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

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

This upcoming weekend features three Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" races. NBCSN is scheduled to have a broadcast from Illinois beginning at 6:00 pm ET.

8/11	Arlington	Beverly D.	Filly & Mare Turf
8/11	Arlington	Arlington Million	Turf
8/12	Deaville	Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques le Marois	Mile

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 5, 2018

Suffolk Downs (Massachusetts):

• This was the last of six scheduled races this year though the track has applied for two additional race days for mid-September. The track, which is over 80 years old, could be closing in 2019 as new owners have stated they prefer to redevelop the property. Simulcast was approved through July 31, 2019.
• Track attendance for the final scheduled day of the boutique meet was approximated at 6,100. Nearly $1,000,000 was bet through all-sources.
• Of the 11 races available to bet -- an additional race was for purse money only and was a non-wagering event held before the first race -- no jockey or trainer had multiple winners.

Saratoga (New York):

• Race 10: Realm (Junior Alvarado/Barclay Tagg), substantially the longest shot on the board at 12-to-1 in a short field of five, won the $100,000 Alydar Stakes. Great ride and better finish by Alvarado.

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• Race 5: Sandy'z Slew (Jose Ortiz/Jeremiah Englehart) won the $200,000 Grade 3 Troy. The most experienced horse in the race with 43 lifetime starts, the 8-year old won for the 10th time including three in 2018.
• Manny Franco was the only jockey with multiple wins, he won races 8 and 9.
• Barclay Tagg was the only trainer with multiple wins, he won races 9 and 10. Tagg entered this day 5 0-1-2 at the meet. The last time he won twice on a card was July 28, 2017 at Saratoga.

Monmouth (New Jersey):

• Jorge Navarro was 5 2-1-0. At the meet, he is 135 56-18-23 (41%/72%).
• Jason Servis was 3 1-0-0. At the meet, he is 56 27-7-8 (48%/75%).

Ellis Park (Kentucky):

• Shaun Bridgmohan tied a track record for most wins by a jockey on one card with six. Bridgmohan began the day with a natural hat trick starting after the opener. He won six of the first eight races in which he rode seven times. He finished 8 6-0-0. Trainer Brad Cox won four races, all with Bridgmohan riding among the five in which they teamed.
• Tyler Gaffalione made a rare visit and his lone victory among seven starts was in the finale, one of the $100,000 purses. He rode for Michael Maker and Steve Asmussen.
• This was the inaugural issue of Kentucky Downs Preview Day in which the popular race track holds a brief meet annually in the month of September and hosts some of the top connections in the industry. Winners are offered an opportunity to race in Kentucky Downs' stakes next month. The track has five racing dates during September 1st through September 13 and is also a favorite place to play among handicappers.

A schedule for Kentucky the rest of this year:

ELLIS PARK
07/01/2018 - 09/03/2018 (TB)

CHURCHILL DOWNS
09/14/2018 - 09/30/2018 (TB)
10/28/2018 - 11/25/2018 (TB)

KENTUCKY DOWNS
09/01/2018 - 09/13/2018 (TB)

KEENELAND
10/05/2018 - 10/27/2018 (TB)

TURFWAY PARK
11/28/2018 - 12/31/2018 (TB)
​

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Samy Camacho is having the best year of his young career. He won three times today.
• Race 12: The $.20 Pick 6 Jackpot paid out over $22,000.
• Race 12: Charles Ciaio was the winning trainer in the finale. Per research on Equibase, he lost his last 63 starts dating back to 2008. Oh Charlie, the winning horse, is half-owned by the trainer.
• Race 2: Updated note from yesterday. Elizabeth Dobles trained her second straight winner in two days. She had lost 13 straight with infrequent starters beginning at the start of June. John Guarnere, from south Philly, owns Imaginary Stables who often teams with Dobles.

Emerald Downs (Washington):

• Eswan Flores had the natural hat trick beginning with race 7. The last two days, he is 9 5-3-0.

Del Mar (California):

• Approximately $15,000,000 was wagered today.
• Flavien Prat and Drayden Van Dyke each rode two winners. Prat won both stakes races.
• Race 3: River Boyne (Flavien Prat/Jeff Mullins), a 3-year-old Irish-bred colt, improved to 10 5-2-0 after winning the $150,000 Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap.
• Race 8: Bellafina (Flavien Prat/Simon Callaghan) won the $200,000 Grade 2 Sorrento. The 2-year-old filly is 2 1-1-0 after breaking her maiden today. She may be on the verge of stardom

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Woodbine (Ontario):

• The team of Patrick Husbands and Mark Casse won three times. Casse had nine starters entered across four tracks and won four times.
• Rafael Hernandez (95) and Eurico Da Silva (88) are dominating the meet among wins by jockeys.
• Mark Casse (59) and Norman McKnight (54) are dominating the meet among wins by trainers.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Santa Anita Park in the Los Angeles area appears to be the host track for the 2019 Breeders' Cup.

Keeneland in Lexington, KY could host in 2020.

Del Mar in the San Diego could host in 2021.

All this according to a report linked to HorseRacingNation.com. Negotiations are ongoing and not concluded. Not having a host site the year prior to the event is shocking. Normally, host sites are mentioned for multiple years.

If true, that thwarts any theories about Laurel in Maryland hosting for the first time.

My assumption is Belmont in New York will get consideration but only after construction in the area is completed. Of course, potential for gloomy weather in the northeast in November is always a concern and factor.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 6, 2018

Saratoga (New York):

• Over $12,000,000 wagered on this Monday.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. won four times, in six starts, and for a different trainer each time. He has a 6-win lead over Luis Saez for most victories at the important meet.
• Race 2: In the $87,000 New York Stallion series race, Therapist (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Christophe Clement) won as expected. The field was reduced to three starters and betting options were limited with exacta, tris, place, show and others off the table.
• Race 6: A tight photo for place. Seeing it live is something different, the phot doesn't always do the closeness justice.

