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

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

KENTUCKY DERBY ENTRIES (unofficial):​

Rider changes for the KY Derby which will have a maximum of 20 horses:

1. Ricardo Santana, Jr. replaces Jose Ortiz on Plus Que Parfait. Ortiz had the mount in Dubai.
2. Jose Ortiz stays on Tacitus (Jose Ortiz likely had the option of which horse he could ride).
3. Irad Ortiz, Jr. replaces his brother Jose Ortiz on board Improbable. Irad does not ride for Bob Baffert very often.
4. Julian Pimentel replaces Irad Ortiz, Jr., who opted for Baffert's horse, on Win Win Win. I am not sure if Pimentel has had a Derby mount in the past.
5. Julien Leparoux rides the Japanese import.
6. Mike Smith's decision has yet to come: Richard Mandella or Bob Baffert? His pick could determine the pre-race favorite. Right now, I think Mandella's Omaha Beach is a step ahead. UPDATE: Smith will ride Omaha Beach for Mandella
7. Manny Franco could ride for Todd Pletcher, based on past association, but that has yet to be determined. UPDATE: Franco will ride Spinoff for Pletcher.
8. Flavien Prat and Florent Geroux are currently without Derby mounts. UPDATES: Prat will ride Country House for Bill Mott. Geroux will ride Roadster for Bob Baffert since Mike Smith opted elsewhere.
9. Cutting Humor and Gray Magician have yet to have jockeys announced. There is no lock that either will be in the Derby either, depending on other factors including training. UPDATE: Gray Magician trained well and will have Drayden Van Dyke on board. Cutting Humor is expected to have a rider announced on Monday or Tuesday of Derby week.
10. The top 20 listed below are likely headed to the Kentucky Derby. As many as four horses (below in red) could head an also eligible list should there be defections (injuries for example). Horses ranked 21 through 25 (one of whom is not pointed to the race) would be eligible based on the amount of changes from the current top 20.
11. Additional info on contenders: Get to know the 2019 Kentucky Derby contenders - Brisnet and http://www.brisnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Derby19Points.pdf

Rank	Horse	Trainer/ Probable Jockey	Points	Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1.	Tacitus	Bill Mott/ Jose Ortiz	150	$610,000
2.	Omaha Beach	Richard Mandella/ Mike Smith	137.5	$1,050,000
3.	Vekoma	George Weaver/ Javier Castellano	110	$747,600
4.	Plus Que Parfait	Brendan Walsh/ Ricardo Santana, Jr.	104	$1,540,400
5.	Roadster	Bob Baffert/ Florent Geroux	100	$636,000
6.	By My Standards	Bret Calhoun/ Gabriel Saez	100	$600,000
7.	Maximum Security	Jason Servis/ Luis Saez	100	$582,800
8.	Game Winner	Bob Baffert/ Joel Rosario	85	$1,810,000
9.	Code of Honor	Shug McGaughey/ John Velazquez	74	$432,070
10.	Haikal	Kiaran McLaughlin/ Rajiv Maragh	70	$322,500
11.	Improbable	Bob Baffert/ Irad Ortiz, Jr.	65	$589,520
12.	War of Will	Mark Casse/ Tyler Gaffalione	60	$440,840
13.	Long Range Toddy	Steve Asmussen/ Jon Court	53.5	$830,000
14.	Tax	Danny Gargan/ Junior Alvarado	52	$307,500
15.	Cutting Humor	Todd Pletcher/ Undecided	50	$462,467
16.	Win Win Win	Mike Trombetta/ Julien Pimentel	50	$350,000
17.	Country House	Bill Mott/ Flavien Prat	50	$220,000
18.	Gray Magician	Peter Miller/ Drayden Van Dyke	41	$526,000
19.	Spinoff	Todd Pletcher/ Manny Franco	40	$224,000
20.	Master Fencer (JPN)	Koichi Tsunoda/ Julien Leparoux	Japan Road to Derby	$234,392
21.	Bodexpress	Gustavo Delgado	40	$188,000
22.	Signalman	Kenny McPeek	38	$496,840
23.	Anothertwistafate (has been removed from Derby contention)	Blaine Wright	38	$268,960
24.	Sueno	Keith Desormeaux	32	$285,000
25.	Bourbon War	Mark Hennig	31	$137,200
26.	Instagrand	Jerry Hollendorfer	30	$276,000
27.	Mucho Gusto	Bob Baffert	24	$286,800
28.	Knicks Go	Ben Colebrook	20	$675,085
29.	Owendale	Brad Cox	20	$124,000
30.	Outshine	Todd Pletcher	20	$74,500

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The latest NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll
Rank Horse Points (first-place votes)
1. Omaha Beach 448 (32)
2. Roadster 370 (5)
3. Tacitus 344 (7)
4. Game Winner 322 (1)
5. Improbable 271
6. Vekoma 183 (6)
7. Maximum Security 177
8. Code of Honor 87
9. War of Will 67
10. By My Standards 57

Omaha Beach Climbs to No. 1 in NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll - BloodHorse

Last Race BRIS Speed/Class Ratings by Kentucky Derby Qualifiers

Rank	Horse	Speed Rating	Class Rating	Last Race (finish)
1	Tacitus	103	120.9	Wood Memorial (1st)
2	Omaha Beach	99	122.5	Arkansas Derby (1st)
3	Vekoma	101	121.5	Blue Grass (1st)
4	Plus Que Parfait	N/A	N/A	U.A.E. Derby (1st)
5	Roadster	98	120.1	Santa Anita Derby (1st)
6	By My Standards	102	120.2	Louisiana Derby (1st)
7	Maximum Security	102	121.3	Florida Derby (1st)
8	Game Winner	97	119.6	Santa Anita Derby (2nd)
9	Code of Honor	95	117.9	Florida Derby (3rd)
10	Haikal	98	118.6	Wood Memorial (3rd)
11	Improbable	98	121.8	Arkansas Derby (2nd)
12	War of Will	89	115.1	Louisiana Derby (9th)
13	Long Range Toddy	83	116.6	Arkansas Derby (6th)
14	Tax	101	120.0	Wood Memorial (2nd)
15	Cutting Humor	99	117.7	Sunland Derby (1st)
16	Win Win Win	97	119.4	Blue Grass (2nd)
17	Country House	92	119.1	Arkansas Derby (3rd)
18	Gray Magician	N/A	N/A	U.A.E. Derby (2nd)
19	Spinoff	102	119.5	Louisiana Derby (2nd)
20	Master Fencer (JPN)	N/A	N/A	Fukuryu (1st)

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Kentucky Oaks Day- Friday, May 3rd, 2019

