Horse Racing: 2020 conclusion: $323,000 (Santa Anita) and $106,000 (Aqueduct) Pick 6 hit on New Year's Eve

[Fenway]

There was much promise for a revitalized Suffolk Downs and that was taken from the controversial and heated vote involving the Gaming Commission... what five years ago? The regional flavor from the fair tracks to Rockingham in New Hampshire eventually eroded but Suffolk despite its warts was once a regional treasure. The death knell to the sport was the loss of the casino application; otherwise, it would have been a boon for many aspects of the industry.

A legendary trainer in John Rigattieri holds his own at Tampa Bay and Delaware and the younger Jay Bernardini is a solid trainer in West Virginia and to a lesser degree in Ohio. Good trainers came out of Suffolk. Good horse people abound. There are plenty still active but elsewhere.

As far as going to Fort Erie, I know in the past Finger Lakes in New York held Mass bred races. I am not sure if that has been discontinued. Oddly, same ownership of the Bruins. It doesn't appear any law has been broken but it doesn't look good to have Mass-bred running in Canada; however, no track exists in the state to continue the sport. Suffolk's former owners have stated they want to build/find land for a smaller track and continue the profitable simulcast operation. Whether language gets rewritten if sports betting was to ever get approved in the state is another possibility but the Senate recently nixed a House piece from what I saw through research. Other states have done it, plenty of other states.

Illinois, like Massachusetts, isn't exactly smooth when it comes to such issues but look at what happened there recently. Hopefully that can propel the industry. If industry types and others get on the same page, then maybe this situation can be rectified but I sense it will happen only through sports betting legislation with horse racing somehow tied in. Plainridge (harness) gets 75% of money earned through casinos that goes to boost racing, if I am correct.

All that said, horse racing is booming in many areas and 2020 has seen record handles across North America. There is room to join.

The Mass Gaming Commission has made some curious calls.

They elected to give Plainridge a slot license to save racing there but only after the former president of the track was booted for looting the track's money room.

Plainridge Park Casino - Wikipedia

Plainridge was not the best option for the slots as it was only 15 miles from Twin River in Rhode Island ( former Lincoln Downs)

Suffolk got blindsided by Steve Wynn's casino application and the commission didn't care that flat racing could not survive.

Suffolk Downs - Wikipedia

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

^ I thought the legislation written that the slots had to go to an existing parimutuel facility and as such that was limited to Suffolk, which thought they had a layup in getting the regional casino license, or Plainridge. When Suffolk Downs balked, Plainridge was awarded. IIRC, there were initially three casinos to be awarded based on geography and as of today two were built; the other is in hibernation due to a lawsuit/agreement with an Indian tribe for both entities not to build but that has nothing to do with Suffolk Downs.

I know there were rumors at one point that Stronach was interested in Suffolk's lands to lease or buy because he wanted something north of Maryland in order to establish three major tracks on the east coast: Massachusetts, Maryland and Florida. But the reasons have varied as to the shortcomings and rather than get into hearsay let's just say it is buried in the past.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, keep an eye on race 2 at Del Mar. Bob Baffert debuts a 2-year-old colt named LIFE IS GOOD who may, just may be his early 2021 Kentucky Derby bloomer. Mike Smith rides the $625,000 purchase at M/L odds of 4-to-5.

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post PacificTime
Race 1	$20,000	Maiden Claiming	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	10	12:30 PM
Race 2	$57,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	6	1:00 PM
Race 3	$35,000	Starter Allowance	5 Furlongs	Turf	8	1:30 PM
Race 4	$20,000	Claiming	1 Mile	Dirt	10	1:59 PM
Race 5	$57,000	Maiden Special Weight	5 Furlongs	Turf	12	2:28 PM
Race 6	$31,000	Maiden Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	8	2:57 PM
Race 7	$59,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 Mile	Turf	10	3:26 PM
Race 8	$100,000	Cary Grant S.	7 Furlongs	Dirt	10	3:55 PM
Race 9	$34,000	Maiden Claiming	1 Mile	Turf	10	4:24 PM

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[Fenway]

^ I thought the legislation written that the slots had to go to an existing parimutuel facility and as such that was limited to Suffolk, which thought they had a layup in getting the regional casino license, or Plainridge. When Suffolk Downs balked, Plainridge was awarded. IIRC, there were initially three casinos to be awarded based on geography and as of today two were built; the other is in hibernation due to a lawsuit/agreement with an Indian tribe for both entities not to build but that has nothing to do with Suffolk Downs.

I know there were rumors at one point that Stronach was interested in Suffolk's lands to lease or buy because he wanted something north of Maryland in order to establish three major tracks on the east coast: Massachusetts, Maryland and Florida. But the reasons have varied as to the shortcomings and rather than get into hearsay let's just say it is buried in the past.

Massachusetts changed the rules back in 2013

Slots firm makes pitch for Leominster parlor – Sentinel and Enterprise

Leominster was the perfect location for the slots license but in Mass politics logic means nothing,

The only certainty was the state was going to freeze George Carney out ( owner of the Raynham dog track ).

Bill Veeck wrote about Carney in his book about Suffolk Downs and his battle with the son of his good friend Lou Jacobs over the concession rights of Berkshire Downs that Veeck bought in 1969. The son would later buy the Boston Bruins

@MiamiScreamingEagles You need to read this book

https://www.amazon.com/Thirty-Tons-Day-Bill-Veeck/dp/1566638283

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

^ Bill Veeck was a character unparalleled. I will look into the book.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

So, ‘altercation on racetrack property.’ Can’t imagine it involves alcohol unless he brought his own

Hmmm. The obvious speculation by me is that it has to do with his past issues with alcohol. I believe he undergoes periodic tests. Perhaps he failed. He was riding at Golden Gate and quite honestly not impressively from what I saw earlier this year before northern Cal switched to the fair meet (they are back at GG beginning today). He was winning at Del Mar in his brief attempts the past week or so.

More here and the word "altercation" is used:

Del Mar bans Desormeaux from riding after altercation

Re: Kent Desormeaux

A combination of reasons why he has yet to ride since late July when we posted these comments. He went back into rehab but is hopeful to ride on December 26 when the meet opens at Santa Anita.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, November 22, 2020

Aqueduct (New York):

• Handle: A hair under $10,000,000.
• Race 3: Funny Guy (Joel Rosario/John Terranova) won the $100,000 New York Stallion Series Stakes.
• Race 5: Brattle House (Joel Rosario/Christophe Clement), a $775,000 purchase for Larry Best's OXO, romped in a wonderful debut outing. Best drops much capital on purchasing horses. He may have something special here. This win was under a very obvious hand ride by Rosario who must know the horse is destined for bigger things.

