp Azteca is giving away as much as 11 pounds and if Castellano gets into an early speed battle, that could be detrimental.
• Morning line odds have yet to be posted.

[/TH][/TR][/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 2, 2017

This is a day to circle on the calendar. This Gulfstream meet has few rivals. The results at many circuits were among the best of the year.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Entertaining card today, total handle exceeded $13,500,000 from all sources.
• Race 10: The Grade I $750,000 Cigar Mile was won by Sharp Azteca (Javier Castellano/Jorge Navarro). The important ingredient to the mix was if Castellano would get caught up in a speed duel up front. As mentioned in the preview above, it would have been detrimental. He wisely held back and was in solid position from the opening bell. Sharp Azteca opened at 9-to-2 after a morning line of 2-to-1 and is 7 4-2-1 in 2017. The race finished 6-1-8. The $.50 Pick 5 paid out more than $30,000.

​

• Race 9: In the 104th edition of the $250,000 Grade 2 Remsen, Catholic Boy (Manny Franco/Jonathan Thomas) won his first time on dirt after beginning his career 2-fo-r3 on dirt. Nice job by the trainer who is over 31% this year and a former assistant to Todd Pletcher out on his own for the first time.

​

• Race 8: In the 96th running of the $200,000 Grade II Demoiselle, Wonder Gadot (John Velazquez/Mark Casse) took advantage of a slow pace and won. A chalky play.

​

• Race 7: Martin Garcia ended his 0-for losing streak since leaving California. He is now 34 1-0-3 after a $31.40 winner. The exacta was an outstanding $1,104. The tri returned $7,189. The $1 super was $21,198. The $2 Pick 3 was $4,000.
• Race 6: In the first of four graded stakes race, the 78th running of the $200,000 Grade III Go For Wand, Indulgent (Luis Saez/Kiaran McLaughlin) was sent off at the second highest odds in a 7-horse field and paid $27.40 in the victory.

​

• One of the worst days for Todd Pletcher in quite some time. He was no better than 5th in any of the three graded stakes races. It wasn't much better for Chad Brown who was 6 0-2-1. Arguably the two top trainers in the circuit, neither had a winner in nine combined starts.
• Ten trainers won on the 10-race card.
• Joel Rosario was the lone rider to have multiple times. It has been mentioned often in this thread but when Rosario wins early on the card, he will generally win again. He won the second race and the third, the latter as part of an entry with Junior Alvarado who won the opener who fought back along the rail, not his usual style, to win that race.

Parx (Pennsylvania):

• Trainer Larry Jones won the $120,000 feature race. The Cowboy knows how to ship and train.

Laurel Park (Maryland):

• The $.20 Pick 6 following the finale paid $14,456.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• In race 4, the winner paid $41.80 and topped a trifecta that paid $7,206 and a $1 super which returned $22,226.90. The $2 Pick 3 paid $2,550.80.
• In race 6, the winner paid $78.60. The $1 Pick 3 was an astronomical $31.000+.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• The track handled over $11,900,000 which established a record for the Claiming Crown race day, in its 19th season. The payouts were fantastic and began with a 64-to-1 shot winning the opener. An extraordinary day with 163 horses entered in 11 races. The turf looked to be in excellent shape, hopefully that continues which isn't always the case.

​

• In race 11, the finale, the $1 superfecta returned over $48,000 with 16-1, 11-1, 25-1 and 8-1 in the top four. The $.50 trifecta was $3,513. Lane Luzzi, who has been riding in Oklahoma, returned to the track for one mount and finished third on the 25-to-1 to propel the ticket which was one of three wins for Paco Lopez who is generally a favorite of handicappers because he is aggressive.

​

• Race 6: I mentioned a couple of days ago not to be shy with veteran trainer John Rigattieri who is excellent at his job with a small stable. He rarely enters at Gulfstream but did today and won with his only starter. His entries are more plentiful at Delaware and Tampa Bay. His horse was out for the 49th time and looked sensational in his 20th lifetime win.
• Race 4: A mostly Ohio runner who had a 7-race win streak ended in his last outing, won for the 8th time in his last 9 tries. First Growth began his career 0-for-12 but is now 8-for-21.
• Race 3: A 50-to-1 passed the favorite in the stretch. This was something special. The $2 Pick 3 paid $11,812. How is that to start a meet?! The winner paid $117 to win and $44.40 to show. The tri was over $9.800. The $1 super was a phenomenal $76,844.20.

