June, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Belmont, Churchill Downs Comprise Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5

The New York Racing Association Inc. [NYRA] will host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday featuring racing action from Belmont Park and Churchill Downs.

Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/cross-country-wagers.

Churchill, located in Louisville, Kentucky, will commence the sequence with a starter allowance contest for 3-year-olds and up going one mile on the turf in Race 6 at 3:18 p.m. Eastern. Chantry Flats, who has compiled two wins and a runner-up finish in five starts this year for trainer Paul McGee, will be looking for his second victory in three starts at Churchill. Handy, who won at Churchill on May 15 for conditioner Robertino Diodoro, will also comprise a full field of 12.

Belmont will kick off the stakes portion of the wager with a field of 11 New York-sired 3-year-old sophomore fillies will contest in the $150,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Cupecoy's Joy at seven furlongs on the Widener turf course in Race 6 at 3:34 p.m.

Ava's Grace, also trained by Diodoro, arrives at her first grass engagement off a runner-up finish in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Fantasy on April 3 at Oaklawn Park. The Laoban filly secured a front-running position and battled gamely down the stretch to the inside of Pauline's Pearl before hitting the wire one length back. Trainer Christophe Clement will move two fillies up from the claiming ranks when saddling Sport Model and Proper Grammar.

A 10-horse field for 3-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile on Belmont's Big Sandy will comprise the third leg in Belmont's Race 8 at 4:40 p.m. The starter allowance contest will see 2-1 morning-line favorite Risk Profile look to win his second in a row at Belmont for trainer George Weaver after capturing a maiden special weight on May 7.

Action alternates back to Churchill for a 1 1/8-mile turf allowance optional claiming tilt for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up in Race 9 at 4:55 p.m. Graded stakes-veteran Guitty, who ran second in the Grade 2 San Clemente last July and has competed in a pair of Grade 1s, will be making her second start for trainer Mike Maker. The veteran conditioner will also saddle Three Diamonds Farm's Enjoyitwhilewecan, who enters from a narrow neck defeat last out when third in a nine-furlong optional-claiming tilt on the Churchill turf on May 21. Also in the field is the Ian Wilkes-trained Witez, who ran third in the Grade 3 Lake George in August at Saratoga Race Course and is looking for her first win since besting an allowance field in July at the Spa.

Closing out the Cross Country Pick 5 will be the $150,000 NYSSS Spectacular Bid in Belmont's Race 9 at 5:12 p.m. A full field of 13 sophomores going seven furlongs on the Widener course.

Dreamer's Disease, who will be saddled by Diodoro will return to the turf after five consecutive main track appearances, including a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November at Keeneland. Step Dancer, the 3-1 morning-line favorite, won his debut in September at Saratoga and followed with a third-place finish in his first race at Belmont in the Grade 2 Pilgrim in October. The Barclay Tagg trainee capped his juvenile year with a three-quarter length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Awad in October at Belmont.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool. The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, June 19:
Leg A: Churchill – Race 6 (3:18 p.m.)
Leg B: Belmont – Race 6, NYSSS Cupecoy's Joy (3:34 p.m.)
Leg C: Belmont – Race 8 (4:40 p.m.)
Leg D: Churchill – Race 9 (4:55 p.m.)
Leg E: Belmont – Race 9, NYSSS Spectacular Bid (5:12 p.m.)

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Perfect Power Scores Breeders’ Cup Berth In Norfolk

Jockey Paul Hanagan timed a late charge to perfection when winning the G2 Norfolk Stakes on Perfect Power, the opening contest on day three of Royal Ascot. The win earned Perfect Power an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint this fall at Del Mar.

Protagonists in this five-furlong dash for 2-year-olds were spread across the width of the track, but it was the Richard Fahey-trained Perfect Power (14/1) who burst from the pack down the stands' side to prevail.

Go Bears Go (6/1) was beaten a head racing on the far side, with Project Dante (6/1) a nose behind in third on the stands' side rail.

Victory gave Hanagan a fifth Royal Ascot success, and first since 2015, while Fahey was scoring for the eighth time at the meeting.

Hanagan, who returned from a broken back in August, said: “I don't usually get emotional, but I'm probably lucky to be here at all after the accident. It's an amazing feeling just to even get back here, never mind a winner at Royal Ascot. I am pretty lost for words.

“I actually fractured my back in three places in a fall at Newcastle, and it was just touch and go whether I was going to be back. I owe so much to a lot of people – the Injured Jockeys Fund, Jack Berry House in Malton, my family and friends, and obviously Richard Fahey, who has been amazing, Richard Hale and just everyone at the yard.

“The period after my accident was a very character building few months. The accident was a pretty bad one and I'm lucky to be here at all, let alone riding winners, and I'm so grateful. I just appreciated I had a second chance, and I took it with both hands. This is what it's all about – what the comeback means. This tops the lot. It's so nice to see the crowd back, and what a buzz that was, when I eventually found out I'd won – the cheer of the crowd was something special.”

