October, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Jessica Paquette Named New Parx Track Announcer

Jessica Paquette, a New England native with nearly 20 years of experience in horse racing, will be the new voice of Parx Racing starting in December. In accepting the position, Paquette becomes the only full-time, year-round female track announcer in the United States.

“I am grateful for the women in the racing industry who have paved the way for my generation to work in so many different areas,” said Paquette. “My hope is that I can similarly help inspire young women who may want to be part of our sport.”

Paquette has previously called races at both Suffolk Downs and Sam Houston Race Park. Additionally, she has been a racing analyst at Colonial Downs Racetrack and Sam Houston and most recently worked as the Director of Communications for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jessica to the Parx family,” said Joe Wilson, Chief Operating Officer for Parx Racing. “The high regard with which she is held in our industry along with a tremendous work ethic makes her the perfect person to usher in this new era for Parx.”

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Beckett ‘Happy’ With Kinross For BC Mile, As ‘Saffron’ Ruled Out Of BC With Poor Blood Work

Sharp miler Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) has pleased trainer Ralph Beckett in his preparations for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland, the trainer revealed on Friday.

Marc Chan's 5-year-old gelding is riding a four-race winning streak, and after victories in the G2 City Of York S. and the G2 Park S. in August and September, found France to his liking with a two-length victory in the G1 Prix de la Foret. He added an exclamation point to his season with a 2 1/4-length tally in the G1 British Champions Sprint S. at Ascot on Oct. 15 and appears in prime condition to add to his laurels at Keeneland next month.

“He's been training well,” said Beckett, who won the 2008 Breeders' Cup Marathon with Muhannak (Ire) (Chester House). “We are treading quite a fine line as he has been so busy. I'm happy with him, he is moving well and looks well.”

Added Beckett, “I don't think he will better that performance on Champions Day. That is as good as it gets–to drop back to six furlongs and win as he did, it takes a bit of doing. He will have to equal that performance in America if he is to win.

“The [GI] Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint would have been too sharp for him. He is very adaptable. He has won around Goodwood and York, it comes all alike to him in that sense, so I have no concerns around him handling the track at Keeneland.

“He is very effective on soft ground. I don't think he is capable of winning over six furlongs on fast ground, but he won the City of York S. over seven on fast ground. The ground won't matter to him.”

'Saffron' To Stay Home

Dual Group 1 winner Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), who will be offered during the Sceptre Sessions of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale at the end of November, will not take her chance in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf after returning poor blood work, according to trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam.

Racing in the red and white colours of Ben and Lucy Sangster, their son Ollie and James Wigan, the 4-year-old claimed the G1 Sun Chariot S. in 2021, and after running a good fourth in the G1 Dubai Turf in March, scored a resounding success in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge S. at Royal Ascot. A 2 1/2-length tour-de-force in the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville in August followed, and she was second in the G1 Matron S. at Leopardstown last month. She ran eighth in defence of her Sun Chariot crown on Oct. 1, and returned a dirty scope off of that effort.

Chapple-Hyam said, “I drew blood on Wednesday to look at her profile and it wasn't good, so we started her on a course of antibiotics and we looked at the profile again on Thursday.

“Even though it had improved, it is not in the right zone to be putting her on an aircraft and potentially giving a bug to everyone else and perhaps getting travel sickness.

“We couldn't take the risk for the welfare of her and all the others on the aircraft, so we decided not to go.”

Chapple-Hyam has entered the chestnut in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile on Dec. 11, and, depending on who purchases Saffron Beach at Tattersalls, an international campaign has not been ruled out.

“She has an entry in the Tattersalls December Mares' Sale and if the lucky purchaser would like to run her in the Hong Kong Mile, if she is fit and well, she has been invited to that race and I have accepted,” Chapple-Hyam added. “It is disappointing not to run in the Breeders' Cup, but that is horse racing. We take the good and the bad.

“We have been very lucky to win two Group 1s with her and, who knows, the new owner may want to run her in Hong Kong.”

The post Beckett ‘Happy’ With Kinross For BC Mile, As ‘Saffron’ Ruled Out Of BC With Poor Blood Work appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Plenty of Graded Action on Final Saturday Ahead of Breeders’ Cup

In the weeks leading up to the Breeders' Cup, most of the news is focused on when the stars are shipping and breezing. But, with one week left to go before World Championship Saturday, there is plenty of racing action with seven graded events from coast-to-coast.

