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

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

New York's card on Saturday is loaded with blue-chip talent.

Beside the deep Travers, Songbird is running in the Personal Ensign and Lady Eli runs in the Ballston Spa.

The handle should be off-the-charts.

Post positions were drawn today and riders named to each horse. A temporary configuration is as follows:

1. Cloud Computing (Javier Castellano/Chad Brown/8-1)
2. Giuseppe the Great (Tyler Gaffalione/Nick Zito/20-1)
3. West Coast (Mike Smith/Bob Baffert/4-1)
4. Tapwrit (Jose Ortiz/Todd Pletcher/7-2)
5. Good Samaritan (Joel Rosario/Bill Mott/5-1)
6. Girvin (Robby Albarado/Joe Sharp/10-1)
7. Always Dreaming (John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher/6-1)
8. Lookin at Lee (Ricardo Santana, Jr./Steve Asmussen/30-1)
9. McCracken (Brian Hernandez, Jr./Ian Wilkes/12-1)
10. Irap (Mario Gutierrez/Doug O'Neill/8-1)
11. Gunnevera (Edgard Zayas/Antonio Sano/20-1)
12. Fayeq (Luis Saez/Kiaran McLaughlin/30-1)

That is a deep, loaded field. Horses coming in from Florida, Kentucky, California and points in between.

This race could include all three winners from the Triple Crown races which last happened in a Travers in 1982.

• Date: August 26, 2017
• Age: Limited to three-year-old(s).
• History: First held in 1864, it is called the Midsummer Derby.
• Distance: 1 1⁄4 miles (10 Furlongs)
• Purse; $1,250,000
• Location: Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, New York
• Television: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm ET on NBC Sports Network (also the Sword Dancer will be aired).
  MSG+, FSPT, FSSD, FS2, FSO, ALT (3pm-4:30pm) will broadcast from 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm ET and that will include airing Songbird in the Personal Ensign.

Who can forget the 2012 Travers?

​

And of course of the most significant races ever run, the 1978 Travers. "Alydar appears out of the race." ...

​

...in which he won through a DQ.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

^ It has been punned many times but he delivered.

WINX:

Australian runner Winx won for the 18th consecutive time.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/hors...aight-20170819-gxzxlj.html?platform=hootsuite

==========================

I had Arrogate as #1 horse in training but after the consecutive defeats now Winx is the clear #1 in the world to me. Wish she would come over to Royal Ascot next year, one can dream I guess.

York ebor festival started today with some amazing races but none as impressive as Ulysses beating the 3YO in the Juddmonte International. Superb horse that gets better with every race.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 23, 2017

Saratoga (New York):

• Nine different trainers and jockeys won the nine T-bred races on the card. That includes the two leading riders Irad and Jose Ortiz and the top two trainers Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown.

August 24, 2017

Saratoga (New York):

• The early $2 Pick 5 paid an astonishing $104,246.
• A $2 Pick 4 returned over $12,000.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. won three times. His 41 wins is second at the meet to his brother's 47.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Woodbine's Hi-5 carryover will begin at $994,830.

What is the Jackpot Hi-5?
​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Jackpot Hi-5 is essentially a bet where the bettor must select the top 5 finishers in a race in the correct order, with one twist:

There is a full pool plus a JACKPOT CARRYOVER that will pay out if and when only one (1) single winning ticket exists.

If multiple winning tickets exist, 50% of today’s pool will be paid as a consolation, and the remainder will be added into the carryover pool. If no winners exist, the full pool will be added to the carryover for the next available pool. The carryover will continue to grow until a single ticket wins. This pool will be offered in the last race of every Woodbine Thoroughbred and Standardbred card of racing!

Why should I bet the Jackpot Hi-5?

• Carryover and single-ticket winner offers a HUGE potential for payouts!


• $0.20 low bet minimums, more combos in the pool to make you a winner!


