May, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Buff Bradley To Step Away From Training At End Of Churchill Downs’ Meet

The conditioner of racing luminaries Brass Hat and Groupie Doll, Buff Bradley told the Daily Racing Form on Wednesday that he will retire from training Thoroughbreds at the end of Churchill Downs' Spring Meet. The 57-year-old plans to remain in the industry as a small-scale breeder, while seeking a way to help horsemen on the front side of the racetrack.

“Things have changed in the business,” Bradley told DRF, “but beyond that, when my father died almost five years ago, that really changed things for me personally. I love the horses, and I love training, but too many things are different now in my own particular situation. We've settled my dad's estate, my three kids are older now, the financial aspect of the game can be very difficult, and it's almost impossible to get good help on the track anymore … it was just time to make this move.”

Brass Hat, a gelding bred and owned by his father, drew the admiration of racing fans with a track record-setting victory in the G1 Donn Handicap in 2006. Later that summer he fractured a sesamoid, but was able to return to the races. He competed through his 9-year-old season, winning the G3 Sycamore at Keeneland in 2009 in his penultimate start. Overall, Brass Hat won 10 of his 40 starts for earnings of over $2.1 million.

Groupie Doll is a filly Bradley and his father bred together. She won back-to-back editions of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in 2012 and 2013, earning Eclipse Awards for each of those seasons. Overall, Groupie Doll won 12 of her 23 starts to earn $2.6 million.

Divisidero was another Bradley star, winning a graded stakes race for three straight years on the Kentucky Derby undercard: the G2 American Turf in 2015, and the G1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (now Old Forester) in 2016 and 2017.

Bradley also went above and beyond to save the life of another homebred graded stakes winner, The Player. Winner of the G2 Fayette and G3 Mineshaft, The Player suffered severe injuries in a race in early 2018, and required months of hospitalization including several surgeries. He recovered from the ordeal and is retired to Bradley's farm in Frankfort, Ky.

Overall, Bradley has saddled the winners of 575 races for earnings of over $19 million.

Camelot’s Youth Spirit Battles to Chester Vase Win

Bouncing back from a fourth in last month's Listed Feilden S. at Newmarket on seasonal comeback, Ahmad Al Shaikh's Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) dented a number of Classic aspirations with a determined victory in Wednesday's G3 Chester Vase. He had bettered a debut fourth over seven furlongs at Haydock when annexing a hot Newmarket maiden tackling the same trip next time and hit the board contesting Goodwood's July 28 G2 Vintage S. in the last of three juvenile outings. The April-foaled bay was let go at 15-2 and settled third along the fence, in the wake of 6-4 pick and eventual fourth Wirko (Ger) (Kingman {GB}), through halfway in this extended 12-furlong Classic trial. Bustled along as the tempo increased approaching the quarter-mile marker, he straightened for home in second–as Fancy Man (Ire) (Pride of Dubai {Aus})'s forward thrust carried that rival to the front on the final turn–and stayed on strongly under a late drive to withstand the running-on effort of Sandhurst (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by 1 3/4 lengths. Fancy Man ultimately suffered for his home-turn burst and finished one length back in third, with Listed Blue Riband Trial victor Wirko fading late to finish another seven lengths adrift in fourth.

“He's always been a horse we've rated very highly, but the question mark was whether he stayed or not,” admitted Andrew Balding. “There is stamina on the sire's side, obviously, but there is plenty of speed on the dam's side. He saw the trip out really well and I'm thrilled. I knew he'd improve a good bit from Newmarket, because he'd been off the track a long while before running there, and everything happened a bit quick for him. He's obviously come on for it and I thought he did everything really nicely today.”

Looking ahead to a date with Classic destiny, Balding indicated Youth Spirit will bid to mark the 50th anniversary of the Ian Balding-trained Mill Reef making an indelible mark on the Blue Riband honour roll by going one better than connections' runner-up finish with Khalifa Sat (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}) last year. “The plan, as long as everything goes all right between now and then, is to head for Epsom [for the June 5 G1 Derby]. I obviously can't compare him with Mill Reef because I wasn't around then and, in any case, Youth Spirit is a long way from ticking the boxes that Mill Reef had, but he could have a live chance in the Derby.”