Race	Post Time	Wagering
1	10:30AM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
2	10:58AM	WPS EX DD P3 P4
3	11:26AM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
4	11:59AM	WPS EX DD P3 P4
5	12:35PM	WPS EX DD P3
6	1:17PM	WPS EX DD P3 S6
7	2:00PM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
8	2:53PM	WPS EX DD P3 P4
9	3:53PM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
10	5:04PM	WPS EX TRI SUPER P3 DD SH-5
11	6:12PM	WPS EX SH5 P3 (O/D-DBL)(O/W/D-P3)(Longines-Kentucky Oaks
12	6:48PM	WPS EX DD
13	7:23PM	WPS EX

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Derby Day- Saturday, May 4th, 2019

Race	Post Time	Wagering
1	10:30AM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
2	11:01AM	WPS EX DD P3 P4
3	11:31AM	WPS EX DD P3
4	12:03PM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
5	12:35PM	WPS EX DD P3 P4
6	1:13PM	WPS EX DD P3
7	1:55PM	WPS EX DD P3 S6
8	2:45PM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
9	3:37PM	WPS EX DD P3 P4
10	4:28PM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
11	5:25PM	WPS EX DD P3 P4 (Old Forester Turf Classic)
12	6:50PM	WPS EX DD P3 SH5 (Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve)
13	7:50PM	WPS EX DD
14	8:20PM	WPS EX

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NOTE:Trifecta and Superfecta wagering on all races that qualify under Kentucky statutes.Daily Double and Super High-5 wagers are $1 minimum straight bets.On Oaks Day and Derby Day the Superfecta is a $1.00 minimum wager.Trifecta, Pick-3, Pick-4 and Pick-5 wagers are $.50 minimum straight bets.The Single-6 is a $.20 minimum wager.The Exacta is a $2.00 minimum straight bet with $1.00 boxes and wheels.The special Oaks Day/Derby Day Pick-6 is a $2.00 minimum wager and will be a separate event from the regular Oaks Day card.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

April 17, 2019

Aqueduct (New York):

• Race 1: The much anticipated debuts of American Pharoah's first two U.S. runners was mollified slightly. One horse was scratched while the other faded to third after holding the lead. Tesorina was the 4-to-5 favorite who finished third behind the winning entry which was trained by Todd Pletcher. Lady Delaware was scratched by trainer Wesley Ward who had both Pharoah starters.
• Joe Bravo, who rode Tesorina in the opener, ended the day with his 50th consecutive loss. Jersey Joe is too good of a rider to be in this funk.
• Race 9: The $2 Pick 6 paid out over $55,000.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. won three times. Four riders combined to win the nine races with Javier Castellano, Manny Franco and Kendrick Carmouche picking up two victories apiece.
• Mike Repole owned horses that won the first three races.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Samy Camacho , the meets leading rider, won his first four starts en route to a 5 4-0-1 day.

Indiana Grand (Indiana):

• Race 4: The bomb of the day when an 88-to-1 shot passed the favorite along the rail. The winner paid $178.20. The $2 Pick 3 returned over $8,500.
• Race 5: The $2 Pick 4 was a massive $41,000+.

Keeneland (Kentucky):

• Joel Rosario won twice with prohibitive chalk. He is an outstanding 29 11-5-3 (38%/66%) at the meet.
• Javier Castellano, who rode in New York today, is 33 14-7-4 (42%/76%) at this meet.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

CHARLES TOWN CLASSIC

What: Grade II
Where: Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races (Charles Town, West Virginia)
When: Saturday, April 20, 2019, Race 11
Post time: 5:37 pm Eastern Time
Who: 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
Distance: 1 1/8 miles
Surface: Dirt
Purse: $1,000,000
Television: TVG
History: Inaugurated in 2009.

[TR][TH]PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Mongolian Groom (KY)	Geovanni Franco	118	Enebish Ganbat	-
2	Nanoosh (KY)	Emisael Jaramillo	118	Jorge Navarro	-
3	Diamond King (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	John C. Servis	-
4	Rally Cry (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Todd A. Pletcher	-
5	Imperative (KY)	Jacob Radosevich	118	Anthony T. Quartarolo	-
6	Discreet Lover (FL)	Christian Hiraldo	118	Uriah St. Lewis	-
7	Something Awesome (ON)	Edgar S. Prado	118	Jose Corrales	-
8	Runnin'toluvya (WV)	Oscar Flores	118	Timothy C. Grams	-
9	War Story (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	Jorge Navarro	-
10	Unbridled Juan (ON)	J. D. Acosta	118	Jose Corrales	-
11	Bobby G (KY)	Xavier Perez	118	Jose Corrales	-

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Woodbine opens on Saturday...

[TR][TH]Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$40,000	Maiden Optional Claiming	5 Furlongs	All Weather Track	6	1:00 PM
Race 2	$20,800	Maiden Claiming	5 Furlongs	All Weather Track	7	1:36 PM
Race 3	$67,500	Allowance	5 1/2 Furlongs	All Weather Track	6	2:07 PM
Race 4	$42,500	Optional Claiming	5 Furlongs	All Weather Track	9	2:38 PM
Race 5	$32,500	Maiden Claiming	5 Furlongs	All Weather Track	8	3:12 PM
Race 6	$65,000	Maiden Special Weight	5 Furlongs	All Weather Track	8	3:45 PM
Race 7	$45,000	Starter Optional Claiming	7 Furlongs	All Weather Track	7	4:18 PM
Race 8	$125,000	Whimsical S. Presented by Irish Thoroughbred Marketing	6 Furlongs	All Weather Track	6	4:51 PM
Race 9	$72,500	Allowance Optional Claiming	5 Furlongs	All Weather Track	6	5:24 PM
Race 10	$42,500	Optional Claiming	5 Furlongs	All Weather Track	12	5:58 PM

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[TBODY][TR][TH]...but don't sleep on Laurel's card...

[TR][TH]Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$28,000	Starter Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	7	1:10 PM
Race 2	$27,000	Maiden Claiming	1 Mile	Turf	16	1:42 PM
Race 3	$42,000	Allowance	1 Mile	Dirt	8	2:12 PM
Race 4	$42,000	Allowance	1 Mile	Turf	11	2:42 PM
Race 5	$100,000	Frank Whiteley, Jr S.	6 Furlongs	Dirt	8	3:12 PM
Race 6	$100,000	King T. Leatherbury S.	5 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	15	3:42 PM
Race 7	$100,000	Primonetta S.	6 Furlongs	Dirt	10	4:12 PM
Race 8	$100,000	Dahlia S.	1 Mile	Turf	15	4:42 PM
Race 9	$125,000	Weber City Miss S.	About 1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	7	5:12 PM
Race 10	$125,000	Federico Tesio S.	1 1/8 Miles	Dirt	6	5:42 PM
Race 11	$100,000	Henry S. Clark S.	1 Mile	Turf	10	6:12 PM

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

April 18, 2019

Aqueduct (New York):

• Junior Alvarado was a perfect 3 3-0-0 including two wins for trainer James Bond who has also won his last three starts. Bond is 33% in 2019.
• Manny Franco (15) and Jose Lezcano (14) are the leading riders at the brief meet.
• Joe Bravo lost with his only ride, a skid of 51 straight defeats for the talented rider who was 20% in 2018.

