March, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Del Mar Aims To Take Record Purses Even Higher In 2023

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club projected its most lucrative racing season ever last summer, then backed it up with a record-breaking meet that saw purse levels total above $25-million for the session resulting in an unprecedented average purse payout of more than $800,000 per day. Those numbers, the highest in California racing history, are in the track's sights once again with the aim, amazingly enough, to go even bigger and better for this year's 31-day stand, which will be the iconic track's 84^th season.

As it did in 2022, the seaside oval will present 39 major stakes, six of which are designated as Breeders' Cup Challenges races, offering a total of $8,275,000 during its eight-week summer run. It also will continue its highly successful “Ship & Win” program to attract more horses to come and take part in the summer festivities and continue with its well-received Maiden Dirt Bonus plan, which was fully implemented last summer.

Del Mar's summer meet set records in 2022 with more than $18.7 million in daily average handle and a robust 9.1 average field size, ranking it high up among the nation's elite racing programs. Working with its partners at the Thoroughbred Owners of California, the picturesque racetrack just north of San Diego now plans to take it up yet another notch starting when the first fields break from the gates on Friday, July 21.

“We were absolutely thrilled by the huge response last year from our horsemen and horsewomen and our fans,” said Del Mar's executive vice president and director of racing Tom Robbins. “The racing throughout the summer was extremely safe and first-rate. Obviously, 2022 set a very high bar on all levels; we're excited for the challenge of continuing these very strong trends.”

The track's popular and lucrative “Ship & Win” incentive program will be in its 13th year and again provides owners and trainers of qualified runners with $5,000 starter bonuses and 50% purse supplements for dirt runners, as well as $4,000 bonuses and 40% supplements to grass starters.

Further still, Del Mar's Maiden Dirt Bonus plan, which expanded in 2022 to include all-aged maidens at the higher end of the scale, will lure runners to take part in the track's best non-winners races with sizeable purses of up to $102,500 per event for eligible participants. Additionally, Del Mar will be offering record levels for maiden special weight races (MSW) at the track this year of $82,000 each, the highest MSW purses in California history.

Track officials plan to release their full stakes schedule next week. Its biggest day will be Saturday, September 2 when it presents five graded stakes highlighted by Del Mar's premier offering, the $1,000,000, Grade 1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic at a mile and one quarter, captured last year in extraordinary fashion by eventual Horse of the Year Flightline, whose near 20-length romp is now considered the greatest race in track history.

“Del Mar is the pinnacle of racing in the United States,” said Thoroughbred Owners of California chairman Gary Fenton. “And the success is enjoyed by and trickles down to all of California. Every summer gets bigger and better and it's all due to the tremendous work put in by DMTC and our horsemen and horsewomen.”

The place “where the turf meets the surf” will open its season with a three-day weekend (Friday, July 21, 22 and 23), then have five four-day weeks (Thursday through Sunday), a five-day week (including Labor Day Monday, September 4), then finish with a Friday-through-Sunday weekend (September 8, 9 and 10).

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Fair Grounds: Rosie Napravnik To Spearhead ‘New Vocations Day At The Races’ On Saturday

On Saturday, March 4, retired jockey and horse advocate Rosie Napravnik will be on site at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots to spearhead the third annual “New Vocations Day at the Races.”

A four-time local riding champion who was instrumental in the opening of the New Vocations facility in Covington, Louisiana, Napravnik will join host Joe Kristufek on the live feed during the racing day to help build awareness, promote success stories and inspire donations for Thoroughbred aftercare.

“I am elated to be having our third annual New Vocations Day at Fair Grounds,” Napravnik said. “Since its inception, our Louisiana satellite facility has been a great success and it's my honor to dedicate a day to promoting local aftercare by showing off the horses and the work that these ladies have done right here in Covington. This year I am excited to have New Vocations executive director Anna Ford also joining Joe and me on set to talk about the program!”

Held for the first time at Fair Grounds in 2021, the “New Vocations Day at the Races” has raised over $10,000 in unique donations from fans and people within the industry, including horsemen, horse owners and jockeys.

“Before and after my riding career, I've been exposed to a lot of the other things that horses can do, and that's a big part of the reason why I'm so passionate about it and why it's so important to me,” Napravnik said in regards to Thoroughbred aftercare. “I have a lot of experience in the other disciplines and I've seen retired racehorses really excel. I got my first off-the-track Thoroughbred back in 2008 and watching him transform, his potential, his trainability, his eagerness to do something else and to learn new things and please really inspired me. After riding so many of those horses and seeing how much they put out for us on the racetrack, it's just something I can't avoid making a part of my life.”

For the first time this year, owners, jockeys and trainers can contribute a financial donation to the Louisiana chapter of New Vocations directly through the horsemen's bookkeeper. Contact Emily Miller or Diana Bosco at 504-948-1254. In addition, contributions are welcome through the New Vocations website — visit https://horseadoption.org/donate and click the button with Rosie's picture on it in the top row to complete the process.

“We are very excited about the success we've had with the success we've had putting on this show,” Napravnik said. “So many influential people within the industry have jumped into action, making donations and encouraging others on social media to do so as well. We are very grateful for the HBPA and the horseman in Louisiana for supporting our efforts. Our program continues to expand, and we are excited to share our growth from the past year.”

Napravnik, who won 1,878 races in her ten-year career, retired in 2014 following her Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) win with Untapable. In 2012 she became the first female rider to capture the Kentucky Oaks (G1), guiding Believe You Can to victory, and she won the race again just two years later with Untapable. She is married to trainer Joe Sharp and together they have two sons, Carson and Tucker.

“Rosie is one of our favorites,” said Fair Grounds senior director of racing Jason Boulet. “It's great to have her back at the Fair Grounds to help shed light on such an important cause and to share her valuable insight with the fans. We look forward to continue to build on the success of this event year after year.”

Recognizing the need for expanded Thoroughbred aftercare in Louisiana, Napravnik reached out to New Vocations, the largest racehorse adoption program in the country, in the fall of 2019. With Napravnik taking on a leadership role under the umbrella of New Vocations, they received a start-up grant from the Right Horse, which allowed the program to open a facility in Louisiana.

“The Right Horse grant funded almost half of running the program for the first two years,” said New Vocations Thoroughbred program director Anna Ford. “That really helped us get on our feet. Then the Louisiana HBPA stepped in and have helped the program grow and ultimately serve more horses.”

Since opening their doors in 2019, the Louisiana division of New Vocations has served 174 horses. There are currently 22 horses in the program.

“Moving into our fourth year, our Louisiana facility continues to thrive and our team has done a wonderful job with each horse that has entered the program,” Ford said. “The continued support from Louisianan HBPA has played a huge role in the facility's success. We are also seeing more and more local owners, breeders and trainers reach out to utilize our services as well as support our efforts. We are grateful to have the Fair Grounds hosting another New Vocations Day at the Races. We hope the event will continue to raise awareness about our Louisiana facility and the services we provide to the racing community.”

Race 7 on Saturday's card will be dedicated to New Vocations and racehorse aftercare. Representatives from Fair Grounds at the Louisiana HBPA will be on hand to present a $117,000 check, $27,000 of which comes directly from the track. This represents the amount accrued the past 12 months as part of the “starters match” program.

“New Vocations is an organization the Fair Grounds is proud to support each year,” said Fair Grounds president Doug Shipley. “Their dedication to rehabilitating, retraining and rehoming horses deserves the upmost respect. We encourage everyone interested to support this amazing cause.”

On Saturday, Napravnik will join track announcer John G. Dooley on the pre-race “Fair Grounds Today” show and partner with simulcast host Joe Kristufek during the racing card to provide information on how to donate a horse, how to adopt a horse, and how fans can contribute to the cause. She will also share adoption success stories, which will be supported by video of retired racehorses thriving in their second careers.

“I want to help make sure that horses have the opportunity to do something after racing because they really deserve it,” Napravnik said. “They have so much life ahead of them when their racing career is over. I can't ignore that, especially in a place like Louisiana that has such a high demand for organizations to help bridge that gap.”

In addition to promoting Thoroughbred aftercare awareness, Napravnik will also offer her race-by-race selections via the “expert picks” videos on twinspires.com and the Twin Spires app, and on the simulcast feed.

