June, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

NTRA Opens Washington, D.C. Office

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) has officially opened an office in Washington, D.C. NTRA president and CEO Tom Rooney, a former Congressman, has indicated the office will be fully staffed and open for visitors.

“I've been hired and tasked to go to Washington and be the voice of the Thoroughbred racing industry to our nation's policy makers,” said Rooney. “Having spent a decade in Congress, I know how Washington works. The biggest part of that is by showing up and being in person. By opening this office, we'll be able to spend lots of time on the Hill, advocating for the industry, and making the voice of horse racing heard in Washington.”

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Arqana Reveals Five-Race Series Worth €1.2 Million

The Arqana Series, a five-race series worth €1.2 million and reserved for colts and fillies offered by the sales company, was launched on Wednesday. The races will be held during the August Meeting at Deauville and the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend at ParisLongchamp, beginning in 2023. Criteria for the races are as follows:

Three 2-year-old races will take place during an evening meeting on the Thursday before the August Yearling Sale at Deauville-La Touques Racecourse including two for unraced juveniles;
A 2-year-old race on the Saturday of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend;
And from 2024, the programme will be further added to with a race for 3-year-olds, that will also be held on the Thursday at Deauville.

Yearlings offered during Arqana's 2022 August, September, October and November sales will be the first crop eligible to participate in the new series.

Eric Hoyeau, President of Arqana, said, “Very much appreciated since its first edition in 2017, the objectives of the Arqana Criterium were to enhance the “owner experience” and to support French breeding. As an auction house, these two subjects are particularly important to us and it is essential for us to continue in this direction, by extending this event with a real programme of richly-endowed races. We are therefore delighted to have succeeded in creating the Arqana Series, after a long period of reflection and discussion with France Galop.

“The four races organised on the Thursday before the August Yearling Sale will create even more synergy between the sales and the meeting and will contribute to the new event dimension of the sale. As both events attract an international audience, this evening meeting on Deauville's floodlit track will also be a unique opportunity to promote our French racing system to many owners. We have also chosen to keep the 2-year-old race on the Saturday of the Arc, meaning that connections could have a runner on one of the most beautiful international race weekends.”

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‘Heavyweight Championship Bout’: Flightline Vs. Speaker’s Corner In Met Mile

The long anticipated showdown between two of the nation's fastest racehorses, Flightline and Speaker's Corner, will take place in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap going a one-turn mile for 3-year-olds and upward at Belmont Park in Elmont Park, N.Y.

The Metropolitan Handicap is a “Win And You're In” qualifier, offering an automatic entry into the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on November 5 at Keeneland Race Course.

Regarded as a “stallion-making race” due to its long history of producing winners who go on to highly productive stud careers, the Met Mile has been won by recent Grade 1-producing sires Honor Code [2015], Palace Malice [2014], and Shackleford [2012]. Recent Eclipse champion-producing winners of the Met Mile include Quality Road [2010], Divine Park [2008], Ghostzapper [2005], Langfuhr [1997], Honour and Glory [1996], and Holy Bull [1994]. Influential sires from decades past also have a Met Mile win on their resumes, including Native Dancer [1954], Sword Dancer [1959], and Buckpasser [1967] – whose sire Tom Fool also won the Met Mile in 1953.

A cumulative nine triple digit Beyer Speed Figures appear on the form of Flightline and Speaker's Corner, with both horses entering the Met Mile off open-lengths triumphs going one turn.

Flightline has displayed brilliance with an unbeaten record in three lifetime starts by a combined 37 1/2 lengths while garnering a triple digit Beyer each time. A 13 1/4-length maiden coup last April at Santa Anita had racing fans eager to see what else the son of Tapit had in store, but he did not return to action until September at the California oval, defeating winners under a hand ride by Flavien Prat.

In his first start at stakes level, Flightline delivered a late Christmas present to his connections with an effortless 11 1/2-length triumph in the Grade 1 Malibu on December 26 at Santa Anita. The in-hand score registered a 118 Beyer, the largest recorded figure by a horse last year.