Laurel (Maryland):

• The turf course opened today. It appeared to be deep and plush.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Paco Lopez won four consecutive races beginning with the third en route to taking the lead in the meet's rider standings. Lopez finished the day 7 4-0-1 and has a one-win lead over Emisael Jaramillo.
• Samy Camacho visited from Tampa Bay and won with his lone mount following an inquiry. The winner entered with a lifetime record of 36 1-5-12, one win in 36 starts but on the board in half those starts. Camacho is a strong 8 4-0-1 at the meet
• Race 6: Tiger Blood tried turf for the first time and won after 33 career starts on dirt. Bet down from a 12-to-1 morning line to 7-to-2, other bettors saw the opportunity.
• Race 1: A total of $18 was bet in the roulette pool. That is the smallest I have seen.

Keeneland (Kentucky):

• Tyler Gaffalione won the final two races and had three victories in total. He is third in victories behind the sizzling Javier Castellano and Joel Rosario at the meet.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Ricardo Santana, Jr. (61 wins) opened a 2-win lead over David Cohen (59 wins) at the meet after two victories.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

April 19, 2019

Aqueduct (New York):

• Dylan Davis won three times with five starters. He won the opener for the Wesley Ward-trained Maven who will go down in history as the first baby of American Pharoah to win in the U.S.

​

• Pick 6: The $2 Pick 6 paid out over $89,000.
• Race 8: Bronx Bomber (Benjamin Hernandez/John Kimmel) won at 34-to-1. His prior race he won as the even-money favorite.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Rains: The track canceled racing following the second race had concluded due to heavy rains.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Paco Lopez, who recently returned from a 30-day suspension, was suspended 60 RACING days following the finale on Sunday. He was eligible to ride today. I am not sure when the suspension begins or when he will return. I assume the other tracks will heed by the suspension and that his return anywhere depends on Gulfstream's schedule. Dallas Stewart announced that Lopez will be replaced by Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the Kentucky Oaks.

​

• Nik Juarez won three times with six starters.
• Luca Panici won three times with seven starters. He also finished third with a 44-to-1 shot, on the lead much of the race before tiring. He had a 10-to-1 victory here:

​

Keeneland (Kentucky):

• Jose Ortiz-Chad Brown combined to win three times with four starters. One win was in the Grade 3 feature.
• Florent Geroux won three times with eight starters.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Ramon Vazquez won his first four starts en route to a 5-win day on seven starters.
• David Cohen was suspended 60 days for a riding infraction in which his whip made contact multiple times on rival jockey Edgar Morales in a race April 6.

Santa Anita (California):

• Rafael Bejarano hit the board with all five starters including three victories. He is 12 4-5-2 yesterday and today combined.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

April 20, 2019

Aqueduct (New York):

• Irad Ortiz, Jr. likes to win as much as any rider in recent times. That sounds questionable but Irad will ride any time and any amount on any given day. Some jocks can pick and choose mounts. He seems to have an unending desire to ride. He was 9 4-3-1 today.
• Meet's closing day: Aqueduct is dark to live racing until November. Belmont opens April 26 and runs through July 7. Saratoga then opens from July 11 and runs through September 2

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race Day: An excellent card with seven races at $100,000 or more.
• Alwaysmining (Daniel Centeno/Kelly Rubley) won the $125,000 Xpressbet Federico Tesio by 11 1/2 lengths and punched a ticket to the Preakness Stakes as this was a "Win and You're In" race.
• Jorge A. Vargas, Jr. won three of the stakes races and that feat nabbed him North American Jockey of the Week, not common for a Laurel rider.

Charles Town (West Virginia):

• Runnin'toluvya (Oscar Flores/Timothy Grams) won for the ninth straight time and improved to 16 12-2-0 (all but one race at CT) in winning the $1,000,000 Charles Town Classic. The winner paid $21.20. The race had Javier Castellano, John Velazquez and other notable riders with big name trainers Todd Pletcher, Jorge Navarro and John Servis all losing. The West Virginia-bred made instant headlines for the locals.

​

• Jeff Runco, a local trainer, won three times.
• Record-breaker: The handle was listed as $5,720,375 which set a track record for the event.

Keeneland (Kentucky):

• Tyler Gaffalione won twice including the 1 1/2 miles Grade 2 $250,000 feature on Bigger Picture for Michael Maker. Gaff will have a ticket to the Hall of Fame for his own ceremony some day.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Crowd: The track was packed yet again.

Santa Anita (California):

• Race 1: Martin Garcia won for the first time since September. He had recently returned from injury. His win was on board a 15-to-1 bomber for Doug O'Neill.
• Race 6: Cistron (Victor Espinoza/John Sadler) won the $200,000 Grade 2 feature race with the second longest price on the board.

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Woodbine (Ontario):

• Opening Day: The meet opened.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

April 21, 2019

Gulfstream (Florida):

• One of the few tracks operating on Easter Sunday.
• Paco Lopez had five wins including the early daily double and later a natural hat trick. His final win came via a DQ to Emisael Jaramillo. Lopez has been suspended 60 racing days following a ride last Sunday. The suspension likely will begin this week.

​

April 22, 2019

Parx (Pennsylvania):

• Race 5: Scott Lake became the sixth trainer in thoroughbred history to win 6,000 races when I’m the Talent (bred in PA) won her debut.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Craig Perret, Unbridled''s Kentucky Derby rider, was inducted into the Hall of Fame today. Nice addition. Carl Nafzger, the trainer, is already in. But now it is time to remove the omission and put Unbridled into the Hall. I am determined on this matter! Unbridled is one of the greatest studs of this era.

Congrats to all who were inducted today ( Perret, Royal Delta Elected to Racing Hall of Fame - BloodHorse )

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

KENTUCKY OAKS (unofficial entries)

• When: The 145th running of the Kentucky Oaks is May 3, 2019 at 6:12 p.m. ET
• Where: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky
• Draw: 11:00 a.m. ET, April 29
• Who: 14 fillies who earned points via the "Win and You're In" series. The list below includes two also eligible who could enter upon defection.
• Television: NBCSN's coverage begins at noon and lasts through 6:30 p.m. ET
• Note: Restless Rider at those odds is very tempting.

