January, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Johnstons Off The Mark With Golden Sands

Golden Sands (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) became the first winner co-trained by Charlie and Mark Johnston over the all-weather at Wolverhampton on Monday. It was their second day under their new dual licence. The elder Johnston had 4,874 winners on his own-the highest in UK racing history. Winless with a pair of runners at Newcastle on Sunday, the Johnstons had to settle for second with their first runner on Monday, Achnamara (GB) (Kodiac {GB}). Golden Sands, who was the 9-4 favourite in the 1700-metre Play Coral Racing-Super-Series For Free H., made all of the running to win by 2 3/4 lengths.

“It's certainly one for the statisticians,” Charlie Johnston told Sky Sports Racing. “It's a big change but at the same time nothing has changed at all–but it's great to get it on the board after having gone close in the race before.

“On the day-to-day of running things at home, I've been heavily involved for a long time now. It's what I've been working towards throughout and when they brought in those joint-licences a couple of seasons ago it was an obvious stepping stone for us in between his licence and mine. And it's good to get on the board.”

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Deja Vu All Over Again At Tampa Bay Downs? Pasco, Gasparilla Winners Continue To Make History

It's a funny thing about history: sometimes you don't know it's being made until years after it happens.

If that sounds like a Yogi Berra-ism, well, a horse named Yogi Berra (after the Hall of Fame Yankees catcher) was 2-for-2 at Tampa Bay Downs in 2014. Remember?

Here's something else you might have forgotten, or not even known. Since 2009, six winners of the seven-furlong Pasco Stakes for 3-year-olds at Tampa Bay Downs subsequently accounted for 10 graded-stakes victories.

Certainly, a lot of fans recall 2009 Pasco winner Musket Man, who not only won the (then)-Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby and G2 Illinois Derby, but finished third in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

Other Pasco winners to capture graded victories afterward include Prospective (2011); Dynamic Sky (2013); Catalina Red (2015); World of Trouble (who won two Grade 1 stakes after his 2018 Pasco victory); and Grade 1 winner Win Win Win (2019), who set the Oldsmar track record of 1:20.89 in his Pasco triumph.

OK, so you had a pretty good idea the Pasco has produced more than its share of top-quality winners (and a couple of runners-up who went on to much bigger and better things, General Quarters in 2009 and X Y Jet in 2015).

What you likely didn't know, though, is that the seven-furlong Gasparilla Stakes – Tampa Bay Downs's 3-year-old fillies counterpart, which shares top billing with the Pasco on the Jan. 15 Skyway Festival Day card – has just about an equally impressive record of producing winners who bathed themselves in greater glory later.

Since 2006, six fillies have won a combined eight graded stakes after their Gasparilla triumph, including subsequent G3 Florida Oaks winners at Tampa Bay Downs Awesome Chic (2008) and Diva Delite (2010), along with 2015 Gasparilla winner Irish Jasper, who went on to win three graded stakes.

That statistic fails to mention 2003 Gasparilla winner Ebony Breeze, who subsequently won four G3 stakes, including the Florida Oaks, for an owner who knew Yogi pretty well: George Steinbrenner.

Well, the point is (and we know you made it this far, or you wouldn't still be reading) that nominations have been released for the two $125,000 3-year-old races, along with the third stakes on the Jan. 15 program, the $50,000 Wayward Lass Stakes for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.

The 24^th running of the Pasco, technically for 3-year-olds of both sexes, closed with 29 colt and gelding nominees, including three of the first four finishers in the Dec. 4 Inaugural Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs: winner Cattin, a colt trained by Ralph Nicks; third-place finisher Grand Valley, a colt trained by Victor Barboza, Jr.; and fourth-place finisher Magical Mousse, a colt conditioned by Jesse Cruz.

Among the other Pasco nominees are two from Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, Oldsmar maiden winner Provocateur and Dean's List.

Here is the link for the nominations to the Pasco, followed by the link to their past performances:

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SN-TAM-20220115-573158

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SNPP-TAM-20220115-573158

The 38^th running of the Gasparilla (first run in 1984, when Berra managed the Yankees), closed with 26 sophomore fillies nominated. Included are the first three finishers in the Sandpiper Stakes here on Dec. 4: winner Strategic Bird, trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse; runner-up Devine Charger, trained by Jordan Blair; and third-place finisher Chasing Happiness, trained by David Fawkes, along with a two-time stakes winner trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Outfoxed.

Here is the link for the nominations to the Gasparilla, followed by the link to their past performances:

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SN-TAM-20220115-573160

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SNPP-TAM-20220115-573160

The 38^th running of the Wayward Lass has attracted 19 nominations, including Special Princess, the dead-heat winner of last year's Gasparilla. Here is the link for the nominations to the Wayward Lass, followed by the link to their past performances:

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SN-TAM-20220115-573159

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SNPP-TAM-20220115-573159

(Yogi and George, we miss ya.)

The post Deja Vu All Over Again At Tampa Bay Downs? Pasco, Gasparilla Winners Continue To Make History appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Purses At Fair Grounds To Get 15 Percent Across The Board Boost

Inspired by strong handle during the first five weeks of the 150^th racing season, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans, La., has announced a 15 percent purse increase across the board.

“We're extremely excited to announce a 15 percent increase to our daily purse structure,” Fair Grounds' racing secretary Scott Jones said. “Based on the strong early handle returns and continued support from our owners and horsemen, we are in a position to raise purses.”

