Horse Racing: BELMONT dates move to AQUEDUCT; SARATOGA opens July 11

[GKJ]

Another horse dies at Santa Anita. That's 30. 4 for Jerry Hollendorfer who has now been banned from the track as an investigation is ongoing.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

We had a 19-winner?

Yes. And officially the color is moonstone denim.

Another horse dies at Santa Anita. That's 30. 4 for Jerry Hollendorfer who has now been banned from the track as an investigation is ongoing.

All Stronach tracks, two in California, Laurel, Gulfstream etc. though it is unlikely he would ship there. Another that happened other than in racing.

New York (Saratoga and Belmont) has granted him stalls as of earlier today and two tracks in California (Pleasanton and Los Al) appear to allow him privileges. No word that I saw on Del Mar. He is a Hall of Famer and in his 70s. He probably will give his horses to an assistant in New York, I doubt he personally sets up shop there.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

June 23, 2019

• Brad Cox was a perfect 2 2-0-0 today and won at both Belmont and Churchill. His numbers this month:

Track​	Starts​	Win​	Place ​	Show​	Win%/Money%​
Churchill Downs (Kentucky)​	23​	8​	5​	4​	35%/74%​
Indiana Grand (Indiana)​	11​	6​	2​	0​	55%/73%​
Belmont Park (New York)​	11​	5​	2​	3​	45%/82%​
Thistledown (Ohio)​	1​	1​	0​	0​	100%/100%​
Evangeline (Louisiana)​	1​	0​	0​	1​	0%/100%​
Totals​	47​	20​	9​	8​	43%/79%​

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Belmont (New York):

• Race 3: Junior Alvarado (Munchkin Money, trained by Christophe Clement) gave what I thought was the best ride of the day at any track I watched. It was that good. Junior checked, steadied not once but twice and then incredibly found a seam in between two of today's greats in Joel Rosario and Irad Ortiz, Jr. This was truly a spectacularly timed race. Alvarado usually excels on the outside but he doubled the needed fortitude and impressed mightily.

​

• Race 5: Brad Cox won with his only starter on the card. The trainer is 30 12-6-6 (40%/80%) at the meet. This was a $150,000 New York Stallion Stakes (one of two on the day).
• Race 6: Cleon Jones made his maiden start. There must be an old-time Mets' fan out there.
• Race 8: Luis Saez delivered with a 10-to-1 shot for trainer James Bond in the other $150,000 New York Stallion Series.
• Race 9: Cat Lady Steph (Luis Reyes/Greg Matties) paid $58 in winning the finale. The rider delivered with two high prices yesterday and improved to 3-1-1 with his last five rides. The trainer has two brothers who are professional gamblers, perhaps they cashed with this beauty. The $2 Pick 6 paid out over $21,000 to those who hit five of the six races. If the even-money favorite Mike's Girl (Kendrick Carmouche/Danny Gargan) had won, $250,155 would have been handed to two winning handicappers as they would have split the $500k pool. The $2 Pick 4 was a stunning $26,000+.

​

• Pick 6 Carryover: $500,000+ for Wednesday's card.
• Chalk bit the dust: Favorites failed to win in seven of the nine races.
• Handle: Nearly $10 million bet.

Monmouth (New Jersey):

• Race 7: Jersey Joe Bravo amuses me. And there he was in the winner's circle waving the U.S. flag. He won with his only starter. The last three racing days, he is 10 4-3-1 and all at his home track. He has been in the money 75% at this meet.
• Race 2: Shancelot (Emisael Jaramillo/Jorge Navarro) was strong in his second race. The 3-year-old Shanghai Bobby colt was quickly dubbed the "best horse I have trained" by Navarro who has been known to be boisterous. Let's see what kind of future the horse possesses.
• Jose Ferrer won four times and finished 9 4-0-3. He is second at the meet in victories with 29, six behind Nik Juarez.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 6: Ashley Castrenze won for the 2nd time in 25 starts this year. She appeared to be left in the dust but the inside was left open and she delivered with a 15-to-1 shot. Whenever Ashley wins, birds sing in unison, lions and zebras high-five and a certain handicapper is delirious.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Rainbow Six: It surpassed $3 million yet again. The next card will see a 'pot begin at $2.87 million.

Santa Anita (California):

• Closing day of the meet: Southern California racing shifts to Los Alamitos (June 29-July 14), Del Mar (July 17-Sept. 2), Los Alamitos (Sept. 5-Sept. 22) and Santa Anita (Sept. 26- Nov. 3, Breeders' Cup host) barring any changes.
• Leading rider at the meet: Flavien Prat with 82 wins.
• Leading trainer at the meet: Doug O'Neill with 52 wins.
• Race 10: The $.20 Pick 6 paid over $70,000 to all 15 winning tickets.
• Race 8: Acclimate (Martin Garcia/Phil D'Amato) paid $21 in winning the $100,000 Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes. The winner was sent off with the second highest odds and went wire-to-wire in a field of seven.

