March, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘The Little Brown Mare With The Great Big Heart’: Hall Of Famer Xtra Heat Dies At Age 24

Xtra Heat, a Hall of Famer and stakes-producing broodmare, died at age 24, owner Woodford Thoroughbreds announced on Thursday.

Foaled in 1998, by Dixieland Heat out of Begin, Xtra Heat was bred in Kentucky by Pope McLean. The diminutive bay mare outsized every and all expectations by winning 26 career starts, 25 of those in black-type races, including a win the Grade 1 Prioress Stakes and six Grade 2 races. In 2001 she ran second by a neck in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, and in 2002, she finished third in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen both of which were gutsy efforts against the boys. She set a new track record for six furlongs at Pimlico Race Course in 2001.

In her races, though short in stature, Xtra Heat was all grit and determination winning 26 of 35 lifetime starts and earning $2,189,635 for her efforts. Due to her accomplishments on the track Xtra Heat was named 2001 champion 3-year-old-filly and was further recognized for her superior talent when inducted into the National Museum of Racing & Hall of Fame on Aug. 7, 2015.

Upon completing her racing career, Xtra Heat was sent through the Fasig-Tipton Night of Stars sale in November 2002 where she RNA'd for $1.7 million. This was a far cry from her previous trips through the auction ring where she sold for $9,100 as a weanling, $4,700 as a yearling and $5,000 as a 2-year-old in training. In the end, owners Kenneth Taylor and Harry Deitchman sold her privately to the ClassicStar partnership for an undisclosed amount. Woodford Thoroughbreds purchased Xtra Heat privately through a ClassicStar dispersal in 2006.

As a broodmare, Xtra Heat produced stakes winner Southwestern Heat who went to stud in Australia as well as the stakes placed X Rated Cat who went to stud in Texas. In addition the mare produced Elusive Heat, a $750,000 Fasig-Tipton February 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale grad who became a stakes winner. With her commercial appeal waning, Woodford retired Xtra Heat after she foaled her 2019 Outwork colt. Since that time, she has led a life of leisure, enjoying a large paddock of green grass in the sunshine state at Woodford Thoroughbreds, located in Reddick, Fla.

John Sykes, owner of Woodford Thoroughbreds, spoke about her in 2022, saying, “Xtra Heat knows her place in the world and is always first at feed time. Xtra Heat is confident in her bearing, but easy to be around. The little brown mare with a great big heart inspires our team to look for potential in every horse.”

Today, Sykes said, “I have always been proud to have the privilege of owning and being responsible for a Hall of Fame horse. She will be greatly missed on the farm and by the team.”

The post ‘The Little Brown Mare With The Great Big Heart’: Hall Of Famer Xtra Heat Dies At Age 24 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘Dreaming With A Good Reason’: Congruent On Triple Crown Trail After Turfway Stakes Win

Tami Bobo and Lugamo Racing Stable's Congruent, winner of the Laurel Futurity last fall at Laurel Park, is on the Triple Crown trail following his upset victory in the John Battaglia Memorial March 4 at Turfway Park.

Based in South Florida with trainer Antonio Sano, Congruent trailed the field through six furlongs in the 1 1/16-mile Battaglia before unleashing a wide rally to go last-to-first and win by 3 ½ lengths at odds of 16-1 under jockey Sonny Leon.

“He came out of it like any other race. He was not tired at all, he was behaving. He was really, really good, actually. We were very impressed with his performance,” Lugamo's Luis Gavignano said. “We were also very impressed with the connection between Sonny Leon and the horse. That was the first time that he rode the horse, and they got along really well together. Really, really well.”

Leon, who upset the 2022 Kentucky Derby on 80-1 long shot Rich Strike, will get the return call when Congruent returns to Turfway's all-weather surface for the $700,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) March 25.

An early nominee to the Triple Crown, Congruent earned 20 qualifying points to the May 6 Kentucky Derby (G1), ranking him 12th on the list. The top 20 point earners gain a spot in the Derby.

“We are dreaming, and I think we are dreaming with a good reason,” Gavignano said. “Because, with the way that he won, I think that he can have a really good race in the next one at the same track on the same surface, most likely with likely the same contenders, more or less. I think we have a good chance to qualify directly to the Kentucky Derby. And having Sonny Leon again on the horse will help a lot.”

Gavignano said Congruent returned to Gulfstream Park following the Battaglia to train for the Jeff Ruby.

“We took the horse down the Florida. We thought it was the best way to go, even though the next race is going to be in less than three weeks,” Gavignano said. “The reason for that is because he is used to training on the dirt and we didn't want to leave the horse training on the Tapeta the whole time over there.

“It is quite a trip, the hours, going down and going back again, but we preferred that the horse was in the same place that he's been all the time, training at the same track, the same surface,” he added. “That's why we made the decision to send the horse back to Florida.”

The Jeff Ruby will be Congruent's fifth start since running eighth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 4. He was also third in the Dec. 10 Pulpit, fourth in the Jan. 7 Dania Beach and sixth in the Feb. 4 Kitten's Joy (G3), all on the Gulfstream turf.

Congruent became a stakes winner in the Oct. 1 Laurel Futurity, which was rained off the grass to a sloppy and sealed main track. Dismissed at odds of nearly 11-1, the gray or roan son of Grade 1 winner Tapit raced close to the pace before taking over at the top of the stretch and going on to win by 2 ½ lengths.

The Laurel Futurity has a rich history dating back to inaugural 1921 winner Morvich, who would go on to win the 1922 Kentucky Derby. The Futurity has also been won by Triple Crown champions Affirmed, Citation and Secretariat along with Barbaro, In Reality, Honest Pleasure, Quadrangle, Riva Ridge, Spectacular Bid and Tapit. It has been run primarily on turf since 2004.

“We are very excited. I think the way that he performed last time it looks like he really matured and he's really more like a 3-year-old,” Gavignano said. “We know that he has the talent. He's improving every day.”

The post ‘Dreaming With A Good Reason’: Congruent On Triple Crown Trail After Turfway Stakes Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Weekly Rulings: Feb. 28-Mar. 6

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky.

Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.

With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, 2022, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week.

California

Track: Santa Anita

Date: 03/03/2023

Licensee: Ed Carroll, owner

Penalty: Suspended license

Violation: Failure of financial responsibility

Explainer: Owner Ed Carroll (DBA: Carroll Boys Racing), having failed to respond to written notice to appear before the Board of Stewards at Santa Anita Park on March 2, 2023, is suspended for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1547 (Failure to Appear) pending an appearance at a hearing before the Board of Stewards to answer to charges alleging violation of CHRB rule #1876 (Financial Responsibility- $491.76 to DVM Melinda Blue). Suspension to commence on Mar. 10, 2023.

Track: Santa Anita

Date: 03/03/2023

Licensee: Abel Cedillo, jockey

Penalty: Three-day suspension

Violation: Careless riding

Explainer: Jockey Abel Cedillo, who rode Ava's Storm in the seventh race at Santa Anita Park on February 20, 2023, is suspended for 3 racing days (Mar. 10, 11 and 12, 2023) for altering course without sufficient clearance and causing interference in the backstretch. This constitutes a violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1699 (Riding Rules – careless riding).

New York

Track: Aqueduct

Date: 03/03/2023

Licensee: Charlton Baker, trainer

Penalty: Ten-day suspension, $1,000 fine

Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: Having received a report from the NYS Gaming Commission Drug Equine Testing Laboratory of the finding of Flunixin in the post-race sample taken from horse ” Daufuskie Island ” #1 which raced at Aqueduct racetrack in the 3rd race and finished 1st on Oct. 7 2022. Trainer of record Mr. Charlton Baker having been notified of the post -race findings and having waived his right to an appeal is hereby fined the sum of one thousand ($1,000) dollars and suspended 10 Calendar days effective Mar. 5, 2023 through Mar. 14, 2023 inclusive.

Furthermore, the Stewards order horse ” Daufuskie Island ” disqualified from any part of the purse and the purse redistributed as follows:

(#2) Risk Profile
(#4) Doctor Love
(#3) R Boy Cheekum

Ordered that during your period of suspension, you shall not directly nor indirectly participate in New York State Pari- mutuel horse racing. You are denied the privileges and use of the grounds of all racetracks, you are forbidden to participate in any share of purses or other payment. Every horse is denied the privilages and use of the grounds and shall not participate in pari-mutuel racing in New York State, that (a) is owned or trained by you, or by individuals who serves as your agent or employee during your suspension: or (b) for which you during your suspension are directly or indirectly with training, including any arrangement to care for , train, enter, race, invoice, collect fees or other payments, manage funds, employ or insure workers, provide advise or other information or otherwise assist with any aspect of the training of such horses.

Track: Aqueduct

Date: 03/05/2023

Licensee: Dylan Davis, jockey

Penalty: Three-day suspension

Violation: Careless riding

Explainer: Jockey Mr. Dylan Davis is hereby suspended 3 NYRA racing days, this for interference during the running of the 3rd race at Aqueduct racetrack on March 3rd 2023. Having appealed a stay has been granted.

NEW HISA STEWARDS RULINGS

The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal, except for the voided claim rulings which were sent to the TDN directly. Some of these rulings are from prior weeks as they were not reported contemporaneously.

One important note: HISA's whip use limit is restricted to six strikes during a race.

Violations of Crop Rule:

Golden Gate Fields

Francisco Monroy – violation date March 5; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes

Oaklawn Park

Mickaelle Michel – violation date February 26; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes
Eduardo Gallardo – violation date March 2; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes
Kylee Rose Jordan – violation date March 4; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes
Hugo Torres – violation date March 5; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 8 strikes

Santa Anita