May, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Live Racing Returns To Pimlico Thursday; Preakness Meet Includes 15 Race Days

Live racing returns to Pimlico Race Course Thursday for the opening of its 15-day Preakness Meet, highlighted by the 148th running of the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, Saturday, May 20.

The 1 3/16-mile Preakness for 3-year-olds is the centerpiece of a blockbuster program featuring 10 stakes, six graded, worth $2.6 million in purses that includes the 122nd edition of the $200,000 Dinner Party (G3) for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the turf, Pimlico's oldest stakes race and the eighth-oldest in the country, debuting in 1870.

Other graded-stakes on the Preakness undercard are the $200,000 Chick Lang (G3) for 3-year-olds sprinting six furlongs, $100,000 Gallorette (G3) for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/16 miles on the grass, $100,000 Maryland Sprint (G3) at six furlongs for 3-year-olds and up, and $100,000 Arabian Derby (G1) for Arabian 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles.

Preakness Day post time will be 10:30 a.m.

The 99th running of the $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles is the focal point of a Preakness Eve program Friday, May 19 that offers six stakes, three graded, worth $1 million in purses. Among the supporting stakes are the historic $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 3/16 miles and $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3) for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs.

Post time on Black-Eyed Susan Day will be 11:30 a.m.

For the seventh straight year, the Maryland Jockey Club is offering bonus money totaling $100,000 to trainers who run a minimum of five horses in the 15 Thoroughbred stakes races during Preakness weekend. The trainer with the most points will receive $50,000, second is worth $25,000, third $12,000, fourth $7,000, fifth $4,000 and sixth $2,000.

Points are accumulated for finishing first (10 points), second (seven), third (five), fourth (three) and having a starter (one) in the Skipat, Miss Preakness, Allaire du Pont, Black-Eyed Susan, Pimlico Special, Hilltop, Jim McKay Turf Sprint, Maryland Sprint, Chick Lang, Preakness, Gallorette, James W. Murphy, Dinner Party, The Very One and Sir Barton.

Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen has taken the top bonus four times (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022) since its inception. Other top winners have been Brad Cox (2019) and Mike Maker (2020).

There will also be bonus money totaling $50,000 for trainers with the most points in non-stakes races during Preakness weekend. The points are accumulated in similar fashion with $25,000 going to the leader, $10,000 to second, $7,000 to third, $4,000 to fourth, $2,500 to fifth and $1,000 to sixth. Trainers must start a minimum of three horses to be eligible.

Racing will be conducted at Pimlico Thursdays through Sundays with no live racing Sunday, May 21 or Thursday, June 1 and a special Memorial Day holiday program Monday, May 29. Closing day is scheduled for Sunday, June 4.

Post time, with the exception of Preakness weekend, will be 12:25 p.m.

The Preakness Meet will kick off with a claiming sprint for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for five furlongs on the grass that drew an overflow field of 12 including Shadow Box, entered for main track only.

Thursday's feature comes in Race 7, a five-furlong turf allowance for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up. Thirteen horses were entered, including three also-eligibles and Thataway for main track only. Among the horses are Tenax and Boss Man J J, separated by a neck in a 5 ½-furlong claiming sprint on the Laurel grass April 20. Prince Pere, third in that race, owns one win, two seconds and two thirds from five career tries over the Pimlico turf

Pimlico will serve up a nine-race program Friday, May 12 that includes three races scheduled for the grass that drew a total of 44 entries. The last of them is a five-furlong allowance for Maryland-bred/sired fillies and mares 3 and up in Race 8 that includes Island Philo, third in the Jameela at Laurel and Camptown at Colonial Downs last summer, beaten a total of two lengths.

A six-furlong maiden special weight for 3-year-old fillies in Race 3 serves as Friday's feature. Nine horses were entered including Ginger Girl, a last-out fifth in the Weber City Miss April 15 at Laurel; How Sweet She Is, second in two career starts, and She Got the Munni, who returns to dirt and adds blinkers after running seventh against older horses April 16, both trained by Mike Trombetta; Repole Stable's Fly High, making her second start and first for trainer Brittany Russell since debuting for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher last summer; Run Around Slew, second to undefeated Goodgirl Badhabits in their March 10 unveiling; and first-time starter Goldrush Hottie, a Maryland-bred daughter of Golden Lad.