​

• Race 6: The longest shot on the board at 7-to-2 won the $200,000 Melair Stakes purse. Bettors couldn't make up their minds in a field of five as all entered had odds between 2.10 and 3.90 on the dollar.
• Race 5: Majestic Eagle (Rafael Bejarano/Neil Drysdale) won the Grade 3 American Stakes and its $100,000 purse.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

BELMONT
With both Belmont (New York) and Gulfstream (Florida) running mid-week cards (Wed in NY, Thurs in FL), the Pick 6 pools will be getting much attention at both tracks. It will exceed $500,000 easily at New York and has surpassed $3 million at Gulf. Look at Gulf's card on Saturday, which should be released today or tomorrow, for some options including a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" race. Belmont on Wednesday:

[TR][TH]Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post (ET)
Race 1	$62,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	9	1:30 PM
Race 2	$70,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	5	2:05 PM
Race 3	$60,000	Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	8	2:38 PM
Race 4	$82,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	Turf	8	3:11 PM
Race 5	$46,000	Maiden Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	11	3:44 PM
Race 6	$62,000	Maiden Special Weight	5 Furlongs	Dirt	6	4:17 PM
Race 7	$66,000	Allowance	6 Furlongs	Turf	12	4:50 PM
Race 8	$41,000	Maiden Claiming	6 Furlongs	Turf	12	5:23 PM

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[TBODY][TR][TH]Gulfstream

[TR][TH]Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$19,000	Maiden Claiming	About 7 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	12	11:30 AM
Race 2	$17,000	Claiming	1 Mile	Dirt	8	12:03 PM
Race 3	$75,000	Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint S.	5 Furlongs	Turf	7	12:36 PM
Race 4	$17,000	Maiden Claiming	1 Mile	Dirt	9	1:09 PM
Race 5	$33,000	Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	11	1:43 PM
Race 6	$75,000	Carry Back S.	7 Furlongs	Dirt	8	2:16 PM
Race 7	$47,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	5 Furlongs	Turf	9	2:49 PM
Race 8	$75,000	Azalea S.	7 Furlongs	Dirt	9	3:21 PM
Race 9	$21,000	Claiming	About 7 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	12	3:54 PM
Race 10	$52,500	Maiden Special Weight	5 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	10	4:26 PM
Race 11	$22,000	Claiming	About 7 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	16	4:58 PM
Race 12	$250,000	Princess Rooney S.	7 Furlongs	Dirt	7	5:30 PM
Race 13	$250,000	Smile Sprint S.	6 Furlongs	Dirt	7	6:02 PM
Race 14	$19,000	Maiden Claiming	About 7 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	13	6:34 PM

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Darn, darn and darn. Now Elizabeth Dobles got the pub that will kill the odds with her I enjoyed.

I have mentioned her in this thread as a primary trainer for Imaginary Stables, the south Florida outfit with Philadelphia/South Jersey connections.

Young Trainer Dobles Brings Royal Squeeze To Smile Sprint On Four-Race Win Streak - Horse Racing News | Paulick Report

Horse racing has taken Elizabeth Dobles quite literally around the world, from the small town of Canandaigua in the Finger Lakes region of western New York to the world-class center of business, culture and trade that is Hong Kong.

These days, in her third full year of training Thoroughbreds, South Florida is home for the 28-year-old Dobles, off to the best start of her fledgling career. Not yet halfway through 2019, she is poised to shatter personal bests in starts, wins and purses earned.

Last month, Dobles won stakes a week apart at Gulfstream Park, where she is tied for sixth in wins and ranks as the No. 2 percentage trainer (34 percent), having gone 11-for-32 at the spring meet which ends Sunday, June 30. Before it's over, Dobles could make another significant addition to her growing resume.​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

From the poor house to the penthouse. Paco Lopez, coming off a 60-day suspension for multiple riding violations at Gulfstream which was reduced to 30 days, returned to racing at Monmouth in mid-June. Today he was named Jockey of the Week. That'll learn 'em.

Stakes Triple for Paco Lopez Results in FoundationDetox.com Jockey of the Week Honors - Jockey Talk 360

With three stakes wins, including the only Grade 1 event of the week, Paco Lopez was chosen as Jockeys’ Guild Foundation Detox Jockey of the Week for June 17-23, 2019. The award is voted on by a panel of experts for riding accomplishments by members of the Jockeys’ Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 riders in North America. Jockey of the Week is sponsored by FoundationDetox.com, America’s #1 Equine Toxin Remover.

Paco Lopez was the only North American jockey to win more than one stakes race last week; he picked up wins in three stakes at Monmouth Park. His stakes victories began on Saturday with a win in the $150,000 Eatontown Stakes (G3) with heavy favorite Valedictorian ($3.60) in an easy three-length win.

He returned to the winner’s circle for the feature race and only Grade 1 of the week, the $310,000 United Nations Stakes. Lopez surprised fans and bettors with a win aboard Hunter O’Riley ($30.20), defeating post-time favorite Channel Cat and Bigger Picture, who competed in the race for the fourth time.​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

SUFFOLK DOWNS
Suffolk Downs (Massachusetts) will be running its final two cards this weekend after 84 years in the business. Some indications persist that one and maybe two groups are discussing reviving the sport in more rural parts of the state with simulcasting and possible sports betting (2020) as a joint venture.

My assumption is the final two races listed on each card could be run as exhibition races prior to each day's first race. Both are limited fields of Massachusetts breds. In the past. these have been non-betting races. A possibility is that a local should go out the winner in the finale of an illustrious track's history and therefore perhaps wagering will be allowed and as such the post times as listed will not be altered. Eventually that will be confirmed as race conditions dictate.

Approximately 275 horses have been entered for this final weekend.

