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Horse Racing: Kentucky Oaks and Derby draws to be held Saturday (Apr. 26) at approx 7:10 pm ET

Saturday, April 5, 2025
  • Highlights: Three Kentucky Derby preps, at Santa Anita, Aqueduct and Meydan (UAE) in addition to many graded stakes including the $12 million Dubai World Cup.
Meydan (Dubai, UAE):
  • Handle: $38 million transferred into US money.
  • Card: Nine races with purses ranging from $1 million to $12 million (US). The purses were worth more than $30 million in US money.
  • Race 9: Hit Show (Flavien Prat/Brad Cox) won the Gr1 Dubai World Cup and its $12 million purse (US) -- the world's third largest -- at 42-to-1. USA interests finished 1-2 as Mixto (Frankie Dettori/Doug O'Neill) placed. Hit Show won for the eighth time including five wins in his past seven starts. Hit Show, a multiple graded stakes winner, finished fifth in the 2023 Kentucky Derby. This was his first race outside the US in 18 lifetime starts. Forever Young, the Japanese sensation and overwhelming favorite, dropped to 11 8-0-3 lifetime with a third-place finish. In his 12 starts, he was a perfect 8-for-8 outside the US with his only two losses on US soil.
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  • Race 6: Admire Daytona (Christophe Lemaire/Yukihiro Kato) won the Gr2 UAE Derby by a bob and with the win gained 100 points towards entry into the Kentucky Derby ( 100-50-25-15-10 points system).
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Aqueduct (New York):
  • Handle: $23 million.
  • Card: 13 races including four graded stakes highlighted by the Wood Memorial.
  • Race 12: Rodriguez (Mke Smith/Bob Baffert) won the Grade 2 $750,000 Wood Memorial and with the victory earned 100 points towards entry into the Kentucky Derby. Rodriguez, who won for the second time in five starts, is a $425,000 son to the Baffert-trained Authentic.
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  • Race 10: Crazy Mason (Manny Franco/Greg Sacco) won the Grade 2 $300,000 Carter Stakes. The $27,500 purchase looks like a steal as the Coal Front colt has earned close to $400,000. He is 3-for-3 in 2025 with just two wins in 10 prior starts.
  • Kendrick Carmouche's Big Day: Among his four victories was career number 4,000. He ended the day 7 4-0-1.
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Laurel (Maryland):
  • Yadsit Hazlewood won twice for the second consecutive day, his lone four victories in 20 lifetime starts since coming to the US from Panama
Keeneland (Kentucky):
  • No Racing Due to Severe Weather: Canceled this card and moved it to Tuesday. Weather alerts include possible floods.
Oaklawn (Arkansas):
  • No Racing Due to Severe Weather: Canceled this card and moved it to Sunday. The original card for Sunday has not been re-scheduled. Sunday's weather looks dreary but the remainder of the week is warming and pure sunshine per forecasts,
Santa Anita (California):
  • Handle: Huge figures, $22.3 million which is up 24% from 2024. Santa Anita is posting strong handles this meet.
  • Attendance: 34,000+
  • Card: 12 races including three graded stakes highlighted by the Santa Anita Derby Stakes.
  • Race 10: Journalism (Umberto Rispoli/Michael McCarthy) won the Grade I $500,000 Santa Anita Derby and with the victory earned 100 points towards entry into the Kentucky Derby. Journalism won for the fourth straight time in five lifetime starts. The $825,000 son to Curlin will top plenty of lists for a potential favorite in the Kentucky Derby.
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Sunday, April 6, 2025

Keeneland (Kentucky):
  • Opening Day: The delayed start to a much-anticipated meet due to the postponements of cards scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
  • Race 9: Verity (Vincent Cheminaud/Eoin Harty) toyed with the field in the $400,000 Grade 2 Beaumont Stakes. The Nyquist filly, owned by Godolphin, won for the third straight time in four lifetime starts.
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Oaklawn (Arkansas):
  • Re-scheduled Card: Saturday's postponed card was raced today while the original card slated for today was ultimately canceled.
  • Francisco Arrieta ended the day with a natural hat trick amid a 4-win afternoon. The past two racing days, his mark is 15 7-2-3.
  • Leading Jockeys: Francisco Arrieta (50 wins), Cristian Torres (49) and Rafael Bejarano (46). Tyler Bacon, at the age of 17 when the meet started, has the fourth most wins. The meet ends May 3.
Sunland (New Mexico):
  • Race 7: Corrina Corrina (Tracy Hebert/Gary Cross) won the $90,000 New Mexico State University Stakes and with the victory won for the 20th time in 37 starts. Corrina Corrina, a 6-year-old mare, rallied to victory as is her norm. Every one of her 37 starts has been in her home state across all five tracks. She has been in the money 35 times in 37 starts with the exceptions being her second start and a DNF earlier this year. She has earned over $1.3 million.
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TRACKSTARTS1st2nd3rd
Sunland14940
Zia10441
Albuquerque6321
Ruidoso2101
SunRay5320
All five tracks3720123
 
