July, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Shore Thing: Monmouth Opens Friday With Limited Crowd Size, COVID-19 Protocols

In accordance with new state restrictions, Monmouth Park will tentatively be limited on crowd size for live racing days starting with opening day on Friday, July 3, when post time for the six-race twilight card will be 5 p.m.

The restrictions on crowd size are part of the ongoing COVID-19 guidelines and the exact numbers are pending final guidance from state officials.

“We will continue to operate under the protocols mandated by the Governor's office,” said Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, operators of the racetrack. “We're happy and grateful that we'll get to kick off our 75^th season of racing tomorrow and look forward to fuller capacities when permitted.”

Outside dining at the racetrack will be utilized to the fullest extent possible, under state guidelines, as will the William Hill Sports Book, which will be permitted to open at 25 percent capacity.

Gates open for simulcasting, live racing and the Sports Book at 11 a.m.

Admission and parking are free all season except for Haskell Day on July 18.

Additional details will be forthcoming shortly.

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Cedeno Voted Jockey Of The Week After Five-Win Day At Delaware Park

After leading North America in total wins for the week and having a five-win day on Saturday, Carol Cedeno was voted the Jockeys' Guild Foundation Detox Jockey of the Week for June 22nd-June 28th. The award is voted on by a panel of experts for riding accomplishments by members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 riders in North America.

Carol Cedeno continued her prominence in the Delaware Park jockey standings as the native of Puerto Rico started her week with a triple on Monday, a triple on Wednesday and had a dominating performance on Saturday's card as she was victorious in five out of nine races.

The leading rider at Delaware Park began her day Saturday with a win in the day's opener aboard the three-year-old Tonalist filly Always a Queen, making it two in a row for the horse and rider tandem in capturing the $32,000 starter allowance for conditioner Scott Lake.

Aboard the three-year-old Tim Ritchey trained filly Dancer's Melody in the third race, Cedeno sat on the fence around the turn, cut the corner and took command to prevail by a head in the $42,000 allowance race.

Returning in the fourth aboard the 10-1 shot Grand Skylard, the veteran rider, applying her aggressive skills, finished strong aboard the claimer to just get up late for trainer Susan Cooney.

With her third triple on the week already secured, Cedeno continued her dominance in the sixth race aboard Baby Bam Bam, a $10,000 maiden claimer for Jamie Ness.

Making it a day to remember in winning her fifth race on the card, the journeyman rider guided Paradise Pride to a seven-length victory in the featured $42,000 allowance for conditioner Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon.

Cedeno led North America in total wins for the week with 12 victories, maintaining a 46% win percentage while in the money on 65% of her mounts. With 12 wins, three seconds and two third place finishes, her earnings totaled $242,850.

Cedeno has won 39 of 160 starts this year with earnings of $873,320. She has won 925 of 6,907 lifetime career mounts with earnings exceeding $22 million.

Jockey of the Week is sponsored by Foundation Detox, removing the toxins that affect our equine athletes. For more information visit JockeyTalk360.com/FoundationDetox.

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Nebraska Racetrack Casino Initiative Appears Headed To November Ballot

The Keep the Money in Nebraska political committee and partnership announced Thursday that enough signatures have been collected to give Nebraskans the chance to vote for casinos to be legal in the state.

Signature collectors gathered more than 475,000 signatures for three ballot initiatives that will legalize, regulate and tax games of chance.

“Nebraskans have been clamoring for property tax relief for many years, and these initiatives will finally provide a real solution rather than political rhetoric,” said Lance Morgan, President and CEO of Ho-Chunk, Inc., an entity owned by the Winnebago native American tribe. “To be clear, we're not trying to make Nebraska into Nevada. Nebraskans are already gambling. We're just trying to level the playing field with all of our bordering states and keep Nebraska's money in Nebraska.”

The ballot measures will limit the number of casinos to the six licensed horse racing tracks in the state. The tracks are located at Omaha, Lincoln, Columbus, Grand Island, Hastings and South Sioux City.

The proposed taxes on gaming revenues will bring $65-$80 million into the state, with 70% of that to be specifically allocated for property tax relief. The cities and counties where the tracks are located will receive 25% of the tax revenue. The state general fund and compulsive gambling assistance fund would split the remaining 5%.

With the signed petitions now turned over to the Secretary of State's office, the signatures will be authenticated by the appropriate counties. Ballot numbers will be assigned next month.

“We're confident Nebraskans will vote for the three ballot measures this November,” said Bob Moser, President of the Nebraska Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA). “It's a vote for the making the 'good life' even better for our state. It's only fitting that Nebraska's original citizens help lead the charge to revitalize our state's economy and firmly establish this industry.”

Keep the Money in Nebraska is a political committee and partnership between Ho-Chunk, Inc. and the Nebraska Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. The group supports a series of 2020 ballot measures to expand, tax and regulate casino gaming at licensed horse tracks in Nebraska. More than $350 million is being spent in neighboring states' casinos by Nebraskans every year — that's $65-$80 million in tax revenue Nebraska loses each year. Legalizing casino gaming can help keep that money here in Nebraska.

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Churchill Downs Spring Meet Concludes on a High

All-sources wagering on Churchill Downs’ abbreviated 27-date Spring Meet totaled $240.5 million, which was a 53.3% increase from the 32 days of racing that followed last year’s Kentucky Derby. Additionally, the average daily handle was up 81.7% from $4.9 million one year ago to $8.9 million this season.

Shortened to seven weeks from May 16-June 28, the 2020 meet was staged under strict government-sanctioned protocols and without spectators because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This season, Churchill Downs experienced four of the track’s six largest non-Derby, Oaks or Breeders’ Cup betting days in track history, led by a record $19.3 million May 23 (Stephen Foster Preview Day). Other big days: $16.8 million was wagered May 30 (Winning Colors/Old Forester Mint Julep); $14.3 million May 16 (Opening Day); and $13.8 million June 27 (Stephen Foster Day).

A total of 2,536 horses made starts in the 268 races for a substantial average of 9.5 horses per race–up from 8.4 horses in 2019. Purses paid to horsemen totaled $15.6 million and averaged $576,000 per day compared to last year’s $601,000 daily average. The average purse per race was $58,000 compared to last season’s $63,000.

This season, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen extended his Churchill Downs training title record to 23 with 17 wins, one better than Brad Cox (16), and he overtook south Louisville native Dale Romans as the track’s all-time leading trainer. Asmussen has won 747 career races at Churchill Downs, three more than Romans, who surpassed Bill Mott Nov. 12, 2017 after 31 years in the top spot. Mott, who has 728 career wins at Churchill Downs, became only the seventh trainer in history to record 5,000 career wins when Moon Over Miami won at the Louisville track June 20.

In the jockey’s standings, Tyler Gaffalione easily defeated 19-time local riding champion Corey Lanerie by capturing 31 wins through the meet, seven more than Lanerie who collected 24. In the owner’s race, owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey earned their record 33rd title as the leading owners at Churchill Downs. On May 24, Ramsey’s registered their 500th win beneath the Twin Spires, and finished the season with a total of 504 career Churchill Downs wins. Gayle Benson’s G M B Racing, who campaigns GII Stephen Foster S. winner Tom’s d’Etat (Smart Strike), was the meet’s leading money-earning owner with $368,532.
Racing returns to Churchill Downs in nine weeks for the rescheduled Kentucky Derby Week (Sept. 1-5). The 146th running of the Longines GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve will be held with spectators under strict guidelines Sept. 4 and Sept. 5, respectively.

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