Horse Racing: Arkansas Derby day recap: $41,000,000 bet, Nadal and Charlatan win Ky. Derby preps

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Laurel (Maryland):

• And so it happened!: Sadly, the graphics at Laurel WERE changed in a similar style to Gulfstream though with a pinkish-meets-orangy-red tone. Not a bad image and the black on pink makes it easy but....unnecessary. I really liked the previous screen. The Stronach tracks all have been altered it seems. And oh, LAUREL is not displayed prominently rather MARYLAND JOCKEY CLUB is seen. Hmmm.

​

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Jairo Rendon won three times.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. hit the board just once with five mounts.

Golden Gate (California):

• Graphics: Another Stronach track that underwent an image change. Gone was the unique orange, in came the...what color is that.... butternut? Again, not bad but unnecessary perhaps.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday, January 17, 2020

• Karl Broberg, who has been the leading trainer in North America in recent years with total wins, showed why again this night as he finished 11 7-1-1 and he won at all three tracks he entered. He leads this year with 21 victories, eight more than the nearest challenger. Broberg has already sent out 90 starters for a total of 99 starts.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Junior, my boy! Junior Alvarado took names and put them on report. A fantastic day. He rode four winners among five starters and hit the board with each: 5 4-0-1. Only one of his mounts was a favorite and the non-winner was the second largest price on the board. Junior won for four different trainers. His 25% winning percentage is second best at the meet and his 19 victories is third most among riders.
• Race 7: Joevia (Junior Alvarado/Gregory Sacco), who almost wired the field in the Belmont Stakes -- [finished third] -- which was his most recent outing, won by a length in his return. The layoff was likely the reason he was not sent off the favorite though was at low odds.
• Rob Atras sent out two starters and won both. The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba has gaudy numbers of 12 6-2-1 (50%/75%) in 2020, all at the Big A.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 1: The longest shot won.
• Race 4: The longest shot won and wired the field in a 32nd lifetime start but first at this track. The second highest price placed. The $1 tri paid over $2,400.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Saffie Joseph shipped here and won. Based at Gulfstream, he is 4 2-2-0 this meet.
• Gerald Bennett is 56 16-14-10 (29%/71%), his not unusual impressive numbers.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Saturday: An extensive card featuring Florida-breds. Early post starts at 11:40 a.m.
• Race 9: Hidden Scroll (Jose Ortiz/Bill Mott) was scratched at the gate as the 6-to-5 favorite. He finished sixth in the Florida Derby and has been off since May. There was much anticipation for his return today but that was squelched by the scratch.
• Race 3: 12-to-1, 20-1, 136-to-1 and 22-to-1 topped the ticket. Third place paid $37.60. The $,50 tri paid over $2,700. The $.10 was a mind-altering $5,300+.
• Chad Brown won twice with three starters. His numbers for 2020: 15 5-6-1. He keeps those numbers throughout the year and he may be considered for Trainer of the Year (insert sarcasm). He entered horses at three tracks today.
• Javier Castellano doubled his win total for 2020 with three victories. The Hall of Famer entered today with just three wins among 24 mounts but is now 6-for-28.
• Jairo Rendon has won five times with 11 rides the last two days after a 2-victory day today.

Delta Downs (Louisiana):

• Karl Broberg sent out seven starters and finished 7 4-1-1.
• C.J. McMahon won three times, all for Karl Broberg.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Colby Hernandez regained sole possession of the rider's standings with 27 wins.
• Ron Faucheux leads the close trainer's standings with 16 victories.
• Karl Broberg was a perfect 2 2-0-0.
• Saturday: An extensive card, one worth a look.

Santa Anita (California):

• Graphics: This is the fourth Stronach track to change its graphics. Golden Gate is a light shade of yellow, Gulfstream a deep shade of blue and Laurel a pinkish-red. Santa Anita was given a mint green which is the most awkward of the four. The nearly identical redesigns seem less favorable with handicappers compared to the prior looks but isn't disastrous.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

PEGASUS WORLD CUP
JANUARY 25 at GULFSTREAM PARK​

The possible fields...

DIRT

Bodexpress, Emisael Jaramillo;
Diamond Oops, Julien Leparoux;
Higher Power, Flavien Prat;
Mr Freeze, Luis Saez;
Mucho Gusto, Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Omaha Beach, Mike Smith;
Seeking the Soul, John Velazquez;
Spun to Run (Update: Javier Castellano; Irad Ortiz, Jr. has decided to ride Mucho Gusto instead).
Tax, Jose Ortiz;
Tenfold, Javier Castellano; Update: Tyler Gaffalione
True Timber, Joe Bravo;
War Story, Joel Rosario.​

Entries for both Pegasus races, as well as seven other Saturday stakes, will be drawn Wednesday.

TURF

Admission Office, no rider;
Arklow, Saez;
Channel Cat, Velazquez;
Henley’s Joy, Leparoux;
Instilled Regard, Irad Ortiz;
Magic Wand, Ryan Moore;
Mo Forza, Rosario;
Next Shares, Jose Valdivia Jr.;
Sacred Life, Jose Ortiz;
Sadler’s Joy, Castellano;
Without Parole, Frankie Dettori;
Zulu Alpha, Tyler Gaffalione.​

Source: Gulfstream Racing Office

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

One....week....away...OAKLAWN's OPENING DAY!

[TR][TH]Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$36,000	Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	8	12:35 PM
Race 2	$30,000	Maiden Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	14	1:03 PM
Race 3	$28,000	Starter Allowance	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	10	1:30 PM
Race 4	$85,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	9	1:58 PM
Race 5	$26,000	Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	14	2:27 PM
Race 6	$85,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	10	2:56 PM
Race 7	$89,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	13	3:24 PM
Race 8	$150,000	Smarty Jones S.	1 Mile	Dirt	9	3:52 PM
Race 9	$86,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	14	4:19 PM

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, January 18, 2020

• Bombs and payouts: One of the most bewildering days in a while. Either a handicapper's dream or nightmarish. Bombs over the landscape.
• Mark Casse had 16 horses entered at four tracks and won at three of them.
• Karl Broberg had seven winners yesterday,. Today he was 0-for-10.
• Kieron Magee had three horses entered and won with each including two at Laurel.
• Bret Calhoun is 15 5-4-3 within the past week.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Conditions: A scenic backdrop with the falling snow for much of the afternoon.
• Favorites won the first four races and then....just one more.
• John Velazquez, Jorge Vargas, Jr. and Kendrick Carmouche won twice but it was Declan Carroll's 30-to-1 shot winner in the finale that got much attention since it elevated the Pick 5 payout..
• Race 9: The $.50 Pick 5 was a staggering $102,753.
• Race 8: Mind Control (John Velazquez/Greg Sacco) won the Grade 3 $150,000 Toboggan. The 4-year-old colt is 11 6-2-1 and approaching $900,000 in career earnings.
• John Velazquez left the warmth of Florida to return to New York and for a reason. He won two of three races including the feature.

Parx (Pennsylvania):

• Canceled due to inclement weather.