• Race 7: Tyler Gaffalione, who rode at a third track in a third state in three days, came for one mount and was DQ'd from second to 6th after a lengthy objection/inquiry. While this was debatable, as seen by some Twitter replies to Andy Serling, outsiders generally don't get the benefit of the doubt from New York stewards. There was also a close photo for fourth.

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Delaware Park (Delaware):

• Race 1: Opener paid $65.00 for the win.

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Civic holiday in some Canadian provinces.
• Canceled following the fifth race due to weather concerns.

Assiniboia (Manitoba):

• Civic holiday in some Canadian provinces.
• Sky Promise, the favorite, won the Manitoba Derby.

Hastings (British Columbia):

• Civic holiday in some Canadian provinces.
• Antonio Reyes had five winners including three in $50,000 purses. He finished 8 5-0-2. He had the natural hat trick beginning with race 5.
• Race 5: Dancin Shoes, a first-time starter won and paid $81.20 winner, a first-time starter, won the British Columbia Cup Debutante Stakes.
• Six of the nine races had $50,000 purses.

Saratoga Sale:

• The two-day Saratoga Sales began today and ends tomorrow (Aug. 7).

Bob Baffert signed a single ticket Aug. 6 at The Saratoga Sale, but it was a big one.
The Hall of Fame trainer spent M.V. Magnier's money to bring home a New York-bred son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah , and it took $1 million to get the job done.

Baffert: American Pharoah Colt 'Love at First Sight' - BloodHorse​

• Lawrence Best, of Boston Scientific, and a relative newbie to the industry, just plopped down $1.2 m for an American Pharoah filly.
• Over $28,965,000 spent so far in the first day of sales covering 83 head, 16 of which sold for $500,000 or more.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

An early look at the Arlington Million (Grade I, $1,000,000 purse, Arlington Heights, Illinois, Saturday, 6:00 pm ET, NBCSN).. This will be updated. Oooh, Kelly Rubley is on the big stage.

The numbers 1 and 5 are from Europe.

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August 7, 2018

Saratoga Sale:

• The 2-day event concluded. A record-setting $62,700,000+ was spent for a 170 horses. The previous record was set in 2001.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Corey Nakatani sidelined two weeks after incident at Del Mar

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Corey Nakatani sidelined two weeks after incident at Del Mar

Bug rider Asa Espinoza was handed a 10-day suspension for his involvement in the fracas.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 8, 2018

Saratoga (New York):

• Luis Saez, Junior Alvarado and the two Ortiz brothers combined to win eight times. Alvarado won consecutive races 3 and 4. Ortiz, Jr. won consecutive races 9 and 10. Jose Ortiz (8 2-1-3) and Irad Ortiz, Jr. (7 2-3-0) were a combined 15 4-4-3.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. has a six-win lead at the top of the rider standings with 25. Nine riders have 10+ wins at the meet.
• Odd stat of the meet: Jose Ortiz has the lowest win percentage among the top nine riders in victories at 11% but he has been in the money 54% which is tied with his brother Irad for the highest number. Jose has come in second or third 41 times.
• Race 6: Joel Rosario gave an epic ride in victory and at 20-to-1 with the longest shot on the board. Nicely done. He flew done the stretch like he was shot from a proverbial cannon.
• Race 7: Joe Sharp trained his 6th winner in 13 starts at the meet. An inquiry -- not an objection mentioned -- elevated Irad Ortiz, Jr. to second place and demoted his brother Jose to third. I am not sure if and when one of the Ortiz brothers lodged a complaint against the other.
• Race 9: Jason Servis finished 1st and 2nd in the $100,000 feature race.

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• Race 10: Marcus Vitali won the finale. I am not sure how often lifetime he has won at the Spa but he usually makes his hay at Gulfstream in south Florida. Linda Rice claimed the winner.
• John Velazquez was off his mounts due to an illness. Among those picking up rides was Javier Castellano on a Todd Pletcher-trainee. The once formidable pair haven't teamed too often at the Spa this meet.
• Saratoga was around $13,000,000 yet again for a mid-week card.

Indiana Grand (Indiana):

• Canceled due to heavy rains.

Retama Park (Texas):

• Eddie Martin, Jr. won three times (7 3-1-2) and is now five away from 4,000 victories in his riding career.
• Karl Broberg won twice. North America's leading trainer in 2018 won at three tracks yesterday for a record of 12 5-1-2. Broberg has 114 more wins than his closest competitor Steve Asmussen

Del Mar (California):

• Race 8: A successful $432 wager in the $2 pick 6 Jackpot through Twin Spires provided someone with $432,286. For the multiple people who picked five out of six correctly, a prize of $477 was collected. That rare opportunity as a handicapper when you single a bomb in the finale and the reaction can't be scripted. Follow the #9, over $400,000 awaited someone.
  
