February, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Maryland’s In-Person Renaissance Champions Awards Dinner Set For Return

The Maryland racing and breeding community in 2023 will welcome back the in-person Renaissance Champions Awards dinner after two years of virtual presentations.

The 2020 event was held live in February just before COVID-19 restrictions shut down live racing in the state. Lingering restrictions led organizers to switch to a virtual format—videos and social media—in 2021 and 2022.

The Maryland Horse Breeders Association and Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association will host the event, which is scheduled for Friday, April 14, the evening before the Federico Tesio Stakes program at Laurel Park. It will be held from 6-10 p.m. at Citron, the location of the 2022 Preakness week party. The restaurant and event center is located just off Greenspring Avenue in Baltimore.

Tickets will cost $100 per person. More information on how to obtain tickets will be provided as the event approaches. Invitations will go out to the award winners after they are announced.

There will be roughly 30 awards presented this year to honor the champions of 2022. The 10 awards for top Maryland-bred racehorses were voted upon by a panel of Maryland racing industry participants.

The MHBA Board of Directors voted on its customary awards for Breeder of the Year, Stallion of the Year and Broodmare of the Year. In a change from previous years, the full MTHA Board of Directors voted for the champion owner, trainer and jockey. In addition, the MTHA added five horse awards also voted upon by the board: Male Dirt horse, Female Dirt horse, Male Turf horse, Female Turf horse and Claimer of the Year.

Organizers plan to announce the finalists for each category on social media outlets over a period of days in mid-February, similar to the way it was conducted last year. Plans also call for the winners to be announced in late February and early March on social media.

The MTHA also announced its 2022 Grooms of the Year. They are Martin Haiber for Laurel and Ricardo Martinez for Pimlico Race Course.

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February 5 Insights: Charge It Makes Seasonal Bow in Florida

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

6th-GP, $84k, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, 2:37p.m. ET
Richard Schermerhorn's $390,000 OBSAPR purchase LADY BETH (Hard Spun) will be unveiled on what looks like a very active Sunday of racing across the country. Drawn toward the middle in this Gulfstream maiden, she is the first registered foal for her dam, the Werthemier et Frere-bred and West Point-campaigned Boreale (Makfi {GB}); four times stakes-placed in her career in America as well as a multiple winner in France. This is the female family of MGSW Interactif (Broken Vow), GSP Stretching (Red Ransom), and the extended family of GSW Etonian (Ire) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), GISP Ocho Ocho Ocho, and MGSW Divine Oath (Broken Vow). Chad Brown sends her to post. To the inside is $320,000 KEESEP buy Le Beau (Mendelssohn), a half-sister to GSP Burn the Mortgage (Kitten's Joy) and three other multiple winners including that one's full-sister, SW Lien on Kitten. Christophe Clement trains the grey for Hoolie Racing Stable. TJCIS PPs

1st-SA, $67k, Msw, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 3:30p.m. ET
Bob Baffert and owners Baoma Corp team up once again with an $825,000 KEESEP procurement named CONQUISTAR (Quality Road). Coming into this contest on the back of a blowout bullet work Feb. 1 when she clicked through three furlongs in :35.20 in company, the bay is out of GSP My Miss Chiff (Into Mischief), herself hailing from a three-generation line of Louisiana Champions Day Ladies S./ Ladies Sprint S. winners or placers. The dam is a half-sister to Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies victress Silvercents (Goldencents). Not unexpectedly, the morning line has Conquistar tabbed as the 6-5 favorite. TJCIS PPs

8th-GP, $62k, AOC, 4yo/up, 1 1/16m, 3:37p.m. ET
The eighth contest on the Gulfstream card marks the return of GIII Dwyer S. winner CHARGE IT (Tapit), who ran off the screen in the aforementioned contest with his best impression of the hallowed Red Horse in New York. Gone since that 23-length romp, he's been on the work tab religiously in January for Todd Pletcher–posting a bullet five furlongs two works back at Palm Beach when going 1:00.59 in company with GISP Emmanuel (More Than Ready)–and will make his first start at 1 1/16-miles in this allowance optional claimer. TJCIS PPs

9th-GP, $84k, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, 4:06p.m. ET
The day for the greys continues as C R K Stable unveils their $800,000 FTSAUG daughter of Tapit, SILVER STRIPES. Out of Madame Stripes (Arg) (Equal Stripes {Arg})–Group 1-stakes placed in her native Argentina but also a Graded-stakes winner and Grade I-stakes placed in America–the Cherie DeVaux trainee lays claim to an Argentinean family rich with Group 1 runners, including her dam's full-sibling, MG1SP Equal Councellor (Arg). This is also the family of G1SW Cagnotte (Arg) (Sunray Spirit); Argentinean champion 3-year-old filly, MGISP-US Campagnarde (Arg) (Oak Dancer {GB}); GSW Rize (Theatrical {Ire}); and MGSP Calvados (Arg) (Snipewalk). The Repole stable will send out that filly's neighbor Nonna's Tiramisu (Medaglia d'Oro), a homebred half-sister to GISW Outwork (Uncle Mo), who also raced in their shared breeder's colors. Her dam is a 3/4 sister to Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile). Todd Pletcher looks to cap what could be a big day in Florida, here. TJCIS PPs