Penn National (Pennsylvania):

• Canceled due to inclement weather.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 4: A lengthy trainer's objection which was nullified. An odd finish to the race but the lead horse was clear though won awkwardly. Interesting that the rider never lodged anything at least visually.
• Race 1: Husband-wife Russell team wins again.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Edgard Zayas, based at Gulfstream, was a brilliant 4 4-0-0. He won for four different trainers. A remarkable achievement.
• Race 10: The $.50 Pick 5 paid lit up the board at $76,000. The $.20 Pick 6 paid over $29,000. The $,50 Pick 3 paid over $1,700.
• Race 8: The longest shot on the board in a field of 10 won at 50-to-1 and paid $103.40. The $.50 tri was over $1,200.
• Handle: Over $5 million bet which neared Aqueduct.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: Over $16.5 million wagered.
• Florida: A big day for Florida breds.
• Tyler Gaffalione won consecutive races with purses of $100,000 and $150,000. The kid can ride.
• Race 6: Was this the race of the year so far? Nearly three across the wire. Rajiv Maragh edged Joe Bravo with Jose Ortiz and Javier Castellano trailing. Four New York-ish riders. The odds? 45-to-1, 46-1, 24-1 and 7-1. The payouts shocked the most dedicated handicapper. $92 to win. $1800+ for a $2 exacta. Over $5,300 for a $.50 tri. More than $9,600 for a $10 superfecta. Stunning!

​

• Victor Barboza, Jr., who was 25% last year but hadn't sent out a starter since October (suspended?), returned with two horses and finished second place with both.
• Romero Maragh, who was nearly paralyzed in a spill involving Paco Lopez last January, has recuperated and will ride on Sunday.

Mahoning Valley (Ohio):

• Race 2: The ticket was topped by a 65-1, 20-1, 21-1 and 7-1. The winner paid $132. The $2 exacta was over $1,700. The $.50 tri was an astonishing $14,000+.
• Conditions: Muddy.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Card: The last 5 races of 13 were held at purses of $100,000+.
• Julien Leparoux rode three winners. The jockey won twice for Mark Casse and once for his Mark's son Norm Casse.
• Steve Asmussen entered 13 horses and won twice. He joined Todd Pletcher and Wayne Lukas as the only trainers in history to win 1,000 stakes races.
• Race 2: Three horses ran after two were scratched.
• Race 10: Silver Dust (Jack Gillgan/Bret Calhoun) won the $100,000 Grade 3 Louisiana as the 3-to-5 favorite. Kukulkan, the Mexican-bred who ran in the Pegasus after a 13 13-0-0 record in his home country, is now 8 3-1-1 in the USA after a last place finish.
• Race 12: Finite (Ricardo Santana, Jr./Steve Asmussen) was sent off the favorite at 3-to-5 and won the $150,000 non-graded Silverbulletday which is a prep for the Kentucky Oaks in May.
• Race 13: Enforceable (Julien Leparoux/Mark Casse) won the $200,000 Grade 3 LeComte at 6-1 and with it 10 points towards entry into the Kentucky Derby. The three horses I used topped the ticket and the $.50 tri paid $118.65.

​

Sam Houston (Texas):

• Race 5: A 45-to-1 shot won and paid $92.40.
• Steve Asmussen added to his superior numbers with four wins among 10 starters spread across seven races.
• Deshawn Parker rode for Steve Asmussen six times and won half those rides.

Santa Anita (California):

• Handle: Roughly $11 million.
• Card: Mostly reserved for California-breds.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Two references involving the Pegasus:

The draw is Wednesday. Why not give Tyler Gaffalione a shot?

Spun to Run in search of rider for Pegasus World Cup
Spun to Run in search of rider for Pegasus World Cup​

Despite the fact Spun to Run won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and finished second in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile behind likely 3-year-old champion Maximum Security in his last two starts, trainer Juan Guerrero suddenly finds himself in need of a rider for his horse a week in advance of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational.

Guerrero confirmed Saturday he was informed that morning by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode Spun to Run in both the Dirt Mile and Cigar Mile, that he has accepted the mount on Mucho Gusto in the Pegasus World Cup. That left Guerrero in a state of shock as well as in search of a replacement for Ortiz, who is expected to be named the Eclipse Award winning jockey for a second straight year later this week.

“Today he trained super and I said to myself everything is perfect going into this race,” Guerrero said. “Then I get the call from Irad telling me he was going to take off Spun to Run to ride Much Gusto instead. Needless to say it was both upsetting and surprising since I had the call and now I’m left without a rider a week before the race.”

Guerrero said he has already spoken to the agents for at least two other riders, both of whom are currently committed to other horses in the race, to see if they can get out of their calls to ride Spun to Run in the Pegasus World Cup.

Spun to Run has worked three times since shipping to the Palm Meadows training center earlier this winter, the first of those two breezes coming without the bleeding medication Lasix.

“So far he’s been perfect, scoped clean every time, including Friday following a strong gallop when he got a little tough with my rider and went faster than we had planned,” said Guerrero. “He had an easy work last Monday and I’ll probably do the same thing again with him this Monday as well.”



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

I have mentioned Elizabeth Dobles and John Guarnere (Imaginary Stables) and the connection to Philly/south Jersey a few times. A good piece related to the Band of Brothers movie. It would be pretty awesome if they could win the Pegasus.

Not Your Typical ‘War Story’: Guarnere Shares Connection To Famed ‘Band Of Brothers’
Not Your Typical ‘War Story’: Guarnere Shares Connection To Famed ‘Band Of Brothers’ - Horse Racing News | Paulick Report​

Long before he became a part owner in the Thoroughbred horse War Story, who is scheduled to run in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) presented by Runhappy on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park, John Guarnere had a deep and personal connection to World War II through his uncle William “Wild Bill” Guarnere, a member of the famed “Band of Brothers.”

Like many of the millions who served, William Guarnere, a native of South Philadelphia did not say much about his time in the biggest war in history. That changed when historian Stephen Ambrose profiled Guarnere and his colleagues in the 1992 best-seller “Band of Brothers, E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne: From Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest.” The book was the foundation for the 2001 HBO mini-series “Band of Brothers.”

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, January 19, 2020

• Karl Broberg, who won 7 of 11 races on Saturday, is 0-for-12 since.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Jose Lezcano won twice. He leads the meet with 34 victories.
• Jason Servis won with both his starters.
• Rudy Rodriguez, second in wins at the meet in wins, won with two of his three starters.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Antonio Gallardo, usually at or near the meet's leaders annually, was a phenomenal 7 5-1-1 which included an early natural hat trick. He won for five different trainers. To date in 2020, Gallardo has the second most victories of all riders in North America with 21 which is three behind leader Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: $12.5 million. The track did nearly $30,000,000 of business this weekend. According to track officials, the meet's handle is 17% higher than this time last year.
• Rainbow Six: Was not hit yet again. Monday, a holiday, will see a guaranteed jackpot of $4,000,000.
• Gustavo Delgado sent out three horses and two won.
• Edgard Zayas, who was a perfect 4 4-0-0 at Tampa Bay on Saturday, won twice with four mounts. Going 6-for-8 in a 2-day period is extraordinary.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. was without a win on seven mounts but owns a 7-win lead in the rider's standings.
• Romero Maragh returned to racing, nearly one year from a significant injury which put his young career in jeopardy.
• Tyler Gaffalione was tossed in the finale and transported to a local hospital. Entering Monday, Gaffalione is the leading jockey in North America in money earned at $808,000+ and only two jockeys have more victories this year in North America. UPDATE:

​

Santa Anita (California):

• Joel Rosario, who was in Saudi Arabia yesterday, missed his scheduled mounts today though early word was he would ride later on the card.
• Rafael Bejarano slipped in the shower and has not ridden this weekend. He remains winless at the meet and at 19,999 career rides.
• Bob Baffert is three victories away from 3,000 lifetime and less than $5 million away from $300,000,000 million earned lifetime. His record in 2020: 19 8-3-3 (42%/74%).
• Tiago Pereira/Brian Koriner combined to win the first two races.
• Race 6: Ms Peintour (Brice Blanc/Brian Koriner) was sent off with the second longest odds on the board but won the $100,000 Grade III Astra. The French-born jockey turned 47 years of age earlier in the week. It was the trainer's third win of the day.

