April, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Can Fiya Stay Hot?

Rob Masiello's fleet-footed Fiya (Friesan Fire) looks to remain unbeaten on the grass while making his first start of the year in Churchill's GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint S. The dark bay broke his maiden third out on the Laurel lawn last June before earning a 98 Beyer Speed Figure for a sharp allowance tally in July for trainer Michael Merryman. He was subsequently offered in the Wanamaker's July Online Auction, and Masiello ponied up $400,000 to acquire him. Transferred to Tom Albertrani, Fiya picked up right where he left off, annexing a Belmont allowance in September followed by the Maryland Million Turf Sprint H. Oct. 24 and the Claiming Crown Canterbury S. at Gulfstream Dec. 5–he had run for a $25,000 tag first out. The versatile Diamond Oops (Lookin At Lucky) won this race last September before returning to the dirt to annex Keeneland's GII Phoenix S. Sixth in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, he was most recently ninth in the GIII Mr. Prospector S. at Gulfstream. Trainer Peter Miller is always deadly with a turf sprinter, and will be represented here by Sombeyay (Into Mischief), who was second by a neck in Santa Anita's GIII San Simeon S. Mar. 13. That was just the second time the 5-year-old had gone short on the turf. He took last February's GIII Canadian Turf S. over a mile for previous owner Starlight Racing and trainer Todd Pletcher.

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TIF: Wagering Insecurity, Part 6–Proof

This is Part 6 of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation's (TIF) series “Wagering Insecurity.”

Faced with remarkable competitive pressure from the rise of legal sports betting, horse racing is at a crossroads. Confidence amongst horseplayers and horse owners is essential to the future sustainability of the sport. Efforts to improve the greater North American Thoroughbred industry will fall flat if its stakeholders fail to secure a foundation of integrity. Achieving this is growing increasingly difficult after the sport has neglected its core base–horseplayers–for decades.

“Wagering Insecurity” details some of that neglect, and the need to embrace serious reform. Fortunately, there are examples across the racing world to follow.

One professional horseplayer suspected betting pools at tracks across America were not closing when they should.

After his pleas were ignored for months, he proved “past-posting” was possible. He bet one race approximately 50 seconds after it had started.

“I thought that would be enough for those in charge to realize that there was a real problem with the tote systems and that now it could get fixed.

“Instead, I was called before two Commission meetings to show cause as to why my racing license shouldn't be revoked. It seemed that more than anything, they wanted to intimidate me and interrogate me, almost like I was a criminal for revealing to them their own systems' failings.”

In 2020, officials changed one long-standing rule which left the past-posting horseplayer flummoxed:

“I can't imagine a system where an update of these protocols would bring us to, hypothetically, a less secure operation.”

Vulnerabilities remain.

Saturday's Kentucky Derby will feature the largest betting pools of the year in American racing. That includes the superfecta pool, which in 2019 topped $16.5 million.

The “late scan” protocol which was exploited by Chris Harn and his conspirators in the 2002 Breeders' Cup Fix Six is still in place today when someone places a superfecta bet on a U.S. race. The full bet detail of each superfecta ticket is not secured by the host track, but rather held back by the bet-taker with only the amount of each bet transmitted.

For the complete article, click here.

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Dayoutoftheoffice Back for Eight Belles

Blazing Meadows Farm and Siena Farm's Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) makes her belated seasonal debut in the GII Eight Belles S. on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard Friday. A romping winner of the GIII Schuylerville S. at Saratoga last July, the dark bay added a two-length tally in the one-turn-mile GI Frizette S. at Belmont Oct. 10, but she settled for second when Frizette runner-up Vequist (Nyquist) turned the tables on her in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The Tim Hamm pupil recorded a couple breezes at Tampa in January, but there was a gap in her tab after that and she was eventually taken out of consideration for the Oaks. Dayoufotheoffice fired a sharp :58 flat bullet from the gate at Keeneland for this last Friday, however, and is expected to use this as a springboard for the GI Acorn S. June 5.

Bob Baffert seeks a third win in this event with the cutting back Kalypso (Brody's Cause), winner of the GII Santa Ynez S. going this seven-furlong trip at Santa Anita Jan. 3. She was second in the Feb. 6 GIII Las Virgenes S. and third in the Mar. 7 GIII Santa Ysabel S., both at odds-on.

Fellow Hall of Famer Bill Mott also owns two prior victories in this race, which was previously the La Troienne, and has an intriguing two-pronged attack this time around. Juddmonte homebred Obligatory (Curlin) impressed when breaking her maiden going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Feb. 7, and was most recently fourth in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks–one spot behind 'TDN Rising Star' Souper Sensational (Curlin). Mott's other runner is Godolphin homebred Caramel Swirl (Union Rags), who had been on the board behind some tough foes in her first four outings before breaking through by 10 1/4 lengths at Keeneland Apr. 9, earning an 88 Beyer Speed Figure.

'Rising Star' Slumber Party (Malibu Moon) was second in Keeneland's GIII Beaumont S. after an impressive unveiling at Gulfstream in January. Abrogate (Outwork) and Windmill (Street Sense) traded decisions in the Feb. 28 Dixie Belle S. and Apr. 3 Purple Martin S. at Oaklawn.

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Maryland Horse Breeders Association Renews Preakness Stakes Bonus Program

The Maryland Horse Breeders Association will once again offer a series of bonuses for runners bred or sired in the state that perform well in the upcoming Preakness Stakes, potentially totaling $500,000.

If a horse that's both Maryland-bred and -sired wins the Preakness on May 15, the winner's owner and breeder will each receive a bonus of $225,000, and the owner of the winner's sire will receive $50,000.

For a Preakness winner that's Maryland-bred, but not Maryland-sired, the owner and breeder will each earn a $225,000 bonus.

A Preakness winner that's Maryland-sired, but not Maryland-bred, would earn the winning racehorse owner $225,000 and the stallion owner $50,000.

Finishing second for horses in any of the above categories would earn their connections 20 percent of the winner's bonus – $45,000 for owners and breeders, and $10,000 for stallion owners. Running third in the Preakness would earn 10 percent – $22,500 for owners and breeders, and $5,000 for stallion owners.

Past Maryland-bred Preakness winners include Deputed Testamony (1983), Kauai King (1966), and Challedon (1939).

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