August, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Bodhicitta, Prat Nose Out Tonahutu In Yellow Ribbon At Del Mar

Calvin Nguyen's Bodhicitta, a filly on the rise, came running late to get up by a whisker and take honors in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar Saturday afternoon.

The British-bred daughter of Showcasing packed 120 pounds and got a picture-perfect ride from Flavien Prat and caught DRJ Racing, Kenney or Strauss' Tonahutu just in the shadow of the wire. Finishing third was Agave Racing Stable's Harmless.

Race favorite Beau Recall put in only a mild late bid and finished fifth beaten just under two lengths in the seven-horse lineup.

The tally was the eighth stakes score in just 12 racing days for rider Prat, who now has 21 firsts at the session, second best among all riders to Umberto Rispoli, who won four races on the afternoon to forge to the top with 22 scores.

“I had a good post (#2) today, so I was able to get right on the fence and save ground,” said Prat. “I knew they were going slow, but my filly has a good turn of foot and we got it done.”

The 4-year-old Bodhicitta paid $11.20, $5.40 and $4.00 across the board and earned a winner's share of $90,000 from the Yellow Ribbon purse of $151,000. She now has amassed $265,808 in winnings with her fourth stateside score and initial stakes victory.

This was the 68th edition of the Yellow Ribbon for fillies and mares, aged 3 and up, and the winner covered the mile and one-sixteenth distance on the Del Mar turf course in 1:42.83.

“The race went about like I thought it would, I didn't see much speed in the race,” said Baltas. “She has more tactical speed than some of the horses, like Beau Recall and others who come from the back. He (Flavien Prat) saved a lot of ground and we needed all of it. When he won with her awhile back, he said 'This is my next (multiple-stakes winner) Vasilika'. It means a lot because he's ridden a lot of good horses. We may go here in the Mabee ($150,000, Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes, September 5).”

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Laurel Runs First Lasix-Free Races For 2-Year-Olds

Hope H. Jones' Tiz Ferguson put her speed on display in Maryland's first race for 2-year-old fillies of 2020, blazing to a popular front-running five-length score over first-time starter Miss Marley in Saturday's opener at Laurel Park.

Ridden by Lauralea Glaser for trainer Cal Lynch, Tiz Ferguson ($5) completed five furlongs over a fast main track in 57 seconds – more than a second faster than the gelding Ain't Da Beer Cold ran (58.11) in winning Maryland's first race for 2-year-olds Friday.

It was Glaser's fourth win this summer in her first 12 tries for Lynch, to go along with three seconds and two thirds.

“Very pleased. [Tiz Ferguson] did everything right today and Lauralea got the job done again,” Lynch said. “She started galloping for us a few months back and she gets along with a lot of these fillies that are a little quirky. She's got a good set of hands and she's very teachable, but luck is everything. I'd rather be lucky than good.”

Tiz Ferguson, a bay daughter of Tiznow out of the Limehouse mare Amy Limehouse, was lucky to avoid trouble right out of the starting gate when Who's Your Daddy, breaking two stalls to her right, broke inwardly squeezing back Proper Attire and bumping Tiz Ferguson. Glaser quickly righted the filly and sent her to the front, where she led through a quarter-mile in 22.36 seconds and a half in 45.58.

Proper Attire recovered to press Tiz Ferguson for the opening quarter before Miss Marley and Betcha by Golly took up stalking spots around the turn. Tiz Ferguson straightened for home with a 3 ½-length lead and steadily expanded it through the lane as Miss Marley kept 2 ¾ lengths between her and show finisher Betcha by Golly.

Proper Attire, My Dream Girl, Runaway Monet, Honor Your Mother, Who's Your Daddy, Kens Lady and Nine Mast completed the order of finish.

Purchased for $90,000 as a yearling last fall at Keeneland, Tiz Ferguson was making her second career start Saturday. She finished a gutsy second in her July 4 debut at Monmouth Park, getting up by a neck for the place, two lengths behind winner My Beautiful Belle in the 4 ½-length maiden special weight sprint.

“With babies, you'd rather run them home like this out of their own stall. I thought she was very professional and did everything right that day,” Lynch said. “We were very proud of the way she handled the ship and everything up there. She ran a very game second. She probably doesn't want to go 4 ½, she wants to go further, and she'll want to go further than five.”

As the boys did Friday, all 10 fillies ran Saturday without having the medication Lasix administered within 48 hours of post time. Tiz Ferguson did run on Lasix in her debut.

“We scope everything after they work and after they breeze, but we don't like to give an advantage away and I feel Lasix is definitely an advantage to run with than not. If everybody else is running on it, it's probably a disadvantage to yourself,” Lynch said. “But I don't think it's a big deal for her.”

Notes: Jockey Tais Lyapustina was unseated during Saturday's second race when her mount, 3-year-old filly My Lila, broke down in mid-stretch while on the lead and drifted inside, avoiding other horses but catapulting the rider over the inner rail. Lyapustina was taken to a local hospital for observation. My Lila was euthanized.

