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

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Monday, July 1, 2024

• Happy Dominion Day: Canada.

Assiniboia Downs (Manitoba):

• Races 6 and 7: Canceled due to weather.

Hastings (British Columbia):

• Race 5: Matsqui (Brian Boodramsingh/Mark Freeman) was the longest shot on the board but won the co-feature race and a $50,000 purse on Dominion Day. The favorite finished last. The first four races were won by favorites. Welcome to horse racing.
• Race 6: At Attention (Antonio Reyes/Barbara Heads) won the $50,000 Lt. Governors' Handicap by a nose.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

A couple of circuit notes:

• New York: NYRA announced today that once Belmont is completed, perhaps for the 2026-27 racing season, all winter racing will be conducted on synthetic. That means no dirt or, as the norm, no turf racing for approximately three months in New York. Perhaps Woodbine shippers may head to New York in addition to Florida.
• Mid-Atlantic: There is chatter than a circuit could be forming with mid-Atlantic tracks since Maryland will eventually reduce racing dates. Depending on the time of the year, New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia could be part of the mix. Delaware could use a boost in purses.

 

[GKJ]

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

could Alberquerque end up finishing the Ruidoso Downs meet?

BloodHorse: Thoroughbred Horse Racing, Breeding, and Sales News, Data, Analysis, Photos, and Videos - BloodHorse

News and Analysis on Thoroughbred Horse Racing, Breeding, and Sales.

www.bloodhorse.com

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday: Prairie Meadows' (IA) signature card in the state of Iowa.

Race	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
1	$14,500	Allowance	330 Y	Dirt	7	6:00 PM CT
2	$80,685	Hawkeye Futurity	330 Y	Dirt	10	6:25 PM CT
3	$213,400	Prairie Meadows Gold Futurity	350 Y	Dirt	10	6:50 PM CT
4	$29,000	Starter Allowance	1 M 70 Y	Dirt	6	7:16 PM CT
5	$44,540	Maiden Special Weight	4 1/2 F	Dirt	9	7:42 PM CT
6	$100,000	Prairie Gold Juvenile S.	5 1/2 F	Dirt	6	8:10 PM CT
7	$225,000	Iowa Oaks	1 1/16 M	Dirt	6	8:39 PM CT
8	$250,000	Iowa Derby	1 1/16 M	Dirt	11	9:08 PM CT
9	$300,000	Prairie Meadows Cornhusker H.	1 1/8 M	Dirt	11	9:37 PM CT
10	$34,500	Maiden Special Weight	6 F	Dirt	7	10:04 PM CT
11	$47,122	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 F	Dirt	8	10:30 PM CT

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Woodbine TV Update: SN/CityTV;

BloodHorse: Thoroughbred Horse Racing, Breeding, and Sales News, Data, Analysis, Photos, and Videos - BloodHorse

News and Analysis on Thoroughbred Horse Racing, Breeding, and Sales.

www.bloodhorse.com

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Ruidoso;

Quarter horse season resumes tomorrow; Thoroughbred meet shelved until at least Monday;

Daily Racing Form | Horse Racing - Bets, Entries, Results & PPs

Find all the latest horse racing coverage at Daily Racing Form, including bets, entries, results, and Past Performances (PPs). Visit DRF for expert insights!

www.drf.com

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Delaware has split their signature cards on two days this weekend.

Saturday:

Race	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
1	$15,500	Claiming	1 M	Dirt	7	12:30 PM ET
2	$19,500	Claiming	1 M	Turf	14	1:02 PM ET
3	$29,000	Starter Optional Claiming	6 F	Dirt	9	1:34 PM ET
4	$41,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 M 70 Y	Turf	10	2:06 PM ET
5	$41,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 F	Dirt	6	2:38 PM ET
6	$150,000	Christiana S.	1 1/8 M	Turf	10	3:10 PM ET
7	$125,000	Alapocas Run S.	6 F	Dirt	9	3:42 PM ET
8	$150,000	Kent S.	1 3/8 M	Turf	12	4:14 PM ET
9	$300,000	Delaware Oaks	1 1/16 M	Dirt	7	4:46 PM ET
10	$40,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 M	Turf	9	5:18 PM ET