• A low Takeout of 15%!

http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/WOODBINE/BETTING/Pages/Jackpot-Hi-5.aspx

 

[Preds Partisan]

I'm seeing Race 11 Sat for the Hi5 on my app, is that correct? May pick for fun and mess around with the total wager amounts to see what it's all about. Seems like something I would want to team up with multiple players to cover the cost of picking that one for real dollars.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

I'm seeing Race 11 Sat for the Hi5 on my app, is that correct? May pick for fun and mess around with the total wager amounts to see what it's all about. Seems like something I would want to team up with multiple players to cover the cost of picking that one for real dollars.

Yes, for Saturday. A minimum $.20 bet and the carryover has exceeded $1,000,000. At last glance, it is a 14-horse field.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The card for Saratoga on Saturday has:

• 13 races
• purses totaling over $5,000,000
• seven graded stakes races
• six Grade I races
• six races with purses $500,000 or more
• four races (not the Travers) with Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" implications
• two races with $1,000,000+ purses
• smallest purse is $45,000
• among the runners will be Songbird, Lady Eli, the Kentucky Derby winner, the Preakness Stakes winner and the Belmont Stakes winner
• star jockeys including Mike Smith, Javier Castellano, John Velazquez, the Ortiz brothers and more
• Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown and Bob Baffert, arguably the three best trainers in America, will be competing against each other
• Correction: NBC will air two races

TRAVERS STAKES (Grade I)

• What: The Mid-Summer Derby. The signature race at arguably the best meet of the calendar year.
• History: First run in 1864. Last year, Arrogate shined. The prior year, Keen Ice pulled an upset.
• When: Saturday, August 26, 2017, Race 11 of 13, 5:44 pm Eastern Time
• Where: Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, New York
• Distance: 1 1/4 miles (10 furlongs)
• Surface: Dirt
• Purse: $1,250,000
• Runners (age, sex): Three-year-old. Open.
• Preview: http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/unlo...-by-horse-analysis-of-the-travers-stakes.aspx and https://dailygazette.com/article/2017/08/24/travers-undercard-stakes-also-packed-with-stars
• Television: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm ET on NBC (also the Sword Dancer will be aired).
  MSG+, FSPT, FSSD, FS2, FSO, ALT (3pm-4:30pm) will broadcast from 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm ET and that will include airing Songbird in the Personal Ensign
• Radio: Horse Racing Radio Network will have coverage from 3:00-6:00 pm ET. It streams live on their website and will air on Sirius 108 and XM 201.
• Full card: http://www.drf.com/race-entries/track/SAR/country/USA/date/08-26-2017 and https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-ra...eekend-stakes-rundown-travers-day-at-saratoga

Post​

| Horse (location bred) | Age/Sex | Jockey |

Weight​

|

Trainer​

|

Morning Line Odds​

1| Cloud Computing (KY)| 3/colt | Javier Castellano |126 |Chad C. Brown| 8/1
2| Giuseppe the Great (KY)| 3/colt | Tyler Gaffalione |126 |Nicholas P. Zito| 20/1
3| West Coast (KY)|3/colt | Mike E. Smith |126| Bob Baffert| 4/1
4|Tapwrit (KY) |3/colt | Jose L. Ortiz |126 |Todd A. Pletcher |7/2
5| Good Samaritan (KY) |3/colt | Joel Rosario |126| William I. Mott| 5/1
6| Girvin (KY)|3/colt | Robby Albarado |126 |Joe Sharp |10/1
7 |Always Dreaming (KY)|3/colt | John R. Velazquez| 126| Todd A. Pletcher |6/1
8| Lookin At Lee (KY)| 3/colt| Ricardo Santana, Jr.|126| Steven M. Asmussen |30/1
9| McCraken (KY) |3/colt | Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. |126| Ian R. Wilkes |12/1
10| Irap (KY) | 3/colt | Mario Gutierrez |126 |Doug F. O'Neill |8/1
11 |Gunnevera (KY)| 3/colt | Edgard J. Zayas |126 |Antonio Sano |20/1
12|Fayeq (KY)| 3/colt | Luis Saez |126 |Kiaran P. McLaughlin| 30/1

