Horse Racing: Horse racing (through 2021)

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

NEW MEXICO
New Mexico seems on the path to racing again.

The state's five tracks are attached to casinos. The governor had allowed tribal casinos to operate but not the commercial casinos and as such track operators were reluctant to race which hurt the horsemen. None has raced in 2021 and there wasn't any bright light ahead. But finally some good news.

SunRay Park will open April 23. There is a meeting on March 18 to determine purses, conditions, etc.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Alexander Crispin, the defending Apprentice of the Year and leading rider at Laurel, was suspended 30 days for riding under the specified weight. He weighs 108 pounds and the horse was supposed to carry 115.

Team Gaudet lost the purse money which means mother Linda as owner and daughter Lacey as trainer.

There may have been some confusion over C-virus protocol but that shouldn't happen. The jock should know.

The Gaudets are lifelong horse people. I will be interested in their comments.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Records books in Australia were altered when Lunar Fox, at 300-to-1, won a Grade I. The prior record was a 250-to-1 shot in 1986. The 300-to-1 shot was based on one of the betting outfits in Australia.

The Australian equal of the superfecta paid over $974,000+ (U.S.).

The 133-to-1 shot ridden by Jerry Bailey in the Breeders' Cup looks small by comparison.

The crowds were back at Flemington on Saturday, but you could have heard a pin drop in the mounting yard after the longest-priced Group 1 winner in Australian history, Lunar Fox, prevailed in the Australian Guineas at the odds of $301. (Source link: Lunar Fox's $301 Guineas upset | RACING.COM)​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

INDIANA

Live racing returns to Indiana Grand on April 13 and extends through Nov. 8. Racing will be conducted at 2:25 p.m. ET Monday through Wednesday with first post on Thursday set at 3:25 p.m. In addition, six all-Quarter Horse racing dates are set on select Saturdays starting June 5 at 10 a.m. A special Indiana Champions Day highlighting the state's top Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses will be held Oct. 30 beginning at 12 p.m. More information about the 2021 racing season is available at www.indianagrand.com.​

Indiana Grand Pari-Mutuel Rules, Racing Dates Adjusted - BloodHorse

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

This is a less than inviting pool. While the wager is gimmicky at best, the leading contenders seem awfully low. Bet and they don't enter, you still lose. But in terms of where the money is going, follow along...

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4

No.	Horse	Morning-Line Odds
1.	Caddo River	15-1
2.	Candy Man Rocket	30-1
3.	Collaborate	30-1
4.	Concert Tour	20-1
5.	Dream Shake	30-1
6.	Essential Quality	7-2
7.	Freedom Fighter	30-1
8.	Greatest Honour	6-1
9.	Highly Motivated	20-1
10.	Hot Rod Charlie	30-1
11.	Hush of a Storm	50-1
12.	Keepmeinmind	30-1
13.	Life Is Good	4-1
14.	Mandaloun	15-1
15.	Medina Spirit	30-1
16.	Midnight Bourbon	30-1
17.	Prevalence	20-1
18.	Proxy	20-1
19.	Risk Taking	30-1
20.	Roman Centurian	50-1
21.	Rombauer	50-1
22.	Spielberg	20-1
23.	The Great One	50-1
24.	All Other 3-year-Olds	10-1

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

ARIZONA
Arizona Downs announced a schedule that runs 32 race days from June 1 through September 15. Live racing is on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and begins at 2:30 MT.

The track resurfaced as a live venue in 2019 after being closed in 2010.

Turf Paradise, the bigger track in the state, is currently operating and will race into Kentucky Derby day on May 1.

Arizona state-wide was struggling especially last year and with more than one issue. However, Arizona Downs is being propped by the outfit that owns Colonial Downs in Virginia which will help with the convoluted simulcast issues that plagued Arizona last year.

Arizona, like Virginia, has multiple OTBs in its state. Another similarity is that Colonial Downs was dormant for six year before being resurrected in 2019.

