April, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

After Blip, CHRB Commissioner Mitchell Reappointed

In a session Thursday, the California State Senate voted to reappoint commissioner Wendy Mitchell to the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB).

Mitchell was reappointed by a vote of 23-7, needing 21 votes to succeed.

Thursday's vote follows Mitchell's prior failed bid for reappointment earlier in the month, when, after a period of extensive lobbying on the senate floor, she lost the vote on a 17-20 denial.

Mitchell has served on the CHRB since 2019 and has been principal of WM Consulting Inc. since 2006. Prior to her tenure on the CHRB, Mitchell served on the California Coastal Commission from 2011 to 2016 and the Los Angeles South Valley Area Planning Commission from 2009 to 2011.

The latest iteration of the board, which has undergone a drastic reshuffle in recent years, has been split on a number of recent controversial issues, including whether to grant Los Alamitos a truncated six month license in response to questions raised over its welfare record.

After an extended debate, the board granted the facility its typical 12-month operating license. Mitchell voted with commissioners Oscar Gonzalez and Brenda Washington Davis against issuing the facility a one-year license.

More recently, the panel has been divided over the issue of whether to implement even tighter whip reforms than currently exist in California, with the board eventually voting 4-3 to table the motion for the time being. Again, Mitchell voted with commissioners Gonzalez and Davis against tabling the motion.

A CHRB term lasts four years.

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Friday’s Stronach 5 Features Four Tracks, Three Turf Races

An interesting sequence of five races from four tracks along with an industry-low 12-percent takeout will make up Friday's Stronach 5.

The Stronach 5 will include races from Pimlico Race Course, Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields.

The action kicks off at 4:34 ET with Pimlico's eighth race, a 5 ½ furlong event for optional allowance claimers led by Colts Neck Stables LLC's Dalton, who returns from a five-month layoff after ending his juvenile season with a second-place finish against the multiple-stakes winner No Cents in the James F. Lewis at Laurel in November. A son of Kantharos, Dalton finished second by a nose in September in the Smoke Glacken at Monmouth Park. Trained by Jorge Duarte Jr., Jevian Toledo gets the mount on Dalton, who has never been off the board in five starts.

Sky's Not Falling enters the race for trainer Mike Trombetta off a fifth-place finish on the turf at Gulfstream Park in his 3-year-old debut. The son of Seville finished third last summer at Saratoga in the Skidmore, second at Woodbine in the Ontario Racing Stakes and third in the Fitz Dixon Jr. at Presque Isle. Victor Carrasco will ride.

Exculpatory, who won his debut March 5 at Laurel for trainer Mark Reid, and Kwist, who broke his maiden at first asking in September for Claudio Gonzalez, return for their second starts.

The Stronach 5 continues with Gulfstream's ninth race, a 7 ½ furlong turf event for maiden fillies and mares. It's wide open with a 7-2 favorite in Maricopa, who drops slightly off a third-place finish. Kayla's Tune returns to the turf, drops from his last turf start, and gets Edwin Gonzalez.

Pimlico's ninth race, a five-furlong turf event for $12,500 claimers, serves as the third leg of the sequence. Algodonal leaves from the rail in her first start since November. The daughter of Afleet Alex closed out her 4-year-old year with her last five races moved off the turf to the main track.

The Stronach 5 heads west for the fourth and fifth legs of the Stronach 5. Santa Anita's third race, a maiden claimer for 3-year-old fillies, has a 2-1 favorite in Circle of Honor, coming off a second-place finish against similar company April 4 for trainer Steve Knapp. Flag Salutes drops in from a restricted maiden special weight for trainer Carla Gaines. David Hofmans sends out Paynter's Love, who finished 1 ¼ lengths behind Circle of Honor last time out.

Golden Gate's third race concludes the Stronach 5. The mile turf event for 3-year-olds with a $20,000 tag has a 6-5 favorite in Qatar Racing's Space Odessey, a son of Malibu Moon beaten less than a length at Golden Gate April 2 after dropping into this condition from a $80,000 maiden claiming event at Santa Anita in February.

Friday's races and sequence

Leg One – Pimlico Race 8: (8 entries – 5 ½ furlongs) 4:34 ET, 1:34 PT
Leg Two – Gulfstream Race 9: (12 entries – 7 ½ furlongs turf) 4:48 ET, 1:48 PT
Leg Three –Pimlico Race 9: (10 entries – 5 furlongs turf) 5:10 ET, 2:10 PT
Leg Four –Santa Anita Park Race 3: (8 entries – 1-mile) 5:15 ET, 2:15 PT
Leg Five –Golden Gate Fields Race 3: (8 entries – 1-mile turf): 5:30 ET, 2:30 PT

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The Stronach 5 In the Money podcast, hosted by Jonathan Kinchen and Peter Thomas Fornatale, will be posted by 2 p.m. Thursday at InTheMoneyPodcast.com and will be available on iTunes and other major podcast distributors

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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Services Scheduled For Donnie Richardson, Churchill Downs’ Former Senior V.P. Of Racing

Services for Donald Ray “Donnie” Richardson, former senior vice president of racing for Churchill Downs Incorporated until his retirement in 2012, will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1000 N. Beckley Station Road, Louisville, Ky., with burial to follow in Calvary Cemetery.