​

• Race 2: A shipper from Golden Gate Fields who was on a 9-race win streak defeated the competition and is now 10-for-11 in 2017. Few could properly judge how the horse would run on a very different track from GG to Gulf but at even-odds he had to be played. Mended is now 12-for-25 lifetime. "Here's what the Claiming Crown is all about!"

​

• Race 1: The first day of the meet, the first race of the meet and the winner, ridden by the leading jockey at the recently closed Gulfstream Park West meet, Emisael Jaramillo, paid $129.30. The $2 trifecta was an unbelievable $18,996.60. The $1 super was over $31,000. The bomb romped to about a 12-length victory!

​

• Eleven different trainers won on the 11-race card.
• Trainer Michael Maker was 14 1-3-1 today, not a good result for him on Claiming Crown day. However, he did win his 16th Claiming Crown race which is an all-time high.
• Jockeys Paco Lopez (3), who would be named Jockey of the Week two days later, and Emisael Jaramillo (2) won multiple rides. Tyler Gaffialione was a dreadful 0-for-10.

Turfway (Kentucky):

• Under the lights, with a $51 winner in the finale the $1 Pick 4 paid close to $10,000.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• In race 6, the $2 tri was over $7,000. The $1 super was more than $39,000.
• Trainer Michael Stidham had three wins, twice with Robby Albarado on board.

Golden Gate Fields (California):

• In the feature Gold Rush Stakes, City Plan (Ty Conner/Eoin G. Harty ) a $51.20 bomb upset the field which included runner up Kent Desormeaux riding for his brother Keith.

Woodbine (Toronto, Canada):

• Some of the wildest results of the day. Six of the 10 trifectas paid more than $1,000.
• After race 10, a bettor received $134,000+ for a $.20 Super High 5 Jackpot.
• In race 7, the $1 Pick 4 was $26,598.
• In race 6, the Pick 5 paid out to those who hit 4 out of 5 and they received over $6,400.
• In race 5, the double was a stunning $2,692.50.
• In race 4, the winner paid $150.50. The $1 Pick 3 was $19,000+. The $2 tri was over $4,000. The $1 super $17,000+.
• In race 2, Daisuke Fukumoto rode a 63-to-1 bomb that paid $129.60 to victory. The $2 tri paid over $2,800.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 3, 2017

Aqueduct (New York):

• Pocket Change (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Jason Servis) is 2-for-2 lifetime and was impressive in a victory. I am not sure of future plans but that horse looks to be ready for stakes racing in Florida.
• Finales in New York can be unpredictable and today was no different. The $41.40 led to a $1 super paid more than $11,000. Someone hit the $2 Pick 6 for $37,000+. The $2 Pick 4 was over $2,500. Winning rider Dylan Davis, who has been in the money in half his mounts the last four days 18 3-5-1, caught two horses at the wire.
• Martin Garcia won again. Maybe he is finding a groove. He is now 40 2-1-3 at the meet since he relocated to New York.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. (3) and Jose Ortiz (2) won multiple times. Jose leads his brother 22 to 21 as the leading riders at the meet. John Velazquez is at 29% which is the best percentage among the top echelon of riders.

Laurel Park (Maryland):

• Race 5: The $2 Pick 5 returned over $57,000. The $2 Pick 4 paid $12,000+.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Race 9: Frank and Dino's in Deerfield Beach has to be the nucleus of a celebration tonight. Woo! What a ride by Julien Leparoux on board a 12-to-1 morning line who was bet down. Carlo Vaccarezza is the restaurant owner and winning trainer of Little Chesney. It is finishes like this that make successful handicapping enjoyable. The #1 looked beat and then recovered but not enough to feel secure and then came the finish.

​

• Race 6: Noble Indy (Tyler Gaffalione/Todd Pletcher) romped in a debut race. Pletcher and two-year-olds!
• Race 5: Bombs away! Despite an objection/inquiry the result remained with a 25-1 and 60-1 topping a ticket that paid $2,078 for the exacta, $3,779.75 for the $.50 tri and $8,800+ for the $.10 superfecta or $88,000+ for a winning $1 wager.