​

• Race 9: Espresso Shot (John Velazquez/Jorge Abreu) won the $100,000 New York Stallion Series Stakes (there were two on the card).
• Race 10: Eric Cancel won the finale once again. It continues to be an odd phenomenon. The favorite ran off the board.
• James Bond entered today 0-for-14 at the meet but both of his starters were victorious which gave him two wins with 16 starters in total. Bond has had good horses over the years but I will forever remember a personal favorite in Behrens who was a $4 million earner.
• Joel Rosario continues his sizzling ways and is now one win away from meet leadership.
• Jose Ortiz was 0-for-5 today and is in a prolonged slump of 1-for-32 since Nov. 15. He is in a funk. He is 3-for-47 at the meet.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. is in a 1-for-19 mini-slump which is almost excessive for him.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 4: Boom Boom Gone (Rebecca LaBarre/Marco Salazar) won. The 7-pound bug rider was elated and even smooched the horse upon entering the winner's circle. She is from Wisconsin, not exactly horse country.
• Race 5: Tiz Mandate (Horacio Karamanos/Damon Dilodovico) rallied from 6th in the stretch to a victory at 11-to-1 in his debut. The $.50 trifecta was nearly $2,400 with a 34-to-1 and 84-to-1 completing the payment. Jungle Cry (Sheldon Russell/Brittany Russell) finished fourth in a debut from the outside post (12) in which he was cut off by rider Jevian Toledo. Interesting that Sheldon and Toledo have the same agent. But the race was lost at the gate. The $1 super was a brilliant $34,000.
• Race 6: Polished Gal (Victor Rosales/Hugh McMahon) and Splendor Gal hooked up in an entertaining finish but this race was more polished and less splendor by a nose. The victory gave McMahon his 1,000th career win.
• Sheldon Russell added two wins to his meet lead. He is 99 28-12-3.

Mountaineer (West Virginia):

• Jay Bernardini won four consecutive races. I am not sure how many trainers have accomplished that feat in 2020 but the total is minuscule. Initial research shows Eric Reed won the first four races at this track earlier in the year. It has been done at least once.

Gulfstream Park West (Florida):

• Conditions: Sloppy and off the turf.
• Miguel Vasquez was 7 4-1-1- today and among his 4 wins was a natural hat trick.
• Miguel Vasquez and Edgard Zayas each have a meet lead of 39 wins.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Conditions: Sloppy and off the turf, the latter was announced days ago.
• Race 7: Bob's Edge (Gabriel Saez/Larry Jones) wired the field at 7-to-2 and looked good. Jones excels with 2-year-olds but usually fillies. Hopefully the veteran trainer has another young star.

​

Del Mar (California):

• Race 2: Life is Good (Mike Smith/Bob Baffert) as mentioned in the above post could be the trainer's front runner for the 2021 Kentucky Derby and he did nothing but overwhelm spectators with a stylish victory in his debut. Life Is Good earned a 90 Beyer which is the highest by a California 2-year-old this year. He won by 9 1/2 lengths in 1:15.50, the fastest six and one-half furlongs at Del Mar since August 10, 2016. Things can obviously change and Baffert will run others in the upcoming days and weeks that could also gain attention but doing the research last night preparing for the card, I liked what I saw in this puppy and like many others became mesmerized with what followed.
  • Sire: Into Mischief.
  • Dam: Beach Walk who was winless in her career and has only one other foal.
  • Purchase price: $525,000.

​

• Race 5: Dynamic Duo ran for the 64th time and came up short for the 64th time. A 64-race maiden. Every race inside California.
• Race 8: Loud Mouth (Abel Cedillo/Steve Knapp) won the $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes at the inflated price of 13-to-1.
• Handle: Over $11.3 million bet. Del Mar is having a strong meet.

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Handle: $462,041,545.76 in total at the shortened meet (reported on Dec. 4).
• Snowfall: Horses running in snow is almost always a beautiful image and it was today.
• Cancellation: As the snow progressed, racing was canceled for precautionary reasons following the sixth race. The track then announced that today would be the final day of the meet due to provincial restrictions regarding the C-virus. The meet was to close in December.
• Kazushi Kimura had three winning rides among his five mounts. He has five victories the past two days including two graded stakes.

@Fenway

I mentioned Jay Bernardini in one of the posts above, as a former Suffolk Downs trainer prospering elsewhere. He won four in a row at Mountaineer. It may not be upper echelon racing but for any trainer to win four races in a row at any track is remarkable. He has a big stable in West Virginia. He was the cream at Suffolk Downs in the closing years. The meet leader now. The trainer in second place won the meet last year by 40 or so.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Be prepared for the accolades as Life is Good looks mature for a 2-year-old. Into Mischief has been shooting bullets in breeding sessions. The only unknown is the dam but that should not be cause for concern.

The first tribute from what I saw:

Baffert Unveils Another Into Mischief Monster

With likely Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief) recently retired to stud, the Bob Baffert barn wasted no time unveiling its next speedy superstar by the nation’s leading sire as CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC’s Life is Good (Into Mischief) demolished his competition to become a no-brainer ‘TDN Rising Star’. The bay prepped for this with a head-turning 1:00 flat (1-of-51) gate breeze last Saturday (XBTV Video), and drifted up to 1-5 at the off after spending much of the betting cycle at 1-9. Zipping off to lead them by open lengths through speedy splits of :21.80 and :44.84, he was always in complete control and streaked home 9 1/2 lengths clear in 1:15.50 while flashing similar brilliance to the same ownership group’s undefeated monster Nashville (Speightstown). Fellow firster Wipe the Slate (Nyquist) was second best.

The winner, who was a $525,000 KEESEP yearling, is bred on the same cross as MGISW and promising young sire Practical Joke (Into Mischief). His dam, herself a $435,000 September buy, never won in five tries but hit the board in maiden special weights in both Kentucky and Arkansas. She has a yearling filly by Blame and was bred back to Candy Ride (Arg).
​

This is a 2-year-old:

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Into Mischief's prowess as a sire has now been quantified as the all-time leading earner for a one season. His offspring have earned $19,994,720 in 2020 which snapped Tapit's 2016 record of $19,983,173. I believe both are/were 15 years of age at the time of their records. Into Mischief is the stud of all studs.
================
Indiana Grand is the latest horse track to record all-time highs in wagering. This year, the track consumed $198,960,722 in betting money spanning 92 days. That includes a one-day record of $5.9 million for the Indiana Derby. The track is looking at 120 days of live racing in 2021. There is a meeting scheduled in December.
================
Churchill Downs is revamping its turf course next year for the cost of $10 million. It could be ready by late 2021 but not begin until after the 2021 spring meet.
=================
As mentioned, be prepared for the onslaught of changes following yesterday's performance by Life is Good at Del Mar. After his maiden race, the colt is now #2 on the Kentucky Derby betting list.

See Life Is Good, 132 others in '21 Kentucky Derby futures odds

Following is William Hill’s full list of Kentucky Derby futures (last Monday’s odds are in parentheses where there were changes):

