Robin Goodfellow’s racing tips: Best bets for Monday, July 11
Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Monday's meetings at Ayr, Windsor, Newton Abbot, Ffos Las and Wolverhampton.
Month: July 2022
Lukas’ Saratoga String Includes CCA Oaks-Bound Secret Oath, Talented Juvenile Colts
Legendary Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas is not done writing his storybook career just yet. At 87 years young, Lukas still has plenty of high-caliber horses to showcase his talents at the upcoming Saratoga Race Course summer meet, which starts Thursday.
For the first time since 2019, Lukas, a six-time leading trainer at the Spa, will have an expanded presence at Saratoga Race Course. He will have 16 stalls on the Oklahoma backstretch where he is sure to be seen out on his pony every morning during training hours. Among the squad Lukas is bringing to Saratoga is Briland Farms' Secret Oath, the winner of this year's Kentucky Oaks (G1).
“We're excited about being back,” said Lukas. “We've got Secret Oath coming in that group and we have a couple of 2-year-old colts that we think can run. We could have a decent meet. We're thrilled about being back up there. More importantly, we've tried to develop quality horses that we can bring to Saratoga.”
Secret Oath, an Arrogate filly, provided Lukas with his fifth Kentucky Oaks victory and his first since Overbrook Farm's Seaside Attraction captured the lilies in 1990. Fourth in the Preakness (G1) at Pimlico last out, Secret Oath has been training forwardly at Churchill Downs and is on target for the $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) on July 23. The prestigious nine-furlong test has been won by Lukas twice, the most recent being in 1989 with champion Open Mind.
A winner of Oaklawn Park's Martha Washington and Grade 3 Honeybee earlier this year, Secret Oath faced colts for the first time when third in the Arkansas Derby(G1) in April ahead of her Kentucky Oaks conquest.
“Secret Oath is doing absolutely super. She is really, really doing well. We couldn't be happier with her,” Lukas said. “What happened with her is she was kind of a gangly filly that didn't fill out her frame. She's filled in and looks really good now. She's putting it all together and she's really getting stronger. I love the way she's coming around and have been really pleased with her lately.”
Lukas could get things started off right on opening day Thursday when he saddles BC Stables' Summer Promise in the $175,000 Schuylerville (G3) for 2-year-old fillies going six furlongs on the main track. The daughter of Uncle Mo is a half sister to Grade 1-winner and producer Creative Cause, Vexatious, winner of the Grade 1 Personal Ensign in 2020, and graded stakes winner Destin. All are out of the prolific Grade 1-winning millionaire Dream of Summer.
He also added that Aaron Sones and Julie Gilbert's Ethereal Road, winner of the Sir Barton on May 21 at Pimlico, will target the $600,000 Jim Dandy (G2) on July 31.
Lukas has plenty of fond memories at the Spa, including his Hall of Fame induction in 1999, the same year he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness with eventual Horse of the Year Charismatic.
He saddled Eugene Klein's Lady's Secret to a victory against colts over muddy going in the 1986 Whitney en route to Horse of the Year honors. Eight years later, he campaigned Flanders to a championship-earning juvenile season, winning the Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga for the late William T. Young.
Lukas' other Saratoga accolades include winning three runnings of the Travers: Corporate Report [1991], Thunder Gulch [1995] and Will Take Charge [2013], two Whitneys, two Alabamas, and eight wins in the Hopeful.
“Every year up there is a special event and a special time,” Lukas said. “Every one of them has been excellent for us. I think the year I got into the Hall of Fame was a pretty special year, Lady's Secret winning the Whitney and assuring her Horse of the Year status was special, Flanders winning all three of the 2-year-old filly races in a row. These are special times and special events.”
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Brown Takes Belmont Spring/Summer Training Title With Record Number Of Wins, Irad Ortiz Jr. Secures Riding Title
Trainer Chad Brown notched a record-extending seventh consecutive training title at the Belmont spring/summer meeting while Irad Ortiz Jr. secured the leading rider title and Michael Dubb led the owner standings.
The Belmont spring/summer meet was conducted for 44 days from April 28 through July 10.
Brown won the title with 47 victories, the record for most wins earned by a trainer at a Belmont spring/summer meet.
Ortiz had 48 wins to lead all riders for his 19th title on the NYRA circuit, and Michael Dubb paced all other owners with 16 wins.
The previous training record of 44 victories, set by David Jacobson at the 56-day 2013 spring/summer meet, was broken when 3-year-old filly Demandsrespect graduated at fourth asking in a July 4 maiden special weight over the main track.
“My team should be very proud of themselves and proud of what they did,” Brown said of setting the meet record. “Obviously, it's never been done and they deserve every bit of it.”
