Horse Racing: $345,000 Pick 6 paid out at Gulf (FL); $185k Pick 5 paid out at BAQ (NY): Seize the Grey and Thorpedo Anna win $1m races at Parx (PA), $16 million bet

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Keeneland Yearling Sale has surpassed $420 million as the 10th of 12 sessions continues. Last year's total was $394 million through the full 12 sessions.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Distressing news that Freehold (NJ) is closing operations in late December. Freehold lays claim to America's oldest horse track though exclusively standardbreds (racing began in the 1830s per AP).

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Irad Ortiz, Jr., Rafael Hernandez and Dylan Davis are among the riders at Presque Isle (PA) for today's card which starts at 4 pm EST.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Frankie Detrori suffered a dislocated shoulder at New York. The international superstar was supposed to ride at Finger Lakes (NY) on Monday in addition to other scheduled mounts.. Status will be updated.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

It's Friday in Maryland. One chance to get in on the Russells and at the insurmountable odds of 3-to-5.

Win

Oh oh.

Inq./obj.

Long look by stewards.

Ruling:
No change.

The Friday magic in Maryland continues.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday, September 20, 2024

• California Crown: A reminder that Santa Anita hosts the inaugural event with racing details to be released in the upcoming days. Tickets have been going for as much as $1,000+ a pop which includes a special seating area for music entertainment.
• Brittany Russell: Is on a tear with wins with 10 of her past 22 starters since September 11. She has hit the board 14 times in that stretch. She was a perfect 3 3-0-0 this day.

Belmont at Aqueduct (New York):

• Chalk: A chalky day with favorites winning five times and placing three other occasions in a 9-race card.
• Handle: $8.9 million.
• Race 6: Boston's Phinest (Flavien Prat/Chad Brown) gave NHL player and part-owner Erik Johnson a win with his second-time-out New York foal.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837217276535394682

Monmouth at Meadowlands (New Jersey):

• Opening Night: The 9-night Monmouth at Meadowlands turf meet opened. Racing is scheduled for September 20, 21, 27, 28 and October 4, 5, 11, 17 and 18.
• Handle: $1.1 million.
• Trainers with Hot Starts: Brittany Russell (2-for-2) and Greg Sacco (2-for-3) among trainers.
• Race 5: Surya (Paco Lopez/Brittany Russell) surged to victory.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837411481157095760

• Melissa Iorio, a native of Trenton, rode winners in the opener and finale. Though in her 30s, she is in just her third year of riding T-breds.
• New Jersey: The regrettable news that Freehold (harness) is closing operations after 175 (approx.) of racing at the end of this year is another cold reminder that "nothing lasts forever even cold November Rain" as penned by Guns N' Roses.
• Far Hills: On Saturday, October 19, Far Hills -- the lively and spectacular steeplechase event that likely will be broadcast as part of NYRA's Fox Sports coverage that day -- will run its 103rd edition. Tickets range from $50 to packages in excess of $1,000.

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• Breeders' Cup Dining at Monmouth: "Enjoy a thrilling day of races from the comfort of Monmouth Park! On Saturday, November 2 watch and wager on the 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships from the comfort of Monmouth Park’s Private Turf Club from 12:30pm-8:30pm. Doors open at 12pm. Your $59.95 ticket includes, a $5 betting voucher, racing program, Breeders’ Cup selection sheet and lunch buffet approximately served 2:30-5:30pm. Cash Bar. FREE Parking. FREE Track Admission," per Monmouth.
  

Presque Isle (Pennsylvania):

• Handle: $2,5 million.
• Card: 10 races of which four were stakes including one graded.
• Repeat Winners: Antonio Gallardo had a hat trick. Irad Ortiz, Jr. made a rare visit and scored with the last two races and Michael Dale Allen rode two winners. Ron Potts and Michael Trombetta led all conditioners with two wins apiece.
• Race 7: Forever Souper (Antonio Gallardo/Michael Trombetta) won the $150,000 Presque Isle Mile by a neck.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837265703885271269

• Race 9: Roses for Debra (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Christophe Clement) established a track record time to win the $300,000 Grade 2 Presque Isle Masters Stakes by a neck in a thriller with Pandora's Gift (Ben Curtis/Stuart Williams) almost earning an upset at 11-to-1.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837280441214058774

