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

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

November 12, 2018

Mahoning Valley (Ohio):

• Race 8: Most tracks were dark on Monday but Mahoning paid out with a $.10 superfecta worth over $26,000. The ticket was topped by 3-1, 76-1, 9- 1 and 78-1 shots.

Del Mar (California):

• Handle: The handle exceeded $6.2 million for the holiday Monday.
• Race 2: Chasing Yesterday (Drayden Van Dyke/Bob Baffert) improved to 4 3-0-1 by winning a reduced field of three in the $100,000 Desi Arnez Stakes. The 2-year-old filly had an awkward start in the race. She is half-sister to American Pharoah. Her only loss was a 7th place finish in a Grade I at Saratoga and Baffert stated that he regretted that decision.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

A very informative Q and A with Tim Ritvo and Belinda Stronach. It appears they will get all their ducks in a row and bid for the 2022 Breeders' Cup for Laurel (Maryland).

Looking to expand into Mass and Virginia.

Building houses and more at Gulf property.

More to come.

 

[GKJ]

Breeders' Cup at Laurel?

That'll be...something else.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

^ The Stronach Group (owns Santa Anita, Gulfstream, Laurel and other mostly smaller tracks) bid for Laurel as host earlier this year for one of three slots (2019-2021) but fell short even after massive renovations to the property in recent years. The Kentucky-California pattern is tough to beat right now, California has the weather and Kentucky is the nucleus of the sport including sales.

New York hasn't bid but my assumption is that will change once the external property at Belmont and ultimately changes to the track is complete. I doubt anyone wants the Breeders' Cup among construction in addition to the potential ugly weather we have seen in New Jersey and New York at past BC events. Stronach doesn''t have properties in New York or Kentucky but Tim Ritvo (one of the Stonach Groups reps) mentioned that Aqueduct could "go away" which has been hinted by others. Maybe Belmont will become the area's winter track once that area is altered with the construction of the hotel, retail, arena, etc.

Maryland: If Stronach desires to rid itself of Pimlico, though some opponents are holding onto the notion that the attraction of the Preakness is enough to sustain, look for Laurel to get an added boost. Since Stronach owns both tracks, he wants the Preakness to be shifted there. Pimlico could becomes obsolete in its current form, now it only has an extraordinarily short meet surrounding the Preakness. But that has its own complexities.

Florida: Stronach doesn't want the Breeders' Cup at Gulfstream which has too much activity on the property and apparently will continue to expand which is another reason the Group is pushing its Laurel property as an east coast alternative to Santa Anita. It looks as if horse racing will end at Gulfstream Park West (formerly Calder) after next year; Churchill Downs owns the property and is trying to shed itself of horse racing while the casino and possibly Jai Alai are the attractions. Stronach leases that property while Gulfstream, about 10 miles away from the former Calder, does track maintenance its heavy annual toll of racing. What happens for those six weeks will be interesting: no racing in south Florida, possibly looking into the dilapidated Hialeah, extending Gulfstream's meet?

Ritvo seemed to be interested in ownership in Massachusetts, likely land that is not currently related to horse racing. In Virginia, the once shuttered Colonial Downs awaits and could be revitalized. Mass. has it frailties, Virginia is in better shape.

Also, as mentioned above, much has to do with how each state attacks sports betting. Simulcasting is generally profitable and Stronach has professional involvement in that. But sports betting can take the business to another level; however, that depends on states imposing legislative action.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

John Velazquez is five wins away from career victory number 6,000.

Kent Desormeaux is nine wins away from career victory number 6,000.

Only 17 riders in North America have accomplished the feat.
'
Top 20 winners:
Rank....Jockey ……....Starts...…....Wins
1 Russell A. Baze…... 53,578 ......…12,842
2 Laffit A. Pincay, Jr. ..48,486...…... 9,530
3 William Shoemaker ..40,350 ......…8,833
4 Pat Day ......………...40,299...….. 8,803
5 David A. Gall...……. 41,775...…... 7,396
6 Chris J. McCarron... 34,240...…….7,141
7 Angel Cordero, Jr. …38,658...…... 7,057
*8 Edgar S. Prado...…. 38,776...…...7,018
*9 Perry Wayne Ouzts.. 50,685...….. 7,006
*10 Mario G. Pino...…... 41,877...…. 6,890
11 Jorge Velasquez...... 40,852...…. 6,795
12 Earlie Fires .........….45,029...….. 6,470
13 Sandy Hawley...…... 31,456...…. 6,450
14 Larry Snyder...…….. 35,681...…. 6,388
15 Eddie J. Delahoussaye 39,212.... 6,383
16 Carl Gambardella..... 39,018...…. 6,349
17 John Longden…….. 32,413...…. 6,032
*18 John R. Velazquez... 32,820..... 5,995
*19 Kent J. Desormeaux. 31,545... 5,991
20 Jerry D. Bailey...……. 30,857..... 5,894

*Active

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Unfortunate news but that scene at the winner's circle a few weeks ago when he stood from his wheelchair should leave an indelible mark to anyone who witnessed it. Among the great sports stories of the year. He is forever in the Winner's Circle.

