Month: June 2022

‘The Horse Is Calmer When Jerry Is Around’: Bond Of Trust Between Rich Strike, Groom Jerry Dixon, Jr.

When Rich Strike scored his memorable upset victory in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, he provided his connections with a thrill they will carry for the rest of their lives. But particularly for groom Jerry Dixon, Jr., who perhaps knows “Richie” better than anyone.

As Rich Strike's groom, Dixon, Jr. cares for the horse on a daily basis, with his days starting at 4:30 a.m. and stretching into the evening on Saturday after walking home the Derby winner from his start in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

Dixon, Jr. has worked on the racetrack for 13 years, the past two of which were spent under trainer Eric Reed. He began grooming for Tommy Short, who is based primarily in Ohio and Indiana before working for Reed.

“I learned a lot of things there of what to do and not to do,” Dixon Jr. said. “I've been trying to take all the information of every horseman I've ran across in my life and try to use it. It's best to be a sponge. You got to soak up knowledge.”

A fourth generation horseman, Dixon, Jr. learned from his father, Jerry Dixon, who established a business out of the Churchill Downs receiving barn through “Dixon, Inc.” – a subcontracting service which saddles and cares for horses when their connections ship in for a race. The elder Dixon, who has known Reed for over three decades, also has been hands on with Rich Strike.

“I was always around horses as a kid. I didn't like it as a kid, couldn't stand the smell,” Dixon, Jr. said. “But it grew on me. When your whole family is in the business, you're learning from them, and you're watching them.”

Both Dixon and Dixon, Jr. recall the ups and downs of Kentucky Derby week, and not knowing whether Rich Strike would draw into the race. Rich Strike drew into the race from the also-eligible list when Ethereal Road scratched.

The elder Dixon specifically remembered observing his son reacting to the good news.

“We were at the barn celebrating,” Dixon said. “I watch my son walk off by himself. He got down on his knees and he thanked God.”

Just to be a part of the Kentucky Derby was emotional for both Dixons. Dixon, Jr. recalls the walkover to the paddock with Rich Strike.

“Once we got to the gap, I felt the horse bow his neck and I thought, 'Ooh he's going to run good today',” Dixon, Jr. said. “All we needed was a chance. But to win it? That was icing on the cake right there. To be in the race was the best experience ever, and then to go out and win it was indescribable.”

So indescribable, that it took Dixon, Jr. some time to believe that he actually witnessed Rich Strike shock the Kentucky Derby field. Dixon, Jr. said it was Rich Strike's jockey Sonny Leon who made him realize it wasn't a dream.

“I didn't think it was real at first. It felt like a dream, like I was out on my feet,” Dixon, Jr. recalled. “I had to ask Sonny, 'Is this real? Did we really just win the Kentucky Derby?' Sonny said, 'Papa, I show you,' He threw a rose, it hit my arm, and that's when I knew.”

In preparing for the Belmont Stakes, Rich Strike is fulfilling a lifelong dream for Dixon, Jr., who said he has always wanted to travel with horses.

“Richie here gave me that chance,” Dixon, Jr. said. “I'm just thankful that the team trusts me enough to be in this position. They say hard work pays off.

“We're working hard to keep the horse at his best,” Dixon, Jr. added. “I love the way he's training here.”

The strong rapport between Rich Strike and Dixon, Jr. has been captured in content across social media, including a video of the groom laying down in the stall next to the Derby winner and gently waking him from his slumber.

“If your animal doesn't trust you, you have nothing,” Dixon, Jr. said. “He lets me do whatever I need to do to make sure he's taken care of. Trust is a big thing.”

Dixon, Jr. spoke high volumes of working for Reed.

“This whole experience has taught me to never give up on yourself,” Dixon, Jr. “But the key thing from Eric has been always pay attention to detail. Never short cut even when you don't feel like doing a certain thing a certain way. Give it your best, always.”

Reed expressed strong gratitude for having Dixon, Jr. in the barn to care for Rich Strike.