Sunday:

Race	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
1	$22,000	Maiden Claiming	6 F	Dirt	7	12:30 PM ET
2	$42,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 F	Dirt	8	1:00 PM ET
3	$42,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 1/16 M	Turf	8	1:30 PM ET
4	$11,000	Maiden Claiming	6 F	Dirt	12	2:00 PM ET
5	$19,500	Claiming	1 M	Turf	14	2:30 PM ET
6	$175,000	Battery Park S.	1 1/16 M	Dirt	8	3:00 PM ET
7	$125,000	Dashing Beauty S.	6 F	Dirt	9	3:30 PM ET
8	$250,000	Robert G. Dick Memorial S.	1 3/8 M	Turf	9	4:00 PM ET
9	$500,000	Delaware H.	1 3/16 M	Dirt	8	4:30 PM ET
10	$11,000	Maiden Claiming	6 F	Dirt	7	5:00 PM ET

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

• Steve Asmussen is sending out 47 horses Friday through Sunday.
• David Hofmans has passed. The California-based trainer had been active since the 1970s and won a race as recently as June. Perhaps his biggest win if not most exciting was with Touch Gold in the 1997 Belmont Stakes denying Silver Charm, who won memorable editions of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, the Triple Crown in what was inarguably one of the most thrilling TC seasons ever.

​

​

And of course with Alphabet Soup at 20-to-1 (IIRC) "...a shocking upset...Cigar has been denied..."​

​

​

Belterra (Ohio):

• Race 1: Sweet Mobiltee (Perry Ouzts/Larry Smith) gave the soon-to-be 70-year-old jockey his 7,447th career win. Sentimental bets are allowed occasionally and Ouzts rides twice on July 6; he turns 70 the next day. Hunch bets await.

Horseshoe Indiana (Indiana):

• Race 8: The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $41,000. Indiana pays out. Not to be overlooked, a decent track especially mid-week.
• Handle: $3.1 million.

Canterbury (Minnesota):

• Kelsi Harr rode winners in the opener and finale.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

A reminder that following Sunday's card, Aqueduct/Belmont goes dark until September. Saratoga's summer meet, arguably America's most popular, starts July 11.

TV schedule this week:

​

Date	Program	Time	Network/Social Media
July 4	"America's Day at the Races"	1 p.m.-5:30 p.m.	FS2
July 4	Live coverage of horse racing including opening day at Ellis Park	post time varies	FanDuel TV
July 4	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	Racetrack Television Network
July 5	"America's Day at the Races"	1 p.m.-5:30 p.m.	FS2
July 5	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	FanDuel TV
July 5	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	Racetrack Television Network
July 6	"America's Day at the Races"	12:30 p.m.-7 p.m.	FS2
July 6	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	FanDuel TV
July 6	Coverage of harness racing: Meadowlands Pace eliminations	8 p.m.-11 p.m.	FS2
July 6	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	Racetrack Television Network
July 7	"America's Day at the Races" including closing day at Belmont at the Big A	12:30 p.m.-1 p.m. on FS2, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. on FS1, 5 p.m.-6 p.m. on FS2	FS2 and FS1
July 7	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	FanDuel TV
July 7	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	Racetrack Television Network

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

impasse between Fan Duel and NYRA..... NO NYRA Tracks will be allowed to be bet from the Fanduel site

Aqueduct

Aqueduct | The New York Racing Association

www.nyra.com

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

impasse between Fan Duel and NYRA..... NO NYRA Tracks will be allowed to be bet from the Fanduel site

Aqueduct

Aqueduct | The New York Racing Association

www.nyra.com

Lock both sides in a room and no one leaves until a settlement. This hurts handles.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Ugly weather in the Midwest.

Indiana canceled its pre-big racing day due to torrential rain. It was noticeably heavy at one point. Hopefully the wetness is alleviated by tomorrow.

Lightning delay in Minnesota.

Belterra is sloppy but operating.