The 15 percent across the board purse increase will go in effect immediately, beginning with the entries for the Thursday, Jan. 13 card, which will be drawn on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022. Maiden special weight races will now be worth $52,000. The purse increase includes both open races and Louisiana-bred races.

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Godolphin, Cox Set North American Earnings Records For Owner, Trainer; Rosario No. 1 Among Jockeys In 2021

Godolphin LLC – the ownership group that campaigned Belmont Stakes (Grade 1) and Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) winner Essential Quality along with 14 other North American graded stakes winners – established a single-season record as the leading owner by earnings, according to final statistics released Jan. 3 by Equibase Company LLC, the Thoroughbred industry's official database for racing information.

Brad H. Cox established a single-season record as the top earner for trainers. It was the first leading owner and trainer titles, respectively, for Godolphin and Cox. Joel Rosario was the top money-earning jockey, a first for him, after finishing second last year.

The year-end compilations are distributed annually by Equibase and include results from Thoroughbred racing in North America from January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021. Expanded North American racing leaders' lists that include all trainers, jockeys, owners, and horses are available within the statistical section at equibase.com. These lists include the ability to look at leaders in a variety of categories, including age, sex, surface, graded races, foaling year for horses, and the inclusion of designated foreign races, such as the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup races.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Knicks Go, who won five of his six North American races, led all Thoroughbreds in North American earnings with $5,824,140. In addition to his win in the Classic, Knicks Go won the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), the Whitney Stakes (G1), and two other graded stakes races. He also finished fourth in the Saudi Cup.

Completing the list of top 10 horses by North American earnings were Medina Spirit with $3,520,000, Essential Quality with $3,420,000, Yibir (GB) with $2,615,000, Hot Rod Charlie with $2,127,500, Letruska with $1,945,540, Silver State with $1,693,000, Malathaat with $1,563,000, Mandaloun with $1,560,000, and Maxfield with $1,512,550.

Some of the leading horses also were the top earners from their respective foal crops. The leading earners by foaling year from the past five years were Echo Zulu (by Gun Runner, 2019 foal crop), Essential Quality (by Tapit, 2018 foal crop), Authentic (by Into Mischief, 2017), Knicks Go (by Paynter, 2016), and Vino Rosso (by Curlin, 2015).

Godolphin – with 84 North American wins from 479 starts – was a dominant force among owners in 2021 with record earnings of $17,403,204, smashing the former single-season earnings record of $12.2 million set in 2013 by Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey. When including earnings from Dubai World Cup and Saudi Cup days, Godolphin had 88 wins and earnings of $29,398,204, those earnings coming primarily from Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide and U.A.E. Derby winner Rebel's Romance (IRE).

Completing the list of top 10 owners by North American earnings in 2020 were Klaravich Stables, Inc., $7,016,654 (72 wins / 294 starts); Juddmonte, $5,899,094 (38/134); Korea Racing Authority, $5,824,140 (5/6); Calumet Farm, $5,415,390 (63/528); End Zone Athletics Inc., $5,076,698 (266/1,248); Three Diamonds Farm, $5,044,008 (52/318); Peter M. Brant, $4,417,444 (31/124); Stonestreet Stables, $4,378,427 (36/127); and Gary Barber, $4,333,024 (91/482).

Cox sent out the winners of 269 races from 358 starters with 1,025 starts in establishing a single-season earnings record of $31,832,345 in 2021, edging the previous record of $31.1 million set in 2019 by Chad C. Brown. When including earnings from Dubai World Cup and Saudi Cup days, Cox's earnings for the year totaled $33,332,345. Steven M. Asmussen, last year's leading trainer by earnings, finished second with his horses having won 453 races from 640 starters with 2,427 starts for earnings of $31,268,944.

Completing the list of top 10 trainers by North American earnings in 2021 were Brown, $22,213,740 (196 wins / 316 starters / 839 starts); Todd A. Pletcher, $22,098,436 (204/306/915); Michael J. Maker, $14,938,517 (214/419/1,340); Mark E. Casse, $14,881,212 (225/363/1,347); Bob Baffert, $14,646,762 (108/117/341); William I. Mott, $12,410,845 (108/194/616); Christophe Clement, $10,069,223 (116/189/564); and Saffie A. Joseph Jr., $9,027,406 201/279/875).

Rosario reached the winner's circle 228 times from 1,083 mounts in 2021 and earned $32,944,478. With earnings from the Dubai World Cup and Saudi Cup days included, Rosario earned $35,421,978. Finishing second was Irad Ortiz, Jr., who was the leading jockey for the past two years, with 336 wins from 1,443 mounts and earnings of $29,274,435. Ortiz holds the single-season North American earnings record of $34,109,019 set in 2019.

Rounding out the list of top 10 jockeys by North American earnings in 2021 were Luis Saez, $26,187,754 (293 wins / 1,635 starts); Jose L. Ortiz, $25,000,069 (256/1,372); Flavien Prat, $23,098,013 (245/921); Tyler Gaffalione, $19,232,182 (2,691/423); Florent Geroux, $19,021,642 (185/898); John R. Velazquez, $17,738,203 (119/695); Ricardo Santana Jr., $16,976,612 (164/990); and Manuel Franco, $14,043,066 (184/1,341).

Knicks Go wins the Breeders' Cup Classic under Joel Rosario

Equibase Company is a partnership between The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America and serves as the Thoroughbred industry's official database. Through its website and mobile applications, Equibase offers a comprehensive menu of wagering products, statistical information, and video race replays in support of the North American Thoroughbred racing industry. Additional information is available at equibase.com.

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