December, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

The Meadows Plans To Reduce Post Time Drag In 2022

In an effort to provide harness racing bettors a more consistent program, The Meadows in Washington, Penn. has announced that beginning Jan. 5, it will institute a new policy in regard to post time “drag.”

As soon as the post time clock changes from “1” to “0,” the starting gate will begin to move from its position on the backstretch near the paddock. It will then roll continuously down the backstretch and through the turn, picking up the horses in the usual spot in front of the toteboard and releasing them on the backstretch.

“It's difficult for people to know when to bet when a track sits on zero minutes to post for what seems like forever,” said Director of Racing Scott Lishia. “Our hope is that when bettors see the gate start to move, they'll realize that this is their final call, that once the gate starts rolling, unless there is some type of problem, it's going to keep moving right to the start.”

The Meadows Racing's TV crew will begin showing the gate car as soon as it moves from its position in front of the paddock, giving bettors a clear view so that they know the race is about to begin.

The 2022 racing season at The Meadows will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 5, with racing on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons at 12:45 p.m. Eastern.

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Sex In Exchange For Horses? English Trainer Jo Davis Shares Her Experience With Misogyny In Racing

English trainer Jo Davis used a blog post on Sunday to share her experiences with misogyny in racing, in light of the recent bullying case involving jockey Bryony Frost.

The 25-year industry veteran recounted one incident with a former owner who attempted to enter her house and said: “F*** me and you can have any horse you want,” Davis wrote.

Davis also shared instances of another trainer and a member of the media yelling obscenities at her from across a crowded pub, and a jockey too busy flirting with her to listen to pre-race instructions.

Also a former jockey, Davis recalled her first day in the saddle.

“When I race-rode for the first time I had the jibes and the piss-taking in the weighing room, it was a horrid experience,” she wrote. “I grew up with a fairly handy father, a brother who didn't take any s***, I worked in pubs and nightclubs in London and no-one messed with me, however racing was different.”

Davis continued, admitting she used to see the bullying and hateful words as “just banter,” but adds, “then I grew up.”

“We want to be accepted when we are young,” she wrote. “The girls I have spoken to about the Bryony situation say, 'it's just Robbie, unless you stand up to him that's what he does;' fair play to them, however why should they??

“Why should any man (it does happen to them too) or woman need to draw a line in the sand with a male or a female bully?”

Read the full blog post here.

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Australia: Mastermind Of Wagering Club Ponzi Scheme Sentenced To Nine Years In Prison

On Friday, County Court Judge Douglas Trapnell sentenced Australian horse racing identity Bill Vlahos to nine years in prison for his role in leading a Ponzi Scheme that swindled investors out of $17,520,224, reports abc.net.au. Vlahos scammed 1,800 investors across 61 different syndicates out of their money by making them believe he had a statistical formula for picking winners.

Instead, Vlahos used the funds to bring additional individuals into the scheme as well as to fund his own extravagant lifestyle.

Vlahos initially faced 347 charges, but ultimately pleaded to two counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception.

“Through your pernicious greed and insatiable desire for personal affirmation, you destroyed the lives and financial security of your family, friends and associates,” said Judge Trapnell. “It is clear you must have known the impact you've had … yet you continued your deceptive scheme, unrelenting and unrepentant. The audaciousness of your behavior is breathtaking.”

‘Scrappy Little Horse’ Mighty Heart Up For The Challenge In Saturday’s Harlan’s Holiday

Lawrence Cordes' Mighty Heart will keep an eye on the prize – literally – after the 4-year-old son of Dramedy leaves the starting gate in Saturday's $150,000 Harlan's Holiday (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Although he has the use of only one eye, the over-achieving colt has persevered to become a multiple graded-stakes winner with purse earnings over $1 million. The homebred colt, whose left eye had to be removed following a paddock accident when he was only two-weeks old, reached the pinnacle of Canadian racing when he won the 2020 Queen's Plate, the first leg of the Triple Crown for Ontario-bred 3-year-olds. The homebred colt also won the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie on his way to being honored as the 2020 Canadian Horse of the Year.

“He has been a lot of fun for us. He was the underdog in the Queen's Plate and he ran the race of his life,” trainer Jose Carroll said. “He always shows up. I call him a scrappy little horse. He loves to go head-and-head. He's a trying little horse.”

Mighty Heart will carry highweight of 126 pounds in the Harlan's Holiday, a 1 1/16-mile prep for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational [(G1), Jan. 29], on Saturday's 11-race program with five stakes, four graded, including the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale, a 1 1/8-mile prep for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

The ultra-consistent Mighty Heart, who is coming off a victory in the Autumn Stakes (G2) on Woodbine's Tapeta surface over which he won the Queen's Plate. The resilient colt captured the Prince of Wales, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown on dirt but failed to pull off a series sweep, finishing far back in the Breeders' Stakes over Woodbine's turf.

“I don't think the turf was the reason. He broke sharply and was headed by a longshot, and he never came off the bridle. He galloped right along early and got tired,” Carroll said.

Mighty Heart is rated second in the morning-line at 9-5 behind Todd Pletcher-trained Fearless, the 8-5 favorite who captured the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) last season.

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