Horse Racing: I. Ortiz/B. Cox/Godolphin/Into Mischief top 2023; J. Rodriguez/B. Russell win Laurel titles on final day; L. Rice sets NYRA record for wins in a year

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Brendan Walsh adorned Maple Leaf Mel's stable with the winning florals from the Test. I got one confirmation that no winner's circle photo was taken following his win.

 

[GKJ]

Brendan Walsh adorned Maple Leaf Mel's stable with the winning florals from the Test. I got one confirmation that no winner's circle photo was taken following his win.

Wonder if they will rename the race for her.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Wonder if they will rename the race for her.

I will inquire during the week if something isn't mentioned prior.

A friend, who owns at NYRA tracks and has been in the business for many years, said it was eerily quiet, unmatched in his memory, after the breakdown and he was nearby.

What Brendan Walsh did was glorious and hopefully he will be rewarded with a pristine afterlife. Tyler Gaffalione has a solid reputation and has for quite some time. They refused any sort of accolades in the immediate moments following. From watching the simulcast feed and not national TV, I not only didn't see that winners' circle moment, which now confirmed didn't transpire, but don't recall any acknowledgement from the track announcer in any capacity. Pure silence painted a haunting portrayal.

​

Melanie Giddings, the trainer on the left, has a deeply disturbing look as can be expected.

 

[GKJ]

I will inquire during the week if something isn't mentioned prior.

A friend, who owns at NYRA tracks and has been in the business for many years, said it was eerily quiet, unmatched in his memory, after the breakdown and he was nearby.

What Brendan Walsh did was glorious and hopefully he will be rewarded with a pristine afterlife. Tyler Gaffalione has a solid reputation and has for quite some time. They refused any sort of accolades in the immediate moments following. From watching the simulcast feed and not national TV, I not only didn't see that winners' circle moment, which now confirmed didn't transpire, but don't recall any acknowledgement from the track announcer in any capacity. Pure silence painted a haunting portrayal.

Melanie Giddings, the trainer on the left, has a deeply disturbing look as can be expected.

View attachment 734052

There’s only very select instances that are comparable. It’s a time-stands-still moment, you probably don’t know how to react because it’s such a shock.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, August 6, 2023

Saratoga (New York):

• Handle: Roughly $20 million.
• Races 7-9-10: Off the turf after jockeys voiced concern regarding track conditions. The decision affected the exotics mightily and the races were declared "all" for previously wagered betting options.
• Norm Casse has won three of six at this meet.
• Race 1: Ozara (Tyler Gaffalione/Christophe Clement) debuted to a turf win by a neck at 12-to-1. Seemed to be a massive overlay with not only an Irish-bred but also Clement who is a turf specialist.

​

• Race 2: Ways and Means (Flavien Prat/Chad Brown) debuted to a win in a race filled with first-timers. Klaravich Stables, the very successful NY-based owners.
• Race 5: Burgee (Tyler Gaffalione/Lacey Gaudet) won at 8-to-1. The Florida-gelding was under the trainer's care at Delaware and Laurel but lo and behold, responded on the big stage to win by a nose. From what I can find, it is the second lifetime win with 20 starters for the Maryland-based trainer. The horse was claimed by Lolita Shivmangal after the race.

​

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• Race 8: Brightwork (Irad Ortiz, Jr./John Ortiz) won $200,000 Grade 3 Adirondack Stakes. The trainer is 2-for-3 at Saratoga this meet. He trains at Oaklawn and in Kentucky much of the time.

Mountaineer (West Virginia):

• Race 8: Red Route One (Cristian Torres/Steve Asmussen), who ran in two of the Triple Crown races this year, won the $500,000 Grade 3 West Virginia Derby.

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• Race 7: Duke of Love (Luis Contreras/Joise Carroll) won the $200,000 Grade 3 West Virginia Governor's.