Trainer Jerry Bozzo Dies at 98 - BloodHorse

Jerry Bozzo, who died Nov. 11 at the age of 98, will be remembered as the oldest winning Thoroughbred trainer in history—as well as a gentleman and a scholar.

"He was a great gentleman. It was a pleasure to ride for him, but it was also a pleasure to know him," said jockey Luca Panici, who rode frequently for Bozzo, including back-to-back victories aboard homebred Gusty Wind during Gulfstream Park's Summer Meet this year. "I've known him since I began riding here at Calder. He was a good horseman and a really, really good gentleman."

Luca Panici sensed something special that day. It was on his face.
​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

November 14, 2018

Aqueduct (New York):

• Race 8: The $2 Pick 5 paid out over $91,000.
• Race 4: Mike Luzzi won with a rare ride. This month, he is 7 2-2-2 (in the money six out of seven). They know who to call when they need a win: 1-800-Mike-Luzzi. Luzzi is within five wins of 3,500 in his career.
• Race 2: Benjamin Hernandez, a 10-pound bug, won in the continental US for the first time.

Gulfstream Park West (Florida):

• Emisael Jaramillo won three times and hit the board with each ride 6 3-2-1. Jaramillo has the third most wins at the meet.
• Marcus Vitali and Saffie Joseph each have 11 wins to lead the trainer standings at the meet.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Edgar Morales won three times. He could be making a late drive to secure one of the three final spots for Apprentice of the Year.
• Edgar Morales leads the meet with 11 wins. I do not know how many bugs have won meet titles at Churchill but the list has to be miniscule.
• Brad Cox and Dallas Stewart each have five wins to lead all trainers.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

November 15, 2018

Aqueduct (New York):

• Canceled the final three races on Thursday's card due to the inclement weather. The first announcement about Friday is that the races are off the turf. That announcement was made around 7:30 a.m. Friday. Wind is generally a concern for riders at Aqueduct.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Canceled prior to the first race due to snow.

Gulfstream Park West (Florida):

• Race 2: A nail biter:

​

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Edgar Morales was 8 2-1-3 today. He is probably going to be a finalist for Apprentice of the Year. He loses his 5-pound bug on Saturday. The 20-year-old could be the first apprentice to win a Churchill meet since Julien Leparoux in 2006.
• Race 8: An $87.80 winner. The tri was over $5,000. The $2 Pick 4 returned over $31,000. The $2 Pick 3 neared $8,000.
• Race 6: The $2 Pick 5 was over $106,000.
• Race 5: The $2 Pick 3 paid over $3,400 after the winner paid over $50.
• Snow: Snowy conditions throughout much of the day,

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Race 1: The meet opened to a 30-to-1 shot winner.
• Mitchell Murrill won three times, one of three riders with multiple wins.

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Grass racing has been suspended at Woodbine from Friday to Sunday. The jockeys consider the course to be frozen and unsafe and are not keen on racing on it for the rest of the season.

Source: » Grass Racing Suspended at Woodbine​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

November 16, 2018

Aqueduct (New York):

• Handle: Exceeded $4,000,000. Not great for a Friday but racing was off the turf and the weather was ugly yesterday into overnight.
• Manny Franco won twice, has a 6-win lead at the meet and is a potent 26%.
• Mike Luzzi, forever a personal favorite, is 8 2-2-2 at the meet and his 75% in the money figure leads all riders with two or more wins. Go get 'em Money Mike.

Finger Lakes (New York):

• Canceled due to inclement weather.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Weston Hamilton, a leading bug rider, won twice with three mounts. He may be hamstrung since the competition ride at more prestigious tracks such as Santa Anita and Churchill but the kid is having an outstanding campaign.
• Trevor McCarthy (26) and Julien Pimental (25) are in a good battle for the meet's leading rider. Weston Hamilton has 20 wins.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Race 10: The $.20 Pick 6 Jackpot paid over $27,000.
• Race 9: Calvin Borel, amid cold temperatures and flurries, had the appearance of a man who has raced for 1,000 years. He won this race. A tremendous story, his career.
• Race 7: The longest shot on the board won at 22-to-1.
• Races 1-2: Perhaps I am getting swayed by recent races but Edgar Morales may be the man to beat for best bug rider this year. Weston Hamilton, the pair in California and perhaps one or two others could be discussed but Morales may just win Apprentice of the year when all is said and done at the January awards. He leads the current meet with 15 wins.
• Race 1: Tyler Gaffalione had a prohibitive favorite in the opener, got caught inside, tried to swing out but then got into a bumping match with a fellow rider who did not shy. A very odd occurrence and one that was perhaps unnecessary.

Golden Gate (California):

• Canceled to air quality reasons associated with fires nearby.

Del Mar (California):

• Race 3: Peter Miller trained a winner for the 1,000th time.
• Handle: Exceeded $7.7 million.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Historical racing is ongoing with discussions in Illinois and have proven very popular in Virginia among other places.

Keeneland, Churchill Downs get green light for harness track with casino | Daily Racing Form

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Friday awarded a harness racing license to a partnership between Churchill Downs and Keeneland that will allow the companies to open a casino near the border with Tennessee in the small town of Oak Grove, brushing aside competing bids from the giant casino operator Caesars Entertainment and Kentucky Downs.