• 8-1 Essential Quality
• 12-1 Life Is Good (opener)
• 30-1 Highly Motivated (45-1)
• 35-1 Classier (40-1), Red Flag (opener)
• 40-1 Caddo River (opener), Jackie’s Warrior
• 50-1 Dr. Schivel, Hot Rod Charlie, Olympiad (75-1)
• 60-1 Jaxon Traveler, Vittorio (90-1)
• 75-1 Cazadero, Get Her Number, Huntsinger, Keepmeinmind, Midnight Bourbon, Mutasaabeq, Spielberg (70-1), Stayin’ Out Late
• 85-1 Savile Row (100-1)
• 90-1 Santa Cruiser (opener), Team Merchants (125-1)
• 100-1 Calibrate, Effinity, Founder, Hidden Stash, Hyperfocus, Known Agenda (125-1), Reinvestment Risk, Rombauer, Sittin On Go, Smiley Sobotka, Speaker’s Corner (125-1), Super Stock, Swill, Ten For Ten, Therideofalifetime, Whiskey Double (130-1)
• 110-1 Mandaloun (125-1)
• 120-1 Boca Boy, Gagetown (opener), Eagle Orb (150-1), Freedom Fighter (130-1), King Fury, Pickin’ Time, Seminole Beach (130-1), Uno (opener)
• 125-1 Bolden, Brooklyn Strong, Chicks For Free, Ethical Judgement, Eucharist, Girther, Greatest Honour, Inspector Frost, Judge N Jury, Next, No Cents (140-1), Prisoner, Scarred, Slashing, Starrininmydreams
• 130-1 Cousin Larry, Likeable
• 135-1 Angkor (150-1)
• 140-1 Bold Minister, Herd Immunity, Kenny Had a Notion (75-1), Raison d’Air, Sonic Brees, Sound the Charge, Waist Deep
• 150-1 Ambivalent, Ascot Storm, Awesome Gerry, Belafonte, Blue Gator (125-1), Bob’s Edge (opener), Breeze On By, Cajun Commander, Camp Hope, Fauci, Fury Kap, Hendavid, Hendrick, Highway Bound, Hold the Salsa, Kwist, Lugamo (120-1), Nova Rags, Poppy’s Pride (200-1), Positivity, Restored Order, Roderick, Run Snappy, Saffa’s Day, Thranduil, Tiz Mandate (opener), Twilight Blue, Ultimate Badger, Waspirant, Weston (100-1), Work Out
• 160-1 Isolate
• 175-1 Big Daddy Dave, Garoppolo, Hercules, Horn of Plenty (150-1), Lookin For Trouble (150-1), Real Talk (125-1), Schnell, Seazan (160-1), Son of a Beast, Upstriker, Xtreme Mayhem
• 200-1 Al Heybay, Ampersand, Big Flame, Boomer, Dalton, Superman Shaq, Tiz Handsome (150-1), What’s Up Surfer, Wyfire
• 225-1 Famous Gent (200-1), Tacoflavoredkisses
• 250-1 Basso (175-1), Erawan (150-1), It Can Be Done, Momos
• 300-1 Advance Cash (250-1),
• 350-1 Valiant Thor

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

And now the official 2021 Kentucky Derby futures betting list (#1 of 4):

Horse, trainer and morning line odds:

#1 Caddo River (Brad Cox, 30-1);
#2 Dr. Schivel (Mark Glatt, 30-1);
#3 Essential Quality (Brad Cox, 10-1);
#4 Fire At Will (Michael Maker, 30-1);
#5 Get Her Number (Peter Miller, 20-1);
#6 Highly Motivated (Chad Brown, 15-1);
#7 Hot Rod Charlie (Doug O'Neill, 20-1);
#8 Jackie's Warrior (Steve Asmussen, 20-1);
#9 Keepmeinmind (Robertino Diodoro, 20-1);
#10 King Fury (Kenny McPeek, 50-1);
#11 Life Is Good (Bob Baffert, 15-1);
#12 Midnight Bourbon (Steve Asmussen, 30-1);
#13 Pickin Time (Kelly Breen, 20-1);
#14 Red Flag (John Shirreffs, 30-1);
#15 Reinvestment Risk (Chad Brown, 30-1);
#16 Rombauer (Michael McCarthy, 30-1);
#17 Savile Row (Bob Baffert, 20-1);
#18 Scarred (Steve Asmussen, 30-1);
#19 Sittin On Go (Dale Romans, 30-1);
#20 Speaker's Corner (Bill Mott, 50-1)
#21 Super Stock (Steve Asmussen, 30-1);
#22 Ten for Ten (Shug McGaughey III, 50-1);
#23 All 3-Year-Old Fillies (50-1);
#24 All Other 3-Year-Old Colts and Geldings (6-5).​

The pool, which features $2 Win and Exacta wagering, opens Thursday at noon and will close Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.

As a reminder, if the horse does not run in the race, the bet is lost (no refunds).

The attraction is the early inflated odds

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Not that I needed outside influence to determine my experiences and evaluations but this list sets up quite nicely for what I have emphasized. Javier Castellano should not get a sniff at a nomination for one of the three Eclipse Award nominees. Others have passed him. Jose Ortiz, a recent champ, should have been a given in the top three but the past month or so has placed him outside the top three.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. should be the winner. The other two on my list remain Joel Rosario and Tyler Gaffalione. Luis Saez and even Flavien Prat, whose cause is weakened by money earned, could factor but they are fourth and fifth on my lists with Jose Ortiz and Florent Geroux to follow.

There may be potential for carryover from prior years but based on 2020, I pick Irad O., Rosario and Gaffalione.

2020 analytics say these are North America's top 20 jockeys
​

By factoring in earnings, wins, win percentage and in-the-money percentage, HRN has complied a list of the 20 most reliable jockeys of 2020. Only jockeys winning at 15 percent or higher with earnings topping $2 million were considered.

Jockey	Earnings (millions)	Wins	Win %	ITM %	Dirt %	Turf %	Stakes %
Irad Ortiz Jr.	$19.7	269	23	56	25	22	23
Flavien Prat	$10.9	184	24	57	23	25	26
Luis Saez	$15.5	235	19	49	20	18	19
Joel Rosario	$17.0	180	19	53	20	18	18
Tyler Gaffalione	$14.5	238	20	49	19	21	15
Florent Geroux	$13.6	140	19	43	20	16	19
Jose Ortiz	$13.0	177	19	50	18	19	12
John Velazquez	$13.7	94	15	44	18	12	10
Umberto Rispoli	$6.6	122	20	50	13	24	18
Javier Castellano	$12.5	108	17	50	17	17	17
Juan Hernandez	$5.5	191	23	56	27	14	11
Paco Lopez	$7.0	177	19	51	19	19	20
Pablo Morales	$2.6	150	25	56	26	25	12
Ricardo Santana Jr.	$11.9	167	17	44	19	9	16
Emisael Jaramillo	$6.5	189	17	43	18	15	21
Mike Smith	$4.5	45	19	47	25	15	16
Edgard Zayas	$6.4	207	17	45	17	16	14
David Cabrera	$4.3	210	20	56	22	13	18
Manny Franco	$11.5	132	15	42	18	8	13
Jose Lezcano	$7.3	111	16	48	17	15	14

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

It important to note that some jockeys are much better on turf than they are on dirt and vice-versa.

Best bets on dirt

Juan Hernandez - 27%
Pablo Morales - 26%
Irad Ortiz Jr. - 25%
Mike Smith - 25%​

​

Best bets on turf

Flavien Prat - 25%
Pablo Morales - 25%
Umberto Rispoli - 24%
Irad Ortiz Jr. - 22%
​

Biggest surface differences

Juan Hernandez - 13% better on dirt
Umberto Rispoli - 11% better on turf
Ricardo Santana Jr. - 10% better on dirt
Manny Franco - 10% better on dirt
Mike Smith - 10% better on dirt​

​

Best bets in stakes races

Flavien Prat - 26%
Irad Ortiz Jr. - 23%
Emisael Jaramillo - 21%
Paco Lopez - 20%
​

Best ROI among those listed

Umberto Rispoli: - 0.03
Juan Hernandez: - 0.03
Jose Lezcano: - 0.08
Pablo Morales: - 0.10​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

• Woodbine, which was scheduled to run through mid-December, is appealing to Ontario (Canada) provincial authorities to allow the track to continue operation. Local government officials authorized shutting establishments, including Woodbine, due to the C-virus this past weekend. Woodbine hopes to run on Sunday.