​

Arapahoe (Colorado):

• Race 8: Diabolical Clyde (Valente Vorrath/Alexander Orozco) was the longest shot of 10 but won the finale at 31-to-1.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Free live stream to Assiniboia Downs (MB): Home - Assiniboia Downs - Live Racing, Simulcast Racing, VLTs, Dining, Facility Rentals!

Assiniboia Downs card for tonight

Race	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
1	$10,100	Claiming	1 M	Dirt	6	7:30 PM CT
2	$50,000	Escape Clause S.	1 M	Dirt	5	8:00 PM CT
3	$16,500	Allowance Optional Claiming	7 1/2 F	Dirt	8	8:25 PM CT
4	$50,000	Harvey Warner Manitoba Mile S.	1 M	Dirt	7	8:50 PM CT
5	$14,800	Claiming	6 F	Dirt	9	9:15 PM CT
6	$18,500	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 F	Dirt	10	9:40 PM CT
7	$125,000	Manitoba Derby	1 1/8 M	Dirt	10	10:05 PM CT

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The 2-day Saratoga sale commenced today. There were two purchases of more than $1 million:

• a Quality Road colt went for $1.1 million
• a Curlin filly was sold for $1.05 million.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Betting on U.S. races is down by 3.5% this year compared to end-of-July totals for 2022. Hurt by the wildfires in Canada, U.S. races lost a significant amount of racing days in July when handle dropped 6.6%. Through July 31, $1,067,688,807 has been bet on U.S. racing.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Monday, August 7, 2023

Assiniboia Downs (Manitoba):

• Race 7: Mano Dura (Antonio Whitehall/Jerry Gourneau) won the 75th edition of the Manitoba Derby and the upset victory paid $32.80. Mano Dura is a 3-year-old son to Keen Ice who won the Travers Stakes in 2015 upsetting American Pharoah. Mano Dura was racing mainly in Texas, where he broke his maiden, but is now 2 2-0-0 at Assiniboia. Not a good showing for the Robertino Diodoro stable. The 1-to-5 favorite was caught in the stretch and the stablemate finished second-to-last at 5-to-1.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

NYRA has canceled Saratoga's steeplechase opener for Wednesday (tomorrow). Turf racing may be reduced mid-week depending on track conditions.

Updated: off the turf Wednesday.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Night 2 of the Saratoga sale saw rep Donato Lanni drop $4 million for the much publicized baby to Curlin and Beholder. Third highest price ever and biggest since 2000. Zedan Racing was identified as the owner which generally means Bob Baffert will train.

Eight horses sold tonight for $1 million or more.

While numbers are still tabulated, this will be the largest total spent at the Saratoga sales in its 102nd edition.

Separately, Bill Parcells supposedly has a horse named similarly to Maple Leaf Mel and will give it to trainer Melanie Giddings.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

New York is monitoring track conditions but with today already off the turf, tomorrow could see a similar fate.

By my count, 37 horses scratched at Saratoga today.

What a troublesome day with oddities. The first race was canceled in advance. The 5th race was canceled due to a tree striking a powerline which negated usage of all things electrical. Rainfall hit the area on Tuesday.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Colonial Downs' card for Saturday, August 12.

The business end of racing continues and as such the Secretariat, Beverly D. and Arlington Million, will be held at Colonial Downs (VA) as Arlington Park (IL) is unfortunately now history. The Secretariat in Virginia has a different vibe being the home state to one of sport's greatest athletes.

The Arlington Million was held in Illinois from its inception through 2021. It was run at Churchill Downs in 2022.