He added: “The race itself – they went quite hard and I just had to sit and suffer on him. I'm glad I did, because he didn't half power home and really ran through the line. I must have passed about 10 jockeys pulling up who [thought they] had won, and I wasn't quite sure because it was so far away the other side. I think the way I finished the race I had every chance, because he really powered home.

“You couldn't really get a horse with a better attitude. He takes it all in and has a great temperament. I think that's what got him beat first time, because we were all expecting him to win. First day at school – I think he just had a bit of stage fright, but he's come out of that race so well, and as we saw at Hamilton, that race brought him on again.”

Fahey said: “The Norfolk Stakes has been a bogey race for me. I have been second in it a few times and as they flashed past I thought we got beat. I'm just glad we got there. I got emotional for a couple of seconds, I'm getting soft in my old age.

“It's a fantastic result. Me and Paul have been together for such a long time. He left us for around 18 months, but it's been such a long relationship and it's great to have another Royal Ascot winner together.

“We were very sweet on Perfect Power. We haven't had him very long and he missed the kick first time out when third and that probably helped us. He won well at Hamilton and we were quietly confident coming here.

“We discussed going up to six furlongs but after chatting it through with the team, we came here. He was bought to win a Norfolk and it's great when a plan comes together.”

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Dreamer’s Disease Back On Turf For Saturday’s NYSS Spectacular Bid

A full field of 13 that includes stakes-winners and a Breeders' Cup participant will take aim at Saturday's $150,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Spectacular Bid for eligible New York-sired 3-year-olds going seven furlongs on the Belmont Park Widener turf course.

The 15th running of the NYSSS Spectacular Bid is one of two New York stallion stakes on Saturday's docket, along with the $150,0000 Cupecoy's Joy for sophomore fillies that is also contested at seven furlongs on the Widener course.

Dreamer's Disease will return to the turf after five consecutive main track appearances, including a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November at Keeneland. Trainer Robertino Diodoro said the son of Laoban exited his last-out fifth place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Texas Derby over a sloppy and sealed track at Lone Star Park in good order and will now return to the turf, where he broke his maiden at second asking in August at Ellis Park.

“The horse has settled in here at Belmont quite well and we're excited to get him back on the grass and against New York-sired company,” Diodoro said. “We think this will be more to his liking. We were looking to get him back here and we thought this was a perfect spot. He ran great on the grass at Ellis and we thought this matched up well.”

Dreamer's Disease, owned by Cypress Creek Equine and Arnold Bennewith, was bred in Kentucky by Southern Equine Stables. He started the year with a sixth-place effort in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on Kentucky Derby Day in May at Churchill Downs. He will be making his second start in a NYSSS race after running seventh in the Great White Way in a contest won by fellow Spectacular Bid contender Hold the Salsa in December at Aqueduct Racetrack.

David Cohen will ride from post 6.

“It really helps to have a horse with versatility,” Diodoro said. “Between the grass and New York-sired stakes, I think he'll fit in quite well. He has natural speed and I think the seven-eighths will hit him right on the head. I think the distance will be perfect for him.”

Step Dancer, owned by Hayward Pressman, Diamond M Stable and Donna Pressman, won his debut in September at Saratoga and followed with a third-place finish in his first race at Belmont in the Grade 2 Pilgrim in October. The Barclay Tagg trainee capped his juvenile year with a three-quarter length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Awad in October at Belmont.

After a nearly five-month break, Step Dancer made his 2021 bow in the Cutler Bay, finishing eighth in March at Gulfstream Park. Returning to Belmont, the War Dancer colt ran third against state-bred optional claimers on May 13.

Step Dancer, bred in New York by Sugar Plum Farm and Richard Pressman, will be contesting a sprint for the first time in his career, as each of his first five starts were contested going at least one mile. Dylan Davis will return to ride from post 13.

Repole Stable's Devious Mo, winner of the NYSSS Times Square in April going 6 1/2 furlongs on Aqueduct's main track, will make his first career turf start.

Devious Mo ran sixth last out in the Mike Lee held on a muddy and sealed Belmont track on May 31 and will now get the chance to see if grass can suit his style. The Laoban colt posted a personal-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory two months ago at Aqueduct and has won two of his four starts this year before trainer Rudy Rodriguez decided to make the surface change.

“The Mike Lee was pretty tough; he never ran his race, so hopefully now he likes the grass on Saturday,” Rodriguez said. “You have to see what they can do. This race is worth a lot of money, and with it being a stallion series, you want to take advantage of the opportunity. Hopefully, he likes the grass and we'll take it from there. He looks like a grass horse.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. who is set to return to racing Thursday after missing just two weeks after injuries sustained in a spill on June 4, is tabbed to ride from the inside post.