“Richie loves Jerry Jr. and Jerry Jr. loves Richie,” Reed said. “When you have good karma in the barn and you got a comfort zone with everyone, everything goes smooth and good things happen. We're all family here and everyone gets along well. But there's a bond between Jerry and Richie that is serious. The horse is calmer when Jerry is around, and he's changed all their lives forever.”

Rich Strike had his final gallop Friday in preparation for the Belmont Stakes. The chestnut Keen Ice colt, owned by RED TR-Racing, galloped 1 1/2 miles clockwise around a fast Big Sandy.

“He galloped nice and easy and relaxed,” said Reed.

Rich Strike has routinely visited the main track via the Belmont paddock almost every morning since arriving last Wednesday. He had his first afternoon trip to the paddock yesterday during the first race and had an uneventful outing, which Reed was thankful for.

“I was so happy,” said Reed. “I was worried that I hadn't trained him as much and that he was going to get to the paddock and be keyed up. Now I know he's level-headed and he's got his game face on. We're where we need to be and the way I wanted it to be. No more adjustments – I think it's up to the race now.”

Rich Strike is expected to walk the shed row on Saturday before the Belmont Stakes and have a quiet day since he handled his paddock schooling well.

“I'm happy as I can be,” said Reed. “He always tells if you if you haven't done enough. I would have had to train him harder today and gone back and schooled him today, but all we have to do now is keep him happy.”

The post ‘The Horse Is Calmer When Jerry Is Around’: Bond Of Trust Between Rich Strike, Groom Jerry Dixon, Jr. appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Immaculately Bred Arrogate Colt Gets ‘Rising Star’ Nod

Juddmonte's Artorius (c, 3, Arrogate–Paulassilverlining, by Ghostzapper) backed up his highly impressive runner-up effort on his six-furlong debut behind 'TDN Rising Star' Under Oath (Speightstown) at Keeneland Apr. 16 with a similarly promising performance when stretched to a mile Friday at Belmont. His deceptively easy 3/4-length success over big-figure maiden Gasoline (Curlin x Yellow Agate) earns him the 'Rising Star' designation.

With the vanguard early, the dark bay eased back to sit third and on the fence behind a sharp opening quarter-mile in :22.98. Shuffled back one position to sit midfield past the half in :46.61, Artorius was back into the bit and ready to roll, but in need of running room as the field hit the top of the stretch. The gap came one off the inside with a bit more than a furlong to travel, and Artorius took it professionally, but wanted to run around a bit at the eighth pole. The colt received a few reminders from Irad Ortiz, Jr. and held sway to win narrowly, albeit comfortably, in racehorse time. Gasoline, who finished a neck behind subsequent Texas Derby winner King Ottoman (Curlin) in a May 7 Churchill maiden going this one-turn mile configuration, prompted the pace throughout and boxed on gamely once passed in another high-class outing.

Artorius is the first foal out of Paulassilverlining, a four-time graded winner and third in the 2016 GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint for her breeder Vince Scuderi, then was acquired privately by Juddmonte prior to her 5-year-old season in 2017, with an eye on a future mating with Arrogate. The plan paid immediate dividends when Paulassilverlining won the GI Madison S. and GI Humana Distaff S. in her first two appearances in the legendary Juddmonte green-and-pink before her retirement at the end of that campaign.

A half-sister to dual GI Carter H. hero Dads Caps (Discreet Cat) and to the dams of SWs Long Weekend (Majesticperfection) and Miss Interpret (Street Sense), Paulassilverlining has a 2-year-old half-sister named Parameter (Into Mischief) and a foal half-sister by Tapit. Artorius carries 3 x 4 inbreeding to Unbridled.

Read more on Artorius in Steve Sherack's 'Second Chances' column.

1st-Belmont, $90,000, Msw, 6-10, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:35.07, ft, 3/4 length.
ARTORIUS, c, 3, by Arrogate
1st Dam: Paulassilverlining (MGISW, $1,516,230), by Ghostzapper
2nd Dam: Seeking the Silver, by Grindstone
3rd Dam: Apache Pines, by Pancho Villa
Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $68,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Chad C Brown.

