Horse Racing: The end of 2022

[Marco 85]

Do you think the burden falls entirely or Churchill at FG and the home track?

Do you think Tampa Bay could reap the rewards if FG closes until Feb or will some head west and take advantage of the racing there? Gulfstream is an option, too.

I can’t really blame Churchill for what occurred at Fairgrounds.
From what I’ve read. It really wasn’t anyone’s fault but nature.
I‘m just hating on Churchill. Who seems to be hurting the
industry the past few years instead of leading it.

I guess it all depends on the stable and quality of horse
to see where some horses wind up.
I think Turfway will also be in the mix if
they want to go the synthetic route.

I have one horse under Steve Margolis’ care.
That I’m waiting on to see where he winds up.
Still working at Fairgrounds.
Pretty certain he won’t run on the dirt.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thursday, December 8, 2022

Aqueduct (New York):

• Linda Rice had a successful day going 5 3-2-0. She has been training for 35 years (roughly) but I don't recall her most recent 3-win day.
• Kendrick Carmouche, twice riding for Linda Rice in a perfect 2-for-2 partnership, Manny Franco and Jose Lezcano all won two consecutive races.
• William Younghans doesn't send out too many horses. His yearly high is three wins. He won for the second time in 2022, today.

​

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Jockeys: Among the riders at Gulf today were Jose Ortiz, Luis Saez, Shaun Bridgmohan and Junior Alvarado.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

I can’t really blame Churchill for what occurred at Fairgrounds.
From what I’ve read. It really wasn’t anyone’s fault but nature.
I‘m just hating on Churchill. Who seems to be hurting the
industry the past few years instead of leading it.

I guess it all depends on the stable and quality of horse
to see where some horses wind up.
I think Turfway will also be in the mix if
they want to go the synthetic route.

I have one horse under Steve Margolis’ care.
That I’m waiting on to see where he winds up.
Still working at Fairgrounds.
Pretty certain he won’t run on the dirt.

That is an informative response. Good luck with your horse. There are other horse owners who peruse this site but mostly to read.

CD has received much criticism from various avenues in recent years. Selling Arlington and Calder was diabolical from the fan's perspective even if economic trends and real estate value is utmost. Emotionally, Arlington should be active and booming. Then again, emotion is of little value in these matters.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Friday card underway @ First Tracks Cumberland Raceway (11 AM post); however, SOME of the areas around the track were flooded due to the recent rain

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday. December 9. 2022

Aqueduct (New York):

• Handle: $6 million.
• Race 5: Rin's Angel (Jose Lezcano/Linda Rice) went last-to-first t win. The 3-year-old was out for the11th time but first with the trainer. Linda Rice has a hot barn with five wins the past two days. She is 9 5-3-0 the past two days. She seems to have been dropping down her horses and perhaps that is the competitive edge but a win is a win.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Brittany Russell sent out two horses and both returned winners. My high expectations with second-time starter Circling the Drain was met. She actually touted her own success with the "late double" remark on Twitter. Too bad we don't see stories on the so-called national sports shows that could highlight her dynamic story. One of the winners today was ridden by her husband who has had more injuries than almost any other rider. The latter winner, ridden by Feargal Lynch, looks prime for bigger things. I have mentioned her often and even recently her horses are getting attention for the Kentucky Derby (three distant contenders on one list). While that may be an unattainable goal (some of the most gifted haven't sniffed a Derby), she nonetheless is a busy mother of two, a conditioned trainer since 2018 who learned from the likes of Brad Cox and is putting up staggering numbers including 25 wins (eight more than second place) at this meet.