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Santa Anita's strong meet ended up 5% from 2023-24 with over $510 million wagered during 59 racing dates that began in December.

Santa Anita:s 29-day Hollywood meet starts April 18.
 
This should be a great battle for Ohio breds at Mahoning Valley. EDIT; It was a romp. Update below.

Mahoning Valley (Ohio):
  • Race 6: Silent Rule (Brandon Tapara/Jay Bernardini) improved to a perfect 7 7-0-0 with a stunning kick in the stretch to win by more than 11 lengths. Bernardini had consecutive wins on the card and now has sole possession of the meet -- which ends April 12 -- lead for trainers. Among the defeated was Back to Ohio (Jareth Loveberry/Larry Rivelli) who entered with a remarkable 17 15-2-0 but finished with his worst outcome, third place. Bernardini, who formed his skills in the now shuttered New England tracks, has been incredibly successful on the Ohio-West Virginia circuit and this year is winning at a 28% clip which would be a career best. With his past 10 starters, he is 5-3-2. Rivelli, a strong Midwest conditioner from Illinois, has been around 28% lifetime.
Keeneland (Kentucky):
  • Manny Franco, who rides mostly in New York, won two stakes. He had a 3-win day at Aqueduct Sunday and the prior day won a Grade 2 there. In late March, he won a Grade 2 at Gulfstream. Franco is a generally a solid jock at NYRA but winning at Gulf and Keeneland will gain national prominence.
  • Race 1: Pinky Finger (Joel Rosario/Wesley Ward) was sent off the favorite in a field of 12 first-time starters. It is that time of year where 2-year-olds race which is the specialty craft of the trainer.
  • Race 7: Colloquial (Manny Franco/George Weaver) won the $400,000 Lafayette Stakes. The 3-year-old Vekoma colt entered off a maiden win.
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  • Race 8: Test Score (Manny Franco/Graham Motion) won the $600,000 Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes.
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  • Race 9: La Cara (Dylan Davis/Mark Casse) won the $750,000 Grade I Ashland Stakes at 9-to-1. La Cara is now a multiple graded stakes winner with four wins in nine starts.
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So nice to watch good racing today at Keeneland.
Instead of the trash from the Champion Meet at Gulfstream.

Also, helps that I had the 9th race at a nice price. Lol
 
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Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Keeneland (Kentucky):
  • Card: Originally set for the prior Saturday but canceled due to inclement weather. Five graded stakes among 11 races.
  • Tuesday: According to one report, the most recent year that Keeneland raced on any Tuesday came in 1945.
  • Race 10: Burnham Square (Brian Hernandez, Jr./Ian Wilkes) won the $1.2 million Blue Grass Stakes and received 100 points towards entry into the Kentucky Derby. This is the final significant Kentucky Derby prep race and the field for the Run for the Roses is basically set. Burnham Square finished fourth in the Fountain of Youth but prior won the Holy Bull, both at Gulfstream. Hernandez rode 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan. Wilkes, from Australia, trained under the assisted of Carl Nafzger including their earliest partnership with Unbridled in 1990 and that horse is the grandsire of today's winner.
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The leaderboard for the Kentucky Derby:



Per UPI (Field set for 151st running of Kentucky Derby on May 3 - UPI.com)