Jockey Tom Marquand added, “It's great for [owner] Ahmad Al Shaikh to have another one for the Derby. Last year that was a fairy story with Khalifa Sat finishing second and, hopefully, they can go one better. Khalifa Sat surprised me in the Derby because he looked more of a staying type. This lad is the other way around and 12 furlongs is as far as he'll want. He is really game and genuine and I'm sure we'll have a go. It will have been a real good experience to have been around here because it is pretty different compared to everywhere else. It should stand him in good stead for Epsom.”

Youth Spirit, half-brother to a 2-year-old colt by Tamayuz (GB) and a yearling colt by Australia (GB), is the first of two foals produced by an unraced half-sister to G2 Gimcrack S. hero Blaine (GB) (Avonbridge {GB}), Two-Year-Old Trophy victor Bogart (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) and last term's G3 Prix Eclipse second Legal Attack (GB) (Shalaa {Ire}). His dam Rocana (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is out of a winning half-sister to Listed Prix Urban Sea placegetter Golden Accolade (GB) (Highest Honor {Fr}) and hails from the family of GI Breeders' Cup Sprint hero Lit de Justice (El Gran Senor), G1 Racing Post Trophy-winning sire Commander Collins (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), G1 Epsom Derby and G1 Irish Derby third Colonel Collins (El Gran Senor) and G1 Racing Post Trophy runner-up City Leader (Ire) (Fasliyev).

Wednesday, Chester, Britain
CHESTER VASE S.-G3, £80,000, Chester, 5-5, 3yo, c/g, 12f 63yT, 2:45.83, g/s.
1–YOUTH SPIRIT (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Camelot (GB)
1st Dam: Rocana (GB), by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
2nd Dam: Lauren Louise (GB), by Tagula (Ire)
3rd Dam: Movie Star (Ire), by Barathea (Ire)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€60,000 Wlg '18 GOFNOV; €100,000 RNA Ylg '19 ARAUG). O-Ahmad Al Shaikh; B-Ringfort Stud & Paul Hancock (IRE); T-Andrew Balding; J-Tom Marquand. £45,368. Lifetime Record: 5-2-0-1, $80,680. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sandhurst (Ire), 126, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–How's She Cuttin' (Ire), by Shinko Forest (Ire). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £17,200.
3–Fancy Man (Ire), 126, c, 3, Pride of Dubai (Aus)–Fancy (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). (€30,000 Ylg '19 GOFOR). O-Michael Pescod; B-Longfield Stud (IRE); T-Richard Hannon. £8,608.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1, 7. Odds: 7.50, 6.00, 4.50.
Also Ran: Wirko (Ger), Pleasant Man (GB), Law of the Sea (GB). Scratched: San Martino (Ire), Sir Lamorak (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigreex. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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Oaks-Derby Double Nets John Velazquez Jockey Of The Week Title

Winning three Grade 1s, including the world's most recognized race, lead to Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez unanimously being named Jockey of the Week for April 26 through May 2. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

On a spectacular weekend of racing, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez became just the eighth jockey in history to win both the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby in the same year. But the Grade 1 wins didn't stop there as he also won the G1 Derby City Distaff.

Velazquez's Grade 1 haul started Friday when trainer Todd Pletcher reunited Velazquez with Malathaat in the Kentucky Oaks. Off as the favorite in the field of 13, Malathaat settled in fifth position. In upper stretch, Malathaat and Search Results drew clear of their rivals and battled to the wire, with Malathaat prevailing by a neck.

“She got away from there just a bit slow, said Pletcher, “but Johnny (Velazquez) moved her up and got her in a much better position. He had to lose some ground and go wide to do it, but it was the right thing to do.”

Final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:48.99.

Under picture perfect skies on Saturday, trainer Bob Baffert gave Velazquez a leg up on Champion Female Sprinter, Gamine in the G1 Derby City Distaff. Velazquez took Gamine to the front and held off a late bid from Sconsin to win by 1-1/2 lengths.