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 25, 2017

Saratoga (New York):

• California shippers finished 1-2 in a $200,000 race. Cause We Are Loyal (Mario Guttierez/Doug O'Neill/Reddam Racing) topped the ticket at 11-to-1. Newport Breeze, the runner up, was ridden by Jose Ortiz and trained by California based Peter Eurton. Both fillies are New York breds. In that same race, Javier Castellano finished at the bottom on board the even money favorite. California connections could be the primary focus in tomorrow's Travers.
• Chad Brown won three times and now trails Todd Pletcher 30-to-29 in victories among meet trainers. Linda Rice has moved into third with twelve wins.
• The Ortiz Brothers and Luis Saez each won twice. They are among the six riders with 20+ wins this meet. Jose Ortiz leads Irad Ortiz 49-to-43 through today.
• Twisted Tom (Javier Castellano/Chad Brown) won the $250,000 feature race. The gelding is now 9 6-0-0 including 6 5-0-0 in 2017 with the only blemish a disastrous sixth under Castellano in the Belmont Stakes. The horse won under Feargal Lynch (3 times), Manny Franco and Joel Rosario previously.
• Tyler Gaffalione only has 28 starts this meet -- his home base remains Gulfstream -- but he brought a 53-to-1 bomb into second place in the 6th race which helped the exacta surpass $700. Playing him across the board resulted in $31 and $17 winners for place and show. The $1 super paid over $10,000. The tri returned more than $5,000 for a deuce.

Timonium (Maryland):

• The annual brief meet opened today and will run seven days until closing Labor Day. Laurel is currently dark.

Ellis Park (Kentucky):

• Chalk up three more winners for Corey Lanerie.
• Calvin Borel helped light up the board in the finale. He had a first time starter win and pay $69.40. The Pick 4 returned $17,653. The Pick 5 paid $33,952.40. The super paid over $20,000 for a winning $1 bet. But the most shocking of all the prices was the $31,826 trifecta.

Arlington (Illinois):

• There may not be a more dominant rider at any meet currently than Jose Valdivia, Jr. at Arlington. He has 67 more victories (111 to 44) than his closest rival Christopher Emigh, and is winning at 31% proficiency.
• Mitchell Murrill (3) and Jose Valdivia, Jr. (2) combined to win five of the eight races.
• In race 3, an oddity in that Murrill and Valdivia finished last and dead last respectively, and the race was won by a $74 winner.

Del Mar (California):

• A very chalky Kent Desormeaux daily double paid a profitable $18.00.
• The early $2 Pick 5 paid a handsome $8,100+ when Santiago Gonzalez rode a 34-to-1 to victory.
• Victor Espinoza/John Sadler, with the second highest price on the board at 20-to-1, defeated the 3-to-5 favorite of Rafael Bejarano/Bob Baffert in the $100,000 feature race.

Woodbine (Toronto, Canada):

• The $.20 Hi-5 paid out $1,015 to all winners. The carryover jackpot will be $1,022,769 to commence racing day Saturday,

 

[GKJ]

This is as competitive of a Travers as I think I've seen since I've been around. All three Triple Crown winners and the Haskell winner are here. Second place in Kentucky as well. Nice to see all these horses out here prepping for the Pennsylvania Derby.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

^ Welcome back.

Belated thank you, MSE.

Arrogate thoroughly unimpressed me seeing him in person at Del Mar. Doesn't look like and certainly isn't running like the same horse we all saw in Dubai or the Classic let alone the Travers. Never felt like he was going to turn it on at the top of the stretch or that he had his typical extra gear -- even after Mike went to the whip. At this point, I think the talk of him not liking the track is utter nonsense and while I have all the respect and admiration in the world for Bob Baffert, I can't help but wonder if mismanagement has taken its toll on this horse. Juddmonte and/or Baffert have taken a horse that loves to run and had him cooped up in his stall for months at a time in an effort to save him for this year's classic and the rust is more than evident. As of this moment, I would be putting my money on Gun Runner and Collected in the Classic and not confident in Arrogate even finishing in the money at this point in time unless something changes with his prep... but I don't think the form we saw over the 4 race stretch in the Travers, Classic, Pegasus and Dubai is magically going to reappear. All the talk earlier this year comparing him to Big Red and Man O War as well as the other greats of the past was very premature and unfair to this horse while he was still running; those who floated this lofty praise, a lot of very well respected people in the sport and industry included, should have never been so quick to jump the gun in a sport they know full well is as unpredictable as it gets.


