The year 1973 is best remembered for the Triple Crown heroics of Secretariat. Yet that same year also gave American racing fans their first glimpse of another great champion of that era.
Month: June 2022
Saturday’s All-Stakes Cross Country Pick 5 Features Action From Belmont, Churchill, Monmouth, Thistledown
The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) will host an all-stakes Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday featuring racing from Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, Monmouth Park, and Thistledown.
Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/cross-country-wagers.
The sequence, which features fives stakes to be completed in less than one hour, kicks off in Race 8 at Belmont Park at 4:40 p.m. Eastern with the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose at 1 1/16-miles for sophomore fillies. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher sends out Group 3 UAE Oaks-winner Shahama for her second start in North America following an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. She will face returning rival Venti Valentine and a new challenger in Grade 1-winner Juju's Map.
Action switches to Monmouth for the Goldwood [Race 11, 4:47 p.m.] as an overflow field of fillies and mares 3-and-up sprint 5 1/2-furlongs over the turf led by nine-time winner Hey Mamaluke for trainer Patricia Farro. An experienced field includes multiple-stakes winner Robin Sparkles for trainer Bruce Brown and the consistent pair of Champagne Lady, who has hit the board in her last five starts for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey; and Honey Pants, who boasts a record of 13-3-6-0 for conditioner Christophe Clement.
The middle leg, the $250,000 Lady Jacqueline [Race 10, 4:48 p.m.], offers a field of 10 fillies and mares 3-and-up traveling nine furlongs at Thistledown topped by multiple graded-stakes winner Crazy Beautiful for trainer Ken McPeek. Steep opposition will be provided by multiple graded-stakes winner Army Wife for conditioner Mike Maker and the Rob Atras-trained Maracuja, who captured the Grade 1 CCA Oaks last summer at Saratoga Race Course.
A field of seven older fillies and mares will line up in the penultimate leg, the Grade 3 Chicago [Race 9, 4:55 p.m.] at seven furlongs over the Churchill Downs main track. The regally-bred Pennybaker, whose dam Macaroon is a full-sister to multiple Grade 1-winning multi-millionaire Frosted, will look to improve on her five-race win streak in her graded debut. The Michael Stidham trainee captured the Heavenly Cause last out in her first stateside start. A talented group includes Grade 1-winner Bell's the One and graded-stakes winners Sconsin, Four Graces, Kalypso, and Lady Rocket.
Closing out the sequence is a field of eight sophomores in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Ohio Derby [Race 11, 5:35 p.m.] from Thistledown. Grade 1 Florida Derby winner White Abarrio will look to make amends from an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby for conditioner Saffie Joseph, Jr., facing off against fellow Derby starters Tawny Port, winner of the Grade 3 Lexington for trainer Brad Cox; and Classic Causeway, who makes his first start for McPeek after taking the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis and Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby for his former trainer Brian Lynch. Ethereal Road, an emphatic winner of the Sir Barton last out at Pimlico, could be a factor late for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool. The Cross Country Pick 5, which features a low 15 percent takeout, will continue each Saturday throughout the year.
America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the spring/summer meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. 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 horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.
Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, June 25:
Leg A: Belmont-Race 8, G2 Mother Goose (4:40 p.m. Eastern)
Leg B: Monmouth-Race 11, $100K Goldwood (4:47 p.m.)
Leg C: Thistledown-Race 10, $250K Lady Jacqueline (4:48 p.m.)
Leg D: Churchill-Race 9, G3 Chicago (4:55 p.m.)
Leg E: Thistledown-Race 11, G3 Ohio Derby (5:35 p.m.)
The post Saturday’s All-Stakes Cross Country Pick 5 Features Action From Belmont, Churchill, Monmouth, Thistledown appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Honey Red, 2021 ITOBA Fall Mixed Sale Topper, Breaks Maiden At Horseshoe Indianapolis
Honey Red, the all-time highest priced yearling sold at the 2021 Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (ITOBA) Fall Mixed Sale, is now a race winner. Honey Red was highly sought after in last year's yearling sale in Indiana, bringing $48,000 through the sales ring. The impressive daughter from the first crop of Indiana's richest racehorse ever, Bucchero, was a winner on the Wednesday, June 22 racing program at Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville, Ind.
Making only her second start, Honey Red got away in mid-pack for jockey Joe Ramos and sat patiently through the first part of the four and one-half furlong race. The flashy chestnut filly began to move in on the leaders around the final turn, and then took over in the lane, stretching out to a two and three-quarter length win as the favorite of the field. D'Kitten and DeShawn Parker finished second over Night Livin and Joshua Morales for third.