Set to run

1. Burnham Square, Ian Wilkes, won the Blue Grass at Keeneland

2. Sandman, Mark Casse, won the Arkansas Derby

3. Journalism, Michael McCarthy, won the Santa Anita Derby

4. Rodriguez, Bob Baffert, won the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct

5. Tiztastic, Steve Asmussen, won the Louisiana Derby

6. Tappan Street, Brad Cox, won the Florida Derby

7. Sovereignty, Bill Mott, second in the Florida Derby

8. Final Gambit, Brad Cox, won the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park

9. Coal Battle, Lonnie Briley, won the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park

10. Chunk of Gold, Ethan West, second in the Louisiana Derby

11. Citizen Bull, Bob Baffert, won the 2024 Breeders' Cup Juvenile

12. Owen Almighty, Brian Lynch, won the Tampa Bay Derby. UPDATE: WILL NOT ENTER. POINTED TO ANOTHER RACE.

13. East Avenue, Brendan Walsh, second in the Blue Grass

14. Publisher, Steve Asmussen, second in the Arkansas Derby

15. American Promise, D. Wayne Lukas, won the Virginia Derby

16. River Thames, Todd Pletcher, third in the Blue Grass

17. Flood Zone, Brad Cox, won the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct

18. Luxor Café, Noriyuki Hori, won the "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby"

19. Admire Datona, Yukihiro Kato, won the UAE Derby in Dubai

20. Heart of Honor, Jamie Osbourne, second in the UAE Derby

As needed

21. Flying Mohawk, Whit Beckman

22. Grande, Todd Pletcher

23. Madaket Road, Bob Baffert

24. Built, Wayne Catalano

25. Neoequos, Saffie Joseph Jr.
 
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Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Keeneland (Kentucky):
  • Race 2: Liltonytwophones (Angel Serpa/Tito Moreno) was the longest shot on the board but prevailed at 54-to-1. The 6-year-old PA-bred entered 3-for-32 lifetime with the bulk of his career run at Penn National.
  • Race 5: The $.50 Pick 5 was $34,000+.
  • Race 8: Summer in Adriane (Juan Hernandez/Michael Maker) was sent off the second highest odds at 46-to-1 and closed like a freight train to win by a nose in the finale. The $.50 Pick 5 returned more than $57,000.
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Thorpedo Anna, the 2024 horse of the Year and Champion 3-year-old Filly, races in the $1.2 million Apple Blossom on Saturday at Oaklawn. She is 11 9-2-0 with over $4 million in lifetime earnings. Not too shabby for a $40,000 yearling.

Race 11 Apple Blossom H. (Grade I) POST Time - 5:48 PM CT​

Oaklawn Park
Purse $1,250,000. One And One Sixteenth Miles. Fillies And Mares, Four Year Olds And Upward.
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PPHorseAge/SexJockeyWeightTrainerM/L
1Sweet Alyssa (KY)5/MR Santana, Jr.114C D Pomier30-1
2Neom Beach (KY)4/FE Asmussen115S M Asmussen30-1
3Free Like a Girl (LA)6/MJ R Leparoux120C D Pomier10-1
4Noble Miss (KY)7/MI Castillo112D Hernandez30-1
5Where's My Ring (KY)4/FF Arrieta119V Brinkerhoff5-2
6Thorpedo Anna (KY)4/FB J Hernandez, Jr.124K G McPeek2-5
7Wild Bout Hilary (KY)4/FR A Vazquez118T Tracy20-1
 
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GKJ said:
This is an absurd stat:

Click to expand...

I am pretty sure Unbridled is the most recent sire of three different Triple Crown race winners: Grindstone (1996 Derby), Red Bullet (2000 Preakness) and Empire Maker (2003 Belmont). The sires of Justify and American Pharaoh had the singular TC winners.
 