​

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Luis Saez had a natural hat trick in his 3-win day. Certainly one of the best riders in North America, he could be an option as a nominee for Jockey of the Year though is likely not going to finish in the top two vote.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Opening Day: And as is the norm for the early part of this week, bombs took the show.
• Handle: About $5.5 million.
• Stakes: A record 45 stakes races scheduled to be run during the 2022-2023 Oaklawn meet that ends May 6.
• Kylee Jordan. Well now, she brought home her own double and it was a doozie. At 30-to-1 and 47-to-1 high figures but it paid what I thought was low $355.30. Her father is a trainer based in Iowa.
• Race 6: The $.50 Pick 3 paid over $3,000.
• Race 7: The $.50 Pick 3 paid over $4,000.
• Race 8: Count de Monet (Santo Sanjur/Tom Sweraringen) won the $150,000 Advent Stakes, the first stakes of the meet. The $.50 Pick 3 paid over $2,600. Among the defeated was Tyler's Tribe (Kylee Jordan/Tim Martin) who was 5 5-0-0 at Prairie Meadows (IA) before finishing 12th in the Breeders' Cup Juvy Sprint. The 2-year-old is 7 5-0-1.

​

• Race 9: The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $43,000.

Los Alamitos (California):

• Opening Day: Southern Cal's track until Santa Anita opens December 26.

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Emma-Jayne Wilson had three wins en route to a 7 3-3-0 riding day.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Not to be overlooked on Saturday, racing at Fair Grounds (LA).

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$50,000	Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Starter S.	5 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	7	1:15 PM CT
Race 2	$50,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 Furlongs	Dirt	10	1:47 PM CT
Race 3	$100,000	Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile S.	6 Furlongs	Dirt	7	2:19 PM ET
Race 4	$100,000	Louisiana Champions Day Lassie S.	6 Furlongs	Dirt	8	2:51 PM CT
Race 5	$100,000	Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint S.	6 Furlongs	Dirt	6	3:23 PM CT
Race 6	$50,000	Louisiana Champions Day Starter S.	5 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	10	3:55 PM CT
Race 7	$100,000	Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Distaff S.	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	8	4:27 PM CT
Race 8	$150,000	Louisiana Champions Day Classic S.	1 1/8 Miles	Dirt	8	4:59 PM CT
Race 9	$100,000	Louisiana Champions Day Sprint S.	6 Furlongs	Dirt	16	5:31 PM CT

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Woodbine's massive finale for Sunday:

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$53,200	Maiden Optional Claiming	6 1/2 Furlongs	All Weather Track	8	12:55 PM ET
Race 2	$29,700	Maiden Claiming	6 Furlongs	All Weather Track	11	1:24 PM ET
Race 3	$58,500	Claiming	7 Furlongs	All Weather Track	7	1:53 PM ET
Race 4	$54,700	Claiming	7 Furlongs	All Weather Track	11	2:26 PM ET
Race 5	$53,200	Maiden Optional Claiming	6 1/2 Furlongs	All Weather Track	9	2:59 PM ET
Race 6	$126,800	Maiden Special Weight	1 Mile 70 Yards	All Weather Track	14	3:35 PM ET
Race 7	$66,300	Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	All Weather Track	9	4:05 PM ET
Race 8	$53,200	Maiden Optional Claiming	7 Furlongs	All Weather Track	9	4:36 PM ET
Race 9	$100,000	Steady Growth S.	1 1/16 Miles	All Weather Track	8	5:07 PM ET
Race 10	$111,400	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	All Weather Track	15	5:38 PM ET
Race 11	$119,700	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 1/2 Furlongs	All Weather Track	11	6:08 PM ET
Race 12	$111,400	Allowance Optional Claiming	7 Furlongs	All Weather Track	10	6:38 PM ET
Race 13	$70,700	Maiden Optional Claiming	6 1/2 Furlongs	All Weather Track	10	7:08 PM ET
Race 14	$31,900	Claiming	1 1/16 Miles	All Weather Track	14	7:38 PM ET

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Reminder: Saturday card @ FTC-Cumberland Raceway post 11 AM

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Linda Rice won the Aqueduct opener. Her barn is hot.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, December 10, 2022

• Venezuela-bound: Many top riders have departed for Venezuela where there is a race worth $500,000. Among those who traveled are Jose Ortiz, Irad Ortiz, Jr., Paco Lopez, Miguel Vazquez and Emisael Jaramillo.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Handle: Approached $8 million.
• Linda Rice added two wins to her hot streak and with those victories is now the leading trainer at the meet with 15 scores. Chad Brown follows with 14.
• Manny Franco-Rob Atras teamed to go 4 2-2-0.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Jaime Rodriguez had a 4-win day including three victories for Jamie Ness. The other was on a 17-to-1 bomber for New England native Mike Gorham with a splendidly timed finish. Wins like this are magnetic:

​

• Jamie Ness won with her first three starters en route to a 6 3-2-0 afternoon.