• Race 10: Spy Novel (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Nolan Ramsey) gave the Eclipse Award winning jockey a victory in a $32,000 purse and in the finale. Ramsey, the former assistant to top trainer Michael Maker, took out his license this year and is the grandson to famed owners Kenneth (listed as this owner) and Sarah. Irad doing someone a favor? Sometimes it is the details behind the facts and figures.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Bombs: A good day to find prices and a good day to get frustrated.
• Race 4: Baby Sox (Ismario Villalobos/Joanne Shankle) won at 11-to-1 while a stewards' review placed the original runner-up to third.

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• Race 5: Baby Sox and Minimo combined to return $865 for a $1 double but now the story behind the story. The lone first-time starter in a race -- a preferred personal longstanding betting angle -- the only one on this card was a frustrating finish. Andras (Horacio Karamanos/Damon Dilodovico) at 24-to-1 was on the lead in the stretch before being caught by Minimo (Inoel Beato/Antonio Machado), a 0-for-14 maiden at 44-to-1. The $1 exacta paid $470. The tough beat of the day: Grrrrr,

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• Race 6: Katie's Notion (Jorge Ruiz/Carlos Mancilla) won by a neck at 6-to-1. The $.50 Pick 3 paid a handsome $1,200.

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• Race 8: Theodora Grace (Forest Boyce/Bobby Klesaris) charged to victory at 9-to-1 with a 20-to-1 placing.
• Race 9: Prince of Jericho (Sheldon Russell/Brittany Russell), as mentioned in a n above post, withstood a lengthy objection/inquiry to give the happy couple another victory and their lone mount together this day. The field of four offered little value but the win was important to many in exotics.

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Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• First and last: Reylu Gutierrez and Dallas Stewart teamed to win the opener and finale on the card.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The final day of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale is upon us. To date, a record-setting $424.6 million has been spent on 2,674 head. The top price remains $5,000,000. The average price is $158,000+.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Weather today in Philadelphia should be ideal for Penn Derby day. The giveaway caps are a vibrant red.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Things are never easy in California. Various entities have until the end of business day Monday for possible dates at Pleasanton (northern Cal) including the proposed October 19 to December 15. Any scheduled dates for 2025 in the north is in hold.

Racing dates for 2025 in the south appears consistent though not specified since the one disagreement involves the month of December 2025.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Irad Ortiz, Jr. has ridden winners in the first two races at Parx (PA). He has won the last four races for which he has ridden including Presque Isle (PA) last night.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Parx is now off the turf due to conditions not weather related.

 

[GKJ]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, September 21, 2024

• Samy Camacho and his brother Samuel Camacho, Jr. both won on bombs at different tracks: the former at Gulfstream and the latter at Belmont/Aqueduct.

Belmont at Aqueduct (New York):

• Handle: $12.1 million.
• Race 11: The $.50 Pick 5 returned in excess of $185,000.
• Race 10: Reddington (Samuel Camacho, Jr./Edward Barker) lit up tote with a $74 winner.
• Race 9: Wudhooh (Dylan Davis/Todd Pletcher) broke his maiden by a neck in his fifth attempt and at 14-to-1. The Speightstown filly ran three times at Monmouth (NJ) and once at Gulfstream (FL) before finding a win.
• Race 8: Ocean Club (Ricardo Santana, Jr./Jack Sisterson) was sent off the favorite and delivered to win the $175,000 Grade 3 Noble Damsel Stakes by a head.
• Ricardo Santana, Jr., in the past Steve Asmussen's number one call at other tracks, had a four-bagger and for trainers not named Asmussen. He had 10 rides and finished in the money exclusively with his four wins.
• Dylan Davis rode the card and had two winners among his 11 rides.
• Kendrick Carmouche was victorious with his final ride of 10 mounts, his lone winner, but that elevated him to the top of the jockeys' standings with nine wins this meet.
• Edward Barker sent out two horses and both returned winners.
• Chad Brown didn't hit the board with seven starters, an unthinkable 7 0-0-0 at his home track. File under: Everyone has a bad day.

