Horse Racing: Santa Anita opens Dec. 26

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

since this year's edition of the breeders cup is being held in del mar i decided to check out all the races from 2017. irad ortiz wins with a horse that pays $130. instead of breaking his maiden at a msw race good magic does that by winning the juvenile. lots of good horses running and getting tired real early, seemingly like they didn't even train at all leading up to their races. or could be due to already long arduous campaigns and/or not taking to the track surface. wild stuff,

I had Good Magic that race. I played him in the Champagne but he placed in that loss. I stuck with him and he paid a handsome price in the BC. That event is ridiculously difficult especially when the Euros ship for turf.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

It seems Belmont (NY) is scheduled to begin its 2026 Fall meet on September 11, 2026. A Breeders' Cup bid to host in 2026 is in the plans. Saratoga hosting the 2026 Belmont Stakes is possible but the goal is for a return to Belmont. Construction in the property is ongoing.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Keeneland did over $49.6 million on opening weekend, its second highest figure ever to open a fall meet behind $49.9m in 2022.

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

johnny v just popped another longshot for the same trainer over at keeneland. sighhh...

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

johnny v just popped another longshot for the same trainer over at keeneland. sighhh...

Victoria Oliver.

33-1 on Thursday. Those might be his only two rides for her at the meet and both were MSW winners. Her family is regal, daddy at one point was part owner in the baseball Cardinals and has an extensive lineage to racing and other endeavors.

A buddy, as Saratoga as the next racing enthusiast, went to Keeneland this past week for the first time. Not one spoken to hyperbole, he was mesmerized by every detail of the facility. He even made it to Frank & Dinos, Carlo Vaccarezza's restaurant. Lexington, KY is the heart of horse racing.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thursday, October 10, 2024

• Tampa Bay Downs: Initial reports that the track received minor damage and mostly on the backside related to the Hurricane. Racing surfaces escaped without any concerns. The track is closed to racing this time of year but other than some flooding issues, nothing extensive.

Belmont at Aqueduct (New York):

• Race 8: Three-across-the wire and the winner helped produce a $153,000 $1 Pick 6.

Keeneland (Kentucky):

• Big Boys Excel: Flavien Prat (races 8-9-10) and Tyler Gaffalione (races 4-5-6) both had natural hat tricks and Luis Saez (1-2) all had multiple winners. John Velazquez and Jose Ortiz rode the other winners.
• John Velazquez has two winners at the meet (23 rides): 10-to-1 and 33-to-1 and both were MSW races for Victoria Oliver. She also has two wins at the meet though with only seven starters.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

That's the way to start the weekend. A 45-1 shot in Laurel's opener, the lone first-time starter in the race.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Belmont canceled due to chemical odors emanating from a roof job....or so I have been told.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday, October 11

Keeneland (Kentucky):

• Tyler Gaffalione rode four winners. He could be one of the three Eclipse Award finalists for Jockey of the Year.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Glorious weather in Maryland today.

10-to-1 morning line bet down to the 3-to-1 favorite closed to win at Laurel. Track looks good. Weather ideal in Maryland. One of the state's biggest events.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Belmont at Aqueduct (New York):

• Racing: After yesterday's card was canceled due to an odor emanating from a maintenance job on the roof where racing officials are stationed, today was a return to normal.
• Race 5: Spaliday (Manny Franco/Chad Brown) won the $200,000 Grade 2 Sands Point by a neck.

​

Monmouth at Meadowlands (New Jersey):

• Night Card: The brief annual meet at Meadowlands had six races.
• Lane Luzzi, riding two favorites, and Francisco Martinez at 38-to-1 and 6-to-1, both had two winning rides.