The commission awarded the license on a voice vote, just two months after calling for bids from interested parties for the Oak Grove location. The vote came at the end of a two-hour meeting on Friday in which the commission conducted question-and-answer sessions with representatives of each separate bidding group, during which the new owners of Kentucky Downs urged the commission to delay the vote to give them more time to prepare a bid.

Kevin Flanery, the president of Churchill Downs, said after the vote that the partnership plans to begin construction immediately, with plans to conduct 12 days of harness racing at a new track next fall. The bid included plans to build the track, an adjoining equestrian center, a hotel, an amphitheater, and a casino that will operate 1,200 historical horse-racing machines, devices that are similar to slot machines.
==================
The location targeted by all three bidders is a small town off Interstate 24 approximately 45 miles from Nashville, Tenn., and near the sprawling Fort Campbell military base. All three bidders had told the commission that they expected the brunt of their customers to travel from the Nashville area, which is also the primary market for the casino at Kentucky Downs, which this year has generated $800 million in handle on its own machines.

The Churchill-Keeneland partnership said it expected to spend $150 million to build the entire project, while Caesars, which, in addition to its dozens of casino properties, operates a small track in Paducah, stated that its project would cost $140 million (although a proposed “phase two” to the project could entail the construction of a hotel, adding tens of millions of dollars to the cost, Caesars officials said). Kentucky Downs officials said they expected to spend $100 million on both improvements to their existing track and casino and the new project in Oak Grove.​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, in the Del Mar opener, Godolphin (owner/breeder) sends out Coliseum (Joe Talamo/Bob Baffert), a first-time starter. The horse has trained exceptionally and could be on the Kentucky Derby trail provided things go smoothly in competition. Baffert is on record saying he has no American Pharoahs or Justifys this year but maybe he has a Silver Charm or War Emblem. The colt's workouts:

[TR][TH]Track	Date	Course	Distance	Time	Note	Rank
Santa Anita	11/11/2018	Dirt	4F	47.40	Handily	1/64
Santa Anita	11/5/2018	Dirt	5F	59.80	Handily from the gate	2/77
Santa Anita	10/27/2018	Dirt	5F	59.40	Handily from the gate	2/61
Santa Anita	10/20/2018	Dirt	4F	46.80	Handily	1/63
Santa Anita	9/30/2018	Dirt	6F	1:12.80	Handily from the gate	1/3
Santa Anita	9/21/2018	Dirt	5F	59.60	Handily	1/62

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[Preds Partisan]

Fast tracked application process awarded to CDI/Keeneland on a voice vote despite objections, hints of further legal action by other applicants.

Shocking.

Still stand by my earlier comments that this was a done deal before applications were reviewed. I was told Keeneland is only a 5% stakeholder in this deal to secure votes, but can't confirm this independently. Also interesting, I received an email from someone with Caesars asking for support for their proposal as if I'm still connected with Kentucky politics (so this isn't the Mafia, you CAN leave). We had a good chuckle at the bar tonight over the Oak Grove decision.

Yes this post is full of eye rolls and sarcasm because a lot of people will make a lot of money whether this was a good decision or not. Wink wink.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

I expect some scratches from this list since the race has been removed from the turf. New York announced earlier this morning that today's card will not conduct turf racing due to remaining affects from recent inclement weather.

RED SMITH STAKES

What: Grade 3
Where: Aqueduct Racetrack, South Ozone Park, Queens, New York
When: Saturday, November 17, 2018, Race 8
Post time: 3:47 pm ET
Who: 3-year-olds-and-up
Distance: 1 3/8 miles
Surface: OFF THE TURF
Purse: $200,000
Television: TVG​

[TR][TH]PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Teodoro (IRE)	Joel Rosario	121	Thomas Morley	12/1
2	Village King (ARG)	Javier Castellano	119	Todd A. Pletcher	15/1
3	Zulu Alpha (KY)	Luis Saez	121	Michael J. Maker	5/2
4	Galope Americano (BRZ)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Todd A. Pletcher	20/1
5	Soglio (KY)	John R. Velazquez	117	Michael J. Maker	10/1
6	Call Provision (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	119	Chad C. Brown	7/2
7	Inspector Lynley (KY)	Jose Lezcano	119	Claude R. McGaughey III	9/2
8	Bigger Picture (KY)	Manuel Franco	121	Michael J. Maker	5/1
9	Big Bend (KY)	Feargal Lynch	119	Thomas F. Proctor	20/1
10	Postulation (KY)	Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.	119	Michael R. Matz	10/1
11	Special Envoy (VA)	Daniel Centeno	119	Arnaud Delacour	30/1
12	Focus Group (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	119	Chad C. Brown	3/1
13	Red Knight (NY)	Junior Alvarado	117	William I. Mott	15/1
14	Control Group (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	124	Rudy R. Rodriguez	2/1
15	Exulting (KY)	Rajiv Maragh	124	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	7/5
16	Adulator (KY)	David Cohen	119	Robertino Diodoro	4/1

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

November 17, 2018

Aqueduct (New York):