Tampa Bay (Florida):

• Race 3: Bali Kuta (Jesus Castenon/Kerri Raven) gave the Ontario-born, Minnesota-based trainer her third win with as many starters this meet.
• Antonio Gallardo won both Florida of Sire Stakes.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Luis Saez went to back-to-back with consecutive three-win days.
• Todd Pletcher sent out five horses and three returned victorious including two in stakes. He has won four of six the past two days at Gulf.
• Tyler Gaffalione joined the riders' colony today and all he did was win the opener and finale. The local boy made good. He rode the finale for trainer Elizabeth Dobles and her main owner New Jersey's John Guarnere of Imaginary Stables.

​

• Race 1: Sbagliato (Tyler Gaffalione/ Christophe Clement) won the opener for restauranteur Bobby Flay in a maiden outing.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Louisiana Champions Day: Eight of the nine races were stakes.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Race 6: improbable Journey (Gabriel Saez/Larry Jones) not only went onto victory but helped give an emotional and triumphant response between longtime connections with the jockey and trainer. Jones is aging and his body has the look of someone who has fallen off horse, as he did recently. But he will always be a personal favorite. Good showing!

Golden Gate (California):

• Race 10: Chancery Way (Kevin Radke/Jamey Thomas) won the Bear Fan Stakes and the jockey seemed to be the recipient of a very jovial winner's circle including a member of the party who literally picked up the rider and carried him near-shoulder. I don't think i have seen anything like that. Again, fun stuff at the tracks today.

Los Alamitos (California):

• Bob Baffert entered three races and won each.
• Race 7: Gilmore (Juan Hernandez/Bob Baffert) broke his maiden in his second try.
• Race 9: Faiza (Flavien Prat/Bob Baffert) won the 41st edition of the $300,000 Grade I Starlet Stakes. It was the sixth straight year and ninth overall that Baffert got a victory in this race. He had to sit through a review with the place horse Pride of the Nile (Juan Hernandez/Leonardo Mora) who broke awkwardly. The 2-year-old daughter to Girvin cost Michael Lund Pedersen, of Pandora Jewelers, $725,000.

​

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Handle: Exceeded $8 million in a lengthy 13-race day, the penultimate card at the meet.
• Sahin Civaci won four times including a heater. He is a rare jockey in North America who hails from Turkey.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Wow. Gulfstream has released its card a week out...

DECEMBER 17

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$70,000	Maiden Special Weight	5 Furlongs	Turf	13	12:10 PM ET
Race 2	$32,000	Maiden Claiming	1 Mile 70 Yards	All Weather Track	8	12:40 PM ET
Race 3	$24,000	Maiden Claiming	5 Furlongs	All Weather Track	8	1:09 PM ET
Race 4	$54,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	5 Furlongs	Turf	8	1:39 PM ET
Race 5	$21,000	Maiden Claiming	1 Mile 70 Yards	All Weather Track	10	2:10 PM ET
Race 6	$100,000	Via Borghese S.	1 3/8 Miles	Turf	8	2:39 PM ET
Race 7	$30,000	Starter Optional Claiming	7 Furlongs	Dirt	8	3:09 PM ET
Race 8	$70,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 Furlongs	Dirt	9	3:41 PM ET
Race 9	$100,000	H. Allen Jerkens H.	2 Miles	Turf	14	4:11 PM ET
Race 10	$71,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	8	4:40 PM ET
Race 11	$50,000	Maiden Optional Claiming	1 Mile	Turf	9	5:10 PM ET

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Sunday card at FTC Cumberland Raceway posted at 11 AM

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

NYRA adjusted post times. The final race at Aqueduct is now 3:36.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, December 11, 2022

Aqueduct (New York):

• Race 9: The $1 Pick 6 paid over $35,000.
• Jose Lezcano has had five straight racing days in which he has two wins.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Brittany Russell continued production with two more wins. She has been doing well breaking babies. Russell has a 10-win lead among all trainers in the meet that ends December 31.

