Horse Racing: Irish War Cry; Grade I thriller at S.A.; $313k and $505k winners

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Flavien Prat will be sidelined until December 26 due to an injury during Sunday's card. The term "precautionary" was used.

Brian Hernandez, Jr. was named jockey of the week. An interesting pick with a few strong options including Drayden Van Dyke, Paco Lopez and Feargal Lunch who are among those that immediately come to mind. All good riders with varying strengths. Hernandez, Jr. is fairly consistent.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

November 28-29, 2016

Parx (Philadelphia)

• Jose Ortiz, with New York dark, went 3-for-3 and won for three different trainers. His brother Irad raced twice Monday and finished third and fourth in races.
• Lane Luzzi, with Gulfstream dark, was 1-0-1 in 2 rides. His win was a dead heat and paid $15.80 while the co-winner returned $32.00. The $2 exactas paid more than $300 and $400.

November 30, 2016

Aqueduct (New York):

• The Luzzis: I am not sure the last time Michael (father) had rides in three consecutive races but it happened today and he finished in the money in all three. For the day, he was 0-1-2 in 5 races. Lane (son) rode here today, since Gulfstream is in between meets this week, and he finished third on his lone ride at 13-1. His dad rode in the same race. Not a bad couple of days: three rides and a 1-0-2 mark at Philly and New York combined.
• The Ortiz brothers (Irad and Jose) combined to be in the money nine times (3-3-3) on 12 mounts. Irad was removed later in the day, presumably injury-related.
• Trevor Simpson had a rare win at the track, a $70.50 victory. The exacta returned $519, the tri $6,453.
• The day ended with a $2 Pick 4 worth $43,000+ and a $2 Pick 6 which paid over $89,000.
• Luis Saez is in the midst of a 5-day riding suspension due to what was termed "careless riding" this summer in a race at Saratoga.

Turfway (Kentucky):

• Opened its meet tonight under the lights.
• Bombs away in the meet's opening two races with a $56.00 winner followed by a $48.40 winner. The 4-5 daily double returned $1,005.20

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

HOLLYWOOD TURF CLUB STAKES (Grade II Turf)

• What: The third installment at Del Mar, a one masterpiece at the now defunct Hollywood Park. Court Vision, ridden by Ramon Dominguez, won this race in a thrilling finish not too long ago coming from last place and nine lengths back. California Chrome won the first race at Del Mar in 2014. Three of New York's finest in Ortiz, Jr, Castellano (both riding for Chad Brown) and Johnny V., head west. Florent Geroux, one of the top turf riders nationally, also will be present.
• When: Saturday, December 3, 2016, Race 7 of 9, 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time (6:30 p.m. Eastern Time)
• Where: Del Mar Fairgrounds and Racetrack, Del Mar, California
• Distance: 1 1/8 miles
• Surface: Turf
• Purse: $300,000
• Runners (age, sex): Three-year-olds, open
• Preview article: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/218074/brown-ships-in-three-for-hollywood-derby

Post​

| Horse (location bred) |

Age/Sex​

|

Jockey​

|

Weight​

|

Trainer​

|

Morning Line​

1| Beach Patrol (KY) |3/colt| Florent Geroux |122 |Chad C. Brown| 9-2
2| Camelot Kitten (KY)| 3/colt|Irad Ortiz, Jr.| 122 |Chad C. Brown| 7-2
3| Frank Conversation (KY)| 3/colt| Mario Gutierrez| 122| Doug F. O'Neill|8-1
4| Diplodocus (KY) |3/gelding| Kent J. Desormeaux |122| Richard Baltas| 20-1
5| Free Rose (KY)|3/gelding| Norberto Arroyo, Jr. |122 |Richard Baltas|5-1
6| Isotherm (KY) |3/colt|John R. Velazquez| 122| George Weaver| 12-1
7| Blackjackcat (KY) |3/gelding| Mike E. Smith |122 |Mark Glatt|8-1
8| Hayabusa One (FR) |3/colt|Victor Espinoza |122| H. Graham Motion| 6-1
9| Revved Up (KY)| 3/colt|Drayden Van Dyke |122 |Claude R. McGaughey III| 20-1
10| Defiantly (KY)| 3/colt|Gary L. Stevens |122| Craig Dollase |30-1
11| Annals of Time (KY) |3/colt|Javier Castellano| 122 |Chad C. Brown| 6-1
12| Path of David (KY)| 3/gelding| Joseph Talamo |122| Kristin Mulhall| 30-1

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

There have been calls to upgrade the Penn Derby and those sentiments were approved. Bot the Wood not being a Grade I is a stunner.

http://www.paulickreport.com/news/r...l-downgraded-pennsylvania-derby-grade-1-2017/

Two historic races for 3-year-olds on the road to the Kentucky Derby – the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct – will be dropped from Grade 1 to Grade 2 status when the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's American Graded Stakes Committee announces its 2017 list of American Graded Stakes on Friday, the Paulick Report has learned.