​

• Tyler Gaffalione rebounded from a horrible beginning to the meet yesterday with two victories.
• Corey Lanerie is 0-for-11 at the meet. He is such a sensational rider in Kentucky but that success doesn't seem to follow him elsewhere.

Los Alamitos (California):

• Jockey Matt Garcia won for the first time in 2017 in his 9th try. He had been sidelined since last August until returning in October.
• Majestic Heat (Mike Smith/Richard Mandella) won the Grade II Bayakoa Handicap. The mare was coming off a win on dirt in her first try and is now 2-for-2 on the surface after winning 5 of 14 on turf.

​

=========================
As an aside
Riders who seem to have been absent for far too long: Jeremy Rose, Cornelio Velasquez and Mathhew Rispoli. Injuries, retirements, something else?

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Update on injured jockey Jenn Miller...

Jockey Miller continues recovery, but remains hospitalized | Daily Racing Form

Jockey Jenn Miller continues to recover nine days after a spill at Charles Town, but remained hospitalized Monday at the Winchester Medical Center in Virginia, according to her agent Roniel Gerardo and trainer David Nunn.

Miller was aboard Green Time for Nunn in the second race Nov. 25 when her mount broke down just after crossing the finish line. Miller was thrown to the ground and then kicked in the face by a trailing horse.

Knocked out in the spill, Miller has a severe concussion and injuries to her mouth and jaw. According to Nunn, Miller had bleeding in two spots on her brain, but one absorbed and the other did not increase in size.

“Her short-term memory is not good,” Nunn said. “She does not recall the accident or much of the last 10 days. Her long-term memory is okay.

“She has been walking the halls with help of the staff, but gets off balance if she does too much. I’m sure she’ll overcome this. There is nobody tougher than Jenn. She is a very determined person.”

Gerardo said Miller is expected to remain hospitalized for another week and then be transferred to a rehabilitation center near Laurel, Md., where she lives.

“Her speech is improving,” Gerardo said. “She gets confused, but that will get better. She told me all she wants to do is get back on horses.”

Miller, a 32-year-old native of Massachusetts, came to racing from a dressage background. Her first job at the racetrack was for Nunn. She then went on to gallop horses for Joe Sharp, for whom she rode her first race at Keeneland in October 2016.

Monday was the anniversary of Miller’s first career win aboard Exclusive Symphony for Nunn at Parx Racing. She has had a successful apprenticeship, winning 53 races from 448 mounts, with victories at nine tracks, including Laurel, Pimlico, Timonium, Penn National, Delaware, Monmouth, Suffolk, and Charles Town.

A GoFundMe page for Miller has raised more than $25,000 to help with her medical expenses in what figures to be a long recovery. A number of riders, including Jose Ortiz, Nik Juarez, and Golden Gate jockey William Antongeorgi, donated a percentage of their mount earnings last week to Miller.

Nunn matched the amount the riders donated, as did some of his owners.

The Jenn Miller GoFundMe page:
https://www.gofundme.com/jockey-jenn-miller-recovery-fund

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Jose Ortiz had knee surgery and though it was expected he'd miss time into mid-to-late January, the scheduled return date has been bumped to January 1. He should be back in game shape for the Pegasus World Cup.

December 3, 2017

Parx (Pennsylvania):

• Philly races three days a week including one of the few tracks running Mondays and Tuesdays.
• In race 2, the winner paid $109. The $1 Pick 3 was more than $3,200.
• In race 7, the $1 Pick 3 returned over $3,800.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 6, 2017

Aqueduct (New York):

• Javier Castellano won twice as did trainer Chris Englehart.
• Martin Garcia won for the third time in 42 starts. He has won on three straight cards.
• Dylan Davis won for the 11th time which is one more win than Javier Castellano at the meet though with 23 more rides.

Gulfstream Park (Florida):

• Some of the New York riders have made their way south.
• Luis Saez got an early start south and won three times. Saez isn't recognized among biggest winners in the nation but he is an excellent jockey.
• In race 6, Johnny Velazquez, who also made his way south early, got beat in a stretch duel by Francisco Maysonnet whose win paid $182.60. The daily double was over $1,200. The $.50 tri rocked at $2,700+. The $2 Pick 3 was over $4,000.