Race	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
1	$40,000	Starter Optional Claiming	5 1/2 F	Turf	9	1:30 PM ET
2	$60,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 M	Turf	9	2:00 PM ET
3	$60,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/8 M	Turf	8	2:30 PM ET
4	$60,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 M	Turf	8	3:00 PM ET
5	$70,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 1/8 M	Turf	12	3:30 PM ET
6	$80,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 1/16 M	Turf	8	4:00 PM ET
7	$100,000	Handicap	7 F	Dirt	6	4:35 PM ET
8	$500,000	Secretariat S.	1 M	Turf	8	5:10 PM ET
9	$500,000	Beverly D. S.	1 3/16 M	Turf	7	5:55 PM ET
10	$1,000,000	Arlington Million S.	1 1/4 M	Turf	11	6:40 PM ET
11	$70,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 1/16 M	Turf	12	7:10 PM ET

"Chicago's about to erupt." Who can forget the magnetic call. One of The Pizza Man's 17 lifetime wins. An Illinois legend.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Fourstardave Handicap highlights Saratoga (NY) on Saturday. Fourstardave ran exactly 100 times and won 21 races. The New York bred raced from New Hamsphire to Florida to California and even Hong Kong but NY was his home and he earned the nickname "The Sultan of Saratoga."

Race	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
1	$88,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 F	Dirt	8	1:10 PM ET
2	$136,500	Maiden Special Weight	5 1/2 F	Turf	13	1:42 PM ET
3	$70,000	Starter Allowance	1 M	Dirt	7	2:17 PM ET
4	$64,000	Claiming	6 1/2 F	Dirt	7	2:48 PM ET
5	$136,500	Maiden Special Weight	7 F	Dirt	8	3:20 PM ET
6	$88,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 F	Dirt	12	3:55 PM ET
7	$150,000	Galway S.	5 1/2 F	Turf	15	4:30 PM ET
8	$200,000	Herb Moelis Memorial Saratoga Special S.	6 1/2 F	Dirt	6	5:06 PM ET
9	$500,000	Fourstardave H.	1 M	Turf	7	5:44 PM ET
10	$70,000	Starter Allowance	1 M	Dirt	10	6:17 PM ET
11	$95,000	Allowance	1 1/16 M	Turf	12	6:50 PM ET

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Television this week:

Where to Watch/Listen: Horse Racing Coverage Aug. 9-13

This upcoming weekend, turf races take center stage on the road to the 40th annual Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

www.americasbestracing.net

The Fourstardave will be televised live on FOX during a three-hour “FOX Saratoga Saturday” program. That NYRA-produced show will be bookended Saturday by the popular “Saratoga Live,” which will also air from Wednesday, Aug. 9 to Sunday on either FS2 or FS1. Check the below schedule for channels and times.

In addition to the Saratoga coverage, a broadcast of the Jacques Le Marois at Deauville will air Sunday morning from 9:30 to 10 a.m. ET on FS1. Fox’s “America’s Day at the Races” will cover the Dan Patch Stakes, an important harness race, on FS2 Friday, Aug. 11 from Hoosier Park in Indiana.

​

Date	Program	Time	Network/Social Media
Aug. 10	"Saratoga Live"	1 p.m.-6:30 p.m.	FS2
Aug. 10	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	FanDuel TV
Aug. 10	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	Racetrack Television Network
Aug. 11	"Saratoga Live"	1 p.m.-7 p.m.	FS2
Aug. 11	"America's Day at the Races"	8 p.m.-11 p.m.	FS2
Aug. 11	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	FanDuel TV
Aug. 11	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	Racetrack Television Network
Aug. 12	"Saratoga Live" and "FOX Saratoga Saturday"	1 p.m.-3 p.m. on FS1, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. on FOX, 6 p.m.-7 p.m. on FS1	FOX and FS1
Aug. 12	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	FanDuel TV
Aug. 12	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	Racetrack Television Network
Aug. 13	Broadcast of the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois	9:30 a.m.-10 a.m.	FS1
Aug. 13	"Saratoga Live"	1 p.m.-6:30 p.m.	FS2
Aug. 13	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	FanDuel TV
Aug. 13	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	Racetrack Television Network

Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races this weekend:

8/12/2023	CNL	Beverly D. Stakes	I	1 3/16 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP	F & M	Filly & Mare Turf	Virginia
8/12/2023	Sar	The Fourstardave	I	1 Mile (T)	3 YO & UP		Mile	New York
8/13/2023	Dea	Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois	I	1 Mile (T)	3 YO & UP		Mile	France

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Not unexpected but Saratoga Is off the turf today (Thursday).