“During my riding career, I never handicapped to pick the winner, I handicapped to make my horse the winner,” Napravnik said. “But there's a lot of insight I can give on how each of the riders could see the race unfolding and how it might play out from a pace and trip perspective. I truly enjoy being on the show and handicapping the races with Joe so it will be another fun and exciting day as we raise awareness and funds for aftercare in Louisiana!”

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Javier Castellano Voted George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award

A four-time Eclipse Award winner and a member of racing's Hall of Fame since 2017, Venezuelan native Javier Castellano has won the 2023 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award via a nationwide vote of his fellow riders.

Castellano, 45, will be honored in a Runhappy Winner's Circle ceremony at Santa Anita this spring. Married to his wife, Abby, Castellano, who immigrated to the United States in June 1997, has three children – Kayla, Sienna and Brady – and is the son-in-law of Terry Meyocks, president and CEO of the Jockeys' Guild.

Presented annually by Santa Anita since 1950 and one of the most coveted awards in racing, the Woolf Award, which recognizes those riders whose careers and personal character garner esteem for the individual and the sport of Thoroughbred racing, can only be won once.

“I am proud to have been honored and selected to win this incredible award,” said Castellano. “It is one that is obviously prestigious, but to be voted by my fellow riders truly makes this so special. I admire my fellow nominees as well as the other incredible riders that have won this award in years past.

“The significance of this award definitely does not go unnoticed. I have so many people to thank and I look forward to having my family with me to accept this award at Santa Anita.”

Named for the late Hall of Fame jockey who gained national acclaim by winning the inaugural Santa Anita Handicap on Feb. 23, 1935, aboard Azucar and later by piloting the immortal Seabiscuit to victory over Triple Crown champion War Admiral in a match race at Pimlico Race Course on Nov. 1, 1938, the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award has been won by most of the greatest names in the history of the sport.

The son of a jockey, Castellano's first North American winner came aboard Phone Man on July 31, 1997, at Calder Racecourse. Castellano would soon become a dominant force in New York, winning a combined 12 riding titles at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga.

A winner of four consecutive Eclipse Awards as North America's outstanding jockey from 2013 though 2016, Castellano rose to national prominence on Oct. 30, 2004, when he guided the Frank Stronach homebred and Bobby Frankel-trained Ghostzapper to victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Lone Star Park.

Second all-time only to fellow Hall of Famer John Velazquez, Castellano now has career purse earnings of more than $377 million and through Dec. 31, 2022, had recorded 5,595 career wins. A winner of a record six Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga, Castellano's mounts earned a then-record $28.1 million in 2015.

A winner of a total of 12 Breeders' Cup races, Castellano's other major victories include two Preakness Stakes (2006 and 2017), and the 2016 Kentucky Oaks.

Castellano was joined on this year's Woolf ballot by fellow finalists Daniel Centeno, Terry Houghton, Edwin Maldonado, and Willie Martinez.

A date for the Woolf Award presentation ceremony at Santa Anita will be announced soon.

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‘An Unbelievable Loss’: Jockey Alex Canchari Dies Unexpectedly

Midwest-based jockey Alex Canchari died unexpectedly on Wednesday, confirmed Terry Meyocks, president and CEO of the Jockeys' Guild.

“It's extremely sad,” Meyocks said. “That family has been through so much the last three years.”

Patrick Canchari, Alex's older brother and also a jockey, was critically injured in an automobile accident in March of 2020. The traumatic brain injury Patrick suffered has led to ongoing health problems. Family patriarch Luis Canchari, who rode and trained after emigrating from Peru and with whom Alex was extremely close, passed away in December of 2020.

Alex Canchari hadn't ridden since Oct. 2, 2022, at Prairie Meadows Racetrack in Altoona, Ia. Over the course of his career, Canchari rode 1,044 winners for earnings of over $28 million, and was especially well-known at Canterbury Park and Oaklawn Park.

Alex Canchari leaves behind a wife and two children.

Ashley Canchari, Alex's sister, posted the devastating news on her Facebook page on Thursday morning:

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