  
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• Race 8: All those who correctly picked the winners of the last five races went home with a $28,000+ sum for a successful $.50 bet in the Pick 5.
• Flavien Prat won twice and now has 18 wins at the meet, three better than his closest competitor among all riders.
• Peter Miller won once and now has 14 wins at the meet, four better than his closest competitors among all trainers.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

ARLINGTON MILLION XXXVI STAKES

What: Grade I. The winner gets invited to the Breeders' Cup turf division.
Where: Arlington International Racecourse, Arlington Heights, Illinois
When: Saturday, August 11, 2018, Race 11 of 12
Post Time: 6:08 pm Central Time (7:08 pm Eastern Time)
Purse: $1,000,000
Who: 3-years-old and up
Distance: 1 1/4 miles
Surface: Turf
Television: NBCSN (6:00 - 7:30 pm Eastern Time). The broadcast will also show race 10. Both races are "Win and You're In" as part of the Breeders' Cup series.
History: Inaugurated in 1981 when Hall-of-Famer John Henry was the victor. Winners this century include The Tin Man, The Pizza Man, Little Mike, Debussy and Gio Ponti.
Preview: 2018 Arlington Million Preview
Note: The #4 will be pointed at a race in Saratoga and not entered here.
Note #2: Four horses bred in the USA, four in Europe and two in South America, six different locations.
Full card: Entries - Horse Racing | Daily Racing Form - DRF Pro - DRF.com | Aqueduct, Belmont Park, Calder Race Course, Churchill Downs, Del Mar, Golden Gate Fields, Gulfstream Park, Hawthorne, Keeneland, Monmouth Park, Oaklawn Park, Pimlico, Santa Anita, Saratoga, Tampa Bay Downs, Woodbine
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[TR][TH]PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Circus Couture (IRE)	John F. Egan	126	Jane Chapple-Hyam	30/1
2	Spring Quality (PA)	Edgar S. Prado	126	H. Graham Motion	8/1
3	Almanaar (GB)	Joel Rosario	126	Chad C. Brown	5/1
4	Divisidero (KY)	Jevian Toledo	126	Kelly Rubley	10/1
5	Century Dream (IRE)	William T. Buick	126	Simon Crisford	12/1
6	Catcho En Die (ARG)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	126	Naipaul Chatterpaul	20/1
7	Twenty Four Seven (KY)	Christopher A. Emigh	126	Roger A. Brueggemann	30/1
8	Money Multiplier (KY)	John R. Velazquez	126	Chad C. Brown	6/1
9	Deauville (IRE)	Ryan L. Moore	126	Aidan P. O'Brien	6/1
10	Robert Bruce (CHI)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Chad C. Brown	9/2
11	Oscar Performance (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	126	Brian A. Lynch	3/1

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[TBODY][TR][TH]Saturday's full card for the signature day in Illinois racing.[/TH][/TR][/TBODY]
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[TR][TH]Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post (CT)
Race 1	$14,000	Maiden Claiming	6 Furlongs	All Weather Track	8	12:15 PM
Race 2	$32,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 Furlongs	All Weather Track	9	12:47 PM
Race 3	$32,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 Mile	Turf	8	1:20 PM
Race 4	$33,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 Mile	Turf	8	1:53 PM
Race 5	$32,000	Maiden Special Weight	5 1/2 Furlongs	All Weather Track	14	2:26 PM
Race 6	$13,500	Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	9	3:00 PM
Race 7	$15,000	Starter Optional Claiming	1 Mile	Turf	14	3:34 PM
Race 8	$100,000	Bruce D. Memorial S.	1 Mile	All Weather Track	9	4:08 PM
Race 9	$400,000	Secretariat S.	1 1/4 Miles	Turf	13	4:48 PM
Race 10	$600,000	Beverly D. S.	1 3/16 Miles	Turf	9	5:25 PM
Race 11	$1,000,000	Arlington Million XXXVI S.	1 1/4 Miles	Turf	11	6:08 PM
Race 12	$100,000	Pucker Up S.	1 1/8 Miles	Turf	13	6:51 PM

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

John Velazquez is off his mounts again Thursday. Yesterday it was reported by his agent Angel Cordero that he had "a bad cold." Perhaps he is resting for the card at Arlington (Illinois) but that doesn't bode well to have an illness and then travel if he is indeed available for Saturday.

Now today, David Grening from the DRF reports that Johnny V. has an ankle injury. Ankle injuries are detrimental to jockeys.

Whether it is a cold or more likely the ankle, Velazquez's status for the weekend is up-in-the-air.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 9, 2018

Saratoga (New York):

• Luis Saez, Irad Ortiz, Jose Ortiz and Javier Castellano each won twice. A near echo from yesterday.
• Jose Ortiz is rounding into form. The hideous start to the meet is becoming a blur. He has won on five straight cards and hit the board in 23 of his last 34 starts.
• John Velazquez was off his mounts for a second straight day; however, he is expected to ride Saturday with Friday (tomorrow) also possible.
• While Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown will garner a great deal of attention in New York, and rightfully so, Joe Sharp and Steve Asmussen are having exceptional meets with smaller stables.
• Race 8: In today''s feature race, a $100,000 purse for New York stallions...the separation was by a piece of dental floss in that photo finish image.

`​

Monmouth (New Jersey):

• Issac Castillo is 19 10-1-1 in 2018 including seven wins on his last nine mounts since July 1. Castillo had ridden in Panama with his first recorded U.S. mount coming in 2016.
• Jorge Navarro won with his only starter. The trainer is 13 6-3-1 since August 3.

Delaware Park (Delaware):

• Race 3: M.C. Reardon hit the board with a 64-to-1 finishing 3rd. The trainer is 40 0-0-2 this year and has not won since June of last year. She trains mostly in Florida after being in Massachusetts when Suffolk Downs conducted full meets. Antia, an 9-year-old mare, was out for the 84th time.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 5: The $2 Pick 5 paid over $24,000.
• Race 7: $2 Pick 4 paid over $22,000. The $2 Pick 3 paid over $2,600.
• Favorites won just three times in 10 races.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Race 10: Six horses of 10 who ran were singled in the finale. If any of those six win, someone nails the $.20 Pick 6. And it happened for $86,000. The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $44,000.

