Month: November 2022

‘We Wanted To See How She Could Handle Things Against The Big Girls’: Coppelia Gets First Stakes Win In Dream Supreme, Sconsin Third In Career Finale

Richard Rigney's Coppelia sat just off the right hip of pacesetter Palm Cottage, took the lead leaving the final turn, and kicked clear to win Sunday's $300,000 Dream Supreme, a listed stakes at Churchill Downs, by 2 ¾ lengths over Joyful Cadence. Multiple graded stakes winner Sconsin, in her final career race, finished third.

Ridden by Martin Garcia for trainer Phil Bauer, Coppelia ran six furlongs over a fast track in 1:09.90 and earned her first stakes win.

“We wanted to see how she could handle things against the big girls and she proved she belongs right with them,” Bauer said. “This is huge for this filly being only 3-years-old and being black type. She's always trained well and has really put things together recently.”

Coppelia broke sharply from the gate but Palm Cottage quickly took over and led the field of six fillies and mares down the backstretch through a first quarter mile in :21.94. When Coppelia took command at the top of the stretch, she clocked a half mile in :45.69 as Joyful Cadence, the slight 2-1 favorite, and Sconsin, also at 2-1, loomed boldly from the outside. Coppelia, however, spurted clear in the stretch when she was asked for her best run by Garcia and drew away for the victory.

“We sat a great trip near the lead and she just keeps getting better,” Garcia said. “I think she's only going to get better next year.”

The win was worth $183,450 and improved Coppelia's career earnings to $390,201 with a record of 4-2-0 in 14 starts.

Prior to the Dream Supreme, Coppelia was a four-length winner of a second-level allowance at Keeneland on Oct. 26.

Coppelia returned $6.90 as the 2-1 third betting choice. Joyful Cadence, under Rey Gutierrez, finished 5 1/2 lengths in front of third-place finisher Sconsin, with Tyler Gaffalione up. Club Car, Sharp Hero, and Palm Cottage completed the order of finish.

Coppelia is a 4-year-old daughter of Not This Time out of the Mineshaft mare Crespano and was bred in Kentucky by Gabriel Duigan and Crosshaven Bloodstock.

Sconsin, a winner in five of her 12 starts at Churchill Downs, earned $29,750 for her third-place finish and concluded her career with a record of 21-6-5-3—$1,020,287. She has a date to be bred to 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner.

“She's headed to be a mom and I know she'll be a great mom,” said Sconsin's trainer, Greg Foley. “I'll miss her a lot at the barn. She's a tremendous mare and has given us so many thrills. I can't wait to train her babies. I can tell you between her and Gun Runner her first one should be really good looking.”

The Dream Supreme is named after the six-time graded stakes winner who won the Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs in 2001. Trained by Bill Mott, Dream Supreme won two Grade I sprints in her 16-race career and earned $1,007,680 between 1999-2001.

The post ‘We Wanted To See How She Could Handle Things Against The Big Girls’: Coppelia Gets First Stakes Win In Dream Supreme, Sconsin Third In Career Finale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The History Of Video Poker

Video Poker is simply a combination of two popular forms of gambling: the slot machine with the poker game. Winning a game of Video Poker involves a combination of player skill with genuine luck, making it a favorite with players. The game of poker is thought to have originated back in 1830, where it is recorded as having been played by French immigrants living in New Orleans. Video Poker uses a version of the game called five-card draw poker. Meanwhile, the coin-operated card machine (known affectionately as a “slot”) was originally invented in the late 19th century, with poker machines appearing in San Francisco in 1890. These machines were very basic by today’s standards, using real cards rather than symbols.

The machines declined in popularity throughout the first half of the 20th century. Economic difficulties combined with the limited technology of the machines themselves meant that people just weren’t interested in playing anymore. A very primitive electronic poker machine was released in 1964 but achieved only moderate success.

It wasn’t until the mid-1970s that the Video Poker machine as we know it today became available. Advances in technology meant that a central processing unit (CPU) could be installed inside the machines to give them a “brain”, whilst a monitor transmitted the action to the player.

Meanwhile, casino operators searched for new high-profit games, and the combination of a slot machine with the more traditional game of five-card draw poker proved to be a winning combination of the old and new. The first Video Poker machine was built in 1976 by Bally Manufacturing. It was black and white only, but a color version followed just eight months later, released by the Fortune Coin Company. Over the next few years, computer chips became cheaper to mass produce, and more casinos introduced Video Poker machines as they became more financially viable. A version called Draw Poker was released in 1979 by a company now called IGT, and it achieved unheralded success.

Video Poker really took off in the early 1980s where it became popular in casinos across Las Vegas. Players found themselves far less intimidated by a machine than they were when sitting down at a table in front of others. The popularity of the game has steadily increased during the last quarter-century and it can now be found in the majority of casinos around the world, as well as in bars and on the Internet.

‘He Loves It Here At Churchill’: Favorite Bango Overcomes Traffic For Bet On Sunshine Victory

Tamaroak Partners' classy sprinter Bango overcame traffic trouble along the inside rail in midstretch before he shifted out to get a clear run and overhaul leader Sibelius in deep stretch to win Sunday's 14th running of the $299,750 Bet On Sunshine at Churchill Downs by three-quarters of a length.

Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione for trainer Greg Foley, Bango ran six furlongs in 1:10 over a fast track to collect his ninth win in 16 starts at Churchill Downs – just two victories behind the documented modern-day record of 11 set by Ready's Rocket between 2008-2012.

The win was worth $178,800 and improved Bango's career earnings to $947,715 with a record of 11-1-2 in 27 starts. Earlier this year, Bango won the $199,833 Aristides at Churchill Downs for the second year in a row. He won Sunday's stakes event 51 days after winning an allowance/optional claiming race at Churchill Downs on Sept. 23.

Silbelius broke alertly from the outside, but Top Gunner pressed right to the front from the inside and led the field of nine horses through a first quarter mile in :21.60 as Bango raced in seventh behind a second flight of horses.

Sibelius drew even with Top Gunner leaving the half-mile in :44.84 as Bango ranged into contention along the rail. Top Gunner maintained his position and Bango had nowhere to go. After checking while approaching the eighth pole, Bango swung out to the three-path as Sibelius took over and surged to victory once clear.

“I let him get settled behind the speed and we couldn't quite get by on the inside and I had to switch him out late and he spurted clear,” Gaffalione said. “He loves this track and ran big.”

Bango survived an objection by jockey James Graham aboard eventual fifth-place finisher Surveillance. Kentucky Horse Racing stewards dismissed Graham's claim that he was interfered when Bango swung out with a furlong to run.

“I didn't really know about the objection until I was about to bring him into the winner's circle,” Foley said. “His record talks for itself, he loves it here at Churchill. He's two away from reaching the record of 11 wins at the track. We'll be back next year to hopefully get it.”

Bango returned $5.06 to win as the 3-2 favorite. Sibelius, the 3-1 second betting choice under Junior Alvarado, was second, and Top Gunner, ridden by Rey Gutierrez, was another 1 ½ lengths back in third in the nine-horse field.

Kavod, Surveillance, Mucho, Long Range Toddy, Williston Way and Torontotoro completed the order of finish. Miles Ahead, who was vying for favoritism with Bango minutes before the race, was scratched at the gate by the state veterinarian.

Bango is a 5-year-old son of Congrats out of the Smart Strike mare Josaka. He was bred in Kentucky by his owners Fred and Debbie Schwartz.

The post ‘He Loves It Here At Churchill’: Favorite Bango Overcomes Traffic For Bet On Sunshine Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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