6th-FG, $50k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 4:45p.m. ET
Stonestreet homebred DREAMBOAT (Uncle Mo) will make his debut in this baby dash over the main track for Steve Asmussen. Out of GSP Supreme, the colt claims Claiborne stallion, GISW Silver State (Hard Spun) as his half-brother. Second dam Mon Belle (Maria's Mon) is the full-sister to Monarchos. John Oxley's $110,000 KEESEP grad Classic Dancer (Collected) will also make his first start here. The Mark Casse trainee is a half-brother to 2021 Queen's Plate winner Safe Conduct (Bodemeister), their dam herself a half-sister to Canadian Horse of the Year and champion sprinter Fatal Bullet (Red Bullet). TJCIS PPs

8th-OP, $105k, Alw, 4yo/up, 6f, 5:10p.m. ET
Drawn on the rail and rolling in with a three-strong string of bullet works at the Fair Grounds, COGBURN (Not This Time) returns to the races for the first time since his gutsy runner-up effort last May in Pimlico's GIII Chick Lang S. He'll face a salty group of runners including the returning MyRacehorse colt Chasing Time (Not This Time). TJCIS PPs

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Poag, MRC Chief Investigator, Dies At Age 81

Joseph Poag, a fixture at Maryland racetracks in his second career as the Chief Investigator for the Maryland Racing Commission, passed away Jan. 25 after a brief illness. He was 81.

Poag was born in Virginia but was raised in Baltimore and graduated from Edmonson High School before joining the Baltimore Police Department in 1964. He retired in 1985 as a captain in the Baltimore County Police Department and then moved on to horse racing to work for the MRC for roughly 37 years until the time of his death.

When not at the racetrack, Poag enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren, and also was a fisherman.

MRC Executive Director Mike Hopkins, who was hired as Deputy Executive Director in 1984 just before Poag joined the MRC, said there were many aspects to Poag's job. His duties included investigating unusual pari-mutuel payoffs; ensuring that all personnel and racing participants were properly licensed; barn area searches; random drug tests of human participants, including jockeys; reviewing immigration documents to determine if individuals could legally work on the backstretch; conducting interviews tied to hearings with the stewards; handling split samples for equine drug tests; and serving as a liaison to the MRC.

“Joe also did a lot with Preakness week as far as reviewing security protocols in the barn area and basically anything else we needed him to do,” Hopkins said. “And on occasion he would go to the harness tracks for various investigative matters.

“Joe was a great person, very personable, and a very good friend. He was the perfect person to go to look for advice on how to solve various issues.”

Poag is survived by his wife of 58 years, Nancy Poag (nee Butler), as well as his children—David, Michele and Danielle. He was the proud grandfather of Candace Deanna, Dustin, Chad, Chris, Zoe, Ava, and Aaron, and great-grandfather of Trinity, Kyden, and Malia.

Visitation and a memorial services were held Feb. 2-3 at the Candle Light Funeral Home in Catonsville, Md. In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be made to the Baltimore County Police Assistance & Relief Fund.

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TAA To Offer One-Day Only Auction Of Lexitonian Season

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) will offer a Lexitonian 2023 breeding season for auction on Monday, Feb. 6 from 6-9 p.m. EST.

Donated by Lexitonian's trainer, Jack Sisterson, the offer entails a 2023 No Guarantee Season with a Breed Back. Standing at Lane's End for $7,500 LFSN, the Grade 1 winner's first foals will arrive this year.

“He's a horse who fights,” Sisterson said. “He has the talent, the will, and the heart. He's a class act winning and placing second in multiple Grade 1 races. I've had a tremendous amount of confidence in him throughout his career because you can run him over any track, and he always knows what to do.

“Lexitonian brought a lot of great opportunities to our barn which we are forever grateful for— if it were not for the horses, we wouldn't be here. I'm happy for this opportunity to give back to these wonderful horses.”

“This is such an exciting opportunity both for the TAA and breeders to have an opportunity to breed to such a talented and beautiful second year sire, Lexitonian, while supporting the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance,” said TAA Funding and Events Manager, Emily Dresen. “A special thank you to Jack Sisterson for donating his share in Lexitonian's 2023 breeding season and to Lane's End for their support.”

To register and bid in the one-day only auction, visit: https://stallionseason.cbo.io

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