Pennsylvania 2021:

• The three tracks will combine to host 348 live racing dates.
  • Parx (Philadelphia area): 152 dates from Jan. 4-Dec. 19.
  • Presque Isle (Erie) : 100 dates from May 10-Oct. 21.
  • Penn National (near Harrisburg): 96 dates from Jan. 8 - Dec. 17.

Mountaineer (West Virginia):

• Race 9: The $2 Pick 4 paid over $12,000. While not chump change it paled in comparison to the $2 Pick 5 which returned an enormous sum of $121,554.60. That includes two favorites winning.

Delta Downs (Louisiana):

• Timothy Thornton and Karl Broberg teamed seven times and won five. They both finished the evening 7 5-0-0. They teamed to win the first two races and then after a hiatus for the third and fourth, recorded a natural hat trick beginning with the fifth race. They were 5-for-5 through seven races at one point.
• Opening day: Tonight was the first day of the meet that runs until April 16, 2021.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Schedule: A 51-race, $7 million stakes schedule for a 76-day racing season that begins Thanksgiving, Nov. 26.

Graded Stakes
Big weekend approaching for graded stakes highlighted by Thanksgiving on Thursday. TV coverage is on TVG and Fox Sports 2 for the most part. Tracks that run on Thanksgiving:

Churchill Downs,
Del Mar,
Fair Grounds,
Charles Town,
Laurel.​

The type of stakes (1, 2 or 3) follows:

Thursday

Churchill Downs: 2
Del Mar: 3​

Friday

Aqueduct: 3
Churchill Downs: 1
Del Mar: 2​

Saturday

Aqueduct: 3, 3
Churchill Downs: 2, 2
Del Mar: 1, 2, 3​

Sunday

Aqueduct: 3
Del Mar: 1, 3​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

TAMPA BAY DOWNS 2020-21

Tampa Bay Downs opens Wednesday, November 24. The 90-day meet runs through May 2. The track returns for its annual two-day meet on June 30 and July 1 done for fiscal purposes and then closes for live racing until near Thanksgiving 2021.

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$10,500	Claiming	1 mile 40 Yards	Dirt	7	12:25 PM
Race 2	$13,350	Maiden Claiming	7 Furlongs	Dirt	8	12:54 PM
Race 3	$12,350	Maiden Claiming	1 Mile	Turf	14	1:22 PM
Race 4	$10,200	Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	14	1:52 PM
Race 5	$17,100	Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	14	2:22 PM
Race 6	$10,200	Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	14	2:52 PM
Race 7	$18,000	Starter Allowance	5 Furlongs	Turf	14	3:22 PM
Race 8	$21,250	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	9	3:54 PM
Race 9	$12,850	Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	14	4:24 PM

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Santa Anita released its winter/spring schedule today. The meet runs from December 26 - June 20. Certainly one of the most anticipated annual meets, this winter/spring meet has the following highlights which includes 60 graded stakes 10 of which are grade ones.

2020 – 2021 Winter Spring Stakes Schedule Run Date Race Age Distance 2020-21 Purse [TBODY] [/TBODY] Sat. Dec 26 RUNHAPPY Malibu Stakes (Gr I) 3YO 7 F $300,000 Sat. Dec 26 La Brea Stakes (Gr I) F,3YO 7 F $300,000 Sat. Dec 26 San Antonio Stakes (Gr II) 3 &up 1 1/16 M $200,000 Sat. Dec 26 Mathis Brothers Mile (Gr II) 3YO 1 M(T) $200,000 Sat. Dec 26 Lady of Shamrock Stakes F,3YO 1 M(T) $75,000 Sat. Dec 26 American Oaks (Gr I) F,3YO 1 1/4 M (T) $300,000 Sun. Dec 27 Eddie Logan Stakes 2YO 1 M(T) $75,000 Sun. Dec 27 Robert J. Frankel Stakes (Gr III) F/M, 3&up 1 1/8 M (T) $100,000 Thurs. Dec 31 Blue Norther Stakes F,2YO 1 M(T) $75,000 Fri. Jan 1 Joe Hernandez Stakes (II) 4&up 6 1/2 F (T) $200,000 Sat. Jan 2 San Gabriel Stakes (Gr II) 4&up 1 1/8 M (T) $200,000 Sat. Jan 2 Sham Stakes (Gr III) 3YO 1 M $100,000 Sun. Jan 3 Santa Ynez Stakes (Gr II) F,3YO 7 F $200,000 Sat. Jan 9 La Canada Stakes (Gr II) F/M,4&up 1 1/16 M $200,000 Sat. Jan 9 Las Cienegas Stakes (Gr III) F/M,4&up 6 F (T) $100,000 Sun. Jan 10 Kalookan Queen Stakes F/M, 4&up 6 1/2 F $75,000 Sat. Jan 16 Unusual Heat Turf Classic 4&up (CA) 1 1/8 M (T) $200,000 Sat. Jan 16 Sunshine Millions F/M Turf Sprint F/M, 4 & up (CA) 6 F (T) $150,000 Sat. Jan 16 California Cup Sprint 4&up (CA) 6 F $150,000 Sat. Jan 16 California Cup Derby 3 YO (CA) 1 1/16 M $200,000 Sat. Jan 16 California Cup Oaks F, 3YO (CA) 1 M(T) $200,000 Sun. Jan 17 Astra Stakes (Gr III) F/M,4&up 1 1/2 M (T) $100,000 Mon. Jan 18 Megahertz Stakes (Gr III) F/M,4&up 1 M(T) $100,000 Sat. Jan 23 Palos Verdes Stakes (Gr II) 4&up 6 F $200,000 Sun. Jan 24 Clockers' Corner Stakes 4&up 6 F (T) $70,000 Sat. Jan 30 San Pasqual Stakes (Gr II) 4&up 1 1/8 M $200,000 Sat. Jan 30 San Marcos Stakes (Gr II) 4&up 1 1/4 (T) $200,000 Sat. Jan 30 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (Gr III) 3YO 1 1/16 M $100,000 Sun. Jan 31 Baffle Stakes 3YO 6 1/2 F (T) $75,000 Sat. Feb 6 Las Virgenes Stakes (Gr II) F,3YO 1 M $200,000 Sat. Feb 6 Thunder Road Stakes (Gr III) 4&up 1 M(T) $100,000 Sat. Feb 6 San Vicente Stakes (Gr II) 3YO 7 F $200,000 Sat. Feb 13 Santa Monica Stakes (Gr II) F/M, 4 & up 7 F $200,000 Sun. Feb 14 Sweet Life Stakes (GIII) F,3YO 6 F (T) $100,000 Mon. Feb 15 Wishing Well F/M,4&up 6 1/2 F (T) $75,000 Sat. Feb 20 Buena Vista Stakes (Gr II) F/M,4&up 1 M(T) $200,000 Sun. Feb 21 Spring Fever Stakes F/M, 4 & up (CA) 6 F $100,000 Sat. Feb 27 Pasadena Stakes (Listed) 3YO 1 M(T) $100,000 Sun. Feb 28 Tiznow Stakes 4&up (CA) 1 M $100,000 Sat. Mar 6 Santa Anita Handicap (Gr I) 4&up 1 1/4 M $400,000 Sat. Mar 6 San Carlos (Gr II) 4&up 7F $200,000 Sat. Mar 6 San Felipe Stakes (Gr II) 3YO 1 1/16 M $300,000 Sat. Mar 6 Frank E. Kilroe Mile (Gr I) 4&up 1 M(T) $400,000 Sat. Mar 6 China Doll Stakes F,3YO 1 M(T) $75,000 Sun. Mar 7 Santa Ysabel Stakes (G III) F,3YO 1 1/16 M $100,000 Sat. Mar 13 Beholder Mile (Gr I) F/M,4&up 1 M $300,000 Sat. Mar 13 San Simeon Stakes (Gr III) 4&up 6 F (T) $100,000 Sun. Mar 14 Irish O'Brien Stakes F/M, 4&up 6 F (T) $100,000 Sat. Mar 20 San Luis Rey Stakes (Gr III) 4&up 1 1/2 M (T) $100,000 Sun. Mar 21 Sensational Star Stakes 4&up (CA) 6 1/2 F (T) $100,000 Sat. Mar 27 Santa Ana Stakes (Gr III) F/M4&up 1 1/4 M (T) $100,000 Sun. Mar 28 Santana Mile 4&up 1 M $75,000 [TBODY] [/TBODY] [TBODY] [/TBODY]