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Badugi Poker Its a Change

There are a lot of card games to play, and I mean a lot, just like solitaire, poker has an ever growing number of variations, after a while some players can get bored of playing Texas Holdem and fancy a change. There are loads of games like Omaha, 5 card, razz and stud games to pick from. You could play all day infact just learning the new games, with the amount of free sites that are offering games today it’s all made to easy. Perhaps one of the many variations of poker have taken your interest and that’s why you want a change, why you are reading this article? Well Badugi is certainly a change from your normal game.

Poker, a game using playing cards which has previously attracted the interest of world through tournaments has many variations to pick from. Badugi is one of the newest variants to be found in a couple of casino sites and the game is slowly growing as people are taking interest. The game is thought to have originated somewhere in Asia where it is still widely played today. The game is only going to grow as more people gain internet access and find the enjoyment in multi player online games.

The game is completely different to Texas Holdem so you can forget all those pairs and flushes as they just won’t help you, for starters it is a four card game and secondly it is whats known as a “low ball” game where the object is to collect the lowest cards. Another important difference between this and the more common poker games is that pairs and flushes etc don’t count, in fact the best hand ,which is also called a badugi, would be an Ace, Two, Three and Four of all different suits. Sometimes this has been called rainbow hands due to each card been different suits. Because the cards are different suits badugi hands are sometimes called rainbows. Badugi is also a draw game where players can swap cards with cards from the deck. The drawing of the cards is done in between the rounds of betting.

Once the players agree to start the game play involves rounds of betting with draws separating them, players don’t have to draw new cards – this is optional, players still try to out bluff each other by betting more than they the hand is worth, this is part of the excitement and all games have newbies and sharks so play for a while and practice makes perfect.

As with any card game you read about the best way to actually learn for yourself is to play the game and experience it first hand for yourself. You may have to wait for a game because it’s not very popular yet but it is a change and you might enjoy playing a new card game. There is only a few sites with the game but I’m sure you can find a one and practice for free. The important part is remember, no pairs, different suits and low cards, you can always read the tutorials provided on the site your playing at.

As with any card game you read about the best way to actually learn badugi for yourself is to play the game and experience it first hand for yourself. You may have to wait for a game because it’s not very popular yet but it is a change and you might enjoy playing a new card game. The important part is remember, no pairs, different suits and low cards, you can always read the tutorials provided on the site your playing at.

Art Collector Jockey Hernandez Helping Put Spotlight On Second Stride Aftercare Program

Three-year-olds are horse racing's glamour division, and taking center stage on Sunday's 10-race program at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., is the $200,000 Runhappy Ellis Park Derby and its leading Kentucky Derby contender Art Collector.

But during that 1 1/8-mile race, Art Collector jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. will be bringing attention to horses far from the limelight: retired racehorses and industry efforts toward rehoming them after they're through at the track. In that regard, Hernandez will be wearing the name Second Stride on his white riding pants in the Ellis Park Derby, the first and pending another pandemic the only Kentucky Derby qualifying race ever to be held at the western Kentucky track.

Trainer Tommy Drury, who is 3 for 3 since receiving Art Collector early this year from owner Bruce Lunsford, is on the advisory board for Second Stride, the accredited thoroughbred rescue and aftercare facility in Prospect and Pleasureville outside of Louisville. Drury, Lunsford and Hernandez hope to gain recognition for Second Stride and the concerted effort by horse racing to find safe homes for its retirees, including retraining many for second careers.

For every Art Collector, there are thousands of horses who don't have a future breeding career. Founded by horsewoman Kim Smith, Second Stride is among 160 facilities across North America accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance to offer adoption, rehab and equine-assisted programs as well has sanctuary. There are nine TAA accredited programs in Kentucky, all but Second Stride located close to Lexington. Indiana is home to one accredited organization, Friends of Ferdinand in Indianapolis.

“It's such a good program and a much-needed program,” Drury said. “As trainer, we'd be lost without Second Stride. They find these horses good homes. Kim and her staff do such a great job. This is just kind of saying thanks for everything they've done for us.”

Staff by volunteers, Second Stride provides professional rehabilitation, retraining and placement of retired thoroughbred racehorses, adopting out an average of 100 horses a year, including 83 the first seven months of 2020. The program specializes in giving retired thoroughbreds the training they need to succeed in a second and sometimes third profession, such as with horses no longer being bred. The organization is one of the few aftercare facilities that will take male horses that haven't been gelded.

“We transition them to whatever each individual horse wants to do,” said Smith while watching Art Collector train earlier in the week at the Skylight training center in Oldham County. “As Tommy tries to get into their brain when they're here, we try to get into their brain and figure out what their next mission is going to be. We've placed horses in everything from polo, jumping, dressage to family horses. It's amazing to find out what these horses can do, the thoroughbred, and how versatile they are. Barrel horses, we've had some police work — especially a mounted unit that likes the big black horses.”

To have Hernandez displaying Second Stride on his leg, Smith said, “For us, it's just humbling that they would consider us. It's mind-blowing the national coverage just to get aftercare out there, and all the horsemen are doing for the horses. Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance has been life-changing for our program and for the horses, with the sponsorship we get and also the mentoring and the education they provide our program in how to exceed. To have these hometown heroes being at Ellis is just going to be amazing. Tommy helped us set the foundation of the program and Brian Hernandez and his family come to our events and support us. So it's awesome. We're just proud of Tommy and Brian and the horse. It's super exciting.”

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