​

• Race 7: Nadal (Joel Rosario/Bob Baffert) was supposed to be ridden by Joel Rosario (travel issues) but was instead glided to victory by J.C. Diaz and paid $4.40. The son to Blame, was purchased for $700,000 in March 2019 at the Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale of 2-year-olds in-training, the highest price paid for a Blame baby. The 3-year-old colt ran in a $55,000 MSW in which six of the seven entered were first-timers including Vasariano (Drayden Van Dyke/Bob Baffert) who finished fifth. Exaulted (Mike Smith/Peter Eurton) finished second. Kentucky Derby trail is possible.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Monday, January 20, 2020

• Holiday cards: Many tracks took advantage of the Monday holiday and raced today.
• Danny Gargan had a 4-win day which had to be near his all-time top effort. He won twice at Gulfstream and Aqueduct.
• Empire Maker, who finished second in the 2003 Kentucky Derby and won the Florida Derby, Belmont Stakes and Wood Memorial in eight career starts, passed away at the age of 20. The son the the great Unbridled was an exceptional sire himself spawning 12 Grade I winners and was the grandsire of American Pharoah. Here is video of his Belmont Stakes victory which denied Funny Cide the Triple Crown:

​

Aqueduct (New York):

• Jose Lezcano, Manny Franco and Dylan Davis combined to win all nine races.
• Jose Lezcano, the meet's leading rider, won four times including a perfect 2 2-0-0 for Linda Rice.
• Manny Franco won thrice including a perfect 2 2-0-0 for Danny Gargan,
• Dylan Davis won twice.

Parx (Pennsylvania):

• Canceled: Due to inclement weather and resulting track conditions.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Claudio Gonzalez sent out three starters and won with each. He leads the meet with 13 wins.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Irad Ortiz, Jr. won three times to solidify his meet lead. he has 10 more wins than his closest challenger.
• Race 1: Tyler Gaffalione, hospitalized after yesterday's finale, won today's opener. Of the 12 jockeys at the meet with 10+ wins, only two have a winning percentage of 20% or more. Irad Ortiz, Jr. the winningest rider and Gaffalione. The kid can ride.
• Rainbow Six: Will start in excess of $3.1 million the next race day.
• Trainer's standings: Saffie Joseph, Todd Pletcher and Jorge Navarro all have 18 wins to lead the meet.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Ron Faucheux won twice. He is 30% at the meet and has hit the board with 11 of his past 13 starters.
• Leading trainers; Ron Faucheux (18 wins), Steve Asmussen (17), Thomas Amoss (16 wins) and Brad Cox (16 wins).

Golden Gate (California):

• Juan Hernandez won the first three races. A natural hat trick to start the day is very uncommon.

Santa Anita (California):

• Race 1: Bob Baffert sent out two first-time starters -- Merneith (Drayden van Dyke), who was highly touted, and Reem (Jose Diaz, Jr.) -- and though both hit the board, it was Gidgetta (Joel Rosario/Richard Baltas) who split them and won. It was Rosario's first ride since returning from Saudi Arabia. Baffert can't be too happy with the results but he is a skilled conditioner and this will test his abilities. He remains three wins shy of 2,000 lifetime.

​

• Race 7: Carressa (Victor Espinoza/John Shirreffs) won the Grade 3 $100,000 Megahertz.
• Jockeys: Joel Rosario leads the meet with 16 wins.
• Trainers: Bob Baffert and Peter Miller both have 10 wins to lead all trainers.

BOB BAFFERT'S CAREER NUMBERS:

Starts: 13,221

Wins: 2,997

Place: 2,228

Show: 1,820

Money Earned: $295,432,032

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

SMARTY JONES STAKES

What: Kentucky Derby prep race. This is the first of four races at the track with points towards entry for the Kentucky Derby. The others scheduled at later dates include the Southwest (Feb. 17), the Rebel Stakes (Mar. 14), and the Arkansas Derby (Apr. 11).
Where: Oaklawn Park, Hot Springs, Arkansas
When: Friday, January 24, 2020, Race 8
Time: 3:52 pm Central Time
Who: 3-year-olds
Distance: 1 mile
Surface: Dirt
Purse: $150,000
TV: TVG
History: Inaugurated in 2008.
Kentucky Derby prep: Kentucky Derby Prep Races , Next week, Santa Anita, Aqueduct and Gulfstream host Ky. Derby preps.
Preview: Using Optix and Brisnet data to bet the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn - Brisnet Steve Asmussen has loaded the field with four entries. ​

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Lykan (KY)	Terry J. Thompson	115	Ingrid Mason	20/1
2	Silver Prospector (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	119	Steven M. Asmussen	5/2
3	Shared Sense (KY)	Florent Geroux	115	Brad H. Cox	12/1
4	Nucky (KY)	Joseph Talamo	119	Peter Miller	10/1
5	Jungle Runner (KY)	Ramon A. Vazquez	119	Steven M. Asmussen	20/1
6	Gold Street (KY)	Martin Garcia	119	Steven M. Asmussen	5/1
7	Shoplifted (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	119	Steven M. Asmussen	3/1
8	Lynn's Map (KY)	Miguel Mena	117	Mark E. Casse	6/1
9	Three Technique (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	119	Jeremiah C. Englehart	9/2

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Steve Haskin listed his annual Derby Dozen list which he does following key prep races. It is still very early in the process but in order to get acclimated to some key 2020 contenders, here is his current edition:

Source: Derby Dozen - January 21, 2020 - Presented by Shadwell Farm


[TABLE="class: brtb_item_table"][TBODY][TR][TD]Rank[/TD][TD]Horse[/TD][TD]Trainer[/TD][TD] Sire[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]1[/TD][TD]Dennis' Moment[/TD][TD]Dale Romans[/TD][TD] Tiznow[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]2[/TD][TD]Storm the Court[/TD][TD]Peter Eurton[/TD][TD] Court Vision[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]3[/TD][TD]Thousand Words[/TD][TD]Bob Baffert[/TD][TD]Pioneerof the Nile[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]4[/TD][TD]Tiz the Law[/TD][TD]Barclay Tagg[/TD][TD]Constitution[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]5[/TD][TD]Gouverneur Morris[/TD][TD]Todd Pletcher[/TD][TD]Constitution [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]6[/TD][TD]Independence Hall[/TD][TD]Michael Trombetta[/TD][TD]Constitution [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]7[/TD][TD]Maxfield[/TD][TD]Brendan Walsh[/TD][TD]Street Sense[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]8[/TD][TD]Green Light Go[/TD][TD]Jimmy Jerkens[/TD][TD]Hard Spun[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]9[/TD][TD]Three Technique[/TD][TD]Jeremiah Englehart[/TD][TD]Mr. Speaker [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]10[/TD][TD]Anneau d'Or[/TD][TD]Blaine Wright[/TD][TD]Medaglia d'Oro [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]11[/TD][TD]Authentic[/TD][TD]Bob Baffert[/TD][TD]Into Mischief[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]12[/TD][TD]Enforceable[/TD][TD]Mark Casse [/TD][TD]Tapit [/TD][/TR][/TBODY][/TABLE]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