“She didn't get to the break I hoped for but she bounced back really quickly and ran really easy in the early going. She showed what a champion she was and I am really proud of my filly,” said Velazquez.

Final time for the seven furlongs on a fast track was 1:21.50.

For the second year in a row, Hall of Famers Bob Baffert and John Velazquez teamed up in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby with the same result: a win in the Run for the Roses. This year, Velazquez rode the unheralded Medina Spirit, Baffert's only entry in the race. Velazquez took Medina Spirit to the lead at the start, set all the fractions and dug deep to fend off challengers, Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie and Essential Quality to win by a half-length in 2:01.2.

“You couldn't ask more of a horse. When you ride a horse like this who is competitive you can't ask for anything else,” said Velazquez who won the race for the fourth time.

Weekly stats for Velazquez were 17-4-2-4 for a 23.4 percent win rate and total purse earnings of $3,141,211 to lead all jockeys.

Velazquez out-polled fellow jockeys Manny Franco and Paco Lopez who tied for number of wins, and Florent Geroux and Flavien Prat who each won three stakes races.

The post Oaks-Derby Double Nets John Velazquez Jockey Of The Week Title appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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High Roller Online Casino Bonus Is Tricky

When I first started playing at online casinos few years ago, I was a real bonus whore who tried out every possible way of getting free casino cash, every free dime and gambled it away. I never purchased maximum amount of money back then to receive maximum amount of bonus money, because I always thought: “Hey, I am going to win eventually anyway, I don’t want to spend extra $50 for getting more green to my casino account!” Of course, I lost it all and was quickly depositing again, this time without bonus, which clearly meant I was not very good handling my jumpy bankroll.

This is not what I do know. Although nowadays I don’t play slots, blackjack and craps very often at online casinos, I still hop by once in a while and give myself a shot. Some might call me a “bonus whore” even now, since I choose casinos by bonus. I don’t do that systematically anymore since I run my own gambling website and I keep getting generous bonus offers that I mostly keep for my visitors.

What I do now – I search the most generous bonus amount I can get from a casino with my first purchase and I buy myself that bonus. Searching the generous bonus amount includes reading terms and conditions carefully and doing some research work to make sure I am not getting ripped off.

I call these huge bonuses high roller bonuses, since they are perfect for people who like playing long sessions and who are willing to spend a lot of money in order to win big. High rollers are also aware that they are going to lose in a long term, but if they are going to lose anyway, why not lose the minimum amount of money? This is the root of online casino bonuses that every player should understand.

Since most of these high roller bonuses have similar terms and conditions, I will bring you few examples from random casinos and explain them to you. The following is essential, since if you don’t follow the terms you might lose all the winnings and the bonus itself as well.

The first example is from Racetrack Casino, that has 20% first deposit bonus up to $500. In the interests of fair gaming, they require you to have wagered a minimum of six times the total amount deposited plus bonus, up to a maximum wager of $18,000 for each deposit plus bonuses made during the bonus promotion time. The following is extremely important for you to understand! – If you make a withdrawal before wagering six times your deposit and bonus, the bonus money and winnings will be removed from your account.

The other example comes from Europa Casino. This casino claims to have $2400 welcome bonus for all the players, although it isn’t quite so. They have one of the trickiest bonus systems. I have personally only used the $500 welcome bonus, which is actually a 25% first deposit bonus. “Low rollers” have to do with 100% first deposit bonus with many times smaller first purchase.

To the bonus: In the interest of fair gaming they’re ordered to cash out any amount of money you must wager at least twelve times your play bonus plus deposit. Players depositing in U.K. Pounds must wager at least eighteen times your play bonus plus deposit. If you withdraw before having reached the minimum wagering requirements, your bonus and winnings will be void. So, again the similar bonus structure.

At least now you can understand why casinos offer those bonuses – it’s not very likely you have lots of money left when you have wagered at least twelve times your play bonus plus deposit. But you can always get lucky, and this is what we all want when we step in to a casino!