​

• Race 3: There was a lengthy delay prior to the race and two horses were scratched near the gate. Apparently, Carol Cedeno was injured (leg/ankle).
• Race 6: A rare time husband and wife competed against each other in the same race as the Russell-couple were on competing interests.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: $6.3 million.
• Luis Saez won the final four races at Gulfstream amid a 5-win afternoon. He is 25 11-2-4 the past three days. Right now, I think he will garner the fourth most votes for Jockey of the Year after Joel Rosario, Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Flavien Prat. We shall see.

​

• Todd Pletcher has won with five of his past eight starters at Gulf.
• Elizabeth Dobles entered two races and won both. She has won the past four races in which she entered.
• John Velazquez last rode December 4 and had a very forgettable return. The Hall of Fame rider managed no best than seventh on three mounts.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Recap of Opening Weekend: The track was sloppy for much of the three days to open the meet.
• Cristian Torres, who rides in the Louisiana-Texas-Oklahoma region, has been the breakout rider with seven wins on 20 mounts.
• Ron Moquett's barn has been sizzling at the meet with an 8 4-2-1 mark.
• Steve Asmussen has sent out 20 horses and none has returned with a win. He is 41 victories shy of making history as the first North America trainer with 10,000 wins.

Golden Gate (California):

• Closing Day: The meet began October 21. Golden Gate's winter meet starts later this month.
• Leading Riders: Kevin Radke and William Antongeorgi III with 29 wins apiece.
• Leading Trainer: Jonathan Wong with 18 wins.

Woodbine (Ontario):

• Closing Day: The meet began April 16. Woodbine will remain closed to T-bred racing until likely in April 2023.
• Kazushi Kimura won the riders' title with 152 wins. Mark Casse was leading trainer at Woodbine for the 14th time, he had 119 wins.
• Handle: More than $8 million spread over a massive 14-race card.
• Snowfall: Pretty images amid the horses.
• Race 10: Nearly a 3-way deadheat. Can't get any closer than this:

​

​

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

update for 11/22-24/ 2022;

First Tracks Cumberland closes meet with a Thursday/Friday/Saturday card..... this weekend retains the traditional Friday/Saturday/Sunday at 11 AM

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

A couple of early Kentucky Derby preps this weekend. One is at Remington (OK). The other is the Los Alamitos Futurity, a race in which Bob Baffert won in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. He is ineligible to enter horses in the 2023 Derby but can enter in most Derby preps including this race in which he is likely to run three horses (Fort Bragg, Carmel Road and Arabian Lion).

That said, can it really be 10 years since Violence won this former version of the race for Todd Pletcher? Let's return to Hollywood Park:

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

This is something old-school. Beverly Park won today, the 14th time in 29 starts in 2022. That is by far the high in North America this year, The horse was a six-figure purchase, too.

The trainer has been active for two years. He has this horse and Double Crown, a Grade 2 winner in the Kelso. He owns a roofing business, his primary occupation. Interesting story.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Woodbine (ON) reported today that the track set an all-time record handle in excess of $621 million of which $515 million was wagered from out of the country and that mark also established a historical number. The prior all-time high was $533 million set in 2018.

The 2023 racing season opens April 22 and customarily ends in December.