Expected to be elevated to Grade 1 status for the first time is the Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing.

An important Grade 1 race for 3-year-old fillies, the Mother Goose at Belmont Park, is also expected to be downgraded to Grade 2 status when the list of 2017 graded races is released.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 2, 2016

Aqueduct (New York):

• Jose Ortiz tied a career mark with five victories in one race card. Among the wins was a natural hat trick with victories in the first three races including the opener at 12-1. He won for five different trainers. In eight rides, he was 5-0-1. Dylan Davis won races 4 and 6 and both paid in excess of $20. The two riders combined to win the first seven races of the 9-race card.

Woodbine (Toronto):

• In race 4, a 107-1 shot finished second and paid $95.40 and $44.90. The $2 exacta paid close to $2,000, the $2 tri over $10,000 and the super $29,000+ for $.20.
• In race 5, the $1 super paid in excess of $11,000 and the $2 tri paid over $4,000.

Del Mar (California):

• Kent Desormeaux won three times.

December 3, 2016 (preview)

Many riders from New York will be heading to south Florida for Saturday's quality meet opener. Other key riders from New York will head to California for Del Mar's day.

Gulfstream's winter meet may rank second in the nation to Saratoga (New York).

Some highlights:

• A record $25 million stakes purse disbursement, including the record $12 million purse for the world's richest horse race, the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (gr. I).
  
• The 66th running of the $1 million Florida Derby (gr. I) and a meet with many of the country's most promising classic contenders.
  
• The inaugural running of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational is a 1 1/8-mile stakes for which 12 placeholders put up $1 million each for a chance to take down the record $7 million winner's purse Jan. 28.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/218123/gulfstream-set-for-historic-championship-meet

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 3, 2016

Gulfstream (south Florida):

• An entertaining afternoon at Gulfstream for the meet opener. Nine of the 11 races were $100,000+ purses. All-sources handle exceeded $11,000,000.
• Jose Ortiz won three times to continue his remarkable run.
• Trainer Lacey Gaudet visited from Maryland and won with a 12-1 M/L in a $125,000 purse. Luca Panici finished second on a 37-1 and the exacta returned $379.40.
• Highlight was Luca Panici's bomb on a 44-1 in the $100,000 Glass Slipper race. The exacta paid $941.80. The $.50 tri over $1,200 and the $2 superfecta $33,000+. Panici won twice in six rides (6 2-1-0). The pride of Milan, Italy shines brighter than the south Florida sun. His twitter account amuses me.
  
  ​
  
  
  ​

Aqueduct (New York):

• Manny Franco won three races. He was one of three jockeys to combine for seven wins in nine races.
• Junior Alvarado! He had two wins and was 2-2-2 in 7 rides. He finished in the money 86% of the time.
• Alvarado finished second to Angel Arroyo, who also won twice, in the Grade III $250,000 Go for Wand feature race. The race was of particular interest and seemed to setup ideally for one of Alvarado's patented stretch runs from the outside. Then the #3 (the favorite) and #7 (Alvarado)seemed glued before Alvarado pulled away but couldn't catch the eventual winner. Good race.
  
  
  ​
  
  

Del Mar (San Diego):

• In the Grade II Bayakoa (New York held the Go for Wand today -- the fillies forever aligned), the 1-to-2 favorite Vale Dori (Mike Smith/Bob Baffert) won stylishly.
• American Anthem, a Bob Baffert 2-year-old ridden by Javier Castellano, looked strong in a maiden win.
• Javier Castellano went 2-2-0 in the last four races. He won the Hollywood Derby with Annals of Time in a late driving surge for Chad Brown and paid $13.80. The colt had just three lifetime races and was coming in off a third place finish in a Grade III. The Derby finished 11-1-3. Chad Brown had three colts entered in the race and finished first and second, the exacta returned $31.80 for $1. The man knows how to train.
  
  ​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 4, 2016

Aqueduct (New York):

• Manny Franco won three times and was 3-2-1 through the first six races. Very impressive especially with wins roughly paying $15, $31 and $35. A Franco daily double paid $440.50. He finished 3-2-1 through his nine rides. He was 18 6-3-3 the last two days, a winning percentage (33.3%).
• Junior Alvarado completed a fantastic weekend, too. He was 1-3-0 in 5 rides Sunday and the victory was one of patience and proficiency as he waited near the rail until he found an opening and then zoomed. Alvarado also finished second on a 31-1 bomb. His last two days, he was 3-5-2 in 12 rides. Being in the money 10 times in 12 races (83%) is magnificent.
• Franco, Alvarado and Angel Arroyo, who was 4-0-0 in 10 rides Saturday and Sunday, stepped up with the absence of some prominent riders this weekend.
• Jose Ortiz returned and won the finale. He was 7 1-1-2 today and the last three days totaled 9-2-4 in 25 rides, 36% winning and 60% in the money. A leading candidate for Jockey of the Week.
• A Pick 4 paid over $70,000 and a Pick 5 paid over $76,000.
• Of the nine races, six winners paid out more than $13 for $2, four paid more than $30 and one paid $50, a horse that ran in Philly Parx 12 of her last 15 races.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Lacey Gaudet, mentioned a few times in this thread as someone with a smaller stable, had one horse today and she won at 17-1. In five races on two tracks this weekend, she was 2-0-1. Very nice.