Saturday

[TR][TH]Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$32,500	Claiming	About 1 Mile	Turf	12	12:55 PM
Race 2	$27,500	Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	8	1:22 PM
Race 3	$30,000	Claiming	About 7 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	14	1:49 PM
Race 4	$40,000	Claiming	About 1 Mile	Turf	11	2:16 PM
Race 5	$25,000	Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	14	2:43 PM
Race 6	$30,000	Claiming	About 5 Furlongs	Turf	14	3:10 PM
Race 7	$55,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	About 1 1/2 Miles	Turf	12	3:37 PM
Race 8	$27,500	Claiming	1 Mile	Dirt	14	4:04 PM
Race 9	$100,000	James B. Moseley S.	About 5 Furlongs	Turf	8	4:32 PM
Race 10	$30,000	Maiden Claiming	About 7 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	14	5:00 PM
Race 11	$50,000	Ask Queenie Dirt Mile S.	1 Mile	Dirt	6	5:30 PM
Race 12	$50,000	MA Stallion S.	6 Furlongs	Dirt	6	6:00 PM

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[TBODY][TR][TH]Sunday

[TR][TH]Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$30,000	Claiming	About 7 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	14	12:55 PM
Race 2	$20,000	Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	14	1:22 PM
Race 3	$30,000	Claiming	About 5 Furlongs	Turf	13	1:49 PM
Race 4	$30,000	Claiming	About 1 Mile 70 Yards	Turf	14	2:16 PM
Race 5	$25,000	Claiming	1 Mile	Dirt	14	2:43 PM
Race 6	$30,000	Claiming	About 5 Furlongs	Turf	13	3:10 PM
Race 7	$40,000	Claiming	About 7 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	8	3:37 PM
Race 8	$27,500	Claiming	5 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	13	4:04 PM
Race 9	$35,000	Claiming	About 1 Mile	Turf	11	4:32 PM
Race 10	$30,000	Maiden Claiming	About 1 Mile	Turf	14	5:00 PM
Race 11	$50,000	Thomas F. Moran S.	About 7 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	6	5:30 PM
Race 12	$50,000	John Kirby S.	1 Mile	Dirt	4	6:00 PM

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

QUEEN'S PLATE STAKES

What: Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race. The first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown of which there have been 12 winners.
Where: Woodbine Racetrack, Toronto, Ontario
When: Saturday, June 29, 2019, Race 10
Post time: 5:36 pm Eastern Time.
Who: 3-year-olds.
Distance: 1 1/4 miles
Surface: All weather track
Purse: $1,000,000
Television: TVG (24/7 horse racing channel).
History:. Inaugurated in 1860.
Preview: Preakness, Belmont are nice, but Casse wants to win Queen’s Plate again
Note: Javier Castellano and Flavien Prat are the U.S. riders in the race. Jamie Spencer comes in from the U.K.
​

[TR][TH]PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Desert Ride (ON)	Steven Ronald Bahen	121	Neil J. Howard	8/1
2	Moon Swings (ON)	Jesse M. Campbell	126	Michael P. De Paulo	30/1
3	Krachenwagen (ON)	Jeffrey Ian Alderson	126	Angus Buntain	50/1
4	Pay for Peace (ON)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	126	Rachel Halden	15/1
5	One Bad Boy (ON)	Flavien Prat	126	Richard Baltas	7/2
6	Lucas n' Lori (ON)	Kazushi Kimura	126	Kevin Attard	50/1
7	Federal Law (ON)	Jamie P. Spencer	126	Mark E. Casse	15/1
8	He's a Macho Man (ON)	Patrick Husbands	126	Josie Carroll	15/1
9	Suitedconnected (ON)	Gary Boulanger	126	Robert Earl Barnett	50/1
10	Skywire (ON)	Eurico Rosa Da Silva	126	Mark E. Casse	4/1
11	Tone Broke (ON)	Luis Contreras	126	Steven M. Asmussen	6/1
12	Jammin Still (ON)	Alan Garcia	126	Kevin Attard	30/1
13	Rising Star (ON)	Justin Stein	126	Michael P. De Paulo	30/1
14	Avie's Flatter (ON)	Javier Castellano	126	Josie Carroll	5/2

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

June 26, 2019

Belmont (New York):

• The $2 Pick 6 paid out $22,000+ to all winners. The pool reached $2.89 million with Belmont one of the few major tracks operating on a quiet Wednesday.
• Luis Saez won twice and continued his torrid pace. Saez has won 16 of his last 39 starts. The formidable lead once held by Jose Lezcano (39 wins) in the meet's standings is now down to four.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

June 27, 2019

• The 2019 Breeders' Cup will remain at Santa Anita.
• Brad Cox's numbers this month:

Track​	Starts​	Win​	Place ​	Show​	Win%/Money%​
Churchill Downs (Kentucky)​	26​	10​	6​	4​	38%/77%​
Indiana Grand (Indiana)​	12​	6​	2​	1​	50%/75%​
Belmont Park (New York)​	11​	5​	2​	3​	45%/82%​
Thistledown (Ohio)​	1​	1​	0​	0​	100%/100%​
Evangeline (Louisiana)​	1​	0​	0​	1​	0%/100%​
Totals​	51​	22​	10​	9​	43%/80%​

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

​

Belmont (New York):

• Late start: Another "Twilight Thursday." Saratoga starts on July 11.
• Race 7: A 20-to-1 shot, the longest on the board, was the victor. The $1 Pick 3 paid over $4,000.
• Race 5: A 29-to-1 shot, the longest on the board, was the victor. Closing on the rail in style.
• Jim Ryerson had two wins and ended the day 3-for-33 at the meet. The trainer won two of the first three races.
• Jose Lezcano's (39 wins) lead in the rider standings has shrunk to two as Luis Saez (37) continues his hot streak. Saez has won 18 of his last 45 starts.