Del Mar (California):

• The $2 Pick 6 paid over $24,000.
• No trainer or jockey repeated wins.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

FOURSTARDAVE HANDICAP

What: Grade I.
Where: Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
When: Saturday, August 11, 2018, Race 8 of 11
Post Time: 5:02 pm Eastern Time
Purse: $500,000
Who: 3-years-old and up
Distance: 1 mile
Surface: Inner turf
Television: FS2 (6:00 - 6:30 pm; later coverage), FS San Diego, Prime Ticket, Altitude Sports & MSG+ 4:00 - 6:30 pm ET
History: Named for the legendary New York bred who ran exactly 100 times.
Note: The #1 is listed as an also eligible. If he is entered, a rider change will have to be made in the race on either the 1 or 4.​

[TR][TH]PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Weekend Hideaway (NY)	Luis Saez	114	Philip M. Serpe	3/5
2	Delta Prince (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	James A. Jerkens	4/1
3	Divisidero (KY)	Jevian Toledo	119	Kelly Rubley	8/1
4	Made You Look (KY)	Luis Saez	115	Chad C. Brown	4/1
5	Heart to Heart (ON)	Julien R. Leparoux	124	Brian A. Lynch	2/1
6	Voodoo Song (NY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Linda Rice	9/2
7	Yoshida (JPN)	Manuel Franco	122	William I. Mott	3/1

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 10, 2018

Saratoga (New York):

• Race 9: Always Sunshine (Frankie Pennington/Ned Allard), a Florida-bred with Philadelphia connections, won the $100,000 feature race. Allard, who has over 2,600 lifetime wins and has been based mainly at Philly since the mid 1990s after a long stay in New England, got his first stakes win in over five years and his first such win at Saratoga since 1988. Pennington, whose tack is at Parx in Philly, had never won any type of race at the Spa.

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• Race 7: Luis Saez went wire-to-wire with the longest shot on the board at 8-to-1.
• Race 6: Joe Bravo, with his first of two rides, won on board Zonic who was once an 0-for-14 maiden but who is now 2-for-16.
• Race 5: An intriguing race to handicap. Many big named trainers, a couple with multiple starters, sending out young ones for the first time in a few cases. The favorite won, there was a DQ for second. Many talented two-year-old fillies.
• Race 1: Mike Luzzi snapped a 44-race losing streak, including 19 at this meet, with a victory in the opener. He last won June 29. He gave a smart, professional ride.

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• Manny Franco was the only rider to win multiple times; no trainer won more than once.
• John Velazquez was scheduled to ride four times but was sidelined for a third straight day. Two of the four horses won.
• Among the nine riders with 10+ wins at the meet, the leaders based on winning percentages are: Irad Ortiz, Jr. (22%), Javier Castellano (20%), Luis Saez (18%) and Junior Alvarado (16%).

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 10: The shocking result included a $141.00 winner courtesy of a 69-to-1 shot. The $2 exacta returned $1,002.80. The $2 tri paid over $10,000. The $1 super was a massive $187,345.50. The $2 Pick 4 paid over $45,000. A rider switch from Kevin Gomez to Xavier Perez, too. Wow!

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Race 10: Canceled due to massive rains that hit the area preceding the ninth race. Bettors in such exotics as the $20 Rainbow Six were issued an "all" bet.
• Race 4: Gunnevera (Edgard Zayas/Anotnio Sano) toyed with the competition in what basically was a tuneup for the Breeders' Cup Classic. Gunnevera has earned over $3,000,000 and ran in the 2017 Kentucky Derby but most recently in the $10,000,000 Dubai World Cup.
• Tyler Gaffalione won four times with five mounts.

Del Mar (California):

• Race 5: Peter Miller finished his day a perfect 3-for-3. Flavien Prat ride his second winner on the card (ongoing). Miller has hit the board with 14 of his last 17 starters (17 6-4-4).

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

ARLINGTON
The weather forecast in the Chicago area is expected to be in the 80s and sunny for Saturday. This should bode well for the signature day of racing in the state of Illinois.

John Velazquez is expected to ride today at Arlington. He has missed the last three days of racing.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 11, 2018

• Chad Brown entered horses at three track (Monmouth, Arlington and Saratoga) and won at each. He was 19 6-6-2 but more importantly won 6 of 13 races (he had multiple entries in three races). Brown is the defending Eclipse Award winner for Trainer of the Year.

Saratoga (New York):

• Javier Castellano (3), Junior Alvarado (2), David Cohen (2) and Jose Lezcano (2) combined to win nine of the 11 races.
• Javier Castellano was 10 3-4-0 today. He rode six times for Chad Brown.
• Jose Lezcano can still ride on turf. He won the two biggest turf races of the day.
• Through today's card, there are nine riders with 12+ wins at the meet. Irad Ortiz, Jr. leads with 27 wins. Javier Castellano and Luis Saez follow with 23 apiece. There is a fair bit of distance to the next group.
• Junior Alvarado is quietly having a very good meet. He is also at 21% wins this year which is a career high. He has been riding for more than 10 years.
• Race 3: Sue's Fortune (Junior Alvarado/Jeremiah Englehart) won the $200,000 Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes. It was one of three races with purses $100,000+.
• Race 4: David Cohen, at 18-to-1, prevailed over Javier Castellano in what can only be called an entertaining race.
• Race 5: The $2 Pick 5 paid over $64,000. The 42 Pick 4 paid over $22,000.
• Race 8: Voodoo Song (Jose Lezcano/Linda Rice) won the Grade I Fourstardave Handicap in wire-to-wire form. The winning horse is 16 8-2-1 including 12 8-1-1 on turf.