Saturday, April 12, 2025

Aqueduct (New York):
  • Kendrick Carmouche rode four winners.
Gulfstream (Florida):
  • Edgard Zayas rode four winners.
Laurel (Maryland):
  • Race 8: Worcester (Sheldon Russell/Brittany Russell) defeated stablemate New King (Jevian Toledo/Brittany Russell) in the $100,000 Frank Whiteley Stakes. Both horses were former runners of Bob Baffert,
  • Races 6 and 7: Two $100,000 stakes and both won by jockey Mychel Sanchez.
  • Race 1: Lord's Lady (Sara Del Fabro/Ferris Allen) won the opener by a neck at 19-to-1, the highest value on the board.
Keeneland (Kentucky):
  • Race 7: Big Truzz (Luis Saez/Brian Lynch) had an impressive debut and investors collected at 7-to-2.
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  • Race 9: Gosger (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Brendan Walsh) won the $400,000 Grade 3 Lexington and with it secured 20 points towards entry into the Kentucky Derby as this was the final Derby prep for 2025, albeit with a small prize. Currently the winner is not part of the Derby field.
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  • Race 10: Choisya (Luis Saez/Simon Crisford) used a ground-saving trip to win the $650,000 Grade I Jenny Wiley Stakes. This was the first race of 20 lifetime for the winner in the US. She had raced mostly in the UK.
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Oaklawn (Arkansas):
  • Attendance: 40,000
  • Handle: $12 million.
  • Race 8: Booth (Erik Asmussen/Steve Asmussen) wired the field to win the Grade 3 $500,000 Count Fleet.
  • Race 11: Thorpedo Anna (Brian Hernandez, Jr./Kenny McPeek), the 2024 Horse of the Year, galloped to victory in the $1.25 million Grade I Apple Blossom. She is now 12 10-2-0 with over $44.8 million earned.
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Sunday, April 13, 2025
  • Maryland, My Maryland: Good day for Maryland breds.
Aqueduct (New York):
  • Race 1: Derbyness (Katie Davis/Brittany Russell) came from far back to win the opener by a nose. The Maryland-foal is 17 5-6-2.
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Gulfstream (Florida):
  • Edgard Zayas finished the past two days 13 6-2-1 following today's two victories.
Keeneland (Kentucky):
  • Race 8: Future Is Now (Paco Lopez/Mike Trombetta) won the Grade 3 $350,000 Giant's Causeway by a nose. The Maryland-foal is 15 8-1-1 with back-to-back wins in graded stakes at Keeneland.
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Friday. April 18, 2025
  • Jose Ortiz: We are closing the first third of 2025 but my early pick for Jockey of the year is Jose Ortiz. The former Jockey of the Year from 2017 has resurrected his career by moving to the central US. Much to be decided as the year progresses but don't overlook Luis Saez either as a potential finalist. It is tough to crack the top three nominees.
  • Wesley Ward is 11 5-2-0 (45%) with 2-year-olds this year. Last year he was a stunning 42% with 95 such runners. That is his specialty. His career mark is 25% with 2-year-olds.
Aqueduct (New York):
  • Dylan Davis scored a natural hat trick en route to a 4-win day. Among the winning trainers: Chad Brown, Todd Pletcher and Michael Maker. He hit the board with all six mounts. The past two days, he has been on a roll going 12 7-1-3.
Laurel (Maryland):
  • Race 1: Blind Eye (J.G. Torrealba/Diane Morici) was sent off the favorite but placed and also a potential objection didn't go his way. The 6-year-old gelding remains a maiden at 22 M-6-8. Winless in 22 starts but hitting the board 14 times catches one eye. Better luck next time.
  • Race 7: Magical Maxey (Adam Bowman/John Servis), who had raced six times at Parx in seven lifetime starts and entered off a maiden win, won at 38-to-1 only to be DQ'd and placed fifth. Elevated was favorite Gata Brazil (Sheldon Russell/Brittany Russell) at 7-to-2. Separately, the original 6th place finisher was placed 11th in another DQ. Not only was it a rare occasion to have two DQs but the original winner also had her picture taken in the winner's circle before being removed from victory.
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  • Fridays in Maryland: The Russells teamed three times and won twice. They are magical but something extra special on Fridays.
Keeneland (Kentucky):
  • Race 9: Gin Gin (Jose Ortiz/Brendan Walsh) romped by more than five lengths as the highest odds on the board at 38-to-1 and won the $350,000 Grade 3 Doubledogdare Stakes. The 4-year-old filly was a 30-to-1 m/l and under Walsh's care for the first time since a switch from Brad Cox's barn.
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Santa Anita (California):
  • Race 5: The $1 Pick 5 paid over $47,000.
 
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Laurel's card for Saturday is enticing. Today marks the track's second day of turf racing this year.


RACE NUMBERPURSERACE TYPEDISTANCESURFACEPOST TIME
1$38,000Claiming5 1/2 FTurf12:10 PM ET
2$29,000Starter Optional Claiming1 MDirt12:36 PM ET
3$47,000Maiden Special Weight5 1/2 FTurf1:03 PM ET
4$26,000Claiming6 FDirt1:30 PM ET
5$53,000Allowance Optional Claiming5 1/2 FTurf1:59 PM ET
6$53,000Allowance Optional Claiming6 FDirt2:32 PM ET
7$100,000Dahlia S.1 MTurf3:03 PM ET
8$100,000King T. Leatherbury S.5 1/2 FTurf3:33 PM ET
9$150,000Weber City Miss S.1 1/16 MDirt4:08 PM ET
10$100,000Henry S. Clark S.1 MTurf4:39 PM ET
11$150,000Federico Tesio S.1 1/8 MDirt5:12 PM ET
12$18,000Claiming1 1/16 MDirt5:45 PM ET