• Favorites: Chalk prevailed in the first five races, the $.50 Pick 5 paid $25. Yikes!
• Race 6 Latin Love Bug (Mike Luzzi/John Toscano) romped as the confident rider pulled ahead in the stretch. Luzzi is now 12 3-2-2 at the meet (25%/58%). The winning percentage is fourth highest with those who have won 3 or more this meet.
• Race 7: Holiday Bonus (Junior Alvarado/David Cannizzo) shocked (some) at 44-to-1 and paid $91.00 in going off the longest odds in a field of nine. Alvarado replaced listed Irad Ortiz, Jr. who finished second at 10-to-1 on his other scheduled mount. The exacta was $787. The tri returned $4,980. Alvarado won twice with three mounts today.
• Race 8: Village King (Javier Castellano/Todd Pletcher) won the $100,000 Grade 3 Red Smith in a dramatic finish. The race was removed from the turf and the field was reduced from 16 to 6 which set up for something lackluster. It was anything but as two Hall of Fame riders delivered and John Velazquez was deprived of his 5,997th career win by a whisker.

​

Laurel Park (Maryland):

• Trevor McCarthy won three times with seven mounts and hit the board five times.
• Race 5: The $2 Pick 5 paid over $79,000. The $2 Pick 4 paid more than $43,000.
• Race 4: The $2 Pick 3 paid over $2,800.

Gulfstream Park West (Florida):

• Edgard Zayas, the meet's leading rider, won four straight races and finished 5 4-0-0. The natural hat trick plus one.
• Jorge Navarro was 5 3-2-0 today. He was fined last year in New Jersey for that foolish boast on video but he is having a sensational 2018 with percentages of 36%/68% much of which was at Monmouth (NJ). He is 11 4-3-2 at this meet.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Race 10: Mr. Misunderstood (Florent Geroux/Brad Cox) was sent off the favorite in a reduced field of 5 and won the $100,000 Grade 3 feature. He won for the 12th time in 21 starts including a perfect 4 4-0-0 at Churchill Downs.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Race 3: The $.50 Pick 3 paid over $2,400. A rare Alabama-bred ran.
• Race 4: The $50 Pick 4 paid over $12,000.
• Favorites prevailed late in the day but as evidenced by the early Pick 4 they were absent from winning early.

Golden Gate (California):

• Canceled due to air quality related to the area fires.

Del Mar (California):

• Race 1: Coliseum (Joe Talamo/Bob Baffert), mentioned in an earlier post, danced to a victory in his debut, a $53,000 MSW. The win paid $3.00 and that may be a generous offering considering the matched hype. The colt is from the lineage of Tapit-Pulpit-A.P. Indy-Unbridled on the male side and out of a Menifee dam; the former is well-documented. Baffert has another potential candidate foir the 2019 Kentucky Derby. Whether he sticks with Talamo or goes elsewhere will be seen.

• Race 8: Mucho Gusto (Joe Talamo/Bob Baffert) won the $100,000 Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes. The 2-year-old colt is now 2 2-0-0. He won his maiden at Los Al in September. Baffert was 3 2-1-0 today.

​

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Race 11: The $.50 Super Hi Five Jackpot paid over $54,000.
• Noman McKnight had a phenomenal day going 5 4-1-0. The trainer won with four consecutive starters and has a meet-leading 112 victories. He is 6-3-1 with his last 12 starters at the track.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

November 18, 2018

Aqueduct (New York):

• Race 8: The finale was won by the longest shot on the board at 34-to-1. Rajiv Maragh is having one of his most successful meets in recent times with a 29 8-1-5 mark (28%).
• Pick 6: The carryover into Wednesday's card with be more than $260,000.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Trevor McCarthy rode the early double and with the results from yesterday had a string of eight wins on eight mounts.
• Katie Davis rode the late daily double.
• Tais Lyapustina rode two mounts and both went off at 106-to-1. One finished fifth, the other third.
• Race 5: The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $78,000.

Gulfstream Park West (Florida):

• Paco Lopez was powerful today with five winners on eight rides. He finished 8 5-1-1. He is now second at the meet in wins, four behind leader Edgard Zayas.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Race 5: Brad Cox trained a winner for the 1,000th time.

Golden Gate (California):

• Back in action: Resumed racing after two of cancellations due to air quality issues.

Del Mar (California):

• Race 8: Solid Wager (Drayden Van Dyke/Peter Miller) won the $100,000 Cary Grant feature race.
• Race 6: Bob Baffert won with his lone starter, Nero had not been out since September. Baffert is 5 4-1-0 the last three days of racing and is 3 3-0-0 when teamed with Joe Talamo.

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Race 8: Avie's Flatter (Eurico Da Silva/Josie Carroll) was sent off the favorite and improved to 4 3-0-0 after winning the 115th edition of the $225,000 Coronation Futurity. Da Silva had his third straight 2-win day.
• Norman McKnight hit the board with four of five starters despite no wins. He is 6-4-4 with his last 17 starters at the track.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

An addendum to the quoted post made a few days ago. Coliseum won his maiden race in a professional manner after what can be termed an awkward start out of the gate. All eyes were on him Saturday, He delivered.

Godolphin gave Bob Baffert the horse for the main purpose of winning the KY Derby something that has exceeded them. Baffert, as mentioned, claimed he has no equals to his Triple Crown winners but as mentioned maybe he has another War Emblem. That said, Baffert mentioned that Coliseum "is tough to work with…" which was always a concern with the temper of War Emblem. I am guessing that the types of difficulties between the two are dissimilar. Plus, Coliseum is a son of the much-praised Tapit.