Delaware Park (Delaware):

• Bombs: High prices throughout the day. Good for Delaware to get some much needed exposure.
• Race 8: The $2 Pick 4 paid $12,937.
• Race 7: The $2 Pick 3 paid over $7,720.20.
• Race 6: The $2 double paid $1,994.40. The $2 Pick 3 paid $14,860.20.
• Race 5: Alydarius (Joseph Schneider/Hubert Gaffney) won at 80-to-1 and paid $162.00 The field included 10 horses. The $2 double was $1,262.
• Races 4 and 5: Ashley Castrenze rode consecutive South Carolina-breds. Neither factored. SC-breds are a precious few.
• Race 4: Won by a Washington-bred. This is at least the third Washington-bred to win on the east coast this month.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Race 9: The $.20 Pick 6 paid out $3,151,249 to one winning ticket when the 4 crossed the finish line. The $2 Pick 5 was a monster at $98,827.20. The $2 Pick 4 paid over $43,000. "MILLIONS ON THE LINE," per track caller.

​

• Race 5: Trainer Jose D'Angelo won for the first time in his career which is a total of three starts.
• Race 4: 10-pound bug Gaddiel Martinez won for the first time in his career in his 115th try. That is a long time to break one's maiden. Trainer Alexis Cordero-Lopez won for the first time this meet in his 31st start. $347,000 was added into the Rainbow 6 which exceeded $3.1 million.
• Race 3: For the second time in a few days, the program listed a 99-to-1 morning line.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Races 1 and 2: The team of Shaun Bridgmohan and Brad Cox won the first two races. Cox is scorching this month.
• Brian Hernandez, Jr won three time, twice for Ken McPeek which came in the final two races.

Lone Star (Texas):

• Race 2: Nothinglefttogain (Richard Eramia/Steve Asmussen) won by 24 3/4 lengths.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Just a follow up on a previous conversation on this thread.

In the just concluded 7th race at Belmont, there were two horses which dead heated for 2nd. The first place finisher was DQd for interference against one of the dead heat horses. Both of the dead heated horses moved into a dead heat for the win and the horse which crossed the wire first was placed 3rd.

It was a just DQ as the horse I had to win (the horse on whom the inference occurred )was elevated to the shared victory.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Just a follow up on a previous conversation on this thread.

In the just concluded 7th race at Belmont, there were two horses which dead heated for 2nd. The first place finisher was DQd for interference against one of the dead heat horses. Both of the dead heated horses moved into a dead heat for the win and the horse which crossed the wire first was placed 3rd.

It was a just DQ as the horse I had to win (the horse on whom the inference occurred )was elevated to the shared victory.

I don't recall the last time I saw that and was going to notify you via a PM after doing the daily summary for today. It seemed so obvious in retrospect that a DH couldn't be split. Split the atom? Yes. Split a DH? No.

And it was Luis Saez who was DQ'd. I assume he will get a suspension,

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

June 28, 2019

Belmont (New York):

• Race 9: The $2 Pick 6 paid over more than $52,000.
• Race 7: A scarce moment when a photo was needed to determine second from third place while an objection/inquiry was lodged against the winner by one of the runners up. The photo determined a deadheat for second place. Then came the decision to remove the original winner and elevate the connections claiming foul. As such, both horses involved in the deadheat -- remember, only one lodged an objection -- got elevated to a deadheat victory. Javier Castellano and Philly-based Ruben Silvera got to celebrate while Luis Saez again was removed from a win.
• Joel Rosario won the opener. You know what that means. If he wins early on the card he will repeat. He had three winners including an Australian-bred offspring of former Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom.
• Luis Saez won twice and was DQ'd from a win another time. He is now tied with Jose Lezcano atop the rider standings at the meet which ends on July 7.
• Junior Alvarado won twice including for trainer Orlando Nota who won for the second time in his career (both times with Alvarado riding). He is 144 31-15-26 (22%/50%) at the meet. Superb numbers.

​

• Chad Brown is probably the best turf trainer in New York, but Christophe Clement could be second. Clement had two starters today and each won on grass.

Monmouth (New Jersey):

• Joe Bravo had three rides and won twice, each for trainer Jonathan Thomas who sent out two starters. Jersey Joe is 54 14-17-10 (26%/76%) at the meet.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 1: A thrilling opener in which Jenn's the Boss appeared safely ahead in the stretch but was passed by a pair of rivals just before the wire. Forest Boyce, the winning rider, was on board a 14-to-1 shot. Sheldon Russell, riding for his wife Brittany, finished second. They hit the board with a high frequency when teamed though wins are not as prevalent. The trainer has hit the board 10 of 15 times this year.
• Race 2: Ashley Castrenze won. When Ashley C. wins, bears and salmon kiss, roaches are pretty and every day has sunshine, lollipops and rainbows.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Race 1: A very close finish in which the original winner at 30-to-1 was DQ'd to second place after an inquiry/objection. The DQ'd rider had one win all year.

​

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Race 11: The $.20 Pick 6 paid over $54,000. High payouts following the race including a $.50 Pick 3 that returned nearly $1,000. Rafael Bejarano, now stationed in California, returned to Kentucky and won the finale.
• Corey Lanerie, who had a natural hat trick early in the day, has a 12-win lead atop the rider standings at the meet and that is more than enough to give him the title.
• Repeat winners; Corey Lanerie (3), Tyler Gaffalione (2), Adam Beschizza (2) and Florent Geroux (2).
• Brian Hernandez, Jr. became the 13th jockey in history to win 600 times at Churchill Downs.
• Closing day: Churchill's meet closes following racing on Saturday, June 29.
• Ellis Park opens on June 30 and ends September 2.

