Horse Racing: Maryland racing down to 127 dates in 2025; Flavien Prat nearing records for most stakes and graded stakes won in a year

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thursday - January 4th.

A 3 year old won a race against older horses at Fairgrounds on the turf.

Crazy stuff. Never saw a race carded this early
for 3 year olds and up. Let alone for a 3 year old to win.

Horse population is pretty thin to do this already.

Fair Grounds is raising purses 10% across the board. Strong meet so far.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Parx (Pennsylvania):

• Dexter Haddock doubled his win total for 2024 with three consecutive winning rides and at 6-1, 8-1 and 10-1. The $1 Pick 3 paid $770.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Good news out of New Jersey with an increase of subsidies geared to racing. While New Jersey can't compete with New York, its regional influence has been in the mix with Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. While Maryland has made loud noises the past few days with its future, Virginia has risen from the proverbial grave. New Jersey does not receive benefits from sources such as casinos as do many states.

New Jersey legislature signs off on purse subsidy extension through 2029

The New Jersey Senate on Monday joined the state’s Assembly in overwhelmingly passing a bill extending $10 million in annual Thoroughbred purse subsidies through 2029, according to legislative records.

www.drf.com

The New Jersey Senate on Monday joined the state’s Assembly in overwhelmingly passing a bill extending $10 million in annual Thoroughbred purse subsidies through 2029, according to legislative records.​

​

The subsidies will sustain a critical lifeline to horsemen at Monmouth Park in a state where racetracks do not receive subsidies from casino gambling. Last year, Monmouth distributed $31 million in purses over 56 live racing days, for an average of $553,000 a day, the highest in its history, with one-third of that money coming from the subsidy.​

 

[Marco 85]

Good news out of New Jersey with an increase of subsidies geared to racing. While New Jersey can't compete with New York, its regional influence has been in the mix with Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. While Maryland has made loud noises the past few days with its future, Virginia has risen from the proverbial grave. New Jersey does not receive benefits from sources such as casinos as do many states.

New Jersey legislature signs off on purse subsidy extension through 2029

The New Jersey Senate on Monday joined the state’s Assembly in overwhelmingly passing a bill extending $10 million in annual Thoroughbred purse subsidies through 2029, according to legislative records.

www.drf.com

The New Jersey Senate on Monday joined the state’s Assembly in overwhelmingly passing a bill extending $10 million in annual Thoroughbred purse subsidies through 2029, according to legislative records.​

​

The subsidies will sustain a critical lifeline to horsemen at Monmouth Park in a state where racetracks do not receive subsidies from casino gambling. Last year, Monmouth distributed $31 million in purses over 56 live racing days, for an average of $553,000 a day, the highest in its history, with one-third of that money coming from the subsidy.​

Good old NJ racing.
Monmouth, Garden State and the Meadowlands.
Miss those days.
At least Monmouth is still decent.

Good old NJ racing.
Monmouth, Garden State and the Meadowlands.
Miss those days.
At least Monmouth is still decent.

Forgot AC.
I loved the grass course at AC.
Man, I’m old. Lol

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Good old NJ racing.
Monmouth, Garden State and the Meadowlands.
Miss those days.
At least Monmouth is still decent.


Forgot AC.
I loved the grass course at AC.
Man, I’m old. Lol

Remember Spend a Buck? He won the Ky. Derby but instead of the Preakness, the owner sent him to New Jersey for this race.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The Kentucky Derby received a sizeable purse increase from $3 million to $5 million. Everything Churchill Downs touches financially is coming up roses. Excuse the pun.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

@Marco 85

I thought you may be interested since FG is your track. I came across this figure on Equibase for a small-stable trainer :Jeff Delhomme, 31 to 60 Days Away: Past 4 Years: 44 Starts, 16 Wins, 36% Win%, 61% ITM%,