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Sat. Apr 3 Santa Anita Derby (Gr I) 3YO 1 1/8 M $750,000 Sat. Apr 3 Santa Anita Oaks (Gr II) F, 3YO 1 1/16 M $400,000 Sat. Apr 3 Echo Eddie Stakes 3 YO (CA) 6 1/2 F $150,000 Sat. Apr 3 Evening Jewel F, 3 YO (CA) 6 1/2 F $150,000 Sat. Apr 3 Royal Heroine Stakes (Gr II) F/M4&up 1 M(T) $200,000 Sat. Apr 3 Providencia Stakes (Gr III) F,3YO 1 1/8 M (T) $100,000 Sun. Apr 4 Las Flores Stakes (Gr III) F/M,4&up 6 F $100,000 Sat. Apr 10 Mizdirection Stakes Listed) F/M 4&up 6 F (T) $75,000 Sat. Apr 17 Californian Stakes (Gr II) 4&up 1 1/8 M $200,000 Sun. Apr 18 Tokyo City Cup (Gr III) 4&up 11/2 M $100,000 Sun. Apr 18 Kona Gold Stakes (Gr III) 4&up 6 1/2 F $100,000 Sat. Apr 24 Santa Margarita Stakes (Gr II) F/M, 4&up 1 1/8 M $200,000 Sat. Apr 24 Crystal Water Stakes 3 &up (CA) 1 M(T) $100,000 Sun. Apr 25 Singletary Stakes 3YO 1 M(T) $100,000 Sat. May 1 Senorita Stakes (Gr III) F,3YO 1 M(T) $100,000 Sat. May 1 Angel's Flight Stakes F,3YO 7 F $75,000 Sat. May 8 Santa Barbara Stakes (Gr III) F/M, 3 &up 1 1/2 M (T) $100,000 Sun. May 9 Fran's Valentine Stakes F/M, 3 & up (CA) 1 M(T) $100,000 Sat. May 15 Lazaro Barrera Stakes (Gr III) 3YO 7 F $100,000 Sun. May 16 Desert Stormer Stakes (Gr III) F/M, 3 &up 6 F $100,000 Sat. May 22 Santa Maria Stakes (Gr II) F/M,3&up 1 1/16 M $200,000 Sat. May 22 Honeymoon Stakes (Gr III) F3YO 1 1/8 M (T) $100,000 Sun. May 23 Cinema Stakes 3YO 1 1/8 M (T) $100,000 Sat. May 29 Triple Bend Stakes (Gr II) 4&up 7 F $200,000 Sat. May 29 Charles Whittingham Stakes (Gr II) 3&up 1 1/4 M (T) $200,000 Sat. May 29 Daytona Stakes (Gr III) 4&up 6 1/2 F (T) $100,000 Sun. May 30 Summertime Oaks (Gr II) F,3YO 1 1/16 M $200,000 Mon. May 31 The Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita (Gr I) 3&up 1 1/4 M $300,000 Mon. May 31 Shoemaker Mile (Gr I) 3&up 1 M(T) $300,000 Mon. May 31 Gamely Stakes (Gr I) F/M, 3 &up 1 1/8 M (T) $300,000 Sat June 5 Monrovia Stakes (Gr II) F/M, 3 &up 6 1/2 F (T) $200,000 SUN. Jun 6 Desert Code Stakes 3YO 6 F (T) $75,000 Sat. Jun 12 Thor's Echo Stakes 3 &up (CA) 6 F $100,000 Sun. Jun 13 Affirmed Stakes (Gr III) 3YO 1 1/16 M $100,000 Sun. Jun 13 Possibly Perfect Stakes (Listed) F/M, 3 &up 1 1/4 M(T) $75,000 Sat. Jun 19 Snow Chief Stakes 3 YO (CA) 1 1/8 M (T) $150,000 Sat. Jun 19 Melair Stakes F, 3 YO (CA) 1 1/16 M $150,000 Sat. Jun 19 San Juan Capistrano Stakes (Gr III) 3&up abt 1 3/4 M(T) $100,000 Sat. Jun 19 Siren Lure Stakes 3&up 6 1/2 F (T) $75,000 Sun. Jun 20 Wilshire Stakes (Gr. III) F/M, 3 &up 1 M(T) $100,000 Sun. Jun 20 American (Gr III) 3&up 1 M(T) $100,000 Sun Jun 20 Fasig-Tipton Futurity 2YO 5 F $75,000 Sun Jun 20 Fasig-Tipton Debutante F 2YO 5 F $75,000 [TBODY] [/TBODY] [TBODY] [/TBODY]

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Tampa Bay Downs (Florida):

• Handle: More than $3.6 million was wagered on the card, an improvement of 13% compared to this date last year.
• Attendance: Over 2,000 people.
• Unofficial opening day: Today marked the opening day of the meet which closes May 2. The meet officially began on July 1, 2020 as the second day of an annual 2-day fiscal event. For stats purposes, results on July 1, 2020 count in this meet which officially ends on June 30, 2021. That date is the opening day of the 2021 2-day fiscal meet. Got all that?!
• Race 1: Jon Arnett, winning trainer, entered a horse at Tampa Bay for the first time. He is based at Prairie Meadows (Iowa) but has a stable of 40 horses at Tampa.

​

• Race 5: Jose Vega rode the winner. He was 1-for-37 in 2020 with 36 of his starts at Sam Houston (Texas).
• Samy Camacho won three times.
• Starting gate: Like its Florida soul mate Gulfstream, Tampa Bay milks the start of the race waiting for that last minute money to arrive. Zero minutes to post isn't always 0 MTP at either track but the handicapper has gotten use to that.

Gulfstream Park West (Florida):

• Edgar Prado won twice. He is the 8th winningest rider in North America history and he is nearing 7,100 in his career.
• Countdown....: Three days to go in the history of the former Calder.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Tyler Gaffalione added two wins to his meet lead of 34. He is winning at a 30% clip. He was named North America's Jockey of the Week.
• Michael Maker added two wins to his meet lead of 20. At one point into today's card, the trainer had won 8 of 11 races he entered at CD spanning multiple days. Wow!