Gulfstream (south Florida):

• Luca Panici was in the money three times in eight rides including a 14-1 longshot win.
• Paco Lopez won for the 2,000th time. An aggressive rider to say the least. Good total.
• The 10-race card had 10 different jockeys and 10 different trainers visit the winner's circle.

Del Mar (San Diego):

• The meet closed today. The Jackpot Pick Six was a mandatory payout and 44 winners received $15,600+.
• Excellent East coast rider Irad Ortiz Jr. won twice today. He had a terrible Saturday.
• Kent Desormeaux won twice today.
• Edgar Prado won the Grade I matriarch Stakes on board favorite Miss Temple City, for Graham Motion.

Woodbine (Toronto):

• The meet closed today with a 14-race card. Standardbreds take over the track until some point in 2017.
• Race 7: An 81-1 shot won and paid $165.60. $1,928 for the exacta. $2 tri paid $79,000+. Yes, that is correct: $79K! $1 super paid $17,000+.
• Race 9: The $1 Pick 3 paid over $13,000. It was a grade III $173,400 purse.
• Race 13: Jeffrey Alderson, who has a high ROI (return on investment), paid $120 on a winner. The $2 tri paid over $11,000. $.20 super was over $10,000.
• Fourteen different trainers won races. Three jockeys won multiple times led by Eurico DaSilva's three victories.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 2, 2016

Aqueduct (New York):

• Jose Ortiz tied a career mark with five victories in one race card. Among the wins was a natural hat trick with victories in the first three races including the opener at 12-1. He won for five different trainers. In eight rides, he was 5-0-1.

December 3, 2016

Gulfstream (south Florida):

• Jose Ortiz won three times to continue his remarkable run.

December 4, 2016

Aqueduct (New York):

• Jose Ortiz returned and won the finale. He was 7 1-1-2 today and the last three days totaled 9-2-4 in 25 rides, 36% winning and 60% in the money. A leading candidate for Jockey of the Week.

And now honored with the weekly title for Jockey of the Week.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Los Alamitos is the center of southern California racing for the brief meet held December 8 through 18. Santa Anita is dark until December 26 and Del Mar is closed until July 2017. Near San Francisco, Golden Gate operates through December 11.

The Los Alamitos Futurity will be held this Saturday. It is the final Kentucky Derby prep race anywhere until the weekend of January 7, 2017.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Trying to wrap my head around the Wood being downgraded to a GII. The Mother Goose in some regards too, but that one makes a little more sense. There are those in the racing world who believe the glut of G1 stakes (over 100, IIRC) and G1 prep opportunities for the 3 year old campaign (almost 25) stretches the division too thin. In the United Kingdom and some other countries in Europe, prep races usually don't attain G1 status and while it's difficult to compare the health of North American horse racing with that of Europe's, at some point, I can see a gradual transition towards less instead of more. But it's a $ game and the more G1 stakes equals more potential value in the breeding shed.

Still bummed over Not This Time having to be retired due to injury. Thankfully it wasn't fatal and he'll be able to live out the rest of his life in good hands. Standing stud at $15,000 says it all about his pedigree and what he was able to display in his short time on the track. So much for my hopeful imagining of a Affirmed vs Alydar rivalry between him and Classic Empire. Both of them stood out amongst the current crop of 2 year olds.

Really interested in seeing how Songbird's campaign shapes up for 2017 and where she's headed. Will she run against the boys? Stellar Wind may be her only competition in the older filly and mare division. Got to imagine they'll keep her away from Arrogate though, so that'll rule out a number of potential races she could've otherwise been pointed towards. I'd love to eventually see her in a Classic but Stellar Wind should give her all she can handle and potentially more at the Distaff if they both end up meeting eachother there at the end of the year.

Is Arrogate pointed towards the Pegasus?

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

^ Arrogate has not been confirmed for the Pegasus. Part of the issue is the 12 positions are independently owned, unlike the typical horse race. That is one of the intriguing factors that makes the race unique. The 12 slots are already purchased and anyone who has a horse but is on the outside will have to make a deal to get one of the holes. However, an Arrogate-California Chrome rematch will have the attention of the horse racing world and I am sure Frank Stronach will utilize any and all leverage he possesses to make it happen. He has one of the 12 posts, too.

