September, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sadler’s Joy Prepares for Joe Hirsch Turf Classic

Woodslane Farm’s Sadler’s Joy (Kitten’s Joy) worked a half-mile in :50.03 over Belmont’s main track Wednesday morning in preparation for his fourth appearance in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Oct. 3. Trained by Tom Albertrani, the 7-year-old finished fourth in 2017 and third in the past two editions of the Joe Hirsch. A veteran of 32 career starts, the late-running horse boasts a record of 7-4-10 with purse earnings in excess of $2.6 million.

“We’ll be looking at the Joe Hirsch next weekend for him,” confirmed Albertrani. “He’s doing really well. He came out of his last race fine and continues to train well.”

Sadler’s Joy closed for third in a pair of starts at the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, including the 10-furlong GI Manhattan S. July 4. After crossing the wire first in the 11-furlong GII Bowling Green at Saratoga Aug. 1, the chestnut was disqualified and placed fourth for lugging in. Most recently, Sadler’s Joy finished fourth in a soggy renewal of the GI Sword Dancer S. at Saratoga Aug. 29.

“I think you just throw out his last race over soft going,” said Albertrani. “His two races prior to that, he won the Bowling Green and unfortunately got disqualified. He ran well that day and he ran well in the Manhattan. For him, it’s a matter of getting the right trip and saving some ground. With his big move, winning or losing with him is all about the ground he loses or saves.”

Albertrani offered updates on a pair of turf-running stablemates as well. Mark T. Anderson’s Beau Belle (Giant’s Causeway) and Elizabeth Mateo’s Lovely Lucky (Lookin At Lucky) will both make their next starts in the Oct. 10 GI Flower Bowl S., a ‘Win and You’re In’ event to the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“They’re both doing well and we’ll probably aim for the Flower Bowl with both of them,” confirmed Albertrani.

Last time out, Beau Belle, with Luis Saez up, set a moderate pace in the Sept. 5 GII Glens Falls S. over 11 furlongs before staying on to finish third, a length back of winner Civil Union (War Front) and just missing the exacta by a nose to My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}). Stablemate Lovely Lucky, accompanied by Jose Lezcano, was fourth.

“Lovely Lucky was being hard held the first part of the race [:53.22 opening half mile] and I don’t think it helped her any to be held up quite like that,” said Albertrani. “I think the distance of her winning or losing, or even getting a little closer, would have been beneficial if Jose had let her use a little more of her stride. It may have helped Beau Belle being on an easy lead, but it made the other filly not want to settle and it hurt her in that respect. If it comes up the same scenario, I don’t think we’ll hold up Lovely Lucky and just let her go to the front because Beau Belle is better at settling.”

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‘We Can Be Competitive’: Max Player Heading To Preakness Stakes

Max Player is headed to the Preakness Stakes (G1), which as it currently stands will stamp him as the only horse to compete in all three legs of the Triple Crown — plus Saratoga's Travers Stakes (G1).

Owned by George Hall and the SportBLX Thoroughbreds company he co-founded, Max Player finished third in the Belmont Stakes (G1), third in the Travers and most recently fifth in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby (G1). Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, winner of the 2007 Preakness with Curlin and the 2009 edition with the filly Rachel Alexandra, ran Max Player for the first time in the Derby, with New York-based Linda Rice previously training the Honor Code colt.

Hall won the 2011 Belmont Stakes with 24-1 shot Ruler On Ice. Max Player was his best finish out of four starters in the Kentucky Derby and his first to run in the Churchill Downs classic since Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Pants On Fire came in ninth in 2011.

“I'm very excited because I haven't been in the Preakness yet,” Hall said by phone. “Steve and I stay in close contact. He shares a lot of information with me, and we discuss things. So it's been great. We both agreed we'd take a lot of things into consideration before there was a decision.

“First, and most importantly, how was the horse feeling and was the horse up for it? Because we don't want to do anything that is not in the interest of the horse. After the Kentucky Derby, he looked like he wanted to keep running. Steve watched him closely, and he was in great shape. He's galloped well. He's breezed well. We felt the horse was at the peak of his game and is ready to run.

“The next thing is, are we going to be competitive? I really feel like we will be competitive. If you look at the Belmont Stakes, where we were third, he didn't have such a great trip. We got really caught behind a lot of horses and had to move around a lot and still wound up being third because he came on so strong at the end. In the Travers, he again came on strong to be third. It's no shame to lose to Tiz the Law, as everybody knows. We feel like he's a really good horse.

