July, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Chasing Artie Gets Another Stakes Win In My Frenchman

Chances are Chasing Artie won't be available in a $15,000 claimer again any time soon.

The Wesley Ward-trained gelding, dropped into a $15,000 maiden claimer to start the year, improved to 3-for-3 in turf sprints and notched his second stakes win in four months, using a ground-saving trip to score a neck victory in Sunday's $75,000 My Frenchman Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Ridden by Albin Jimenez, who was filling in for injured scheduled rider Hector Diaz Jr., Chasing Artie sat off the flanks of the pace-setting Momos and then sped through an opening along the rail coming out of the turn in the 5½-furlong turf dash.

He surged past Momos and then held off three late-runners to record his third victory in six career starts. Momos held for second, a length ahead of Arzak.

The winning time was 1:03.87 over a turf course listed as yielding. There were no early fractions recorded because of the “about” distance with the rail set at 12 feet.

“It was a good surprise to pick up this mount,” said Jimenez. “I was at home and I got a call from my agent who said 'you're riding Wesley Ward's horse in the feature race.' I said 'great. Let's get the money.'

“I was in great position chasing the speed. Wesley told me to break and just sit there. He said if I could get outside and find a lane it would be better. But I got a beautiful trip on the rail and it opened up for me coming out of the turn.”

Sent off as the favorite in the field of seven 3-year-olds, Chasing Artie returned $4.60 to win. The son of We Miss Artie-Frisky Kitten by Kitten's Joy boosted his career earnings to $143,027 for owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

On April 2, he won the Palisades Turf Sprint at Keeneland. After racing just once at 2 and finishing seventh in a Maiden Special Weight race at Gulfstream, Ward dropped Chasing Artie into a $15,000 maiden claimer at Turfway to start his 2021 campaign. He finished second in that 6 ½-furlong race, beaten a neck. He has won three of four since then.

The post Chasing Artie Gets Another Stakes Win In My Frenchman appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Pedroza Splitting Time Between Ellis Park, Indiana Grand

Marcelino Pedroza's hope still is to ride seven days a week this summer: Mondays-Thursdays at Indiana Grand in Shelbyvlle, Ind., where he has a 12-win lead in the jockey standings with 42 victories and a meet-leading $1.12 million in purse earnings, and then Fridays-Sundays at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky. While he's found the Ellis opportunities limited so far, the jockey is making the most of them.

With only five mounts spread over four days, Pedroza has two wins and a second. His victories include Saturday's fourth race for locally-based trainer Billy Stinson Jr. in Pedroza's only mount of the afternoon. Stinson also trains Ziggy's Storm, who won with Pedroza on July 3 at 11-1 odds.

“It's been pretty good,” Pedroza said. “I haven't had the opportunities I'm waiting for. But at the same time, I understand that the other guys are working (horses in the mornings) here every week, and I don't work any horses. But I'm glad Billy gave me the opportunity on both of us horses, and we're 2 for 2. Thanks to him and thanks to everybody who have given me the opportunity. Hopefully, I'll get more opportunities.”

Stinson said he rode Pedroza when he first came to Kentucky and now uses him when racing at Indiana Grand.

“He's a really good kid, and he tries hard – and he's a good rider,” Stinson said.

Pedroza lives in Louisville, two hours from Indiana Grand. What makes riding at Ellis possible is that with school out, his family — wife Rocio, daughter Rosie and son Jeremy — can come with him to Henderson.

“When they're in school, it's a little bit tougher because I want to spend time with them,” he said. “I ride only one (Sunday), but they came with me and we'll spend the night here.”

Pedroza got to Ellis Park very early Saturday to work Bango, upon whom he won Churchill Downs' Aristides Stakes for trainer Greg Foley. But torrential rain and thunderstorm forced the track to be closed for training.

“Even all seven days, I don't care. I like to be on a horse,” Pedroza said. “Just like this morning. I came to work horses, and they canceled the works. I told Greg, 'I want to get on a horse.' He said, 'Well, tack shedrow Bango' and another one I ride for him.”

So Pedroza got on the horses and walked them around the barn shedrow, an unusual use of time for a jockey. As he said, “I'm here for work. I'm not here to play.”

The post Pedroza Splitting Time Between Ellis Park, Indiana Grand appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Brown Captures Sixth Belmont Title

Chad Brown won 32 races to capture his sixth consecutive trainer's title at the Belmont spring/summer meet, which opened Apr. 22 and concluded Sunday. His win total was five more than second-place finisher Christophe Clement. Rob Atras was third with 19 wins, while Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and Mike Maker each finished with 18 victories.

