June, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

From Gator To Gatorade: Backstretch Café Working Overtime To Serve Indiana Grand

The Backstretch Café at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino has long been a staple for horsemen and horsewomen working in the barn area. Earlier this spring, new safety measures were put in place to follow Covid-19 state restrictions, which altered the business model of the restaurant, located at the entrance to the barn area.

Backstretch Café Food and Beverage Supervisor Melissa Ruddick jumped into action and came up with a plan to serve those who work in the barn area. All she needed was a Gator and some Gatorade to get started.

“We wanted to find a way to continue to serve all the people that work both in the barn area and in our track maintenance department because it's difficult for them to leave and go off property to get food and drinks when they are working,” said Ruddick. “So, we began preparing portable options. We provide service six days a week and now make three rounds on race days to accommodate everyone.”

Ruddick, along with Kayla Dudley, start before morning training hours get underway. Their day begins at 5:30 a.m. and they travel by Gator from barn to barn, offering everything from breakfast sandwiches to cold drinks and hot coffee. Their breakfast service continues until approximately 10 a.m. before they head back to the Café and begin preparing lunch. Pre-packaged sandwiches are put together and the ladies follow the same process through the barns with a flat price of $5, which includes a food item and drink.

“We try to have a few different specials every day for breakfast and lunch,” added Ruddick. “We have even created bags for each order that already includes disposable utensils, condiments, and napkins so it's easy for them to carry. We are cash only to make the process as quick as possible and to avoid as much contact as possible to follow restrictions.”

Ruddick and Dudley make one final swing through the barn area after racing begins at 2:20 p.m. and wrap up their day around 5 p.m., giving participants during the afternoon racing card the opportunity to grab something before or after a race. Once the delivery day is complete, they go through all safety procedures to ensure everything has been sanitized and is ready to go for the next day's deliveries.

“Melissa and Kayla have a sincere care for our horsemen and employees and this service has been very well received, “ said Eric Halstrom, vice president and general manager of racing. “The pandemic has forced us into thinking differently about a lot of things which includes how we serve food while following strict protocols in the barn area. We're lucky to have such a wonderful Food and Beverage Team.”

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Los Alamitos’ Summer Thoroughbred Festival Kicks Off Friday

The first of two Thoroughbred meets at Los Alamitos this year will begin Friday, June 26.

The seven-day Summer Thoroughbred Festival will continue through Sunday, July 5 with racing conducted Friday-Sunday (June 26-28) the first week and Thursday-Sunday (July 2-5) the final week. Post time each racing day is 1 p.m.

The season will be highlighted by a pair of graded stakes races – the Grade II, $200,000 Great Lady M. for fillies and mares (3-year-olds & up) at 6 ½ furlongs and the Grade III, $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles.

Both will be run Saturday, July 4. The Los Alamitos Derby is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby'' in 2020. The winner will receive 20 points towards a berth in the Kentucky Derby, which will be run Saturday, Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs.

The wagering menu includes the Pick Six – with the traditional 70-30 split – a pair of $1 Pick 4's – races 2-5 and the final four races – as well as the extremely popular Players' Pick 5 – a 50-cent minimum wager with a reduced 14% takeout rate which is offered on the first five races.

The other stakes race to be offered is the $100,000 Soi Phet for 3-year-olds & up bred or sired in California.

Run at one mile, the Soi Phet – which was formerly named the Bertrando (2014-2019) – honors a gelding who was a five-time stakes winner at Los Alamitos prior to his retirement at age 11 last year. Two of his local victories came in the Bertrando, including the inaugural running in 2014.

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Highest Ground Returns at Haydock

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday’s Insights features the return of two ‘TDN Rising Stars’.

1.10 Haydock, Novice, £5,400, 3yo/up, 10f 100yT
HIGHEST GROUND (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) makes his eagerly-awaited return, having earned TDN Rising Star status a long time ago when impressing on his winning debut at Leicester in September. The Niarchos Family’s relative of the sire King of Happiness (Spinning World) encounters another TDN Rising Star in Gestut Ammerland and Newsells Park Stud’s Waldkonig (GB) (Kingman {GB}), the John Gosden-trained half-brother to Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) who was third when odds-on for the Listed Newmarket S. earlier this month.

2.10 Haydock, Novice, £6,400, 2yo, 7f 37yT
CAIRN ISLAND (IRE) (Kodiac {GB}) cost trainer Kevin Ryan 525,000gns at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale and debuts for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum in this intriguing affair. The half-brother to the useful Galileo (Ire) pair of Cameron Highland (Ire) and Field of Miracles (Ire) gets seven pounds from Russell Jones’s Tom Dascombe-trained Devious Company (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}), who beat some rivals who fared well in last week’s Listed Chesham S. including March Law (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) on his debut at Haydock earlier this month.

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First North American Winner for Slipper Winner Vancouver

Vancouver (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro) was represented by his first North American winner at Thistledown Tuesday afternoon.

Nicky Two Shoes, off at odds of 5-2 to debut a winner, chased early in third, hit the gas with a rail run on the far turn, took over as they hit the quarter pole, and after enjoying a clear lead from there, held on by a half-length over the unlucky favorite Latin Spice (Buffum), who was bumped hard by a rival and nearly went down in the stretch.

The winner’s dam had a colt by Shanghai Bobby in 2019 and a filly by Midnight Lute this year.

The 2015 G1 Golden Slipper S. and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Vancouver reverse shuttled from Coolmore Australia to the farm’s Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, for the 2017 breeding season.

6th-Thistledown, $21,000, Msw, 6-23, 2yo, 5f, 1:00.46, my.
NICKY TWO SHOES (c, 2, Vancouver {Aus}–Wendy Wow, by Invasor {Arg}) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $12,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O/B-Southern Comfort Farm (KY); T-William D. Cowans.

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