• What: The 49th Annual Eclipse Awards
• Where: Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
• When: Thursday, January 23 at 8 p.m. ET
• TV: TVG
• Additional viewing: DirecTV Now, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. The Racetrack Television Network (RTN) also will make the Eclipse Awards available across all of its platforms, including Roku.
• Livestream: DRF.com, XBTV.com, and GulfstreamPark.com.
• Hosts: Acacia Courtney, Britney Eurton, and Gabby Gaudet

​

2019 Eclipse Awards Finalists (in Alphabetical Order):

Horse of the Year: Bricks and Mortar, Maximum Security, Mitole
Two-Year-Old Male: Maxfield, Storm the Court, Structor
Two-Year-Old Filly: Bast, British Idiom, Sharing
Three-Year-Old Male: Code of Honor, Maximum Security, Omaha Beach
Three-Year-Old Filly: Covfefe, Guarana, Serengeti Empress
Older Dirt Male: McKinzie, Mitole, Vino Rosso
Older Dirt Female: Blue Prize, Elate, Midnight Bisou
Male Sprinter: Imperial Hint, Mitole, World of Trouble
Female Sprinter: Belvoir Bay, Come Dancing, Covfefe
Male Turf Horse: Bricks and Mortar, Mo Forza, World of Trouble
Female Turf Horse: Got Stormy, Sistercharlie, Uni
Steeplechase Horse: Brain Power, Scorpiancer, Winston C
Owner: Gary Barber, Peter Brant, Klaravich Stables Inc. and William H. Lawrence
Breeder: Calumet Farm, Godolphin, George Strawbridge Jr.
Trainer: Steve Asmussen, Chad Brown, Brad Cox
Jockey: Javier Castellano, Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose Ortiz
Apprentice Jockey: Julio Correa, Angel Diaz, Kazushi Kimura

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Broadcast: TVG coverage begins in the morning with the first post at 11:30 a.m.ET. NBC coverage for the two feature races lasts from 4:30 pm ET until 6:00 pm ET.

Pegasus World Cup Post Positions ($3,000,000)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	ML
1	True Timber	Joe Bravo	Kiaran McLaughlin	20-1
2	Tax	Jose Ortiz	Danny Gargan	12-1
3	Diamond Oops	Julien Leparoux	Patrick Biancone	20-1
4	Seeking the Soul	John Velazquez	Dallas Stewart	30-1
Scratched	Omaha Beach	Mike Smith	Richard Mandella	7-5
6	Higher Power	Flavien Prat	John Sadler	6-1
7	War Story	Joel Rosario	Elizabeth Dobles	30-1
8	Mr Freeze	Luis Saez	Dale Romans	30-1
Scratched	Spun to Run	Javier Castellano	Juan Carlos Guerrero	7-2
10	Mucho Gusto	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	Bob Baffert	9-2
11	Tenfold	Tyler Gaffalione	Steve Asmussen	30-1
12	Bodexpress	Emisael Jaramillo	Gustavo Delgado	30-1

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Pegasus World Cup Post Turf Positions ($1,000,000)
#13 is an also eligible and will run only if one of the 12 is scratched.

PP	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	ML
1	Zulu Alpha	Tyler Gaffalione	Michael Maker	12-1
2	Arklow	Luis Saez	Brad Cox	6-1
3	Without Parole	Frankie Dettori	Chad Brown	4-1
4	Sadler’s Joy	Javier Castellano	Tom Albertrani	8-1
5	Channel Cat	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	10-1
6	Instilled Regard	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	Chad Brown	10-1
7	Admission Office	Flavien Prat	Brian Lynch	30-1
8	Henley’s Joy	Julien Leparoux	Michael Maker	30-1
9	Next Shares	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	Richard Baltas	30-1
10	Mo Forza	Joel Rosario	Peter Miller	5-1
11	Sacred Life	Jose Ortiz	Chad Brown	12-1
12	Magic Wand	Ryan Moore	Aidan O’Brien	7-2
13 AE	Tusk	Paco Lopez	Saffie Joseph	AE

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Gulfstream's card on Saturday...

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post	Main TV
Race 1	$51,000	Allowance	1 Mile	Turf	12	11:30 AM	TVG
Race 2	$50,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	10	11:59 AM	TVG
Race 3	$150,000	World of TroubleTurf Sprint S.	5 Furlongs	Turf	8	12:28 PM	TVG
Race 4	$50,000	Maiden Special Weight	7 Furlongs	Dirt	12	12:57 PM	TVG
Race 5	$150,000	Ladies' Turf Sprint S.	5 Furlongs	Turf	9	1:27 PM	TVG
Race 6	$150,000	South Beach S.	About 7 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	13	2:02 PM	TVG
Race 7	$150,000	Fred W. Hooper S.	1 Mile	Dirt	14	2:31 PM	TVG
Race 8	$200,000	La Prevoyante S.	1 1/2 Miles	Turf	10	3:03 PM	TVG
Race 9	$200,000	Inside Information S. presented by Runhappy Matchmaker Series	7 Furlongs	Dirt	12	3:36 PM	TVG
Race 10	$200,000	W. L. McKnight S.	1 1/2 Miles	Turf	12	4:12 PM	TVG
Race 11	$1,000,000	Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S. presented by Runhappy	1 3/16 Miles	Turf	13	4:49 PM	NBC
Race 12	$3,000,000	Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. presented by Runhappy	1 1/8 Miles	Dirt	12	5:34 PM	NBC

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[Orr Fourever]

^Looks like it's Tax time again...

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

^Looks like it's Tax time again...

I am tossing him into my exotics. Of course I will use War Story if for nothing else sentimental reasons and the M/L odds.

Chad Brown's turf horses should always be considered.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

This is an important year for Delaware Park. 2019 was flawed. The fields were too short to garner much interest. Hopefully the later start time for the meet will work in the track's favor.

Delaware Park Receives Approval For 85-Day Race Meet - Horse Racing News | Paulick Report

Delaware Park has announced an 85-day meet for the upcoming 83rd season of live racing after receiving approval from the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission today.

The live racing season will open on Wednesday, May 27 and conclude on Saturday, Oct. 31. Live racing will be conducted Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. Thursdays will be added June 18 through Oct. 8. First race daily post time is set for 1:15pm.

The highlight of the season is the filly and mare summer classic, the mile and a quarter Grade 2 Delaware Handicap on July 11. The Grade 3 Delaware Oaks will be contested on July 4th.
​

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

@Preds Partisan

Informative article on the DRF...

Illinois horsemen, Arlington management still at loggerheads

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Spun to Run has scratched from the Pegasus....skin issue.

Omaha Beach is now scratched.... hind leg.

The two lowest sets of odds. That puts a dent into the race with the other defections and the purse's reduction. However, it may become a better betting race.

 

[Preds Partisan]

I'm not even sure what to say about the Illinois situation. I'm not sure there is a path to a "good" solution given how entrenched the parties are.