Sophomore colts take center stage at Keeneland in the newly upgraded GIII Bryant Station S. GI Belmont Derby hero Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) looks to make amends after an unplaced effort in the course-and-distance GI Shadwell Turf Mile Oct. 8. His best efforts have come at longer distances, but he may just outclass most of these as he takes a step down from top-level company.

A two-time graded winner sprinting on dirt, Wit (Practical Joke) will be Classic Causeway's biggest competition. He debuted on grass in Saratoga, finishing second to Ready to Purrform (Kitten's Joy) in the Aug. 5 GII Hall of Fame S. and winning the Aug. 28 Better Talk Now S., both at a mile.

Also on tap in Lexington Saturday is the GII Hagyard Fayette S., which is led by 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin). The GIII Pimlico Special S. winner missed by a nose in the GII Suburban S. in July and was third in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. last out Sept. 3. Another son of Curlin, King Fury, enters off a pair of thirds at Churchill Downs in the Aug. 13 Fort Larned S. and the Oct. 1 GII Lukas Classic S.

The Belmont at the Big A meet also plays host to a pair of graded events, starting with the GII Kelso H. Baby Yoda (Prospective) looks to secure his first black-type win in this event off a 10 3/4-length thrashing of optional claimer foes over track-and-trip Oct. 7.

Talented sophomore Morello (Classic Empire) won his first three starts at this oval, including the GIII Gotham S. in March. He failed to fire in his next two efforts, but returned to winning ways in a Laurel optional claimer Oct. 8.

His stablemate Jaxon Traveler (Munnings) appears to be the one to beat in the GIII Bold Ruler S. a few races later. Winner of the GIII Maryland Sprint S. in May, he enters off a well-beaten second in Pimlico's Lite the Fuse S. Sept. 10 on dirt. He is joined by hard-knocking GIII Runhappy S. winner Drafted (Field Commission) and GII Vosburgh S. runner-up Eastern Bay (E Dubai).

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, Santa Anita offers a trio of graded races, including the GIII Autumn Miss S. for 3-year-old turf fillies. MGSW Cairo Memories (Cairo Prince) looks to get back on track after finishing fifth in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. July 9 and third in the GI Del Mar Oaks Aug. 20. Pammy's Ready (More Than Ready) enters off a close second in the local Unzip Me S. Oct. 1 and her stablemate Rhea Moon (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) prepped with an optional claimer win at Del Mar Aug. 21.

Sophomore colts also get a chance at graded glory in the GII Twilight Derby. War at Sea (War Front) won three in a row before his streak was halted when third in the GII Del Mar Derby Sept. 3. Graham Motion ships in with Hawthorne Derby winner Speaking Scout (Mr Speaker). Also, GIII La Jolla H. winner Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile) looks to rebound off a fifth in the GII Del Mar Derby.

Last, but not least, GISW Going Global (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) is the heavy morning-line favorite in the GII Goldikova S. GII John C. Mabee S. winner Avenue de France (Fr) (Cityscape {GB}) will take a crack at the chalk yet again.

The post Plenty of Graded Action on Final Saturday Ahead of Breeders’ Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Jessica Paquette Named Full-Time Track Announcer At Parx Racing

Jessica Paquette will be the new voice of Parx Racing in Bensalem, Penn., starting in December. Paquette will be the only full-time, year-round female track announcer in the United States.

Paquette, 37, a New England native with nearly 20 years of experience in horse racing, has called races at Suffolk Downs and Sam Houston Race Park. She has been a racing analyst at Colonial Downs Racetrack and Sam Houston and most recently worked as the Director of Communications for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. Prior to that she was the Vice President of Marketing at Suffolk Downs in Boston.

In addition to her roles in the horse racing industry, she is a passionate advocate for equine safety and welfare and owns two retired racehorses.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jessica to the Parx family.” said Joe Wilson, Chief Operating Officer for Parx Racing. “The high regard with which she is held in our industry along with a tremendous work ethic makes her the perfect person to usher in this new era for Parx.”

Paquette added: “I am sure I will have some nerves but I am mostly really excited for this next chapter and to take on this new challenge. I'm very grateful to the team at Parx for the opportunity.”

Parx Racing runs Monday thru Wednesday first post 12:25pm

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