P#	PP	Horse	A/S	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1	Deer Crossing (LA)	7/G	J Graham	120	J Delhomme	9/2
2	2	Touchdown Joe (LA)	6/G	R Gutierrez	120	D Noel	8/1
3	3	Perrins (LA)	5/H	C J Lanerie	120	A M Stall, Jr.	5/1
4	4	Hudson's Turn (LA)	5/G	A Castillo	120	J M Foster	12/1
5	5	Real City Speed (LA)	5/G	J A Torres	122	J J Gelner	2/1
6	6	Jeb's Lucky Eight (LA)	7/G	A Green	120	F Pennino	20/1
7	7	Calicoco (LA)	4/G	J A Guerrero	122	S Wilson	7/2
8	8	Monarch's Mischief (LA)	5/G	M Pedroza, Jr.	120	P Turner	12/1
9	9	Coffee County (LA)	6/G	M Murrill	120	L J Cuccia	12/1

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

January 12, 2024

Churchill Downs Inc.:

• With Bob Baffert indefinitely suspended by CDI properties, owners of his horses now have 17 days to determine whether they will opt to stick with Baffert as trainer or move horses currently under his attention to another stable. Baffert's horses can enter Ky. Derby prep races but do not receive any points needed to enter the Derby. Any track owned by CDI, which includes Fair Grounds (LA), Turfway (KY), and Churchill Downs (KY) have barred Baffert's horses.

Turf Paradise (AZ):

• For the second time in the past six months, a potential sale of Turf Paradise has been scrapped. This time, the more serious interest, at least initially though mocked by some for lack of transparency, was from a buyer who proposed $50 million in upgrades, backed out of the deal. Current owner Jerry Simms (77 years of age) has been looking to sell the property in order to retire. Arizona is a complicated mess. Arizona Downs (much smaller than Turf) was in discussion for the much-coveted simulcast and OTB money but that track did not operate in 2023 and the possibility of race dates in 2024 has been thwarted. In some circles it is considered defunct and the sale to The Stronach Group (owners of Santa Anita and Gulfstream among others) is obsolete. Turf has 37 OTBs. The property consists of 213 acres. Turf will host an abbreviated meet beginning later this month into April. What follows is as mysterious as anything involving Arizona.

Santa Anita (CA):

• Race 9: The $1 Pick 6 paid $75,625.20 and purchased for $150..

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

I don't recall if I have ever seen a 34-year-old horse.

Wow.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Oaklawn's (AR) card for Sunday has been cancelled due to inclement weather.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, January 13, 2024

Aqueduct (New York):

• Race 1: Tuscan Sky (Manny Franco/Todd Pletcher) romped by more than five lengths and at the value odds of 7-to-1 in a professional debut. A son to Vino Rosso. He liked the off-track.

​

• Race 6: Gin Gin (Trevor McCarty/Brad Cox) won the Busanda Stakes, a Kentucky Oaks prep.

​

• Race 9: The $1 Pick 6 returned over $52,000 and that was with the 3-to-5 chalk winning the finale by 10 lengths.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Jose Ortiz rode three winners.
• Race 9: Conquest Warrior (Jose Ortiz/Shug McGaughey) broke his maiden in his second try. The $1,000,000 City of Light colt could be headed towards Kentucky Derby preps.

​

• Race 4: Turn Up The Trees (John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher), a $500,000 purchase by Vinny Viola's St. Elias Stable, won a debut race but only after fending off a 50-to-1 challenger.

​

Sunland (New Mexico):

• Race 4: The order of finish included a dead-heat for 4th place with 18-1, 25-1 and 9-1 shots prior to the 14-1 and 2-1. The $1 tri paid $8,500. Oddly, the $.10 super returned a gigantic $8,400 with the lower priced 4th place finisher). No result listed for the 14-to-1 shot which tells me no one hit that super. I don't think I have ever seen that, a dead-heat for 4th paying to pone but not the other.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Flightline has been a busy boy at $150,000 a pop.

Flightline became a daddy for the first time. Arguably the greatest horse of the past few years, Flightline wowed the masses with a 6 6-0-0 career mark but dominated fields by more than 70 lengths. He is worth $150,000 in the shed. The son of Tapit reproduced with Juju's Map, her first baby, to produce a foal January 12. Flightline earned more than $4.5 million.