Flightline will be making his first start past seven-furlongs but trainer John Sadler said added ground will benefit.

“I always thought he would be better as he goes further,” Sadler said. “He has a high cruising speed and when you look at some horses that have fast time, you wonder how that will project out. But if you watch his races, it projects out quite well. Since it's a longer than usual gap between races, we've made sure that he has a lot of good training in him. When you see a steady series of good works it's to make sure he's ready to go.”

Sadler said Flightline doesn't necessarily need the lead.

“We've been working hard with getting him to relax,” Sadler said. “He doesn't have to have the front, but he's naturally gifted with speed. He's a runner and he's a stone cold athlete. Ever since we've had him, he's looked like the big horse.”

Flightline is owned by the partnership of Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing.

Prat retains the mount aboard Flightline, who breaks from post 1.

While Flightline makes his trek to the East Coast, Belmont-based Speaker's Corner will attempt to defend his territory for Hall of Famer Bill Mott.

“As far as I'm concerned, the Met Mile is a heavyweight championship type bout,” Mott said. “It should be a good race. If our horse shows up and the other horse shows up, it should be interesting.”

Speaker's Corner, a 4-year-old son of Street Sense, enters off a victory in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap on April 9 at Aqueduct where he produced a 114 Beyer – the highest speed figure recorded this year. Attempting to become the 13th horse to sweep the Carter-Met Mile double in the same year, Speaker's Corner is unbeaten at a one-turn mile boasting a pair of graded stakes wins at Gulfstream Park going the distance in the Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper and Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile.

Mott said Speaker's Corner, who has been first at the half-mile call in each of his last five starts, won't necessarily concede the lead to Flightline.

“I don't know if anybody is going to beat him [Flightline] if you give him a six-length lead,” Mott said.

Speaker's Corner has shown ability to carry his speed further, staying on strong to the wire in a narrow half-length loss to Miles D in the nine-furlong Discovery in November at the Big A. Mott said he is hopeful that stamina can benefit Speaker's Corner late in the lane on Saturday.

“We didn't succeed at a mile and an eighth, but we've been successful at a mile. I think our horse gets more than a mile, but he was only beaten a head or a neck going a mile and an eighth by a good horse,” Mott said.

Godolphin, which owns Speaker's Corner, pursues a second win in the Met Mile after scoring a memorably emphatic victory in 2016 with Frosted.

Breaking from post 2, Speaker's Corner will be ridden by regular pilot Junior Alvarado.

Trainer Wayne Catalano will send up a formidable contender in Aloha West, the winner of last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint. The Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners-owned 5-year-old Hard Spun dark bay was fifth behind Jackie's Warrior in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs last out on Kentucky Derby day.

A five-time winner of ten starts, Aloha West won twice at Saratoga last summer at allowance optional claiming level. After a six-furlong victory last August at the Spa against non-winners of two, he garnered more Saratoga prosperity in the next condition up going seven furlongs.

Jose Ortiz will ride from post 3.

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher will seek his third Met Mile triumph when saddling Wertheimer and Frere's Happy Saver. The 5-year-old Super Saver chestnut has never finished worse than third in nine lifetime starts, including a victory in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2020, where he defeated the following year's Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide and millionaire Tacitus.

Happy Saver arrives off his 2022 debut, when finishing second in the Grade 2 Alysheba at Churchill Downs to Olympiad. Boasting a 9-5-3-1 record, Happy Saver has banked $803,300 in lifetime earnings.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride from post 4.

Completing the field is Uriah St. Lewis-owned and trained Informative, a 5-year-old dark bay son of Bodemeister. Last June, Informative won the Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park in a 79-1 upset. St. Lewis is no stranger to springing major upsets at graded stakes level on the NYRA circuit, with the most notable being a triumph with Discreet Lover in the 2018 Jockey Club Gold Cup [Grade 1] at Belmont Park.

