November, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Half-Brother to G1SW Seismos Debuts at Deauville

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 a half-brother to Group 1 winner Seismos (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}).

2.25 Deauville, Mdn, €22,000, unraced 2yo, c/g, 9 1/2f (AWT)
Ecki Sauren’s SUDDEN DEATH (FR) (Muhaarar {GB}), a €30,000 Arqana October yearling purchase, is the latest of 13 foals out of a half-sister to MG1SW Deutsches Derby-winning sires Samum (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) and Schiaparelli (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) and G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) heroine Salve Regina (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). The Henk Grewe trainee, a half-brother to G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern winner Seismos (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and MG1SP Preis der Diana runner-up Soberania (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), has drawn stall three and faces 15 fellow firsters in this synthetic bow. His rivals include Alain and Gerard Wertheimer’s Yorksea (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), who is a Freddy Head-trained son of G1 Prix Saint-Alary victress Queen’s Jewel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}); His Highness The Aga Khan’s Vizeli (Fr) (Iffraaj {GB}), who is out of a stakes-winning half to MG1SW globetrotter Vazirabad (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}), from the Jean-Claude Rouget stable; and Haras du Mezeray and Ecurie Skymarc Farm’s homebred Fenelon (Fr) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who is out of a MGSW half-sister to five black-type performers headed by G1 Prix d’Ispahan-winning sire Mekhtaal (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), representing Nicolas Clement.

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Lichoa Enters Guilty Plea To Charge Of Money Laundering Conspiracy

Alfredo Lichoa, longtime Central Florida horseman, has entered a guilty plea to a charge of money laundering conspiracy according to federal court records. Lichoa was indicted alongside four others in March by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York – the same prosecutor's office which, days earlier, had indicted more than two dozen trainers and veterinarians (including trainers Jorge Navarro and Jason Servis) on charges of drug misbranding relating to an alleged horse doping ring. Lichoa and four others were arrested on March 9, the same day the FBI executed arrest and search warrants in Florida and New York in connection with the Navarro/Servis investigation.

Additional defendants charged with money laundering conspiracy in March were Jose “Pepe” Morely Chocron; Isaac Schachtel, a licensed Thoroughbred owner from Venezuela living in Miami; Juan Carlos Balaguera-Villamizar; and Juan Marcos Matos Ruiz.

A superseding indictment filed in the case in early August charged only Lichoa, Schachtel and Chocron with one count of money laundering conspiracy. The new indictment sought forfeiture of assets the defendants may have gained as a result of their actions.

The original indictment described a scheme by the defendants to launder money purportedly from corrupt politicians in Brazil. The money was used to get preferential treatment in business deals. The scheme is alleged to have included the horsemen's accounts belonging to trainers in the South Florida area. Trainers were supposedly able to put money into the accounts and either rapidly resell a horse or rely on consistent wins by the horse to get their money back out.

The original indictment included quotes from Schachtel, who is supposed to have relied on Lichoa to guarantee the safety of funds because of “systematic administration of illicit performance enhancing drugs to the racehorses under his control,” according to federal prosecutors.

Read more about the original indictment here.

A sentencing hearing for Lichoa is set for Feb. 17, 2021 before Judge Jed S. Rakoff.

A trial date for Chocron has been set for March 30, 2021.

The post Lichoa Enters Guilty Plea To Charge Of Money Laundering Conspiracy appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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California Hotel In Las Vegas

Las Vegas is full of action. There are many hotels & casinos to choose from. Many tourists end up on the Las Vegas Strip. However, “downtown” is where the action used to be. And it’s still a good spot to hang out.

The California Hotel is one of my favorite downtown casinos. It’s easy to spot and it’s been around for decades. One thing you notice is the friendly and smaller gaming floor. Most of the more recent casinos require an atlas to navigate through. The California Hotel is smaller and easy to find what you want. No worries about getting lost here.

It has some nice restaurants and some shops upstairs. Parking is a bit interesting. There’s valet (recommended) and self-parking. If you park it yourself, there is a parking garage. You can also park on the street in metered spots, but I don’t recommend it. Valet is free-just throw them a tip of a buck or two.

As mentioned, the second floor has some shops. These are little specialty stores-even a place to get yummy ice cream. There’s also a corridor to another casino if you want to take a stroll. Upstairs is my favorite place to grab a quick mean. It’s a Hawaiian place and the teriyaki rice bowls are the best in town-yes, really. This place is almost always packed.

You’ll notice a lot of Asian and Hawaiian people here. The California Hotel usually does a lot of promotion in Hawaii and runs flights back and forth. It’s really the “Hawaiian Hotel” of Las Vegas. They pride themselves on having that aloha spirit and it shows. If you’re interested in staying at the California Hotel, they have about 800 rooms and the prices are very reasonable. It’s within walking distance to all the other downtown casinos too-Plaza, Horseshoe, Golden Nugget, etc. And you’ll be able to catch the Fremont Experience shows.

If you want to take in the Las Vegas Strip, no worries. You can hop in a cab (or drive) and be there within about 10 minutes. Let me recommend a cab. Driving on the Las Vegas Strip isn’t fun at all. If you’re a public transportation enthusiast, there are buses. The CAT bus is the general one and now there’s a double-decker bus called the Deuce. It’s great. If you take a cab, get out somewhat near where you want to be and take a stroll. No need paying to sit in traffic and there’s a lot of see on the Strip anyway.

For downtown action, the California Hotel is definitely a fun place to check out. You’ll notice the difference in atmosphere right away.

More Qualifiers Announced For 2021 National Horseplayers Championship

Each week, the NTRA will provide a rundown of those who have qualified for the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) the previous weekend.

The NHC is the most important tournament of the year for horseplayers and is the culmination of a year-long series of NTRA-sanctioned local tournaments conducted by racetracks, casino race books, off-track betting facilities and horse racing and handicapping websites, each of which sends its top qualifiers to the national finals. The 2021 NHC is now slated take place in the Bally's Events Center from August 27-29.

Friday, November 20
HorsePlayers.com

Edward Lohn of The Villages, Fla. will be heading to the NHC for the fourth time.

Ernest Hey Jr. of Lancaster, N.Y. has qualified for his third NHC appearance.

Saturday, November 21
HorsePlayers.com

Peter Dresens of Groton, Mass. has qualified for his fifth NHC tournament and has cashed once for $14,400 in 2017.

Sunday, November 22
HorsePlayers.com

Kenneth McMahan of Lexington, Ky. will be making his ninth NHC appearance when he heads to Las Vegas in 2021.

Mike Somich of Raleigh, N.C. is now dual qualified for what will be his second NHC appearance.

The post More Qualifiers Announced For 2021 National Horseplayers Championship appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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