Kieron Magee, based year-round at Pimlico and 22 wins shy of 1,000 for his career, captured the Laurel spring meet that preceded the Preakness Meet, his 10th meet title in Maryland. He has one starter, 7-year-old gelding Wild Behavior, in Race 5 Friday.

Axel Concepcion, who rides with a five-pound weight allowance, won twice on Laurel's closing day card to pass Jeiron Barbosa and Jevian Toledo and win his first meet title. The 18-year-old native of Puerto Rico turned pro Jan. 1 and became just the fourth apprentice in a decade to win the jockey title at Laurel following Barbosa, Julio Correa and Yomar Ortiz. Concepcion is named in four races Thursday and seven races Friday.

The post Live Racing Returns To Pimlico Thursday; Preakness Meet Includes 15 Race Days appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Palisades Winner Gaslight Dancer Headlines Saturday’s William Walker Turf Sprint

Paradise Farms Corp (Peter Proscia), David Staudacher, Skychai Racing (Harvey Diamond) and Angelo Carlesimo's Gaslight Dancer, the winner of the April 16 Palisades Turf Sprint at Keeneland, tops a field of eight 3-year-olds that were entered in Saturday's eighth running of the $225,000 William Walker Stakes (Listed) at Churchill Downs.

The 5 ½-furlong William Walker Stakes is scheduled to be contested in Lane 2 on the Matt Winn Turf Course, 12 feet off the inside. The featured event on the 11-race card will go as Race 10 at 5:26 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 12:45 p.m.

Trained by Mike Maker, Gaslight Dancer recorded his second-lifetime score in the Palisades Turf Sprint where he rallied from just off the pace to defeat 11 rivals by 1 ½ lengths. The William Walker will be Gaslight Dancer's second start of his 3-year-old campaign and he'll be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione out of post No. 2.

Among Gaslight Dancer's rivals is the Palisades Turf Sprint runner-up Two of a Kind. Owned by K and R Racing Stable (Phil Deguire) and Town Branch Racing (Stewart A. Smith), Two of a Kind finished second in his first turf effort in the Palisades Turf Sprint at odds of 51-1. The Brian Lynch-trained son of Overanalyze will be ridden from post 3 under Julien Leparoux.

Mike McCarty's Private Creed was the 8-5 post-time favorite in the Palisades but finished fifth. He'll return in the William Walker in search of his fourth-lifetime score. Previously, the Steve Asmussen trainee recorded victories in the Juvenile Sprint at Kentucky Downs and the Indian Summer at Keeneland. The speedy son of Jimmy Creed will be piloted by Brian Hernandez Jr. from post 7.

The complete field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

Gilcrease (Corey Lanerie, Al Stall Jr.);
Gaslight Dancer (Gaffalione, Maker);
Two of a Kind (Leparoux, Lynch);
Chiringo (Luis Saez, George Weaver);
No Nay Hudson (IRE) (James Graham, Wesley Ward);
Crispy Cat (GB) (Ricardo Santana Jr., Jorge Delgado);
Private Creed (Hernandez, Asmussen); and
Ah Jeez (Rey Gutierrez, Doug O'Neill).

Following four days off after the Kentucky Derby, racing at Churchill Downs will resume Thursday for the first Twilight Thursday of the 44-day Spring Meet that will feature $2 domestic beer, local food trucks and live music. The first of eight races will get underway at 5 p.m.

Friday is the first Senior Day of the Spring Meet where guests 60 and older can enjoy lunch in Millionaires' Row for only $34. Tickets can be purchased by calling (502) 636-4450.

Limited premium dining tickets are available for Sunday's popular Mother's Day card at www.churchilldowns.com. First post will be 12:45 p.m.

For more information about racing from Churchill Downs, visit www.churchilldowns.com.

The post Palisades Winner Gaslight Dancer Headlines Saturday’s William Walker Turf Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Butch Reid Sees Long Branch As ‘Stepping Stone’ For Talented 3-Year-Olds Didinger, Ninetyprcentmaddie

Butch Reid isn't sure what the coming year has in store for a couple of under-the-radar 3-year-olds he has but the veteran trainer knows it's time to start finding out exactly where they fit in.

To that end, he will send out Didinger and Ninetyprcentmaddie in Saturday's $100,000 Long Branch Stakes, which serves as the opening day feature race as Monmouth Park's 51-day meet gets underway. The 87th edition of the Long Branch Stakes, at a mile and 70 yards, is restricted to 3-year-olds.

