Horse Racing: The end of 2022

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Dettori does it again. Goes back-to-back. I had both O'Neill horses but needed the 4 up there. Blah.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

 

[Marco 85]

Weather should be good for turf racing at Gulfstream on Saturday.


Keep an eye on Gentle Soul in the 10th at Fairgrounds

Gentle Soul very disappointing. Finished 4th. Not the same horse as last year.
Field was mediocre. Bet at 2 to 1.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Bob Baffert is now 4-for-4 today at Santa Anita's opening day. He overloaded some races, as Race 8, but he has produced provided the right combos have been used.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Let's go 12 in the next race. One of my picks. Prat (Rosario was listed) from the outside post.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Frankie Dettori has now won three races.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Bob Baffert goes 5-for-5 on opening day at Santa Anita.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Taiba is invited to the Pegasus at Gulfstream Park to be run on January 28.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Bob Baffert has 14 horses entered for the Dec. 26 Santa Anita card. I don't recall him sending out that many horses on any one card. He has the 14 horses spread in five races, three of which are graded stakes.

Among the horses in MSW is Bletchley Park who has yet to win in four starts despite being a $2.6 million purchase by heavyweight U.K. owners Magnier, Tabor and Smith. Another in that race is the $385,000 Florida-bred Purified who is winless in three starts.

Baffert debuts Worcester, Sonoran and Faustin in race 4.

Taiba ($1.7 million son to Gun Runner) and Messier run in race 10. Both ran in this year's Kentucky Derby.

And then there is Country Grammer who will be ridden by international superstar Frankie Dettori, a rider who is likely to retire in late 2023. Country Grammer has earned over $11 million which includes a second place in the Saudi Cup and a win in the Dubai World Cup and since those races has placed in three straight graded stakes in southern Cal.

Bob Baffert following Race 10 "I was worried about going 0-for-14 today." OK, raise your hand if you believe that. Baffert won all five races in which he entered.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Monday, December 26, 2022

Parx (Pennsylvania):

• Canceled: Weather.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Canceled: Weather.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Opening Day: The Championship Meet ends April 2.
• Off-the-Turf: All racing scheduled for the turf was switched to Tapeta.
• Jose Morelos, formerly of Panama and in his second year of riding in the US, won three times on six mounts.
• Trainers: 10 races, 10 different trainers won.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Hot Jockeys: Just five riders got wins despite 12 races.
• Florent Geroux rode three winners, all stakes. Each was for Brad Cox.
• Brian Hernandez, Jr. rode three winners.
• Corey Lanerie rode three winners, two stakes.
• James Graham rode two stakes winners.
• Brad Cox trained three winners, all stakes. Each was ridden by Florent Geroux.
• Brendan Walsh trained three winners including two stakes. Walsh was in Santa Anita.
• Race 11: Jace's Road (Florent Geroux/Brad Cox) won the $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes and with it 10 points towards entry into the Kentucky Derby.

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• Race 12: Pretty Mischievous (Brian Hernandez, Jr./Brendan Walsh) won the $100,000 Untapable Stakes and with it received 10 points towards entry into the Kentucky Oaks.

Santa Anita (California):

• Opening Day: Six of the 11 races were graded stakes.
• Closing Day: April 9, 2023 for the Classic Meet, a name issued for the first time, but racing here continues to June 18, 2023.
• Handle: $26.3 million, the largest for any opening day in the track's 87-year history. The figure is the biggest non-Breeders' Cup number since 2016.
• Card: 11 races, six graded stakes.
• Attendance: 41,000+.
• Bob Baffert had an exceptional afternoon as he won all five races he entered including three graded stakes and two MSW. He sent out an extraordinary 14 horses. Even with all bases covered, a 5-for-5 day is not only brilliant but also significant for his barn. Baffert's 5-win day appears to be his second largest one-day total. From what he said he once won five while QH training in New Mexico in addition to a 5-win day at Los Al. He won six combined at two tracks for his top one-day mark.
• Juan Hernandez rode four winners including three graded stakes.
• Frankie Dettori returned to the US and the international superstar won three times. He is likely to retire in 2023.
• Race 1: One More Bid (Ramon Vazquez/Ryan Hanson) won the Grade 2 $200,000 Mathis Mile at 16-to-1and the longest price on the board.

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• Race 3: Dicey Mo Chara (Juan Hernandez/Leonard Powell) won the Grade 2 $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes.

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• Race 6: Country Grammer (Frankie Dettori/Bob Baffert) won the Grade 2 $200,000 San Antonio Stakes. He is 14 5-5-1 lifetime including a consistent 8 3-5-0 in his past eight efforts. He has earned $11.2 million lifetime.

