Horse Racing: The end of 2022

[Marco 85]

Favorites won only 19% of the time on turf last week in North America. Not many tracks run turf this time of the year but especially at Tampa Bay was chalk erased.

The stats show why I prefer turf racing.
Bigger fields and better prices.
Turf racing is the future of horse racing in America.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The stats show why I prefer turf racing.
Bigger fields and better prices.
Turf racing is the future of horse racing in America.

This time of year there are less tracks offering turf courses. And if Belmont and Laurel make adjustments to their facilities, synth may be the next wave. I know turf players who are dedicated. Fair Grounds had an exceptional card on Saturday and Tampa Bay is Tampa Bay. Santa Anita is trying to figure out the dearth in their fields and hopefully can resurrect themselves. Gulfstream is like a 737: a workhorse so I don't expect prettiness there anymore. Other than that, the tracks offering turf will increase in the coming weeks. Enjoy.

 

[Marco 85]

This time of year there are less tracks offering turf courses. And if Belmont and Laurel make adjustments to their facilities, synth may be the next wave. I know turf players who are dedicated. Fair Grounds had an exceptional card on Saturday and Tampa Bay is Tampa Bay. Santa Anita is trying to figure out the dearth in their fields and hopefully can resurrect themselves. Gulfstream is like a 737: a workhorse so I don't expect prettiness there anymore. Other than that, the tracks offering turf will increase in the coming weeks. Enjoy.

Thanks. Looking forward to the next few months.
A lot of young turf horses sitting on the sidelines currently.

Not happy about Churchill buying Colonial.
They will sell it off for industrial use like they did Calder.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thanks. Looking forward to the next few months.
A lot of young turf horses sitting on the sidelines currently.

Not happy about Churchill buying Colonial.
They will sell it off for industrial use like they did Calder.

Churchill removed offering T-breds due to the decoupling law in Florida in which parimutuel wagering had to be available to maintain a casino license and hence they welcomed Jai Alai.

Anytime Churchill touches a track the red flags go up. IIRC, Colonial was destined to be a gold course was it was temporarily shuttered. It resurrected itself and had a record handle in 2021. It is a small meet but was popular with bettors.

 

[Marco 85]

Churchill removed offering T-breds due to the decoupling law in Florida in which parimutuel wagering had to be available to maintain a casino license and hence they welcomed Jai Alai.

Anytime Churchill touches a track the red flags go up. IIRC, Colonial was destined to be a gold course was it was temporarily shuttered. It resurrected itself and had a record handle in 2021. It is a small meet but was popular with bettors.

How sad is it that Churchill.
Who hosts the most prestigious race in the world.
Makes us uneasy when they acquire a racetrack.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

How sad is it that Churchill.
Who hosts the most prestigious race in the world.
Makes us uneasy when they acquire a racetrack.

It has been an arduous process.

Calder was one thing. It is tough to compete against Gulf and even Hialeah, once among the most beautiful tracks in America but unrelated to CD, has fallen and is almost non-existent.

Hollywood was the start.

What happened with Arlington is legally criminal as I am apt to say. Racing in Illinois took a beating. Indiana especially crushed Illinois from the outside but internally there were flaws including the political hierarchy of that state. But CD ultimately was given the ball and they chose disappointingly.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Here is the draw for the $20 million Saudi Cup, the world's richest horse race.

It will be shown live on many simulcast feeds in addition to TVG and Fox Sports 2.

Fox Sports 2 is likely to broadcast from 8 am ET until 1 pm ET.

The PPs (for) for this card:



The feature race has a 12:40 pm ET post time on Saturday.

$20 Million Saudi Cup: Defending Champ Mishriff Draws Post 14

The Saudi Cup field, by post position, with trainers, jockeys, and BUSR odds​

1 Country Grammer (Bob Baffert, Flavien Prat), BUSR odds: 12-1
2 Aero Trem (Antonio Cintra, Vagner Leal), BUSR odds: 40-1
3 Midnight Bourbon (Steve Asmussen, Joel Rosario), BUSR odds: 9-1
4 Real World (Saeed bin Suroor, Frankie Dettori), BUSR odds: 14-1
5 Emblem Road (Mitab Almulawah, Wiggy Ramos), BUSR odds: 66-1
6 Mandaloun (Brad Cox, Florent Geroux), BUSR odds: 9-2
7 Magny Cours (Andre Fabre, Mickael Barzalona), BUSR odds: 10-1
8 T O Keynes (Daisuke Takayanagi, Kohei Matsuyama), BUSR odds: 7-1
9 Art Collector (Bill Mott, Luis Saez), BUSR odds 8-1
10 Making Miracles (Mitab Almulawah, Alex Moreno), BUSR odds: 40-1
11 Sealiway (Francis-Henri Graffard, Ryan Moore), BUSR odds: 14-1
12 Secret Ambition (Bhupat Seemar, Tadgh O’Shea), BUSR odds: 25-1)
13 Marche Lorraine (Yoshito Yahagi, Christophe Soumillon), BUSR odds: 12-1
14 Mishriff (John and Thady Gosden, David Egan), BUSR odds: 2-1​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

