Month: October 2020

Australia: Bondi Stakes To Shine At Randwick

The riches of Sydney's “Everest Carnival” continue this Friday night: for the equine participants in a million-dollar race for 3-year-olds, and for North American horseplayers with the 20c Pick 7 and a guaranteed pool of $10,000. Both are relatively new concepts: the Pick 7 was introduced just a couple of weeks ago with great success, while the $1 million Bondi Stakes (pronounced bond-eye) was inaugurated last year.

Australia's iconic Bondi Beach is curved and contained within a horseshoe-shaped bay, equidistant (just 4 miles) from downtown Sydney and Randwick Racecourse. “Royal Randwick” plays host to the Bondi Stakes, a one-mile assignment for recently turned 3-year-olds (Aug. 1) who are looking to improve upon their juvenile exploits and scale new heights.

My pick will hopefully be unperturbed by such aspirations: Acrophobic (which means “suffering from a fear of heights”) has attracted my attention through hints of ability combined with tinkering by his trainer John O'Shea with equipment and riding tactics. I fancied him two weeks ago at 9/1 when he finished fourth  – beaten only ¾ of a length – behind Peltzer and Prime Star at 7 1/2 furlongs in the Stan Fox Stakes. Acrophobic faces that pair in the Bondi once more, and is again behind them in the wagering, but I believe he can outrun both in the final furlong of a Randwick Mile.

The latest experiment by trainer John O'Shea is “winkers first time.” Winkers are a sheepskin device attached to the cheek-strap of a bridle, helping focus but allowing more peripheral vision than blinkers. Regardless of whether winkers are considered worthwhile in U.S. racing, there can be no denying the superior information that racing fans in Australia receive. As an example, a program notification in the U.S. of “Blinkers On” does not stipulate whether it's for the first time. The intricacies of equipment changes in Australia extend to tongue ties, shadow rolls, hoof fillers, ear muffs and various types of bits that are being applied or removed – always with a notation of whether it's for the “first time” or “again.” By contrast, American racing has only recently clamped down on the timely notification of first-time geldings!

Whether or not the application of “winkers first time” helps the prospects of Acrophobia (6/1), I'm prepared to single him in the Pick 7 against Peltzer (2/1) and Prime Star (3/1). The sequence spans Races 3-9 and includes races from six furlongs to 1-1/2 miles with an average field size of 11. Here is a suggested ticket:

Race 3 – 1, 2, 3

Race 4 – 1, 4, 5, 8

Race 5 – 1, 2, 3, 4

Race 6 – 3

Race 7 – 4, 5, 6, 8

Race 8 – 5, 6

Race 9 – 11

Cost: $76.80

A reminder that the Pick 7 wager is available via all major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, AmWager, and BetAmerica. The Randwick card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:50pm ET / 6:50pm PT) alongside cards from Doomben, Kembla Grange and Gold Coast. All races will also be live-streamed in HD with past performances available for free at skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms.

Looking ahead to next Friday night's racing action, it is stacked with the running of the $7.5 million Golden Eagle for 4-year-olds at Rosehill racecourse and the commencement of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington (Derby Day). Future markets currently have Alligator Blood, Funstar and Bivouac at the top line of betting for the Golden Eagle and is a race that cannot be missed.

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Michael's vast U.S. experience includes; race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders' Cup on the International simulcast network. Michael also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.

The post Australia: Bondi Stakes To Shine At Randwick appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Free Equibase PPs Available For Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5

A packed Cross Country Pick 5 featuring all five races in a 50-minute stretch across four racetracks will highlight Saturday's racing action, with Belmont Park, Keeneland Race Course, Monmouth Park and Woodbine Racetrack all a part of the wager hosted by the New York Racing Association, Inc.

Live coverage will be available with America's Day at the Races on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/cross-country-wagers.

Keeneland will kick off the set with a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up in Race 7 at 4:24 p.m. Eastern. The jam-packed hour of racing action will see a full field of 12 compete on the Haggin Course. Phast Pharoah, son of Triple Crown-winner American Pharoah, will compete for trainer Anna Meah, while Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen entered American Mandate.

Just five minutes later, Woodbine will add international flair to the wager with an allowance for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 7 1/2 furlongs in Race 7 at 4:29 p.m. Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse will send out two of the field's eight contenders, with All Quality and the English-bred Jeanie Beach looking to win their first respective race of 2020.

Belmont will host both the third and fourth legs, offering a pair of stakes during the track's Empire Showcase Day featuring some of the best state-breds in action. A 10-horse field of fillies and mares 3-years-old and up will contest at 6 1/2 furlongs over Big Sandy in the $125,000 Iroquois in Race 9 at 4:31 p.m. The Iroquois has been won by owners Chester and Mary Broman the last two years and will look for a third straight with homebred Spin a Yarn, a five-time winner from six starts for trainer Christopher Progno. Other Iroquois contenders include Newly Minted and Prairie Fire, both trained by Linda Rice, as well as Espresso Shot, Timely Tradition, Fair Regis, Officer Hutchy Collegeville Girl, Bertranda and My Roxy Girl.