[TABLE="class: brtb_item_table"][TBODY][TR][TD]Filly[/TD][TD]Odds[/TD][TD]Possible Jockey[/TD][TD]Trainer[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Bellafina[/TD][TD]2-1[/TD][TD]Flavien Prat[/TD][TD]Simon Callaghan[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Champagne Anyone[/TD][TD]6-1[/TD][TD]Chris Landeros[/TD][TD]Ian Wilkes[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Jaywalk[/TD][TD]8-1[/TD][TD]Javier Castellano[/TD][TD]Jason Servis[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Jeltrin[/TD][TD]10-1[/TD][TD]Luis Saez[/TD][TD]Alexis Delgado[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Restless Rider [/TD][TD]10-1[/TD][TD]Brian Hernandez, Jr.[/TD][TD]Ken McPeek[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Flor De La Mar [/TD][TD]12-1[/TD][TD]Joel Rosario[/TD][TD]Bob Baffert[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Street Band [/TD][TD]12-1[/TD][TD]Sophie Doyle[/TD][TD]Larry Jones[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Lady Apple[/TD][TD]12-1[/TD][TD]Ricardo Santana, Jr.[/TD][TD]Steve Asmussen[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Out For A Spin [/TD][TD]14-1[/TD][TD]Irad Ortiz, Jr. [/TD][TD]Dallas Stewart [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Liora[/TD][TD]14-1[/TD][TD]Channing Hill[/TD][TD]Wayne Catalano[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Serengeti Empress [/TD][TD]15-1[/TD][TD]James Graham[/TD][TD]Tom Amoss[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Motion Emotion [/TD][TD]18-1[/TD][TD]Mike Smith[/TD][TD]Thomas Van Berg[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Positive Spirit [/TD][TD]20-1[/TD][TD]Jose Ortiz[/TD][TD]Rodolphe Brisset[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Chocolate Kisses [/TD][TD]20-1[/TD][TD]Tyler Gaffalione[/TD][TD]Mark Casse[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Cookie Dough (also eligible #1)[/TD][TD]25-1[/TD][TD]Jeffrey Sanchez[/TD][TD]Stanley Gold [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]Dunbar Road (also eligible #2)[/TD][TD]12-1[/TD][TD]TBA[/TD][TD]Chad Brown[/TD][/TR][/TBODY][/TABLE]

Kentucky Oaks Day- Friday, May 3rd, 2019

Race	Post Time	Wagering
1	10:30AM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
2	10:58AM	WPS EX DD P3 P4
3	11:26AM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
4	11:59AM	WPS EX DD P3 P4
5	12:35PM	WPS EX DD P3
6	1:17PM	WPS EX DD P3 S6
7	2:00PM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
8	2:53PM	WPS EX DD P3 P4
9	3:53PM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
10	5:04PM	WPS EX TRI SUPER P3 DD SH-5
11	6:12PM	WPS EX SH5 P3 (O/D-DBL)(O/W/D-P3)(Longines-Kentucky Oaks
12	6:48PM	WPS EX DD
13	7:23PM	WPS EX

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Kentucky Derby Day- Saturday, May 4th, 2019

Race	Post Time	Wagering
1	10:30AM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
2	11:01AM	WPS EX DD P3 P4
3	11:31AM	WPS EX DD P3
4	12:03PM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
5	12:35PM	WPS EX DD P3 P4
6	1:13PM	WPS EX DD P3
7	1:55PM	WPS EX DD P3 S6
8	2:45PM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
9	3:37PM	WPS EX DD P3 P4
10	4:28PM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
11	5:25PM	WPS EX DD P3 P4 (Old Forester Turf Classic)
12	6:50PM	WPS EX DD P3 SH5 (Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve)
13	7:50PM	WPS EX DD
14	8:20PM	WPS EX

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NOTE:Trifecta and Superfecta wagering on all races that qualify under Kentucky statutes.Daily Double and Super High-5 wagers are $1 minimum straight bets.On Oaks Day and Derby Day the Superfecta is a $1.00 minimum wager.Trifecta, Pick-3, Pick-4 and Pick-5 wagers are $.50 minimum straight bets.The Single-6 is a $.20 minimum wager.The Exacta is a $2.00 minimum straight bet with $1.00 boxes and wheels.The special Oaks Day/Derby Day Pick-6 is a $2.00 minimum wager and will be a separate event from the regular Oaks Day card.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

April 23, 2019

Will Rogers (Oklahoma):

• Race 9: This is what is known as one hell of an exacta. In the $55,000 Will Rogers Stakes, in a small field of five with two Oaklawn shippers, the $2 exacta paid $73.80 despite the chalk winning. A 32-to-1 bomber, the longest shot on the board, finished second to the even-money favorite which was one of the Oaklawn shippers; the other finished last. Sometimes, the favorite-all option results in wonders even with 7 3/4 length wins: they don't ask about that at the window.

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Belmont (New York):

• Belmont's opening day, April 26: Belmont's spring/summer meet opens Friday. One noteworthy change is twilight racing has been moved to most Thursdays rather than Fridays with first posts listed at 3:05 pm ET. The meet runs from April 26 through July 7. Plenty of stakes races culminating with the Belmont Stakes on June 8. Roughly $20,000,000 up for grabs.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

April 24, 2019

Mahoning Valley (Ohio):

• Meet ended: The final day of the October-April annual meet at the track in Youngstown. Belterra (Cincinnati) opens April 26 and Thistledown (Cleveland area) opens April 29. Some trainers will also ship to Mountaineer in West Virginia.
• Luis Quinones (49 wins) and Jeffrey Rodosevich (46 wins), won the jockey and trainer titles, respectively, at the meet.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

BEWITCH STAKES

What: Stakes race on Keeneland's final card of the meet.
Where: Keeneland Racecourse, Lexington, Kentucky
When: Friday, April 26, 2019, Race 9
Post time: 5:30 pm ET
Who: 4 year old fillies and mares
Distance: 1 1/2 miles
Surface: Turf
Purse: $150,000
Note: A rare 1 1/2 mile race. Deep field with no clear cut favorite.