Honey Red paid $4.40 for the win. She is trained by Randy Klopp and owned in partnership by Klopp, Dennis Claramunt and Spiess Stable. She was bred by Dr. Crystal Chapple and Michael Phelps, who were trackside to greet the filly and Ramos in the winner's circle. She has been prepping for her racing career at Horseshoe Indianapolis all season from the Klopp barn, which stables year-round at the Shelbyville, Ind. track.
“She's special,” said Ramos of Honey Red. “In the mornings, she shows more and works nice. She has some talent and she's learning. I thought she had a good shot to win, but as soon as she hit the turn, I had to reel her back in and get her focused to pull out the win. She's a very nice filly to ride.”
ITOBA is currently preparing for its annual sale this fall. The 2022 sale is set for Saturday, Oct. 15 beginning at 1 p.m. The event is held in the receiving barn at Horseshoe Indianapolis. This year's sale will include a new owner to the Indiana racing scene as Anthony Bradshaw was the winner of the Road to Louisville contest. As part of his prize, he will go to the sale and have up to $15,000 to purchase a yearling from the sale, with an additional $15,000 reserved for expenses for the first year of training. More information is available on this year's sale at www.itoba.com.
The 20th season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing extends through Wednesday, Nov. 23. Live racing is conducted at 2:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday with Thursday post times set for 2:10 p.m. A total of 12 Saturdays will feature live racing in 2022 highlighted by the 28th running of the Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby and the 27th running of the Grade 3 $200,000 Indiana Oaks set for Saturday, July 9. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.
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Mowins Continues Indiana Success In Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes
Mowins was exceptional last year at two and was a two-time stakes winner. He proved he's going to be just as tough as a 3-year-old with an impressive win in the 14th running of the $100,000 Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes Wednesday, June 22 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Veteran Jockey Jon Court was aboard Mowins for the first time in a race, but he has plenty of time aboard the Indiana bred standout. This winter, he breezed him numerous times for Trainer Mike Lauer while at Oaklawn Park. The Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes was his first time to test the three-year-old in a race.
Mowins had early speed at the start of the one and one-sixteenth mile route race and moved into the lead from the middle of the pack, securing the top spot before the first turn. He was joined on the outside by Oro Azteca and Marcelino Pedroza Jr. and was even passed up for a portion of the second quarter before Mowins moved back up to stand his ground. The field of 12 was tightly bunched behind the top two for most of the race.
“We were able to take the task early on,” said Court, winner of more than 4,200 career races. “The horse on the outside (Oro Azteca) was pressing early and could have gone on, but we were able to keep him at bay. It worked out well for us in the end.”
Around the turn, Court asked Mowins to accelerate, and he responded. By the time they moved into the stretch, Mowins had taken over and sped away from the field, opening up to a 5 1/4-length advantage at the wire. Mr Chaos and Rodney Prescott moved in for second on the outside over Latigo and Tommy Pompell for third.
“He's a pretty neat little horse,” said Lauer. “We gave him some time off and then took him to Arkansas this winter. He had won several races, so he didn't have a lot of options to race (in Arkansas). We tried him in a stakes out there before coming back to Indiana.”
Mowins was the favorite of the field, paying $7.00 for the win. The homebred son of Mohaymen is now four for eight in his career and has more than $220,000 in career earnings. The win in the Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes is his third title at Horseshoe Indianapolis for Mike and Penny Lauer and Clary Thoroughbreds. The colt is out of Lauer's mare, Prize Winner, who made more than $250,000 on the track before becoming a brood mare.
“Prize Winner was a nice racehorse for us and won a stakes (Malvern Rose at Presque Isle Downs),” said Lauer. “She's thrown a couple other nice horses for us, too.”
One would be hard pressed to find many stakes in the Indiana record books that Jon Court has not won. The two-time winner of Indiana's top race, the Grade 3 Indiana Derby, earned his first win in the Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes. Court was Indiana's first all-time leading rider before moving his tack to Kentucky and later to California where he experienced great success. However, he has always returned to Indiana to ride when he can and has racked up numerous stakes wins over the years in the Hoosier State.
For Lauer, this was his third win in the Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes, connecting with Mister Pollard in 2014 and Badabing Badaboom in 2016. Indiana's all-time leading stakes trainer is also hard pressed to score a first win in a stakes. The win with Mowins was his 45th career stakes win at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
The 20th season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing extends through Wednesday, Nov. 23. Live racing is conducted at 2:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday with Thursday post times set for 2:10 p.m. A total of 12 Saturdays will feature live racing in 2022 highlighted by the 28th running of the Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby and the 27th running of the Grade 3 $200,000 Indiana Oaks set for Saturday, July 9. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.
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