Horse Racing: The end of 2022

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 26 -- Opening Day at Santa Anita
Certainly one of the most attractive days annually on the racing calendar. And here is the card:

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$200,000	Santa Anita Mathis Mile S.	1 Mile	Turf	7	11:00 AM PT
Race 2	$67,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 Mile	Dirt	6	11:30 AM PT
Race 3	$200,000	San Gabriel S.	1 1/8 Miles	Turf	7	12:00 PM PT
Race 4	$67,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 Furlongs	Dirt	8	12:30 PM PT
Race 5	$67,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 Mile	Turf	14	1:00 PM PT
Race 6	$200,000	San Antonio S.	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	6	1:30 PM PT
Race 7	$72,000	Allowance	About 6 1/2 Furlongs	Downhill turf	12	2:00 PM PT
Race 8	$300,000	La Brea S.	7 Furlongs	Dirt	8	2:30 PM PT
Race 9	$72,000	Allowance	1 1/8 Miles	Turf	14	3:00 PM PT
Race 10	$300,000	RUNHAPPY Malibu S.	7 Furlongs	Dirt	9	3:30 PM PT
Race 11	$300,000	American Oaks	1 1/4 Miles	Downhill turf	11	4:00 PM PT

Bob Baffert is debuting three horses in Race 4, worth over $1 million.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Turfway Park turfs their card between severe cold/weather

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

@Marco 85

It is official. The Bev, the Secretariat and the Arlington Million will be races at Colonial Downs. Good news for Virginia.

Just imagine a clairvoyant saying that roughly five years ago. He or she would be committed.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Meadows harness has canceled Friday's card.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Monticello is racing in blizzard conditions currently. Very picturesque.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Penn National has canceled Friday's card.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Wheeling (greyhounds) has canceled Friday and Saturday.

CORRECTED.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Wheeling (greyhounds) has canceled Friday and Saturday.

CORRECTED.

as expected Saturday's card is tentatively Monday at FTC-Cumberland Raceway which ends the meet

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Arlington Million, Beverly D. Stakes coming to Colonial Downs in 2023

Colonial Downs in New Kent County will host the Arlington Million in 2023, one of three Thoroughbred stakes races coming to Virginia.

augustafreepress.com

Colonial Downs in New Kent County will host the Arlington Million in 2023, one of three internationally-renowned Thoroughbred stakes races coming to Virginia.​

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The Virginia Racing Commission approved 27 live race dates for Colonial Downs for 2023, including the 1.25-mile Arlington Million and the 1.19-mile Beverly D. Stakes, both rated as Grade 1 races, and the Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes, a 1-mile race.​

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The races will be staged during a 2023 meet beginning July 13 at Colonial Downs, which is now owned by Churchill Downs Inc.​

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The American Graded Stakes Committee voted to approve the move of the races, which had been contested at Arlington Park in Chicago until that track closed in 2021.​

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The Arlington Million and Beverly D. were both run at Churchill Downs in Kentucky in 2022.​

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The 2023 races are scheduled to be run at Colonial Downs on Aug. 12.​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Meanwhile at Hawthorne (IL), hopefully the smaller track can get its act together. Horse racing is booming nationwide in many areas including handle; however, Illinois is one state in which it is not only hurting but failing.

Delay in casino at Hawthorne Race Course is impacting Illinois’ ‘dying’ horse racing industry. But officials say it’s coming.

More than three years after Hawthorne Race Course was authorized to add casino gambling, not a single card has been dealt nor a coin dropped in the slots. The $400 million combination horse racetra…

www.chicagotribune.com

As a family-owned business with 160-some shareholders, Hawthorne had to restructure to make the gaming board vetting process easier. Officials didn’t want to partner with a casino company because they want racing to be an integral part of the new operation, Schultz said.​

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Construction has been delayed, but officials remain confident they’ll be able to announce a beginning to the work in the first part of 2023. The design in hand by Aria Group Architects would provide table games and slots, a parking deck, and new dining, bars and race wagering areas. Construction is scheduled to take 14 months, pushing the opening into 2024.​

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But Shultz promised a “first-in-class” facility built for long-term success. It’s slated to create 1,200 construction jobs, with about 30% minority, women, disadvantaged and veteran-owned businesses, and the work force is to be unionized with prevailing wages and benefits.​

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While Hawthorne waits for casino revenue, the industry in Illinois is gasping for breath.​

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“Horse racing is dying in Illinois,” Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Executive Director David McCaffrey said, “while in other states that have racinos, it’s flourishing.”​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thursday, December 27, 2022

• Cancellations: A few tracks have canceled upcoming racing including T-breds, harness and dogs.