[TR][TH]PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Beach Flower (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	McLean Robertson	6/1
2	Sky Full of Stars (GER)	Julien R. Leparoux	118	Christophe Clement	9/2
3	Flower Party (IRE)	Adam Beschizza	118	Michael Stidham	4/1
4	Ickymasho (GB)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Roger L. Attfield	7/2
5	Peru (GB)	Luis Saez	118	Michael J. Maker	8/1
6	Samuna (FR)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Jorge R. Abreu	15/1
7	Maroubra (FR)	Joel Rosario	118	Cherie DeVaux	5/1
8	Gaining (GB)	Florent Geroux	120	Brad H. Cox	8/1
9	Coachwhip (KY)	Tyler Baze	118	Jack Sisterson	15/1
10	Dynabee (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Jack Sisterson	20/1

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

WILLIAM WALKER STAKES

What: Stakes race on Churchill Downs' opening night of the meet.
Where: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky
When: Saturday, April 27, 2019, Race 8
Post time: 9:39 pm ET
Who: 3 year olds
Distance: 5 furlongs
Surface: Turf
Purse: $125,000
Note: When was the last time John Velazquez was given as much as 10 pounds to …. anyone? That said, Bulletin is 3 3-0-0 lifetime with wins in blacktype/stakes races including the $1,000,000 BC Juvy Turf Sprint.
​

[TR][TH]PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Bulletin (KY)	Javier Castellano	123	Todd A. Pletcher	-
2	Sovereign Impact (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	William J. Denzik, Jr.	-
3	Legends of War (KY)	Adam Beschizza	120	Doug F. O'Neill	-
4	Uncapped (KY)	James Graham	118	Brendan P. Walsh	-
5	Jo Jo Air (KY)	John R. Velazquez	113	Wesley A. Ward	-
6	Neverland Rock (GB)	Luis Saez	118	Steven M. Asmussen	-
7	Abyssinian (KY)	Julio A. Garcia	113	Wesley A. Ward	-
8	Hartel (KY)	Florent Geroux	118	Peter Miller	-

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[TBODY][TR][TH]Churchill Downs' opening night card...[/TH][/TR][/TBODY]
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[TR][TH]Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$29,000	Maiden Claiming	1 Mile	Dirt	6	6:00 PM
Race 2	$46,000	Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	6	6:28 PM
Race 3	$29,000	Maiden Claiming	1 Mile	Dirt	7	6:56 PM
Race 4	$35,000	Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	7	7:26 PM
Race 5	$42,000	Maiden Claiming	7 Furlongs	Dirt	9	7:57 PM
Race 6	$106,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	15	8:30 PM
Race 7	$50,000	Maiden Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	6	9:05 PM
Race 8	$125,000	William Walker S.	5 Furlongs	Turf	8	9:39 PM
Race 9	$55,000	Claiming	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	11	10:11 PM
Race 10	$42,000	Claiming	1 Mile	Turf	16	10:42 PM

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

April 25, 2019

Penn National (Pennsylvania):

• Night racing: Under the lights, per the norm.
• Race 2: A much anticipated showdown between two of the meet's best shippers did not develop. Nick Zito, who hit the board 100% of the time at 7 5-1-1, and Jamie Ness, who was 28 15-3-3 (54%/75%), both saw the longest shot on the board win at 22-to-1. Zito's entry finished last, Ness was runner up.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 1: Brooks Robinson ran for a waiver and held onto victory in breaking his maiden in his sixth try. There must have been bridge jumping in the race as the show payouts included $13.80 and $18.60 for the second and third place finishers, respectively, the runner up paid $4.40 more for show than place. At 50-to-1, the runner up also closed like a freight train.
• Race 4: Creepy the Crab is now 37 0-3-6 lifetime after a fifth place finish.
• Turf: Closers seem to be struggling in the early portion of the Laurel turf racing.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Paco Lopez, who won today, had his 60-day suspension cut in half and he has to donate $10,000 to a Jockey's Fund in addition to volunteering at a local hopsital. He can return to racing on June 15 following the suspension which begins this Saturday. The suspension was called "continuous reckless riding" after multiple DQs.
• Victor Lebron, who I associate more so with the Kentucky tracks and maybe Tampa Bay but not so much Gulfstream, is 15 5-4-1 (33%/675) at the meet.

Keeneland (Kentucky):

• Letsstaypositive (Tyler Gaffalione/Wesley Ward) cruised to victory in her maiden race. Ward excels with two-year-olds. His total record today at the oval was 3 2-1-0. The filly was the first winner for first-year sire Palace Malice and she won in a hand-ride in what would have otherwise been an epic romp in a short 4 1/2 furlong race.
• Race to the finish: Tyler Gaffalione, Javier Castellano and Florent Geroux each have a meet-leading 14 victories while Luis Saez is next with 13 wins and Joel Rosario has 12. The meet closes April 26 (tomorrow). Castellano's 42% wins, 76% (33 14-7-4) in the money is almost unthinkable.
• National anthem: A touching version. Corey Lanerie's daughter, whose mother passed at too young of an age last year, teamed with Shea Leparoux, the wife to rider Julien and daughter to late trainer Mike Mitchell.

​

Hawthorne (Illinois):

• Race 1: A 1-to-9 shot finished second.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• David Cohen-Robertino Diodoro won three times as a team among five tries.
• David Cohen and Ricardo Santana, Jr. lead the rider standings with 64 wins apiece. Cohen was suspended 60 days earlier this month from April 27 to June 25.
• Steve Asmussen (53) and Robertino Diodoro (44) are the winningest trainers at the meet which closes May 3.
• M and M Racing are dominating the meet among owners. Add two more wins. The group led by Mike Sisk and his wife Mickala are relatively new to the game and use Diodoro as the primary trainer. The stable won the owners' title last year, too.
• Race 5: The winner and runner up were both out for the 64th time.

Three notes:

• Belmont (New York) opens tomorrow.
• Norberto Arroyo, Jr., who has had a troubled past, has a ride at Santa Anita on Saturday, his first mount since Parx in September.
• Jenn Miller, who had ridden dressage and equestrian prior to starting a career in T-bred racing, returned to racing on Monday and finished second in the Laurel opener. She is in her 30s and had the apprentice bug later in life than most since she participated in other types of racing. What made her return extra special was on Thanksgiving night 2017, she suffered a traumatic injury which included damage to her brain among broken bones. Excellent story in that she is now healthy enough to ride again. Among her brief successes was winning twice at Suffolk Downs (Massachusetts), her home state track, in July 2017 including a 43-to-1 shot She usually rides in the mid-Atlantic tracks (Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, Maryland, etc.).

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

April 26, 2019

Belmont (New York):

• Opening day: The track was initially listed as good but following the second race a monsoon interrupted and caused a lengthy delay which necessitated in additional races being removed from turf.
• Joe Bravo ended a 54-race (by my count) losing streak with a gate-to-wire victory His last win came on March 8 at Gulfstream.
• Race 8: Pat On the Back (Dylan Davis/Jeremiah Englehart) charged on the rail and won the $100,000 feature race.
• Dylan Davis, Jose Lezcano and Kendrick Carmouche each won twice. No trainer won more than once.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 4: Michael Trombetta starters finished 1st and 2nd. A 50-to-1 shot ridden by Johan Rosado finished third.
• Race 2: Johan Rosado picked up the start as a replacement for Carol Cedeno and won at 30-to-1. Cedeno will likely be an active rider at Delaware Park which opens May 4.