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• Race 8: Fun to Dream (Juan Hernandez/Bob Baffert) won the Grade 1 $300,000 La Brea Stakes. Fun to Dream is a 3-year-old California-bred daughter to Arrogate who sports a 6 5-0-0 lifetime and won her first try at a graded stakes. Baffert's wife owns and Baffert co-bred.

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• Race 10: Taiba (Mike Smith/Bob Baffert) won the Grade I $300,000 Malibu Stakes and with it earned a trip to the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream (FL) on January 28.

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• Race 11: Rhea Moon (Juan Hernandez/Phil D'Amato) won the Grade I $300,000 American Oaks and with it received 10 points towards entry into the filly and mare turf at the Pegasus World Cup.

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Southland's (AR) final day of racing is Dec. 31. Domestically, greyhounds will run solely in WV in 2023.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

@Marco 85

Since you seem to follow FG, this may be of interest:

Beverly Park to Close Out 2022 in Race at Fair Grounds

Beverly Park, the winningest horse in North America this year with 14 victories, pursues victory number 15 in the $22,000 starter optional claiming race at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Dec. 31.

www.bloodhorse.com

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Parx (PA) and Wheeling greyhounds (WV) have canceled racing today (Wed.).

Turf Paradise (AZ) raced on a sloppy track but cut the day short by canceling prior to Race 4. Possibly a rainage system concern, as happened recently.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

And now we have another article on one of the major racing sites regarding Brittany Russell. I have mentioned her often and going back more than a couple of years. She has learned from gurus like Brad Cox and the others she cites but she has been a marvel on her own. The addition of her husband often riding mounts while the couple oftentimes bring their young children in the winners' circle is wonderful for the sport. The lack of national notoriety with horse racing on the supposed all-sports channels isn't anything new. Perhaps it is better for the industry not to have some of the talking heads discuss a sport in which they aren't accustomed or have a natural tendency to mock through lack of knowledge and preparedness.

Horse racing has so many hard-working people who will never get a simple whiff of such shows unless it is a main stage such as the Ky. Derby. Brittany Russell is one of many people who deserve acclaim but for now here is an article front-and-center produced by the Maryland Jockey Club. Racing is flourishing on so many levels as we witnessed Monday at Santa Anita and yet the claustrophobic desires to discuss the same-ole- same-ole on those shows is short-sighted. Yet then again, maybe racing is better for it.

Brittany and Sheldon Russell are the centerpiece for all the good the sport offers:

Mom Of Two, Trainer Brittany Russell On Verge Of Maryland History - Horse Racing News | Paulick Report

Now, the 32-year-old Pennsylvania native is poised to take it one step further. She is not only on the verge of securing her third meet championship at Laurel’s calendar-year ending fall stand but becoming the first woman to finish the year as the state’s leading trainer.

paulickreport.com

“I really don't pay attention to the numbers and the stats and those things. I just kind of focus on who's next and winning the next race. I try and keep it just day to day,” Russell said. “I have people that sort of remind me regularly, but I don't like to think about it. I just like to think about the individual horses I have to get ready to run and getting those things accomplished.”

“I don't think about those things. I think about the job as far as being a mom and a trainer, because it's such a balance,” Russell said. “I'm juggling a lot, but it takes a village. We have my staff at the barn. We have Sheldon's mom. It takes so many good people on your team. I'm blessed. We have these good people around us for a reason, and it makes me feel good.”

Russell's introduction to horses came at a young age while working at local farms growing up in Peach Bottom, Pa. After a brief stint riding amateur races she turned to training, working for such horsemen as Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard, Brad Cox, Jimmy Jerkens and Ron Moquett before going out on her own, winning with her first starter, Oh My, Feb. 25, 2018 at Laurel.

Her breakthrough year came in pandemic-shortened 2020 when she won 46 of 159 starters and surpassed the $1 million mark in season earnings for the first time. Russell went 71-for-274 last year, topping $2.8 million in purses earned and winning her first graded-stakes, the Bold Ruler (G3) at Aqueduct with Wondrwherecraigis on the day before her son was born.

Russell is quick to credit her whole team, from her husband to assistants Emma Wolfe at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. and Luis Barajas at Laurel to her riders, grooms, hotwalkers and staff, for the success they've shared.

“It's amazing how we've grown. It's amazing what we've accomplished so far. I'm so proud of everybody really,” Russell said. “We have multiple strings. Emma's up at Fair Hill getting these young horses going. It's hard to get a lot of 2-year-olds in and to do everything. It's really hard to do it, and to grow. My team's done such a great job of helping me get to where we are.”

