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

[GKJ]

I'm not privy to local rules and regs, but the hits Arlington seemed to have taken is when they switched to synthetic on dirt, which in itself is not bad, there were a lot of politics involving the condition of tracks back then (and I guess still exists in SA), but I've always taken Arlington to be geared more towards turf racing, and it's just not that strong in the US.

 

[GKJ]

What does Brittany Eurton have on her head?

 

[bukwas]

Catholic Boy looked really good winning the Dixie but Admission Office wouldn't have needed much more distance.

 

[Scotty Pucks]

Robin Thicke’s hairsthetics = UNREAL

 

[GKJ]

Think I’m going to be pulling for the 7 here with the 2 in a box wheeled underneath 4-9-12

 

[SJSharksfan39]

If the horse that didn't have the jockey would have won, would that have been legal?

 

[GKJ]

Edzo all over this one. The starter was yelling “no no no” when the gates opened. That should be a non-starter.

Also all over the winner without picking him.

If the horse that didn't have the jockey would have won, would that have been legal?

No.

 

[SJSharksfan39]

Is this going to go down as the weirdest triple crown horse racing season of all time? I mean I almost forgot the Preakness was today and the A's game had just ended so I flipped over. That was entertaining watching the horse with no jockey actually doing well for part of the race.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

The stewards at Churchill Downs are probably feeling vindicated right now.

 

[Preds Partisan]

Triple Crown is turning into a bit of a clown show this year. Maybe the John Deere tractor wins the Belmont.

 

[Scotty Pucks]

Jockey down!

It always warms my heart good when I see the rich horse owners get richer and embrace afterwards.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

War of Will is a solid horse. Still think he would've been game to take down Maximum Security in the Derby if he hadn't almost tangled due to Max Sec's interference.

 

[GKJ]

Is this going to go down as the weirdest triple crown horse racing season of all time? I mean I almost forgot the Preakness was today and the A's game had just ended so I flipped over. That was entertaining watching the horse with no jockey actually doing well for part of the race.

If Gary West is going to be out here offering millions of dollars to not win races, then yes, it will become a total clown show.

 

[SJSharksfan39]

If Gary West is going to be out here offering millions of dollars to not win races, then yes, it will become a total clown show.

Who?

I don't follow this sport very closely so I don't entirely understand what you just said.

 

[PredsV82]

Who?

I don't follow this sport very closely so I don't entirely understand what you just said.

Maximum security owner. He has challenged the other horses involved in the Derby inquiry to a challenge race for 5 million dollars.

After today I suspect he will s t f u

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Maximum security owner. He has challenged the other horses involved in the Derby inquiry to a challenge race for 5 million dollars.

After today I suspect he will s t f u

I seem to remember Ron Paolucci (Loooch Racing) putting up a large sum in a challenge which was not accepted. Of course, it didn't reach the magnitude of the Derby DQ but nonetheless was something out of the ordinary.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

May 18, 2019

Suffolk Downs (Massachusetts):

• Day 1 of 6: The track will cease to exist following this year in which six live racing days will be held.
• Handle: Over $700,000 was wagered which is a good day considering the lack of exposure nationally and the competition on a busy Saturday.
• Non-betting races: The first two races held were non-betting races. They were listed at the end of the program and likely caused confusion since the post times were listed incorrectly in chronological order. Tammi Piermarini, who is one of the all-time greats at the track and officially the third winningest female rider in North America as she enters her mid-50s, won both races. She rides sparingly these days but mostly at Finger Lakes. Dr. Blarney, who she rode for Karl Grusmark who I believe has been training since the 1960s, improved to a remarkable 9 9-0-0 at the oval and won by more than 15 lengths. The jockey's two wins in these races were by over 22 lengths combined. Dr. Blarney is 26 18-1-4 lifetime. The race was limited to Mass breds in which there are only a precious few running. Both purses were for $50,000.
• Race 5: Jenn Miller, a Mass-native, was the victor for the first time since suffering near catastrophic injuries -- including damage to her brain -- in November 2017 (Thanksgiving weekend, IIRC) in West Virginia but since won all her imposing battles off the track. She was a bug late in life, early 30s, but that was due to her equestrian/dressage background. Root for her and all jocks who make successful comebacks. An exceptional story today. Edit: I just saw that Paulick has something posted with an accompanying photo:

Belmont (New York):

• Race 5: The $2 Pick 5 paid over $63,000.
• Race 11: Seek and Destroy (Kendrick Carmouche/Chad Brown) won the Grade 3 feature. How does Brown go off at 10-to-1 in a New York turf race. That is almost unimaginable. Another expert after the fact moment.
• Race 12: The $2 Pick 4 returned over $28,000. An 0-for-18 maiden topped the ticket and paid $64.

Monmouth (New Jersey):

• Angel Suarez rode four winners.

Delaware Park (Delaware);

• Jeremy Rose: Jeremy Rose won two of three starts and is now 9 7-2-0 at the meet. That translates to 78% winning and 100% in the money. Almost as good is his mark in 2019 at all ovals: 20 11-2-0 (55%/65%). Smaller venue(s), lesser pressures but he has performed exceptionally.

Pimlico (Maryland):

• Handle and attendance: The official handle was $99.8 million. Egad: a total of $100 million was that close. Nonetheless, an all-time record for the card in which 126 horses ran. The Preakness saw over $62 million bet. Over 131,000 attended which was short of a record but due to the closure of the grandstands at the track. If I did the math correct, over $122 million was bet on the weekend card in Baltimore which established a record. Over 180,000 attended the two-day event (notwithstanding people who attended both days).
• Race 13: War of Will (Tyler Gaffalione/Mark Casse) won the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Grade I $1,500,000 Preakness Stakes. Maybe there are such things as racing gods. Gaffalione perhaps saved the sport from unthinkable tragedy in the Kentucky Derby with his adept skills. War of Will is now 10 4-1-1. He was a solid horse until a subpar outing in the Louisiana Derby which preceded the Kentucky Derby. Gaffalione is well-liked and seems grounded from all indications. As mentioned before by me, I think he is an exceptional talent who could very well be a Hall of Famer some day. Even though I boxed him with Bourbon War in a non-winning proposition, I was happy to see him get the limelight in the winner's circle. The Florida boy dun good. And Casse is a Canadian Hall of Famer who won perhaps the biggest race of his life or at least non-Breeders' Cup. Track race caller "WOW, War of Will." Nice play on words. It should also be mentioned that Everfast (Joel Rosario/Dale Romans) finished second with a 50-1 morning line prior to being sent off at 29-to-1. That horse was the latest of additions to the Preakness possible entries.

​

• Race 12: Catholic Boy (Javier Castellano/Jonathan Thomas) is now 11 7-1-0 after winning the Grade 2 Dixie. Catholic Boy has won four of his last five with the exception the Breeders' Cup Classic which was his most recent outing.
• Race 5: Jose Ortiz won three times in eight starts, The highly skilled multiple Eclipse Award winner had dropped his prior 38 (unofficial tally) mounts.
• Race 4: Ashley Castrenze, who caught the attention of many in 2016 when she won her first four starts and six of her first seven, rode for the first time since the autumn of last year. Hopefully she is back in the saddle as I thought she had some natural skills that needed to be honed. She finished fifth in this race. She comes from a racing family.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Race 12: Over $1,000,000 was bet which included the paltry sum of $22 in the roulette pool. Today was the type of day in which the roulette pool was exposed one way or the other. The management gets an A for thinking outside the box but the bet isn't catching from what I can see.
• Rainbow Six: The carryover into Sunday will be over $1.2 million.

 

[GKJ]

Maximum security owner. He has challenged the other horses involved in the Derby inquiry to a challenge race for 5 million dollars.