After the Breeders' Cup, the connections said Songbird would rest for as much as 45 days and didn't specify any plans other than she will run in 2017.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

^ Arrogate has not been confirmed for the Pegasus. Part of the issue is the 12 positions are independently owned, unlike the typical horse race. That is one of the intriguing factors that makes the race unique. The 12 slots are already purchased and anyone who has a horse but is on the outside will have to make a deal to get one of the holes. However, an Arrogate-California Chrome rematch will have the attention of the horse racing world and I am sure Frank Stronach will utilize any and all leverage he possesses to make it happen. He has one of the 12 posts, too.

After the Breeders' Cup, the connections said Songbird would rest for as much as 45 days and didn't specify any plans other than she will run in 2017.

Thanks MSE.

Interesting, about the Pegasus. I've read bits here and there about it but didn't know much about it other than the big purse and it obviously being newly created. A potential clash of Chrome and Arrogate at the 9f distance offers up a level of intrigue even more-so after the Classic in my opinion. Really like Arrogate at that distance. Hopefully it happens.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Read this article as you may find it informative. The dynamic of the event isn't without its potential flaws but that is part of the unknown for most aspects of what can be a "first annual event." The purse money is sizeable but the investment of a million per each owner can be balanced by other financial gains. Should an owner see Arrogate-Chrome as too challenging, that person can opt to sell or try to take satisfaction in not only a potential upset but also making cash in a unique forum.

Read here:

The inaugural Pegasus World Cup (gr. I) Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park is already shaping up to be one of the weirdest events in the history of horse racing. The 12 spots in the race, priced at $1 million each, sold out in four days back in May. Most of the spots sold to people who did not have a horse in training that could potentially run in the race. One of the spots sold to a mysterious pizza franchise owner who has never owned a racehorse in his life. Now, less than two months to go before the race, it is as unclear who the 12 horses will be as it was on the day in May that the spots were sold.

So what, then, are the owners of the other 10 spots to do? And why did they, in the absence of any horses they felt were contenders, spend seven figures on these spots to begin with? Well, for starters, there's more at stake than the purse money. It's true that the Pegasus World Cup has the richest purse in history. Because the purse money is coming entirely from the owners of the spots (as opposed to the 1-to-2 percent of the purse that is typically posted by the owners), the winner's share is going to be $7 million. But each owner of a spot will also have an equal share in the wagering, sponsoring, and media rights. That could be worth much more to the owners if excitement around the race heats up enough. Owners had also, unfortunately, hoped that as the race neared they could sell pieces of their spots to the owners of hot horses looking to jump in.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/218112/arrogate-chrome-match-race-in-pegasus

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

That definitely shed some light on it for me.

It's an intriguing experiment, though the amount of moving parts makes me think that it may be a little too complicated for it's own good in its current iteration if the end goal is truly to draw a full field. It's in an interesting place on the calendar too and at this point, we know more about the people who have purchased gates for the Pegasus than the horses that may or may not run in the race which is somewhat amusing. Just looking at the crop of horses left after all the recent retirements, it's tough to even hazard a guess at a field that wouldn't be fodder for a potential Chrome-Arrogate extravaganza. Will say I want no part of that hypothetical match race mentioned in the article though. It scares the heck out of me after what happened between Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure... god forbid if it transpires and something happened to one of Arrogate or Chrome. The optics could strike a fatal blow to racing in the States.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

I don't disagree. A match race isn't needed either. As you are aware, post-Breeders' Cup through late January is generally a lull in the sport. The Pegasus attempts to minimize that break. We shall see. California Chrome's name and a potential newcomer in Arrogate sets up perfectly for publicity purposes. What the future years hold is anyone's guess at this stage. The winter card at Gulfstream is #2 on my list only after the Saratoga summer meet. This event certainly offers a unique pinnacle but if it fails for whatever reason, we go back to a typical winter meet at Gulfstream and that isn't exactly the short stick.

Frank Stronach controls major tracks on each coast but seems to be reluctant to have the Breeders' Cup return to Gulfstream likely due to the successful casino presence. He has a Plan B in (Laurel) Maryland should he want to bid for the Breeders' Cup in his other major east coast facility.

What the NYRA did with the Belmont Stakes card is simply phenomenal. They covered their bases in case there isn't a Triple Crown possibility with an annual card that perhaps is the second best on the map outside the Breeders' Cup weekend. It goes without saying but with ingenuity comes risks. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't but you have to try.

As an aside, Rick Porter, who owns Songbird, is fighting cancer. He may not want to be involved in such a process even if he felt Songbird could compete but coming in off the loss in the Distaff maybe solidified his stance not to enter. There are other options for Songbird.

Arrogate is owned by Juddmonte and that group does not currently possess a slot. They would have to lease one from a current owner, though that should be manageable with proper intervention.

California Chrome is slated to retire following the race.