Godolphin’s Exciting 2-Year-Old Winner Coliseum ‘Has Been Tough To Work With,’ Says Baffert - Horse Racing News | Paulick Report

Coliseum, a homebred son of Tapit for Godolphin LLC of Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum of Dubai, wired the field in the 7-furlong opener on Saturday at Del Mar, clocking a faster final time of 1:23.13 than his stablemate Mucho Gusto in the G3 Bob Hope (1:23.51) later on the same card. Making his career debut, the Bob Baffert trainee won by 6 3/4 lengths and was piloted, as was Mucho Gusto, by Joe Talamo.

“(Coliseum) has been tough to work with, he wants to run off in his works and it's been hard to get him to relax,” Baffert said. “Now we've got that race out of the way and we'll stretch him out. I'm happy for Joe. He has put in a lot of time and work with him. He's a good horseman and he gives me a lot of good feedback.”

-----------------------------

Saturday, in the Del Mar opener, Godolphin (owner/breeder) sends out Coliseum (Joe Talamo/Bob Baffert), a first-time starter. The horse has trained exceptionally and could be on the Kentucky Derby trail provided things go smoothly in competition. Baffert is on record saying he has no American Pharoahs or Justifys this year but maybe he has a Silver Charm or War Emblem. The colt's workouts:

[TR][TH]Track	Date	Course	Distance	Time	Note	Rank
Santa Anita	11/11/2018	Dirt	4F	47.40	Handily	1/64
Santa Anita	11/5/2018	Dirt	5F	59.80	Handily from the gate	2/77
Santa Anita	10/27/2018	Dirt	5F	59.40	Handily from the gate	2/61
Santa Anita	10/20/2018	Dirt	4F	46.80	Handily	1/63
Santa Anita	9/30/2018	Dirt	6F	1:12.80	Handily from the gate	1/3
Santa Anita	9/21/2018	Dirt	5F	59.60	Handily	1/62

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Gary Stevens has retired following a back injury related to the spinal cord on Saturday at Del Mar. The injury appears not to be serious but enough for the rider to consider the consequences.

Stevens, who returned to racing in 2013 following an 8-year retirement, won his first race in 1980 in Idaho. Among his 5000+ wins were three Kentucky Derbies including 1997 which was one of the most compelling Triple Crown series ever.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

CLARK HANDICAP

What: Grade I
Where: Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
When: Friday, November 23, 2018, Race 11
Post time: 5:56 pm ET
Who: 3-year-olds-and-up
Distance: 1 1/8 mile
Surface: Dirt
Purse: $500,000
History: First run in 1875. Winners the last 20 years include Gun Runner, Wise Dan, Blame and Saint Liam
Television: TVG
​

[TR][TH]PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Prime Attraction (KY)	Kent J. Desormeaux	120	James M. Cassidy	-
2	Hence (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	118	Steven M. Asmussen	-
3	Seeking the Soul (KY)	John R. Velazquez	123	Dallas Stewart	-
4	Hawaakom (KY)	Joseph Rocco, Jr.	116	Wesley E. Hawley	-
5	Leofric (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Brad H. Cox	-
6	Bravazo (KY)	Joel Rosario	118	D. Wayne Lukas	-
7	Storm Advisory (PA)	Albin Jimenez	114	Anthony T. Quartarolo	-
8	Sightforsoreeyes (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	115	Anthony T. Quartarolo	-

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

November 21, 2018

Aqueduct (New York):

• Race 9: An incredible finish in which the 1-2-3 crossed the wire nearly the same time. There was a dead head for second after the win was confirmed. The $2 Pick 6 paid over $56,000.
• Race 8: There was a dead heat for fourth.

Finger Lakes (New York):

• Canceled after the race 2. Snow was very visible but high winds, the usual factor, was the primary reason.

Penn National (Pennsylvania):

• Purses: Three races with purses $100,000+.
• Race 2: Please Flatter Me (Alex Cintron/Mark Reid) won the $100,000 purses as the favorite.
• Race 3: Johnny Jump (Julio Hernandez/Kimberli Grace) won the $100,000 purse at 23-to-1.
• Race 4: Midtowncharleybrown (Mychal Sanchez/Edward Coletti) won the $200,000 purse at 10-to-1. The double was an astounding $1,115.20.

Mahoning Valley (Ohio):

• Race 8: The winner paid $124/$50.60 and topped a tri worth more than $5,900. The $2 double exceeded $1,000. The $2 Pick 3 was a monster at $11,829. Winning rider Kaitlyn Bedford won for just the fourth time this year.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Chalk: A mostly chalky day.
• Race 9: Half the field of 20 was scratched in the biggest purse of the day. To see 20 horses entered in a race, especially at Churchill, makes one think of the first Saturday in May. The order of finish was 17-1-19. A very odd trifecta in terms of saddle cloths but one of the track handicappers nailed the tri cold.
• Edgar Morales has a 2-win lead over Brian Hernandez, Jr. for most wins by a jockey. Morales is attempting to become the second bug rider in Churchill history to win a meet.