 

[GKJ]

Omaha Beach is scratched. He has what is said to be the beginnings of a cannon-bone fracture is his right hind leg. This race was scheduled to be his last so i imagine he is now definitely retired.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Aqueduct (New York):

• Favorites: Mostly chalk as six favorites won the eight races.
• Repeats: Eric Cancel (including the finale), Dylan Davis (consecutive wins) and Kendrick Carmouche all won twice.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Arnoud Dobber won his first race as a trainer with his fifth start. He is from Netherlands and is 58 years of age. He is now Florida-based and his barn includes 10 T-breds. He has a background in jumpers.
• Pick 5: Someone nailed it for $53,780.60

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Conditions: Racing was off the turf throughout the day. Lousy weather in the area.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. added three wins to his meet lead.
• Rainbow Six: A $4,000,000 guarantee has been announced.
• Dale Romans, who has the leading Kentucky Derby candidate in Dennis' Moment according to some pundits, is 0-for-18 at the meet. I believe that is the most starts for those winless at this meet.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Race 1: The longest shot on the board at 24-to-1 won.
• Race 2: Matt Shirer won again. He is now 20 9-4-3 (45%/80%). Stunning figures.
• Race 3: Jose Sharp horses finished 1-2.
• Race 7: A 9-length win.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Eclipse Award winners. Obviously, a huge night for Bricks and Mortar and his connections. The hosts did a good job and the event moved swimmingly.

Some highlights:

Vinny Viola's speech was reflective and showed signs of not being over-rehearsed. Good that he congratulated Todd Pletcher who has taken a backseat in a sense to Chad Brown in recent years. Florida Panthers' owner. Hockey ties #1.

George W. Strawbridge Jr., from Philadelphia, is in the Buffalo Sabres' Hall of Fame. He was named Breeder of the Year. Hockey ties #2.

Kzaushi Kimura whose speech was heartfelt as he tried to overcome some difficulties with words. Exceptional job by him especially in mentioning Cristian Torres who finished fourth in the balloting but didn't make the final three cut as some of us thought. No criticisms there as only three can make it, and Julio Correa was one of my obvious picks. Not being familiar with Camarero in Puerto Rico, I didn't have the third Apprentice nominee on my list and as it turned out it was the first time that someone from that track was recognized in an Eclipse.

As I stated earlier, Joel Rosario should have been a finalist for the Jockey of the Year. He deserved it more so than Jose Ortiz or Javier Castellano, the latter who surprisingly to me finished second while Ortiz only got one vote of 241. If that is the case and jockeys such as Flavien Prat and Rosario garnered more votes for the trophy than Ortiz, why was he named as a finalist? And who voted for Mike Smith and why? Seems to me the final three nominees should be the three with the most votes but perhaps there is a method to the Awards and how they are presented to voters. UPDATE: The process is described later in this post.

Seth Klarman will get much attention for his speech regarding the industry. Many will praise him but though we all know there are concerns both internal and external, he may have played into the hands of the industry's foes. Others likely won't see it that way but as a man who has the reputation of preferring being in the shadows, reluctant to grant interviews, etc., he had the most powerful words of the night whether agreed or not for public consumption.

Storm the Court won the BC Juvy at 49-to-1 and upset Dennis' Moment who was sent off the favorite and had the early tag of being the Ky. Derby choice of plenty,f last in the race. Dale Romans has much work to do if the latter is to get to that level and "Dennis" only got three votes for 2-year-old male. Steve Haskin still has "Dennis" as his top Derby contender as of earlier this week. But a 49-to-1 shot who has won just 2 of 4 races to get this award tells me the field is wide open.

And the word "amazing" was overused by at least one recipient. I counted six. Could have been an incredible or remarkable tossed in the speech.

-----------------------'

News | National Turf Writers and Broadcasters

The complete list of 2019 Eclipse Awards winners with vote totals appears below:
(Horse ages in parenthesis where applicable; Country codes indicate a foreign breeding designation)
· Runhappy Horse of the Year: Bricks and Mortar (5)
· Two-Year-Old Male: Storm the Court
· Two-Year-Old Filly: British Idiom
· Three-Year-Old Male: Maximum Security
· Three-Year-Old Filly: Covfefe
· Older Dirt Male: Vino Rosso (4)
· Older Dirt Female: Midnight Bisou (4)
· Male Sprinter: Mitole (4)
· Female Sprinter: Covfefe (3)
· Male Turf Horse: Bricks and Mortar (5)
· Female Turf Horse: Uni (GB) (5)
· Steeplechase Horse: Winston C (IRE) (5)
· Owner: Klaravich Stables Inc., and William H. Lawrence
· Breeder: George Strawbridge, Jr.
· Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr.
· Apprentice Jockey: Kazushi Kimura
· Trainer: Chad Brown

Voting Overview
In voting that concluded January 2, 2020 Eclipse Awards voters cast their ballots to rank the top three horses and individuals in each Championship division on a 10-5-1 point system. This voting established the top three finalists in each division, whose names were released on Jan. 4, 2020.
The tallies below represent only first-place votes from members of the consolidated voting entities, NTRA, Daily Racing Form, and National Turf Writers And Broadcasters.
Voter participation rate: 241/254= 94.88%

Name, First-Place Votes

Runhappy Horse of the Year
Bricks and Mortar; 204; Mitole, 19; Maximum Security, 14; Midnight Bisou, 1; Omaha Beach, 1; Vino Rosso, 1. Voter Abstention, 1.

Two-Year-Old Male
Storm the Court, 147; Structor, 51; Maxfield, 12; Independence Hall, 8; Tiz the Law, 6; Four Wheel Drive, 4; Dennis’ Moment, 3; Anneau d’Or, 2; Eight Rings, 2; Thousand Words, 2; Basin, 1; Nucky, 1; Voter Abstentions, 2.

Two-Year-Old Filly
British Idiom, 222; Bast, 12; Sharing, 6; Alms, 1.

Three-Year-Old Male
Maximum Security, 217; Omaha Beach, 16; Code of Honor, 8.

Three-Year-Old Filly
Covfefe, 189; Guarana, 19; Serengeti Empress, 11; Iridessa (IRE), 9; Concrete Rose, 6; Dunbar Road, 6; Cambier Parc, 1.

Older Dirt Male
Vino Rosso, 129; Mitole, 108; McKinzie, 3; Voter Abstention, 1.

Older Dirt Female
Midnight Bisou, 210; Blue Prize (ARG), 31.

Male Sprinter
Mitole, 236; Maximum Security, 5.

Female Sprinter
Covfefe, 235; Belvoir Bay (GB), 4, Mia Mischief, 1; Serengeti Empress, 1.

Male Turf Horse
Bricks and Mortar, 241.

Female Turf Horse
Uni (GB), 126; Sistercharlie (IRE), 61; Got Stormy, 33; Iridessa, (IRE) 15; Concrete Rose, 3; Vasilika, 2; Cambier Parc, 1.

Steeplechase Horse
Winston C (IRE), 158; Brain Power (IRE), 44; Scorpiancer (IRE), 3; Voter Abstentions, 36.

Owner
Klaravich Stables, Inc. and William H. Lawrence, 184; Gary Barber, 18; Peter Brant, 11; Calumet Farm, 6; William and Corrine Heiligbrodt, 3; Gary and Mary West, 3; Joseph Besecker, 2; End Zone Athletics, Inc., 2; Hronis Racing, 2; Madaket Stables LLC, 2; LNJ Foxwoods, 1. Voter Abstentions, 7.