“When we started to look at the Preakness, I think the view is that he's in perfectly good health. He's in good shape, and he needs to develop. Reviewing the Kentucky Derby, he really came out of the gate slow (from post 1) and was far behind in the first jump. If we can get a little better trip out of the gate, maybe get a better post position and not fall so far behind and give him so much work to do at the end, we think that we can be competitive.”

Paco Lopez, known for getting horses into a race, has the Preakness mount on Max Player, Hall said. “That's what Paco is known for. Obviously, we want to stay in the race, but we have to be careful because he is going to be a closer, no matter what. I'm sure Steve will give Paco the correct instructions.”

Max Player won Aqueduct's 1 1/8-mile Withers Stakes (G3) on Feb. 1 after winning a maiden race at Parx on his second attempt. He did not run again until the June 20 Belmont, which this year also was 1 1/8 miles instead of the traditional 1 1/2-miles because of the COVID-forced changes to the 2020 Triple Crown.

“He had a long layoff before the Belmont, but then he's had a robust campaign since,” Hall said. “What's most important to us is that he stays healthy and has a good 4-year-old and hopefully 5-year-old career. We didn't really think there was negative toward running in the Preakness that would affect his long-term prospects as a 4-year-old. We're pretty excited about what he's going to do be doing in the future, too.”

Hall bred Max Player through his K & G Stables, named for his children Katherine and George, with the colt raised on his Annestes Farm in Versailles, Ky. Hall owns 86 percent of Max Player, with SportBLX Thoroughbreds owning the other 14 percent. Co-founded by Hall with Joe De Perio, SportBLX Thoroughbreds allows people to buy micro-shares in racehorses, similar in basic premise to Myracehorse, a minority owner in Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness favorite Authentic.

More micro-shares in Max Player, which will come out of his majority interest, likely will be available for purchase next week, Hall said.

Asmussen also is running Monmouth Park's Pegasus winner Pneumatic in the Preakness, with Joe Bravo to ride.

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View From The Eighth Pole: The Skunk In Arizona Racing

“You don't get in a pissing match with a skunk.”

Those words were first conveyed to me in the mid-1970s when I was dealing with a political operative in Washington, D.C., who wasn't happy with something written by a newspaper columnist nationally syndicated by the company for which I was working.

While that may be good advice, sometimes you just can't avoid confrontations with skunks.

One example came from a recent letter from Turf Paradise general manager Vincent Francia to horsemen who race at the Phoenix, Ariz. track.

The letter, likely dictated to Francia by Turf Paradise owner Jerry Simms, was both delusional and insulting. It said, in essence, if you want us to open Turf Paradise for an abbreviated race meeting in 2021, you'll have to find another organization besides the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association to represent you. Either that, or the current board and executive director of the Arizona HBPA can resign, and then we'll consider opening for a live meet in January.

“Simms is trying to do the same thing with the horsemen that he did with the racing commission a while ago: divide and conquer,” said Robert Hutton, president of the Arizona HBPA. “His move to get rid of the HBPA is because he doesn't want anyone holding him to a standard.”

Simms and Francia are upset that Hutton and the Arizona HBPA took control of $2.1 million in the purse account generated primarily from Simms-controlled off-track betting facilities from the time live racing at Turf Paradise abruptly ended last March and horsemen were given short notice to leave the stable area.

“We were well within our rights,” Hutton said. “We want to take the purse money and give it to anyone who wants to run a live race meet in the state.”

The move came after Turf Paradise told the Arizona Racing Commission in August that it wouldn't be possible to run a 2020-'21 race meeting because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtually every other track in the country has been able to meet the challenge of the pandemic and operate with or without fans on-site.

Turf Paradise said it wanted to hold the horsemen's purse money for a meeting at some time in the future. Never mind the short-term pain having no 2021 meet would inflict on horsepeople who have supported Turf Paradise for years or decades.

According to Hutton, Francia and Simms simply may be trying to buy time and keep churning profits out of their OTB network – which he said can only operate if there is live racing.

“No live racing, no OTBs. That's the law,” Hutton said. “In his settlement agreement with us in March, one of the things we agreed to was he (Simms) could have OTB signals until the end of the year. We're willing to stick to that, but that date is fast approaching.”