Zia Park (New Mexico):

• Big day: A 10-race card with over $1,000,000 in purses. The track handled over $1,600,000.
• Chalk erased: Favorites won just one of 10 races and managed just three place spots.
• Juan Hernandez-Blaine Wright visited from Golden Gate and the team was a perfect 2-for-2 in winning races 5 and 7, both $100,000 purses.
• Race 7: A 60-to-1 bomber, the longest on the board, came in second in a $100,000 purse.
• Race 8: Forevamo (Ricardo Santana, Jr./Steve Asmussen) won the $150,000 purse.
• Race 9: Cosmic Burst (Richard Eramia/Donnie Von Hemel) won the $200,000 purse.
• Race 10: Nanoosh (Orlando Mojica/Robertino Diodoro) won the Zia Park Derby and its $250,000 purse.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB STAKES

What: Grade II
Where: Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
When: Saturday, November 24, 2018, Race 11
Post time: 5:56 pm ET
Who: 2-year-olds
Distance: 1 1/8 mile
Surface: Dirt
Purse: $200,000
History: A race that dates to 1920. Enticed, who was involved in the controversial decision in the Wood memorial at Aqueduct in April and then ran in the Kentucky Derby, won this race last year.
Television: TVG​

[TR][TH]PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer
1	Signalman (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Kenneth G. McPeek
2	Tracksmith (KY)	Adam Beschizza	122	Joe Sharp
3	Manny Wah (KY)	Channing Hill	122	Wayne M. Catalano
4	Dunph (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	Michael J. Maker
5	Plus Que Parfait (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	122	Brendan P. Walsh
6	Blue Steel (KY)	Robby Albarado	122	Dale L. Romans
7	Limonite (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	122	Steven M. Asmussen
8	Royal Urn (NJ)	Leonel Reyes	122	Michelle Nihei
9	Current (KY)	Javier Castellano	122	Todd A. Pletcher
10	Roiland (KY)	Edgar Morales	122	Thomas M. Amoss
11	Mick's Star (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	122	Thomas M. Amoss
12	King for a Day (KY)	John R. Velazquez	122	Todd A. Pletcher
13	Knicks Go (MD)	Albin Jimenez	122	Ben Colebrook
14	Topper T (IA)	Florent Geroux	122	William I. Mott
15 (AE)	Everfast (KY)	Robby Albarado	122	Dale L. Romans
16 (AE)	Kentucky Allstar (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	122	Michael J. Maker

[TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY][/TH][/TR][/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

November 22, 2018

Aqueduct (New York):

• Jose Ortiz won three times. He entered the day with just four wins at the meet. He now has 7 wins in 50 rides.
• Javier Castellano did not ride today due to illness.
• The $2 Pick 6 paid out over $24,000.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 9: Johan Rosado lost his bug prior to today and won his first attempt as a journeyman...and for Lacey Gaudet.

Gulfstream Park West (Florida):

• Leading riders: A good race for the meet's leading rider has developed. Edgard Zayas (45), Paco Lopez (43) and Emisael Jaramillo (40) are the top three riders at the annual meet which ends Sunday.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Corey Lanerie had a successful Thansgiving with four wins, including his final three rides.
• Tyler Gaffalione hit the board six times with 10 starters and won twice.
• Larry Jones trained winners at both Churchill and Fair Grounds (Louisiana). Dating back to November 8, he has won with 5 of his past 10 starters at the two tracks combined. He knows how to spot horses, a good trainer.
• Gabriel Saez won twice.
• Race 6: Free Cover (Gabriel Saez/William Calhoun), a first-time starter, won at 54-to-1 and paid $110.40. Only two of the 13 runners had higher odds.
• Race 9: English Affair (Corey Lanerie/George Arnold) won the $100,000 Cardinal Handicap at 3-to-1.
• Race 11: Prado's Sweet Ride (Florent Geroux/Chris Block) went gate-to-wire, opened it up in the stretch and won the $200,000 Falls City Handicap at 5-to-1.
• Race 12: The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $54,000. The $.20 Pick 6 Jackpot paid over $38,000.

Golden Gate (California):

• Race 8: The $.20 Pick 6 paid out over $72,000.

Del Mar (California):

• Race 8: The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $33,000.
• Race 6: India Mantuana (Tyler Baze/Ray Bell) pulled a shocker in the $200,000 Grade 3 feature and paid $39.60. Two of the longest shots on the board finished 1-2. The resulting $1 exacta paid $171.70. The trainer has just three wins this year but has been active for many decades and is carrying the family tradition.

​

• Race 2: Bashful (Mike Smith/Richard Mandella) won as a first-time starter and paid $16.20. She was the only first-time starter in the race. Smith is 3-2-1 with his last 11 mounts dating to November 10.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

November 23, 2018

Aqueduct (New York):

• Off the turf: Another day of racing at New York with no turf racing.
• Race 1: The day opened with a 3-to-5 running off the board and in dead last. The usual strange payouts accompanied the results as show paid more than place for the top two spots.
• Race 2: Mike Luzzi delivered once again and opened it up in the stretch for added fun. The sometimes ballyhooed rider is now 15 4-3-2 (27%/60%); the winning percentage is NUMBER ONE at the meet among riders with 4+ wins and the in-the-money mark is second only to Irad Ortiz, Jr. Raise your hands if you expected those figures; he is having a resurgent meet. Luzzi has 3,498 victories in his career. Go get 'em Money Mike!