This article, though slightly dated from the summer, further explains the process with the 12 owners; however, the Covello/Kumin share ($200,000 which was mandatory payout by a certain date) has been sold since this article has been written. Brief bios of the potential owners and any potential runners is the highlight, though again slightly dated. http://www.drf.com/news/daring-dozen-take-1m-plunge-win-12m-pegasus-world-cup

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 7, 2016

Aqueduct (New York):

• A $2 Pick 5 (after race 5) paid $20,902.
• A $2 pick 4 (after race 8) paid $22,669.
• Eric Cancel won consecutive races 2 and 3 with 11-to-1 and 7-to-1 shots.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. won consecutive races 4, 5 and 6.
• Mike Luzzi won at 9-to-1. Yeah, all things Luzzi! With some top riders elsewhere for the winter, other jockeys will have opportunity to pad statistics. And visually, this came mere minutes, perhaps even seconds, after Luca Panici won at Gulfstream.
• The last race of the day, remember odd things seem to follow New York in finales, was won by the son of Hall-of-Fame trainer Leroy Jolley (he won two Kentucky Derbys) who was 0-for-13 this year and the horse was 0-for-24. The winning horse paid $39.80.
• The Pick Six carryover has reached $227,000.

Mahoning Valley (Ohio):

• Race 4 had payouts that included $14,655 for the trifecta and $68,146 for the superfecta.

Tampa Bay Downs (Florida):

• Leading contenders for top trainer (Gerald Bennett) and jockey (Daniel Centeno) at the meet each had a strong day. Bennett was 4-for-4 and Centeno was 3-for-5. The duo paired for a perfect 3-for-3 day.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Nine different riders and ten different trainers won in the 10-race card. Only Paco Lopez was a repeat winer.
• The fourth race had a 50-to-1 bomb winning which paid $102.80
• Luca Panici won riding for Ian Wilkes. However, that was Hall-of-Famer Carl Nafzger in the winner's circle where the trainer usually is situated. Nafzger is Wilkes' teacher. Wilkes is on a winter break.
• A $.50 Pick 5 paid over $13,000.

And that was Mr. Nafzger. Second to last in the photo, left to right.

Penn National (Pennsylvania):

• Bombs away in race 5. There was a $70 winner, a $1 exacta which returned $1,262, a $1 trifecta which paid over $9,500 and a $.10 (dime) superfecta which returned over $5,500. The daily double paid $514.

Turfway Park (Kentucky):

• The card concluded with an $89 winner. But the $.50 Pick 4 paid in excess of $18,000.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

LOS ALAMITOS CASH CALL FUTURITY (Grade I)

• What: The last Kentucky Derby prep race until January 7, 2017. One of Bob Baffert's early contenders is Mastery. Baffert and Doug O'Neill combine to have four of the five horses in this very short field. This is a terrible race to bet outside exotics. A Grade I with five horses is not healthy formula.
• When: Saturday, December 10, 2016, Race 6 of 9, 2:58 Pacific Time (5:58 p.m. Eastern Time)
• Where: Los Alamitos Race Course, Cypress, California
• Distance: 1 1/16 miles
• Surface: Dirt
• Purse: $300,000
• Runners (age, sex): Two-year-olds, open
• Preview article: http://www.horseracingnation.com/bl...mitos_CashCall_Futurity_Odds_and_Analysis_123

Post​

| Horse (location bred) |

Age/Sex​

|

Jockey​

|

Weight​

|

Trainer​

|

Morning Line​

1 |Dangerfield (KY) | 2/C | Drayden Van Dyke |120| Doug F O'Neill | 6-1
2 |Bobby Abu Dhabi (KY) | 2/C| Norberto Arroyo, Jr.| 120 |Peter Miller | 6-1
3 | Mastery (KY) | 2/C| Mike E Smith |120| Bob Baffert | 2-5
4 |Show Me Da Lute (KY) | 2/C| Martin Garcia| 120|Bob Baffert | 5-1
5 |Irap (KY) | 2/C | Mario Gutierrez |120| Doug O'Neill | 12-1

Odds taken from HorseRacingNation

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 8, 2016

Aqueduct (New York):

• The Pick Six for Friday will start at $837,570.
• It is repetitive perhaps but once again the finale in New York got attention. The double returned a massive $2,076. The winner paid $40 with Joey Martinez, a 10-pound bug, winning his first lifetime race. The $2 Pick 4 returned $30,504. The $2 Pick 3 paid a handsome $9,498. The prior race, however, had its own incredible payouts of $143.50, $52.00 and $24.40 for the winner by Aaron Gryder.

Hawthorne (Illinois):

• The show payouts were some of the most remarkable I have ever witnessed. The winner paid $52.60 to show (went off 4-to-1), the second place horse returned only $18.20 but the third place horse paid out $144.60. Somewhere bridge jumpers paid their own price with Drinkinatthebar going off 1-to-2 and finishing fourth and responsible for $107,000 of $113,000 in the show pool.
• $.20 Super High 5 paid over $57,000.

Charles Town (West Virginia):

• Race 3; $1 trifecta paid $13,549. $1.10 superfecta paid $9,756.56 or $97,000+ for $1.