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TV racing today other than simulcast parlors
April 191 p.m.-2 p.m. on FS2, 2 p.m.-5 p.m. on FS1, and 5 p.m.-8 p.m. on FS2FS2 and FS1
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Decoupling in Florida: Many moving parts right now and how it pertains to the future existence of racing at Gulfstream (FL). The Florida state legislature is involved with committees rewriting language and then eventually House and Senate votes that potentially become law. Whether decoupling becomes the law, the future does not look bright especially at Gulfstream with the ownership banking on real estate over horses.

Frank Stronach, the head of the family, stated if his daughter is given control, her primary motive would become selling or, apparently in this case, redeveloping land. Her group has done it with Golden Gate (CA) and Laurel (MD) and who knows with Santa Anita(CA).

Tampa Bay, under a different ownership, seems committed to racing. Decoupling is the removal of the requirement that in order to have horse racing, a casino/slot/card room license must be attached to the property. If passed, tracks could forgo racing and redevelop the land for their own purposes.
 
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Saturday, April 19, 2025
  • Peculiarity: Horses partially named Utah, Tennessee and Nevada, three states with basically non-existent live pari-mutuel offerings, won races within a few minutes of each other.
Laurel (Maryland):
  • Card: Five of the 12 races had purses $100,000+ with two at $150,000 including one with Preakness implications on Preakness Preview Day. Full replay show:
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  • Handle: $5.5 million which established a record for the card. Last year, the track handled $2.8 million for the event.
  • Race 9: Complexity Jane (Jevian Toledo/Brittany Russell) won the $150,000 Weber City Miss Stakes at 8-to-1. Stablemate Reply (Sheldon Russell/Brittany Russell) placed. The all-Brittany Russell exacta paid $94.
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  • Race 11: Pay Billy (Raul Mena/Mike Gorham) won the $150,000 Federico Tessio and with it a berth into the Preakness Stakes. Pay Billy has won four of his past five starts after losing his first three races. Gorham is having a brilliant 2025 with a 26% strike rate, his best since he began training in 1985 in New England.
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Keeneland (Kentucky):
  • Card: Six of the ten races held purses of $100,000+.
  • Race 9: Utah Beach (Vincent Cheminaud/Ignacio Correas IV) won the Grade 2 $400,000 Elkhorn Stakes by a head at 11-to-1. Utah Beach snapped a 6-race losing streak, mostly in stakes, but prior began his career 7 3-4-0. mostly in lower conditions
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  • Race 10: Tennessee Lamb (Jose Ortiz/Rusty Arnold) won the $350,000 Grade 3 Ben Ali.
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Oaklawn (Arkansas):
  • 2025-26: The schedule was released and Oaklawn will take an extensive break in January but expand racing on other dates. The track is booming but sloppy conditions in Arkansas are too often the norm in wintertime.
  • Card: Ten of the 12 races held purses $100,000+.
  • Race 11: First Mission (Flavien Prat/Brad Cox) won the Grade 2 $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap. Owned by Godolphin, First Mission won a graded stakes for the fourth time and has now earned over $2 million.
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Remington (Oklahoma):
  • Card: Nine of the 12 races, all for quarterhorses, held purses of $50,000+ with five $100,000+.
  • Race 10: Jamies Sin Tacha won the $868,455 Remington Park Futurity by a nose. The 2-year-old gelding has two races under his belt and both resulted in wins.
Santa Anita (California):
  • Race 7: Richi (Antonio Fresu/Bob Baffert), described the track caller as "classy" and "emphatic (win)" won the $200,000 Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes. Stablemate Splendor (Juan Hernandez/Bob Baffert) placed. The winner, bred in Chile, won in the US for the second time in five starts and for the 8th time in 14 lifetime starts.
 
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MiamiScreamingEagles said:
Laurel did over $500,000 in handle for the opener today. Should be a good day for the track.
Click to expand...
Now officially documented as a record-handle with over $5 million wagered. Twelve races is excessive for the track but the fields were deep and the purses enticing. This was a good show throughout. A favorite track of mine for many years but the sun is setting. Saturday however was filled with brightness.
 
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