 

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NY Race Track Chaplaincy Seeks Support for Summer Enrichment Program

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy is seeking support for their Summer Enrichment Program for children of backstretch workers in order to help keep families together during the Saratoga season, and to give children an opportunity to experience something they may have never had before: a summer away from the city and from the track.

No child is turned away from the program, which meets critical needs for the families that the Chaplaincy serves. The program is solely supported by contributions from the public.

Those interested may click here to donate any amount, or click here to sponsor a child for one day, one week, one month, or the entire summer.

Humberto Chavez, Lead Chaplain and Executive Director of the NY Chaplaincy, said the program is very close to his heart.

“Thanks to the Saratoga Summer Enrichment Program, members of the backstretch community who are parents are able to keep their families together and know their children are well-cared-for while they are at work. The peace of mind this provides is something every parent can appreciate and support. We turn away no one and are very grateful to everyone who makes this program possible.”

Over 3,500 people make up the community of workers on the backstretches of the thoroughbred racing industry at Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack, and Saratoga Race Course.  The New York Race Track Chaplaincy ministers to that community with children's enrichment, social service, and recreational programs, educational opportunities, and non-denominational religious services. The Chaplaincy provides these extensive services with the intent of satisfying not only spiritual needs but also basic human necessities, and its unique population is served without regard to race, creed, religion, background, or social status.

The post NY Race Track Chaplaincy Seeks Support for Summer Enrichment Program appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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T. D. Thornton’s Belmont Predictions, Sponsored by Fasig-Tipton

This week's TDN Triple Crown feature examines the GI Belmont S. entrants listed in “likeliest winner” order.

1) Mo Donegal (c, Uncle Mo–Callingmissbrown, by Pulpit)
O-Donegal Racing & Repole Stable. B-Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables (KY). T-Todd Pletcher. Sales History: $250,000 yrl '20 KEESEP.
You could argue that Mo Donegal lost the GI Kentucky Derby at the post draw after getting stuck with the dreaded rail gate. But his fifth-place effort, beaten 5 3/4 lengths in a stretch finish that featured the 1-2-3 horses all running full-tilt to the wire, is actually quite a bit better than it appears on paper. This $250,000 KEESEP son of Uncle Mo was too patiently handled by Irad Ortiz, Jr., who didn't ask this athletic colt for his best run until 2 1/2 furlongs out, and Mo then had to float 12 wide off the turn to find clear passage. But he still uncorked with his characteristic acceleration inside the eighth pole, and that type of late-race torque has been evident throughout Mo's career. This colt simply keeps gaining ground in deep stretch, even when the final furlongs are quick, and his company lines are far more robust than any of his Belmont S. foes. Don't be tempted to stamp him as strictly an off-the-tailgate type, because Mo is agile and nimble enough to take up the running from a sweet stalking spot in an eight-horse field where he's not as likely to meet up with the trip trouble that he often encounters.

2) We the People (c, Constitution–Letchworth, by Tiznow)
O-Winstar Farm, LLC, Bobby Flay, CMNWLTH, & Siena Farm, LLC.
B-Henley Farms Inc (KY). T-R Brisset. Sales History: $110k wnlg '19 KEENOV, $220k yrl '20 KEESEP, $230k 2yo FTFMAR.
We the People possesses both a very high cruising gear and a reputation for being difficult to handle. His brief past performance block features a pair of open-length wins at Oaklawn and a blowout, 10 1/4-length, tour-de-force romp in the GII Peter Pan S. four weeks ago (103 Beyer Speed Figure). But sandwiched in between was a hot-and-bothered effort in the weak GI Arkansas Derby in which this Constitution colt couldn't make the lead, then got hooked wide around both turns, beating only two horses. Which We the People will show up as the morning-line fave for the third leg of the Triple Crown? Sure, he's won with authority over Belmont's main track. But that was a sealed, post-rain surface rated “good,” and the field contained only one horse who had ever won a stakes (a minor one at that). Still, the raw power of that victory will be enough to sway pari-mutuel supporters to this colt's side. We the People was always in control in the Peter Pan, and it's hard to shake the visual of him turning for home under a hand ride from Flavien Prat while everyone else in his widening wake was desperately whipping and driving. He also had a nice spurt of extra acceleration in upper stretch-the kind of move where Prat was probably just gauging what was under the hood for future reference.