How sad is it that Churchill.
Who hosts the most prestigious race in the world.
Makes us uneasy when they acquire a racetrack.

CD released financial figures today for 2021: a record net revenue of $1.597 billion.

The entity plans to open a casino in downtown Louisville as well as Terre Haute, IN. That is in addition to other interests and developments.

Arlington's land was 326 acres and sold for $197 million to the area's NFL team.

A portion of Calder's land, 115.7 acres, was sold for $291 million to a real estate company. Churchill retains about 54 acres which is the casino.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thursday, January 24, 2022

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Race 3: Private Life (Irad Ortiz,/Michael Maker) gave the jockey his 3,000th lifetime win in North America. He is only 29 years of age.

Turf Paradise (Arizona):

• Race 8: The $.20 Pick 6 paid over $47,000 and that was with a three-horse field in the finale.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

@Marco 85

If you (or others) are interested, provide a name and e-mail address at the link and Gulf will provide info. This is the free-to-enter $5 million bet on March 5. The Stronach group has canceled racing at Golden Gate in order to focus on two of its other properties in the first-of-its-kind type of wager involving Santa Anita and Gulfstream.

The link: 1/ST Saturday

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Free live streams as the norm to the four Stronach Group tracks:

Laurel: Live Stream - Maryland Jockey Club

Gulfstream: Live Stream | World-Class Thoroughbred Horse Racing | Gulfstream Park

Santa Anita: Santa Anita Live Stream - Santa Anita Park

Golden Gate: Watch | HD Live Stream | Horse Races | Golden Gate Fields

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday, February 25, 2022

• Brothers Camacho: Samy Camacho and his younger brother Samuel Camacho, Jr. won openers at Tampa Bay (FL) and Aqueduct (NY) within about 15 minutes of each other.
• Bob Baffert: He was denied a chance to appeal his suspension issued earlier this week by the stewards of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. The 90-day break will run March 8 and end June 5 and cause him to miss the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico which is the second race of the Triple Crown. Baffert has already been ruled off Churchill Downs' properties through mid-2023. The appeal, if the current ruling remains depending on whether his lawyers opt to try the court system which is likely, means Baffert's horses will be prevented from entering any Kentucky Derby preps under his name since the suspension is generally enforced by all tracks. In order to advance into the Derby, horses accumulate points through certain preps and with the suspension issued separately by Churchill Downs, owners of horses Baffert trains have to make a decision whether to transfer to another stable. The height of the suspension centers around the usage by Baffert of a cream onto Medina Spirit prior to last year's Kentucky Derby. The cream contains a banned ingredient which Baffert contends he was unaware.

Aqueduct (New York):

• Dylan Davis had three wins and Trevor McCarthy a pair of victories to their meet-leading total of 41.

Gulfstream Park (Florida):

• Irad Ortiz, Jr. rode the card and finished 10 4-2-2. His four wins came in the final five races.
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. was suspended five days for a riding infraction earlier this meet. He will not appeal. His suspension will begin March 2 and end March 9 but he will be allowed to ride on the busy March 5 card.
• Jackpot: Gulfstream Park will have a mandatory payout for the Rainbow 6 Jackpot on Saturday and estimated the total above $6 million.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The Japanese have dominated so far winning four or five at last check. Bob Baffert's Pinehurst won race 6. Earlier an 86-1 shot won (rough odds).

Saudi Cup main event coming up.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Wiggy!

South Florida legend.

Former Calder jockey been in Saudi Arabia for the past 25 years.

Best known for winning the Florida Derby with Bull in the Heather.

This is a bomb and a half in Saudi Arabia.

99 to 1 ... at least. Emblem Road, a local horse.

It appears to me to be 113 to 1.