Charles Town (West Virginia):

• Card: 10 races featuring West Virginia breeding.
• Handle: $3.1 million.
• Arnaldo Bocachica rode five winners including four for Jeff Runco.
• Jeff Runco, who sent out 14 horses, and Cynthia McKee, who sent out six horses and had four straight winners, each trained four winners.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Card: Maryland Millions Day. Twelve races which featured eight stakes and four handicaps. Eight races held purses of $100,000+.
• Weather: Near ideal.
• Handle: $4.65 million.
• Wealth Spread: 12 jockeys and 11 trainers won races.
• Hamilton Smith was the lone trainer with multiple wins. The well-respected Smith hails from South Carolina. His first lifetime victory came in 1977 at Suffolk Downs (MA).
• Replay Show:

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• Race 12: Clubman (Ismario Villalobos/Joanne Shankle) won the finale by a neck at 13-to-1. The venerable 10-year-old Maryland-bred is 84 19-10-14 with over $700,000 earned lifetime. This is a fighter. The $1 super paid over $159,000 with one bettor cashing in a $.10 minimum bet for $15k.

​

• Race 11: Brilliant Ice (Jeiron Barbosa/Annette Eubanks) won the $153,000 Maryland Million Classic Stakes by more than five lengths at 5-to-1.

​

• Race 9: Bosserati (Sheldon Russell/Brittany Russell), the lone filly in the race, wired the field at 5-to-1 to win the $102,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint Stakes by a neck. She entered off six straight losses and last won 16 months ago.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1845200329203384736

Keeneland (Kentucky):

• Race 8: She Feels Pretty (John Velazquez/Cherie DeVaux), sent off the favorite, won the $750,000 Grade I QEII Cup by more than eight lengths.

​

• Tyler Gaffalione went 13 7-1-0 the past two days.

Santa Anita (California):

• Juan Hernandez-Bob Baffert combined for a perfect 3 3-0-0 day. Baffert finished a perfect day 3-for-3.
• Race 6: Howin (Juan Hernandez/Bob Baffert), a $550,000 Gun Runner filly, kicked clear in the stretch and dominated her debut by more than three lengths in a mile effort that caught these eyes.

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• Race 8: Mirahmadi (Juan Hernandez/Bob Baffert), a pricey $1.05 million Into Mischief colt, finally broke his maiden in his ninth try.

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Fraser Aebly won two stakes contributing to a massive double. He has slightly more than 120 wins in a career that began in 2022 at Hastings (BC).
• Race 8: A Game (Fraser Aebly/Josie Carroll), the longest shot at 48-to-1, won the Ontario Fashion Stakes by a head. The $1 double paid over $500.

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• Race 7: Ecstasy (Fraser Aebly/Sid Attard) won the Ontario Damsel Stakes.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, October 13, 2024

Belmont at Aqueduct (New York):

• Handle: $7.6 million.
• Dylan Davis rode four winners leading to the track caller saying "Dylan Davis is on fire." Davis is 15 6-3-0 the past two days combined.
• Race 1: Fully Subscribed (Dylan Davis/Chad Brown) won the opener in a nice debut performance. The 2-year-old Tiz the Law filly is owned by the exceptional Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables. and was purchased for $300,000.
• Race 3: Andthewinner is (Dylan Davis/Chad Brown) won the $175,000 Grade 3 Knickerbocker Stakes. The inexpensive purchase of $67,000 has now earned owner Susan Moulton over $500,000. Andthewinneris, astutely named as an Oscar Performance offspring, last won in January 2023 at Sam Houston (TX) under the direction of Wayne Catalano. The 4-year-old gelding is a multiple graded stakes winner (Keeneland also). Brown finished 1-2 in the race as his favorite placed.