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

prat bags 5 winner at the big a

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thursday, July 4, 2024

• Happy Independence Day

Belmont at Aqueduct (New York):

• NYRA vs. FanDuel:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808849427097858074

​

4NJbets (New Jersey) will continue to have NYRA content.​

• Flavien Prat rode five winners en route to a superb 8 5-2-1 afternoon. It is the second straight year he rode five winners on July 4.
• Race 8: Emery (Tyler Gaffalione/Brad Cox) was the recipient of a perfectly timed finish to win the Grade 3 $175,000 Victory Ride Stakes.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808966730091319704

• Race 4: Headline Numbers (Flavien Prat/Chad Brown), the lone first-timer, romped as the favorite by more than 11 lengths. Owned by the impeccable Klaravich Stables, purchased for $325,000.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808935318860566708

• Irad Ortiz, Jr. seemed uninspired today, a rarity. Similar comments on X. He finished 8 1-4-2 but even with chalk struggled to deliver. Five times he had the favorite but won just once.
• Joel Rosario was off his mounts due to flight issues emanating from his home in Dominica.

Charles Town (West Virginia):

• Race 6: Direct the Cat (Reshawn Latchman/Cynthia McKee) won for the sixth straight time. The West Virginia bred lost his first two outings but has not tasted defeat since and that includes his most recent win by more than 15 lengths.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1809053614842724435

Horseshoe Indianapolis (Indiana):

• Canceled: Heavy rain.

Ellie Park (Kentucky):

• Opening Day: Kentucky's main track until Kentucky Downs opens in late August.
• Trainers: Nine different trainers won on the 9-race card.
• Steve Asmussen was winless with nine starters.

Lone Star (Texas):

• Steve Asmussen finished 10 4-2-1. Three of his four winners were ridden by son Erik.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Thursday, July 4, 2024

• Happy Independence Day

Belmont at Aqueduct (New York):

• NYRA vs. FanDuel:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808849427097858074

​

4NJbets (New Jersey) will continue to have NYRA content.​

• Flavien Prat rode five winners en route to a superb 8 5-2-1 afternoon.
• Race 8: Emery (Tyler Gaffalione/Brad Cox) was the recipient of a perfectly timed finish to win the Grade 3 $175,000 Victory Ride Stakes.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808966730091319704

• Race 4: Headline Numbers (Flavien Prat/Chad Brown), the lone first-timer, romped as the favorite by more than 11 lengths. Owned by the impeccable Klaravich Stables, purchased for $325,000.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808935318860566708

• Irad Ortiz, Jr. seemed uninspired today, a rarity. Similar comments on X. He finished 8 1-4-2 but even with chalk struggled to deliver. Five times he had the favorite but won just once.
• Joel Rosario was off his mounts due to flight issues emanating from his home in Dominica.

Horseshoe Indianapolis (IN):

• Canceled: Heavy rain.

Ellie Park (Kentucky):

• Opening Day: Kentucky's main track until Kentucky Downs opens in late August.
• Trainers: Nine different trainers won on the 9-race card.
• Steve Asmussen was winless with nine starters.

Ellis Park closed to fans/bettors on opening day due to grandstand/maintenance issues.... not sure if that's just opening day or the entire meet

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Maine Sire Stakes update 7/4 from Bangor; season resumes 7/5 @ Cumberland

Maine Standardbred Breeders & Owners Assoc. – Maine Sire Stakes

www.mainesirestakes.com

Friday Cumberland preview:

First Tracks Cumberland – Maine Harness Racing

www.firsttrackscumberland.com

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Ellis Park closed to fans/bettors on opening day due to grandstand/maintenance issues.... not sure if that's just opening day or the entire meet

A power outage reduced the water supply. The closure was temporary; update, fans permitted today.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Over $1 billion bet on US racing in June, up 10% from 2023. Total in 2024 is $5.96 billion which is down about $1 million from 2023. As stated in May, unless the weather unravels and other concerns develop such as the fires of 2023, the gap should be removed during these summer months.