Belterra (Ohio):

• Meet opener: The meet opened today.
• Race 8: The $.50 tri in the finale exceeded $1,100.

Keeneland (Kentucky):

• Closing day of the meet: The last day of the popular April meet, with a packed crowd and beautiful weather. Churchill Downs opens tomorrow.
• Handle: The track handled over $153 million for its 16-day meet or slightly under $10,000,000 per racing day.
• Florent Geroux won the rider's title in a nail biter. His victory in the 7th race gave him 15 at the meet which eventually topped the other riders. Tyler Gaffalione, Luis Saez and Javier Castellano (a stellar 42%/76%) each had 14 victories. Joel Rosario, John Velazquez and Brian Hernandez, Jr. each had 13 wins.
• Wesley Ward (11 wins) was the winningest trainer at the meet. Ward was hot this week with a 9 5-2-0 mark. Brad Cox (10 wins) and Chad Brown (9 wins) followed.
• Race 9: Ickymasho (Jose Ortiz/Roger Attfield) took the lead at the half-mile and never looked back in the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes run at 1 1/2 miles. The winner is 7 years old and won for the 9th time in 39 starts. Attfield, who will turn 80 years old later this year, is based at Woodbine and this was his lone win at the meet in 13 starts.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Race 8: The winner paid $75.00 and was the second half of a double that paid $1,074.
• Race 10: The $.20 Rainbow 6 paid over $30,000 to all winners. Three horses were singled including the #1 who led entering the stretch. The person with that ticket would have won the bulk of the jackpot which now has a carryover in excess of $500,000. The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $54,000. The $.50 Pick 4 paid over $8,400.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Race 7: A 27-to-1 shot wired the field and won by more than 4 lengths.
• Race 6: I don't know how many 9-year-olds Steve Asmussen has in his barn but one delivered today, first time off the claim.
• Races 2 and 3: McLean Robertson starters won both races. He last won a race on March 21, a span of roughly 30 starts. He has not had a productive 2019 but that will likely change when Canterbury (Minnesota) opens.
• Ricardo Santana, Jr. won three times and edged in front of David Cohen in the rider standings by two victories. Cohen, who won once today, will be suspended until late June due to a riding infraction earlier at the meet which ends on May 4. What could have been an interesting battle will be a formality as Santana will win the meet now with no immediate competition in the standings.

Santa Anita (California):

• Race 2: Howard Zucker, the winning trainer who doesn't send out many horses, won for the first time since September and for the 250th time in his career which began in 1973 at the now-shuttered Garden State in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday was a great day of horse racing. Not for me though. Hahahaha
I'm liking Tax for the Derby. Got a lot out of the wood.
Hope he draws in...

Each entry will get puff pieces as the days shrink towards the Derby but here is one on Tax if you are still considering. Good luck.

‘Push-Button’ Tax Has Alvarado Excited For Third Derby Mount - Horse Racing News | Paulick Report

Count jockey Junior Alvarado among those impressed with Tax's blistering half-mile work on Thursday in preparation for the Grade 1, $3 million Kentucky Derby.

Alvarado, who is set to make his third career Derby mount when he pilots Tax on May 4 at Churchill Downs, watched as Tax recorded a 47.80-second breeze, the fastest of 48 recorded works at the distance, over the Belmont Park training track.

“I thought it was great and I loved the way he started; it's really important when you're getting ready to ride a mile-and-a-quarter race that your horse can be in the bridle but won't try and run off,” Alvarado said from the Belmont jock's room Friday. “Coming down the lane, he has such a beautiful, long stride. I was paying attention to his gallop out and it was outstanding. He showed me everything I wanted to see. He did it nice and strong, pretty much on his own.”​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

This is a traditionally quiet weekend to stakes races with the Kentucky Derby one week out. Many tracks will open their meets by next weekend including Monmouth (New Jersey), Delaware Park (Delaware), Finger Lakes (New York), Arlington (Illinois), Canterbury (Minnesota), Prairie Meadows (Iowa), Louisiana Downs (Louisiana), SunRay (New Mexico) and Hastings (British Columbia). The increased handles will be universal for Friday and Saturday when the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby are run, respectively. Other facilities will open to live racing later in May.

Churchill Downs' opening card, tonight under the lights:

Race	Post Time ET	Wagering
1	6:00PM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
2	6:28PM	WPS EX DD P3 P4
3	6:56PM	WPS EX DD P3
4	7:26PM	WPS EX DD P3 P4
5	7:57PM	WPS EX DD P3 S6
6	8:30PM	WPS EX DD P3 P5
7	9:05PM	WPS EX DD P3 P4
8	9:39PM	WPS EX DD P3
9	10:11PM	WPS EX DD
10	10:42PM	WPS EX SH5

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SANTA MARGARITA STAKES

What: Grade II
Where: Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California
When: Saturday, April 27, 2019, Race 8
Post time: 7:50 pm Pacific Time
Who: 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
Distance: 1 1/8 miles
Surface: Dirt
Purse: $200,000
Television: TVG
History: Inaugurated in 1935. Hall of Fame riders Bill Shoemaker, Chris McCarron and Laffit Pincay, Jr. have won this race a high of six times.
Note: Norberto Arroyo, Jr. has had one mount since the end of 2017 and that was Labor Day weekend in 2018. A curious decision.

[TR][TH]PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Starr of Quality (CA)	Tiago Josue Pereira	120	William Spawr	5/1
2	Exuberance (KY)	Norberto Arroyo, Jr.	120	Ian Kruljac	20/1
3	La Force (GER)	Drayden Van Dyke	120	Patrick Gallagher	4/1
4	Birdie Gold (KY)	Victor Espinoza	120	Gary Mandella	20/1
5	Withholding Info (KY)	Joseph Talamo	120	Bob Baffert	6/1
6	Lemoona (KY)	Aaron T. Gryder	120	Richard Baltas	3/1
7	Just a Smidge (KY)	Martin Garcia	120	Bob Baffert	10/1
8	Paradise Woods (KY)	Mike E. Smith	120	John A. Shirreffs	9/5

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

April 27, 2019

• Doug O'Neill was a star this day. He had horses entered at four tracks and finished 6 3-1-1. Among his wins was a Grade 3 at Golden Gate. He hit the board at three tracks in three stakes races.

