Robin Goodfellow’s racing tips: Best bets for Monday, November 21
Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Monday's meetings at Ludlow, Musselburgh and Kempton.
Month: November 2022
‘I Think The Colony Is Very Good’: Del Mar Fall Meet Prat’s Launching Pad To Santa Anita Meet
It's quite possibly a Southern California jockey's worst nightmare. Flavien Prat returning to ride at Del Mar. When we last saw Prat riding on the West Coast he was dominating the jockey standings, running together a string of riding titles at both Del Mar and Santa Anita.
So when he picked up and left for the East Coast last April, there was a collective sigh of relief in the jocks room and several riders gathered their tack and moved to Del Mar for the summer meet in hopes of filling the void left behind by Prat.
But this fall, for a number of reasons, Prat has decided to return to Del Mar and afterward, spend the winter at Santa Anita.
“First because it's home, I have my house here,” Prat explained when asked why he made the move. “Del Mar has always been a very good meet. There's always good horses. Then the Santa Anita winter meet is always a strong meet.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. continues to dominate Belmont Park and Saratoga in much the same way Prat dominated when he was riding on the West Coast. But Prat did very well in New York finishing second to Ortiz in number of wins at Belmont Park's spring meet and then runner-up again to Ortiz at Saratoga over the summer. Prat slipped to seventh in the jockey standings at the just concluded Belmont Park at Aqueduct meet.
“I really enjoy riding over there,” Prat said. “The main key for us riders is as long as you ride good horses, it's fun, but if you don't ride good horses it's a different deal. I went back east and had the support of multiple trainers.”
He said it took a bit of an adjustment to riding fulltime in New York.
“The tracks are a bit slower on the East Coast,” Prat said, “so they train differently, which means they run differently.”
Prat currently sits second in the nation in earnings for the year with $27,822,732 behind, who else, Ortiz. He's tied with Edwin Maldonado for second in the Del Mar jockey standings with four wins. Among his mounts this year, he was the regular rider of undefeated Flightline, the world's best racehorse who was based in California with trainer John Sadler until his recent retirement after winning the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland.
“Trainers who have been a big part of my success here in California have been supporting me since I came back, and I'm really grateful for that,” Prat said.
Like so many of the jockeys in horse racing, Prat started at an early age.
“My dad is a harness trainer so I've always been around horses,” Prat says. “I started doing pony races and then when I got to 14 I got to go to jockey school. I started riding in France when I was 16.”
He credits his success on the track to his childhood.
“I think it's a huge edge to have the chance to grow around horses,” Prat said, “and learn how to ride early.”
Prat was not the only New York rider to relocate to southern California this fall. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has also made the temporary move, making the Del Mar jockey colony as competitive as ever, joining such emerging stars as Juan Hernandez and Umberto Rispoli.
“I think the colony is very good,” Prat said. “It's been a year or two now of different riders coming into the states and riding here. I think it's great.”
Prat intends to keep the same timeline he used last year, riding at Santa Anita until April and then riding at Keeneland before returning to New York when Belmont Park opens for its spring meet.
The post ‘I Think The Colony Is Very Good’: Del Mar Fall Meet Prat’s Launching Pad To Santa Anita Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Donk To Send Out Thin White Duke, Yes And Yes In Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship
Conditioner David Donk will have two chances to capture his first $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship with Thin White Duke and Yes and Yes in Friday's six-furlong outer turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack.
“I always say, 'If I'm going to lead one over, I'll lead two over,'” said Donk. “It's a common partnership, and they have different [running] styles, so that works out well.”
Breeder Phil Gleaves, Steven Crist, Ken deRegt, and Bryan Hilliard's Thin White Duke, a New York-bred Dominus gelding, enters from a determined optional claiming victory traveling six furlongs on October 27 at Belmont at the Big A under a well-timed ride from Hall of Famer John Velazquez.