Turfway (Kentucky):

• Race 6: $2 exacta paid $1,006.80. $2 trifecta paid $5,822,20. $.10 superfecta returned $11,745.10 or $117,000+ for $1.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• 10-race card saw 10 trainers win but only five riders led by Paco Lopez's wins in races 2, 3 an4 (he did not enter in race 1). Luca Panici, Luis Saez and Miguel Vazquez won twice each.
• Luca Panici was involved in three straight photos/close calls and got the nod in each including a nose at the finish line when his 11-1 ($24.00) nipped the 6-to-5 favorite.
• Panici is 3-3-1 in 12 races the last two days. And he isn't exactly getting favorites.
• Race 10, the finale, saw the winner return $86.40, $27.80 and $18.20.
• Race 8 had a $1 super pay over $51,000 with a 9-1, 9-1, 23-1 and 78-1 settling the ticket.
• $.20 Pick 6 paid $71,145.60...and the winner wagered the tidy sum of $2.40. The winning ticket played was 8/1/8/1/1/all. The first four races, the winner singled Panici, Saez, Panici, Saez. Now that is some astute handicapping.
• $.50 Pick 5 paid over $13,000.
• $.50 Pick 4 paid over $5,000.
• Tyler Gaffalione has been in a deep funk since the meet opened. He needs to get it going.

^ Luca Panici's 11-1 beating the 6-to-5 favorite at the wire.

Another Panici 11-1 getting the photo, this time for second place:

Los Alamitos (California):

• In the meet's opener, a 70-1 shot cleared the field and paid $154.80. It was the largest win payout since thoroughbred racing returned to the track in 2014. The $1 tri returned over $3,800. Following the next race, the double paid $760.40.
• The $1 Pick 5 paid over $17,000 following the fifth race.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 9, 2016

Aqueduct (New York):

• Carryover Pick 6 had a pool of $2.7 million.
• All-sources handle was almost $7,000,000.
• Jose Ortiz, one of the top riders in the land, is getting married later this month and is scheduled to stop riding December 18 until some point in 2017. Whether that is in south Florida or New York, time will tell.

Gulfstream Park (Florida):

• Luca Panici, Nik Juarez and Paco Lopez won twice each, the card had 10 races.
• Panici won the opener and also race 9 the latter on a 7-1 from back of the pack in a driving finish. The man can ride. He finished second twice including on a 20-1 M/L that went off 8-1, runner-up to the even money favorite. He also finished second to a 3-to-5 shot ridden by Javier Castallano and the exacta returned $21.20. That is a wonderful return considering chalk won but Panici's 16-1 was the key placement.
• Nick Zito was the only trainer to win multiple times. I am not sure the last time Zito had multiple winners on a card.
• Race 7 had a $747 exacta, a $1 tri paid $2,700 and a $.10 super paid over $6.300 thanks in part to a 43-1 finishing second.
• Race 4, the unpredictable. The jockey was 5-for-102 and the trainer was 2-for-132 this year, the horse was 0-for-24 lifetime. And the connections of the 22-1 shot celebrated with a victory.
• Julian Leparoux is having a subpar meet.
• Antonio Gallardo may be overmatched at Gulfstream with too many top riders at this meet. Apparently, he is not staying in New York for the winter which isn't surprising. He starred at Tampa Bay and Presque Isle but if the plan is to relocate to south Florida, he may find it far more difficult to match his rich successes on the west coast of the state and/or in Erie, PA.

Los Alamitos (California):

• Gallyn Mitchell, 53 years old and a veteran rider of 17,000+ lifetime starts and who suffered a heart attack three years ago, won today's third race at 18-1. The rider is now 3-for-19 this year. The horse was 2-for-37 lifetime. I seem to recall he did a bulk of his riding in the state of Washington.

Penn National (Pennsylvania):

• The two late double paid $1,236 and $844.80. The numbers were 8/10 and 10/8. The Pick 3 was $2,896.40.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

An update on California Chrome who is expected to run Saturday in what will be billed as his last California career race. Then, hopefully, onto the Pegasus in January which could be his finale.

"That's it until next Saturday," Sherman said of the upcoming Winter Challenge, a special stakes Los Alamitos is putting on specifically to serve as a prep race for the Jan. 28 Pegasus World Cup (gr. I) at Gulfstream Park, California Chrome's final race of his career. "He's just so cool and knows what's happening. He knows when it's time to go."

The Winter Challenge has drawn 29 nominations through Dec. 9, including fellow Sherman trainee Mishegas. The reason for the increased interest is Los Alamitos' offer of $10,000 to any horse who finishes the race, a tactic employed to attract entrants to take on the champ.

"I'm going to run Mishegas—well, he might not even get in now," Sherman joked.

After the Winter Challenge, California Chrome is expected to get a final local workout in around Dec. 31 before shipping to Gulfstream Jan. 6.

As for the Dec. 17 race, Sherman feels it will only help California Chrome, who can get bored during lengthy stretches of training without a race.