Breeder
George Strawbridge, Jr., 122; Calumet Farm, 94; Godolphin, 8; Edward A. Cox, Jr., 2; Gary and Mary West, 2; WinStar Farm, 2; William S. Farish, 1; Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, 1; Stonestreet Thoroughbreds, 1; Voter Abstentions, 8.

Trainer
Chad Brown, 204; Steve Asmussen, 19; Brad Cox, 5; Jason Servis, 5; Karl Broberg, 2; Mark Casse, 1; Voter Abstentions, 5.

Jockey
Irad Ortiz, Jr., 205; Javier Castellano, 21; Flavien Prat, 5; Joel Rosario, 3; Mike Smith, 3; Jose Ortiz, 1. Voter Abstentions, 3.

Apprentice Jockey
Kazushi Kimura, 74; Julio Correa, 60; Angel I. Diaz, 53; Cristian A. Torres, 19; Jorge I. Velez, 3; Reylu Gutierrez 1; Keimar Trotman, 1; Voter Abstentions, 30.

Edited NTRA release

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday, January 24, 2020

• Steve Asmussen has the second most wins among trainers in North America this year. Similar to last year and the very recent past, he and Karl Broberg battle it out. Yesterday, Asmussen won what was arguably the biggest race of the day, the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn. However, overall, he finished 23 2-4-3 at five tracks.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Manny Franco-Danny Gargan teamed twice and won with both horses. The jockey had a 3-win day. The trainer is sizzling in 2020 with a 22 10-2-1 (45%/59%) success rate. Not only is he winning at the Big A but also Gulfstream. Incredible!
• Eric Cancel-Michael Tannuzzo teamed twice and won with both horses. The trainer, who has under 40 lifetime wins, was a perfect 2-for-2.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Conditions: The track was off the turf for another day.
• Edgar Prado, Jose Ortiz and Jairo Rendon won two races apiece. Prado's career numbers: 7,045 career wins from 38,995 mounts, 7th all time in purse money won at $269 million! (source Jason Blewitt).
• Race 6: No show or place betting.
• Race 3: Fanny Olsson, who hails from Sweden, rode the appropriately named Sweden to a near upset at 13-to-1 but she was nipped by a nose on the winner ridden by John Velazquez. Hunch bet of the day as the 3-year-old filly finished fourth at 91-to-1 in her most recent start but... Johnny V. threw water on that. Still the runner up paid $11.80. Olsson rode a good race.

​

• Luis Saez rode the winner in the opener. He entered the day with just two wins in his past 33 starts.
• Handle: Exceeded $7,000,000. Probably below expectations but without turf racing, fields were shortened which leads to diminished interest.
• Rainbow Six: A $5 million dollar Jackpot guarantee for tomorrow's Pegasus day. Good luck! It may be a sucker's bet but at $.20 a pop...tough to resist.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Mitchell Murrill rode three winners.
• Tight jockey standings: Colby Hernandez leads all jockeys with 30 wins this meet; however five riders have 26+ victories.
• Tight trainer standings: Ron Faucheux has the most wins with 18. Four trainers have 16 or more wins.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Opening day: Oaklawn played to its reputation for providing prices especially in the early days of the meet which closes on Kentucky Derby day. Today was one of four days in which the track hosts a Ky. Derby prep.
• Payouts: Five of the nine races had $10+ payouts. Strap yourself in: the roller coaster is about to move.
• Handle: Over $5.7 million wagered which roughly compared to Aqueduct's day. The off-track handle was an increase of over $1 million compared to opening day last year.
• Attendance: Estimated at 20,000.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. rode two winners. The jockey wins wherever he goes. He is in a zone with few nearby.
• Ingrid Mason, trainer meet fashionista, was stylish as usual in the winner's circle. She won the first two races of the meet including the opener with the second largest set of odds.

​

• Race 8: Gold Street (Martin Garcia/Steve Asmussen) wired the field at 10-to-1 to win the $150,000 Smarty Jones and receive 10 points towards entry into the Kentucky Derby. The trainer finished 1-3-4-8 in the race which had a field of nine. The wet track played to the horse's strength. I botched this race as I used an uncommonly high total for me four horses who finished 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th. The winner was Asmussen's third highest price of the four.

​

• Race 9: Ring Leader (Irad Ortiz, Jr./McLean Robertson) wired the field to win the finale at 12-to-1. The trainer, who I have touted often, is especially successful at Canterbury in Minnesota but tends to ship to bigger Midwest tracks and can pull off a surprise... to some! For Irad, North America's best rider, to be in the last race of the day following a $150,000 Stakes race, for a trainer with whom he has no known connection to me, I was all over this baby. The $.50 Pick 3 paid $1,699.45. The $.50 Pick 4 paid: $11,368.25. The $.50 Pick 5 paid: $38,181.35. Having fun yet?!

Sam Houston (Texas):

• David Cabrera-Karl Broberg teamed for three wins. Broberg leads all trainers in North America with 27 victories this year.

Golden Gate (California):

• Juan Hernandez had three wins for the second straight card. He has won six of his past 11 rides. He has currently the third most wins for all jockeys in North America this year with 22.

Santa Anita (California):

• Tight trainer standings: Bob Baffert, Richard Baltas and Peter Miller all have 10 wins.
• Eswan Flores rode two winners with three mounts.
• Race 8: Princeofthenorth (Eswan Flores/Hector Palma) finished with a tenacious rally to win at 34-to-1. The first-time starter made an astute and fortunate handicapper excited with a $721,000+ payout. The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $98,000. The winning ticket was hit in Brazil and the investor(s) put up $4,500. A couple of years ago, a comparable sum was hit at Santa Anita for under $800 by someone local. The expanses of horse racing and betting emphasized.

Santa Anita: 20-cent Rainbow pick six pays $784,553

There was one winning ticket in Friday's 20-cent Rainbow pick six worth $784,553.

The bet was paid out for the first time at the meeting on Friday, having had multiple winners on the first 13 days of the season, which began on Dec. 28. The bet is paid only if there is one winning ticket, or on days with a mandatory payout.

There was no mandatory payout on Friday.

The winners of the 20-cent Rainbow pick six races, the third through eighth, were Nomizar ($8.60), Sugary ($6.60), Cryin' Chuck ($8.40), Black Storm ($21.40), Dreams of Valor ($29.80) and Princeothenorth ($71.40). Sugary was the only winning favorite.

Princeofthenorth and Zees Empire were the only horses in the last race that had single-ticket coverage to result in the massive payout. Zees Empire finished eighth.

The bet resumes on Saturday, without a carryover.​

Source: Steve Andersen, DRF

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Notes about Saturday:

• Graded stakes (listed by type):
  • Gulfstream: 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3
  • Santa Anita: 2
• Santa Anita begins at noon time PT.
• Gulfstream starts at 11:30 am ET.
• Todd Pletcher has a first time starter in race 4 at Gulf named Market Analysis and track buzz speculates this could be a Ky Derby candidate.
• Handle: My guess is that Gulfstream will handle roughly $30 million today. The weather should be near ideal. The Pegasus' purse has been dramatically reduced but the card is phenomenal. The guaranteed $5,000,000 Rainbow Six should be enticing to plenty.