​

• In the 7th race, the $2 Pick 3 paid more than $3,500.
• In the finale, veteran trainer Marcus Vitali, who recently ended a long-term suspension, won for the first time in his 18th start of 2017. The winner went off 30-to-1. There were four horses -- including the runner up #6 -- singled by bettors in hopes of winning the Rainbow 6. The 30-to-1 shot was a fighter. The $.50 Pick 4 was over $6,000.

​

• The day began with Edgard Zayas winning both ends of the early daily double and both on chalky favorites.
• Luca Panici won for the first time this meet and is now 1-for-14.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• In race 7, the winner paid $121.40. The $1 super was more than $29,000. The $2 tri was more than $6,000. The exacta was $1,305. Any exacta worth more than $1,000 is an attention-getter.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Source: Baffert eyes 10th Futurity with McKinzie & Solomini - Brisnet

Source: Dream Tree seeks perfect three-for-three in Starlet - Brisnet

Full card can be located here: Entries - Horse Racing | Daily Racing Form - DRF Pro - DRF.com | Aqueduct, Belmont Park, Calder Race Course, Churchill Downs, Del Mar, Golden Gate Fields, Gulfstream Park, Hawthorne, Keeneland, Monmouth Park, Oaklawn Park, Pimlico, Santa Anita, Saratoga, Tampa Bay Downs, Woodbine

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 7, 2017

Aqueduct (New York):

• Dylan Davis won for the 12th time at the meet. He is 5-4-3 in 22 starts in December. That 55% in the money figure is especially good considering he isn't always riding cream.
• Through six races, Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Kendrick Carmouche each had three wins. Carmouche won his first three mounts.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• A memorable day for Miguel Vasquez, Luis Saez and a handicapper or two.
• Luis Saez, as mentioned above, is a fine rider and is now 5-for-16 at the early stages of the meet. He could have had four wins today. He was DQ'd in the second race from first to second place. He followed with wins in races 3 and 4. Then the unthinkable happened in race 6 in which his heavily played chalky favorite, trained by Todd Pletcher, bolted over the rail in the stretch with a sizeable lead. Both rider and horse are thankfully without injury. Those who played were either boiling, disillusioned or delighted depending on one's wager.

​

• Miguel Vasquez won races 5, 6 and 7 and finished second with a 10-to-1 in race 8. The all-Vasquez Pick 3 -- sent off at odds of 7-to-2, 36-to-1 and 19-to-1 -- paid $1,747.80. The first of his two daily doubles paid $344 while the other paid $544. His two biggest wins both came from the 10-hole.

​

• Javier Castellano won what will be the first of many wins this meet. He relocated from New York along with Luis Saez, Johnny Velazquez and Joel Rosario. Others will follow.
• Luca Panici won his only ride of the day which was sent off as the 2-to-1 favorite in the finale. Panici was disciplined and showed adeptness in his ride. His horse was one of four singled which made for much anticipation. Luca's win completed pay outs of $98,000+ for a successful $.20 Rainbow Six bet and $20,000+ for the $.50 Pick 5

The winning ticket was an investment of $672 and the winning combo was 5-10-10-4-2-10).

​

Los Alamitos (California):

• An enterprising entrepreneur nailed the $2 Pick 6 for $112,340. The exacta in the final race paid $282.80 for a $1 wager and that was with two exceptional trainers in Bob Baffert and Jerry Hollendorfer.
• Bob Baffert had two starters and won both races.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Los Al: Track cancels Friday card because of SLR fire

Los Alamitos will.not race Friday afternoon, with a track official stating concern for the greater Southern California racing community following a devastating fire at the SanLuis Rey Downs training center on Thursday afternoon.

An announcement was scheduled to be made at about 8:30 PM on Thursday.

The fire led to the evacuation of horses from San Luis Rey after a raging fire struck the northern San Diego County facility. An unknown horses were lost in the fire. Others were not accounted for on Thursday.

Thursday evening, many trainers with horses at San Luis Rey Downs were busy with the relocation of stock to Del Mar.
Los Alamitos plans to run its Quarter Horse and lower level Thoroughbred program on Friday evening and run an afternoon program on Saturday.