Indiana Grand (Indiana):

• Race 1: The winner paid $118.80. The $2 tri paid over $10,000.

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Race 8: The longest shot on the board won at 40-to-1.
• Eurico Da Silva, the meet's leading rider, won his first three starts and ended the day with three wins aboard four mounts.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

June 29, 2019

Suffolk Downs (Massachusetts):

• Day 5 of 6 for the meet: The penultimate day of racing in the 84-year history of the facility. Tomorrow is expected to be the final day of racing at the track but that depends on damages caused by today's rough weather.
• Power outage/flooding: Due to a power outage at the facility, flooding and area lightning strikes, the card was canceled following the sixth race. Track conditions were deemed potentially hazardous due to powerful thunderstorms late in the afternoon.
• Kevin Gomez, who normally rides at Laurel, had two mounts and won both.
• Luis Quiniones and Jay Bernaradini teamed for two wins including a $17 winner in the fourth race. They have won four of their last eight starts as a team. Bernardini, who I have mentioned a few times in this thread, is as good as any trainer who has come out of Suffolk in recent years. To get him at that price is a gift.
• Races 11 and 12 (in the program): Non-betting exhibition races which were run prior to the first race.

Belmont (New York):

• Mid-card weather: "Horses being sent back to paddock as Wizard of Oz-like storm hits Belmont," per David Grening of the DRF.
• Race 8: Dunbar Road (Jose Ortiz/Chad Brown) won the $250,000 Grade 2 Mother Goose as the 2-to-5 favorite in a field of six.
• Jose Ortiz, who is now fourth in the rider standings, won four times with eight starts.
• Jose Lezcano (40 wins) pulled ahead of Luis Saez (39 wins), who was at Gulfstream, in the rider standings.
• Jerry Hollendorfer was informed today that he will not be allowed to enter horses at New York tracks by the NYRA. This is a reversal of a decision announced a few days ago based on the California trainer's banishment from Stronach owned tracks.

Monmouth (New Jersey):

• Nik Juarez began the card with a natural hat trick and won four times. The leading rider at the meet, he ended the day 10 4-2-3 and finished in the money nine times with 10 mounts.
• Paco Lopez was 9 3-4-0. He is riding at a 31% clip this meet.
• Kent Sweezey sent out four horses and won three times. The trainer, who learned under Jimmy Jerkens in the east and Eoin Harty out west, has less than 50 lifetime wins in his young career of three years.

Delaware Park (Delaware):

• Canceled: Due to rough weather, the seventh and eighth races were canceled.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: Over $8,000,000 was bet.
• Race 1: An 11:45 a.m. ET post for an extensive card.
• Race 2: Doc Kane (Cristian Torres/Elizabeth Dobles) won. Ownership Imaginary Stables yet again got a victory. The trainer is hitting at a 34% clip.
• Race 12: Stormy Embrace (Wilmer Garcia/Kathleen O'Connell) got an invitation to the Breeders' Cup for a second straight year after winning the $250,000 Grade 2 Princess Rooney Stakes, 7 furlongs on turf, as the favorite in the field of six. The 5-year-old Florida-bred mare won for the ninth time including six times on the Gulfstream turf. She finished 11th in the Breeders' Cup Fillies and Mare Sprint in 2018.
• Race 13: Diamond Oops (Julien Leparoux/Patrick Biancone) won the $250,000 Grade 3 Smile Sprint Stakes.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Meet finale: The last day of the meet. The card consisted of 12 races, nine had purses $90,000+.
• Race 11: Phantom Boss (Rafael Bejarano/Jorge Periban) won the $125,000 Grade 3 Bashford Manor Stakes and made Californians proud. The 2-year-old colt won for the second time in three lifetime starts and was bred in California. The jockey returned to Kentucky from California and won two of six starts the last two days. The trainer, based in California, doesn't send out many horses and has 310 wins since the 1980.
• Corey Lanerie won twice including the finale. He won the Churchill rider's title for the 17th time and rather handily with 43 wins.
• Steve Asmussen won the Churchill trainer's title for a record-setting 21st time with 28 victories.

Arlington (Illinois):

• Christopher Emigh won twice and enters tomorrow's racing with 3,999 wins. He will try to become the 77th jockey in North America annals to win 4,000 races.
• Race 8: My Mertie (Carlos Marquez, Jr./Michele Boyce) was the shocking winner of the $100,000 Grade 3 Chicago Handicap as the second longest shot on the board in a field of nine. The 7-year-old mare was one of only two Illinois breds in the race and paid $69.40. The 33-to-1 shot was 6th at the half mile pole.

​

Lone Star (Texas):

• Karl Broberg, who leads North America trainers in wins this year, had a natural hat trick beginning with race 3.

Los Alamitos (California):

• Opening day: Today was the meet opener for T-bred racing. The meet ends July 14.
• Race 8: In the feature race, the two longest shots on the board topped the ticket in a field of six. Soi Phet (Kent Desormeaux/Leonard Powell), in his final race, finished last and the 11-year-old gelding ended his career 64 15-7-6 with over a million dollars in earnings.