Belmont (Aqueduct):

• Race 9: Therapist (Eric Cancel/Christophe Clement) won the $125,000 feature race at 5-to-2 in a reduced field of six. The winner appeared too good to be true at the odds offered, not the favorite, since he was 3 3-0-0 lifetime on the Belmont turf and sported an impressive 11 7-0-2 mark lifetime on turf. Cancel, a competent rider who doesn't have the name brand of Jose Ortiz and Manny Franco among others, rode with a fury in charging at the wire. Clement excels on turf.
• Race 2: A $45.20 winner in which Mike Luzzi almost wired the field but was caught in the stretch by Joey Martinez. The double paid $686.
• Race 1: Tzeonn Chang won the opener at 31-to-1. It was his second win in 2019. He had a skid off 66 straight losses prior to his win in March with his last prior victory coming in 2009. The win in March was followed by a fine for rough riding.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 6: An excellent finish in which trainer Michael Trombetta ended the race day 36 11-7-4 (31%/61%). He is having a profitable meet.
• Race 8: Scout's Honor was a 10-year-old out for just the 31st time, 10 of which came in 2018. He won.
• Race 9: A 1-to-5 June-bred won in a reduced field of four. June-breds are rare in North America.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Race 11: Quebec (Samy Camacho/Bobby Dibona) won the feature race. The trainer had a good day at 3 2-1-0.
• Paco Lopez, the leading rider at the meet, began his 30-day suspension today. He is scheduled to returned in mid-June.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Meet opener: The meet opened at 6:00 pm ET.
• Race 10: The $.50 Pick 4 paid over $2,200. The $.50 Pick 5 returned over $28,000. The $.20 Pick 6 jackpot paid over $43,000.
• Race 8: Jo Jo Air (John Velazquez/Wesley Ward) upset the $125,000 William Walker Stakes at 14-to-1. The 3-year-old filly, one of two in the race of eight limited to 3-year-olds, is a daughter to Scat Daddy and performed admirably under the direction of a heady jockey and a sizzling trainer who is 10 6-2-0 the last four days at various tracks. Runner up Uncapped (James Graham/Brendan Walsh) at 20-to-1 which led to a haughty $2 exacta of $232.60. Legends of War (Adam Beschizza/Doug O'Neill) finished third which rendered bridge jumpers to their awaited fate with show prices returning $10.00, $7.40 and $13.00. Bulletin (Javier Castellano/Todd Pletcher) failed in totality at 1-to-9. Bridge jumpers paid the price: Look out below!

Hawthorne (Illinois):

• Cancellation: The card was canceled following the second race due to an excessively sloppy track. This was the last day of the meet. Arlington opens on Friday.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• David Cohen won his first two starts. Reports indicated his suspension was to begin today but it did not and he is scheduled to ride into next week. Perhaps that has been amended. If so, the rider's title at the meet is up for grabs. As of today, Ricardo Santana, Jr. has 70 wins, three more than Cohen.
• Ricardo Santana, Jr. won three times and rode the first nine races.
• Race 9: Nitrous (Ricardo Santana, Jr./Steve Asmussen) won the $150,000 feature race. Landeskog (Edwin Maldonado/Doug O'Neill), owned by Erik Johnson of the Colorado Avalanche (ERJ Racing), was runner up.

​

Golden Gate (California):

• Race 10: Blitzkreig (Rafael Bejarano/Doug O'Neill) won the Grade 3 $250,000 San Francisco Mile. The winner was a $25,000 claimer in January. That is a nice profit.

​

Santa Anita (California):

• Race 8: Paradise Woods (Mike Smith/John Shirreffs), sent off at 3-to-5, romped to victory in the Grade 2 $200,000 feature race by 10 1/2 lengths. I mentioned in an above post Norberto Arroyo, Jr. riding for the second time since the end of 2017 and the curiosity factor. His mount finished third at 56-to-1 as the longest shot on the board. Arroyo was generally considered a fearless rider but had off-the-track issues which interfered with his career.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

KENTUCKY DERBY NOTES:
Omaha Beach had an impressive final workout today judging by reports. Coupled with Mike Smith riding, it is likely that Omaha Beach will be sent off the favorite in the Kentucky Derby, unless of course, bettors decide to jump on a Bob Baffert starter. But if the weather is wet at Churchill on Saturday, that could boost the chances for Omaha Beach mightily.
----------------------------------------------
The only colt without a rider as yet will have one named in the next day or two per trainer Todd Pletcher. Cutting Humor worked out today with an exercise rider.
----------------------------------------------
The following game plan for Tax interests me in that Junior Alvarado excels as a rider from the outside and as a closer. He doesn't work his best, normally, on the inside. Alvarado will have to overcome the usual machinations of drawing the rail in a large field but if he sits patiently he can maneuver this properly. The draw for the Derby will be held mid-week.

Derby Notes: Pletcher Pair ‘All Systems Go,’ Master Fencer Takes A Tour Of Keeneland - Horse Racing News | Paulick Report

TAX – Trainer Danny Gargan confirmed Saturday morning that New York-based Withers (GIII) winner Tax is doing well and preparing to ship Sunday from Belmont Park to Churchill Downs.

The son of Arch has two wins, two seconds and a third from five career starts and had his final serious breeze Thursday, going a half-mile in 47.80 (fourth-fastest of 79) over the Belmont training track.

“He worked really good the other day and we just jogged him today,” Gargan said. “We only worked him once, with only four weeks between races, since the Wood (Memorial). He's been doing great, but it's the best 20 3-year-olds in the country, so he's going to have to be good. It's all about the post and draw.

“I'd like to be closer to the rail,” he continued. “Churchill seems to be a track where you're better drawn down inside and—like I said—it's all about the post. If he's drawn well, I'd like to see him in fourth or fifth early on. If he's outside in 18 or 19, he'll be third or so early and we'll have to use him.”

Hailing from a deep Claiborne Farm pedigree, Tax is a grandson of multiple graded stakes-winning Yell, who was third in the 2003 Kentucky Oaks (GI) and second in the following year's Louisville Breeders' Cup (GII). He made his first two starts for Claiborne and Adele B. Dilschneider, while trained by Ben Colebrook, but was claimed by Gargan for owners R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch and Corms Racing Stable. He has subsequently made three starts, including a third in the Remsen (GII), his aforementioned Withers win and a last-out runner-up effort to Tacitus in the Wood Memorial (GII).

“When I claimed him, I had seen his run first time out,” Gargan said. “I actually thought he was going to be a grass router, being an Arch out of a Giant's Causeway mare, but when I breezed him, I saw that he was a dirt horse—and a good one. He showed he had speed when he ran first time out and a big horse who has that kind of speed is a good thing to have.”
Junior Alvarado, aboard for his past two runs, keeps the mount.​

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There are plenty of believers that what we saw tonight at Churchill could happen in the Derby especially if Omaha Beach does not run up to expectations. And some think John Velazquez could upset the applecart. If tonight is a prelude to activity at Churchill this upcoming weekend, we could be in for some jolting activity.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

As we approach the Kentucky Derby, some favorite memories...

Favorite pre-race quote: Al Michaels "And there's Loni Anderson,. She's been known to go to the window." Only a horse player can appreciate that quote.

