Month: May 2021

Medina Spirit Drops To Fourth In NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll

Following the report of a failed drug test by race winner Medina Spirit after the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs on May 1, there has been a shake up in the top five positions in the latest National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll. Juddmonte's Mandaloun, runner-up to Medina Spirit by a half-length in the Derby, has risen to No. 1 in the poll, with Zedan Racing's Medina Spirit dropping to No. 4.

Trained by Brad Cox, Mandaloun, who was third in last week's poll, received six first-place votes and 277 points. Mandaloun's stablemate, Godolphin's Essential Quality, who finished fourth in the Derby as the 5-2 favorite and is also trained by Cox, remains in second place with eight first-place votes and 275 points. Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, Strauss Bros Racing and Gainesway Thoroughbreds' Hot Rod Charlie, third in the Derby, moves up one place to third. Trained by Doug O'Neill, Hot Rod Charlie has 250 points. Medina Spirit, trained by Bob Baffert, is next with 18 first-place votes and 215 points. Shadwell Stable's undefeated bay filly, Malathaat, winner of the Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks, stays in fifth place with one first-place vote and 184 points for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Gary and Mary West's homebred, Concert Tour, winner of the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn, holds onto sixth place. Also trained by Baffert, Concert Tour has 99 points. Two Steve Asmussen-trained horses are next. Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon, who finished sixth in the Derby, has 80 points and moves from 10th to seventh place in this week's poll. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior, who captured Churchill's Grade 2 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU, is in an eighth-place tie with Hronis Racing and Talla Racing's Rock Your World, winner of the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. Both Jackie's Warrior and Rock Your World, the latter trained by John Sadler, have 77 points. WinStar Farm and CHC's Life Is Good, off the Triple Crown trail due to injury, drops from seventh to 10th place, registering one first-place vote and 74 points.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Mystic Guide, winner of the Group 1 Dubai World Cup, retains the top position in this week's National Thoroughbred Poll. Trained by Mike Stidham, Mystic Guide received 27 first-place votes and 310 points. The Baffert-trained 4-year-old Charlatan, runner-up in the Group 1 Saudi Cup, is in second place with five first-place votes and 250 points. Two Cox-trained runners have switched positions this week. Korea Racing Authority's Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup winner Knicks Go rises from fifth to third place with one first-place vote and 187 points, while Monomoy Girl, the reigning older dirt female Eclipse Award-winner, is now in fifth place. Monomoy Girl, owned by My Racehorse, Spendthrift Farm LLC and Madaket Stables, has 181 points. Sandwiched in between Knicks Go and Monomoy Girl, in fourth place, is Robert and Lawana Low's 4-year-old Colonel Liam (184 points), who finished in a dead heat for first with Domestic Spending in the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The next five positions in the poll remain unchanged. Michael Lund Peterson's Eclipse Award-winning female sprinter Gamine (138 points) is in sixth place. St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska (132 points), winner of Oaklawn's Grade 1 Grade Apple Blossom, is in seventh place. Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield, trained by Brendan Walsh, is in eighth place with one first-place vote and 116 points. The Cox-trained 4-year-old filly Shedaresthedevil (84 points) is in ninth place. Completing the Top 10 is Klaravich Stable's 4-year-old Domestic Spending (51 points), for trainer Chad Brown.

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 Nov. 6.

The post Medina Spirit Drops To Fourth In NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Holdem Poker Basics – Playing Ace/King

There is one hand in Texas Hold ‘Em that you will hear a lot about as you begin to play the game. It is commonly called Big Slick, and it is when you are dealt an Ace and a King. AK can be a powerful hand, but it can turn on you and become deadly in the blink of an eye. Let’s take a closer look at this unique hand.

There are two types of Big Slick. One is when you are dealt an Ace and a King and they are suited. The other type is when they are not suited.

As you might imagine, the suited AK is more powerful (pre-flop) than the unsuited AK. The reason for this is simple but important. A suited AK holds potential for becoming the nut flush if you happen to draw two or three of the same suit on the Flop, Turn, or River. Having the nuts means that you have the highest ranked hand possible for that particular rank. Let’s say your Hold cards are the Ace and King of clubs. Three more clubs show up on the Flop. You now have the nut flush because there is no other club higher than the Ace of clubs that you hold in your hand. Because you also hold the King of clubs, you have the five clubs needed to make a flush. If someone else is holding two clubs, they will lose to you because of your Ace. A nut flush is a very powerful hand and is not easily beat.

But that does not mean it cannot be beat! Be careful and keep your eye on the community cards. Remember, a Full House will beat even the best Flush, and that includes yours! It is also worth remembering that it is impossible for anyone to get a Full House unless there is at least one pair on the board. If there are no pairs on the board by the River card, then there can be no Full House in someone’s hand. The same applies to Four-of-a-Kind. No player against you can have Quad’s if there isn’t at least one pair showing on the board. Lastly, a Straight Flush will beat you, too, so keep an eye out for that sequence of cards. It’s unlikely this will happen, but it could.

Now there is the possibility that you won’t see the suit that you need to make your Flush on the flop. In fact, you may not see even one card with the suit that you need to go along with that suited AK in your hand. When this happens, your AK suited becomes no more powerful than an AK unsuited, and it’s very important that you change gears and play the AK as if the Flush was not even an option.

When you are playing an AK and there is no possibility for a Flush draw, then you have think about pairing up or making a set. The AK in your hand, even if it is suited, will be beat by as low a hand as a pair of 2’s if you do not improve your hand.

If you have AK unsuited pre-flop, you want to see a flop, but you don’t want to spend a whole lot of money in order to do so. If an Ace or a King shows up on the Flop, you are in much better shape to play the remainder of the hand. However, if you don’t pick up an Ace or a King on the Flop, you need to be careful about putting in more money if someone raises to you.

Whether you call the bet or fold will depend on some variables: Who you are playing against, how many players are left in the game at the time of the raise, and your level of skill and confidence. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, AK is great starting hand, but it can go south in hurry if you don’t catch the Flop.

As your level of experience increases, you’ll get a sense of when to fold that AK and when to hold it for a look at another card. In the meantime, it is a fairly good rule of thumb to fold that AK if you don’t pick up at least an Ace or a King on the Flop and someone raises to you. Chances are fairly good that they made their pair on the Flop and even though that AK looks good in your hand, it may not be worth very much and it almost certainly is not worth a big bet call on your part.

Be happy with AK in your hand, but watch out. It can slap you down and sooner or later it will slap you down. That, by the way, happens to all of us.

Ella Dettori To Ride In Magnolia Cup

Ella Dettori and Thea Gosden-Hood, the daughters of Frankie Dettori and champion trainer John Gosden, are among the 12-strong line-up for this year's Magnolia Cup at Glorious Goodwood.

The charity race over five and a half furlongs will be run on July 29 and this year celebrates its 10th anniversary. All funds raised by the female riders will go to the UK charity Smart Works, which assists unemployed women in boosting their confidence for job interviews.

Kate Stephens, the CEO of the charity, said, “Smart Works and Goodwood share a mission to support and empower women across the UK. That is why we're honoured to have been chosen as the 2021 Magnolia Cup charity partner.

“In the last year the number of women facing unemployment has risen sharply and Smart Works has never been more needed. Funding for our service will help women across the UK find the confidence to succeed at a crucial moment, get the job and transform their lives.”

Ella Dettori currently rides out for trainer Charlie Fellowes and has been seen riding work alongside her father on Newmarket's famous gallops.

The post Ella Dettori To Ride In Magnolia Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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