Meadows (PA) -- Harness

• Race 1: What a way to open a card for anyone who cashed this baby: the $2 tri paid $17,000+

Gulfstream (FL):

• Race 8: Full Disclosure (Leonel Reyes/Elizabeth Dobles), an 11-to-1 shot, gave the trainer her sixth win with her past nine starters. The young trainer is 9 6-0-2 since December 9. She is also part owner of the winner with her main ownership group Imaginary Stables. The jockey is having his career best year. Finishing in second was a 10-to-1 with dominant connections Irad Ortiz, Jr./Todd Pletcher.

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Delta Downs (LA):

• Race 9: The name of the winning horse deserves acclaim: Ted Striker. Someone is an Airplane! fan.

 

[GKJ]

@Marco 85

It is official. The Bev, the Secretariat and the Arlington Million will be races at Colonial Downs. Good news for Virginia.

Just imagine a clairvoyant saying that roughly five years ago. He or she would be committed.

If they buy the track, may as well give them good races to show up for. I’d like to know what their plan is though because we’re not exactly talking about hotbed of horse racing given where the track is situated.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

If they buy the track, may as well give them good races to show up for. I’d like to know what their plan is though because we’re not exactly talking about hotbed of horse racing given where the track is situated.

The governing body in VA dictated weekend racing for 2023. Last year, CD needed authorization from Ellis Park (IIRC) to interrupt that track's schedule to host a major day of racing inside Kentucky with the Arlington Million as the feature.

Moving major races in-state isn't new as we saw with Hollywood's racing relocating elsewhere in southern Cal. But Illinois (via Kentucky) to Virginia is out-of-state. Considering Colonial Downs was shut for roughly seven years and all but left for dead, this is quite the resurrection. My concern is how the track will compete with MD and maybe NJ and DE on weekends without the big attractions. Time will tell.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Ugh. Laurel has canceled its Dec. 26 card which featured many stakes. Too bad. That day will still have SA, FG and Gulf. Parx, GG and MV are among other options.

UPDATE: That Dec. 26 stakes-filled Laurel card has been moved to Friday, Dec. 30. Good and for more than one reason.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

SA on Dec. 26 is going to be one of the biggest racing days in California this year.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Bob Baffert has 14 horses entered for the Dec. 26 Santa Anita card. I don't recall him sending out that many horses on any one card. He has the 14 horses spread in five races, three of which are graded stakes.

Among the horses in MSW is Bletchley Park who has yet to win in four starts despite being a $2.6 million purchase by heavyweight U.K. owners Magnier, Tabor and Smith. Another in that race is the $385,000 Florida-bred Purified who is winless in three starts.

Baffert debuts Worcester, Sonoran and Faustin in race 4.

Taiba ($1.7 million son to Gun Runner) and Messier run in race 10. Both ran in this year's Kentucky Derby.

And then there is Country Grammer who will be ridden by international superstar Frankie Dettori, a rider who is likely to retire in late 2023. Country Grammer has earned over $11 million which includes a second place in the Saudi Cup and a win in the Dubai World Cup and since those races has placed in three straight graded stakes in southern Cal.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, December 24, 2022

• Florida Racing: Basically a dark day throughout the US except for the two tracks in the great state of Florida.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Samy Camacho had six mounts and ended with four victories including a natural hat trick to end the card. He has won six of nine rides the past two days.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Closing Day: Today was the final day of the meet which began September 30. The Championship meet starts Monday. Gulf is now a 12-month-a-year racetrack.
• Leading Jockey and Trainer: Miguel Vasquez and Saffie Joseph, respectively.
• Tyler Gaffalione had a 3-win day.
• Handle: Exceeded $9 million.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Dale Capuano announced his retirement from racing by the end of this week. Interesting decision as he wants to take time for other pleasures. He is 60 years of age and is currently among the top 15 active trainers in lifetime wins (22nd all-time per DRF article). One of the most consistent Maryland-based trainers, certainly in recent years.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Add Parx (PA) to Laurel (MD) for canceled racing today.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Four races into Santa Anita's opening day card. Bob Baffert has finished 1-2 in both MSW races. Bletchley Park (Juan Hernandez) won Race 2. Faustin (Ramon Vazquez) debuted and won Race 4.

LIVE SANTA ANITA STREAM -- Thoroughbred Horse Racing

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Corey Lanerie has three wins at Fair Grounds including two stakes and a debut winner for Steve Asmussen.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

That was quite the winners' circle after the San Antonio at Santa Anita. Welcome back to America Frankie Dettori.

First the win. Then Dettori waves his people to join the winner's circle. Then Dettori with the flying dismount. Then Baffert hugs Dettori. Then the happy winners in the photo op. Detttori just kissed Baffert -- I bet that was a first for Baffert . Then the interview "35 years went by like a flash," Dettori talking about his career.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The longest morning line on the board just won the Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream with odds cut in half. More later.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Can the 4 hit the board at Santa Anita?

Over $2.5 million in the late Pick 5 pool already. More than $4.5 million bet into the race.