$1 super returns $177,000+.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Letruska does what she does best: win. Now a perfect 4 for 4 at Gulfstream and 18 for 24 lifetime. Sent off at the lowest odds possible 1 to 9. She won the Royal Delta today under a lengthy hand ride.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Gulfstream's Pick 6 jackpot passed $8.5 million at last check.

Final addition to the existing pool was $7.4 million. $8.8 million bet into the 7th race.

 

[Fisticuffer]

Letruska does what she does best: win. Now a perfect 4 for 4 at Gulfstream and 18 for 24 lifetime. Sent off at the lowest odds possible 1 to 9. She won the Royal Delta today under a lengthy hand ride.

How impressive was that?
Sure was nice to see after the Distaff disappointment.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

How impressive was that?
Sure was nice to see after the Distaff disappointment.

Stylish and graceful. Look a the rider's body position in the stretch:

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, February 26, 2022

King Abdulaziz Racecourse (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia):

• Saudi Cup: The $20 million purse is the world's largest.
• Christophe Lemaire won four times, all for Japanese trainers and on Japanese-breds.

• Race 4: A race restricted to locals, the winner paid $170.60/$80.40/$33.00. The $1 exacta was an extraordinary $1,967.40. The $.50 tri was over $10,000. The $.10 super returned more than $29k.
• Race 6: Pinehurst (Flavien Prat/Bob Baffert) won the $1.5 million Saudi Derby.

​

• Race 8: Emblem Road (Wiggy Ramos/Mitab Almulawah) won the third installment of the world's richest horse race, the $20 million Saudi Cup in one of the most stunning upsets at any track in recent years if not decades. The winner paid $229.20/$66.60/$29.80. The $1 exacta was just shy of $1,000. The $1 tri was close to $8,700. The $1 super was a staggering $177,000. The winner was sent off at 113-to-1. Emblem Road is 9 7-1-1 lifetime and though bred in Kentucky has raced solely in Saudi Arabia. The jockey has been riding in Saudi Arabia for nearly 25 years following a noteworthy stay at south Florida tracks and had four seasons with 200+ wins in a span of five years. "A huge shock but they love it here in Saudi Arabia," per the track announcer.

• Winners Bred By Nation:: Japan (4), USA (2), Saudi Arabia (1) and France (1).

Aqueduct (New York):

• Handle: $9 million.
• Dylan Davis is having a phenomenal meet. He won four times including a natural hat trick and finished 8 4-2-0. His 45 wins is tops at the meet.
• Race 8: Green Light Go (Dylan Davis/Jimmy Jerkens) won the $125,000 Stymie Stakes.
• Race 9: The $1 Pick 6 paid over $44,000.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Jevian Toledo won three times with five mounts.
• Race 9: Madison Meyers doesn't enter too many horses and she prevailed with a 4-to-5 morning line; however, she also finished second with a 40-to-1 shot. She began training parimutuels in 2020 and prior to that had won only at hurdles in Virginia and South Carolina. Today was her 12th lifetime win in parimutuels. The $.20 Pick 6 paid over $22,000.

Tampa Bay Downs (Florida):

• Races 2 and 3: The $1 double paid $632.90.
• Handle: $5 million.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Handle: $22.1 million. More than $7.4 million was bet into the existing Rainbow Six pool.
• Race 6: Letruska (Jose Ortiz/Fausto Gutierrez) won the $150,000 Grade 3 Royal Delta Stakes with comfort and class under a hand ride for most of the decisive win. She was a 2-to-5 morning line bet down to 1-to-9, Letruska is 24 18-1-1 lifetime with earnings in excess of $2.3 million. She recovered from her rough showing in the 2021 Breeders' Cup.

• Jose Ortiz rode four winners.
  
• Irad Ortiz, Jr. won with his first three mounts and at one point had won seven of eight rides spanning two days.
• The Brothers Ortiz: Combined to win seven of the 12 races. I have mentioned this often but it is worthy to repeat that this bother combination simultaneously successful has to be in the discussion for among best ever in any sport. For two brothers to be this successful at the same time is a rarity indeed.

Oaklawn (Arkansas):

• Handle: Just under $16 million. What an awesome track!
• Attendance: 31,000.
• Race 5: Secret Oath (Luis Contreras/D. Wayne Lukas) romped by more than seven lengths in the $300,000 Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes and with it earned 50 points into the Kentucky Oaks. She was out for the sixth time and won for the third straight outing. Lukas is in the Hall of Fame and 86 years young. There is talk that the daughter of Arrogate, who died of an illness at the age of seven and who is generally recognized as a generational talent, could be put into Kentucky Derby preps.