Thin White Duke rallied from 5 1/2 lengths off the pace after being bumped at the start and needed every bit of the stretch to make a winning drive, but secured a half-length victory over Prime Factor in a final time of 1:08.64 over good footing. The win came after an even fifth-place finish behind returning rival Dancing Buck in the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint on October 1 at Belmont at the Big A.
“He's really developed that turn of foot, which is really nice,” said Donk. “He's doing really good and he's certainly been a fun horse to have.”
Thin White Duke, who was initially trained by Gleaves before he retired last year, has posted three wins for Donk, including a nose score over Dancing Buck in the Lucky Coin in September at Saratoga Race Course. His lone graded-placing came when defeated a neck by multiple graded stakes winner Golden Pal in a thrilling renewal of the Grade 3 Troy in August at Saratoga, finishing a neck back of runner-up True Valor, who was headed by Golden Pal at the wire.
Thin White Duke earned his other two stakes coups as a juvenile with back-to-back triumphs against state-breds in the Funny Cide at Saratoga and in the Aspirant at Finger Lakes Racetrack. He boasts a record of 5-3-5 from 20 starts and earnings of $495,001.
“He was a really good 2-year-old, so he showed ability [early on],” said Donk. “He gives us a lot of hope for next year and he's had a great year. It will be really fun to bring him back next year.”
Jose Ortiz has been tasked with the ride from post 6.
Yes and Yes, bred and owned by Gleaves with Joseph R. Straus Jr. and Hugh Fitzsimons, will look to find the winner's circle after two on-the-board finishes against stakes company. The 6-year-old son of Sidney's Candy was a last-out third in the Belmont Turf Sprint, finishing 5 1/4 lengths behind the Michelle Nevin-trained Dancing Buck after stumbling at the start and rallying from sixth.
“He's had a slight break and freshening, but he's done well,” said Donk. “He stumbled really badly at the start, so it cost him position. Not that he would have beat Michelle's horse, but he would have made a more tactical race. It will be interesting to run him back.”
Like his stablemate, Yes and Yes began his career with Gleaves and moved to the care of Donk last year. He is in search of his first stakes victory in his sixth attempt, his other efforts this year, including a game finish in the Da Hoss in September at Colonial Downs where he was elevated to second after crossing the finish line third.
Yes and Yes will leave post 10 with Jorge Vargas Jr. in the irons.
Breeder J and N Stables and Diamond M Stable's New York-bred Dancing Buck will look to double up on stakes scores for trainer Michelle Nevin after his last-out triumph in the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint on October 1.
The 4-year-old son of War Dancer enters from an impressive five-length victory where he led at every point of call in the six-furlong sprint contested over yielding footing, driving strongly down the stretch under Manny Franco to earn the first graded win of his career. The effort garnered a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure.
The consistent dark bay has been on the board in 5-of-6 starts this year, including a narrow nose defeat to Thin White Duke in the aforementioned Lucky Coin on September 2. His other two victories this year came in a seven-furlong first-level allowance in June at Belmont Park and an optional claiming sprint in July at the Spa.
Out of the multiple stakes-placed Catienus mare Frivolous Buck, Dancing Buck is a close relative of the Nevin-trained stakes winner Our Last Buck. He has amassed over $431,000 in earnings through a record of 6-3-1 from 14 starts.
Manny Franco retains the mount from post 12.
Calumet Farm's Gear Jockey enters from a close fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Woodford sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on October 8 at Keeneland in his first start off a four-month respite for trainer Rusty Arnold. Under the guidance of Luis Saez, Gear Jockey tracked in second off the pace set by Golden Pal and battled on gamely down the lane, fading slightly and securing the fourth-place finish in a dead heat with returning foe Bad Beat Brian. The pair finished a half-length back of Artemus Citylimits, who was nosed out of place honors by Oceanic.
Gear Jockey, a 5-year-old son of Twirling Candy, earned his first graded placing as a maiden with a close third-place effort in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Bourbon in 2019 at Keeneland before posting another close third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf that November at Santa Anita, finishing one length behind the victorious Structor.