​

• Race 10: Inspector Lynley (Jose Lezcano/Shug McGaughey) won for only the 4th time in 18 starts in the $100,000 Lure. It was the second win for the rider in two turf races of $100,000 or more.
• Joe Bravo has had a brutal August. He is 20 2-2-1.
• Rain interfered with the racing day again.

Monmouth (New Jersey):

• Paco Lopez put on a show today, He hit the board with all nine starters and won five times, each victory for a different trainer. Lopez finished 9 5-2-2. He has won 10 of his last 20 rides at the track.
• Jorge Navarro, the meet's leading trainer, had another profitable day at 4 3-1-0. Across three tracks today, he was 6 4-1-1. At this Monmouth meet, the trainer is an outstanding 140 60-19-23 (43%/73%).
• Race 5: The $2 Pick 5 paid over $23,000.

Arlington (Illinois):

• REVIEW: A rich display of talent and some shocking results. It is good to see the track on the national stage. According to one unofficial report, over $16,000,000 was handled
• JOHN VELAZQUEZ and the NEW YORK FLAVOR: The New York connections dominated the big purses which wasn't totally unexpected but with so many options it could be difficult. As speculated above and in the past, John Velazquez is shrewd, he is sly. His absence this week at New York, first reported as the flu and then an ankle injury, raised curious suspicions but ultimately his absence from racing in New York earlier this week was about preparing himself for the big purses here. Ankle injuries are tough for jockeys but Velazquez was not going to be overlooked in any race. He had four scheduled mounts and won his first two including bringing home a bomb at $70 which, for him, is as uncommon as it gets.
• Race 8: Sir Anthony (Florent Geroux/Anthony Mitchell), the second highest odds in a field of nine, won the first of five blacktype races and paid $72.20. Odds of the top four were: 35-to-1, 6-1, 68-1 and 11-1. The $2 tri was over $8,000. The $1 super was over $64,000. The $2 Pick 4 exceeded $22,000. The Illinois-bred was on a 7-race losing streak but won for the second time in 11 career starts. The trainer is listed on Equibase with only 160+ wins in his career and this was among his biggest with a $100,000 purse..
• Race 9: Carrick (John Velazquez/Thomas Morley) won the $400,000 Grade I Secretariat Stakes at 38-to-1 and paid $78.20. The field of 13 began four straight graded stakes races. This race was a handicapper's dream. The $ tri paid over $4,000. The $2 Pick 3 paid over $11,000. The $1 super paid over $14,000. The $2 double was a remarkable $2,271.20.
• Race 10: Sistercharlie (John Velazquez/Chad Brown), an Irish-bred, was sent off as the favorite and won the $600,000 Grade I Beverly D. Stakes. The winner received an invite to the Breeders' Cup Fillies and Mare Turf. Trainer Chad Brown had four of the nine horses entered and finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in a Grade I race. The all-Brown trifecta paid close to $100 for a successful $.50 bet. Florent Geroux finished third at 47-to-1. The $2 Pick 3 was over $11,000.

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• Race 11: Robert Bruce (Irad Ortiz. Jr./Chad Brown), a Chilean-bred, won the Grade I $1,000,000 Arlington Million. The winner received an invite to the Breeders' Cup Turf. Brown finished 1st and 2nd. For a trainer to make six spots (of nine) in three Grade I races on a given card, as Brown did today, is nearly unthinkable. The 4-year-old colt was 7-for-7 in Chile lifetime and has won 2-of-3 in the U.S.

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• Race 12: Secret Message (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Graham Motion), 10th at the 3/4 pole, finished with a furious rally and won the $100,000 Grade 3 Pucker Up. The $2 Pick 4 returned over $17,000.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Race 12: When Luca Panici won the finale, someone hit a $.20 Pick 6 for over $60,000.
• Race 10: Tony Maragh won for Aubrey Maragh, the latter who is 23-for-86 (27%) this year and enjoying what is statistically his best year as a trainer.

Del Mar (California):

• Race 3: Instagrand (Drayden Van Dyke/Jerry Hollendorfer) has dazzled viewers in two races after winning the $200,000 Grade 2 Best Pal by 10 1/4 lengths. The 2-year-old colt, who was purchased by ex-Boston Scientific chief Lawrence Best for in excess of $1.1 million, won his debut in June by 10 lengths. Two wins. Two Races, 20 1/4 lengths!

TVG on Twitter​

• Martin Pedroza won for the first time at the meet. He ended the night 48 1-6-8.
• Flavien Prat and Drayden Van Dyke continue to be the two leading riders at the meet.

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Three stakes races at $100,000.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

^^ There is a limit on video per each post, but Instagrand's win in a Grade II in his second career race deserves it's own praise:

​

And when he broke his maiden:

​

Today's highlights:

• The Prix Jacques Le Marois in France is a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Mile.
• Arlington, Monmouth and Woodbine have carryovers that range from $230,000 to $375,000.
• There is no Grade 1 race today. Saratoga has a Grade 2.
• Saratoga is off the turf due to the wet weather.

 

[Orr Fourever]

I had 2 across on Carrick. Then I had 2 across on the 6 in the millions.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 12, 2018

Saratoga (New York):

• Race 9: Tricky Escape (Chris DeCarlo/Lynn Ashby) won the $200,000 Grade 3 Waya. DeCarlo, who rode for the first time at this Spa meet, has been riding since the mid-1980s, and though he doesn't have many mounts these days he is 6 3-2-0 since July 31. The New Jersey-born DeCarlo will be 50 years old in December. It was also Ashby's first start at the meet, her fourth win in 2018 and her first victory since early July. She trains normally in Maryland and Delaware.