So yeah, while we have a race on our hands in the Classic between Gun Runner, Collected and Arrogate (if he runs), Forever Unbridled put in a pretty nice display today at Saratoga. Only clipped Songbird by a neck at the wire but she was coming hard. Looked amazing at the Distaff last year and now that she seems to be in peak form in only her 2nd start back coming off of her injury, I'd say she is going to be all Songbird can handle and possibly more in the Distaff. Impressive horse and excellent ride from Joel who timed his move perfectly. Being argued that Mike Smith got a little too comfortable being loose on the lead but looking at the times, Songbird ran her typical race and just got beaten by a better horse on this day.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 26, 2017

Saratoga (New York):

• $47,800,000+ handle today is the second highest on the books for any Travers' Day card. Attendance at 47,725.
• Four riders won multiple races led by Joel Rosario's three-win day.
• Chad Brown won three times and surpassed Todd Pletcher into the top of the trainers' standings with a 32-to-31 lead. Even with the expectation that the two would be neck-and-neck throughout the meet, the competition is still fascinating.
• Race 1: John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher teamed at 3-to-1 in a race of 2-year-olds. Pletcher excels with those conditions.
• Race 2: Manny Franco has delivered bombs often at the meet and did here with a $46 winner. His average win pay out is around $20.00 which is simply astonishing for someone with 22 wins. That total is fifth highest at the meet. The exacta returned $502.
• Race 3: Boos to the stewards! A tough DQ with Tyler Gaffalione removed from a win after his 25-to-1, in a photo, was taken down in favor of Manny Franco's 11-to-1 winner. Opinions seem to vary on the call but somehow the sensation was the outsider wouldn't get the benefit of the doubt. The $1 Pick 3 paid over $1,400.
• Race 4: Jose Lezcano's reputation as an excellent turf rider almost came into fruition here with another winner. He rode an 8-to-1 who was absent since July 2015 (more than two years ago) and almost went gate-to-wire before being nosed at the finish.
• Race 5: John Velazquez/Shug McGaughey teamed on a 15-to-1 morning line bet down to 8-to-1 with a final rush. The $2 Pick 3 paid $1,300+. The $2 Pick 4 paid over $31,000. The $2 Pick 5 paid over $91,000.
• Race 6: The first of multiple stakes races. The Grade I Personal Ensign ($700,000 purse) was dramatic in that Forever Unbridled, coming in off a fantastic outing, defeated the glamorous Songbird who needed every ounce of energy to beat a claimer at Delaware in her most recent race. She is now 15 13-2-0 lifetime with earning well over $4.5 million. As tough as it is to see a stunner like Songbird taste defeat, chalk up another impressive win for Unbridled's pedigree. Knock, knock. Who's There? It's Unbridled awaiting to come in, Hall of Fame. Forever Unbridled is a solid runner.
  
  ​
• Race 7: In the Grade I $500,000 Ballerina, By the Moon (Rajiv Maragh/Michelle Nevin) is now 3-for-4 with the rider who picked up his fifth win at the meet.
• Race 8: In the Grade I $500,000 Allen Jerkens (formerly King's Bishop), Practical Joke (Joel Rosario/Chad Brown) played the role of a 2-to-1 successfully
• Race 9: In the Grade I $500,000 Forego, Drefong (Mike Smith/Bob Baffert) made up for an ugly race last outing when Smith fell off near the start. Here, he opened it up in the stretch to improve to 6-for-8 lifetime.
  