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 29, 2022

Aqueduct (New York):

• Kendrick Carmouche won three times. He leads the current meet by three victories over Dylan Davis. The meet ends Saturday. I expect to be at or near the top of the riders' standings this winter once the new meet begins in January.
• Linda Rice added another win to her meet-leading 20 (five more than Chad Brown among all trainers.
• Michelle Giangiulio is having an impressive under-the-radar meet going 9 4-2-1 (44%/78%). She has trained for little more than a year and the south-New Jersey girl learned at Parx (PA) prior to taking out her license. She worked under Joe Sharp at NYRA tracks.
• Race 4: Honey Money (Dylan Davis/Rob Atras) should qualify as a "nice horse" for the Boston-based owners. The 5-year-old Central Banker colt is 32 9-4-5 and is approaching half-a-million in career earnings. Not bad for a New York-bred, even at a purchase of $240,000, who has raced at all four tracks in state for a total of 31 times (once in Delaware).

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Laurel (Maryland):

• Dunder Boss (Jevian Toledo/Brittany Russell) won convincingly to break her maiden in his fourth try. She was fourth at the half mile and won by 11 lengths in a decisive trouncing, Paid $6.60. It was the trainer's lone starter on the card.

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• Jeiron Barbosa, a leading contender for Apprentice of the Year in North America, has a 4-win lead among all riders this meet. Saturday is the final day.
• Brittany Russell seems assured to win the trainers' title with just two days left on the racing calendar.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Luis Saez, the pick of many to win the riders' crown this meet which extends into early April, has started 9 0-1-1.
• Sandino Hernandez, Jr. is the only trainer with more than two wins this meet in its earliest of days. However a 4 3-0-0 start is tough to overlook especially from a trainer who has a total of seven wins dating to the start of 2017.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Race 5: The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $42,000 and that was with favorites winning the final two legs.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

This is the card of the day for tomorrow (Friday):

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$44,000	Maiden Claiming	5 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	8	11:25 AM ET
Race 2	$27,000	Claiming	7 Furlongs	Dirt	10	11:55 AM ET
Race 3	$25,000	Maiden Claiming	7 Furlongs	Dirt	13	12:25 PM ET
Race 4	$100,000	Heft S.	7 Furlongs	Dirt	8	12:56 PM ET
Race 5	$100,000	Gin Talking S.	7 Furlongs	Dirt	8	1:25 PM ET
Race 6	$52,000	Maiden Special Weight	About 1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	10	1:53 PM ET
Race 7	$100,000	Willa On the Move S.	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	9	2:22 PM ET
Race 8	$100,000	Dave's Friend S.	6 Furlongs	Dirt	11	2:50 PM ET
Race 9	$100,000	Carousel S.	1 1/8 Miles	Dirt	11	3:19 PM ET
Race 10	$100,000	Robert T. Manfuso S.	About 1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	12	3:48 PM ET
Race 11	$44,000	Maiden Claiming	5 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	9	4:18 PM ET

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Gulf has a good card on Saturday.

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$28,000	Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	16	12:10 PM ET
Race 2	$84,000	Maiden Special Weight	7 Furlongs	Dirt	8	12:40 PM ET
Race 3	$125,000	Sugar Swirl S.	6 Furlongs	Dirt	6	1:10 PM ET
Race 4	$38,000	Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	12	1:40 PM ET
Race 5	$84,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	8	2:10 PM ET
Race 6	$125,000	Rampart S.	1 Mile	Dirt	8	2:39 PM ET
Race 7	$125,000	Suwannee River S.	1 Mile	Turf	10	3:09 PM ET
Race 8	$125,000	Mr. Prospector S.	7 Furlongs	Dirt	12	3:41 PM ET
Race 9	$200,000	Ft. Lauderdale S.	1 1/8 Miles	Turf	13	4:10 PM ET
Race 10	$150,000	Harlan's Holiday S.	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	8	4:40 PM ET
Race 11	$86,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	11	5:09 PM ET

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday, December 30, 2022

Aqueduct (New York):

• Jose Gomez, a leading bug in North America, won three times on five mounts. My guess is he will be one of the three finalists for Eclipse Award Apprentice of the Year. Of those whom I am accustomed, he will be there with Slade Jones (Woodbine) and Jeiron Barbosa (mostly Laurel).

Laurel (Maryland):

• Handle: $3.4 million.
• Card: Christmastide card which was originally scheduled for Monday. Six of the 11 races were stakes.
• Jevian Toledo had a 4-win day.
• Brittany Russell's stable had a miserable day going 7 0-1-1. Obviously not every entry is going to be productive but this was a big day for the locals.