​

• Race 8: Call Paul (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Jason Servis) won the $200,000 Grade 2 Saratoga Special for two-year-olds. The 2-year-old by Friesan Fire is a perfect 2 2-0-0 lifetime with a previous win at Delaware Park.

​

• Wayne Lukas, 82 years of age, won the opener, his first victory since July 26 though he sent out only 13 runners since that win.
• That self-induced theory about Joel Rosario worked here in that if he wins early, he will repeat. He won the opener, he won the finale; simple as that. In the finale, Rosario's mount walloped the field by 17 lengths.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. also won twice. He has a 6-win advantage as the meet's winning rider.
• Ricardo Santana, Jr. was ablaze at the beginning of the meet; however, he has lost his last 23 mounts and hit the board just six times.
• Trainer Rudy Rodriguez, who entered with subpar numbers, won twice and now has 6 wins in 44 starts.
• Another gloomy day at the Spa with weather eliminating all turf racing.

Monmouth (New Jersey):

• Jorge Navarro was 4 3-1-0 for the second straight day at the track. He is 13-5-2 with his last 24 starts at Monmouth. The winningest trainer at the meet, he is 144 63-20-23 (44%/74%). Jason Servis is one percentage point ahead in both categories 64 29-8-11 (45%/75%).
• Paco Lopez has his the board with 16 straight mounts 16 7-4-5.
• Isaac Castillo is 20 11-1-1 this year after a victory in his only start today. He has roughly 65 starts in the U.S. in his career following riding in Panama.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 7: Laki (Horacio Karamanos/Damon Dilodovico), at 7-to-1, was put up through a DQ and won the $100,000 Polynesian Stakes. The prohibitive favorite and original winner was dropped to second place.
• Race 3: Sheldon Russell, riding for his fiancée Brittany Trimble, won. The duo seems to have a good win percentage.
• Bug rider Weston Hamilton won twice.

Ellis Park (Kentucky):

• A good day for old-time favorites as Calvin Borel and Larry Jones won the big races of the day.
• Race 9: Champagne Problems (Calvin Borel/Ian Wilkes) won the $100,000 Grade 3 Groupie Doll. The 12-to-1 morning line was diminished to 4-to-1 at break.
• Race 8: Believe in Royalty (Gabriel Saez/Larry Jones) was the higher odds of two Jones' runners and prevailed in $75,000 Ellis Park Derby. The runner up was also trained by Jones.
• Race 7: Horses were bred in seven states, including Tennessee and Mississippi, and one province.

Arlington (Illinois):

• Over $1.6 million was added to the $.50 Pick 5 and each winner got over $10,000.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Tyler Gaffalione won his last five mounts, which included a natural hat trick, and finished 7 5-0-1. He won for five different trainers. Gaffalione has the fourth most wins among riders in North America this year. He also has a 13-win lead at the meet.
• Race 11: Tyler Gaffalione won on board 1-to-2 lock Curlin's Approval (tr. Happy Alter) in the $75,000 feature. The 5-year-old mare is 20 9-3-0 with every won coming at Gulfstream in 16 tries.

​

• Race 2: The combo of Luca Panici-Larry Bates won for a second straight day. Bates has seven wins this year. The combo of Gary Bain-Jerry Bozzo finished fourth. That is noted only because Bain is approximately 65 years old and Bozzo is 97 years of age. That has to be the oldest jockey-trainer combo on record. Doesn't it?

Del Mar (California):

• Hey, a fan at a track actually nailed a Pick 6. Someone at Del Mar scored a $139,000+ ticket purchased for $3,840. It seems most of the recent winners of Pick 6 jackpots have been at home, bet on line or through an out-of-state OTB. The winner had to sit through a potential DQ based on an inquiry.
• Martin Pedroza rode a winner for a second straight day. He is now 50 2-6-8 at the meet. He won his first race at the meet in his 47th attempt but has now won two of his last four rides.

Emerald Downs (Washington):

• Race 8: Barkley (Javier Matias/Howard Belvois) won the 83rd edition of the Grade 3 $200,000 Longacres Mile. Sent off at 5-to-2, Barkley kicked it up a notch in the stretch. The 5-year-old has run every race in his career at the Washington-state oval and sports a mark of 17 9-4-1. He finished fourth in this race last year.
• Race 5: A 48-to-1 topped a 25-to-1 in the first of four consecutive stakes races (card ongoing). The win bet paid $98.80. The $1 exacta was an enormous $1,167.40. The $.50 tri paid over $10,000 which in itelf is mindboggling. The $1 super paid over $90,000.
• Races 5, 6 and 7 had $50,000 purses.

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Eurico Da Silva won four times, had a mount in every race and finished 11 4-2-1.
• Gary Boulanger won the two biggest races of the day with just four rides.
• Race 6: Decorated Soldier (Gary Boulanger/Norman McKnight), the co-longest shot on the board at 9-to-1, won the $125,000 Seagram Cup Stakes.
• Race 9: Avie's Mineshaft (Gary Boulanger/Josie Carroll) won the $225,000 Wonder Where Stakes.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 13, 2018
A typical light Monday...

Saratoga (New York):

• More wet weather, more scratches and changes. This has been among the least attractive Saratoga meets in quite some time. Turf fans especially have been belted.
• Jose Ortiz was the only rider (or trainer) to win multiple times; he did it twice.
• Race 6: One win for Jose Ortiz in which he dueled Joel Rosario, the latter riding a 9-to-1 shot. They were both left for dead in the back of the pack yet finished with fury. Rosario won race 2. My theory about Rosario re-winning was shot down by a nose.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. was named the Jockey of the Week in North America.
• $18,492,000 was spent with 172 yearlings purchased at the recent Saratoga sale. The prior mark was beaten by more than $2m. This is a good sign for New York breds.