  ​
• Race 10: In the Grade I $1,000,000 Sword Dancer, Sadler's Joy (Julien Leparoux/Tom Albertrani) continued a nice run going 4-1-3 in his last 8 and at 5-to-1.
  
  ​
• Race 11: As stated here yesterday, in the Grade I Travers and its $1,250,00 purse, I liked the two California shippers. West Coast Mike Smith/Bob Baffert on top. Who knew the Florida shipper was going to interrupt the process at 24-to-1 and withstand a 24-to-1 objection/inquiry. Boos to the stewards again. That said, the winner paid a handsome return. Getting Smith/Baffert at 6-to-1 was a shock. The result was basically: California-Florida-California. The $2 super paid $14,000+.
  
  ​
• Race 12: In the Grade II $400,000 Ballston Spa, the stylish Lady Eli (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Chad Brown) is now 13 10-3-0 with another splendid performance. She is nearing $3,000,000 in career earnings.
  
  ​
• Race 13: Joel Rosario won for the third time.
• Mike Smith is 5 3-1-1 at the meet. 60% wins, 100% in the money.

Monmouth (New Jersey):

• Wendy Wend didn't win today but he is noted for a few reasons. He is a Tennessee-bred which is a rarity. He was foaled in the month of June which is highly uncommon for foals in the United States. He won his last four races for all intents-and-purposes in gate-to-wire fashion and at Philly. He began his career 1-for-22 and is now 6-for-29.

Delaware Park (Delaware):

• Race 7: $74.80 winner. $29.759 for the $2 Pick 5.

Canterbury (Minnesota):

• Not a good day for McLean Robertson in a card filled with stakes races but he did manage an 11-to-1 winner in one of those races. He was 9 1-1-1 this day.

Del Mar (California):

• In the Grade II Pat O'Brien, Giant Expectations (Gary Stevens/Peter Eurton) won for the third time in his last four starts --all away from Santa Anita -- and paid $11.40. The horse is 10 3-3-1 and broke a 7-race losing streak in California including 0-for-6 at Santa Anita. He is 2-for-2 at Belmont and 1-for-2 at Del Mar. Here is the best part: this was his graded stakes race debut. Onto the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile with the victory.
• Battle of Midway, who finished third in the 2017 Kentucky Derby, won a $100,000 race.
• Former actress turned jockey Maria Falgione, who is 38-years-old and gets the 10-pound bug advantage, won her debut ride in the second race.

Woodbine (Toronto, Canada):

• With multiple winners of the $.20 Super Hi-5, each received over $4,000. The carryover should be near $1,100,000 for the next race day.
• Race 6: $1 Pick 5 paid a jaw-dropping $225,916.40.

 

[KirkOut]

It was a beautiful day in Saratoga. Had a lot of fun and learned a lot! I'll be back.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

It was a beautiful day in Saratoga. Had a lot of fun and learned a lot! I'll be back.

Excellent, feel free to ask questions if you are a novice.

 

[Preds Partisan]

I'm seeing Race 11 Sat for the Hi5 on my app, is that correct? May pick for fun and mess around with the total wager amounts to see what it's all about. Seems like something I would want to team up with multiple players to cover the cost of picking that one for real dollars.

Played for fun at about $96 by my calculations, and never hit more than 4 in a row (2-5 once among all bets). Think I'll stick to exactas, tri and supers for exotics. Five picks is clearly one too many for me.

Fun exercise anyway, thanks for the heads up on that Hi5.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Played for fun at about $96 by my calculations, and never hit more than 4 in a row (2-5 once among all bets). Think I'll stick to exactas, tri and supers for exotics. Five picks is clearly one too many for me.

Fun exercise anyway, thanks for the heads up on that Hi5.

Those exotics are tantalizing but it is a near impossibility with a limited bankroll. Money is better spent elsewhere.

 

[Preds Partisan]

Those exotics are tantalizing but it is a near impossibility with a limited bankroll. Money is better spent elsewhere.