The specifics of the simulcast operation seem to be ongoing.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Monthly Maine State Harness Racing Commission Meeting through Zoom set for 3/11/21 @ 10 AM

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

LOUISIANA
For the third time this meet, Fair Grounds is boosting purses by 10% due in part to strong simulcast handles. The Louisiana Derby, which first ran in 1894, will be held March 20 and 100 points will be awarded the winning connections. The card will start at 11:20 Central Time.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Scott Stevens, the 60-year-old brother to Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens, has retired due to injury which included a broken vertebrae (no paralysis) suffered late last month at Arizona's Turf Paradise. Stevens has ridden in over 33,000 races and amassed career earnings of $43,000,000+. One year ago, he won a race for the 5,000th time. He won his first race in 1976 in Idaho.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

ILLINOIS: Hawthorne opens its 2021 thoroughbred season on Saturday.

OKLAHOMA: Remington opens its 2021 quarterhorse season on Sunday.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

• Paco Lopez-Irad Ortiz, Jr.: Having now seen the altercation from a few days ago, my assessment of the fight: Ortiz landed three blows to the face/head of Lopez who was seated in a chair at the time. Lopez, who has been oft-suspended, remained calm during the skirmish maybe having been forewarned from prior riding incidents. This is the first time I have seen a jockey land blows to this degree. As I mentioned in the above post, they have a history from what I recall. Ortiz probably got off light with just a $1,000 fine and probation but that is based on what is seen in the video.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Handle: $4 million.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Tyler Gaffalione and Paco Lopez each rode two winners. Both riders have 73 wins this meet which is tied for third best.
• Handle: Over $8 million.
• Replay show:

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

WEEKEND PREVIEW

There are 11 graded stakes on Saturday including four each at Santa Anita and Tampa Bay.

1 - Oaklawn (AR): 3
2- Aqueduct (NY): 3-3
4- Santa Anita (CA): 1-1-2-2
4- Tampa Bay (FL): 2-2-3-3
----------------------------------
11 Total​

Kentucky Derby preps will be held at Aqueduct (Gotham), Tampa Bay (Tampa Bay Derby) and Santa Anita (San Felipe).

Kentucky Oaks preps will be held at Aqueduct (Busher) and Oaklawn (Honeybee).

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

THE GOTHAM STAKES

What: Grade 3. A Kentucky Derby prep race. The top four finishers receive 50-20-10-5 points, respectively, towards the race in May.
Where: Aqueduct Racetrack, Queens, NY
When: Saturday, March 6, 2021, Race 9
Time: 5:07 pm ET
Who:3-year-olds
Distance: 1 mile
Surface: Dirt
Purse: $300,000
TV: TVG (all-day coverage of racing). Fox Sports 2 5:00-6:00 pm ET.
History: Inaugurated in 1953. The most recent horse to win this race to go onto Kentucky Derby glory was Secretariat in 1973.​

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Atlantic Road (KY)	Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.	118	Todd A. Pletcher	-
2	The Reds (KY)	Pablo Morales	118	John C. Kimmel	-
3	Highly Motivated (KY)	Javier Castellano	120	Chad C. Brown	-
4	Wipe the Slate (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	Doug F. O'Neill	-
5	Crowded Trade (KY)	Eric Cancel	118	Chad C. Brown	-
6	Capo Kane (CA)	Dylan Davis	120	Harold Wyner	-
7	Freedom Fighter (KY)	Manuel Franco	118	Bob Baffert	-
8	Weyburn (ON)	Trevor McCarthy	118	James A. Jerkens	-

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

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

LAMBHOLM SOUTH TAMPA BAY DERBY

What: Grade 2. A Kentucky Derby prep race. The top four finishers receive 50-20-10-5 points, respectively, towards the race in May.
Where: Tampa Bay Downs, Oldsmar, FL
When: Saturday, March 6, 2021, Race 11
Time: 5:25 pm ET
Who:3-year-olds
Distance: 1 mile
Surface: Dirt
Purse: $400,000
TV: TVG (all-day coverage of racing).
History: Inaugurated in 1981.The only horse to win this race and the Kentucky Derby was Street Sense in 2007.​