“It takes a lot of good horses, loyal and patient owners and, of course, the team,” Brown said. “This meet wasn't easy. We had a bad virus run through the barn and that really hampered us from winning more races, but we were able to overcome it. We really just focused on getting through the meet and getting the horses healthy. Exiting the meet now, we were able to still win a lot of meaningful races, and it looks like the horses are nice and healthy heading up to Saratoga, so I'm really proud of the job they did of just persevering through a turbulent couple of months.”

Jose Ortiz won the rider's title with 59 victories at the 48-day meet. Klaravich Stables led all owners for the third consecutive spring/summer meet with 11 wins.

The post Brown Captures Sixth Belmont Title appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Ortiz, Brown, Klaravitch Stables Win Spring/Summer Meet Titles At Belmont

Chad Brown registered 32 victories to finish as the leading trainer at Belmont Park's spring/summer meet for the sixth consecutive year, while Jose Ortiz won the riding the title with 59 victories during the 48-day meet that commenced on April 22 and concluded on Sunday at the Elmont, N.Y. racetrakc. Klaravich Stables led all owners with 11 wins.

Brown continued his dominance of this meet, extending his run as the top conditioner every year since 2016. The four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer was 32-29-30 in 155 starts with earnings of $3.68 million. His win total was five more than second-place finisher Christophe Clement. Rob Atras was third with 19 wins, while Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and Mike Maker each finished with 18 victories.

Among Brown's accomplishments was a pair of Grade 1 wins on the Belmont Stakes Day undercard June 5, as Domestic Spending captured the $750,000 Resorts World Casino Manhattan for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/4 miles on the turf and Search Results won the $500,000 Acorn for sophomore fillies going a one-turn mile. Klaravich Stables owns both of those winners.

“It takes a lot of good horses, loyal and patient owners, and, of course, the team,” Brown said. “This meet wasn't easy. We had a bad virus run through the barn and that really hampered us from winning more races, but we were able to overcome it. We really just focused on getting through the meet and getting the horses healthy. Exiting the meet now, we were able to still win a lot of meaningful races, and it looks like the horses are nice and healthy heading up to Saratoga, so I'm really proud of the job they did of just persevering through a turbulent couple of months.”

NYRA's year-ending leading trainer six years running saw his starters finish in the money 58.71 percent of the time during the spring/summer meet. The success continued the 42-year-old's excellence at Belmont, as Brown has also earned a share of every Belmont fall meet title since 2012.

Ortiz, who entered Closing Day in a tie with his brother, Irad Ortiz, Jr. [who was serving a three-day suspension to conclude the meet] won twice on Sunday to earn his first Belmont spring/summer riding crown since 2017. He piloted Spectatorless to victory in Sunday's opener and guided Bella Sofia to a win in Race 7.

Like Brown, Ortiz also was successful during June's Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, winning both the $500,000 Grade 1 Ogden Phipps aboard Letruska and with Drain the Clock in the $400,000 Grade 1 Woody Stephens presented by Nassau County Industrial Development Agency on Belmont Stakes Day June 5. The previous day, Ortiz won aboard Firenze Fire in the $300,000 Grade 2 True North.

For the meet, Ortiz compiled a 59-47-46 record in 279 mounts, finishing with a 21.22 winning percentage while tallying earnings of $4.93 million. Following Irad Ortiz, Jr. [57 wins] was Manny Franco, who ended the meet with 52 wins. Joel Rosario [43] was the only other rider to crack 40.

Among Ortiz's other highlights were victories with First Captain [$250,000 Grade 3 Dwyer]; Robin Sparkles [$125,000 Mount Vernon]; River Dog [$125,000 Mike Lee]; and Sadie Lady [$100,000 Dancin Renee].

“It's always great to win a meet,” Ortiz said. “We all know Irad was out for some time; I wanted to win it, but I can only control what I can control. But it's always good to have success here to get that momentum for Saratoga. If you are winning or running second or third with good horses here, they come back in races up there and you're going to ride them. Hopefully, you get a good head start on the meet.”

Klaravich Stables won its third consecutive Belmont spring/summer meet, posting a record of 11-10-12 with 57 starters while also leading all owners with earnings of $1.39 million. Headed by Seth Klarman, Klaravich Stables teamed with Brown for a pair of Grade 1 wins with both Domestic Spending and Search Results, marking the ownership group's two stakes victories for the meet.

Michael Dubb finished second with nine wins, while West Point Thoroughbreds was third with seven victories.

Thoroughbred action moves to historic Saratoga Race Course for the 40-day summer meet from Thursday, July 15 through Labor Day, September 6. Highlighted by the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers on August 28 and the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on August 7, the 2021 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course will feature 76 stakes worth $21.5 million in total purses.

The post Ortiz, Brown, Klaravitch Stables Win Spring/Summer Meet Titles At Belmont appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post