January, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cody’s Wish Voted FanDuel Racing-NTRA Moment Of The Year

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB), and Daily Racing Form announced Wednesday that the heartwarming story of Cody's Wish has been voted the 2022 FanDuel Racing-NTRA Moment of the Year based on the results of more than 1,000 votes cast via Twitter and an online poll.

The uplifting story that swept across America had the ultimate ending when Cody's Wish won the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., on November 5 in dramatic fashion. With namesake Cody Dorman and family in attendance, Cody's Wish gave a winning performance that continues to warm the hearts of all who watched in amazement.

The FanDuel Racing-NTRA Moment of the Year will be recognized during the 52nd Annual Eclipse Awards Presented by John Deere, Keeneland, and The Jockey Club at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida tomorrow, January 26. The ceremony will be broadcast live on FanDuel TV and Racetrack Television Network (RTN), and will be streamed live on multiple outlets including NTRA.com, americasbestracing.net, bloodhorse.com, equibase.com, and NTRA's Youtube channel.

Voting concluded on Jan. 17 and Moment of the Year voters chose from 11 occurrences in 2022 illustrating a range of human emotions as well as outstanding displays of equine athleticism.

Past Moments of the Year

The first-ever “NTRA Moment of the Year” was the touching scene between Charismatic and jockey Chris Antley following the 1999 Belmont Stakes. The next year's winner was the stretch run of the 2000 Breeders' Cup Classic, which saw Tiznow hold on for a dramatic victory against Giant's Causeway. Tiznow won again the following year as fans selected his stirring repeat victory in the Classic over Sakhee. In 2002, fans cited the passing of the last living Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew. In 2003, the popular Kentucky Derby win by Funny Cide was selected. Birdstone's upset win in the Belmont Stakes over Smarty Jones took down top honors for 2004. In 2005, fans selected Afleet Alex's spectacular victory in the 2005 Preakness Stakes.

Voters in 2006 chose Barbaro's gallant struggle to recover from his Preakness injury while at the New Bolton Center. The 2007 Moment of the Year was a historic victory by the filly Rags to Riches over Curlin in the Belmont Stakes. In 2008, it was Zenyatta's win in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. Zenyatta “repeated” in 2009 as fans selected her triumph in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

In 2010, fans selected Blame's narrow Breeders' Cup Classic victory over Zenyatta. Drosselmeyer's hard-fought win over Game on Dude in the Breeders' Cup Classic was the public's choice for 2011. For 2012, the recovery of Paynter from near-deadly battles with laminitis and colitis captured the hearts of voters like no other story. In 2013, fans recognized Mucho Macho Man's nose victory in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic for his popular connections. The 2014 award went to California Chrome's dominant win in Kentucky Derby 140. In 2015 there was a landslide vote in favor of American Pharoah's historic Triple Crown-clinching Belmont Stakes win. In 2016, California Chrome was again part of the winning moment – a dramatic Dubai World Cup victory that came as Victor Espinoza's saddle slipped out from underneath him.

In 2017, the tragic fire at San Luis Rey and the industry's response led the way among the votes cast while Justify's sweep of the Classics to become just the 13^th Triple Crown winner was the clear pick the following year. In 2019, Maximum Security's historic disqualification in the 145th Kentucky Derby – the first winner in Derby history to be demoted for a racing infraction— earned the distinction. In 2020, Authentic's historic win in the 146^th Kentucky Derby, run in September and without fans due to the coronavirus pandemic, was voted as the FanDuel Racing-NTRA Moment of the Year.

Breeders' Cup success had eluded Japanese runners as evidenced by an 0-13 record heading into the 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships. That changed dramatically on Breeders' Cup Saturday when Marche Lorraine (45-1/Distaff) and Loves Only You (4-1/Filly & Mare Turf) each won for trainer Yoshito Yahagi. The victories by the Japanese duo was voted the 2021 FanDuel Racing-NTRA Moment of the Year.

The post Cody’s Wish Voted FanDuel Racing-NTRA Moment Of The Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Jockeys Of The Week: Career Milestones Lead To Tie Between Tyler Gaffalione, Junior Alvarado

With both Tyler Gaffalione and Junior Alvarado achieving career milestones at Gulfstream Park, the panel of racing experts could not separate their achievements leading to a tie for Jockey of the Week for Jan. 16 through Jan. 22. The award honors jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

Going into Friday's card, Gaffalione sat at 1,998 career wins. He closed within one aboard Temerity for trainer Fernando Abreu in Race 3 and reached the 2,000-win milestone in Race 6 for trainer Mike Maker aboard Megacity.