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	My Liberty (KY)	Tomas B. Mejia	117	Maria Ines Mejia	30/1
2	Super Strong (KY)	Antonio A. Gallardo	117	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	8/1
3	Candy Man Rocket (KY)	Junior Alvarado	119	William I. Mott	2/1
4	King of Dreams (KY)	Samy Camacho	117	Juan Carlos Avila	20/1
5	Boca Boy (FL)	Angel S. Arroyo	119	Cheryl Winebaugh	15/1
6	Awesome Gerry (KY)	Hector Rafael Diaz, Jr.	117	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	15/1
7	Moonlite Strike (KY)	Daniel Centeno	117	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	20/1
8	Hidden Stash (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	117	Victoria H. Oliver	4/1
9	Unbridled Honor (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	117	Todd A. Pletcher	20/1
10	Helium (KY)	Jose C. Ferrer	117	Mark E. Casse	6/1
11	Promise Keeper (KY)	Luis Saez	117	Todd A. Pletcher	8/1
12	Sittin On Go (KY)	Roberto Alvarado, Jr.	119	Dale L. Romans	20/1

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

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

SAN FELIPE STAKES

What: Grade 2. A Kentucky Derby prep race. The top four finishers receive 50-20-10-5 points, respectively, towards the race in May.
Where: Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, CA
When: Saturday, March 6, 2021, Race 6
Time: 2:45 pm PT
Who:3-year-olds
Distance: 1 1/16 mile
Surface: Dirt
Purse: $300,000
TV: TVG (all-day coverage of racing).
History: Inaugurated in 1935. Bob Baffert has won this race a record seven times.
Notes:

• Life is Good is perhaps Bob Baffert's leading Kentucky Derby horse at this stage. The colt is 2-for-2.
• The Great One is named after Wayne Gretzky and owned by Erik Johnson of the Colorado Avalanche.

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Life Is Good (KY)	Mike E. Smith	122	Bob Baffert	4/5
2	Dream Shake (KY)	Joel Rosario	120	Peter Eurton	5/1
3	Medina Spirit (FL)	John R. Velazquez	122	Bob Baffert	7/2
4	None Above the Law (CA)	Flavien Prat	120	Peter Miller	30/1
5	The Great One (LA)	Abel Cedillo	120	Doug F. O'Neill	4/1
6	Govenor's Party (CA)	Mario Gutierrez	120	Daniel Franko	50/1
7	Roman Centurian (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	120	Simon Callaghan	8/1

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

Santa Anita's Saturday card.

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post PACIFIC TIME
Race 1	$100,000	China Doll S.	1 Mile	Turf	9	12:00 PM
Race 2	$80,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	7	12:32 PM
Race 3	$80,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	7	1:06 PM
Race 4	$50,000	Maiden Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	8	1:39 PM
Race 5	$78,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	Turf	8	2:13 PM
Race 6	$300,000	San Felipe S.	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	7	2:45 PM
Race 7	$78,000	Allowance	1 Mile	Turf	8	3:20 PM
Race 8	$200,000	San Carlos S.	7 Furlongs	Dirt	9	3:52 PM
Race 9	$400,000	Frank E. Kilroe Mile S.	1 Mile	Turf	10	4:26 PM
Race 10	$400,000	Santa Anita H.	1 1/4 Miles	Dirt	8	5:00 PM
Race 11	$76,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 Furlongs	Dirt	12	5:30 PM

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

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thursday, March 5, 2021

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: $8.8 million.
• Race 9: North Broadway (Julien Leparoux/Lisa Lewis) won as the longest shot on the board at 17-to-1 in a field of nine. Lewis won for the first time in 2021 with her sixth starter. She is a Floridian by way of Maryland and has been training since she was a teenager in the late 1980s.
• Race 3: Junior Alvarado can't catch a break in these inquiries. Even in Florida. Wow.
  
  
  
  
  
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. added three wins to his North American leading total for most victories by a jockey in 2021.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Handle: $4 million.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Marcelino Pedroza had arguably his biggest day of the meet highlighted by three wins. He hit the board with each starter, too. In the end, he was 7 3-2-2.
• Brad Cox had a 3-win day. He is the reigning Trainer of the Year in North America.

