March, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

TAA Well Represented Over Derby Prep Weekend

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) will be featured on two big race days at Gulfstream Park and Turfway Park Saturday to promote aftercare awareness on the undercard of the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks and the GI Curlin Florida Derby. A presentation of a TAA blanket and swag bag to the winning connections will be made following the running of each race. Gulfstream's Race 2 presented by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will go off at 11:59 a.m. A limited number of patrons will be in attendance for the action-packed Florida Derby day at Gulfstream. Aftercare support will continue under new ownership at Turfway, where the TAA is set to present race 3 at 2:10 p.m. prior to the 50th running of the Jeff Ruby Steaks. Due to construction in preparation for the new racing and gambling property, Turfway is not permitted to host fans for live racing at this time.

“The TAA is grateful to both Gulfstream and Turfway Park for their commitment to include the TAA during such exciting race days,” said Stacie Clark, TAA Operations Consultant. “Race presentations help the TAA fulfill its mission to spread awareness of accredited Thoroughbred aftercare which facilitates the funding of our 81 accredited organizations.”

The post TAA Well Represented Over Derby Prep Weekend appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

‘He’s Got A Lot To Prove’: Soup And Sandwich On Florida Derby Menu

Soup and Sandwich will be on the menu for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Live Oak Plantation's undefeated homebred is scheduled to make his stakes debut in the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms, the tradition-rich Triple Crown prep that will headline a 14-race blockbuster card with 10 stakes worth $1.85 million in purses.

Soup and Sandwich enters the Florida Derby with a record of 2-for-2 – like the Casse-trained Helium, who captured the March 6 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) off a pair of victories in two career starts.

“Obviously, he's stepping up in class big time. You just never know until you try,” Casse said. “You just have to go back a few weeks to Helium. Helium was just able to overcome a lot of obstacles because he's a good horse. We feel that Soup and Sandwich is a good horse, but he's got a lot to prove.”

Named by Live Oak Plantation's Charlotte Weber, who is on the Campbell Soup Co.'s board of trustees and is the granddaughter of Campbell Soup founder John Dorrance, Soup and Sandwich graduated at Gulfstream Jan. 28. The son of Into Mischief won the 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight race by 7 ¼ lengths under wraps.

“I never expect that out of a first-time starter – that not usually our M.O.,” Casse said. “We just wanted him to run well. I told Mrs. Weber that I expected him to run well, but did I expect that type of performance? Maybe not.”

Soup and Sandwich came back to win by 2 ¾ lengths in a mile-and-40-yard optional claiming allowance at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 24.

“He passed that test with flying colors,” Casse said. “We wanted him to rate a little bit, and he did. He accelerated when asked. He ran fast enough and there seemed to be more in the tank. You couldn't have asked for him to run better.”

Casse had expected that Soup and Sandwich would be a promising 2-year-olds.

“I had him last spring. We really liked him. We thought he was one of our best 2-year-olds, but he hurt himself jumping out of the gate when he was getting ready to run,” Casse said. “Mrs. Weber is a very patient lady. We sent him home and gave him plenty of time, and that's being rewarded the way he's come back.”

Soup and Sandwich has been training forwardly since his Tampa Bay Downs score.

“Our thoughts are that he's doing better than ever,” Casse said. “He's learned a lot obviously in a short period of time. He's doing well.”

The post ‘He’s Got A Lot To Prove’: Soup And Sandwich On Florida Derby Menu appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Late Nominations To 2021 Triple Crown Series Due Monday

The late nomination period for all 3-year-old Thoroughbreds to compete in the races of the 2021 Triple Crown are due by Monday with a $6,000 payment.

Late Triple Crown nominations can be made online at www.thetriplecrown.com, or by calling the Churchill Downs Racing Office at (502) 638-3825. Information regarding mailing nomination forms can be found on www.thetriplecrown.com.

The 2021 Triple Crown opens on 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.

This year's early Triple Crown nominations, which cost $600 and closed Jan. 23, attracted 326 horses.

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)

Representatives of the Triple Crown host tracks include:

· Churchill Downs: Vice President of Racing and Racing Secretary Ben Huffman at (502) 638-3820 or Ben.Huffman@KyDerby.com. … Assistant Racing Secretary and Stakes Coordinator Dan Bork at (502) 638-3806 or Dan.Bork@KyDerby.com. … Racing Operations Manager Kelly Danner at (502) 638-3825 or Kelly.Danner@KyDerby.com.

· Pimlico: Racing Secretary Jillian Sofarelli at (800) 638-1859 or Jillian.Sofarelli@marylandracing.com.

· Belmont Park: Vice President of Racing Operations Martin Panza at (718) 659-4241 or mpanza@nyrainc.com. … Stakes Coordinator Andrew Byrnes at (718) 659-4217 or abyrnes@nyrainc.com.

The post Late Nominations To 2021 Triple Crown Series Due Monday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

McPeek Looks for Back-to-Back GP Oaks Wins

Trainer Ken McPeek, who won last year's GII Gulfstream Park Oaks with 3-year-old filly champion Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), will look to take a second straight renewal of the 1 1/16-mile race when he saddles Phoenix Thoroughbreds' Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) Saturday in Hallandale. The gray filly, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, was second in both the GIII Pocahontas S. and GI Darley Alcibiades S. last fall before ending her juvenile campaign with a sixth-place effort in the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. She rallied from well back to finish second in her sophomore debut in the Feb. 27 GII Davona Dale S.

“She ran great here.” McPeek said of Crazy Beautiful's effort in the Davona Dale. “I think that she's training well enough that we should go right now.”

Juddmonte Farms homebred Millefeuille (Curlin) will be looking to rebound from a troubled seventh-place effort in the Davona Dale when she goes postward Saturday for trainer Bill Mott. The bay filly, 7-2 on the morning line, was second after setting the pace in the GII Demoiselle S. at Aqueduct last December. She lost all chance in the Davona Dale when shuffled back to near last approaching the stretch and comes into her second start of the year with a bullet four-furlong work in :48.60 (1/41) at Payson Park Mar. 19.

Con Lima (Commissioner) moves back to the main track after runner-up efforts over the Hallandale turf in the Jan. 30

GIII Sweetest Chant S. and Feb. 27 GIII Herecomesthebride S. She was second in pair of off-turf stakes last September and was a wire-to-wire winner over the turf in the Jan. 2 Ginger Brew S.

“It's something we've been thinking about for a while,” trainer Todd Pletcher said of the surface switch. “Being a graded-stakes and all–and she seems to like Gulfstream–we decided to give it a try. Her races on the turf have been very good, but she's been consistent on both surfaces.”

The post McPeek Looks for Back-to-Back GP Oaks Wins appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post