Source: DRF

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 8, 2017

Aqueduct (New York):

• With Junior Alvarado's flawless ride in the finale, the $2 pick 6 was nailed for $20,000+.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr., North America's winningest rider this year, won his first four starts and finished 4-0-2 in 7 starts. The biggest win in his natural hat trick to start the day was at $5.60, all chalk. He had all four wins through the fifth race.

Tampa Bay Downs (Florida):

• New Jersey-born Shannon Uske rode a rare Mississippi-bred -- rarer to be a favorite -- to victory in one race. According to the Jockey Club, Mississippi had five home-bred starters which ran in 2016.
• A $46.80 winner in race 4 topped a $1 super that exceeded $10,000.

Gulfstream Park (Florida):

• Todd Pletcher had a stellar day winning with his first three starts and eventually four out of five. He has won five of his last seven starts.
• Luis Saez and Tyler Gaffalione each won twice.
• Luis Saez/Todd Pletcher often pair but one time today with opposing horses for a $135.80 exacta.

Los Alamitos (California):

• The card was canceled to the events related to the massive and deadly fires in the region. The tragic news affected many in the horse racing community. Best wishes sent to all.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Just absolutely heartbroken by the fires ravaging us down here in So Cal and sickened by the unfortunate loss of horses at San Luis Rey.

The outpouring of donations and help has been incredible though. If there was ever anything to restore your faith in humanity. My wife had some old blankets, halters and leads we were able to gladly drop off earlier. Small gesture in the grand scheme of things, but every little bit helps.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 9, 2017

Aqueduct (New York):

• Track crews in places such as New York, Philly and Maryland deserve extra credit today. Snowy conditions and all seem to have transpired without any regrets.
• It's that time of the year in New York with many of the upper echelon depart for warmer climes.
• Eight riders have more wins than Javier Castellano. That isn't a number to be overlooked based on starts as seven of the eight have better percentages, too. Castellano's reign may be hitting a dip, temporary or otherwise.
• Junior Alvarado won the opener on 1-to-5 chalk. In these conditions, even chalk bettors have reservations but not after this result.
• Joe Rocco, Jr. made a rare start in New York and won the $100,000 feature race on board a 5-year-old mare for trainer Robert Ribaudo.

Laurel Park (Maryland):

• The $2 Pick 5 paid over $28,000 following race 5.
• Jeff Runco, based in West Virginia, became the 12th trainer top win 4,000races in North America.

Tampa Bay Downs (Florida):

• Race 8: A 21-to-1 caught a 41-to-1 and the exacta returned more than $1,100. The $1 tri was more than $4,500.

Gulfstream Park (Florida):

• A crowded track today, much of which was due to a Caribbean racing day. Over $8,000,000 handled.
• John Velazquez won the 8th and 9th race and was sent off at 8-to-1 and 11-to-1. The Johnny V. double paid $192. In the 8th race, Johnny V. hunted the leader with incredible determination in an example of never count your chickens before they hatch. The second place rider is Juan Diaz who has over 4,500 wins mostly in Puerto Rice in more than 17,000 lifetime starts. Yet, he was probably as surprised as everyone else to see Velazquez pass him as such.

​

• John Velazquez had a tough start to the day and perhaps mistimed a couple of rides. He had mounts in 10 of the 11 races and finished 2-0-1. Seven times of the money is not a good day for him but he did rebound with the two long shots mentioned above.
• Irad Ortiz. Jr., North America's winningest jockey in 2017, decimated the competition in the $300,000 feature race on board a 10-to-1 Mexican-bred. The tri was more than $4,500. The $1 super exceeded $16,000. The $2 Pick 5 surpassed $58,000. The $2 Pick 4 was more than $14,000.

​

• Irad Ortiz, Jr. won three times and in his six mounts he was 3-0-2.
• Javier Castellano was 1-4-0 in 9 starts.
• Victor Espinoza made a rare visit to Gulfstream and finished 1-1-0 in 2 starts. That should be worth a 3,000+ mile trip.
• Luis Saez, the meet's winningest rider with 8 victories, stole race 2 with a 16-to-1 shot. A 60-to-1 bomb came in second and paid $51 in the middle. The exacta was more than $1,343, the trifecta better than $6,800 and the super over $18,000.
• Trainer Todd Pletcher's hot streak ended. He was 1-1-1 with 9 starters.