"I haven't pressed him," Sherman said of his training for the 1 1/16-mile Winter Challenge. "He was just going a mile and a quarter and now he's cutting back to a mile and a sixteenth. You want to have your horse kinda fresh, and then he has another six or seven weeks. The timing is great. A horse like him gets a little bored if he doesn't run—just keeps working and working and working.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/218308/california-chrome-logs-final-challenge-work

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 10, 2016

Aqueduct (New York):

• Bridge jumpers alert! The favorite finished fourth at 2-to-5. Show prices included $42.40 and $29.80 for the first and third finishers. Show prices were much larger than place prices for the winner and runner-up.
• Rajiv Maragh, who has had two major injuries the last couple-plus years and who recently returned to riding, had four victories.
• Highest payout in North America today was a Pick 5 for $88,468 ($2 bet).

Parx (Philadelphia area):

• The first race was declared "no contest" after a starting gate malfunction unfairly hindered at least one entrant.

Mahoning Valley (near Youngstown, OH):

• Chalk took a back seat today. Of the nine races, the lowest win pay out was $10.60. Six of the races paid $20.00+. The four even-numbered races had pay outs of $30.00+. The highest payouts were $55.20 and $77.00.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• A nine-year-old gelding triumphed in his 76th lifetime race. He is now 12-5-3 since the start of 2015 in 23 rides, 20 times in the money in his last 23 efforts.

Gulfstream (south Florida):

• Todd Pletcher won four stakes races. And while Pletcher gets top horses, this is a fantastic achievement for one card. Fairly impressive victories at that and he finished 1-2 in the Pulpit Stakes with a son, fitting enough, to Tapit named Tapwrit. The colt, ridden by veteran Eddie Castro, was mentioned a few months ago due to his $1,200,000 yearling purchase price. This 2-year-old may be another late bloomer for the Kentucky Derby possible field. Whether Pletcher sticks with Castro is another variable and could be indicative of future plans. Video: http://www.drf.com/news/pletcher-finds-least-one-kentucky-derby-prospect-pulpit-winner-tapwrit
  

  “We’ll target one of these stakes, I’m not sure which one yet,” Pletcher said referring to the upcoming series of stakes for 3-year-olds leading up to the Florida Derby on April 1. “I think we’ll probably have to also give it a try with Master Plan as well.”

• John Velazquez, who was off this week after riding last weekend in California, won three times including three stakes races for Pletcher. He finished 3-1-1 in 6 rides.
• Matthew Rispoli, the pride of Brick, New Jersey, won his only ride of the day, at 22-1. The $1 superfecta paid $71,000+.
• Joel Rosario will always have his critics and sometimes rightfully so, but when he shows flashes of brilliance it needs to be emphasized. Great ride on Party Boat who was game in her race today for trainer Graham Motion. The two longest shots on the board followed to make for a handsome trifecta return on a $1 bet of $751. Party Boat is now 3-for-5 lifetime with three straight wins and though she offered little value, she looks in top form. A 5-to-1 morning line who ran at Monmouth, and another with Unbridled flowing in her DNA, this was a wait-and-play race at any cost. Well done by the connections.
• Luca Panici didn't have much success today in five rides but he did manage second in the finale on a 20-1 shot.
• The track handled $9,400,000+ and had six stakes races.

Fair Grounds (New Orleans, Louisiana):

• A huge day of racing for Louisiana-breds in what was billed as Champions Day. There were 13 races including 11 stakes, the first three were for quarter horses.
• Today's suggestion was to bet Florent Geroux as much as possible. He went 3-3-0 in 7 races and was victorious in three stakes races, one which paid $41.60.
• Saint's Fan (Brian Hernandez, Jr./Dallas Stewart) won at 1-to-2 and is now 2-for-2 lifetime. He may be a late arrival to the Kentucky Derby possibilities. Hernandez, Jr./Stewart is a good, if not somewhat overlooked, combo and Stewart, who is the owner (a rarity), has shown recent prowess to bring home outsiders in major races. Video of race: http://www.fairgroundsracecourse.com/racing-wagering/toteboard/2016-12-10/10
  

  Breeder-owner-trainer Dallas Stewart’s Saint’s Fan ($3, $2.40 and $2.10) justified his 1-2 favoritism with a sharp two-length score in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile. The son of Tale of Ekati remained unbeaten in two starts under Brian Hernandez, Jr. after a sharp score against open maidens at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4. Placed in the outer paths while rated off splits of 22.17 and 45.74, Saint’s Fan commenced a relentless rally nearing the top of the stretch and eventually collared Rodney Verret’s Allen Landry-trained Laughingsaintssong under Florent Geroux ($6.40 and $4.20) in the final eighth of a mile to stop the clock in 1:10.74 for six furlongs. It was another 2½ lengths back to Jeff Drown and Gary Scherer’s Jack Snipe’s ($2.80) in third.
  
  “We were a bit wide from the outside post, but we knew we had the best horse so I rode him like he was the best horse,” Hernandez, Jr. said. “I don’t think you’ve seen the best of him yet.”
  
