March, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Jockey Glenn Corbett Celebrates 4,000th Winner

Veteran reinsman Glenn Corbett rode his 4,000th career winner on Monday at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Ariz., piloting Arabian Song to victory in the day's fourth race. According to Equibase, Monday's victory makes 55-year-old Corbett the 77th North American jockey to reach the 4,000-win milestone.

Corbett rode his first winner at Penn National Racecourse in 1985, and spent the majority of his career alternating between Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Ia., and different venues across the Southwestern part of the United States. Corbett was inducted into the Prairie Meadows Hall of Fame in 2019.

“It's truly an honor not only to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but to be inducted standing alongside Alex (Birzer) and Terry (Thompson),” Corbett said in 2019, referring to a pair of riders inducted alongside him. “I've been blessed to win so many races in Iowa, to ride some really good horses for some great trainers, and to compete against talented jockeys like Birzer and Thompson.”

The 4,000-win milestone was achieved riding 25,495 starts, and Corbett's career earnings stand at over $55 million.

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First Mare Confirmed In Foal To Daredevil Since Stateside Return

Lane's End announced today that Daredevil, new to the farm's roster for 2021, has his first mare confirmed in foal since returning to the U.S.

The first confirmed mare is Striking Style by Smart Strike owned by Bill Harrigan, Mike Pietrangelo, and Caldara Farm. She is a half to graded-stakes placed Aquitaine, and out of the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet-placed Rahy Dolly.

Daredevil is the only first-crop stallion to ever sire an individual winner of the Kentucky Oaks (Shedaresthedevil) and the Preakness Stakes (Swiss Skydiver). Swiss Skydiver was named champion 3-year-old filly to top off his exceptional start at stud.

Daredevil stands for $25,000.

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Life Is Good Moves Up To Second In NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll

Life Is Good was as good as advertised this past weekend when the son of Into Mischief rolled to an eight-length victory in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park. As a result of that emphatic triumph, the bay colt was able to close the gap on champion Essential Quality in this week's National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll.

Making just his third career start, Life Is Good earned his second graded stakes win when he captured the San Felipe. Off the strength of that outing, the Bob Baffert-trainee earned 17 first-place votes and 360 points to move up to second on the poll just behind Essential Quality, who continues to hold down the No. 1 slot with 20 first-place votes and 369 points.

Life Is Good broke his maiden at Del Mar last November and opened his sophomore campaign with a win in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Jan. 2.

“He's still green,” Baffert told the Santa Anita Park notes team about Life Is Good. “The main thing is he came out of it really well. We saw a lot of raw talent (In the San Felipe).”

Greatest Honour, winner of the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes, drops one spot to third this week with 1 first-place vote and 293 points. Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes winner Mandaloun (1 first-place vote, 240 points) remains in fourth followed by Medina Spirit (174 points), Caddo River (158), Concert Tour (123), and Keepmeinmind (87).

The Mark Casse-trained Helium, upset winner of the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, enters the rankings in ninth place with 72 points while Risk Taking (65 points) competes the top 10.

There was no change in the top three of the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll as Grade 1 winner Charlatan continues to lead the way with 24 first-place votes and 370 points followed by two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl (14 first-place votes, 343 points) and multiple Grade 1 winner Knicks Go (291 points).

Joining the top 10 fray this week is the Richard Baltas-trained Idol, who earned 175 points to rank fourth following his victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap. Mystic Guide (1 first-place vote, 150 points) moves up one spot to fifth followed by champion filly Swiss Skydiver (148 points) and Grade 1 winner Maxfield (147).

Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes winner Colonel Liam (137 points) is eighth followed by champion female sprinter Gamine (78) and Jesus' Team (51).

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in the Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll concludes following the Belmont Stakes on June 5 and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through November 6.

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Churchill Downs Honors Legendary African-American Jockey Isaac Murphy

Churchill Downs Racetrack has renamed a Derby Week stakes race to honor the legacy of a legendary African-American and native Kentuckian who was arguably the greatest jockey American racing has ever known – Isaac Murphy.

The featured overnight stakes race on Champions Day, Tuesday, April 27, has been renamed the $120,000 Isaac Murphy Marathon. The 1 ½-mile endurance race for Thoroughbreds age 4 and up was formerly known as the Champions Day Marathon.

Murphy is only the seventh individual to have a Churchill Downs stakes race named in his honor, joining Churchill Downs founder Col. M. Lewis Clark (Clark), former Churchill Downs President Matt Winn (Matt Winn), “My Old Kentucky Home” composer Stephen Foster (Stephen Foster), Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas (Lukas Classic), Churchill Downs all-time winningest jockey Pat Day (Pat Day Mile) and fellow African-American riding great William “Billy” Walker Sr. (William Walker), the leading jockey at six of the track's first 13 meets and winner of the 1877 Kentucky Derby aboard Baden-Baden. More than 50 stakes races are staged at the Louisville, Ky. track annually.

“Churchill Downs strongly believes in preserving and sharing the stories of the African-American jockeys who are an integral part of the legacy of the Kentucky Derby,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Mike Anderson. “As we continue to recognize key contributors to our storied history, we believe now more than ever, it is critical to develop new ways to share these stories widely by incorporating them into our Derby Week traditions.

“Since 2015, Churchill Downs has kicked off Derby Week on Opening Night by recognizing William “Billy” Walker Sr. with the William Walker Stakes. This year, it is a privilege to also honor Isaac Murphy by re-naming the Champions Day Marathon to the Isaac Murphy Marathon. It is important to amplify the stories of these great jockeys, to acknowledge the painful truths that led to their exclusion from horse racing in our country more than 100 years ago and to herald their legendary contributions to our sport and to the Kentucky Derby.”

Born Jan. 1, 1861 in Frankfort, Ky., the son of a former slave who was a Union solider during the Civil War, Isaac Burns Murphy made the most of his natural talent to ride Thoroughbreds, and gained fame, wealth and elite social status that was uncommon for an African-American in the 19th century.

Murphy was the first back-to-back and three-time winner of the Kentucky Derby. He rode his first Derby winner in 1884 aboard Buchanan and took back-to-back editions of the race in 1890 aboard Riley and 1891 with Kingman.

As the greatest rider of his generation, he was known for his amazingly high win percentage. When the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame announced their inaugural class in 1955, Murphy was the first jockey inducted into horse racing's Hall of Fame. More information about Murphy is detailed online at https://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/jockey/isaac-b-murphy.

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