Los Alamitos (California):

• Bob Baffert won both Grade I races. Baffert is 5 4-0-1 on the last two cards and lost only in a race in which he also won.
  • In the 5-horse Futurity, a Kentucky Derby prep race, McKinzie (Mike Smith/Bob Baffert) was declared the winner after an inquiry/objection DQ'd the original victor Solomini (Flavien Prat/Bob Baffert) who was placed third. McKinzie, a Kentucky-bred by Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, is 2-for-2 lifetime and will be among the early favorites to win the Derby in 2018. Solomini, a son to Curlin, was ridden by recently suspended Prat who raced in Hong Kong earlier this week. The judgment of this race led to some criticism including from the owners who also owned American Pharoah. The 3-5-1 finish was changed to 5-1-3. Maybe this is a renewal of the Curlin-Street Sense rivalry.
    
    
  • In the 4-horse Grade I Starlet, Drayden Van Dyke rode Dream Tree to another victory for Bob Baffert. Dream Tree is a 2-year-old daughter to Uncle Mo and is 3-for-3 lifetime.
  
  
  ​

Woodbine (Toronto, Canada):

• The $1 Pick 5 after race 6 paid over $26,000.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

At last report, 46 horses have been killed. The gesture is a small light in an otherwise upsetting situation. Many others have been forwarded.

Taylor Made Donates California Chrome Season - BloodHorse

Taylor Made Stallions and the California Chrome syndicate have donated a no-guarantee season to California Chrome to aid in helping backstretch workers most affected by the fires in California.

"California Chrome was always called `The People's Horse', so we only thought it fitting that the funds raised from this season donation would help the people affected by this tragedy," said Duncan Taylor, Taylor Made Farm President & CEO. "Bidding will close Thursday, and is available by going to thoroughbredlifestyle.com/signup."

Taylor said that Taylor Made and the syndicate will make the money available immediately, even before the funds have been collected, in order that the funds get to those workers in need as soon as possible.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Grade I Futurity (continuation from Dec. 9 review)
The stewards at Los Alamitos ruled 2-1 in favor of the disqualification which has been getting much attention from fans to handicappers to insiders. Having been DQ'd with Mike Luzzi and Junior Alvarado in the recent past in New York was exasperating especially having bombs removed from wins; that is the nature of the beast. Cause for DQs when potentially lost investments are involved are personal as well as frustrating. Not having a dog in this fight, the decision doesn't seem warranted. A still shot and video:

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 10, 2017

Aqueduct (New York):

• Irad Ortiz, Jr won three more times. He increased his margin as North America's winningest rider in 2017. He has to be a finalist for the Eclipse Awards along with his brother and probably Javier Castellano or John Velazquez. Only three are nominated.
• Kendrick Carmouche also won three times. He won the last two races including picking up the mount for Junior Alvarado, injured in a prior race (starting gate incident), in the finale. Carmouche was in the money just once in his prior 13 rides entering today in which he went 7 3-0-2.

Gulfstream Park (Florida):

• Luca Panici delivered with two wins today, at 13-to-1 and 6-to-1, and topped healthy exactas that paid $176 and $97. Panici doubled his win total at the meet with the two victories. Thatta boy, Luca.

​

• Edgard Zayas won the last two races including picking up a mount for John Velazquez, who rode just once today.
• Luis Saez has had a strong start to the meet. He had subpar numbers at Aqueduct (New York) this meet prior to moving his tack.
• The fourth race had a $2.80 winner but the exacta was an astounding $271 with a bomb in second. The $1 superfecta was over $10,000. That is uncommon with such a chalky winner.
• The sixth race produced a $63.40 winner.
• Someone nailed the $.20 Rainbow Six and got a $10,9995.84 return.
• This meet is in its early stages but it has been a mix of entertainment and profitable endeavors. It has not been chalky to say the least.

Turf Paradise (Arizona):

• Shane Doan broke his maiden in the sixth race in his sixth attempt. He had four seconds entering the race. The 2-year-old is a California-bred. The lifetime mark now sits at 6 1-4-0. The owner, Randy Howg, is from Alberta, Canada and won the 2016 Manitoba Derby at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg with Inside Straight.