The bay horse broke his maiden in his ninth lifetime outing in January 2021 at Gulfstream Park, one start before coming up a half-length shy in the Grade 3 Canadian Turf at the Hallandale Beach oval a month later. He went on to post two more victories at allowance level and finished third in the Grade 3 Troy at Saratoga Race Course before earning his first graded win in the Grade 3 Turf Sprint last September at Kentucky Downs.
Ridden to victory by Jose Lezcano, Gear Jockey was given a prominent trip and sat a half-length off pacesetter Bombard before unleashing his bid in the turn to take a two-length advantage at the stretch call of the six-furlong sprint. Gear Jockey extended his margin down the lane and crossed the wire 2 1/2 lengths the best in a final time of 1:07.90.
Gear Jockey is still in search of his first win since, but earned another graded placing when third in the Grade 2 Shakertown in April at Keeneland.
Lezcano has the call from post 9.
Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso's New York-bred Run Curtis Run will also look to double up on stakes scores after a last-out victory in the Carle Place on October 23 at Belmont at the Big A. Trained by Mike Maker, the son of Summer Front entered from three consecutive runner-up finishes at stakes level and put it all together with a last-to-first rush to claim the 1 1/2-length victory under Jose Ortiz.
Bred by Larry Goichman, Run Curtis Run earned graded placings this summer with runner-up efforts in the Grade 3 Quick Call at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Franklin-Simpson in September at Kentucky Downs. He earned his other stakes victory as a juvenile in the state-bred Rick Violette over Saratoga's main track.
Run Curtis Run will emerge from post 11 in rein to Kendrick Carmouche.
Completing the field are Voodoo Zip [post 1, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], Bad Beat Brian [post 2, Christopher Emigh], Nathan Detroit [post 3, Eric Cancel], Anaconda [post 4, Paco Lopez], Nothing Better [post 5, Horacio Karamanos], Chewing Gum [post 7, Javier Castellano] and Scuttlebuzz [post 8, Junior Alvarado].
Prime Factor, who adds blinkers, is listed as an also-eligible. Jaxon Traveler, Happy Farm and Greeley and Ben are entered for the main-track only.
The Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship is slated as Race 8 on Friday's nine-race program, which also features the Grade 3, $175,000 Comely for sophomore fillies traveling nine furlongs [Race 7]; the Grade 3, $300,000 Long Island for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 3/8 miles over the inner turf [Race 6]; and the $100,000 Notebook for state-bred juveniles sprinting six furlongs [Race 4]. First post is 12:20 p.m. (ET).
The post Donk To Send Out Thin White Duke, Yes And Yes In Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Study: Diode Lasers Can Alleviate Iris Cysts In Horses
The structure of the equine eye is unique for many reasons, one of which is the presence of the corpora nigra. The corpora nigra diminishes glare from light, similar to how a shade cloth operates.
Horses can develop cysts on their irises, the colored part of their eye. Called corpora nigra cysts, these appear as round structures around the margin of the pupil. Though they're painless and slow-growing, if the cysts become big enough they can interfere with a horse's ability to see, which can cause issues like spooking and head shaking.
Researchers from the Utrecht University Equine Clinic in the Netherlands used a diode laser to treat cysts in horses that were referred to their clinic. A diode laser emits a beam that can cut soft tissue. The scientists looked at 35 horses that had been treated with a diode laser in the clinic between 2008 and 2020.
In total, 46 eyes were treated with laser therapy. The data showed a significant decrease in cyst size in 35 of the eyes the day after the treatment was administered. It was noted that if multiple or thick-walled cysts were present, the effectiveness of the treatment was reduced. Eight study horses developed minor complications.
Long-term, eye cysts diminished or disappeared in 93 percent of the cases; 83 percent of the owners would recommend the treatment.
Read more at EQUUS magazine.
The post Study: Diode Lasers Can Alleviate Iris Cysts In Horses appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