In total, Brown closed out the meet with a record of 47-30-22 from 153 starts and earnings of $5,776,633. He posted a win percentage of 30.72 and finished in-the-money at a 64.71% clip.
“This was a historic meet for me, my team, my clients and, most importantly, the horses, who do all the work,” said Brown. “I'm a very fortunate person to be around the horses, staff and owners. I'm so happy for all of them.”
Christophe Clement finished second with 33 wins and Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher finished third with 25.
The battle for leading jockey came down to the final day of the meet as Ortiz entered the card one win behind Dylan Davis.
Ortiz evened the score with a victory aboard Lady Yellen in Race 1 before coming away with a one-win advantage aboard First to Act in Race 5. With the top two riders slated to ride in two more races, Ortiz clinched the title—his 19th on the NYRA circuit—with a thrilling finish in Race 7 aboard Queen Bourbon to post his 48th win of the meet.
“It feels great,” said Ortiz. “Honestly, we've been working so hard since the year started. Hard work, a lot of dedication. We've been out there every day that they ask for me. It feels good when you win a title. We love to win the meet; it's not easy, but thank God we got it done today. Thanks to my agent Steve Rushing for doing an amazing job. It was great. Dylan had a great meet also.”
Ortiz closed out with meet with a record of 48-32-20 from 174 mounts and total purse earnings of $5,149,496. He boasts a 27.59 win percentage and finished on-the-board in 57.47% of his starts.
Dylan Davis won the final race of the Belmont spring/summer meet aboard Dream of a Day to finish with 47.
Dubb finished the meet with 16 victories, two ahead of Klaravich Stables, to secure the leading owner title. Dubb enjoyed graded stakes success in the Grade 3 Victory Ride on Saturday with Hot Peppers, who also won the Jersey Girl earlier in the meet.
Dubb completed the meeting with a 16-10-7 record from 61 starts, posting a 26.23 win percentage and in-the-money rate of 54.10%. He collected $1,424,821 in total purses.
Live racing resumes on opening day Thursday of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course with a 10-race card, featuring the $135,000 Wilton in Race 7 and the $175,000 Schuylerville (G3) in Race 9. First post is 1:05 p.m. (ET).
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Horses And Hydration: Five Important Equine Water Requirements
There are six nutrients in a horse's diet: carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. Each of those is considered essential, yet water is king of the hill.
“A horse can live for almost a month without food, but within a mere 48 hours without water a horse can begin to show signs of colic and can quickly develop an impaction, lethargy, and life-threatening sequelae. A horse can only survive about five days without water,” shares Dr. Peter Huntington, director of nutrition at Kentucky Equine Research (Australia).
Consider these five points to ensure the proper quantity and quality of water is being offered to your horses year-round:
- Horses normally consume between 5 and 15 gallons of water in a 24-hour period. The individually stabled horse is usually easy to monitor for water intake if you are filling five-gallon buckets two or three times a day. If a horse is kept on pasture or in a herd on pasture, assessing water intake becomes increasingly challenging, but not impossible.
“Hydration can easily be assessed in individuals within a herd by feeling their gums to ensure they are moist and pinching a small area of skin on their neck or shoulder to watch it bounce back to its normal position,” advises Huntington.
- Field-kept horses obtain moisture from pasture. In fact, fresh pasture is approximately 60 to 80 percent moisture, meaning they obtain a substantial amount of water while grazing. In contrast, grains, concentrates, and baled hay contain far less moisture, which means horses need to drink more to meet their water needs. Another factor to consider in a herd situation is pecking order. If you suspect that one or more horses are being chased away from the water trough, consider adding a second trough.
- Weather and exercise can impact water consumption. Typically, horses consume more water during the hot, humid summer months. That said, some horses actually drink more water in the winter than in the hot summer (recall that the quality of forages is generally not as good as in the summer, with less moisture). It's also important to bear in mind that horses are different and do not need to consume the same amount of water to remain healthy.
[Story Continues Below] - Underlying health issues can impact water consumption. Diarrhea or chronic kidney disease in particular can cause increased water losses from the body that need to be replaced. Such horses will need extra water to facilitate recovery and maximize quality of life.
- “Natural” sources of water such as streams or ponds should not be used as the horse's primary water supply. If they choose to drink from those sources, it is not usually a concern, but they should still be offered fresh water. The quality of streams and ponds cannot be guaranteed, and pollution or algae blooms can impact the safety of those water sources at various times throughout the year. Horses can also have difficulty accessing the water in ponds and streams if the shores are muddy or frozen.
Reprinted courtesy of Kentucky Equine Research. Visit ker.com for the latest in equine nutrition and management, and subscribe to Equinews to receive these articles directly.
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