November, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cricket Stadium to Open Adjacent to Lone Star Park

A 6,000-seat defunct minor league baseball park adjacent to Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, is going to be retrofitted into what promoters are hoping will be the premier venue for the sport of cricket in the United States.

“We’re going to put Grand Prairie on the global map because hopefully when we get World Cups and international events, this is going to be one of the key stadiums we’re playing matches in,” USA Cricket chairman Paraag Marathe told ESPN. “The flagship where we’re going to be first putting up our flag and announcing USA Cricket to the rest of the world is going to be right here in Grand Prairie.”

The city-owned stadium, which will be rebranded from its current name of AirHogs Stadium, sits about a thousand feet to the southeast of the track’s main entrance. Opened at a cost of $20 million in 2008, it housed an independent minor league baseball team until the club folded this year under the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic. The terms of the cricket deal for the ballpark were described as a 15-year lease, with $10 million in renovations required to bring it up to international cricket pitch standards.

“One of the major challenges that USA Cricket officials may have is overcoming a string of underwhelming ventures in other cities,” ESPN reported, noting recently failed ventures to gain a foothold for the sport in Indianapolis and at two venues in Florida.

“We just have really great infrastructure around AirHogs Stadium,” Marathe said. “The opportunity to grow and develop…from a geography and infrastructure standpoint.”

Cricket is one of the most-viewed sports in the world, with its governing body reporting an annual audience of 1.6 billion. Although essentially off the radar of U.S. gamblers, the Cricket World Cup annually rates as one of the largest global wagering events.

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Curlin’s Honor To Stand At Pleasant Acres Stallions In Florida

Graded stakes-placed and black type Winner, Curlin's Honor (Curlin – Franscat, by Stormin Fever) – from the family of Fappiano – will be standing in Florida for the 2021 breeding season at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Morriston, with a fee of $2,500.

Curlin's Honor is a son of Curlin – two-time Horse of the Year and Eclipse Award Champion 3-Year-Old and Champion Older Horse. Curlin is sire of 67 stakes winners and 123 stakes horses. Curlin's Honor's dam, Franscat, has produced eight winners out of nine starters, including three black type winners and 1 Graded black type horse.

Trained by Mark Casse, Curlin's Honor was in the money 12 out of 17 starts. At 3, he won the 6f $100,000 Woodstock Stakes (Listed) in 1:08.85 for six furlongs by 2 ¼ lengths. In the same year, he placed second in the seven-furlong, $100,000 Paradise Creek Stakes and the nine-furlong $125,000 G3 Ontario Derby, beating graded stakes winner Mr. Ritz. At 4, he won the eight-furlong, $150,000 Artie Schiller Stakes (Listed), defeating Grade 1 winner Voodoo Song. In the same year, he placed second in the eight-furlong, $175,000 Grade 2 King Edward Stakes, and third in the seven-furong, $175,000 Grade 2 Connaught Cup Stakes, the seven-furlong, $175,000 Grade 2 Play the King Stakes, the six-furlong, $125,000 Grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes, and the 6 1/2-furlong, $125,000 Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes.

When asked about Curlin's Honor, Mark Casse replied, “Talented, fast, handsome, and pure class.”

“We are excited to bring Curlin's Honor to Pleasant Acres Stallions,” said Joe Barbazon, owner of Pleasant Acres Stallions. “As a record-breaking $1.5 million 2-year-old in training purchase, he has proven himself long and short, on all weather, turf, and dirt. Helen and I look forward to another great breeding season in 2021 with this newest addition to the stallion roster.”

Curlin's Honor joins stallions Amira's Prince, Breaking Lucky, Bucchero, Gunnevera, Handsome Mike, Long On Value, Neolithic, Ride On Curlin, Squadron A, Sweetontheladies, and Treasure Beach at the 220-acre farm located just northwest of Ocala.

Pleasant Acres Stallions has received many accolades for excellence, including 2017 Florida Freshman Sire of the Year for Poseidon's Warrior, 2017 DRF Florida-bred Beyer Award, 2009 Florida Breeder of the Year, 2009 Florida Broodmare of the Year, Breeder of the 2009 Florida Horse of the Year, and was ranked third in the nation for leading breeders in 2009 by average earnings per starter with 10 or more starters.

For more information on Pleasant Acres Stallions, visit www.pleasantacresstallions.com. Pleasant Acres Stallions is located at 2153 S.E. HWY-41, Morriston, FL 32668. Owners are Joe Barbazon and Helen Barbazon.

The post Curlin’s Honor To Stand At Pleasant Acres Stallions In Florida appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Essential Quality 10-1 Favorite In First 2021 Derby Future Wager Pool

Godolphin's undefeated $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) winner Essential Quality is the 10-1 individual favorite among 24 betting interests in Pool 1 of the 2021 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which kicks off a four-day run at Churchill Downs on Thanksgiving Day.

The pari-mutuel field of “All Other 3-Year-Old Colts and Geldings” is expected to be the overall first-pool favorite for the 23^rd consecutive year and veteran odds maker Mike Battaglia has installed it as the 6-5 favorite.

In addition to Essential Quality, other promising juveniles that are expected to take interest are CHC INC and WinStar Farm's recent 9 ½-length maiden winner Life Is Good, who cruised 6 ½ furlongs on debut in 1:15.40 Sunday for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, and Klaravich Stable's $125,000 Nyquist Stakes winner Highly Motivated, who is conditioned by top trainer Chad Brown. Both colts were made 15-1 on Battaglia's morning line odds.

Here's the complete Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1 field (with trainer and morning line odds): #1 Caddo River (Brad Cox, 30-1); #2 Dr. Schivel (Mark Glatt, 30-1); #3 Essential Quality (Cox, 10-1); #4 Fire At Will (Mike Maker, 30-1); #5 Get Her Number (Peter Miller, 20-1); #6 Highly Motivated (Brown, 15-1); #7 Hot Rod Charlie (Doug O'Neill, 20-1); #8 Jackie's Warrior (Steve Asmussen, 20-1); #9 Keepmeinmind (Robertino Diodoro, 20-1); #10 King Fury (Kenny McPeek, 50-1); #11 Life Is Good (Baffert, 15-1); #12 Midnight Bourbon (Asmussen, 30-1); #13 Pickin Time (Kelly Breen, 20-1); #14 Red Flag (John Shirreffs, 30-1); #15 Reinvestment Risk (Brown, 30-1); #16 Rombauer (Michael McCarthy, 30-1); #17 Savile Row (Baffert, 20-1); #18 Scarred (Asmussen, 30-1); #19 Sittin On Go (Dale Romans, 30-1); #20 Speaker's Corner (Bill Mott, 50-1) #21 Super Stock (Asmussen, 30-1); #22 Ten for Ten (Shug McGaughey III, 50-1); #23 All 3-Year-Old Fillies (50-1); and #24 All Other 3-Year-Old Colts and Geldings (6-5).

The pool, which features $2 Win and Exacta wagering, opens Thursday at noon and will close Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager will be offered concurrently with the sixth annual Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager, which provides bettors with a unique opportunity to wager on select breeding stars and their entire crop of juveniles with the hope of winning next year's Kentucky Derby.

Offspring sired by Into Mischief and Tapit were made the co-individual favorites at 6-1 on the morning line by Battaglia. The overall favorite is the “All Other Sires” betting interest, which was made 9-2.

Here's the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager field (with morning line odds): #1 American Pharoah (20-1); #2 Bernardini (30-1); #3 Bodemeister (30-1); #4 Candy Ride (ARG) (30-1); #5 Constitution (20-1); #6 Curlin (15-1); #7 Flatter (30-1); #8 Frosted (30-1); #9 Ghostzapper (30-1); #10 Hard Spun (20-1); #11 Honor Code (20-1); #12 Into Mischief (6-1); #13 Liam's Map (30-1); #14 Medaglia D'Oro (20-1); #15 Munnings (30-1); #16 Not This Time (20-1); #17 Pioneerof the Nile (30-1); #18 Quality Road (30-1); #19 Street Sense (15-1); #20 Tapit (6-1); #21 Tiznow (15-1); #22 Uncle Mo (15-1); #23 Union Rags (50-1); and #24 “All Other Sires” (4-1).

This marks the eighth consecutive year that Churchill Downs has hosted Future Wager pools in November on closing weekend of its Fall Meet. In last year's wager, eventual Kentucky Derby winner Authentic closed at 50-1 odds and returned $103.60 for a $2 wager. His sire, Into Mischief, closed at 17-1 and returned $36.20.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wagers provide fans of Thoroughbred racing with opportunities to place bets on possible entrants in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) at odds that could be far greater and more attractive than those available on the day of the race. The 147^th running of Kentucky Derby, America's greatest race and the first leg of the Triple Crown, is set for Saturday, May 1, 2021 at Churchill Downs.

Bets can be placed at Churchill Downs Racetrack, TwinSpires.com and other online wagering outlets and satellite wagering centers across North America.

There are no refunds in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Should Churchill Downs officials determine during the duration of this week's four-day pool that one of the wagering interests has experienced an injury, illness or other circumstance that would prevent the horse from participating in the Kentucky Derby, betting on the individual horse will be suspended immediately.

More information, Brisnet.com past performances and real-time odds on the Kentucky Derby Future Wager will be available before the pool opens Thursday online at https://www.kentuckyderby.com/wager/future-wager.

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In The Stud Presented By Kentucky Equine Research: Mor Spirit, First Weanlings Of 2020

Mor Spirit displayed speed and consistency on the racetrack, and he will look to instill both into his first crop of foals, born earlier this year.

On this week's episode of In The Stud, we head out to Spendthrift Farm to speak with Mark Toothaker about multiple Grade 1 winner Mor Spirit, the stallion's physical, and the parts of his family tree that are getting hot at the right time. We also get a special appearance from trainer Bob Baffert, who conditioned Mor Spirit, to go into more detail about how the stallion is put together.

Mor Spirit, a son of Eskendereya, won six of 14 starts during his on-track career for earnings of $1,668,400. He displayed his elite form early on, winning the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity as a juvenile. Then, he proved his mettle against the handicap division at age four with a score in the G1 Metropolitan Handicap. Between those two efforts, he notched victories in the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes and G3 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes.

Mor Spirit is out of the Grade 3-placed stakes-winning Dixie Union mare Ima Dixie Girl. His extended family includes champion Stellar Wind, Grade 1 winner Great Hunter and multiple Grade 3 winner Owendale.

The In The Stud video series, put together by our friends at EquiSport Photos, features up-and-coming names in the stallion ranks, with a focus on those whose first foals are weanlings of 2020. Paulick Report bloodstock editor Joe Nevills interviews farm staff about the stallion's appealing qualities and what mares might work best with them, while giving viewers and potential breeders a chance to see the stallion on the walk and on the racetrack.

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