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thursday, November 26, 2020 -- Happy Thanksgiving edition

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 9: The $.50 Pick 5 paid a gigantic $75,000+.
• Handle: $2.8 million.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Tyler Gaffalione won twice to boost his meet lead to 36. He will in all likelihood win another riders' title at a Kentucky track when this meet concludes this weekend.
• Race 11: The $.50 Pick 5 was massive at $55,000+. But the $.20 Pick 6 paid out over $328,000. After taxes, the winner received $249,392. He won LITERALLY on a $2 bet!
• Race 10: Envoutante (Brian Hernandez, Jr./Kenny McPeek) wired the field and opened it up in the stretch with a 6-length victory in the Grade 2 $200,000 Falls City Stakes as the second shortest price on the board. The 3-year-old Uncle Mo filly is now a multiple grades stakes winner.
• Race 7: Hindsight (Rafael Bejarano/Victoria Oliver) won. The trainer, who finished 1-2 in this race, won for her father G. Watts Humphrey, whose roots are in Pittsburgh and Ohio and who has a long list of T-bred ownership among his many business ventures.
• Kenny McPeek, who has many good young horses, has the odd record of 42 8-0-12 this meet.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Opening day: Today began the meet which runs to March 28.
• Shaun Bridgmohan opened the day in style with four victories. Mitchell Murrill, from Alabama, and Adam Beschizza, from England. both won twice.
• Race 8: Nitrous (Adam Beschizza/Steve Asmussen) won the $125,000 Thanksgiving Classic. The 4-year-old snapped a 9-race losing streak.

​

Del Mar (California):

• Handle: Close to $9,000,000.
• Race 8: The $.50 Pick 5 was hit for $248,187.20 in Maryland by someone who invested over $13,000 on the ticket. And the winner was.... Gregdar.

​

• Race 6: Orglandes (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Chad Brown) won the Grade 3 $100,000 Red Carpet Handicap. The French-bred, ridden and trained by East coast connections, withstood an inquiry for a bump in the stretch and improved to 3 2-0-1 in her U.S. career as a 4-year-old after seven undistinguished races in France as a 2- and 3-year-old.

​

• East coast riders; Irad Ortiz, Jr., Manny Franco and Joel Rosario were among those trekking to the west coast.

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Dark until 2021: The meet, which was scheduled to run into mid-December but was closed by provincial edict last weekend in a wide array of shutdowns, will not re-open for the balance of the scheduled meet despite pleas from track personnel. The track could re-open in late April 2021 but nothing official has been determined.
• Jockey champ: Rafael Hernandez (129 wins) won the riding title with seven wins over the last four cards. Justin Stein, who had an incredible year, followed with 126 victories but struggled the last four racing days going 32 1-6-6.
• Trainer champ: Mark Casse, Hall of Famer, dominated the meet with 93 wins which was 49 more than his closest challenger.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday at Del Mar

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post (PT)
Race 1	$59,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 3/8 Miles	Turf	11	12:30 PM
Race 2	$23,000	Maiden Claiming	5 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	8	12:59 PM
Race 3	$61,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 Mile	Turf	10	1:29 PM
Race 4	$57,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 Mile	Dirt	7	1:59 PM
Race 5	$100,000	Jimmy Durante S.	1 Mile	Turf	13	2:29 PM
Race 6	$21,000	Claiming	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	11	2:59 PM
Race 7	$200,000	Seabiscuit H.	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	13	3:27 PM
Race 8	$59,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	10	3:56 PM
Race 9	$300,000	Hollywood Derby	1 1/8 Miles	Turf	13	4:25 PM

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

HOLLYWOOD DERBY

What: Grade 1. The lone Grade I in North America on Saturday. This is an old-fashioned East coast vs. West coast battle.
Where: Del Mar Racetrack, Del Mar, CA (near San Diego)
When: Saturday, November 28, 2020, Race 9
Time: 4:25 pm PT (7:25 pm ET)
Who: 3-year-olds
Distance: 9 furlongs
Surface: Turf
Purse: $300,000
TV: TVG
History: Inaugurated in 1938. It was run at the defunct Hollywood Park until 2013. Bill Shoemaker won this race a record 8 times with the first and last victories 34 years apart.
Note: The #6 ran on Thursday.
​

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Kanderel (KY)	Geovanni Franco	122	Richard E. Mandella	-
2	Smooth Like Strait (KY)	Umberto Rispoli	122	Michael W. McCarthy	-
3	Scarto (KY)	Manuel Franco	122	Mike Puype	-
4	Taishan (KY)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	122	Richard Baltas	-
5	Storm the Court (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	122	Peter Eurton	-
6	California Kook (CA)	Ricardo Gonzalez	119	Peter Miller	-
7	Strongconstitution (KY)	Abel Cedillo	122	Doug F. O'Neill	-
8	Domestic Spending (GB)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Chad C. Brown	-
9	Get Smokin (KY)	Mike E. Smith	122	Thomas M. Bush	-
10	Decorated Invader (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	Christophe Clement	-
11	Ever Dangerous (KY)	Victor Espinoza	122	George Weaver	-
12	Lane Way (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	122	Richard E. Mandella	-
13	Gufo (KY)	Flavien Prat	122	Christophe Clement	-

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Churchill Downs on Saturday has a "Stars of Tomorrow" card including two stakes and one Kentucky Derby prep.

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post (ET)
Race 1	$85,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 Mile	Dirt	15	1:00 PM
Race 2	$85,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	14	1:28 PM
Race 3	$87,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	8	1:57 PM
Race 4	$85,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	13	2:27 PM
Race 5	$85,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 Furlongs	Dirt	16	2:57 PM
Race 6	$85,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/8 Miles	Dirt	13	3:27 PM
Race 7	$87,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	9	3:57 PM
Race 8	$87,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 Mile	Dirt	12	4:27 PM
Race 9	$200,000	Golden Rod S.	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	10	4:57 PM
Race 10	$87,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	7 Furlongs	Dirt	11	5:27 PM
Race 11	$200,000	Kentucky Jockey Club S.	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	9	5:56 PM
Race 12	$85,000	Maiden Special Weight	7 Furlongs	Dirt	16	6:24 PM

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB STAKES

What: Grade 2. Kentucky Derby prep race based on a 10-4-2-1 point system. This is the second of two November preps in the U.S. for the 2021 Derby. There are three in December (Aqueduct, Los Alamitos and Remington).
Where: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky
When: Saturday, November 28, 2020, Race 11
Time: 5:56 pm ET
Who: 2-year-olds
Distance: 1 1/16 miles
Surface: Dirt
Purse: $200,000
TV: Fox Sports 2
History: Inaugurated in 1920. The most recent winner of this race to win the Kentucky Derby was Super Saver in 2009 who set the record for fastest run in this race.
Note: The PPs do not match with the saddle cloths due to an entry in the race. Both are provided below.
​

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
2	1 Sittin On Go (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	122	Dale L. Romans	5/1
5	1A Smiley Sobotka (ON)	Corey J. Lanerie	122	Dale L. Romans	5/1
1	2 Swill (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Brad H. Cox	6/1
3	3 Arabian Prince (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	Dallas Stewart	8/1
4	4 Keepmeinmind (KY)	David Cohen	122	Robertino Diodoro	6/5
6	5 Inspector Frost (KY)	John R. Velazquez	122	Brad H. Cox	8/1
7	6 Oncoming Train (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	122	James P. DiVito	10/1
8	7 King Fury (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Kenneth G. McPeek	6/1
9	8 Ultimate Badger (KY)	Joseph Talamo	122	Dale L. Romans	15/1

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Churchill Downs' card today (Friday) includes the Grade I $500,000 Clark which has a deep field.

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post (ET)
Race 1	$28,500	Maiden Claiming	7 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	8	1:00 PM
Race 2	$22,000	Maiden Claiming	1 Mile	Dirt	14	1:28 PM
Race 3	$89,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	7 Furlongs	Dirt	5	1:57 PM
Race 4	$85,000	Maiden Special Weight	5 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	8	2:27 PM
Race 5	$87,000	Allowance	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	6	2:57 PM
Race 6	$34,000	Maiden Claiming	5 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	10	3:27 PM
Race 7	$40,500	Starter Allowance	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	9	3:57 PM
Race 8	$87,000	Allowance	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	9	4:27 PM
Race 9	$92,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 Mile	Dirt	9	4:57 PM
Race 10	$500,000	Clark S. presented by Norton Healthcare	1 1/8 Miles	Dirt	15	5:27 PM
Race 11	$85,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 Furlongs	Dirt	9	5:56 PM

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[bukwas]

Heck of an effort by Bodexpress in the Clark. Whether i'm betting on or against that horse i dont' cash my ticket.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Heck of an effort by Bodexpress in the Clark. Whether i'm betting on or against that horse i dont' cash my ticket.

We all seem to have a jockey or horse that consistently works against us. For a while, Gary Stevens and certainly John Velazquez have been known to interrupt the process.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday, November 27, 2020

• Christophe Clement entered horses in four races (multiple just once) and won each, three at Aqueduct and one at Tampa Bay.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Conditions: Muddy and off (except for two races) in which 28 horses were scratched.
• Race 9: Feel Glorious (Junior Alvarado/Christophe Clement) was sixth in the stretch but utilized every bit of energy in winning the $100,000 Forever Together Stakes. Alvarado's ride was herky-jerky and effusive maybe not pretty but man did he ride lights out! He was on his game today.

​

• Race 8: Mrs. Danvers (Jose Lezcano/Shug McGaughey) romped by more than 6 lengths in the Grade 3 $100,000 Comely Stakes.
• Race 5: City Man (Junior Alvarado/Christophe Clement) won the $100,000 Gio Ponti Stakes in a thriller over Bodecream (Eric Cancel/Michael Maker). A nose separation in what was one of those to your hat efforts to both riders and equine athletes.

• Christophe Clement trained three winners, twice with Junior Alvarado winning.
• Junior Alvarado was 5 2-2-1. Jose Lezcano and Eric Cancel also rode two winners.
• Handle: Roughly $9.5 million bet.

Gulfstream Park West (Florida):

• Countdown: The penultimate day in the life of the former Calder.
  
• Leonel Reyes rode three winners. The first winner snapped a 26-race skid.
• Race 2: A 1-to-9 shot placed.
  
• Jockeys' leaderboard: Edgard Zayas (41 wins), Miguel Vasquez (39) and Emisael Jaramillo (38).

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Race 11: Atlanta (Julie Burke/Wayne Mackey) was the lone first-time starter and won at 17-to-1. It was the trainer's first win since July 2018. He doesn't ship into Churchill too often; his last win there was October 2013. Another lone first-time starter was victorious, when it happens it usually happens big! The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $78,000.
• Race 10: Bodexpress (Rafael Bejarano/Gustavo Delgado) won the Grade I $500,000 Clark Handicap. It was the colt's fourth lifetime win in 17 starts and first victory outside of Gulfstream Park West. Code of Honor (John Velazquez/Shug McGaughey) placed as the favorite, the rider's lone mount of the day.

​

• Race 2: Robby Albarado's victory snapped a 56-race losing skid since he won the Preakness Stakes on board Swiss Skydiver on October 3.

Hawthorne (Illinois):

• Race 7: The $.50 trifecta was $823 with a 45-to-1 shot winning and a 144-to-1 shot in third. The $.50 Pick 3 paid an astonishing $5,800.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• James Graham rode four winners. Two cards have been run at the track and there have been two 4-race winners.

Del Mar (California):

• Race 7: Arklow (Joel Rosario/Brad Cox) won the 1 1/2 miles Grade 2 $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup stakes. The 6-year-old won for the 8th time in 31 starts and has surpassed $2.66 million in earnings. Arklow had travel issues arriving from Kentucky and for a while there was thought the horse could be scratched.

​

• Race 8: Golden Principal (Mike Smith/Bob Baffert) won for the second time in six starts. The duo has been known to find a winner or two.
• Joel Rosario, Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Manny Franco, the three East coast riders here for the weekend card, all won today.
• Handle: More than $11 million bet. Del Mar has been a cash cow this meet or so it seems. The meet ends Sunday. I would expect a significant handle boost when figures are released. Del Mar is scheduled to reopen July 7, 2021. Southern Cal racing:
  • Los Alamitos: December 4 - December 20, 2020.
  • Santa Anita: December 23 to June 22, 2021.
  • Los Alamitos: June 22 - July 6
  • Del Mar: July 7 - September 7
  • Los Alamitos: September 8 - September 28.
  • Santa Anita: September 9 - November 22
  • Del Mar: November 3 - November 30 -- BREEDERS' CUP: November 5-6
  • Los Alamitos: December 1 -December 14
  • Golden Gate: The main track in northern Cal runs from December 23, 2020, through June 15, 2021.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

• Goodbye: More than likely, today is the final day for horse racing at the venue known today as Gulfstream Park West and once known as Calder Race Course. The facility now has Jai Alai in addition to its popular casino which is in its 10th year. The track has hosted horse racing since May 6, 1971. It was never as glamorous as Gulfstream Park or certainly Hialeah in its zenith but Calder was a popular place where many jockeys got their starts prior to advancing elsewhere. The meets in recent years have been less than stellar and much of that is due to the time of the year in which other parts of the country (Kentucky, California, New York for starters) have more desirable options and then south Florida becomes the premier destination on the East coast beginning in December and lasting into April.
• Gulfstream 2021: All indications are that Gulfstream Park, operated by The Stronach Group, will increase its schedule by 20 dates for 2021. Gulfstream Park West (ex-Calder), which is operated by Churchill Downs, hosted 40 live racing days the past six years for purposes of legal reasons to operate a casino but leased the racing track to TSG. As such, there will probably be 20 fewer days of live racing in south Florida in 2021 compared to 2020. All racing appears to be headed for Gulfstream Park but in order to keep track maintenance the track is unlikely to consume all 40 dates. I would expect racing to be expanded to all 12 months at GP from January 1 - December 31 but with 20 less total dates. That is still a work in progress. Florida has appeal that few can match.