Yeah, if you're walking away from the window with a double fistful of tickets chasing that, you're leaving some easier money on the table elsewhere. I'm more of a grinder anyway.

 

[GKJ]

MSE is a happy human this morning.

Arrogate not running to form is not completely unsurprising. The turnaround coming back from Dubai has always been trouble. It's the exception not the rule that horses hold their form. He ran fine at Del Mar before he won the Travers.

Very visually impressive run from West Coast going wire to wire in just 2:01. That should put him at the front of the 3YO division.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

MSE is a happy human this morning.

Arrogate not running to form is not completely unsurprising. The turnaround coming back from Dubai has always been trouble. It's the exception not the rule that horses hold their form. He ran fine at Del Mar before he won the Travers.

Very visually impressive run from West Coast going wire to wire in just 2:01. That should put him at the front of the 3YO division.

I wasn't after the third race. I have a history with New York tracks where my winning bombs are removed. Luzzi, Alvarado, Gaffalione all come to mind in the last year or so. The stewards must wait for me.

I read where West Coast received a Beyer Figure of 108 which is the highest this year for any 2-turn race.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 27, 2017

Saratoga (New York):

• The two Ortiz Brothers each won twice as did trainer Chad Brown.
• Jose Ortiz (51) leads Irad Ortiz (45) by six wins heading into the meet's final week.
• Todd Pletcher now trails Chad Brown 34-to-32 in the trainers' standings.
• Javier Castellano is at 14% this meet. That is subpar for him.
• The photo finish in race 8:
  
  

Monmouth (New Jersey):

• Jose Ferrer won four times. He had a mount in all 12 races and finished 4-0-3.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• No trainer had multiple wins and only one rider accomplished the feat and that was Tyler Gaffalione who won three more times.

Ellis (Kentucky):

• Bombs away in the fifth race. And $80 winner, place paid $30 and third paid $11 to show. The $2 exacta returned $905. The $2 trifecta paid close to $6,000.

Arlington (Illinois):

• Jose Valdivia, Jr.'s dominance at this meet is one of the most interesting story lines of the year and it is receiving little attention. He won the first three races today and a total of four. The natural hat trick helped boost his lead at the meet to 70 (116-46) over second place Christopher Emigh. He has won 31% of his rides and in the money 67%.

Del Mar (California):

• One winning ticket nailed the $568,696.40 Pick 6. The ticket sold originated in Brooklyn.
• The Pick 4 pool of $2,056,668 set a track record.
• Leading rider Flavien Prat began a 3-day suspension today for a riding infraction earlier in the month. Through the latest check Prat (28), Evin Roman (26) and Rafael Bejarano (26) are top three in wins at the meet.
• Bug Evin Roman won twice in seven starts today and was in the money five times.
• Mario Gutierrez made some exotic players happy at least twice. In race 3, he rode a 47-to-1 with a 1-for-4 lifetime record to a second place finish and that was for the usual connections of Doug O'Neill/Reddam Racing. In race 7, he rode a 70-to-1, out for the first time, to a third place finish.
• Norberto Arroyo, who has had issues off-the-track in the past and recently undependable in when he reports to the track, was DQ'd from a win in his only start today and an 18-to-1 was elevated in a Grade III. He seems to be getting fewer starts, too and earlier this summer reported to have a new agent.
  
  ​
• Unless something was wrong with the horse or equipment, I wonder if Martin Garcia will be back in Bob Baffert's doghouse. At least on an initial glance, it appears the rider was at least partially at fault for this finish. One should never be beaten on the rail in such a manner. Nero was a first-time starter and even at 8-to-5 morning line odds, that could be an excuse.
  
  ​
  
  

Woodbine (Toronto, Canada):

• The Hi-5 carryover jackpot will begin at $1,112,983 for the next day of racing. In the finale today, a 33-to-1 was DQ'd and the 8-to-5 favorite elevated. Time will tell if someone had the 33-to-1 on top in the needed order to win the big prize. Those multiple winners who did correctly pick the official order received $223.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Gun Runner, who may be the best horse in North America presently, is expected to run Saturday at Saratoga in the Woodward. It is the final Saturday of the meet.