Chris Antley… 1999... all that bleeping talent... and those demons. Still one of the greatest jockeys of this era and no one will ever convince me otherwise. Back to the horse: A claimer wins the Kentucky Derby.


Zito! Go For Gin. 1994...


And how about that Zito and Antley team in 1991....

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

1990... "A squeeze play and ... Unbridled caught the worst of it." Gulp! But then my favorite and nothing will ever replace it. Mrs. G. will always be an indelible memory. Nafzger all class.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

2007... Calvin Borel and Street Sense.... I told 'em in 2006 this horse would win. I told 'em all he would break the juvy jinx! Great memory...for personal reasons.



2004... Smarty Jones... Next to the Bid, the one should-have-been Triple Crown winner.


And of course the second best Florida-bred of all-time . OK, the best! Affirmed had the heart of a champion, literally. Arguably the greatest race horse post-Secretariat in North America history. 18-year-old rider, 1978.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The two biggest heartbreakers...

1997... "And here comes the Captain..." I am still waiting... Alex Solis, that one misstep hurt.


2005... Yeah, Giacomo this and Giacomo that. Afleet Alex winning this race and the Triple Crown would have been THE sport's story of the decade. Jeremy Rose got a lot of heat but he made up for it the next two legs.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

April 28, 2019

Belmont (New York):

• Junior Alvarado had a 3-win day and nearly eked out a fourth victory.
• Race 2: Uncle Sigh (Junior Alvarado/Patrick Quick), who ran in the 2014 Kentucky Derby, was out for the 39th time and earned a win by kicking it up a notch in the stretch and walloping the competition by 7 lengths.
• Race 3: Argonne (Junior Alvarado/James Bond) prevailed under a steady ride by the jockey. The hot trainer is 10-for-32 in 2019, 32% winning. Among those defeated was the successful ownership of Klaravich Stables nominated for a 2019 Eclipse Award as best owners in the sport.
• Race 7: Tiz Morning (Junior Alvarado/Edmund Davis) crept and closed along the rail and defeated the far larger connections of Presto (John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher). Alvarado and Velazquez seem to have had a rivalry in the past and of course one moment was the infamous 2018 Wood Memorial. Alvarado, as mentioned by me yesterday, generally does not do his best riding along the rail. For him to beat a wise rider like Velazquez adds to the intrigue of the race and was an exceptional performance. The trainer won for the first time in his career and is the son of veteran rider Robbie Davis.
• Race 9: Fire Key (Jose Ortiz/James Ryerson) won the $125,000 feature race by a whisker and held off a charging Junior Alvarado who nearly pulled off one of his patented come-from-behind on the outside victories. My initial impression was Alvarado got the win. The photo finish included a third horse ridden by Joe Bravo.

• Race 10: There were 10 scratches in a reduced field of 6. Some but not all races were off the turf which is almost becoming the norm at New York tracks.
• Robbie Davis, who is 57 years old, rode Dublin Green, a 5-year-old horse with a 50-to-1 morning line in the 4th race. The horse didn't factor. Davis is also listed as the owner and trainer. This was his first ride of 2019, he had just eight last year and just one start from 2003 through 2012; he has not won a race since 2002. Davis has two daughters and two sons active. His son Dylan rode three times today. His son Edmund won as a trainer for the first time in his career. His daughter Jackie had two wins Friday night at Penn National. His daughter Katie had two mounts at Laurel and hit the board with both.
• Jose Lezcano is having a resurgence in 2019. He made the decision not to go to Gulfstream (Florida) this winter in order to pick up more mounts at Aqueduct (New York). That worked out for him as he finished fourth in wins at a 22% win rate. He followed that by being second to Manny Franco in wins in the brief April meet at Aqueduct. At the early stages of this Belmont meet, he leads with five wins and has a gaudy mark of 12 5-3-2 (42%/83%) including 4-3-2 with his last nine mounts. He is 25% in 2019 which would be a career best, but still much racing to go and the racing gets tougher in New York as the weather warms and eventually Saratoga opens.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Trevor McCarthy, the leading rider at the meet, added to his totals with a 7 3-1-1 day.
• Race 1: The opener was won by a 7-year-old maiden out for just the 8th time.

Belterra (Ohio):

• Race 5: A rare Tennessee-bred was scratched by the trainer in what would have been the 4-year-old colt's first race.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Edgard Zayas won four times and rode the entire card of 11 races. In the finale, he was put up after an objection/inquiry which removed trainer Lilli Kurtinecz from having consecutive wins with her only two starters on this day. The rider DQ'd was Hall-of-Famer Edgar Prado who has over 7,000 wins.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Ricardo Santana, Jr. (72 wins) continues to have a 3-win lead over David Cohen who was penalized with a 60-day suspension for a riding infraction in early April. I assume he has appealed the suspension which was to start April 27. Both riders won twice today. One of Cohen's wins was for trainer Lynn Chleborad who ended the day 2-for-69 at the meet.

Lone Star (Texas):

• Mocito Rojo (Filemon Rodriguez/Shane Wilson), a $10,000 claimer, won the Grade 3 $300,000 feature for three-year-olds and upward. The trainer won a graded stakes for the first time. The winner improved to 22 14-3-1 and raced outside the state of Louisiana for just the second time. He had run at the three Louisiana tracks and once at Remington (Oklahoma). Among those defeated were two Steve Asmussen trained horses and two shippers from Phil D'Amato's stable in California. It was a big day for the smaller track. TVG even sent out the impeccable Gabby Gaudet to cover the race day.

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• Steve Asmussen was 6 0-1-4. He had one winner in 13 starts covering three tracks.

Turf Paradise (Arizona):

• Race 3: A bomber at the Phoenix track in which a $111.40 winner topped an exacta that paid out $1,738.60. The $1 super paid out more than $35,000.

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Eurico Da Silva, the leading rider at the 2018 meet, was a perfect 6 6-0-0 today. He recorded wins in six consecutive races (races 2 through 7) and had the opportunity to tie the track record in the finale but his horse was scratched at the gate. He did not ride in the opener either. The feat was his personal high for victories on a card. Last year, he established a track record 237 wins at the meet. UPDATE: Despite his tremendous feat, he was not given North American Jockey of the Week, that went to DeShawn Parker at Indiana Grand who had 10 wins in 22 starts.

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

DRAWS FOR THE KENTUCKY OAKS AND KENTUCKY DERBY:

• The Kentucky Oaks draw will be held at 11:00 a.m. ET on Monday (info in post #609 of this thread).
• The Kentucky Derby draw will be held at 11:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday (info in post #601 of this thread).

Sites to follow the draws:

• Kentucky Derby
• Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) | Twitter
• Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) | Twitter
• Churchill Downs PR (@DerbyMedia) | Twitter