Golden Gate (California):

• Protests: Protestors got onto the track and delayed racing near the start of the day. After a six-hour delay, racing resumed under the lights with the second race run at 7:27 p.m. PT.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday, March 5, 2021

Aqueduct (New York):

• Race 1: Full Moon Fever (Mike Luzzi/Tony Dutrow) romped home by more than 17 lengths at the lowest odds conceivable 1-to-9. Luzzi has five wins in 2021. He had two in 2020. They know who to call when they need a 1-to-9 shot win by 17 lengths: 1-800-Mike Luzzi!
• Handle: $4.6 million.
• Bias: Seemed to be favoring speed especially later.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Handle: $1.8 million.
• Claudio Gonzalez has been nothing short of fantastic the past few years in Maryland racing and this meet is no exception. He is running away with the trainers' title at the meet. He went 5 3-1-1 today. But when teamed with Angel Cruz (2-for-2 today), the pair has been a solid bet the past month.

​

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Handle: $4.3 million.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: $9.6 million.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. added five wins to his monumental total of 2021. He has 115 wins this meet which is 35 more than his closest challenger. The important meet concludes at this month's end. Ortiz has 90 wins in 2021 which is 39 more than his closest competitor. He was 10 5-2-1 today.
• Paco Lopez won twice and is now third at the meet with 75 wins.
• Trainers: Todd Pletcher (49 wins) leads Saffie Joseph by six victories, the latter winning twice today.
• Replay show:

​

• Saturday preview:

​

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Ron Faucheux, Brad Cox and Thomas Amoss are three trainers with 30+ wins this meet, the first two lead with 32 apiece.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Robertino Diodoro entered three horses and all won. He is currently engaged in a battle with Steve Asmussen for leading trainer at the meet. Brad Cox has the most money earned.
• Race 6: Jon Court, at the age of 60, won for the 4,198th time. He has been riding since 1980 and won his first race at Centennial in Colorado three years before that facility closed.
• Handle: $3.6 million.

Fonner (Nebraska):

• Race 9: The $.50 Pick 5 paid a robust $38,000+.

Santa Anita (California):

• Race 3: Fenway (John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher) showed little promise with a disappointing sixth place finish. The $650,000 son to Into Mischief was out for the third time and entered off his best position, a second place finish.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Gulfstream is planning on adding another course. I would imagine this will help stabilize existing surfaces now that the former Calder has been shuttered. The existing track will probably see even more race dates in the upcoming year+.

Gulfstream planning to install Tapeta track for racing and training

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Gulfstream Park officials are on the verge of finalizing plans to install a Tapeta racetrack on what is now the outer section of the turf course, giving the track the option to run races over three different surfaces.

“It’s going to happen,” Bill Badgett, executive director of Florida racing for track owner The Stronach Group, said Friday. “Right now, we’re just trying to find a time frame to implement the project that will be least disruptive to our racing schedule. We had the engineers out here on Tuesday surveying the course. The Tapeta track will be installed over what is now the outer 60 feet of the turf course. That will still give us enough room for two rail settings on the inner turf.”​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

NEW MEXICO (part 2):
The five tracks in the state have been part of recent discussion in this thread.

Ruidoso Downs is planning to race May 28 into Labor Day. The governor had allowed tribal casinos in the state to operate but not commercial casinos. It was up to track operators to continue with live racing without funding from casinos. But since, regulations have been lessened.

The latest update:

SunRay has announced racing dates that will open April 23 and race into late May.

Ruidoso Downs will open May 28.

Sunland will open its casino this weekend but had already canceled its racing schedule.

Albuquerque Downs and Zia Park plan to operate live racing in 2021. The former could start July 31. The latter could begin late September.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Gulfstream is planning on adding another course. I would iamgine this will help stabilize existing surfaces now that the former Clader has been shuttered. The existing track will probably see even more race dates in the upcoming year+.

Gulfstream planning to install Tapeta track for racing and training

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Gulfstream Park officials are on the verge of finalizing plans to install a Tapeta racetrack on what is now the outer section of the turf course, giving the track the option to run races over three different surfaces.

“It’s going to happen,” Bill Badgett, executive director of Florida racing for track owner The Stronach Group, said Friday. “Right now, we’re just trying to find a time frame to implement the project that will be least disruptive to our racing schedule. We had the engineers out here on Tuesday surveying the course. The Tapeta track will be installed over what is now the outer 60 feet of the turf course. That will still give us enough room for two rail settings on the inner turf.”​

Calder briefly became Gulfstream Park West

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Calder briefly became Gulfstream Park West

Yes, there was a five-year contract with Gulfstream leasing from owners Churchill Downs who wanted little to do with operating the Calder facility for live racing.