In response to Francia's Sept. 17 letter to horsemen, Hutton issued one of his own on behalf of the Arizona HBPA the following day

In it, he calls Francia's bluff and agrees to a January-May race meet on the following conditions:

That Simms “respect the horsemen's choice of representation and refrain from your attempt to tell us, the horsemen, who we can have as our representatives. Respect us, our choices, our leadership, our solidarity, and our industry.”
That Simms “honor the arbitration agreement and allow the AHBPA control of the horsemen's purse account (with the understanding that it will be used for purses during Turf Paradise's live meet). Additionally, reimburse AHBPA purse money from March 2020, when you killed the contract, to present, what the state law requires: 50% of the OTB revenue, when a contract is not in place.”
“The track must be safe for horses and people. Right now, the main track, the turf track and the training track are not fit to run on. The back side is full of trenches, power boxes with wires exposed, and the roads and bridle path are in terrible condition. The barns are, as always, dilapidated. And the clubhouse is uninhabitable. No doubt, to meet this condition, a safety inspection will be required.”

Hutton then added: “As an aside, the condition of your facility and grounds gives us pause as to the genuineness of your proposal. Could it be that you are simply after an AHBPA that you can control so that you will be able to collect revenues from OTBs without live racing and secure approvals for importing the signal without live racing, as you are now? If that is the case, then we will have racing on your terms which is no racing at all. Which would violate state law, and we would be forced to have the Commission regulate compliance.”

There is a skunk involved in Arizona racing, for sure, but it's not the horsemen who started this pissing match.

That's my view from the eighth pole.

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Saturday’s Delaware Card Features Six Stakes On ‘May The Horse Be With You’ Owners Day

Owners Day at Delaware Park will showcase the best of the best in Delaware racing this Saturday. The theme of the 28th renewal celebrating the contributions of horse owners to the sport is “May the Horse Be With You.” The eleven race card with a total entries of 122 will offer total purses of $752,500. The card offers six stakes, four for Delaware bred or certified Thoroughbreds and two restricted to horses that have started at Delaware Park this year.

The horse of the day is Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables' Maythehorsebwithu who is entered in the five and a half furlong $100,000 First State Dash which is restricted to Delaware bred or certified 2-year-olds.

The gelded son of Bullsbay has one win from two career starts. The Pennsylvania-bred trained Brittany Russell posted a 10 ¼-length score in his career debut in a $40,000 maiden claiming event going five and a half furlongs at Delaware Park on July 16. He followed by running fifth in a five and a half furlong allowance at Delaware Park on August 26.

“The name and the theme of the day must be a coincidence, but when I saw the pamphlet, I thought, I have got to run him, so hopefully it is a good omen,” said trainer Brittany Russell. “His nickname in the barn is actually “Luke” as in Luke Skywalker. He is doing really well. I am tossing out the last race because I just do not think he was himself that day. He is kind of an ornery horse with a lot of energy and he is typically quite a handful to train. When he was walking the shed before we took him over, it seemed like he was being too good and quiet which is kind of out of character for him. I decided I was probably thinking too much about it, so we brought him over and he ran a bit of a clunker. He did not really have an excuse, so after the fact I am thinking maybe he was having an off day. Since then, he has been training awesome. We are adding blinkers because it seems like he does need a little help focusing, so we are hoping he runs like he did the first time.”

Russell has entered two others in the Owners Day stakes. The 30-year-old trainer has Cash is King and LC Racing's Juror Number Four in the Small Wonder Stakes going five and a half furlongs for Delaware bred or certified 2-year-old fillies and Madaket Stables, Ten Strike Racing, Michael Kisler and Black Cloud Racing's Whereshetoldmetogo in the New Castle Stakes going six furlongs for Delaware bred or certified 3-year-olds and upward.

In her last, Juror Number Four broke her maiden by 2 ½-lengths going six furlongs at Laurel Park on September 11. Previously, the Maryland-bred daughter of Into Mischief ran third in her career debut going six furlongs at Delaware Park on August 13.

“Juror Number Four broke her maiden last time out at Laurel and she ran really well,” said Russell. “I also think she ran really well her first time out when she ran third at Delaware Park. I do not put a lot of emphasis on winning first time out especially with my younger horses, but we did like her enough that we thought maybe she could get the job done first time out, but that was not really the goal. She hooked a pretty decent filly that day and she did not embarrass herself. She came back and ran the way we thought she would the second time out. It is back a bit quick. I do not love to run them back in about two weeks, but she is doing really well after her maiden victory and I do not think it took a lot of her, so we are going to take a shot since it is restricted and it is worth $100,000. I think she is going to run well.”