In addition to Friday's services, a visitation will be held tonight (Thursday) from 4-8 p.m. at Ratterman Funeral Home, 12900 Shelbyville Road, East Louisville. Masks and social distancing are required.

Richardson passed away Tuesday at age 75. Born Jan. 27, 1946 to the late Elmer and Gertrude Richardson, the Louisville native spent a lifetime around racing. His father ran the program department at Churchill Downs, Louisville's defunct Miles Park and the old Latonia (now Turfway Park) for more than 30 years.

At 14, Richardson took his first job in racing when he started selling programs at Churchill Downs. He joined the track's racing office and worked as a patrol judge in 1969. After holding positions in racing at tracks throughout the Kentucky circuit, as well as racing positions at Florida's Hialeah and Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, Richardson returned to Churchill Downs as assistant racing secretary from 1973-78 and served as racing secretary for the extended Spring Meet at Churchill Downs in 1978. Richardson then became racing secretary for Ellis Park from 1978-79.

In 1979, Richardson moved out of the racing office and into a new career as a jockey's agent, in which he guided the careers of such notable riders as Hall of Fame members Chris McCarron and Don Brumfield and veterans such as Jim McKnight, Keith Allen, Darrell Haire, Mike McDowell, Earlie Fires and others.

He again joined Churchill Downs in 1990 as the track's stakes coordinator. Later, as senior vice president of racing, Richardson oversaw Churchill Downs' racing program and was responsible for policy development, strategy and horsemen's services for Churchill Downs Incorporated and its racing markets in Florida, Illinois, Kentucky and Louisiana.

“Donnie Richardson devoted his life to horse racing,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Mike Anderson. “He was a valuable Churchill Downs employee for 22 years and helped champion the growth of our stakes program, including the Kentucky Derby Week schedule of races we know today. Our hearts and prayers are with Donnie's numerous family and friends around the racetrack as they grieve during this difficult time.”

Richardson, who married the love of his life, the late Theresa Longazel Richardson, is survived by his two daughters, Jennifer Richardson (Scott Rech); and Shelley Dunn (Jason); and two grandsons, Jonathan and Jack Dunn.

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King Fury To Meet His Namesake, World Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury, On Derby Saturday

A couple of heavyweights are going to meet for the first time Saturday at trainer Kenny McPeek's barn at Churchill Downs.

World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury took up McPeek's offer to be in the corner for Fern Circle Stables, Three Chimneys Farm and Magdalena Racing's King Fury, who spars with the heavyweight of 3-year-old colts, undefeated Essential Quality, in Kentucky Derby 147. Fury, who is training in Las Vegas, will fly in early Saturday to watch the horse, a 20-1 shot with Brian Hernandez Jr. riding, that was named in his honor.

This deal came together a lot faster than most boxing matches, starting with a social media exchange Tuesday and finalized Wednesday.

“Tyson Fury is coming, along with (boxing promoter) Bob Arum,” said McPeek, “Along with some others from Top Rank Boxing. I had tagged (Fury) on Twitter, and his agent called me yesterday and asked, 'Are you serious?' And I told him yeah, c'mon, it'll be fun. So he's flying in Saturday. He's going do some Muhammad Ali stuff, too, while he's here.”

McPeek said Fury was not aware that the colt was named for him.

“I named the horse … I enjoyed the fight when he went into the fight with (Deontay) Wilder (in February 2020). When you're naming stallions, you want to name them something strong, and I thought it was ideal, and of course he's a good horse.”

Plans call for Fury to meet King Fury at the barn, and for the fighter to walk over before the race to the paddock in his entourage.

“He likes horse racing,” McPeek said. “He's from Manchester, England, and evidently he's been to the races over there, and likes the races. I don't think he's done anything in American racing. But how many times do you get to have the heavyweight champ come over?”

“It's always something I've been interested in, the biggest horse race in the world,” Fury told ESPN. “I've always wanted to go to the Kentucky Derby, never had the opportunity to do so. This is the opportunity to do so.”

Arum, who's now 89, is a promoter and for a time was part of the Main Bout company operated by Ali, the late Louisville native who is considered the greatest boxing champion of all time. Ali is buried in Louisville's Cave Hill Cemetery, and the Muhammad Ali Center in downtown Louisville is a museum and activities center that recognizes his life.

“I like having fun. We all take it so seriously, everybody so uptight, this is as relaxed as I've ever been coming into an Oaks or a Derby,” said McPeek, who told Fury on Twitter to contact him by direct message, which started the ball rolling for a VIP visit by the boxer. “We've got two horses who are training good, and the rest is up to a higher power.”

On the track Thursday morning, King Fury repeated the usual routine called for by McPeek. During the period reserved for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses, the winner of the Lexington (GIII) at Keeneland was sent for a maintenance 1 ½-mile gallop with exercise rider Lalo Jose Quiroz aboard on the sealed racing surface.

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