• Race 3: A rousing finish in which a colt nipped a filly and bug rider Benjamin Hernandez beat star jockey Luis Saez and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Until the inquiry was posted. The result was revised.
• Race 6: Eric Cancel fought back and did a good job in winning this race.
• Race 7: Seven of the 10 entered were scratched as the race as the race was off the turf. A 1-to-9 finished second.
• Race 8: The $1 super returned over $40,000.
• Race 9: Blamed (Julien Leparoux/Bill Mott) held on for dear life at 5-to-5 to win the $200,000 Grade 3 Comely Stakes. Leparoux doesn't win in New York too often. The horse is 8 6-2-0 lifetime and ran her first six races in New Mexico.
• Race 10: Jorge A. Vargas was the winning rider. The daily double came from the combo of two visiting riders, Julien Leparoux and Jorge A.Vargas, which is not a regular occurrence at a NYRA oval.
• Danny Gargan entered two horses and was a perfect 2 2-0-0.
• John Velazquez has lost his last 21 rides. He needs four wins to reach the incredible total of 6,000.

Finger Lakes (New York):

• Bad weather: Canceled before the first race was run.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Pay outs: A good day with plenty of impressive results.
• Race 6: The $2 Pick 3 paid over $5,500.
• Race 5: The $2 Pick 5 paid over $80,000. The $2 Pick 4 returned more than $10,000. The $2 Pick 3 neared $5,000.
• Criticism: One criticism today was that Aqueduct and Laurel had exact posts in at least three races. Someone could have flinched for the benefit of the handicapper.

Gulfstream Park West (Florida):

• The final weekend: A lackluster day at the former Calder enters its last weekend of racing this meet.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Tyler Gaffalione won four times on eight mounts and began the day with three straight victories. It is the third straight card in which he won his first race. This kid can ride. He is 24 away from 1,000 wins.
• Leading jockeys by wins: Tyler Gaffalione (18), Corey Lanerie (18), Edgar Morales (18), Brian Hernandez, Jr. (17). This should be close to the end of the meet. There are interesting stories behind each jockey. Gaffalione went from Florida to Kentucky. The infinitely popular Lanerie rebounded from the sickening loss of his wife, Morales in trying to be the second bug ever to win a riding title at Churchill and Hernandez, a former Apprentice of the year, is moving his tack to Florida.
• Race 4: The winner was claimed in the prior race for $7,500 and won this $30,000 purse. That is a large jump.
• Race 9: Corey Lanerie rode a 15-to-1 morning line, bet down to 8-to-1, ideally as he saved space along the rail. Winning trainer Dallas Stewart has the most wins at the meet.
• Race 10: Many should be kicking themselves for allowing Princess Warrior (Brian Hernandez, Jr./Kenny McPeek) to go off at 11-to-1 from a 7-to-2 morning line. The filly won the $200,000 Grade 2 Mrs. Revere.
• Race 11: Leofric (Florent Geroux/Brad Cox) won the $500,000 Grade 1 Clark Handicap to improve to 14 8-1-3. Bravazo (Joel Rosario/Wayne Lukas), who is now 15 3-4-3, finished second and battled strongly. An entertaining Grade I race by two warriors.

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• Race 12: The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $73,000 after a rare double DQ elevated Laser Loop (Corey Lanerie/George Arnold) from 3rd to 1st. The unofficial winner would have given a singular handicapper the Pick 6 Jackpot which was well into six figures. The jackpot entering Saturday begins at $317,738.
• Corey Lanerie placed in four straight races beginning with the second race. He finished 10 2-4-0.
• Carryover: Saturday's card will have a carryover of more than $300,000.

Mahoning Valley (Ohio):

• Race 8: The $20 Pick 6 Jackpot paid over $31,000.

Hawthorne (Illinois):

• Race 3: The winner paid $91.20.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Aubrie Green won the opener and finale. She was winless at the meet entering today but now sports a 26 2-0-2 mark. The 31-year-old mother to three children is from Idaho.
• James Graham won consecutive races with 10-to-1 and 12-to-1 shots.

Del Mar (California):

• Race 6: Chicago Style (Drayden Van Dyke/Thomas Proctor) won the $200,000 Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup. The winner withstood an objection/inquiry. Proctor won a stakes race at Del Mar for the 18th time.