Notes about Sunday:

• Sam Houston Race Park has the only two graded stakes and both are 3.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, January 25, 2020

• Recap: An exhausting day! The King of Sports earned its regal name today. Wonderful opportunities and splendid equine athletes performed marvelously. Skilled jockeys, Hall of Fame trainers. Fantastic atmosphere. A near record handle at Gulfstream.
• Rainbow Six: Since there were two winning Rainbow Six tickets cashed at $394,349 on Saturday, there will be a mandatory payout on Sunday with a carryover of $3,612,594. Gulfstream officials estimate the pool could grow to roughly $15 million. On non-mandatory payout days, unless there is exactly one winner the pool has a carryover into the following day.
• Danny Gargan, who conditions at Aqueduct and Gulfstream, ended the day 24 11-2-1 (46%/58%) in 2020.
• Bob Baffert is 26 10-4-5 (38%/73%) in 2020 and has earned over $2.4 million. Only two trainers have passed the $1 million mark in 2020. Michael Maker is $1.1 million. Both figures are elevated due to the two Pegasus victories at Gulfstream.
• Steve Asmussen has four winners with the last 51 horses he sent out. He was a 2019 finalist for Trainer of the Year. The year is obviously young but at 16% in 2020, that is his lowest mark since 1990.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Conditions: A sloppy, rainy, ugly day in New York.
• Reylu Gutierrez won three races.
• Junior Alvarado won twice, both on cream puffs. One went off at 1-to-5 and the other at 3-to-5.
• Race 8: Mr. Buff (Junior Alvarado/John Kimmel) improved to 35 13-6-4 after winning the $100,000 feature race.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Jose Batista, with approximately 200 lifetime wins, rode a natural hat trick beginning with the fifth race.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: Over $41.8 million bet today. Far more than I expected but after seeing the prior years my guess above should have been higher. It was almost a record for the fourth installment of the race.

2019: $37.78 million
2018: $41.98 million
2017: $40.2 million​

• Card: First post was 11:40 a.m. Six of the 12 races were graded stakes.
• Race 12: Mucho Gusto (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Bob Baffert) won the $3,000,000 Grade I Pegasus World Cup. His career record is now 11 6-2-2 and his earnings increased to roughly $2.6 million. He could start next in the $20 million Saudi Cup — the world's richest horse race — on February 29. The two morning-line favorites — Omaha Beach, who appears to be now retired, and Spun to Run — were scratched earlier this week. The winning jockey got off Spun to Run which didn't sit too well with that trainer and instead chose to ride for Baffert in what now appears to be on the best decisions in recent years. Baffert doesn't ship to Gulfstream much but he is the first repeat winner of this race which is now four years old (he won with Arrogate). Over $6.5 million was bet in this race alone. The $.20 Rainbow Six paid $394,349.12 to multiple winners but since there wasn't exactly one winner the carryover for Sunday will exceed $3.6 million with a mandatory payout estimated at $15,000,000. Mr. Freeze (Luis Saez/Dale Romans) came in second place. I boxed 2-7-10 but the result was 7-8-10 (numerical order). Tax (Jose Ortiz/Danny Gargan) #2, was a flop but War Story (Joel Rosario/Elizabeth Dobles) flew at the end to get third and muzzled any critics that the horse couldn't get the distance.

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time	Purse
2020	Mucho Gusto	4	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	Bob Baffert	HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled	1:48.85	$3,000,000
2019	City of Light	5	Javier Castellano	W.M. McCarthy	Warren, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. William K.	1:47.71	$7,000,000
2018	Gun Runner	5	Florent Geroux	Steven M. Asmussen	Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm	1:47.41	$16,000,000
2017	Arrogate	4	Mike E. Smith	Bob Baffert	Juddmonte Farms	1:46.83	$12,000,000

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• Race 11: Zulu Alpha (Tyler Gaffalione/Michael Maker) won the $1,000,000 Grade I Pegasus World Cup Turf. The 7-year-old gelding improved to 31 7-4-5 lifetime and has earned $1.97 million. Just a hair under $5,000,000 was bet in this race. The rider, who was raised in south Florida, was the recipient of the line of the day by track analyst Jason Blewitt who said "He probably came to the track in diapers and now he won a million dollar race." Gaffalione's father was a jockey, too. Gaffalione found the rail open and glided to victory. The kid can ride.

​

• Race 10: Spooky Channel (Julien Leparoux/Brian Lynch) won the $200,000 Grade 3 W.L. McKnight.
• Race 9: Pink Sands (Jose Ortiz/Shug McGaughey) won the $200,000 Grade 2 Inside Information.
• Race 8: Mean Mary (Luis Saez/Graham Motion) won the $200,000 Grade 3 LePrevoyante at 1 1/2 miles.
• Race 7: Phat Man (Irad Ortiz, Jr./J. Kent Sweezey) won the $150,000 Grade 3 Fred G. Hooper.
• Race 6: Atomic Blonde (Javier Castellano/Todd Pletcher) won the $150,000 South Beach.
• Race 5: Jean Elizabeth (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Larry Rivelli) won the $150,000 Ladies Turf Sprint. The 5-year-old Illinois bred has never missed the board and has won 6 in a row to improve her lifetime mark to 19 13-4-2. It was the first time she tried turf [she ran 12 times on synthetic].
• Race 4: Market Analysis (John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher) won at 6-to-5 and topped a stunning exacta worth $166. The track buzz at Gulfstream mentioned in the above post proved correct. Market Analysis sealed the deal. Pletcher may have had an under the radar Kentucky Derby horse but no more. The word is out. At least this one will see the Derby trail and be analyzed properly. The longest shot on the board at 50-to-1, 9th at the half mile, placed to make the exacta so profitable.

​

• Race 3: Texas Wedge (Flavien Prat/Peter Miller) won the $150,000 World of Trouble turf. The rider timed the finish perfectly.
• Race 2: Todd Pletcher's horses finished 1st and 2nd. John Velazquez played possum and dusted the gamed challenger in the stretch.
• Race 1: Silver Kitten (Luis Saez/Danny Gargan) wired the field at 11-to-1. The trainer was, at this point, had the exceptional numbers of 23 11-2-1 (48%/61%) in 2020.
• Todd Pletcher was 8 3-2-1.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr., the winningest rider in North America so far this year and defending Eclipse Award winner for Jockey of the Year, was 11 3-2-2. He is in a different zone.
• Joe Bravo placed in the opener but is 25 0-3-1 this year. Sad figures for a very likable and usually dependable rider.
• Chris Landeros is 59 0-4-7 at the meet and has yet to win this year in 31 starts. He is a 15% rider lifetime. This can be a tough meet.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Shaun Bridgmohan (possible groin injury) and Jack Gilligan (broken collarbone, left arm injury, facial injuries) were off their mounts due to injuries suffered yesterday. An update on Gilligan following Sunday's racing: broken eye sockets and nose, operation to realign his jaw, without solid food for six weeks but apparently no head injuries. Six weeks out.
• Races 1 and 2: Riders who replaced Shaun Bridgmohan won the first two races.
• Race 1: Matt Shirer trained yet another winner. He is 11 3-2-4 (27%/82%) in 2020 but even more impressively is his meet mark of 23 10-5-4 (43%/83%).
• Louie Roussel won both races he entered and ended the day with a 3-race win streak.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Handle: Close to $5.7 million.
• Attendance: Estimated at 30,000.
• Race 4: A dead heat for victory.
• Race 6: A dead heat for victory. The second dead heat in the past three races.
• Race 7: Whoa Nellie (Joe Rocco, Jr./Larry Jones) is now 9 5-1-2 after winning the $100,000 Pippin. The 4-year-old filly was a 20-to-1 morning line and was sent off at 2-to-1. A dramatic drop. Only Jones could have a successful filly named Whoa Nellie. Good interview following the race with the winning trainer and track analyst Nancy Holthus.
• Race 8: Pioneer Spirit (Orlando Mojica/Robertino Diodoro) nipped Bankit (Ricardo Santana, Jr./Steve Asmussen) in a $100,000 race.
• Orlando Mojica rode exclusively for Robertino Diodoro and finished the day 8 3-1-2.'
• Robertino Diodoro won three times with nine starters.