• Race 11: Un Ojo (Ramon Vazquez/Ricky Courville) stunned the world by winning the Grade 2 $1,000,000 Rebel Stakes and with it was awarded 50 points towards entry into the Kentucky Derby. The horse was the longest odds at 75-to-1 in a field of 11 and paid $152.80/$41.80/$18.60. The $1 exacta paid $708.20. The $.10 super returned more than $7,000. The jockey was humble in an immediate interview. Courville won a graded stakes for the first time. He was winless in 2022 prior to this victory. He is Louisiana-based and trained this gelding prior to a stable switch to Tony Dutrow who is based in the colt's home state of New York. Just a resounding victory for a horse who fought in the stretch. This was the longest shot on the board and as much as I preach anything can happen at Oaklawn, this was a true stunner. Newgrange (John Velazquez/Bob Baffert) tasted defeat for the first time with a poor effort as the 4-to-5 favorite. Baffert has won this race a record eight times.

​

• Race 12: The $.50 Pick 5 paid over $42,000.

Santa Anita (California):

• Handle: $10,000,000 approximated.
• Race 6: Ganadora (Juan Hernandez/Bob Baffert) debuted to a brilliant victory. She was purchased for $1,000,000 by Baoma Corporation (Charlie Chu of Massachusetts via China) and has the look of a champ. What a beautiful stride.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, February 27, 2022

Aqueduct (New York):

• Race 9: Shadolamo (Oscar Gomez/Eduardo Jones) won the finale at 54-to-1, by far the longest shot on the board. The winner paid $111. It was otherwise a very chalky day at the "Big A."

Gulfstream Park (Florida):

• Irad Ortiz, Jr. had a natural hat trick in a 3-win day. He will be riding in the enormous stakes card Saturday following a suspension (March 2 through March 9) prior and after.
• Race 4: Sensitivity (Paco Lopez/Caio Caramori) wired the field at 31-to-1 in her debut. The trainer is from Brazil who worked in Lexington, KY. Sensitivity is a daughter to Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense who was sold for $265,000 and owned by Floridian Tami Bobo.
• Fountain of Youth Draw: The massive day has earned national headlines for its expectations and also the $5,000,000 prize tie-in with Santa Anita to handicappers. This may be a reach but I am going to predict over $35,000,000 handled that day for Gulf. The card will be drawn Monday (tomorrow).

​

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Adjustments: Did not race today due to Mardi Gras festivities. The track will operate Monday and Tuesday instead.

Sunland Park (New Mexico):

• Card: Four races with purses $75,000 or more including three $100,000.
• Race 9: Straight Up G (Ricardo Gonzalez/Richard Baltas) wired the field to win the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby. The 3-year-old California-bred colt is 3-for-5 lifetime and raced exclusively at the three southern Cal tracks prior to today. The horse is owned by Jim Rome who said afterwards “We own the broodmare, and we own a piece of the sire, so this is so deeply personal. You have to understand I am in love with this horse. To see him run like this on a track like this on a day like this, it really was a career highlight.” If the colt remains in New Mexico, the Sunland Park Derby in March offers a gateway into the Kentucky Derby as a prep.

​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Bob Baffert has a 10:00 am ET appearance in Circuit Court in Kentucky trying to get his suspension issued by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission lifted. The suspension imposed is scheduled to run for 90 days from March 8 through June 5. This is a critical time for Kentucky Derby preps as the point structure is increased. While Baffert is separately banned from this year's Kentucky Derby by Churchill Downs, he could face having his horses removed if owners determine their horses become ineligible for said race based on that ruling.

-------------------

Bob Baffert is taking CDI to federal court in hopes of having his suspension from their race tracks overturned. He is banned from Churchill and Fair Grounds through the summer of 2023.

This is separate from ongoing legislation against the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and the ongoing attempted suspension and held hearing involving NYRA tracks. That latter ruling is in the hands of a panel and no timetable was issued for ruling.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

This is what Gulfstream means by "Championship Meet."
Saturday, March 5.

