March, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Jockey Of The Week: Eric Cancel’s Big Sunday Nets Emotional First Aqueduct Riding Title

Capping a remarkable week in the 24-year-old's riding career, Eric Cancel was voted Jockey of the Week for March 22 through March 28. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Cancel entered the 8-race card on Sunday in second place in the jockey standings four victories behind Kendrick Carmouche. In dramatic fashion through rainy and foggy conditions, Cancel won the opener on Sono Grato for trainer Cleveland Johnson. Starting in race three, he reeled off five winners in a row, riding Lobsta for Gary Sciacca, Kith for Robert Ribaudo, City Temper for Jorge Abreu, Make Mischief for Chris Englehart and My Boy Tate for Michelle Nevin in the Haynesfield Stakes. He finished in-the-money in all eight races. Six wins for six different trainers catapulted Cancel to the top of the standings at Aqueduct's winter meet and his first leading jockey title at a NYRA track.

“I'm filled with emotions. I worked very hard for this and being able to compete with a guy like Kendrick, who is a very hard-riding guy, it feels wonderful,” said Cancel. “Yesterday (Saturday) I didn't think I was going to get it. But today (Sunday) I just woke up and said to keep on swinging and go for it. I want to thank my agent and all the owners and trainers who gave me the opportunity to be here and win this meet.”

Cancel continued: “I was just trying to win as much as I can and go home happy.”

Cancel had two stakes wins on Saturday during New York Claiming Championship Day with Air Attack for John Toscano, Jr. in the Stud Muffin and Fox Red for Linda Rice in the Dads Cap.

Weekly stats for Cancel were 28-13-4-3 for a 46.4% win percentage, an impressive 71.4% in-the-money percentage and total purses of $509,975.

Cancel out-polled jockeys Adam Beschizza who tied for second in wins with 10, Julien Leparoux who won two graded stakes races, Irad Ortiz, Jr. with two stakes wins including the Grade I Florida Derby and set a single season win record at Gulfstream Park and Jose Ortiz who won three stakes including the Gr. II Gulfstream Park Oaks.

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Tampa Bay Derby Winner Helium, Gotham Hero Weyburn Among Late Triple Crown Nominees

D.J. Stable's Tampa Bay Derby (Grade 2) winner Helium along with Chiefswood Stables' Gotham upset hero and likely Wood Memorial (G2) entrant Weyburn were among nine Thoroughbreds made eligible to compete in the 2021 Triple Crown with a $6,000 late payment that was due Monday.

With nine late nominees during the Jan. 23-March 29 late nomination phase (pending late mail), there are now 335 horses eligible to compete in the Triple Crown's three race series. The 2021 Triple Crown opens Saturday, May 1 with the 147th running of the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The 146th Preakness, its 1 3/16-mile second jewel, is set for Saturday, May 15 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. The 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes, the series' 1 ½-mile final leg, is scheduled for Saturday, June 5 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Other late Triple Crown nominees: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's UAE Derby (G2) runner-up Panadol; Reddam Racing's Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) third-place finisher Hockey Dad; Larry Katz' Turf Paradise Derby winner It's My House; Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables' three-time winner Maythehorsebwithu; Phillip Ward's stakes-placed Tiz Mandate; MyRacehorse.com, Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds and Edward Kelly's European transfer Carrothers; and Clark M Cooper Family Trust, Mia Familia Racing Stable and Wade Jacobsen's two-time winner Back Ring Luck.

Any horse not nominated during the early or late phases can become Triple Crown eligible through a supplemental nomination payment due at the time of entry for each Triple Crown race: Kentucky Derby ($200,000), Preakness ($100,000), and Belmont ($50,000).

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Late Triple Crown Nominees Include Helium and Weyburn

Among the nine horses who are late nominees for the 2021 Triple Crown are D.J. Stable's GII Tampa Bay Derby winner Helium (Ironicus) and Chiefswood Stables' GIII Gotham S. upsetter Weyburn (Pioneerof the Nile). They were made eligible to compete in the Triple Crown with a $6,000 payment that was due Monday. The window for late nominations was Jan. 23-Mar. 29.

A total of 335 horses are now eligible to compete in the three-race series, which kicks off with the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby, continues with the May 15 GI Preakness S., and concludes with the June 5 GI Belmont S. Horses can still become eligible for the individual races through supplemental nominations of $200,000 (Derby), $100,000 (Preakness), or $50,000 (Belmont).

In addition to Helium and Weyburn, other late Triple Crown nominees are Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's G2 UAE Derby runner-up Panadol (Flatter); Reddam Racing's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks third-place finisher Hockey Dad (Nyquist); Larry Katz' Turf Paradise Derby winner It's My House (Anthony's Cross); Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables' three-time winner Maythehorsebwithu (Bullsbay); Phillip Ward's stakes-placed Tiz Mandate (Strong Mandate); MyRacehorse.com, Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, and Edward Kelly's European transfer Carrothers (Mshawish); and Clark M. Cooper Family Trust, Mia Familia Racing Stable, and Wade Jacobsen's two-time winner Back Ring Luck (Malibu Moon).

The post Late Triple Crown Nominees Include Helium and Weyburn appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Grade 3 Winner Performer Retired To Claiborne Farm, Will Debut In 2022

Multiple Grade 3 winner Performer has been retired from racing, and he will stand at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky., debuting for the 2022 breeding season, Daily Racing Form reports.

The 5-year-old son of Speightstown came out of a third-place effort in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes on Feb. 27 with an ankle injury, re-aggravating an ailment that kept him on the shelf for nearly a year in 2019 and 2020.

Performer retires with six wins in nine career starts, earning $420,475 for owners Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm. He was trained Shug McGaughey.

Never worse than third in any of his efforts, Performer won the G3 Discovery Stakes as a 3-year-old, and he kicked off the 2021 season with a victory in the G3 Fred W. Hooper Stakes. He also finished third in last year's G1 Cigar Mile Handicap.

Claiborne Farm president Walker Hancock said the decision to delay Performer's debut at stud to 2022 was due to the timing of the horse's injury, coming in the middle of the breeding season already in progress.

Performer is out of the Grade 2-placed A.P. Indy mare Protesting, whose foals also include Grade 2-placed stakes winner Breaking the Rules. A multi-generational member of the taproot line in the Phipps breeding program, his second dam is graded stakes producer On Parade, his third dam is Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and champion-producing My Flag, and his fourth dam is Hall of Famer and 1996 Broodmare of the Year Personal Ensign.