With the three-year-old crop subpar this year, the older horses are taking advantage of the limelight.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 28, 2017

Saratoga (New York):

• Following the finale in which Jose Lezcano ride a $42 winner on turf (his strength), the $.50 Pick 5 paid $16,575, the $2 Pick 6 paid $45,813 and the $1 double $220.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. won twice, the only rider with multiple wins.
• John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher combined to win the $100,000 feature race. More impressively, the exacta with Johnny V. and Irad Ortiz, Jr. paid $72 for $1. You won't see that payout often with those two riders who were sent off 7-to-1 and 11-to-1, respectively. Javier Castellano burned money as the even-money favorite who finished fifth of six.
• Chad Brown (34) and Todd Pletcher (33) remain glued atop the trainers' leaderboard heading into the final week.

Finger Lakes (New York):

• The $.50 Pick 5 returned $11,531 following the final race.
• The $.50 Pick 4 returned $3,023 following the final race.

Delaware Park (Delaware):

• The tote board at Delaware got a workout.
• Race 3: The $1 superfecta paid over $174,000. Let that sink in.
• Race 4: $120.40 winner. The $1 Pick 4 returned $33,952.60. The $1 super paid $20,258.10,
• Race 5: the $1 Pick 3 paid $4,908.20.
• Race 6: Larry Jones specializes in 2-year-old fillies but this time he performed exquisitely with a colt who was sent out for the first time at 9-to-5 odds. What a convincing victory for Pennsylvania-bred Prince Lucky. Jones has now won three of his last five starts at the track.
• Race 7: The $1 super paid over $19,000. the ticket was topped by a 15-to-1, 11-to-1 and 20-to-1.

Mountaineer (West Virginia):

• The $.50 Pick 4 paid over $15,000 following the fifth race.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The California yearlings sale was held today and moments ago Samantha Siegel plopped down a record $300,000 for a daughter to Bodemeister. Seigel's stable is famous in Cali under the name Jay Em Ess Stables which is a phonetics play on her parents' names (Jan and Mace). Her father hailed from New Jersey but made his fortune in developing shopping malls especially in California. Spending $300,000 for a Bodemeister daughter comes with a strong male presence with Empire Maker, Unbridled and Storm Cat up front. There was quite the buzz about the yearling early in the sale.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 30, 2017

Saratoga (New York):

• Manny Franco had a memorable afternoon. He rode in 9 of the 10 races and finished 3-2-2. He won with 6-1, 7-1 and 12-1 shots. The 12-1 winner was in a Grade III $150,000 turf race with a 2-year-old colt who is now 2-for-2 lifetime and may have caught some locals by surprise coming in off a win at Gulfstream. That winner was trained by Jonathan Thomas who is a relative unknown but was once a top assistant to Todd Pletcher and winning at a dazzling 28%. He trains at a farm in Florida and could be making some initial buzz for the future.
• Manny Franco became the fifth rider with 25 wins at the meet after his trio today. As mentioned here a few days ago, his average win bet is superb especially for a rider with that many victories. Meaning, he is winning and not with chalky runners as evidenced today.
• I don't know if Kevin Gomez has ever ridden at Saratoga but he went gate-to-wire and impressively on a 10-to-1. The Maryland-based rider rode for Ollie Figgins who trains in West Virginia and Maryland and is 1-for-2 at the Spa after this win. The filly has won 4 of her last 5, three times at Laurel. A Laurel runner victorious at the Spa.
• After race 5, the $2 Pick 5 paid $14,219 and the $2 tri paid $1,836.
• After race 6, the $2 Pick 3 paid $1,628.
• After race 9, the $2 tri paid $1,856.
• After race 10, the $2 Pick 5 paid over $61,000.
• John Velazquez has the third most victories and only behind the Ortiz boys but he is at 25% and that is decidedly better than any of the 17 riders with 5+ wins at the meet. Jose (53) leads brother Irad (48) by 5 wins and both are at 20%.
• Trainer Chad Brown leads Todd Pletcher 35-to-34 as the meet has five racing days remaining.

Delaware Park (Delaware):

• If there is a brownout in Delaware the last few days, that is because the tote board was once again illuminated.
• Race 3: The $2 double returned $565 after 34-to-1 and 53-to-1 bombs ruled their races. The $2 Pick 3 paid $8,809.
• Race 4: The $2 Pick 4 paid over $14,000 and that was despite a $4.40 winner.
• Race 7: The $2 Pick 5 paid over $23,000.

Thistledown (Ohio):

• Race 5: A $52 winner topped a $2 Pick 3 that paid $1,351.

Remington Park (Oklahoma):

• Lane Luzzi has moved his tack here. That isn't where I thought his career would take him after he had initial success in Maryland and south Florida. But a return to Maryland has been a major struggle to get opportunities. Hopefully he can stabilize his career. He lost his bug earlier in the calendar year.

Del Mar (California):

• Stewart Elliott will always be mentioned in the same breath as Smarty Jones. He desperately needed a win at this meet and got his second one today in his 48th start.

Woodbine (Toronto, Canada):

• Pink Lloyd won for the sixth time and improved to 11 9-1-0 after being sent off 1-to-9 in the $125,000 feature race which led into the $1.1 million jackpot race.

The $.20 Jackpot Hi-5 grows for Friday's card:

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

WOODWARD STAKES (Grade I)

• What: In a short field, Gun Runner runs as the current top rated horse in North America. Gun Runner has won 4 of his last 5 and is 16 9-3-2 lifetime.
• History: First run in 1954 and at New York's other two major venues, this has now become required viewing in Saratoga's closing weekend.
• When: Saturday, September 2, 2017, Race 11 of 12, 6:46 pm Eastern Time
• Where: Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, New York
• Distance: 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs)
• Surface: Dirt
• Purse: $750,000
• Runners (age, sex): Three-year-old and up. Open.
• Preview: https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/223343/gun-runner-the-target-in-woodward-stakes and https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/news/gun-runner-tops-field-of-five-in-g1-woodward#
• Television: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm ET on NBCSN (along with race 10) . Additional coverage 3:30 pm ET to 6:00 pm ET: MSG+, FSPT, FSSD, FSO. TVG 24/7 horse racing.
• Radio: Horse Racing Radio Network will have coverage from 4:00 pm ET. It streams live on their website and will air on Sirius 108 and XM 201.
• Full card: http://www.drf.com/race-entries/track/SAR/country/USA/date/09-02-2017

Post​

| Horse (location bred) | Age/Sex | Jockey |

Weight​

|

Trainer​

|

Morning Line Odds​

1| Neolithic (KY)| 4/colt| Jose L. Ortiz |118 |Todd A. Pletcher| -
2| Gun Runner (KY) | 4/colt | Florent Geroux| 124| Steven M. Asmussen |-
3| Rally Cry (KY) | 4/colt | John R. Velazquez| 120 |Todd A. Pletcher| -
4| War Story (KY) | 5/gelding | Irad Ortiz, Jr. |120 |Jorge Navarro | -
5| Discreet Lover (FL) | 4/colt | Manuel Franco |118 |Uriah St. Lewis| -

This will be updated to include morning line odds and the entries for race 10.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Australian wonder Winx goes for 19 in a row.

Eleven challengers are set to take on the mighty Winx in Saturday's Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick Racecourse.

It will be the largest field that the daughter of Street Cry has faced in over a year, although according to Racing.com, five of the other entrants are her stablemates from trainer Chris Waller's barn.

Winx drew post three in the 1600 meter (7.95 furlongs) contest, and she will be equipped with ear muffs for the first time. Regular rider Hugh Bowman will be in the saddle.

https://www.paulickreport.com/news/...-goes-19th-straight-win-g2-chelmsford-stakes/