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$54,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	7 Furlongs	Dirt	12	12:10 PM ET
Race 2	$60,000	Maiden Special Weight	7 Furlongs	Dirt	15	12:40 PM ET
Race 3	$150,000	Canadian Turf S.	1 1/16 Miles	Turf	7	1:10 PM ET
Race 4	$60,000	Maiden Special Weight	7 Furlongs	Dirt	16	1:40 PM ET
Race 5	$150,000	The Very One S.	1 3/8 Miles	Turf	9	2:10 PM ET
Race 6	$200,000	Davona Dale S. presented by FanDuel	1 Mile	Dirt	7	2:40 PM ET
Race 7	$125,000	Palm Beach S.	1 Mile	Turf	9	3:10 PM ET
Race 8	$62,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 Mile	Dirt	10	3:40 PM ET
Race 9	$150,000	Honey Fox S.	1 Mile	Turf	11	4:10 PM ET
Race 10	$200,000	WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile S.	1 Mile	Dirt	9	4:40 PM ET
Race 11	$200,000	Mac Diarmida S.	1 3/8 Miles	Turf	11	5:10 PM ET
Race 12	$400,000	Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S.	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	13	5:42 PM ET
Race 13	$125,000	Herecomesthebride S.	1 Mile	Turf	13	6:12 PM ET

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Santa Anita
Saturday, March 5.

Race #	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
Race 1	$69,000	Allowance	About 6 1/2 Furlongs	Downhill turf	13	12:00 PM PT
Race 2	$67,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 Furlongs	Dirt	7	12:30 PM PT
Race 3	$40,000	Starter Allowance	5 1/2 Furlongs	Turf	8	1:00 PM PT
Race 4	$200,000	San Carlos S. presented by FanDuel	7 Furlongs	Dirt	9	1:30 PM PT
Race 5	$200,000	Buena Vista S.	1 Mile	Turf	11	2:00 PM PT
Race 6	$400,000	San Felipe S.	1 1/16 Miles	Dirt	7	2:30 PM PT
Race 7	$67,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 Mile	Turf	9	3:00 PM PT
Race 8	$69,000	Allowance	About 6 1/2 Furlongs	Downhill turf	13	3:30 PM PT
Race 9	$500,000	Beholder Mile S.	1 Mile	Dirt	6	4:00 PM PT
Race 10	$500,000	Frank E. Kilroe Mile S.	1 Mile	Turf	12	4:30 PM PT
Race 11	$650,000	Santa Anita H. presented by Yaamava' Resort & Casino	1 1/4 Miles	Dirt	8	5:00 PM PT

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Kentucky Derby preps on Saturday: Turfway (10 points), Santa Anita (50 points), Gulfstream (50 points) and Aqueduct (50 points).

Kentucky Oaks preps on Saturday: Turfway (10 points), Gulfstream (50 points) and Aqueduct (50 points).

Kentucky Oaks preps on Sunday: Santa Anita (50 points).

The points noted are to winners. Additional points are issued to those who finish 2nd through 4th.

Based on post times, the three big Kentucky Derby preps this Saturday will go off within 15 minutes of each other:

• Aqueduct -- 5:27 pm ET
• Santa Anita-- 5:30 pm ET
• Gulfstream -- 5:42 pm ET

In addition to normal coverage such as TVG, there will be racing shown on CNBC beginning at 4 pm ET.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Taiba (John Velazquez/Bob Baffert) is scheduled to debut in Race 2 on Saturday at Santa Anita. The 3-year-old son to Gun Runner was purchased for $1,700,000 by Amr Zadan who owns Country Grammer.

Life is Good (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Todd Pletcher), who just may be the best horse in the world right now, and Country Grammer (Flavien Prat/Bob Baffert) who finished second in the $20,000,000 Saudi Cup this past Saturday, are both pointed to the $12,000,000 Dubai World Cup on March 26.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The 90-day suspension (March 8 - June 5) issued to Bob Baffert last week by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has been temporarily halted. Baffert's appeal to the KHRC was denied by one member almost immediately following the suspension ruling. The KHRC board will meet on Friday to grant or deny the appeal based on a ruling by a Circuit Court Judge in Kentucky. If Baffert's appeal is then denied, the same Judge will hold a hearing March 17 and make a decision by March 21.

If Baffert's suspension is upheld by the Judge, should it get to that point, then the trainer is facing a universal suspension in North America based on the unwritten rules of reciprocity.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Oaklawn (AR) has been mentioned by me often. It holds a strong meet and has an exciting vibe. Today the track announced that an extra race day will be held (April 7) and the purse structure will increase to include $106,000 allowance races and $90,000 MSW. The locals should feel a sense of pride.

The meet closes the Sunday following the Kentucky Derby and the track will be dark until December.