June 2024 vs. June 2023
Indicator	June 2024​	June 2023​	% Change​
Wagering on U.S. Races*	$1,030,704,162​	$934,408,369​	+10.31%​
U.S. Purses (Available)	$121,722,557​	$110,972,021​	+9.69%​
U.S. Purses (Paid)	$117,249,923​	$107,235,242​	+9.34%​
U.S. Race Days	408​	388​	+5.15%​
U.S. Races	3,207​	3,060​	+4.80%​
U.S. Starts	23,022​	21,511​	+7.02%​
Average Field Size	7.18​	7.03​	+2.12%​
Average Wagering Per Race Day	$2,526,236​	$2,408,269​	+4.90%​
Average Available Purses Per Race Day	$298,340​	$276,379​	+7.95%​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Ruidoso is in the midst of steady rainfall. Sloppy track conditions. Been a tough few days in New Mexico.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Ruidoso is in the midst of steady rainfall. Sloppy track conditions. Been a tough few days in New Mexico.

Quarter Horse not the Thoroughbreds....

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday, July 5, 2024

• Indiana: Weather appears to be glorious, unlike the past two days, for tomorrow's deep card.

Belmont at Aqueduct (New York):

• Race 8: Next (Luan Machado/William Cowans) destroyed the field by more than nine lengths in near-record time to win the Grade 2 $200,000 Brooklyn Stakes. The 6-year-old has over $1.1 million in earnings. He has won six of his past seven starts and boasts an impressive 21 11-0-1 record. Neither Machado nor Cowans has never had a graded stakes winner outside of Next. The well-traveled Next has raced at 11 tracks including the five majors in Kentucky and the three NYRA ovals -- and has won at seven facilities including a nifty 4 3-0-0 mark at NYRA.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1809328676175245613

​

https://x.com/i/web/status/1809329041490530746

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Opening day at Saratoga (Thursday, July 11)

Race	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
1	$50,000	Claiming	1 1/8 M	Dirt	11	1:10 PM ET
2	$115,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 3/8 M	Turf	10	1:42 PM ET
3	$45,000	Maiden Claiming	6 F	Dirt	12	2:15 PM ET
4	$120,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	5 1/2 F	Turf	10	2:48 PM ET
5	$90,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 F	Dirt	10	3:21 PM ET
6	$80,000	Maiden Special Weight	5 1/2 F	Dirt	16	3:53 PM ET
7	$100,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	5 1/2 F	Turf	13	4:28 PM ET
8	$70,000	Starter Optional Claiming	1 1/16 M	Turf	14	5:05 PM ET
9	$120,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 1/8 M	Dirt	11	5:42 PM ET
10	$175,000	Schuylerville S.	6 F	Dirt	11	6:16 PM ET
11	$55,000	Maiden Claiming	1 1/16 M	Turf	16	6:49 PM ET

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Colonial Downs (VA) also opens July 11:

Race	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
1	$50,000	Maiden Special Weight	2 1/4 M	Hurdle	13	11:45 AM ET
2	$55,000	Allowance	2 1/4 M	Hurdle	7	12:20 PM ET
3	$50,000	Maiden Special Weight	2 1/4 M	Hurdle	9	12:55 PM ET
4	$45,000	Maiden Claiming	6 F	Dirt	10	1:30 PM ET
5	$75,000	Maiden Special Weight	5 F	Turf	7	2:02 PM ET
6	$32,000	Maiden Claiming	1 1/16 M	Turf	14	2:36 PM ET
7	$75,000	Maiden Special Weight	5 F	Turf	7	3:08 PM ET
8	$70,000	Allowance	5 1/2 F	Turf	13	3:40 PM ET
9	$70,000	Allowance	1 1/16 M	Turf	12	4:13 PM ET
10	$40,000	Claiming	5 1/2 F	Turf	12	4:43 PM ET
11	$25,000	Claiming	1 1/8 M	Turf	12	5:15 PM ET
12	$60,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 M	Turf	9	5:47 PM ET

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Delaware canceled its card today. It is part of the track's biggest weekend of the year. Weather-related.