Lady Scarlet delivered a Flightline colt in New York, her first, in what is now considered Flightline's first offspring.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, January 14, 2024

Laurel (Maryland):

• Fun Day: Yippee!
• Race 2: Addy's Laddy T N T (Jeiron Barbosa/Henry Walters) wired the field at 40-to-1 to set the wheels in motion.
• Race 3: The $.50 Pick 3 paid over $2,100.
• Jamie Rodriguez is winning at a 26% clip and 69% ITM this meet.
• Lacey Gaudet has continued her hot 2023 with an 8 4-1-0 (50%) meet.
• Antonio Machado is a brilliant 5 4-1-0 at the meet and coupled with a win today at Tampa Bay is 6 5-1-0 in 2024. I don't know much of this trainer other than he is Florida-based.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Pick 6: Guaranteed $500,000 pool for the next day if racing which is Wednesday.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. rode four winners.
• Junior Alvarado generally doesn't disappoint on board Bill Mott mounts and today the team won twice and both at 11-to-1.
• Race 4: Roswell (Junior Alvarado/Bill Mott), an Into Mischief filly, debuted to an 11-to-1 win and coupled with a 78-to-1 Far and Few (Leonel Reyes/Karel de Ritter), the trainer I believe hails from South Africa who has one win in North America since 2009, the resulting $1 exacta was an enormous $623.

​

• Race 6: Mystifying (Jose Ortiz/Shug McGaughey) debuted to a 7-to-1 win. Strong connections, good looking Curlin filly.

​

​

Santa Anita (California):

• Race 7: Honey Pants (Frankie Dettori/Phil D'Amato) won the Grade 3 $100,000 Las Cienegas at 19-to-1.

​

​

​

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Life is Good, 12 9-1-0 and an earner of more than $4.5 million, became a daddy for the first time.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The Lecomte winner receives 20 points towards entry into the Kentucky Derby. That 20 point-total is the second highest awarded to date (BC Juvy was larger).

Race 13 is Saturday, January 20 at Fair Grounds (LA).

Race	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
1	$60,000	Allowance	6 F	Dirt	9	12:00 PM CT
2	$60,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 F	Dirt	14	12:30 PM CT
3	$60,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 M 70 Y	Dirt	7	1:00 PM CT
4	$100,000	Duncan F. Kenner S.	5 1/2 F	Turf	7	1:30 PM CT
5	$60,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 M	Dirt	10	2:00 PM CT
6	$60,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 F	Dirt	12	2:30 PM CT
7	$60,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 M	Turf	16	3:00 PM CT
8	$60,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 F	Dirt	16	3:30 PM CT
9	$100,000	Marie G. Krantz Memorial S.	1 1/16 M	Turf	9	4:00 PM CT
10	$150,000	Silverbulletday S. presented by Fasig-Tipton	1 M 70 Y	Dirt	8	4:30 PM CT
11	$100,000	Colonel E. R. Bradley S.	1 1/16 M	Turf	9	5:00 PM CT
12	$175,000	Louisiana S. Presented by Relyne GI By Hagyard	1 1/16 M	Dirt	7	5:30 PM CT
13	$200,000	Lecomte S.	1 1/16 M	Dirt	8	6:00 PM CT

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

TUESDAY: Three T-bred tracks carded races for today and all three canceled. Parx (PA), Louisiana (LA) and Mahoning Valley (OH) all canceled due to weather concerns.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

WEDNESDAY: Multiple cancellations today leaving the two Florida tracks as the only racing options. Parx (PA), Penn (PA), Mahoning Valley (OH), Charles Town (WV), Turfway (KY) and Louisiana (LA) all canceled. I believe those were the eight tracks who carded for Wednesday.

THURSDAY: Ten tracks in North America carded for Thursday with only Louisiana (LA) canceling as yet. I wouldn't be surprised if others follow.

FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY: Oaklawn (AR) has canceled racing through Sunday. This will be the third consecutive Sunday Oaklawn has canceled its card.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Monmouth (New Jersey):

• Dates: The track announced today that its 2024 meet will run from May 11 - September 15.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Dylan Davis was a perfect 4-for-4. I don't recall the last NYRA rider to achieve such a feat. He won both the early and late doubles.
• Isaac Castillo rode three times which included a perfect 2-for-2 for David Jacobson who leads the meet with 8 victories.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Canceled: Oaklawn's weekend racing (Jan 19-21) was canceled due to extreme cold. In addition, one of the track's four Ky. Derby preps the Southwest Stakes (G3) and that entire card was moved from Jan. 27 to Feb. 3. Aqueduct (NY), Gulfstream (FL) and Santa Anita (CA) also host Ky. Derby preps that day. Oaklawn hosted the Smarty Jones earlier and later this meet will host the Rebel and Arkansas Derby as part of its Ky. Derby series. Tough meet due to cold weather so far for this outstanding track.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Dylan Davis is 3 for 4 today which means he has won seven of eight mounts the past two days now amid scenic snowfall on Long Island.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

NYRA canceled Saturday's card.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

FG should reap the benefit of track closures today with the Lecomte the highlight. Assuming FG is on the turf, the Florida tracks and Santa Anita all cross into the extensive card in New Orleans.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, January 20, 2024

• Canceled: Aqueduct (NY), Laurel (MD), Oaklawn (AR), Charles Town (WV) and Turfway (KY) due to extreme cold.
• Canceled Sunday: Laurel (MD) and Oaklawn (AR).
• Big Days: Florent Geroux, Brad Cox and Irad Ortiz, Jr. were among the stars of the day. Saudi Crown, Track Phantom and Desert Dawn shined. Maymun may have been the brightest of all.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Irad Ortiz, Jr. rode four winners. He finished 10 4-2-2.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Race 13: Track Phantom (Joel Rosario/Steve Asmussen), a $500,000 Quality Road colt, won the $200,000 Grade 3 Lecomte. Track Phantom is 5 3-1-1 lifetime and boasts a 3-race win streak. He entered graded stakes for the first time and was sent off as second-choice. Nash (Florent Geroux/Brad Cox), sent off the favorite and high on many lists as a frontrunner for the Kentucky Derby, placed.

​

• Race 12: Saudi Crown (Florent Geroux/Brad Cox) was sent off the favorite and romped by more than five lengths to win the $175,000 Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes. The 4-year-old colt sired by 2017 Kentucky Derby-winning Always Dreaming won for the fourth time in seven starts.

​

• Race 5: Hall of Fame (Joel Rosario/Steve Asmussen), who was out for the second time, broke his maiden to the awe of many as he won by more than 10 lengths. The Gun Runner cost $1.4 million at purchase.

​

• Joel Rosario, three winners overall. got top call for Steve Asmussen. The pair finished 7 2-3-0 as a duo.

Santa Anita (California):

• Race 1: Bob Baffert debuted a $1,05 million Gun Runner colt and a $900,000 Frosted colt in the opener. Maymun (Juan Hernandez/Bob Baffert), the latter, won by an impressive seven-and-a-half lengths. Normandy Landing (Flavien Prat/Bob Baffert), the former, finished fourth. This is one fantastic performance for a maiden runner. Maymun is the most successful soul -- with just this victory -- for Handwoven, his 15-year-old mother. Baffert did not specify a next race.

​

• Race 8: Desert Dawn (Flavien Prat/Phil D'Amato) won the $100,000 Grade 3 LaCanada Stakes. The 5-year-old Arizona-bred is 19 3-5-5 lifetime and has earned over $950,000. Though just three lifetime wins, he has two graded stakes victories at Santa Anita. Curious minds would like to know if that is the first Arizona-foal to win two such races at Santa Anita. Desert Dawn last won in April 2022 and ended an 11-race skid. Ashley's Glory, the dam of the winner, was also foaled in Arizona.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Gulfstream has a $700,000 guarantee for today's Pick 6.

Saturday's Pegasus will have guarantees of $750,000 in both the Pick 4 and Pick 5

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, January 21, 2024

• Cancellations: Aqueduct (NY), Oaklawn (AR) and Laurel (MD).

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Handle: Exceeded $5 million.
• Race 5: The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $63,000.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: $10.9 million.