Whereshetoldmetogo has a career record of seven wins, four seconds and two thirds from 21 starts with earnings of $401,291. The 5-year-old son of El Padrino has notched three victories and second from four career outings at Delaware Park. In his last, the Maryland-bred ran fourth in the six furlong $100,000 Polynesian Stakes at Laurel Park on September 5.

“I have not had him terribly long and last time the goal was to get a run into him,” Russell said. “He ran well and I think he needed it. He worked really nicely on September 20. We are hoping he steps forward off that race, he likes Delaware, and I think we have him in a spot where hopefully he will run a big one.”

$75,000 DTHA Govenors Day Handicap

(Plus up to $50,000 Delaware Certified Bonus)

For 3-year-olds and upward which have started at Delaware Park in 2020 (stakes races excluded)

at a mile and seventy yards

#	HORSE	OWNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	Wg	OD
1	Tudox Expectations	Tudox Farm	Ron Potts	Jamie Rodriguez	116	15-1
2	Market Mover	Runaway Point Far	Mark Shuman	TBD	115	15-1
3	Wait for It	Uptwoncharlybrown	Edward Coletti Jr.	Abner Adorno	126	8-5
4	Confessor	BJP Stable	Scott Lake	Alexander Crispin	120	10-1
5	Honor the Fleet	Frank DeMarco	Louis Albertrani	Alex Cintron	120	8-1
6	Militiaman	DARRS Inc	Michael Stidham	Brian Pedroza	113	12-1
7	Fact Finding	Robert & Bart Evans	J. Reeve McGaughey	Carol Cedeno	123	2-1
8	Forevamo	Brittlyn Stable	Jose Camejo	Angel Suarez	117	12-1
9	Pretty Good Year	Lead Off Stable	Kelly Rubley	TBD	114	12-1

$75,000 George Rosenberger Memorial

(Plus up to $50,000 Delaware Certified Bonus)

For fillies and mares 3-year-olds and upward

which have started at Delaware Park in 2020 (stakes races excluded)

at a mile and a sixteenth (turf)

PP	HORSE	OWNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	Wg	OD
1	Steelin Magnolias	Mike Trent	Stacy Lane Hendry	Navin Mangalee	118	20-1
2	Shifra Magician	Shook & Ashby	Lynn Ashby	Alexander Crispin	118	20-1
3	Tightly Twisted	Fiasco Farms	Juanita Bennett	Jhonthan Mendoza	118	5-1
4	Ujjayi	TL Wise	Erin McClellan	TBD	118	15-1
5	Saffron Spirit	MLB Equine Investments	Robin Graham	Keiber Coa	118	20-1
6	Lagom	High Kings Racing	Niall Saville	Brian Pedroza	120	10-1
7	Something Magical	Charles Reed	Phil Schoenthal	TBD	118	15-1
8	Madame X	Quest Realty	Susan Cooney	TBD	118	30-1
9	Wildcat Cartridge	Nicilby Racing	Mark Salvaggio	Angel Suarez	118	12-1
10	Artful Splatter	James Wolf	Kieron Magee	Alex Cintron	124	10-1
11	B B's Busted	John Witte	Jose Rodriguez	Abner Adorno	122	10-1
12	It's a Journey	Gap View Stable & Jagge	Jamie Ness	Jaime Rodriguez	124	9/2
13	Ebullient	Marquis & Behrendt	Michael Matz	Roberto Alvarado Jr	118	8-1
14	Bramble Queen	Ballybrit Stable	Michael Dini	Carol Cedeno	118	7/2

$100,000 Tax Free Shopping Stakes

For Delaware-bred or Certified fillies & mares 3-year-olds and upward

Six Furlongs

PP	HORSE	OWNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	Wg	OD
1	Madam Meena	Michael Cox	Jamie Ness	Jaime Rodriguez	116	5-1
2	Dancer's Melody	Tim Ritchey Stables	Tim Ritchey	Carol Cedeno	120	3-1
3	Fifteen Royals	Country Life Farm	Michael Trombetta	Brian Pedroza	120	8-1
4	Map of America	M3 Racing Stable	Michael Moore	Alexander Crispin	118	8-1
5	Quiet Imagination	Harry Kassap	Tim Woolley	Alex Cintron	116	6-1
6	Still Alive	Nicholas Cammarano Jr	Guadalupe Preciado	Angel Suarez	114	12-1
7	Crazy Bea	Bing Cherry Racing	Harold Wyner	Navin Mangalee	118	10-1
8	Pink Caddy	Club Risque Stable	Randy Allen	Abner Adorno	120	2-1

A Delaware Certified weanling or yearling Thoroughbred has spent a minimum of 90 days on a certified Delaware farm or training facility before December 31st of its yearling year. Over 3,000 Thoroughbreds are Delaware Certified and eligible to participate during the 2020 Delaware Park meet.