“I'm pretty sure we're going to run both. I hate doing that, but it's the right spot for both of them,” said the Parx-based Reid. “We need to find out what direction to go with them. It's all part of the stepping stone process. I think they're two quality horses that we're going to have a lot of fun with the rest of the year,”

Didinger, a $230,000 yearling purchase owned by Cash is King and LC Racing, comes in off a 5½-length romp in an optional claimer at Parx on March 27 in his 3-year-old debut. He showed hints of his potential at 2, with a win, three seconds and a third from five starts.

“He's a horse that we always knew had a ton of talent but it took him a while to put it all together,” Reid said. “He had a nice little break after his 2-year-old campaign and it seems to have paid off with the way he came back. He's coming up to this race really well.”

A Kentucky-bred son of Bold d'Oro-Gwithian by Street Sense, Didinger seems to be relishing the longer distances. If the colt lives up to his potential, Reid sees the TVG.com Haskell and the Pennsylvania Derby on Didinger's radar.

“I don't think there are any limits to what this horse can do,” Reid said.

Ninetyprcentmaddie, an LC Racing homebred, comes in off two sharp efforts, winning the City of Brotherly Love Stakes at Parx by 9¾ lengths and then finishing second, beaten a head, in the Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel on April 15. The Shug McGaughey Perform, who won the Tesia with a late rush, is under consideration as a supplemental entry to the Preakness Stakes.

Ninetyprcentmaddie, a Pennsylvania-bred son of Weigelia-Amblin Easy by Private Interview, has four wins and two seconds from eight career starts. The only poor performance of his career came in the Grade 3 Withers on Feb. 11 when he was distanced.

“He didn't ship good that day and we learned from that,” said Reid. “He was kind of sulking. Mentally, he was just lost that day. He's a young colt and sometimes the biggest hurdle to overcome with them is the mental part.

“But he shipped well to Pimlico in his last start and ran a great race. I know Shug McGaughey thinks a lot of the winner that day. One of the reasons I like this spot for him is because it's an easy ship to Monmouth Park. He shouldn't be put off of his game.”

A field of eight has entered the Long Branch Stakes, including the Ken McPeek trained Hayes Strike, who was off the board in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes in his most recent start. He won the Private Terms at Laurel prior to that.

First race post time Saturday is 12:40 p.m. That will be the post time for Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays throughout the meet that runs until Sept. 10. When Friday racing is added in June first race post time for those days will be 2 p.m.

The post Butch Reid Sees Long Branch As ‘Stepping Stone’ For Talented 3-Year-Olds Didinger, Ninetyprcentmaddie appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Claymore Set To Resume In Brigadier Gerard

Claymore (Fr) (New Bay {GB}), winner of last year's G3 Hampton Court S. at Royal Ascot and not sighted since finishing fourth behind Sir Busker (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) in the G2 York S. last July, is scheduled to make his seasonal debut in the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. at Sandown May 25, with the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe a potential long-term objective.

The Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained colt could encounter last year's returning G1 Derby winner Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in what is shaping up into a mouthwatering renewal of the 10-furlong race.

Chapple-Hyam said: “Claymore is going for the Brigadier Gerard. He just got very jarred up at York. We got him ready to run at the Arc meeting and then it went bog-soft everywhere. It went from one extreme to the other, so we decided to pull the pin and have a lovely 4-year-old for this year.”

Should all go well at Sandown, Chapple-Hyam will likely return to Ascot and raised the possibility of an Arc bid.

“We will see what we do in the Brigadier Gerard, but he is in the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot and I don't know, is he a 50-1 shot for the Arc?

“The entries were on Tuesday and we've put him in–there's no harm. You just don't know if he'll make the cut, but better to be there than having to supplement.”

In other news from the yard, the full-brother to Chapple-Hyam's Group 1 winner Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), who was sold for 3.6 million guineas at the end of last season, arrived with the Newmarket handler on Tuesday morning.

Granger Bay (Ire), who fetched €450,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale, will run in the colours of Fiona Carmichael, having been in pre-training with Malcolm Bastard.

“I am a very lucky lady to be given the honour to train him,” said Chapple-Hyam. “He was bought from the Goffs sales and sent to Malcolm to be broken in.

“We felt we didn't want to rush him into a training yard in January or February as is the normal time slot, we said wait until after the Guineas, so he arrived on Tuesday morning.

“Fiona also has Intellogent (Ire) (Intello {Ger}) and Aplomb (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in the yard. It was really nice to get the call and I'm very happy with the squad I've got this year.”

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