The final card in the life of Calder/Gulfstream Park West:

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post ET
Race 1	$46,000	Maiden Special Weight	7 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	12	12:35 PM
Race 2	$28,000	Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	7	1:04 PM
Race 3	$46,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	8	1:33 PM
Race 4	$46,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	8	2:02 PM
Race 5	$19,000	Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	11	2:31 PM
Race 6	$15,000	Maiden Claiming	7 Furlongs	Dirt	10	3:00 PM
Race 7	$19,000	Claiming	1 1/8 Miles	Turf	16	3:29 PM
Race 8	$25,000	Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	9	3:58 PM
Race 9	$25,000	Starter Optional Claiming	1 Mile	Turf	11	4:27 PM
Race 10	$19,000	Maiden Claiming	7 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	16	4:56 PM

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, November 28, 2020 (part 1 of 2)

Aqueduct (New York):

• Happy Thanksgiving, part 3: For the third time in three days, a major track saw a sizable 6-figure payout. It was Churchill ($328,000+) and Del Mar ($248,000+) on Thursday and now Aqueduct. CORRECTION: The winning Empire 6 ticket was purchased in Maryland at the Elite Turf Club which means two of the three enormous tickets were bought inside Maryland. The ticket cost $4,311.20. The winner collected $482,817.70.
• Handle: More than $12,000,000 bet today.
• Dylan Davis won three times. Kendrick Carmouche and Jose Lezcano, the latter on turf where he excels, both won twice.
  
• Race 10: Mutamakina (Dylan Davis/Christophe Clement) was sent off the favorite -- even when a favorite wins the finale at New York something seems to get attention -- and with it the Empire 6 was hit for over $480,000. The 4-year-old winner was bred in Great Britain and ran mostly in France prior to two races at New York and today was her first win on U.S. soil.
• Race 9: Turned Aside (Jose Lezcano/Linda Rice) won the $100,000 Turf Sprint Championship Stakes. Lezcano is a solid turf rider. The winner entered from Kentucky Downs, the short but popular annual meet held in September.
• Race 8: Kansas Kis (Dylan Davis/Ray Handal), a 15-to-1 morning line, was the victor. Among those who lost was a 3-to-5 morning line Center Aisle (Jose Ortiz/Chad Brown) who was a $1.5 million purchase by Larry Best, former CFO of Boston Scientific.... who won at Churchill later in the day.
• Race 7: Never Surprised (Kendrick Carmouche/Todd Pletcher) won the $100,000 Central Park Stakes. Mike Luzzi was unseated at the start and off his remaining mounts due to concussion protocol. Luzzi seemed OK at least initially. He has had a great career with multiple graded stakes winners. His son seems on his way to a good career as a rider as well. Luzzi is 2-for-120 in 2020. He has been often injured. Here's wishing him the best but at the same time ...he is in his 50s.
• Race 5: The two longest odds on the board finished 1-2 at 19-to-1 and 33-to-1, respectively. It was one of those races with little movement with the exception when the challenger past the leader prior to the wire.
• Race 4: Spirit Maker (Jose Lezcano/Todd Pletcher) was the only first-time starter in the $80,000 MSW race and won at 8-to-1. The horse was purchased for $330,000 by Paul Pompa who passed away earlier this year at too young of an age. The colt should be one to follow.
• Race 3: Forza Di Oro (Junior Alvarado/Bill Mott) won the $100,000 Grade 3 Discovery Stakes and received a solid 101 Beyer for the effort. In the field of five, this was the second longest shot on the board at 3-to-1 and competition was little match. The 3-year-old was the lightest raced horse with this his fifth start.
• Race 1: Charlie Marquez won the opener. He is in the mix for Apprentice of the Year in North America.
• Jockey leaders: Kendrick Carmouche leads with 16 victories. Among those not here this weekend were challengers Joel Rosario Irad Ortiz, Jr.
• Trainer leaders: Christophe Clement (40 14-6-0) and Todd Pletcher (32 11-2-4) are having awesome meets. Chad Brown had just 5 wins with 35 starters. Is his crown in jeopardy as Eclipse Award Trainer of the Year? Brad Cox is making a strong push.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Card: Many stakes. A fun day at handicapping.
• Sheldon Russell-Brittany Russell teamed to win consecutive races. Angel Cruz-Claudio Gonzalez also won twice as a team. Gonzalez leads all trainers at the meet with 17 wins.
  
• Sheldon Russell is 111 30-14-14 (27%/52%) at the meet. Brittany Russell is 29 15-5-5 (52%/86%) at the meet. They teamed four times today, won twice and failed to hit the board twice. Brittany has now failed to hit the board four times all meet. A remarkable number with 29 starters. She is winning at 27% in 2020. Laurel has deep fields!
• Race 3: Dontletsweetfoolya (Jevian Toledo/Lacey Gaudet) romped by more than five lengths in winning the $100,000 Primonetta Stakes at 4-to-1
• Race 4: Air Token (Horacio Karamanos/Jose Corrales) won the $100,000 Concern Stakes at 15-to-1.
• Race 5: Hello Beautiful (Sheldon Russell/Brittany Russell) won the $100,000 Safely Kept Stakes. The winner is an incredible 6 6-0-0 on the Laurel dirt course and 0-for-6 elsewhere or or Laurel turf. The filly seems to have the same appreciation of Laurel as do I. Brittany the trainer is well-spoken and seems humble. A great story teaming with her husband Sheldon. An interview follows the race here:

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• Race 6: Whereshetoldmetogo (Sheldon Russell/Brittany Russell) won the Frank Y. Whiteley Stakes in what was the ride of the day from what I witnessed. The winner was sent off at 7-to-2 down from a 12-to-1 morning line and withstood an objection by an opposing rider. The victory was by a nose and that could be an exaggeration. Great finish and especially the effort put in by jockey Sheldon. If you are going to ride like that, it should be for your wife! Good job by all.

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• Race 7: Eres Tu (Trevor McCarthy/Arnaud Delacour) won the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes at nearly 5-to-1.
• Race 8: Harpers First Ride (Angel Cruz/Claudio Gonzalez) was sent off the even-money favorite and won the $100,000 memorial race for deceased Maryland legendary trainer Dickie Smalls.
• Handle: $2.5 million.

Tampa Bay Downs (Florida):

• Handle: Just over $4 million.
• Samy Camacho is off to a hot start with 6 wins. He is among the favorites for riders' title.
• Gerald Bennett is off to a hot start with 5 wins among 12 starters. He is the favorite to win the trainers' title when the meet ends many months from now.

Gulfstream Park West (Florida):

• Swan song: For reasons mentioned in the above post, today is expected to be the final day of live racing at the casino. Here is the final replay show of Gulfstream Park West:

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• Race 10: Diligent (Victor Lebron/Eddie Plesa) broke his maiden in his fifth try at 7-to-1 and will go down in history as the final winner in the 50 year history of Calder/GPW. Plesa, in his 70s and who trains mostly in south Florida or New Jersey, is a member of the Calder Hall of Fame.
• Race 1: Major Frontier (Leonel Reyes/Lester Barbazon) won the opener as the longest shot on the board at 73-to-1 and paid $149.20.
• Edgard Zayas won three times and clinched the jockeys' title with 44 victories. Miguel Vasquez, who was a prime challenger, has not had a mount since his 4-win day on November 22. He is either suspended or injured but has mounts for opening day Wednesday, December 2.
• Rohan Crichton won the trainers' title with 19 victories. He was a blistering 35% at the meet.

 

[Preds Partisan]

Thanks for the memories Calder.