After today I suspect he will s t f u

Not only challenged, but didn't even demand that they win the race. Only that they beat his horse. Of course, the premise is that he thinks his horse will win, and that any of the other horses involved also have to put up $5M.

I'm not against someone trying to make a show like that, but go somewhere where they're willing to accommodate such a condition. Don't go to the Haskell or Travers and lay down $5M to horses that won't even have to win the race.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

If the horse that didn't have the jockey would have won, would that have been legal?

No. Jockey and horse have to be intact when crossing the finish line. There have been instances when jocks in comfortable leads approaching the stretch have lost control and been dismounted just prior to the wire. The eventual finish is normally last place even though the horse crosses the wire in front of all competition.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

What does Brittany Eurton have on her head?

I didn't notice but there were many hat styles worn by a variety of track analysts during various simulcast feeds.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Among the injuries in Johnny Velazquez's illustrious career is the removal of his spleen from a fall in the 2013 Breeders' Cup. He has a post-racing future in the business should he want it. Among those beliefs would be opportunities to represent riders since he has respect from younger jocks especially from Puerto Rico. While I have had my differences with some rulings involving Velazquez, he is a brilliant rep for the sport. Luckily he was not injured again.



A look at the outrider attempting to capture the loose horse in which Johnny Velazquez. had been dismounted.



A jockey and a horse can bond a relationship unmatched in any sport and in evidence is his reaction on board War of Will.

Tyler Gaffalione is only 24. I believe he dates the daughter of the owner of Good Magic (among other horses). The ownership is under the title of "e5 Racing," a family of five originally from New Jersey/New York but settled in south Florida many years ago before making a fortune in a pharmaceutical endeavor. The ownership won the feature race at Belmont (New York) yesterday with Chad Brown training a 10-to-1 shot; that remains mind-boggling.

 

[GKJ]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

May 19, 2019

So much for a Preakness hangover.​

Suffolk Downs (Massachusetts):

• Day 2 of the final 6: Absolutely appalling that a track with such characters is about to close. So many greats have come from this place to make names elsewhere but the personalities are nearly unmatched. That is horse racing, the king of sports and the sport of kings but the most incredible story tellers of all.
• Handle: The track surpassed $700,000 each day this weekend. Not exceptional by comparison to other facilities but a good figure for the venue.
• No turf: Heavier than expected rains to begin the day took racing off the turf when originally there was to be such available. Eventually, the weather cooperated.
• Race 9: That was as large a thrashing as I remember anywhere perhaps equaling what happened in the 1973 Belmont Stakes when a Triple Crown was won. Irish Lassie (Augusto Marin/Rob Atras) smashed the competition by 31 lengths. Trainer Rob Atras, who is Canadian and performed at tracks such as Assiniboia in Winnipeg, was in the winner's circle sporting a Yankees' Cap and beaming with either shock or joy. He is out on his own after assisting Robertino Diodoro. The winning horse broke her maiden today in her 14th try, she was bred in California. Irish Lassie is the Secretariat of Massachusetts for one day.

• Purse money: The first two races, similar to yesterday, were run prior to the scheduled first race. Both were run for purse money only. The scheduled 3-horse field was reduced to a match race when one of the runners was scratched at the gate and then played possum before finally being corralled.
• Tammi Piermarini, the third winningest female jockey of all-time in North America, won three times and had five victories in the two-day racing weekend. She won three stakes races.
• J.D. Acosta rode two winners on both Saturday and Sunday.
• Augusto Marin, whose tack was once at Suffolk Downs, had a profitable weekend going 5 3-0-1.
• Jay Bernardini produced a 22-to-1 shot winner. His weekend wasn't as successful as I anticipated -- he was, however, one of six trainers to win twice -- but his bomb made up for lost wagers. For Bernardini to have a 22-to-1 shot win a race at Suffolk Downs would be comparable to Chad Brown winning a stakes race on turf in New York at 10-to-1. Oh, I am still on that kick.
• Francis Dullea was a perfect 2-for-2 this weekend. It wouldn't surprise me if his training days go back to the 1960s. He last won a race in October 2012 with just a handful of starters since.