​

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Race 1: A first-time starter named Yzerman ran third and finished gamely.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

November 24, 2018

8 graded stakes races. All are grades 2 or 3. The host tracks and the graded stakes are:

Aqueduct (3 and 3)
Churchill (2 and 2)
Del Mar (2 and 3)
Golden Gate (3)
Woodbine (2)
​

2 Kentucky Derby preps: Points are issued to the top four finishers. Those races are:

Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs
Cattleya Sho at the Tokyo Racecourse in Japan​

The official KY Derby prep schedule (September 2018 through April 2019): Kentucky Derby Prep Races
The unofficial listing from Wikipedia: 2019 Road to the Kentucky Derby - Wikipedia

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

November 24, 2018

Aqueduct (New York):

• Races 1 and 2: Luis Saez rode the early double.
• Race 4: Stoney Bennett (Manny Franco/Linda Rice) won despite just a three-day layoff.
• Race 6: Plainsman (Joel Rosario/Brad Cox) won the $200,000 Grade 3 Discovery. The rider put the horse out there and said catch me if you can; they couldn't. Gronkowski ran third but didn't fire.
• Race 7: Christophe Clement trained the winner at 10-to-1, while his 3-to-5 favorite finished second.
• Race 9: Lady Paname (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Chad Brown) won the $400,000 Grade 3 Long Island. Edgar Prado, he of 7,000+ wins, in his only ride of the day was unseated upon exiting the gate.
• Race 10: Irad Ortiz, Jr. completed the late daily double.
• Jockey leader board: Manny Franco has 20 wins, 6 more than Luis Saez.
• Trainer leader board: Chad Brown (10), Todd Pletcher (9), Rudy Rodriguez (8) and Linda Rice (7).

Parx (Pennsylvania):

• Race 5: The $2 Pick 3 paid over $5,400.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 5: The newly married Sheldon Russell and Brittany Russell, nee Trimble, won at 7-to-1.
• Race 7: Late Night Pow Wow, a Charles Town invader with a record of 9 8-1-0, was sent off at 7-to-2 and now is 10 9-1-0.

Mahoning Valley (Ohio):

• Race 6: Famed-Canadian based owner Bruno Schickedanz had a winner with went off at 53-to-1 and paid $109.40

Tampa Bay Downs (Florida):

• Meet opener: The meet unofficially opened today. Tampa Bay's annual meet opens July 1 for one day of racing then is dormant until this time of year. If the usual happens, Tampa favors speed over closers. That turf course, as the norm, looks spectacular.

Gulfstream Park West (Florida):

• Race 1: The place horse paid $55.40 and $22.60. The tri returned over $5,700.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Race 12: War of Will (Tyler Gaffalione/Mark Casse) tried dirt for the first timer after four turf outings and looked to be a star in the making at 2-to-1. The $.20 Pick 6 paid $500,256.50. The $2 Pick 5 paid $173,634.80. The $2 Pick 4 paid $31,625.
• Race 11: Signalman (Brian Hernandez, Jr./Kenny McPeek) won the $200,000 Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club which is a Kentucky Derby prep race. The winner paid $9.20 and out-fought Plus Que Parfait (Julien Leparoux/Brendan Walsh) in a good battle. The $2 Pick 3 paid $8,874.

Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes 2018​

• Race 10: Forloveofcountry (Tyler Gaffalione/Jimmy DiVito) won at 23-to-1. The $48.00 topped a $2 tri that exceeded $5,100. The $2 Pick 5 was an astronomical $154,158. The $2 pick 3 paid $5,400+. The $2 double was $1,638.80.
• Race 9: Liora (Channing Hill/Wayne Catalano) won at 27-to-1 and paid $56.80 in winning the $200,000 Grade 2 Golden Rod for 2-year-old fillies. The bomber held off the favorite in a solid finish:

​

• Race 8: Super Steed (Gabriel Saez/Larry Jones) won with the trainer's only starter on the card. The 2-year-old colt won impressively. Jones has won with 6 of his last 12 starters. The $2 Pick 4 paid $12,113.40.
• Race 5: Needs Supervision (Joe Rocco/Jeremiah O'Dwyer) paid $77.60 in victory.
• Race 2: John Velazquez picked up the mount and won for the 5,997th time. It was his only win in six rides but ended his 21-race losing skid.
• Jockey leader board: Tyler Gaffalione (20), Corey Lanerie (19), Edgar Morales (18) and Brian Hernandez, Jr. (18).
• Trainer leader board: Dallas Stewart (11) and Steve Asmussen (10).
• Closing Day: Churchill closes its meet tomorrow (Nov. 25). Kentucky racing continues on November 28 through the rest of the calendar year at Turfway Park.

Golden Gate (California):

• Race 9: Editore (Brice Blanc/Paulo Lobo) chased down Camino Del Paraiso in the stretch and won the $100,000 Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap. The winner was victorious in this race last year.

Del Mar (California):

• Race 5: Elsa (Joe Bravo/Michael Stidham) won the $100,000 Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes. at 11-to-1 and paid $24.80. The $1 exacta paid $204.90 after a 28-to-1 came in second. The filly finished 7th at Laurel in her prior race. Joe Bravo: Have Whip, Will Travel! Yesterday, he won in Louisiana.

​

• Race 7: Caribou Club (Joe Talamo/Thomas Proctor) won $200,000 Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap. A 72-to-1 came in second place. The $1 exacta paid $312.80. Synchrony, ridden by Joe Bravo, was sent off the favorite and finished third but only after a strong finish following a troubled start.

​

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Race 8: Ikerrin Road (Ademar Santos/Vito Armata) won the $200,000 Grade 2 Kennedy Road.

Tokyo Racecourse (Tokyo):

• Make Happy, a filly, won the Kentucky Derby prep race.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Due to space limitations above, here are the two Kentucky Derby prep races held Saturday:

From Churchill Downs:

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From Tokyo Racecourse:

​