The showcase race on the eight-stakes card at Belmont will be the penultimate leg, as multiple stakes winners Mr. Buff, Funny Guy and Sea Foam square off in a loaded renewal of the nine-furlong $175,000 Empire Classic for 3-year-olds and up in Race 10 at 5:05 p.m. Chestertown, a $2 million purchase at the March 2019 OBS 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, matched a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure last out in a three-quarter length score in the Albany on September 4 at Saratoga.

Monmouth will close the sequence with the first running of the $75,000 Pinot Grigio Handicap for New Jersey-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf in Race 11 at 5:12 p.m. Achieving Glory, a winner against allowance company last out on October 3 at Monmouth, will go for trainer Chuck Spina, while Bramble Bay, winner of the Jersey Girl Handicap on July 19 for conditioner Michael Dini, will look to keep her perfect in-the-money record of 3-2-1 in six starts during her 4-year-old campaign intact.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, October 24:
Leg 1 – Keeneland, Race 7: (4:24 p.m.)
Leg 2 – Woodbine Race 7: (4:29 p.m.)
Leg 3 – Belmont, Race 9: Iroquois (4:31 p.m.)
Leg 4 – Belmont, Race 10: Empire Classic (5:05 p.m.)
Leg 5 – Monmouth Park, Race 11: Pinot Grigio (5:12 p.m.)

The post Free Equibase PPs Available For Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Tattersalls Releases December Mares Catalogue

Beach Frolic (GB) (Nayef), Lady Gorgeous (GB) (Compton Place {GB}) and Miss Phillyjinks (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), all Group 1 producers in 2020, are among the standouts in this year’s Tattersalls December Mares Sale, for which the catalogue was released on Thursday. There are over 100 stakes winners and producers catalogued, and mares in foal to 22 of the current top 25 active British and Irish sires.

The four-day sale will take place at Park Paddocks in Newmarket from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3 and feature 1,104 broodmares and fillies and mares in and out of training.

The 9-year-old Beach Frolic (lot 1731) is the dam of this year’s standout 3-year-old miler Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}), winner of the G1 St James’s Palace S. and the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois. The unraced Beach Frolic is herself a half-sister to G2 Dante S. winner Bonfire (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) and G2 Windsor Forest S. and G3 Musidora S. scorer Joviality (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), and she is offered by Highclere Stud carrying a member of the first crop of champion sprinter Blue Point (Ire). Beach Frolic is one of nine mares catalogued in foal to Blue Point, and those also include the Grade I-placed Strathnaver (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) (lot 1649) and Daily Times (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}) (lot 1675), a winning half-sister to multiple Grade I winner Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). Beach Frolic’s yearling colt by Highland Reel (Ire) sold for 320,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 1.

Lady Gorgeous (lot 1740) produced this year’s G1 Fillies’ Mile winner Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}), and she is also responsible for the listed-winning Alwaab (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}). The 11-year-old Lady Gorgeous is offered by Norelands Stud in foal to No Nay Never.

Miss Phillyjinks (lot 1736) is the dam of recent G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Tiger Tanaka (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}), who was her first foal, and she is offered by Kellsgrange Stud in foal to Mehmas (Ire). Dulkashe (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) (lot 1605), dam of G1 Coronation Cup and G2 Hardwicke S. winner Defoe (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}), is offered in foal to Churchill (Ire).

G1 Queensland Oaks scorer Winning Ways (Aus) (Declaration Of War) (lot 1726) is offered in foal to Kingman (GB), and the listed-placed Golconda (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) (lot 1386) is an attractive offering in foal to Triple Crown winner Justify.

Maiden fillies on offer include Group 3 winners Breathtaking Look (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) (lot 1662), Devant (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) (lot 1724), Kurious (GB) (Kuroshio {Aus}), Queen Jo Jo (GB) (Gregorian {Ire}) (lot 1751) and Tamniah (Fr) (Nathaniel {Ire}) (lot 1679), as well as 2020 listed winners Archer’s Dream (Ire) (Dream Ahead) (lot 1669), Heliac (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) (lot 1998), Punita Arora (Ire) (Sepoy {Aus}) (lot 1674), Run Wild (Ger) (Amaron {GB}) (lot 1704), Sardinia Sunset (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) (lot 1744) and Stormy Girl (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) (lot 2045).

Sardinia Sunset is one of three juvenile stakes winners this year for Gutaifan, and the sire of the G2 Prix du Calvados winner Fev Rover (Ire) is the lone stallion offered in the sale (lot 1508). Four lots ahead of him, G1 Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}) (lot 1504) will go through the ring.

“The Tattersalls December Sale is Europe’s premier breeding stock sale, and this year’s catalogue, which features the final part of the Waddesdon Stud Dispersal and the partial dispersal from Floors Stud, has quality in abundance,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony. “The December Sale is the annual showcase for the very best breeding stock that Europe has to offer and is a sale which exerts an extraordinary influence on the global Thoroughbred industry. The 2020 catalogue has outstanding consignments from many of the world’s leading owner/breeders and those buyers unable to make their annual pilgrimage to the sale will again be able to use the Tattersalls live internet bidding platform and telephone bidding facilities which have been a huge asset since we have been conducting sales under strict COVID-related rules and regulations.”

The post Tattersalls Releases December Mares Catalogue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights