January, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Gretzky Namesake The Great One Being Pointed Toward March 6 San Felipe

Wow!

The exclamations were still relevant at Santa Anita on Sunday morning, less than 24 hours after The Great One demolished a field of maidens with a 14-length triumph in Saturday's second race, a one-mile event at the Arcadia, Calif., track that likely will lead to the Grade 2, $300,000 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 6.

Doug O'Neill plans to “monitor the colt and then huddle up with the boys (owners)” before making a decision

“That's probably the logical spot right now,” said O'Neill, who trains the Louisiana-bred son of his 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist for an ownership group that includes the Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson's ERJ Racing, LLC, thus the colt's name.

“Erik named him for Wayne Gretzky, one of Eric's idols growing up,” O'Neill said, clarifying that the $185,000 Ocala Breeders' Sales purchase was not named after the late Jackie Gleason, a multi-talented actor, comedian, writer, composer and conductor deservingly known affectionately as “The Great One.”

“Erik and Wayne are friends,” O'Neill added, “so it's pretty cool.”

Gretzky, lest we forget, holds a host of hockey records that would fill a goalie's net, and is not only considered by many the greatest hockey player of all-time, but in some quarters, the greatest athlete of all time, justifying his nickname, “The Great One.”

Gretzky, who turns 60 on Monday, Jan. 25, spent the majority of his NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings. His next shot on goal was always a high priority as he adhered to the credo, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.”

Even O'Neill was surprised by the ease with which The Great One broke his maiden.

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “You never figure on winning like that. Your main focus is just trying to get him to the wire first. You never figure they're going to win by 14, although he had been training really, really well. Each race had been better than the previous one.

“Since we added blinkers (last Nov. 29), he's really focused. It's very exciting and hopefully we'll have more fun down the road.”

Triple Crown temptation continues for Team O'Neill this Saturday when two other precocious 3-year-olds run in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Hot Rod Charlie and impressive maiden winner Wipe the Slate.

Stay tuned.

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Connecticut Casinos

Connecticut is the state that is well-known for its rolling hills, miles and miles of green grass and its sleepy, family communities. You would not think that Connecticut casinos even have a place in this state of 3,405,565 people. The capital, Hartford, is known for its bustling, state government lifestyle. Throughout the state, however, a busy Connecticut casino industry thrives.

Two of the world’s largest casinos make their home in Connecticut: Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. They are the most well known operations with the state of Connecticut and grand-scale facilities that are known worldwide. They are direct competitors of one another and are constantly upgrading to try to outdo each other.

Foxwoods Resort Casino, one of the several Connecticut Casinos, is located in Ledyard. The Mashantucket Pequot tribe runs it and it is one of many Native American owned casinos spread throughout the country. Foxwoods casino is said to be the largest casino in the world, a fact that draws thousands of visitors, enthusiasts, professionals, and tournament players year-round. This Connecticut casino features more than 7,000 slot machines, horseracing, table games and more. There are also more than three hotels on the premises of Foxwoods Casino. It also houses the infamous Foxwoods Arena, as well as a host of other entertainment options. Foxwoods Resort Casino is one of the top Connecticut casinos that bring in visitors from all over the world to this quiet Connecticut region.

The Mohegan Sun is located in Uncasville. This Connecticut casino competes directly with Foxwoods, about 20 minutes away. The Mohegan Sun used to be a smaller competitor to Foxwoods. However, this Connecticut casino underwent a major renovation about three years ago that brought the square footage of the Mohegan Sun to just under the amount of Foxwoods. The Mohegan Sun casino also added a huge arena, a Planetarium Dome (the largest in the world), a Cabaret and numerous new dining establishments. Needless to say, the Mohegan Sun is now a formidable competitor for any Connecticut casino, particularly Foxwoods.

These two Connecticut casinos are among the largest in the world. They are as well known for their variety in games and competitions as they are for the many extras they offer their customers. There are not a great many Connecticut casinos, however, the few that are located with the state are large-scale operations that are dedicated to serving every minute need of the amateur and professional gambler.

Outwork Filly Stays Unbeaten at Oaklawn

8th-Oaklawn, $84,000, Alw, 1-24, (NW1X), 3yo, f, 6f, 1:11.89, my, 1 1/2 lengths.
ABROGATE (f, 3, Outwork–Hot Coffee, by Burning Roma) became the third winner on Oaklawn's Sunday card for her owners, trainer and jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. A six-length debut winner at Churchill Nov. 12, she'd been flattered when the runner-up from that heat returned to take her next two starts and was backed down to 4-5 favoritism facing a promising group. Away well, the dark bay was content to press from second through an opening quarter of :22.78 before poking her nose in front while flanked by rivals through a :46.62 half. Southern Grayce (Liam's Map) mounted a stiff challenge in the lane, but Abrogate turned her back to get the job done by 1 1/2 lengths. The winner, who hails from the family of Grade I winners Big Drama and Sheer Drama, has a 2-year-old half-sister by Daredevil and yearling half-brother by Good Samaritan. Her dam visited Hard Spun for 2021. Sales history: $75,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; $270,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $99,492. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Alex & JoAnn Lieblong; B-Sandra Sexton & Silver Fern Farm (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.

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Hoof Abscesses: A Sign Of Something More Sinister?

A horse with an abscess in his hoof can be startling to see he: He may be so painful he's loath to bear any weight on the affected limb, making horse owners fear a broken leg. One abscess can be time consuming and frustrating to heal, but a horse that develops multiple abscesses in different feet may have more going on than simply poor hoof condition.

Hoof abscesses are fluid-filled cavities under the sole or the hoof wall. They can be caused by sole bruising, puncture wounds or hoof cracks. Though some abscesses are only uncovered by the farrier during routine trimming—never causing the horse any discomfort—others are extremely painful. Abscesses can drain on their own, either down through the bottom of the hoof or up through the coronary band, or a drainage channel may have to be cut to offer the horse relief.

There are many concoctions for hoof abscesses, from veterinary-prescribed products to home remedies. Most products focus on drawing the material out of the abscess. Antibiotics are often not needed, but pain medication is essential to provide relief to the horse and prevent harm to the other hooves from bearing excess weight.

If an abscess doesn't begin to heal in a few weeks, a foreign body may be trapped inside the hoof, like a splinter or nail—or even a bone chip. A horse that is experiencing abscesses that don't heal well in multiple feet most likely has something else wrong and the abscesses are secondary.

Metabolic issues may cause a horse to have multiple of abscesses that don't heal well. Cushing's disease and equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) can cause laminitis, which can predispose a horse to abscesses. A veterinarian can run bloodwork to determine if a horse has either of these conditions and if they are the cause of the abscesses. Once the underlying conditions are controlled and hoof damage is addressed, the abscesses should decrease in both frequency and severity.