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Card: A 12-race card of which six held purses more than $100,000. There were three stakes races in addition to the $1,000,000 race.
• Race 10: One Bad Boy (Flavien Prat/Richard Baltas) won the $1,000,000 Queen's Plate for three-year-olds foaled in Canada. Prat was one of three riders in the field of 14 who does not normally ride at the track. 11 of the 14 horses ran their prior race at the track however the trifecta was comprised by the three that ran elsewhere. The 3-year-old ridgling raced outside California for the first time and is now 5 2-2-1. This is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

​

• Race 9: Wet Your Whistle (Alex Cintron/Michael Trombetta) won the $300,000 Grade I. WYW ran on the Woodbine turf for the first time and won for the 5th time in 11 starts.
• Race 8: Holy Helena (Javier Castellano/Jimmy Jerkens) won the $210,000 Grade 2. The 5-year-old mare has earned over $1,000,000 and won for the 8th time in 18 starts,
• Race 6: Synchrony (Javier Castellano/Michael Stidham) won the $175,000 Grade 2. The consistent 6-year-old has won 9 times in 23 starts and missed the board just four times.

Chantilly (France):

• Maven (Mickael Barzalona/Wesley Ward) gives American Pharoah his first graded stakes win. Maven was entered at Royal Ascot but did not run.

​

 

[Preds Partisan]

Power outage and storms at Suffolk Downs...not sure if that's a fitting end or not.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Power outage and storms at Suffolk Downs...not sure if that's a fitting end or not.

Supposedly, Monday could determine racing being generated in the western part of the state while simulcast continues in the Boston area as track management ,eets with state legislature.

UPDATE: Suffolk will race again on Sunday.

Last night Illinois passed its gaming legislation which could include casinos, slots and sports betting at the state's race tracks. A casino in downtown Chicago, too.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

This horse will run at some time. Will it be a Saratoga debut?

Horse name	Tatweej
Activity type	Workout
Activity date	06-29-2019
Track	Saratoga
Surface	Dirt
Distance	4 Furlongs
Workout type	Breezing
Workout time	0:48.33
Track condition	Fast

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

June 30, 2019

Suffolk Downs (Massachusetts):

• 84 years of racing ended today: It is a mirthless and harrowing experience to witness such a historic entity conclude. The cast of characters that the track produced, resuscitated and advanced reads like Hollywood fiction. The stories abound and the feeble would cower at the mere mention of truths and encounters. The facility was sold and will become a typical bland mixed use residential property but the memories can never be matched and should not be erased or forgotten. A race track is a community, diverse in its personalities but one that bonds unmatched in traditional societal circles. Horses are raced, treasured and provide affection and entertainment. The backside employees, jockeys, trainers, owners and everyone employed in some capacity form friendships to sporting rivalries and become extended families. To destroy that is a pitiful feeling for those affected. Dancing on someone's grave should not be commended.

​

• Handle and attendance: An estimated crowd ranging from 12,000 to 15,000 (the latter from Bloodhorse) attended the final day and bet more than $349,000. Over $1.2 million was bet on the track's card through all sources. That is an exceptional figure.
• Leading owner: Joe DiRico won all five of his starts at the meet. Saint Alfred and Dr. Blarney, his two Mass breds, won all five which were non-betting races.
• Leading jockey: Tammi Piermarini was the winningest rider at the meet.
• Leading trainer: Jay Bernardini was the winningest trainer at the meet. He also hit the board with 9 of 10 horses he owns and that included five winners.
• Race 12: Successful Saint (Jose Baez/Dylan Clarke) improved to a perfect 4 4-0-0 after another convincing win. I mentioned him after the most recent weekend of racing at the track as being poised and regal. The gelding broke his maiden at Finger Lakes and I assume he will head there for future racing. Races 11 and 12 in the program were non-betting races and were held prior to the first race.
• Race 10: Catauga County (Andy Sanchez-Hernandez/Neil Morris), an 0-for-18 maiden, won the last race to be held at the track. Somehow, the script would have been better if a larger or more provincial name won the finale but considering the warts of the last few years, a maiden winning the last race could be appropriate.
• Race 8: What turned out to be the second highest payout at any track in North America, the $2 trifecta returned over $11,000. The $.10 superfecta paid over $9,100.
• Race 6: Tammi Piermarini and Jay Bernardini combined to win. The former is the third winningest rider in the track's history and the latter is arguably the best trainer from the area in recent years. The duo rarely combine as a team. They both won their respective categories at the 6-day meet.
• Race 5: A significant rain delay caused almost similar experiences to yesterday but thankfully the torrential rain subsided quickly and calmer weather returned. The race ended with an inquiry which removed the original winner, something that took a prolonged period to determine. A thought was the DQ'd rider was compromised by a sloppy track after the rain and veered into the path of the eventual winner but stewards saw it otherwise.
• Andy Hernandez Sanchez, a Finger Lakes rider, won three starts.

Belmont (New York):

• Race 8: Mr. Buff (Junior Alvarado/John Kimmel) won the $100,000 Saginaw Stakes.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. won the opener and finale and Joel Rosario also won twice.
• Leading riders: Jose Lezcano (41 wins), Luis Saez (39) and Irad Ortiz, Jr. (37). Joel Rosario and Junior Alvarado also are having strong meets.
• Closing day: July 7 then onto Saratoga.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 5: One of the best races of the day which resulted in a photo finish. The 2-to-5 favorite barely held off Ashley Castrenze's mount at 6-to-1 in a 1 1/2 mile race. Ashley C. held her own in a grueling long race as the two combatants separated themselves from the pack.
• Lacey Gaudet is 0-for-13 this meet. She had a career best 19% last year but has not found that success in 2019.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Summer Festival: Tampa Bay's usual 2-day festival began today. The track last operated on May 5. It will remain dark, after tomorrow, until some point much later this year.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Closing day of the meet: Edgard Zayas won the rider's title. Saffie Joseph won the trainer's title. Mike Napoli, former baseball player who is in his first year of ownership, won the owner's title. The summer meet opens tomorrow and closes September 29.
• Tyler Gaffalione returned to Gulfstream and was a perfect 3 3-0-0 including winning consecutive races. With the Churchill Downs meet complete, he is likely staying at Gulf until perhaps Saratoga opens in New York. Gaffalione has over 1,100 lifetime wins in about 5+ years of racing. The south Florida native last rode at his home track on March 30. The kid can ride.

​

Arlington (Illinois):

• Race 8: The top two finishers were the highest odds on the board in a field of eight.
• Race 2: Delayed due to severe rain.
• Christopher Emigh failed to win on his seven mounts. He has 3,999 lifetime wins which is 76th best all-time in North America.

Ellis Park (Kentucky):

• Opening day: Today began Ellis Park's summer schedule. Kentucky racing for the balance of 2019:

Ellis Park: June 30 - Sept 2
Kentucky Downs: Aug 31 - Sept 12
Churchill: Sept 13 - Sept 29
Keeneland: Oct 4 - Oct 26
Churchill: Oct 27 - Dec 1
Turfway: Dec 4 - Dec 31.​

• Miguel Mena won three times. He finished second to Corey Lanerie, who had a day off, in the recently closed Churchill Downs meet.

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Race 8: Are You Kidding Me (Rafael Hernandez/Roger Attfield) won the $125,000 Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes. The oldest horse in the race at the age of 9, (officially listed as a horse which is rare for a 9-year-old), he has earned over $1.3 million.
• Race 10: Speedy Soul (Patrick Husbands/Mark Casse) won the $225,000 Bison City Stakes for Canadian breds.

 

[GKJ]

The final race from Suffolk was broadcast on TVG. This one leaves a whole region without a major track.

 

[Fenway]

The final race from Suffolk was broadcast on TVG. This one leaves a whole region without a major track.

Closest track to Boston is now Saratoga

The memories

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

July 1, 2019

Delaware Park (Delaware):

• The July 4th card: Racing has been canceled due to shipping restrictions involving area tracks. Delaware does run on Wednesday this week.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Chalk: Favorites won six times in eight races and only the opener did the expected winner fail to hit the board.
• Summer Festival: The annual 2-day Summer Festival ended today. I do not believe Tampa Bay has released its fall meet scheduled as yet but I would imagine the track will be dark for live racing until around Thanksgiving (late Nov.).

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: The track handled over $3,000,000 for a rare Monday card. This was the opening day of the current meet which expires September 29. Then, Gulfstream Park West (nee Calder) picks up its annual fall meet which I believe will be the second-to-last year the track hosts live racing.] or at least as it stands now.
• Tyler Gaffalione won twice. The kid can ride. Edgard Zayas also won twice including with the longest shot on the board, a 1st time starter.
• Elizabeth Dobles trained another winner for Imaginary Stables. An $11.60 winner.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Sports betting: Today was the first day the track took sports bets. Oaklawn's meet ended in early May and began in January. I have mentioned that I think this track is on a path of great things for the future. The one drawback is the lack of a turf course. Per the Arkansas Times, sports betting is permitted on:

• Football (NFL and NCAAF)
• Basketball (NBA, WNBA, NCAAM)
• Baseball (MLB and NCAA)
• Hockey (NHL)
• Soccer (MLS, Premier League, World Cup)
• Combat Sports (UFC and Boxing)
• Golf (PGA, LPGA)
• Auto-Sport (F-1, NASCAR)
• Tennis
• Olympics, World Cup Events
​

Arizona Downs (Arizona):

• Re-opening: July 20.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Closest track to Boston is now Saratoga

An article of appreciation from Mike Watchmaker (DRF):

Watchmaker: Sad to see Suffolk Downs shuttered

Suffolk was where I had my first brush with celebrity. Gerry Cheevers, the goalie for the great Boston Bruins teams in the early 1970s, was at Suffolk all the time and would occasionally nod hello to me, which made my day. A couple of years later, Don Zimmer, a friend of one of my dad’s friends and who, at the time, was third-base coach for the Red Sox, used to come out to Suffolk and bet the daily double (daily double is what it was at the time, not the “early” double). Don would sit in my father’s clubhouse box for the first race, and if he got alive, he’d hand his live double tickets to Little Watch (me) and, with a wink, tell me to cash them if they won. I can’t remember ever cashing any tickets for Don.

Suffolk is also where I first got my foot in the door with the Form. After an introduction by a press-box runner, I would occasionally go up to the Form booth in the Suffolk press box and practice taking the chart call from a new chart caller who had recently taken over from a veteran named Eli Chiat. That new chart caller was Mike Welsch. Yes, that Mike Welsch. And it was at Suffolk in May 1980 when I was summoned upstairs to the Form booth to take a phone call. That call was from Daily Racing Form headquarters in Hightstown, N.J., informing me that if I could be at Churchill Downs in a day and a half, I’d have a job as a Racing Form chart-call taker. That was the lowest rung on the Form track and field crew ladder. I made it to Louisville in a day.

The end of Suffolk is sad for many other reasons. It continues to stun me that an area that had active Thoroughbred racing at Suffolk, Rockingham, Narragansett, Lincoln Downs, Scarborough Downs, Green Mountain and the Brockton, Weymouth, Marshfield, Northampton, Great Barrington, and Berkshire Downs fair circuit, and which offered day/night Thoroughbred racing all year long, now, after this weekend, no longer has any live Thoroughbred racing whatsoever.

Of course, I am aware of the efforts to revive a race meet at Great Barrington. But while Great Barrington is nice (or at least it was when I was last there many years ago), it’s not Boston. Great Barrington is a 2 1/2-hour ride from Boston, a nearly three-hour ride from New York City, and about an hour ride from Albany, and that doesn’t begin to account for traffic. And even if a revival of racing at Great Barrington proves successful, which I hope, it simply won’t be the same. It won’t be racing in a major metropolitan area, and it won’t have the history Suffolk Downs has. Great horses like Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, Stymie, Riva Ridge, Cigar, and Skip Away, to name just a few, raced at Suffolk Downs. We will never see the likes of those at Great Barrington.

It is difficult to accept that a major city like Boston will no longer have Thoroughbred horse racing. I suppose the demise of tracks like Longacres, Ak-Sar-Ben, and the tracks in Detroit are somewhat analogous. But given the history involved, I don’t think we’ve seen a dissolution of Thoroughbred racing in an entire geographical region that includes a major U.S. city quite like this. And it’s very tough to take.
​

 

[Fenway]

An article of appreciation from Mike Watchmaker (DRF):

Watchmaker: Sad to see Suffolk Downs shuttered

Suffolk was where I had my first brush with celebrity. Gerry Cheevers, the goalie for the great Boston Bruins teams in the early 1970s, was at Suffolk all the time and would occasionally nod hello to me, which made my day. A couple of years later, Don Zimmer, a friend of one of my dad’s friends and who, at the time, was third-base coach for the Red Sox, used to come out to Suffolk and bet the daily double (daily double is what it was at the time, not the “early” double). Don would sit in my father’s clubhouse box for the first race, and if he got alive, he’d hand his live double tickets to Little Watch (me) and, with a wink, tell me to cash them if they won. I can’t remember ever cashing any tickets for Don.

Suffolk is also where I first got my foot in the door with the Form. After an introduction by a press-box runner, I would occasionally go up to the Form booth in the Suffolk press box and practice taking the chart call from a new chart caller who had recently taken over from a veteran named Eli Chiat. That new chart caller was Mike Welsch. Yes, that Mike Welsch. And it was at Suffolk in May 1980 when I was summoned upstairs to the Form booth to take a phone call. That call was from Daily Racing Form headquarters in Hightstown, N.J., informing me that if I could be at Churchill Downs in a day and a half, I’d have a job as a Racing Form chart-call taker. That was the lowest rung on the Form track and field crew ladder. I made it to Louisville in a day.

The end of Suffolk is sad for many other reasons. It continues to stun me that an area that had active Thoroughbred racing at Suffolk, Rockingham, Narragansett, Lincoln Downs, Scarborough Downs, Green Mountain and the Brockton, Weymouth, Marshfield, Northampton, Great Barrington, and Berkshire Downs fair circuit, and which offered day/night Thoroughbred racing all year long, now, after this weekend, no longer has any live Thoroughbred racing whatsoever.

Of course, I am aware of the efforts to revive a race meet at Great Barrington. But while Great Barrington is nice (or at least it was when I was last there many years ago), it’s not Boston. Great Barrington is a 2 1/2-hour ride from Boston, a nearly three-hour ride from New York City, and about an hour ride from Albany, and that doesn’t begin to account for traffic. And even if a revival of racing at Great Barrington proves successful, which I hope, it simply won’t be the same. It won’t be racing in a major metropolitan area, and it won’t have the history Suffolk Downs has. Great horses like Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, Stymie, Riva Ridge, Cigar, and Skip Away, to name just a few, raced at Suffolk Downs. We will never see the likes of those at Great Barrington.

It is difficult to accept that a major city like Boston will no longer have Thoroughbred horse racing. I suppose the demise of tracks like Longacres, Ak-Sar-Ben, and the tracks in Detroit are somewhat analogous. But given the history involved, I don’t think we’ve seen a dissolution of Thoroughbred racing in an entire geographical region that includes a major U.S. city quite like this. And it’s very tough to take.
​

A very well known handicapper became hooked on the sport while at Harvard

Harvard's Connection to Horse Racing

Longshot Swift Ruler to Win Ky. Derby | News | The Harvard Crimson

An otherwise nondescript daytime radio station in Boston would have a huge audience every afternoon as it would broadcast the feature race at Suffolk and give the results so bookies could settle their accounts. The 'street' number was also generated by the mutuals of the first 7 races.

New England horseracing became very suspect to fixing and no casino in Vegas would touch any track except Rockingham.

Suffolk took a chance on a young race caller after Jim Hannon retired

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

A couple of interesting reads.

I remember an episode of the Untouchables and there was a bookie room with hard-at-work men taking bets. What caught my eye was the attention to penmanship on a blackboard with the names of certain tracks. This was set in 1930s Chicago. But to see the names of the tracks, some still here others not, smoke-filled rooms with cables attached to telephones, getting results through an archaic process. Timeless beauty.

 

[Fenway]

A couple of interesting reads.

I remember an episode of the Untouchables and there was a bookie room with hard-at-work men taking bets. What caught my eye was the attention to penmanship on a blackboard with the names of certain tracks. This was set in 1930s Chicago. But to see the names of the tracks, some still here others not, smoke-filled rooms with cables attached to telephones, getting results through an archaic process. Timeless beauty.

Nothing captured the nutty community that a race track generated better than the movie 'Let It Ride'




Suffolk had characters