3) Rich Strike (c, Keen Ice–Gold Strike, by Smart Strike)
O-RED TR-Racing, LLC. B-Calumet Farm (KY). T-Eric Reed.
When a horse wins a race at 80-1 odds, you can usually point to evidence that the favorites didn't fire, the pace blew up, or a number of logical contenders ran into trip trouble. None of those things happened in the Derby. Sonny Leon sliced and diced his way to a clear inside path through the far turn, and Rich Strike did the rest, taking aim with purpose and reeling in two favorites who weren't quitting. Is the effort replicable? This connections of this former $30,000 maiden-claiming son of Keen Ice defied convention and skipped the GI Preakness S. with the aim of having a tighter fighter at 12 furlongs, a distance trainer Eric Reed believes is within this colt's scope. His 101 Beyer in Louisville represents a 17-point jump off his best career effort, and Rich Strike is going to have to come up with a similar or better fig if he is to be draped in a blanket of white carnations.

Rich Strike poses for every photo before Saturday's Belmont Stakes. | Sarah Andrew

But you have to wonder if he's going to be tactically forced out of his sweet spot, because dropping far behind the field against this crew is likely going to leave him too much work to do.

Then again, this is a colt who wasn't too far off the action going a one-turn a mile at Churchill at age two (a 17 1/4-length upset), so maybe he's a touch more versatile than critics give him credit for. A bigger concern might be Leon's inexperience riding over Belmont's vast, sweeping main-track configuration, which has been known to stymie riders unfamiliar with its 1 1/2-miles circumference. Leon is named to ride in only one race (on the grass) at Belmont on Friday, then will have what will seem like an interminably long wait on Saturday (7 1/2 hours) between his only main-track mounts in the opener and in the Belmont S. itself.

4) Barber Road (c, Race Day–Encounter, by Southern Image)
O-WSS Racing, LLC. B-Susan Forrester & Judy Curry (KY).
T-John Ortiz. Sales History: $15,000 wnlg '19 KEENOV.
Despite having to rally from last and getting parked in the 14 path turning for home, this Race Day gray ($15,000 KEENOV) put in a fairly decent sustained run over the final three furlongs of the Derby. Barber Road gets a jockey change to Joel Rosario for the Belmont, and will race without blinkers for the first time since his career debut at Colonial Downs last August. He's winless since Nov. 10, but has amassed a bankroll north of $650,000 by chipping away with minor awards in graded stakes. Longer distances certainly appear within the scope of his pedigree. His paternal grandsire is Tapit, the sire of four Belmont S. winners, and damsire Southern Image won two Grade I routes at Triple Crown distances in 2004 (the Santa Anita H. and the Pimlico Special). But the big question for Barber Road isn't staying power-it's whether he's fast enough. His best Beyer tops out at 94, seven points below the par for this race.

5) Nest (f, Curlin–Marion Ravenwood, by A.P. Indy). O-Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, & Michael House.
B-Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables (KY). T-Todd Pletcher. Sales History: $350,000 yrl '20 KEESEP.
Nest's family tree is replete with distance-centric influences. Her sire, Curlin, lost the 2007 Belmont by a head, barely coming up short behind the gallant filly Rags to Riches (who was trained by Nest's trainer, Todd Pletcher). Nest's damsire, A.P. Indy, won the '92 Belmont. This filly is also a full sister to Idol, last year's winner of the Santa Anita H. She was most recently a grinding second in the GI Kentucky Oaks, incrementally gaining on the winner, and before that, she popped for an 8 1/4-length victory in the GI Ashland S. in April. That score was notable for a prolonged, 4 1/2-furlong bid over Keeneland's short-stretch configuration in which Nest drove past the front four leaders with authority midway on the far turn. Jose Ortiz picks up the mount for the first time, as his brother, Irad, sticks with Nest's uncoupled stablemate, Mo Donegal.

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