  Saint’s Fan earned $60,000 to boost his bankroll to $92,700. ( http://sportsnola.com/mobile-bay-as...ic-saints-fan-remains-unbeaten-champions-day/ )

Los Alamitos (California):

• Mastery won as expected and pulled away when asked in the Grade I Cash Call Futurity, however the field included just five runners. Typical confident ride by Mike Smith on a Cadillac. Yes, Bob Baffert has another leading Derby contender and will in all likelihood be one of the two shortest prices when the second Kentucky Derby Futures Pool opens in January.
  
  ​
• The $300,000 Grade I Starlet wasn't as kind to the Smith/Baffert connections with the overwhelming favorite, American Gal, getting passed in the stretch and finishing second. Joe Talamo triumphed on board Abel Tasman, a 12-to-1 shot which paid $27.20.
  
  ​

 

[GKJ]

An update on California Chrome who is expected to run Saturday in what will be billed as his last California career race. Then, hopefully, onto the Pegasus in January which could be his finale.



http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/218308/california-chrome-logs-final-challenge-work

Second time he's going to run after the Breeders' Cup Classic and before the end of the year.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 11, 2016

Los Alamitos (California):
It is an absolute freak show right now with the card ongoing.

• Race 1: Very chalky. No indications here about what was about to transpire.
• Race 2: 15-1 winner paid $32.00
• Race 3: 12-1 over 37-1. Winner paid $26.60, $465.00 double, $1 tri paid $1,131.00.
• Race 4: 91-1 over 27-1. Winner paid $185.80, the highest in the current thoroughbred era of the track, $1 Pick 3 paid $12,751.10, $2 double paid $1,658.80, $1 exacta paid $981.90, $1 superfecta paid $25,086.40.
• Race 5: 5-1 won. To complete the payouts with this race, the $.50 Pick 5 paid $265,866.10, the $.50 Pick 4 paid $74,003.30 and the $1 Pick 3 returned $9,840.70.
• The winning pick five ticket was purchased for $2,520 through TVG and processed through a wagering hub in Oregon, track officials said (source: DRF).

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Tyler Gaffalione has been in a deep funk since the meet opened. He needs to get it going.

• And that was earlier this week but after a 0-for-28 start to the meet covering six days, today, he won three races. That is the rider I know. The imposter who was in a funk needs to return to Planet Unknown.
• Gaffalione wasn't the only struggling rider to find the winner's circle. Lane Luzzi and Antonio Gallardo also were triumphant.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Rajiv Maragh managed to carry his Saturday success into the first race today with another win... EDIT: He was named Jockey of the Week the following day.
• Jose Ortiz was the only rider to win more than once. His brother is riding in Puerto Rico today. The two are among the leading jockeys in New York in recent years.
• Junior Alvarado seemed to be getting minimal rides the last few days but at least he won today.

Remington (Oklahoma):

• The meet closed today.
• In the $300,000 feature race, Cool Arrow won comfortably with Luis Saez handling the reins. Not unexpected but even at 8-to-5 was a surprisingly good value play. Winner paid $5.20 and the exacta was $30.00.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Now we know why Junior Alvarado has been getting limited mounts as stated yesterday in the above post. He mentioned April as a possible return date. Damn!

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jockey Junior Alvarado was scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery on Tuesday and is expected to be out of action for eight to 12 weeks.

Alvarado said he needs surgery to repair his left shoulder, which has sporadically popped out of its socket. Alvarado said an incident about two weeks ago exacerbated the problem, prompting doctors to suggest he have surgery soon.

Alvarado had a solid 2016, winning 110 races from 808 mounts with purse earnings of $9,323,499.

http://www.drf.com/news/alvarado-having-shoulder-surgery

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

This could be the end of his career. Having won three times each of the Triple Crown races, as nearly impressively is the span of 25 years from 1988 to 2013.

The latest chapter in the indelible saga that is Stevens' career will be revealed in the coming months after the 53-year-old living legend recovers from having his ailing left hip repaired. After announcing his plans to have surgery, Stevens knew that—next to well wishes—the most common reaction to his upcoming convalescence would be wonderment as to whether he was literally and figuratively ready to walk away from the saddle.

And recover is among the many things he does best. Having already notched 5,083 wins through Dec. 11, won nine Triple Crown races—including three editions of the Kentucky Derby (gr. I)—and 11 Breeders' Cup contests, Stevens has the luxury of being able to decide on what terms he wants to go out on.

"(My doctor) said, 'If that's what you want to do, if you want to come back, I would say 97% going into this that you're going to come back and you're going to be back in 12 weeks,'" Stevens said. "But I want to analyze this and I want to analyze other options I have at this stage of my life, not career, but my life and my family.

"If it ended last weekend at Los Alamitos, I'm satisfied now. I'm at peace. But...I've still got that burn."

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/218361/stevens-to-undergo-hip-replacement-surgery