Delaware Park (Delaware):

• Jorge Navarro is not only sizzling in New Jersey, he is 16 9-2-0 (56%/75%) at this meet. In 2018, the trainer is 340 123-53-49 (36%/66%). Covering five tracks in or near the mid-Atlantic the last three days, Navarro is 14 9-3-1.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

New Jersey got the ball rolling and sees some immediate benefits. The field sizes have been an issue and even Saratoga has had to take a punch this meet due to inclement weather. But Saratoga is as potent as any facility. Monmouth and Delaware needed a boost especially the former while the latter, even if minimal, could use a boost in the racing industry; Delaware had a form of betting prior to the Court ruling with grandfathered parlays in football. Other tracks-- Arlington comes to immediate attention -- could have a drastic change if those states adopt sports betting laws. A new race track in Massachusetts is being discussed as is redevelopment of a shuttered facility by two very different entities. Sports betting is another variable though that probably is secondary right now.

Gulfstream is arguably the top track on the East coast with its year round presence and the casino is a boon. Florida sports betting will be very contentious based on existing laws and possible changes to the various county laws and how pari-mutuel betting is handled.

Indications are Pennsylvania West Virginia and Mississippi have plans in place to enact sports gambling prior to the end of the calendar year, perhaps other states as well.

This is all in the embryonic stages but it appears to be good news for two tracks that were slightly above water. The powerhouses in Florida, New York and California could potentially be even stronger.

Sports Wagering Has Monmouth, Delaware Optimistic - BloodHorse

Beyond the encouraging sports wagering handle numbers at Monmouth Park, and the increased pari-mutuel wagering that has followed since sports betting was launched, track principal Dennis Drazin notes the increased energy at the New Jersey track.

"Everyone is excited to come out to Monmouth Park again; it's an exciting atmosphere," said Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development, which operates the Oceanport, N.J. track. "Both fans and horsemen love the spirit of the place right now."

That excitement, which followed the track's commitment of having a facility ready to launch when a May U.S. Supreme Court decision allowed outlets in the state to offer sports wagering, helped make Monmouth the top sports wagering outlet in New Jersey through the end of July. According to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, since Monmouth launched sports wagering operations June 14 through July 31, the track posted more than $3.1 million in sports wagering gross revenue (sum of all wagers less only the payouts on winning wagers). That $3.1 million figure accounts for 43% of New Jersey's sports wagering gross revenue through July 31.

Sports wagering also has helped fuel a bump in on-track pari-mutuel wagering at Monmouth. Average daily on-track wagering for the 18 days since sports wagering has been added (through July 31) is up 16% to $525,273 and attendance has improved 4% to 10,851 compared with the corresponding 21 race dates in 2017. Looking at the first seven Saturdays of pari-mutuel wagering since sports wagering has been in place, on-track handle is up 15% to $3,460,912. Total attendance for those dates is up 4% to 65,844.​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

PACIFIC CLASSIC STAKES

What: Grade I
Where: Del Mar Racetrack, Del Mar, CA
When: Saturday, August 18, 2018, Race 10
Post time: 6:30 pm Pacific Time (9:30 pm Eastern Time)
Who: 3-year-olds and up
Distance: 1 1/4 mile
Surface: Dirt
Purse: $1,000,000
History: Inaugurated in 1991.
Television: TVG
Preview: Accelerate 8-5 Favorite Vs Seven in $1-Million TVG Pacific Classic
Note: The #5 is the attraction but I may go with the 1 and 3 in addition.​

[TR][TH]PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	The Lieutenant (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	124	Michael W. McCarthy	6/1
2	Dr. Dorr (KY)	Joseph Talamo	124	Bob Baffert	6/1
3	Prime Attraction (KY)	Kent J. Desormeaux	124	James M. Cassidy	8/1
4	Roman Rosso (ARG)	Flavien Prat	124	Bob Baffert	5/1
5	Accelerate (KY)	Joel Rosario	124	John W. Sadler	8/5
6	Beach View (MD)	Rafael Bejarano	124	Leonard Powell	15/1
7	Pavel (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	124	Doug F. O'Neill	7/2
8	Two Thirty Five (KY)	Franklin Ceballos	124	Richard Baltas	20/1

[TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY][/TH][/TR][/TBODY]

[TBODY][TR][TH]

​

ALABAMA STAKES

What: Grade I
Where: Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
When: Saturday, August 18, 2018, Race 9
Post time: 5:40 p.m. ET
Who: 3-year-old fillies
Distance: 1 1/4 mile
Surface: Dirt
Purse: $600,000
History: Inaugurated in 1872.
Television: FS2, FS San Diego, Prime Ticket & MSG+
Preview: Midnight Bisou Can Claim Spotlight in Alabama - BloodHorse
Note: The favorite could bevulnerable here.
​

[TR][TH]PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Piedi Bianchi (IN)	John R. Velazquez	121	Todd A. Pletcher	15-1
2	Eskimo Kisses (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Kenneth G. McPeek	6-1
3	Midnight Bisou (KY)	Mike E. Smith	121	Steven M. Asmussen	7-5
4	She's a Julie (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	121	Steven M. Asmussen	9-2
5	Auspicious Babe (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Dallas Stewart	30-1
6	Figarella's Queen (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	121	Brad H. Cox	15-1
7	Coach Rocks (KY)	Luis Saez	121	Dale L. Romans	10-1
8	Talk Veuve to Me (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Rodolphe Brisset	5-2

[TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY][/TH][/TR][/TBODY]

[/TH][/TR][/TBODY]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 15, 2018

Saratoga (New York):