Tampa Bay Downs (Tampa Bay):

• Pablo Morales, generally a top five rider the past handful of years at this meet, won four times.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Race 2: Bad Henry (Angel Morales/Nicholas Palmer) gave the 30-year-old Floridian trainer his first lifetime win. His parents own the horse. He worked under Danny Gargan and Saffie Joseph. The teenage jockey, in his first year riding in the US and who is from Panama, won for the third time in his career. Youth served.

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Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Canceled: Rain.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, December 31, 2022

• Cancellations and Fog: Turf Paradise (AZ), assuming track drainage issues which has been a thing of the past, and Golden Gate (CA), the latter due to heavy rain, canceled their cards by noontime Eastern time. Aqueduct (NY) later canceled following the fifth race due to excessive fog. Feeds from Monticello (NJ) and Harrrah's (PA) along with Laurel (MD) also fought with strong bouts of fog throughout the day.
• Bill Mott had three wins. The Hall of Fame trainer has won five of nine races the past two days at Aqueduct and Gulfstream combined.
• Steve Asmussen is 34 wins away from 10,000. He is the winningest trainer in North America history.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Races 6 to 9: Canceled with the very strong presence of fog.
• Dylan Davis led NYRA jockeys in wins this year. He comes from a racing family but has made strong strides this year as a top jock in the New York colony.
• Chad Brown led NYRA trainers for wins in 2022, the eighth time he has led in such a yearly category. Brown's NYRA record of 587 159-108-81 includes 27 graded stakes victories. He won four separate meets this year.
• Leading Jockey This Meet: Kendrick Carmouche.
• Leading Trainer This Meet: Linda Rice.

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• Closing Day: Today ends the meet but the biggest of exotics will carryover.

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Laurel (Maryland):

• Closing Day: Laurel goes approximately 10 months a year taking breaks normally for Pimlico during the Preakness Stakes and the state fair at Timonium in late summer. Tomorrow begins another meet.
• Leading Jockeys: Angel Cruz won twice on the final day to tie bug rider Jeiron Barbosa with 44 wins apiece.
• Leading Trainer: Brittany Russell with 29 wins and had an exceptional meet finishing in the money 70% of the time. Russell ended the year with exactly 100 wins and over $4 million earned.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: $16.6 million. It's that time of year in south Florida.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. won three times and was DQ'd from another victory. He finished 11 3-5-0. The jockey put up in the DQ was brother Jose Ortiz.
• Race 3: Frank's Rockette (Luis Saez/Bill Mott) won the $125,000 Grade 3 Sugar Swirl Stakes. Saez, a leading contender for top rider this meet, finished the day 22 1-2-2 at the meet.

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• Race 7: Stolen Holiday (Junior Alvarado/Shug McGaughey) won the $125,000 Grade 3 Suwannee River Stakes.

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• Race 8: Sibelius (Junior Alvarado/Jeremiah O'Dwyer) won the Grade 3 $125,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes.

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• Race 9: City Man (Joel Rosario/Christophe Clement) won the Grade 2 $200,000 Fort Lauderdale Stakes.

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• Race 10: Skippylongstocking (Irad Ortiz. Jr./Saffie Joseph) won the Grade 3 $150,000 Harlan's Holiday Stakes. Next scheduled stop is the Pegasus World Cup. Ortiz Jr. won a record 5oth graded stakes victory this year.

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Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Race 3: Beverly Park (Marcelino Pedroza, Jr./Norman "Lynn" Cash) wired the field as the favorite to win for the 15th time this year in 30 starts. The 5-year-old horse has raced at 14 tracks in 2022 and won at eight of them. Lifetime, the horse is 47 25-7-4.

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Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Young Talent: With six $90,000 MSW on the 10-race card, there was much young talent on display.
• Handle: $6.6 million.
• David Cabrera and Kenny McPeek teamed to win three times. McPeek had a 4-win day including wins with four straight starters.

Santa Anita (California):

• Handle: Roughly $11 million
• Race 1: Air Force Red (Juan Hernandez/Leonard Powell) won the Grade 2 $250,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes.

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• Race 3: Queen Goddess (John Velazquez/Michael McCarthy) won the Grade 3 $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes.

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• Race 8: Lady T (Victor Espinoza/John Shirreffs) won the Grade 3 $100,000 Las Flores Stakes.

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GREYHOUNDS
Southland (Arkansas):

• Final race: The greyhounds will run no more at the track or in state following today's last race. West Virginia will be the sole state to provide the sport.

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The numbers are being tabulated but the 2022 handle should produce an all-time record in excess of $12 billion.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

2023 is now open: Horse Racing: - 2023 Resource Guide; Santa Anita estimates $3 million Pick 6 on Saturday's California Cup Day