Santa Anita (California):

• Abel Cedillo won four times with five mounts. He tied Joel Rosario for the meet lead with 16 wins.
• Race 8: Captain Scotty (Abel Cedillo/Peter Miller) won the $200,000 Grade 2 Palos Verdes in a reduced field from six to four. Speed Pass (Juan Diaz, Jr./Bob Baffert) lost for the first time in three starts.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

There will be action at Sam Houston in Texas today with four purses at $100,000 or more. Visiting riders include Tyler Gaffalione, Flavien Prat, Florent Geroux, Corey Lanerie, Ricardo Santana, the Hernandez brothers and more. The full card:

[TR][TH]Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post Central Time
Race 1	$36,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	8	1:20 PM
Race 2	$37,000	Allowance	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	10	1:50 PM
Race 3	$37,000	Allowance	7 Furlongs	Dirt	9	2:20 PM
Race 4	$37,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	8	2:50 PM
Race 5	$100,000	Frontier Utilities Turf Sprint S.	5 Furlongs	Turf	12	3:20 PM
Race 6	$75,000	Stonerside Sprint S.	6 Furlongs	Dirt	7	3:55 PM
Race 7	$200,000	Texas Turf Mile S.	1 Mile	Turf	12	4:40 PM
Race 8	$300,000	Houston Ladies Classic S.	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	6	5:20 PM
Race 9	$200,000	John B. Connally Turf Cup S.	1 1/2 Miles	Turf	12	6:00 PM
Race 10	$75,000	Jersey Lilly Turf S.	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	12	6:35 PM

[TBODY]
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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, January 26, 2020

• Millionaires this month: Only four riders have reached the million dollar mark this month with Irad Ortiz, Jr. the leader at over $3 million. Tyler Gaffalione is in second place with $1.5 million made.
• Javier Castellano, a finalist for 2019 Jockey of the Year, has one win in his past 23 starts dating to Jan. 19. He is another off to a cool start in 2020 at only 14%.
• Joe Bravo is 25 0-3-1 in 2020. Tough numbers to consume.
• Chris Landeros is 32 0-1-4 in 2020 with every ride at Gulfstream, a tough meet.
• Todd Pletcher was winless with eight starters but placed four times.
• Mark Casse won openers at Gulfstream and Aqueduct. He also won with his only starter at Fair Grounds. He had three wins with five starters in total.
• Jonathan Wong won twice at Golden Gate and one stakes race at Sunland. Overall, the trainer was 3-for-5 at three tracks.
• Dale Romans is 25 0-6-2 in 2020. There are some who believe his horse, Dennis' Moment, is the front runner for Kentucky Derby 2020.
• Steve Asmussen entered at four tracks and was 15 4-3-2. That is a good day. He won features at Sam Houston (TX) and Sunland (NM). I wrote the following yesterday:

Steve Asmussen has four winners with the last 51 horses he sent out. He was a 2019 finalist for Trainer of the Year. The year is obviously young but at 16% in 2020, that is his lowest mark since 1990.​

Aqueduct (New York):

• Jose Lezcano, the leading rider at the meet, was 6 2-2-1.
• Luis Cardenas, a 10-pound bug, won twice. Because he has five career wins, he now rides without the advantage of a 10-pound bug; however, I believe he gets a 7-pound advantage (maybe 5).

Laurel (Maryland):

• Carol Cedeno, who usually rides with success at Delaware Park, ended the day with a natural hat trick and a perfect 3 3-0-0 day.
• Victor Carrasco, who was named Eclipse Award Apprentice of the Year in 2013, won for the 1,000th time. Interestingly, he has never won a graded stakes race.
  

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Race 6: The winner was DQ'd following an objection/inquiry. A long process involved and much debate both ways.
• Antonio Gallardo was winless with 12 rides the past two days, a rarity for him. His 24 wins in 2020 is third most among all riders in North America.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: Over $24 million bet today. The total bet at Gulfstream the past two days exceeded $65,000,000.
• Rainbow Six: Mandatory payout day. Each winning ticket claimed just over $11,000. Over $10.6 million was bet today to the existing pool of $3.6 million which put the jackpot well over $14,000,000.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr., the leading rider in North America this year, had his fourth straight 3-win day at Gulfstream.
• Cristian Torres-Joe Orseno combined to win two races, the latter paid $51.60.
• Race 2: The $.50 tri paid $3,300. The $1 super was a shocking $76,000+ It was the show horse who paid $36.20 at 87-to-1 that helped make the headlines but also a 96-to-1 shot finished fourth.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Race 3: Ingrid Mason was the winning trainer to boost her record to 4 3-0-0 at the meet. These boots are made for walkin'.
• Race 6: Perfect Happiness (Kelsi Harr/Larry Jones) won by more than 8 lengths in her second race. This was an $85,000 Maiden Special Weight race. Such purses at the track are representative of quality young talent. It was the Arkansas-born jockey's 15th lifetime win and her first start in 2020. The king of the fillies, aka the Ladies Man, Jones has won on consecutive days at the track. I will take another look at this filly as she develops.
• Race 9: A 46-to-1 shot placed in the finale and paid $45.00 in the middle.
• Handle: Just under $4 million bet.
• Attendance: 7,500. The first three days of the meet, attendance was approximately 57,000+.

Sam Houston (Texas):

• Card: Four races with purses $100,000+.
• Race 8: Lady Apple (Ricardo Santana, Jr./Steve Asmussen) pulled an upset to win the Grade 3 $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic. The heavily bet Serengeti Empress (Flavien Prat/Thomas Amoss) and Street Band (Sophie Doyle/Larry Jones) finished the ticket.

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• Race 9: Dot Matrix (Florent Geroux/Brad Cox) won the Grade 3 $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup. The 7-year-old New York bred won for the 10th time in 31 starts.

Turf course: That is one pretty turf course.
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Sunland Park (New Mexico):

• Race 9: Rowdy Yates (Luis Contreras/Steve Asmussen) won the $100,000 Riley Allison. The 3-year-old Oklahoma-bred is 8 5-1-0 lifetime. Rowdy Yates, the only foal out of the unraced Spring Station, is a 4-time stakes winner. He will likely run in the $750,000 Sunland Park Derby. If all goes well, he may contest in the Kentucky Derby.

Golden Gate Fields (California):

• Juan Hernandez won just once with seven mounts but he is the second winningest rider in North America in 2020. His 25 victories is 13 behind runaway leader Irad Ortiz, Jr.
• Catalino Martinez has an odd record at 81 21-3-5. Only four riders have more wins this year in North America, but that discrepancy between win and place is colossal.

Santa Anita (California):

• Races 1 and 2: Joel Rosario won the first two races.
• Bob Baffert ended the day two victories shy of 3,000 lifetime (2,998). He is 28 10-5-6 (36%/75%) in 2020.
• Rafael Bejarano returned to riding earlier this week following a minor injury off the track; however, he is winless with 30 starts in 2020.