Keeneland (Kentucky):

• Power Outage: A lengthy delay caused by a power outage at the track in the late afternoon.
• Race 1: Good Temper (Irad Ortiz, Jr./William Walden) gave the jockey his 4,000th career winner. Ortiz should be a lock to make the Hall of Fame whenever he becomes eligible. Per Bloodhorse: A five-time Eclipse Award winner for Outstanding Jockey, Ortiz has led all jockeys by wins each year since 2017 and by earnings from 2018-20 and 2022-23. He currently leads in both categories this season.
• Race 8: Future Is Now (Paco Lopez/Michael Trombetta) won the $350,000 Grade 2 Franklin stakes at 6-to-1. Star of Mystery (Flavien Prat/Charlie Appleby) was sent off the 4-to-5 favorite but a slow start was too much to overcome in a place finish. Future is Now completed the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:01.47, the fastest on the 28 years this race has been held. Future Is Now won for the seventh time in 14 starts including four wins in her past five races. She was bred in Maryland and is now a multiple graded stakes winner.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1845585716895420802

Santa Anita (California):

• Race 2: In a MSW field of five, Bob Baffert finished fourth and fifth with his two runners. An oddity for sure.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

October 19 at Keeneland:

Emery Heads Field of 10 for Lexus Raven Run | Keeneland

Racing

www.keeneland.com

The field for the Lexus Raven Run, with trainers, riders and weights from the rail out, is:

Post	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Weight
1	Fibber	Chris Hartman	Rafael Bejarano	118 pounds
2	Miuccia	Gustavo Delgado	Irad Ortiz Jr.	118
3	My Mane Squeeze	Mike Maker	Luis Saez	120
4	Twirling Queen	Jose Francisco D’Angelo	Francisco Arrieta	118
5	Emery	Brad Cox	Tyler Gaffalione	118
6	V V’s Dream	Kenny McPeek	Brian Hernandez Jr.	118
7	Mink’s Palace	Eddie Kenneally	Jose Ortiz	118
8	Uno Le	Roddina Barrett	Gerardo Corrales	118
9	Riperton	Paulo Lobo	Cristian Torres	118
10	Haulin Ice	Saffie Joseph Jr.	Luan Machado	118

Race	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
1	$79,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 F	Dirt	10	1:00 PM ET
2	$57,000	Claiming	6 F	Dirt	9	1:32 PM ET
3	$100,000	Maiden Special Weight	5 1/2 F	Turf	16	2:04 PM ET
4	$110,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 1/16 M	Dirt	7	2:36 PM ET
5	$77,000	Maiden Claiming	6 F	Dirt	10	3:08 PM ET
6	$120,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 1/2 F	Dirt	10	3:40 PM ET
7	$300,000	Perryville S.	7 F	Dirt	14	4:12 PM ET
8	$130,000	Allowance	1 1/16 M	Turf	13	4:44 PM ET
9	$350,000	Lexus Raven Run S.	7 F	Dirt	10	5:16 PM ET
10	$100,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 M	Turf	16	5:48 PM ET

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

watch the last race of keeneland today. that jock is a total scumbag. i'm not complaining as i booked the winner. just a prime example of shenanigans in effect.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

watch the last race of keeneland today. that jock is a total scumbag. i'm not complaining as i booked the winner. just a prime example of shenanigans in effect.

You ought to love him!!

The jockey on the 9 either had a Bill Shoemaker Moment (misjudged the wire) or just was flat out wrong for easing the horse as early as he did. I wouldn't suspect anything dishonest about his mistake. It's been a while, but I've seen several jockeys misjudge the finish or length of the race when it's been a marathon (1 3/4 miles or more). I'd put the jockey on the 9 in that group.

Much credit to the track announcer for how he reported it. He didn't give a "heads up" to the jockey on the 9 that the 7 was reeling him in.

I decided not to play the twinspires Keeneland contest today. There's got to be at least one very happy person and another equally disgusted by what happened! I know I'd be quite distraught had I had bets on the 9.

MSE can post replays and I hope he puts this one up.

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

You ought to love him!!

The jockey on the 9 either had a Bill Shoemaker Moment (misjudged the wire) or just was flat out wrong for easing the horse as early as he did. I wouldn't suspect anything dishonest about his mistake. It's been a while, but I've seen several jockeys misjudge the finish or length of the race when it's been a marathon (1 3/4 miles or more). I'd put the jockey on the 9 in that group.

Much credit to the track announcer for how he reported it. He didn't give a "heads up" to the jockey on the 9 that the 7 was reeling him in.