Los Alamitos (California):

• One name that stood out to me and became a hunch play was HolidayInCambodia which was the title of an essential punk rock song from eons ago. The filly paid over $43 in victory.

Woodbine (Toronto, Canada):

• An extensive 14-race card closed the meet. Woodbine is dark for T-bred racing until the Spring.
• Norman McKnight won five times to boost his total to 99 victories at the meet and with an exceptional 32% winning percentage. Canadian Hall of Famer Mark Casse was second best with 96 wins (19%). McKnight is temporarily leaving Canada for the first time to train at Oaklawn in Arkansas beginning in January.
• Leavem in Malibu (Gary Boulanger/Mark Casse), won the $125,000 Grade III Valedictory Stakes feature race at the odd configurations of 1 3/4 mile. Boulanger won three times.
• Eurico da Silva had four victories and won the meet's jockey title with 203 wins. He finished second in the feature race.
• The daily double after race four paid over $1,000.

Shi Tia (Hong Kong):

• According to Marcus Hersch of the DRF, $203,958,285 was bet on the 10-race card that ended the Longines Hong Kong International Races.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 11, 2017

Remington (Oklahoma):

• STEVE ASMUSSEN WINS FIVE STRAIGHT RACES: A remarkable achievement in that Ramon Vasquez and Steve Asmussen combined to win four consecutive races of the five in which they joined forces. Asmussen won a 5th straight race -- 3 through 7 -- with Donnie Meche riding the last of that streak. Asmussen finished 10 5-1-1. Vasquez finished 7 4-2-1.

December 12, 2017

Aqueduct (New York):

• Canceled due to high winds.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• John Velazquez-Todd Pletcher combined to go a perfect 4-for-4. They won every odd number race from 3 through 9. Velazquez was 5 4-1-0. Track announcer "That was really close but the ways things are going, Pletcher got up."

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 14, 2017

Aqueduct (New York):

• Irad Ortiz Jr. and Linda Rice each won three times, twice joining forces.
• Rajiv Maragh announced he is relocating to Santa Anita starting with opening day on December 26. He has been an East coast regular for many years.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Tyler Gaffalione was the only rider to win multiple times. No trainer won more than once.
• John Velazquez won one of his two starts. Covering the last 3+ cards, he is 11 7-1-2. That is nothing short of phenomenal even with the Caddys he often rides.
• Joel Rosario won the opener for the second straight day; however, he didn't repeat on either card which bucks my theory on multiple wins the same day.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 15, 2017

Aqueduct (New York):

• Irad Ortiz, Jr. won three more times. Sound familiar? It is his third straight card with exactly three wins. He is North America's winningest rider in 2017. His record the last 5 cards, which includes one day at Gulfstream, is a dazzling 33 16-6-4 (79% in the money).
• Race 6 was one of the oddest in a while. Manny Franco, who won the following race, stumbled and became dismounted coming out of the gate just as the snow began to paint a picture at the track. That led to the eventual inquiry. Yet it was in the stretch where the intrigue grew. Coming around the turn, rider Chris DeCarlo, who appeared prime for victory, gave up the lead to Clowney (Emmanuel Esquivel/Patricia Farro). The Philadelphia connections, who made a rare visit to New York, appeared doomed when the gelding took a pronounced awkward step in a divot left by the starting gate after it was removed. But he rebounded and somehow found the will to overcome the hurdle and won.
• Marconi (Javier Castellano/Todd Pletcher) broke his maiden in his second start. He is one who figures to achieve acclaim down the line.
• Joe Rocco, Jr., who just moved his tack to New York, was dismounted in his lone ride but he and his horse are both fine.

Gulfstream Park (Florida):

So you wanna play the horses...​

• Try having the 60-to-1 with Luca Panici in an exacta box with the John Velazquez-Todd Pletcher favorite. The photo finish was one for the ages. How the 1 passed the 7 for second place is nearly incomprehensible. The photo showed both noses on the wire, too. And to have the exacta that close with only $6.20 at the end adds to the frustration.