They needed parimutuel wagering to keep an existing casino license at Calder. Due to that and Gulfstream conducting the racing at Calder, that part of the facility was rebranded Gulfstream Park West. The contract expired in 2020.

Churchill will now have jai alai as the parimutuel requirement to keep the casino afloat and horse racing will cease at GPW/Calder.

 

[GKJ]

46-1 in the Gotham

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, March 6, 2021

Aqueduct (New York):

• Handle: $9.2 million.
• Race 6: Search Results (Javier Castellano/Chad Brown) won the $250,000 Busher Invitational and with it 50 points towards entry into the Kentucky Oaks. The $310,000 filly could be going places with a 2 2-0-0 lifetime mark.
• Race 7: Chateau (Kendrick Carmouche/Rob Atras) won the $200,000 Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap. Another horse for the course as the 6-year-old is 5-for-9 on the Big A dirt but 2-for-24 elsewhere.
• Race 9: Weyburn (Trevor McCarthy/Jimmy Jerkens) shocked viewers with an exhilarating close finish victory at 46-to-1 to win the Grade 3 $300,000 Gotham Stakes. The win paid $95.50 and with it 50 points towards entry into the Kentucky Derby. The Ontario-bred entered off three career MSW races. He excelled in his first graded stakes company. The jockey moved his tack this winter from Maryland to New York. The trainer, successful on his own, is son to Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens known as "The Giant Killer." His dad would be extra proud after today.

​

Laurel (Maryland):

• Handle: $2 million.
• Sheldon Russell rode three winners on board five mounts.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Handle: $15.2 million. It isn't often Tampa out-handles Gulfstream but the smaller track did today with a very appealing card. The 12 races had four $100,000 purses with the Tampa Bay derby the highlight. Exceptional show today!
  
• Race 11: Helium (Jose Ferrer/Mark Casse) earned 50 points towards entry into the Kentucky Derby with a 15-to-1 upset in the Grade 2 $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby. The colt was purchased for $55,000 and is 3 3-0-0 lifetime. The jockey will be 57 years of age later this month. The trainer is a Hall of Famer in both the U.S. and Canada. The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $63,000.

​

• Race 10: Domain Expertise (Antonio Gallardo/Chad Brown) won the Grade 3 $200,000 Florida Oaks in a thriller over Jouster (Luis Saez/Todd Pletcher).
• Race 9: Micheline (Luis Saez/Michael Stidham) won the Grade 2 $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes.
• Race 5: Last Judgment (Daniel Centeno/Michael Maker) won the Grade 3 $100,000 Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: $14.3 million.
• Jose Ortiz won three times.
• Danny Gargan is 51 20-9-8 (39%/73%) at the meet. Just sayin'.
• Weather: Heavy rains briefly mid-day.
• Rainbow Six on Sunday: Some estimates put the jackpot above $5 million.
• Replay show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BddAEbpinD0​

Hawthorne (Illinois):

• Opening day: Today began the meet which runs until April 25.
• Edgar Perez went 3 2-1-0. Isaiah Wiseman also won twice.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Handle: $5 million.
• Race 9: Will's Secret (Jon Court/Dallas Stewart) won the Grade 3 $300,000 Honeybee Stakes. The filly has won her last three starts and is 3-for-6 lifetime. She earned 50 points towards entry into the Kentucky Oaks.
• Race 6: A 30-to-1 shot winner. The $.50 Pick 3 paid over $2,200. Hey, it is Oaklawn!
• Race 5: The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $32,000.
• Race 4: Niall (Walter De La Cruz/Daniele Durham) was the largest winner of the day (at a late peek) at 87-to-1 and paid $176.20/$64.40/$18/60. The $1 exacta was over $700. The $.50 tri over $3,600. The $.10 super over $12,000.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Race 1: A 106-to-1 shot placed and paid $43.40 in the middle. The winner won by more than 16 lengths.
• Race 6: Darain (Shaun Bridgmohan/Brad Cox), purchased for over $4.8 million in 2018 in Great Britain, made his second start in the US and won for the first time.
• Chalk: Favorites won six times and placed three times. Only once did a favorite finish off the board.