Hold the Salsa, owned, bred and trained by Richard Lugovich, will also compete on turf for the first time, making his first start in more than five months after running third in the Jerome on New Year's Day at the Big A.

As a 2-year-old, Hold the Salsa posted a 3-0-1 record in six starts, winning his debut in July at Belmont. Since that effort, the Hold Me Back colt has made six consecutive stakes appearances, including a pair of wins in seven-furlong sprints in the Bertram F. Bongard on October 2 at Belmont and the NYSSS Great White Way on December 6 at Aqueduct.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will ride from post 11.

The King Cheek, owned by Morris Kernan, Jr. and Jagger Inc., will make his Belmont debut with momentum after running second to Gershwin by two lengths in the off-the-turf Grade 3 Penn Mile on May 28 at Penn National. Trained by Jamie Ness, the Laoban gelding made his first 10 starts on the main track but will run on turf for the first time, drawing post 7 with Jaime Rodriguez aboard.

Conditioner George Weaver will send out King Moonracer, who will be looking to notch his maiden-breaking score after running third and second, respectively, in his first two starts on turf at Belmont. Owned by Spa City Stables, the Mission Impazible gelding, bred in the Empire State by Sequel Stallions New York, Twin Creeks and Eisaman Farms, finished one length back to Saratoga Flash in a runner-up effort last out sprinting six furlongs. Luis Saez will ride from post 5. Weaver also entered Sinful Dancer for the main track only.

DiRicio Racing and Breeding's Jacks American Pie is coming off his turf debut with a sixth-place finish last out on May 28 at Belmont. Trained by Chad Summers, the Micromanage gelding won once in the his first six starts on dirt before being switched to grass. Luis Rodriguez Castro will have the call from post 9.

Rounding out the field is Ocala Dream, who broke his maiden for Tom Morley in his fourth start on May 23 at Belmont, in his first stakes race [post 4, Junior Alvarado]; Barrage, a maiden for trainer Armando De La Cerda, from post 10 [Eric Cancel]; It's Gravy, third in the Damon Runyon in March and also in the NYSSS Times Square, for conditioner Kelly Breen [post 12, Joel Rosario]; Dancing Buck, who ran fourth in the Gander in February at Aqueduct before topping state-bred allowance company on the same track in April for trainer Michelle Nevin [post 2, Manny Franco]; Thunderbird Café, a maiden winner at second asking on May 8, for trainer Linda Rice [post 3, Hall of Famer John Velazquez]; and Market Alert, runner-up last out in the Mike Lee making his turf debut for trainer James Ryerson [post 8, Jose Lezcano].

Gods Will is also entered for the main track only.

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NYRA’s Brian Jabelman To Lead Third Session Of Racecourse Manager Online Certification Program

The inaugural Racecourse Manager Certification program, an online curriculum for turf surface maintenance personnel, will host its third and final session on Monday, June 21 at 11 a.m. ET, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and University of Kentucky announced Thursday.

Entitled “Measurement of Turf Condition,” Monday's two-hour session will feature presentations from eight leading authorities on racing surfaces. Brian Jabelman, Senior Director of Track Operations, for The New York Racing Association will provide introductory remarks as the leader of the session. In addition to Jabelman, topics and participants include:

“The phases of loading with respect to surface functional props.” – Dr. Sarah Jane Hobbs, University of Central Lancashire;
“Current tools and limitations for measuring biomechanical response.” -Peter is a PhD student in the Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering department at the University of Kentucky.
“Calibration and correlation – what kinds of things do we use to measure turfgrass responses and safety.” – Beth Guertal, Ph.D., Professor of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University; and Michael “Mick” Peterson, Ph.D., Director of the Racetrack Safety Program at the University of Kentucky and Executive Director of the Racing Surfaces and Testing Laboratory (RSTL);
“Measurement of surfaces in British Eventing.” – Alison Northrop, Senior Lecturer, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, England ;
“Take-off and landing areas in measurements of turf for appropriate biomechanical response.” – Jim Pendergest, Director of Racing Surfaces, Keeneland Race Course; and John “Trey” Rogers, III, Ph. D., Professor of Turfgrass Research, Michigan State University;
“Data from the Maintenance Quality System and the Equine Injury Database.” – Michael “Mick” Peterson, Ph.D.

Individuals who pre-register at https://www.ntra.com/rmcp/ will be sent a Zoom link prior to Monday's webinar.

The Racecourse Manager Certification program curriculum is designed for those already engaged in careers with turf surface maintenance. The online classes are free. Individuals who complete the video courses and pass a test that requires a $50 fee will receive a certificate of completion from the University of Kentucky. Participating Thoroughbred racetracks that enroll their personnel will receive credit toward future accreditation by the NTRA Safety & Integrity Alliance.

The curriculum for the turf management course was developed by Michael “Mick” Peterson, Ph.D.

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