 

[GKJ]

Is the Arlington Million going to be on national TV?

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Is the Arlington Million going to be on national TV?

Not traditional network TV. FanDuel (formerly TVG) only at last check.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

FS1 will air racing from France starting at 9:30 am ET. The feature is a Breeders' Cup series race.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saratoga has 34 scratches today, from my count. Race 7 will be a match race. That makes 71 scratches the past two days and no turf racing since early Sunday. Subpar and tough meet so far for one of the most anticipated on the racing calendar.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Maryland is considering altering the Triple Crown schedule and landscape of the event. Unhappy with how many Kentucky Derby horses bolt, Maryland is looking into racing the Preakness four weeks after the Derby. Obviously, New York is unhappy. Makes me wonder if NY eventually is faced with a decision, could we see a Triple Crown on 4thh of July Weekend? Let the games begin.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Arizona
Arizona Downs (about 100 miles north of Phoenix) was the center of attention at state meetings involving the Gaming Commission to see the legitimacy of conducting a meet for 2023 beginning in November. Arizona Downs generally races this time of year but is struggling financially and opted not to race this summer. However, a plan to race in November and December has been addressed.

Turf Paradise has been the dominant track in the state but the property has been sold and there is speculation brewing regarding the future. The current owner opted not to pursue the traditional Fall racing dates due to the potential sale. The possible new owner has a Sept. 15 deadline whether he wants to pursue the deal. If not, Turf Paradise has at least one current interested horse racing entity in Louisiana Downs. All that said, Turf Paradise could run in January 2024 if the potential new owners opt to continue racing and that ownership is seeking only a partial redevelopment and there have been indications that racing could continue in some form.

Turf Paradise also operates 37 OTBs (many in restaurants and bars)

Rillito in Tuscon races during the winter months with a mix of T-breds and quarter horses.

The next meeting is September 14.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Saratoga (New York):

• Off-the-Turf: Again, a continuation from mid-card Sunday.
• Scratches: 34. That makes 71 scratches the past two days.
• Race 7: Reduced to a field of two with the victor winning by more than 22 lengths.. The match race was between the 1A and 3.
• Tyler Gaffalione rode three winners with just five rides. He has won 8 of his past 19 rides. He is fourth at the meet in victories and only the Ortiz brothers have a higher winning percentage among riders with two or more wins.
• Manny Franco rode three winners. He has won 6 of his past 14 rides.
• Jose Ortiz returns from suspension August 12.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. returns from suspension August 12.
• Leading Trainers: Chad Brown (18), Linda Rice (18) and Todd Pletcher (16).
• Tough Numbers: Hall of Famers Mark Casse (2-for-26) and Shug McGaughey (1-for-20) are among those with difficult meets. Casse's son Norm is 3-for-6.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saratoga will resume partial turf races today but 10 and 11 are off.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday, August 12, 2023

Saratoga (New York):

• Race 8: Carl Spackler (Tyler Gaffalione/Chad Brown) was sent off the favorite and won the Grade 2 $500,000 Hall of Fame Stakes. The $500,000 Irish-bred has won two of four career starts.
• Tyler Gaffalione rode winners with his final three mounts, his second straight 3-win day. He has won 7 of his past 13 rides and has now moved into third place among this meet's leading riders.
• Chad Brown had a 4-win day and won four of the five races he entered.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Sheldon Russell rode winners with his first three mounts. He settled for a 7 3-1-1 day.

Ellis (Kentucky):

• Race 9: Foxtrotanna (Ferrin Petersen/Justin Wojczynski) won at odds off 111-to-1 and paid what could very well be the largest price i nNorth America this year, $225.50.

​

Del Mar (California):

• Juan Hernandez had a 4-bagger and hit the board with every mount. He finished 8 4-1-3.
• Kent Desormeaux rode three winners among four rides. The Hall of Famer is putting up good numbers this year after a troublesome recent past. He had just six wins all of last year.