I decided not to play the twinspires Keeneland contest today. There's got to be at least one very happy person and another equally disgusted by what happened! I know I'd be quite distraught had I had bets on the 9.

MSE can post replays and I hope he puts this one up.

machado is the jock i'm referring to.

here's the thing with him though-i want to like the guy. he's imho a top 10-15 rider in this country. he has real skills. but he's also been costing me money for quite a while now. if i play him to win he gets second by either getting caught or closing to late at the wire. if i have him in an exacta he comes in third. and so on.

but that shit he pulled today was just bad. you cannot possibly be that naive to think that he misjudged the wire, he's been riding on that track for quite some time now. if it was his first time at a track say located in japan or then yeah i'd buy that misjudgement story. and graham on the 7 was putting max effort while machado's hands were motionless while standing somewhat upright.

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

keeneland is one of the toughest tracks to spot a longshot that has hidden form and a modicum of ability from a racing form. and then i have to guess whether if the connections of that mount are going to try or not.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

but that shit he pulled today was just bad. you cannot possibly be that naive to think that he misjudged the wire, he's been riding on that track for quite some time now. if it was his first time at a track say located in japan or then yeah i'd buy that misjudgement story. and graham on the 7 was putting max effort while machado's hands were motionless while standing somewhat upright.

I'll respectfully disagree with you on this.

There was a top jockey name Lori Wydick at the old Belterra track (River Downs). There was a 2 1/4 mile (over two laps) and when she entered the homestretch for the 2nd time she started really working her horse. She crossed the finish line probably 25 lengths ahead of the other horses and eased her mount. The other horses then passed her . She realized what she had done and frantically tried to get back into the race. It didn't happen. Wydick was very familiar with River Downs.

The most infamous misjudgement of the finish line occurred in the 1957 Ky Derby. Shoemaker was very familiar with Churchill Downs.

May 4, 1957

Willie Shoemaker mistakes the finish line, costing Gallant Man the victory in the Kentucky Derby. Iron Liege wins the race.

www.espn.com

I am certain the Machado made an inadvertent mistake. If he were cheating, it wouldn't have been as obvious as his easing the horse in the final 1/16th was.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

A former owner of horses texted me immediately
following the race and let loose. I watched the replay and felt that he misjudged the finish line without any diabolical intent but that was as a viewer and without the attachment of anything financial. But a jockey is supposed to know and his error is inexcusable.

Machado received a $2500 fine and a 3-day suspension.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

^ I remember when Kent Desormeaux went to Japan and misjudged the finish line. It was one of the biggest races in the world at the time, early 90s.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

A former owner of horses texted me immediately
following the race and let loose. I watched the replay and felt that he misjudged the finish line without any diabolical intent but that was as a viewer and without the attachment of anything financial. But a jockey is supposed to know and his error is inexcusable.

Machado received a $2500 fine and a 3-day suspension.

I have no idea of what Machado's past looks like, but in any case, the stewards probably felt obligated to give him some days in order to show that the integrity of the game cannot be threatned-even by a mistake.

FWIW, from a handicapping/betting perspective, I'm not concerned with cheating. It's not that I condone it, but I figure that in the long run, I'll unknowingly benefit from it as often as it hurts my betting interests.

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

and what else makes me sick about that race was i was torn between choosing the 9 and the 10 to box in an exacta with the 7. because of my misfortunes from betting on machado lately i went with the 10. the 10 got 3rd.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

This event in New Jersey is stunning. Annual steeplechase event airing on FS2. Horse country and... something else! Festive atmosphere.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Anyone looking for an addition to their sports or racing Bucket List needs to head to this event in Jersey.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Snap Decision, a U.S. bred and just one of two in the race, wins the $250,000 Grand National at Far Hills (NJ). Three-across-the-wire., too.

Chalky exacta with a 5-2 and 2-1 topping the ticket paid what I thought was high at $44.40.

The 2-1 paid $8.00 in the middle. Wow.

Excellent crowd. Great atmosphere.