​

• Luis Saez won three times. He finished second in the all-Todd Pletcher exacta above.
• Todd Pletcher has won the last 7 races in which he has entered horses, six at Gulfstream and one in Aqueduct. He is 9 7-1-0 in that span. The two races that he lost, he had multiple runners entered and won both. The man specializes in two-year-olds and once again that was proven today.
• One good looking runner is Shootist (Edgard Zayas/Joe Catanese) who broke his maiden in his sixth start. The gelding, who is owned by Vinny Viola (Florida Panthers), charged under a confident ride by the jockey who won twice today.

​

• The $2 Pick 5 to end the day returned over $15,000.

Hawthorne (Illinois):
In race 9, the payouts were exemplary:

• $111.40 for the $2 win
• $974.60 for the $2 exacta
• $3050.30 for the $1 trifecta
• $26,879.30 for the $1 superfecta
• $96,049.30 for the $1 Penta (top 5)
• $42,857.40 for the $2 Pick 3 (which to me is the most impressive)
• $1,755.20 for the $2 daily double.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 16, 2017

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Highlights today include a loaded card packed with Grade III races.
• Fan favorite Page McKenney makes his second ever appearance at Gulfstream. The Pennsylvania-bred runs for the 53rd time and is 4-for-8 this year. He runs mostly at PA and MD tracks.
• Nine slots have been sold for January's Pegasus World Cup. Horses are yet to be confirmed but commitments are being shaped.
• Todd Pletcher is 13-for-29 (45%) at the meet.
• Leading riders are Luis Saez (14 wins, 24% winning), Tyler Gaffalione (10, 16%) and John Velazquez (9, 68%).

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 16, 2017

Aqueduct (New York):

• New York handled over $6,000,000. Not bad for an otherwise mediocre card.
• Eric Cancel was the star of the day with three wins in five rides. Many of the top riders were elsewhere with bigger purses the attraction.
• One of the best races was when Eric Cancel, on a 39-to-1, beat Chris DeCarlo who was on board an 8-to-5. The win paid $81.00.

​

• $2 pick 5 after race 5 was $32,257.
• Race 6: $2 trifecta returned an astounding $23,122. The $1 super was a monster: $326,780. The runner up was sent off at 115-to-1 and paid $71.50. The $2 Pick 3 was $3,343.
• Race 9: The $2 Pick 4 paid $14,000+. The Pick 6 was so tough it paid out with 4 wins. That is nearly unthinkable.

Mahoning Valley (Ohio):

• Ron Paolucci, who owns under the name Loooch Racing (spelled correctly), is an acclaimed bettor on his own horses. He had an even-money runner break loose from four across to win handily. Paolucci may have a runner in the $16,000,000 Pegasus World Cup held in January at Gulfstream.
• Jay Bernardini needed a win. He got one today and is now 1-for-34 at the meet. He has been excelling in West Virginia.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Race 4: The $2 tri paid over $6,000. A 25-1 beat a 14-1 in the stretch.
• Race 8: A 77-to-1 nearly rocked the show but settled for a $54.60 show price.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• The track handled over $12,000,000.
• There were five Grade III races on the card.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. won twice both were among the five Grade III races.
• Race 9: Fear the Cowboy (Javier Castellano/Efren Loza) shined and could be headed for greener pastures. Page McKenney didn't fire and is now 20-15-4 in 54 starts.

​

• One of the graded stakes winners was a Woodbine shipper, Ontario-bred, trained by Toronto-based Roger Attfield. Although Woodbine horses ship well, the result was a bit of a shocker. The top two finishers were sent off at the second and third highest odds on the board. The exacta returned $233 exacta with Tyler Gaffalione who had three second place finishes in eight starts in addition to a win.

​

• The finale produced a $1 super that paid over $20,000.
• Not a great day for Todd Pletcher whose win streak came to an end at 7. He was 5 1-0-1 here and a combined 7 1-1-1 with two races in New York.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Joe Bravo: Have Whip, Will Travel! In today's edition, Jersey Joe went to Louisiana and won on board an 11-to-1 shot. The $1 tri was over $2,000.
• A highlight on the 13-race card was James Graham winning on board 9-year-old Great Britain-bred Dimension, out for the 41st time, at 39-1.

Los Alamitos (California):

• T-breds took a back seat to quarter horses when in a $750,000 feature race, the longest shot on the board shocked at 60-to-1. The win paid $123. The $1 tri returned over $6,000. The $1 super paid over $43,000.