The Queen's Plate, the oldest continuously run race in North America, will be re-named the King's Plate and the event will be held August 20.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Colonial Downs (VA), off a resurgence this year, will modify their racing calendar. Instead of the early week schedule, the track will race Thursdays through Saturdays from July 19 - September 9. The turf course is contagious especially for mid-Atlantic interests. Part of that calendar will mean the track goes head-to-head with Laurel (MD),

 

[Marco 85]

Colonial Downs (VA), off a resurgence this year, will modify their racing calendar. Instead of the early week schedule, the track will race Thursdays through Saturdays from July 19 - September 9. The turf course is contagious especially for mid-Atlantic interests. Part of that calendar will mean the track goes head-to-head with Laurel (MD),

Changing the early week schedule to run later in the week is madness.

They had a nice niche going on.

Now they are going against Saratoga, Laurel, Monmouth and others.
This will cause their handle to go down. Way down.

No wonder Jill Byrne left her position at the track.

Churchill strikes again and in a bad way.

Are they seriously trying to put tracks out of business?

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Changing the early week schedule to run later in the week is madness.

They had a nice niche going on.

Now they are going against Saratoga, Laurel, Monmouth and others.
This will cause their handle to go down. Way down.

No wonder Jill Byrne left her position at the track.

Churchill strikes again and in a bad way.

Are they seriously trying to put tracks out of business?

Did you see where Churchill wants to run the Arlington Million at Colonial? Same with the Bev and Secretariat. Arlington shutting was vile.

Colonial Downs has a unique recent past. Resurrected from the proverbial grave, a success and now Churchill is involved.

 

[Marco 85]

Did you see where Churchill wants to run the Arlington Million at Colonial? Same with the Bev and Secretariat. Arlington shutting was vile.

Colonial Downs has a unique recent past. Resurrected from the proverbial grave, a success and now Churchill is involved.

No. I hadn’t heard that. Churchill is a disgrace.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The final race of the Remington (OK) meet is a Kentucky Derby prep Saturday night. The #1 is high on many current Derby future lists. The #5 is stepping up in class and has caught my eye to see where he stands.

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$19,800	Claiming	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	7	5:00 PM CT
Race 2	$14,823	Claiming	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	12	5:29 PM CT
Race 3	$19,800	Claiming	6 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	9	5:58 PM CT
Race 4	$41,650	Allowance	6 Furlongs	Dirt	9	6:27 PM CT
Race 5	$41,650	Allowance	6 Furlongs	Dirt	10	6:56 PM CT
Race 6	$41,650	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	10	7:25 PM CT
Race 7	$70,000	Useeit S.	1 Mile	Dirt	6	7:54 PM CT
Race 8	$70,000	Jim Thorpe S.	1 Mile	Dirt	7	8:23 PM CT
Race 9	$100,000	Trapeze S.	1 Mile	Dirt	8	8:52 PM CT
Race 10	$100,000	She's All In S.	1 Mile 70 Yards	Dirt	10	9:21 PM CT
Race 11	$100,000	Jeffrey A. Hawk Memorial S.	1 Mile 70 Yards	Dirt	9	9:50 PM CT
Race 12	$400,000	Remington Springboard Mile S.	1 Mile	Dirt	9	10:19 PM CT

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday.

Kentucky Derby prep at Los Al is a Bob Baffert showcase...Race #4.

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$17,000	Starter Allowance	5 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	7	12:30 PM PT
Race 2	$48,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	9	12:57 PM PT
Race 3	$24,000	Maiden Claiming	5 1/2 Furlongs	Dirt	9	1:24 PM PT
Race 4	$200,000	Los Alamitos Futurity	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	5	1:51 PM PT
Race 5	$21,000	Maiden Claiming	1 Mile	Dirt	9	2:19 PM PT
Race 6	$15,000	Claiming	5 Furlongs	Dirt	12	2:49 PM PT
Race 7	$28,000	Claiming	5 Furlongs	Dirt	11	3:15 PM PT
Race 8	$29,000	Starter Allowance	1 Mile	Dirt	10	3:43 PM PT
Race 9	$48,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 Furlongs	Dirt	8	4:11 PM PT
Race 10	$48,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 Mile	Dirt	12	4:39 PM PT

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

December 26 should be a date to mark.

Gulfstream's Championship Meet starts.

Santa Anita's important meet starts.

Fair Grounds is scheduled to offer turf racing.