Santa Anita (California):

• Handle: Nearly $23 million. By far the biggest handle of the day in North America.
• Turf: Oh that turf course!
• Bob Baffert won each of three races he entered and finished 5 3-1-1 as part of a 7 3-1-2 day including Aqueduct (NY). Baffert's winning riders today were Mike Smith, Joel Rosario and John Velazquez. That is not too shabby of a roster with nearly 15,000 lifetime wins from the trio.
• Race 11: Bob Baffert finished 1st and 3rd with two starters, the latter, a first-time starter under John Velazquez, was DQ'd from runner up to third.
• Race 10: Idol (Joel Rosario/Richard Baltas) won the Grade I $400,000 Santa Anita Handicap. He received a solid 102 Beyer for his efforts. The $375,000 purchase is 6 3-2-1 lifetime and upset among others Maxfield (Florent Geroux/Brendan Walsh) who entered with a perfect 6 6-0-0 lifetime record. The winner carried five less pounds and was under a rider switch to Rosario for the first time.
• Race 9: Hit the Road (Florent Geroux/Dan Blacker) won the $400,000 Grade I Frank Kilroe Mile Stakes. The winner is 9 6-0-0 lifetime and 5 4-0-0 on the Santa Anita turf.
• Race 8: Brickyard Ride (Alexis Centeno/Craig Lewis) won the $200,000 Grade 2 San Carols Stakes. The horse is 7-for-13 lifetime but loves the course with a 6 5-0-1 lifetime mark. The winning rider is 22 years of age and he is from Puerto Rico. The winning trainer is in his mid 70s, began his profession in 1978 and is a native Californian.
• Race 6: Life Is Good (Mike Smith/Bob Baffert) re-invented the term lugging but a win is a win and he achieved 50 more points towards entry into the Kentucky Derby after winning today's Grade 2 $300,000 San Felipe Stakes. The $525,000 colt will be at or near the top of many Derby favorite lists at this juncture. He received a 107 Beyer for his efforts. He is green with a 3 3-0-0 mark but any kinks should be ironed by the legendary trainer. Medina Spirit (John Velazquez/Bob Baffert) finished second. The $35,000 purchase is 4 2-2-0 lifetime and would be quite the story if he wins the Derby at that price. Over $7.5 million was bet into the pool with $5 million added to the Pick 6.

Interesting comments by Mike Smith following the victory saying that Life is Good sees himself on the big screen and thinks "it is a dinosaur." I just thought it was lugging. Who knew! But Smith said the screens aren't on in workouts. Perhaps the horse gets spooked.

Reminds me of something Carl Nafzger once said about how he conditioned his horses from early on as if it was race day. No radios to be in usage by the workers since audio could distract as one example.

Let's see how Baffert handles this situation but as of now this horse has monster ability.​

• Race 4: Race Judicata (Jessica Pyfer/Phil D'Amato) at 17-to-1 won a close victory against the 7-to-5 favorite Pistachio Princess (Drayden Van Dyke/Dan Blacker). The winning jockey is step-daughter to the trainer. What a priceless and enthusiastic reaction by Pyfer as she patted the horse several times afterwards and pumped her fists as if she won a much larger race. There are many good stories on ovals across North America. The good gets too often overshadowed by the bad.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Due to space limitations, other key races today:

Aqueduct: Race 6 -- Busher Invitational

​

Tampa Bay: Race 10 -- Florida Oaks

​

Oaklawn: Race 9: The Honeybee

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, March 7, 2021

Aqueduct (New York):

• Handle: $5.5 million.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Angel-Cruz-Claudio Gonzalez teamed to go a perfect 2-for-2. The pair is sizzling this meet.
• Sheldon Russell rode five winners the past two days.
• Brittany Russell won twice. The trainer is 26 8-5-5 (31%/69%) this meet, a continuation of her splendid 2020.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Handle: $4.8 million.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: $15.8 million.
• Rainbow Six: Reached more than $6.6 million as an additional $5.4 million was added to the existing pool of $1.1.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. won his first three rides en route to a 4-win day. He has 14 wins the past four days.
• Replay show:

​

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Handle: $4.4 million.

Santa Anita (California):

• Handle: $9.5 million.
• Race 4: Beautiful Gift (John Velazquez/Bob Baffert) nipped the only non-Baffert runner in a field of four to win the $100,000 Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes.

​