• Irad Ortiz, Jr., the meet's leading rider, had a natural hat trick to end the day. He had five earlier rides in which he hit the board just twice.
• Manny Franco won three times and became the fourth jockey at the meet to win 20+ races.
• Javier Castellano is second at the meet in wins. He added two more today.
• Jason Servis' incredible year continues. He won with both his starters, each ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. Servis is 260 85-44-43 (33%/66%) in 2018 which includes 6-for-22 at the Spa.
• Chad Brown, the leading trainer at the meet, won twice.
• Joe Bravo hit the board with three of his four starters but has only two wins among 27 mounts in August.
• Race 9: Wesley Ward finished 1st and 2nd in the $100,000 feature race.
• Race 5: Alejandro Maymo, the winning trainer, is 2-for-36 in 2018. He trains out of Finger Lakes.
• Race 3: Three across the wire. The winner withstood an objection. Good finish.

Delaware Park (Delaware):

• Arabian horses concluded the card. They were bred in eight states including Colorado, North Carolina, Mississippi, Delaware and three in Texas. One Texan was the winner.

Indiana Grand (Indiana):

• Two purses at $150,000, each was won by trainer Michael Lauer.
• Race 7: Held in between the two big purses, a 41-to-1 shot prevailed.
• Race 9: Baratti won for the fifth straight time in a race with a $50,000 purse. The wins came at four tracks in four states including Aqueduct in New York and Churchill Downs in Kentucky. The 7-year-old gelding was 2-for-18 lifetime prior to the 5-race win streak. The $2 Pick 3 paid $3,400+.

Retama Park (Texas):

• Eddie Martin, Jr. won for the 4,000th time which came in the finale on board his second winner of the night. Spinning Pegasus is a Minnesota-bred sired by 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusiachi Pegasus. Martin rode five times for Karl Broberg, the winningest trainer in North America this year. Per Equibase, Martin, who won for the first time in 1980 in Louisiana, is the 74th jockey in racing history to reach 4,000 wins. The riders at the night tracks and in the smaller circuits rarely get the spotlight but milestone wins such as this have an extensive reach.
• Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez won four times in 8 rides. He finished 8 4-1-2.
• Eddie Martin, Jr. (15) and Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez (10) have a combined 25 wins at the meet. The rest of the colony has 28 victories.

Del Mar (California):

• Eight races. Eight winning riders. Eight winning trainers. No repeats.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

August 16, 2018

Saratoga (New York):

• Manny Franco was the only rider with multiple wins, he won races 2 and 3.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr., the leading rider at the meet, won the opener with the second highest set of odds at 11-to-1.
• Joe Bravo hit the board with both starters and is a decent 53% (0-5-3) in the money with his last 15 starts; however, he has not won in that period.
• James Jerkens trained two winners. He began the day 0-for-13 at the meet. He ended the day 2-for-15 at the meet.
• Jason Servis hit the board with all three starters and the trainer is now 5-1-4 with his last 10 starters covering multiple tracks.
• Race 4: Julien Leparoux won for the second time at the meet and is now 48 2-6-4.
• Race 9: Luis Reyes won the finale. He was 0-for-24 at the meet.
• The $2 Pick 6 was hit for $23,000.+

Monmouth (New Jersey):

• Jorge Navarro won for the 66th time at the meet which, for the third straight year, established an all-time record for wins by any trainer at the meet. In each of those three instances, Navarro broke his own mark.
• Jorge Navarro was a perfect 3-for-3 today. He is 16-5-2 with his last 27 starts at Monmouth. The winningest trainer at the meet, he is 147 66-20-23 (45%/74%). Jason Servis is one percentage point ahead in both categories 65 30-8-11 (46%/75%).
• Jose Ferrer rode three winners with five starters.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Anytime Ashley Castrenze wins, the skies open with an abundance of sunshine that warms and soothes the masses. Anytime Ashley Castrenze is a perfect 2-for-2 on a card, the skies reveal a brightness barely recognized by the human eye. Yeah, Ashley. She won race 3 with the second highest odds on the board. She won race 10 at 11-to-1. She has eight wins this year and is closing in on 100 lifetime. Playing and winning with bombs never gets old even if it is because of a favorite rider, trainer or breed.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Tyler Gaffalione, the leading rider at the meet, was one of three jockeys to win twice today. One of the wins was for Elizabeth Dobles --oft-mentioned in this thread -- who has won with three of her last four starters. She was 0-for- 13 combined in June and July but is 4 3-0-0 this month.

Arlington (Illinois):

• The $.20 Pick 6 was hit for $41,000+. Favorites won just twice in the six legs.

Del Mar (California):

• Eight races. Eight winning riders. Eight winning trainers. No multiple winners.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The Breeders' Cup sites for the next three years, as mentioned in a post a few days ago, will be named tomorrow per multiple reports. California (Del Mar and Santa Anita) and Kentucky (Churchill Downs and Keeneland) will likely host the event for 14 straight years dating back to 2007 when Monmouth in New Jersey held the spectacular event in dismal weather.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The Breeders' Cup sites were officially announced today ending speculation of many months.

SANTA ANITA (CA) -- November 1-2, 2019 -- 10th time host

KEENELAND (KY) -- November 6-7, 2020 -- 2nd time host

DEL MAR (CA) -- November 5-6, 2021 -- 2nd time host
​

Laurel (Maryland) wants the BC but apparently fell short; however, the track will reapply for 2022. Same owners as Santa Anita and Gulfstream but the Stronach Group does not have any wishes to be a host track in Florida.

Belmont (New York) has many drawbacks currently, the desire for NYRA to want it among them, but weather, money and certainly the infrastructure are among the concerns.