Parx (Pennsylvania):

• Card: 14 races all $100,000+ in purses of which 10 were stakes including four graded highlighted by the $1 million Cotillion and Penn Derby.
• Racing: Was removed from the turf early in the day due to track conditions.
• Handle: $16 million.
• Successes: Eleven different riders and 13 trainers won. Irad Ortiz, Jr. (3 wins) and Jaime Torres (2 wins) won multiple times. The lone trainer to record multiple wins was Jose D'Angelo
• Prior Starts: Five winning horses entered from races at Saratoga, two from the home track, Presque Isle and Charles Town, one each from Penn National and Laurel and one was a first-timer.
• Race 8: Next (Luan Machado/William Cowans) romped by 10 lengths to win the Grade 3 $200,000 Greenwood Cup. The 6-year-old gelding has won 13 times in 23 starts. He has now won his past seven starts and nine of 10 in which he has raced at seven tracks. Next won this race under a hand ride.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837597341655744612

• Race 10: Smooth B (Mychel Sanchez/Butch Reid) won the $100,000 Turf Monster. Originally slated for turf, the Grade 3 $250,000 race had its grade removed due to the shift of courses mid-card. Smooth B, a 9-year-old PA-bred, won for the 12th time in 62 starts. The elder horse was 0-for-9 lifetime on the Parx turf course including a second-place finish in this race last year and a fifth in 2022. The race was reduced to five starters.
• Race 11: Bentornato (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Jose D'Angelo) won the Grade2 $400,000 Gallant Bob Stakes by a neck.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837601764868346125

• Race 12: Thorpedo Anna (Brian Hernandez, Jr./Kenny McPeek) won the $1,000,000 at 1-to-9 in a perfectly timed finish by the jockey. The winner is 9 7-2-0 lifetime including four Grade I victories, with $2.8 million in earnings. As a reminder, she was purchased for $40,000. Gun Song (John Velazquez/Mark Hennig) nearly earned a miracle victory but was defeated by a head.

• Race 13: Seize the Grey (Jaime Torres/Wayne Lukas) dominated the $1,000,000 Pennsylvania Derby extending a gate-to-wire win by more than three lengths. Seize the Grey is now a multiple Grade I winner adding to his Preakness victory. Lukas, who turned 89 years of age earlier this month, won the Penn Derby for the second time (also 2013).

• Race 14: Top Gunner (Flavien Prat/Brad Cox) won the $100,000 Parx Sprint, the final race on the card as nightfall played with the extended card. By the race's end and the subsequent trophy presentation, darkness had dominated since Parx has little exterior lighting.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837635083563610366

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: $5.5 million.
• Race 11: The $.20 Pick 6 Jackpot paid out $345,000 in the day prior to a mandatory payout. File under: So much for that!

​

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837624631383011668

• Race 10: Soul of an Angel (Drayden Van Dyke/Saffie Joseph, Jr.) was victorious in the Grade 3 $200,000 Princess Rooney Invitational. Soul of an Angel dropped down in class, entering off a Grade I 3rd place. The 5-year-old mare was out for her 40th race and won for just the fifth time. This race is part of the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Series.

• Race 9: Rouki (Samy Camacho/Gerald Bennett) was victorious at 50-to-1. Back-to-back wins for the jockey.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Card: Eight of the 11 races had six-figure purses including two $300,000 races.
• Race 8: My Mane Squeeze (Luis Saez/Michael Maker) won the $300,000 Grade 3 Dogwood Stakes.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837591680226390070

• Luis Saez rode three winners. He is second to Tyler Gaffalione among all riders at the meet, the two have a sizeable distance ahead of all other riders.

Los Alamitos (California):

• Bob Baffert sent out three horses, two returned winners.
• Race 1: Silent Law (Juan Hernandez/Bob Baffert), sent off at 1-to-9 (or lower if permitted) romped by 10 lengths in a race that ultimately was reduced to four first-timers. Silent Law was purchased for $400,000 (owners have 11 lifetime wins under the current billing) and is among the first-crop of sire Tiz the Law who won the Travers, Florida Derby and Belmont Stakes and placed in the 2020 Kentucky Derby.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837591291070501077

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Century Downs (Alberta):

• Opening Day: The meet closes November 3.
• Race 7: The $2 exacta returned $987. The $.50 tri returned close to $3,000.