Dexter Haddock has the call from post 5.

The Met Mile is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 13-race card which features a first post of 11:20 a.m. Eastern.

National television coverage of Belmont Stakes Day will begin on FS2, where America's Day at the Races will air from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. before coverage shifts to CNBC from 3 to 5 p.m. and NBC from 5 to 7p.m. America's Day at the Races will then return to FS2 from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Bolt d’Oro Filly Tops OBS June Sale’s Opening Session

Hip No. 191, a daughter of Bolt d'Oro consigned by Niall Brennan Stables, Agent, was sold to Craig and Caroline Bentley for $290,000 to top the first session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2022 June Sale of 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age.

The bay filly, whose eighth in :10 flat was co-fastest at the distance at Tuesday's Under Tack session, is a half sister to graded stakes placed Top of Mind out of stakes winner Over the Edge, by Thunder Gulch.

Marette Farrell, Agent for Exline-Border Racing LLC, paid $240,000 for Hip No. 331, a daughter of Candy Ride (ARG) consigned by All Dreams Equine, Agent. The bay filly, who breezed an eighth in :10 1/5 on Tuesday, is out of Seaside Escape, by Bernardini, a full sister to grade one stakes winner Cavorting.

Hip No. 116, a daughter of Adios Charlie consigned by Ocala Stud, went to Champion Equine LLC for $235,000. The bay filly, whose quarter in :21 flat was fastest at the distance at Monday's Under Tack session, is out of stakes placed Miss Melinda, by Malibu Moon, a daughter of graded stakes placed stakes winner Black Escort.

Hip No. 54, a son of Nyquist consigned by Top Line Sales LLC, Agent, was sold to Mike Maker for $220,000. The bay colt, who turned in an Under Tack eighth on Monday in :10 1/5, is out of graded stakes winner Livin Lovin, by Birdstone.

Hip No. 236, a daughter of Liam's Map consigned by de Meric Sales, Agent, was sold to Patrice Miller, EQB Inc, Agent, for $160,000. The bay filly, who breezed an Under Tack eighth in :10 2/5 on Tuesday, is out of Pretty U, by Pomeroy, a full sister to graded stakes winning OBS graduate Pomeroys Pistol.

Clay Scherer, Agent, went to $150,000 for Hip No. 123, a daughter of Redesdale consigned by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock, Agent. The chestnut filly, who breezed a quarter in :21 1/5 at the Under Tack Show on Monday, is out of Miz Midtown, by Exchange Rate, a daughter of stakes winner Midtown Miss.

Hip 217, Picchero, a daughter of Bucchero consigned by Nice and Easy Thoroughbreds, was sold for $150,000 to Cherie DeVaux, Agent. The chestnut filly, whose eighth on Tuesday in :10 flat was the session's co-fastest, is out of Pick the Double, by Double Honor, from the family of graded stakes winner Accredit.

Hip No. 130, a daughter of Bayern consigned by Paul Sharp, Agent, was purchased for $140,000 by Ryan Zabrowski. The dark bay or brown filly, whose eighth in :10 flat was co-fastest at Monday's Under Tack session, is a half sister to graded stakes placed stakes winner Bishop's Pond out of stakes winner More for Me, by More Than Ready.

Mike Akers, Agent, went to $140,000 for Hip No. 246, a daughter of Square Eddie consigned by Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent. The bay filly, whose Under Tack eighth in :10 flat on Tuesday was the session's co-fastest, is a full sister to stakes placed Square Peggy out of Puff Pastry, by Momentum.

For the session, 184 horses grossed $7,107,500, compared with 196 selling for a total of $7,756,400 at last year's first session. The average was $38,628 compared with $39,573 a year ago, while the median price was $25,500 compared to $20,000 in 2021. The buyback percentage was 33 percent; it was 18.3 percent last year.

The June Sale continues Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Hip No.'s 375 – 748 will be offered.

To view the session's full results, click here.

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