Photo courtesy of HF Boards admin Fenway​

Belmont (New York):

• Payouts: The second largest payout was $10. Though favorites didn't win them all, the chalk dominated until the finale when a 7-to-1 was the victor.
• Jose Lezcano (20 wins) leads Kendrick Carmouche (19) atop the jockey standings.

Monmouth (New Jersey):

• Race 11: A $76 winner topped a ticket that produced a $1,610 exacta, $68k for the trifecta, a $2 Pick 5 that shocked the masses at $158,000+ and even the $2 Pick 4 was worth more than $11,000. Wow.
• Race 9: A stakes race in which a 7-to-1 beat out a 94-to-1. The $.10 super was more than $5,400.

Mountaineer (West Virginia):

• Race 4: Cournoyer won for the third straight time. I remember his maiden attempt in which he was scratched at the gate with Mike Luzzi on board. Now night racing on a Sunday, the owner must be an old-time hockey fan.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Rainbow Six: The carryover for Thursday's card is in excess of $1.3 million.
• Race 9: The $1 super paid over $46,000.
• Race 11: The finale was won by a 25-to-1 shot with a trainer who is 34-for-642 (5%) since the beginning of 2018. Jaime Mejia's winner seemed reluctant to load and then shot out of the gate like a cannon.

​

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Steve Asmussen failed to hit the board with five starters. He had no better than fifth place with eight starts at multiple tracks today. That is highly irregular for the second most victorious trainer in North America the last two years.
• Jockey leaders: Six riders have 10+ wins led by Gabriel Saez and Miguel Mena with 13 apiece.
• David Cohen, who excelled at Oaklawn earlier this year, is 21 0-3-1. Edgar Morales (36 starts) and Robby Albarado (30) and have also failed to win.

Lone Star (Texas):

• Race 5: Let me quote Vin Scully "I don't believe what I just saw." In a match race, yes, two horses, the winner was DQ'd. The 1-to-9 was removed for a 2-to-1. Sasha Risenhoover was elevated due to a no-no by C.J. McMahon who won twice earlier. I do not believe I have seen a DQ in a 2-horse field.

​

• Karl Broberg, a.k.a the leading trainer in North America last year and 2019, won four times. He hit the board with all seven starters going 7 4-2-1. At three tracks, he combined for a 12 6-3-1 day/night.

Santa Anita (California):

• Race 8: Danusha's My Girl (Geovanni Franco/Jerry Hollendorfer) won the $100,000 Grade 3 feature in a 3-horse field. She won for the third straight time and fifth time in 14 lifetime starts.
• Bob Baffert won with one of his two starters but he is only at 19% this year which is his lowest percentage since 2008.

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Mark Casse won five times (four at Woodbine and once at Belmont with his lone starter there). He teamed with French-born jockey Jerome Lermyte to go a perfect 3 3-0-0. Casse, a Canadian Hall of Famer, was 20 7-3-1 the last two days at various tracks.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

TATWEEJ​

I have not lost hope... I was floored by this one-year-old baby when he went on sale and eventually bought for $2.5 million. He was foaled February 26, 2016 but has yet to race. I believe the goal is to give Kiaran McLaughlin the opportunity to train. The time is 8th of 41. Maybe he is gearing up.

Horse name	Tatweej
Notes
Activity type	Workout
Activity date	05-18-2019
Track	Saratoga
Surface	Dirt training
Distance	4 Furlongs
Workout type	Breezing
Workout time	0:48.64
Track condition	Fast

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[Fenway]

I grieve over the end of Suffolk Downs

I know in the '80s when I relocated to Chicago I made serious money at Chicago tracks when a Suffolk/Rockingham horse shipped in.

Seems comical now but even into the '80s there was one phone booth at Suffolk that was padlocked by the Massachusetts State Police when live racing was going on.

Being older I can say I did see this at Suffolk