Gaffalione, 28, a native of Davie, Fla., won his first race in only his third mount on Sept. 5, 2014 at Gulfstream Park. He earned the Eclipse Award as Outstanding Apprentice in 2015.

Gaffalione, whose father and grandfather were jockeys, is coming off a career-best 2022 during which he won seven Grade 1 races. He has dominated the jockey standings in Kentucky for the past several years earning leading rider titles at Churchill Downs, Keeneland and Kentucky Downs.

“I feel so blessed. I just want to thank the people who have gotten me to this point, all the people who put in numerous hours in the mornings to make my job easier,” said Gaffalione. “I love what I do. I love being here. It couldn't have happened at a better place, my home track.”

Gaffalione has a mount in every race on Saturday and will be in the irons on White Abarrio in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational for trainer Saffie Joseph.

Junior Alvarado, 36, achieved career win 2,000 on Saturday aboard Broadway Force for trainer James Jerkins in Race 5 after going winless in his last 10 mounts.

“It hasn't been easy for me – I've had a lot of injuries – but that's what makes every win worth it,” said Alvarado following a celebration in the winner's circle. “A Grade 1 or a claiming race, I'm grateful for each win. I don't take anything for granted.”

Alvarado has won 17 Grade 1 races and more than $119 million in purses. He had a very successful 2022 winning 13 graded stakes including four on Olympiad for trainer Bill Mott, one of his most loyal supporters. Alvarado won his first Breeders' Cup race in 2022 on Cody's Wish in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile for Bill Mott. Alvarado will ride Art Collector on Saturday for Mott in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational, one of 11 scheduled mounts.

Other nominees for Jockey of the Week include James Graham with two stakes wins at Fair Grounds, Luis Saez who won the G3 Lecomte at Fair Grounds, and Jevian Toledo who won two stakes at Laurel.

The post Jockeys Of The Week: Career Milestones Lead To Tie Between Tyler Gaffalione, Junior Alvarado appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Rockstown Native Brings 82K At Doncaster January Sale

Rathmore Stud's winning point-to-pointer Rockstown Native (Ire) (Califet {Fr}) brought £82,000 to top the Goffs UK January Sale which concluded on Wednesday.

Purchased by Stroud Coleman/Jonjo O'Neill as lot 295, he was one of 43 horses to sell on the day of 57 offered (75). The aggregate was £434,500 and the average and median both increased by double digits-£10,105 (+26%) and £5,500 (+16%), respectively.

At the close of trade over the two-day stand, 158 of 281 (56%) lots found new homes for a gross of £2,019,000. The average climbed 24% to £12,778, while the median declined by 7% to £6,500.

Goffs UK Managing Director Tim Kent said, “A £75,000 record price for a NH foal is a fantastic way to start the new sales year and we're delighted with the results that have been achieved at the top of end of the market including The Glancing Queen selling for £150,000 and Rockstown Native realising £82,000. These were the obvious highlights and they proved yet again that when we're given the best horses, we can achieve the best prices in any category, and we will continue to work with British Breeders to encourage them to offer their very best for sale in the UK.

“Having said all that, it would be remiss of us not to acknowledge the selective nature of the foal market which was very similar to that shown at the same sales in Ireland last year. The difference between the UK and Ireland was the greater number of Irish animals by stallions deemed to be 'in fashion' which can present a different picture to that shown in the UK. We will obviously work with the TBA and breeders to try and address a challenge which applies to us all rather than being specific to one side of the Irish Sea.”

For the full results, please visit the Goffs UK website.

The post Rockstown Native Brings 82K At Doncaster January Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Cody’s Wish Story Named Moment of the Year

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB), and Daily Racing Form announced that the story of Cody's Wish has been voted the 2022 FanDuel Racing-NTRA Moment of the Year based on the results of more than 1,000 votes cast via Twitter and an online poll. The uplifting story that swept across America had the ultimate ending when the equine Cody's Wish won the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland Nov. 5.

The FanDuel Racing-NTRA Moment of the Year will be recognized during the 52nd Annual Eclipse Awards at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida Jan. The ceremony will be broadcast live on FanDuel TV and Racetrack Television Network (RTN), and will be streamed live on multiple outlets including: NTRA.com, americasbestracing.net, bloodhorse.com, equibase.com, and NTRA's Youtube channel.

The post Cody’s Wish Story Named Moment of the Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post