$100,000 Small Wonder Stakes

For Delaware-bred or Certified 2-year-old fillies

Five and half furlongs

#	HORSE	OWNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	Wg	OD
1	Mavilus	Pecoraro Stable	Anthony Pecoraro	Carol Cedeno	116	10-1
2	Juror Number Four	Cash is King & LC Racing	Brittany Russell	Alex Cintron	116	10-1
3	Thegoddessofsnakes	Gold Square	Natalia Lynch	TBD	114	12-1
4	Plane Drunk	Triple Threat Stable	Phil Schoenthal	Abner Adorno	116	8-1
5	Downtown Katie	Donald Wilson	Kirsten Swan	RG LaBarre	114	20-1
6	Anginetti	Runnymore Stable	Jamie Ness	Jaime Rodriguez	116	8-1
7	Tactical Pajamas	James Hess	Ron Potts	Raul Mena	116	10-1
8	Laughin' Place	Teresa Beste	Lynn Ashby	Angel Suarez	116	6-1
9	Hickory Dickorydoc	D. Scott Peck	D. Scott Peck	Roberto Alvarado Jr	116	15-1
10	Heart Full of Soul	Robertson & Gregory	McLean Robertson	Keiber Coa	120	7/2
11	Street Lute	Lucky 7 Stable	John Robb	Brian Pedroza	116	9/2
12	Hope Has a Name	Larry Rabold	Hugh McMahon	TBD	116	15-1

$100,000 First State Dash

For Delaware-bred or Certified 2-year-olds

Five and half furlongs

#	HORSE	OWNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	Wg	OD
1	Zip the Lip	No Guts No Glory Farm	John Robb	TBD	114	12-1
2	Maythehorsebwithu	Dubb & Bethlehem	Brittany Russell	Alex Cintron	116	5-1
3	Meet Me At Mundis	Siedler & Simoff	Andrew Simoff	Carol Cedeno	116	8-1
4	Latin Spice	DaCosta & Calypso Stable	Jason DaCosta	Raul Mena	116	12-1
5	Kenny Had a Notion	Ulman & Glasser	Dale Capuano	Abner Adorno	116	6-1
6	Newyearsblockparty	Black Cloud Racing Stable	Anthony Pecoraro	Brian Pedroza	118	5/2
7	Our Hoisted Mast	Second Chance Stable	Anthony Pecoraro	Angel Suarez	116	10-1
8	Jaquqvious	Rebecca Davis	Lynn Ashby	TBD	114	15-1
9	In the Top Ten	Waldorf Racing Stable	Phil Schoenthal	TBD	114	12-1
10	Singlino	John Worsley	John Worsley	Alexander Crispin	116	12-1
11	Tiz Golden	Cesar Nambo	Cesar Nambo	Skyler Spanabel	116	12-1
12	Clever and Great	Cynthia Rickman	Mark Reid	Carol Cedeno	114	12-1

$100,000 New Castle Stakes

For Delaware-bred or Certified 3-year-olds and upward

Six Furlongs

PP	HORSE	OWNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	Wg	OD
1	Trifor Gold	Copper Penny Stables	Mark Shuman	Alexander Crispin	124	12-1
2	Tappin Cat	Non Stop Stable	Gary Capuano	Abner Adorno	120	6-1
3	Whereshetoldmetogo	Madaket Stables	Brittany Russell	Alex Cintron	118	4-1
4	Threes Over Deuces	Pocket 3's Racing	Gary Capuano	Victor Rosales	120	3-1
5	So Street	Runnymoore Racing	Jamie Ness	Jaime Rodriguez	120	5-1
6	Smithwick's Spice	New Spice Stable	Douglas Nunn	TBD	120	12-1
7	Golden Candy	A. Delaperriere	Anthony Pecoraro	Carol Cedeno	120	10-1
8	Aspect	Tim Ritchey Racing	Tim Ritchey	Roberto Alvarado Jr	120	6-1
9	Tommy Shelby	Port Lairge Stable	Henry Walters	Brian Pedroza	114	15-1
10	Cozze Cat	David Taylor	Yolanda King	Keiber Coa	118	20-1

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