Month: June 2023

Pair of Stakes Kick Off Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Thursday

ELMONT, NY – A pair of stakes races, led by the featured GII Wonder Again S. for 3-year-old fillies on grass, will raise the curtain on the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Thursday afternoon.

Repole Stable's Spansive (Karakontie {Jpn}) will put her perfect two-for-two record on the line for Todd Pletcher while making her stakes debut in the eight-deep Wonder Again.

Trainer Chad Brown will have three chances for his fifth Wonder Again win. He will saddle 5-2 morning-line favorite Revalita (Fr) (Recoletos {Fr}), a rallying second in the GII Edgewood S. at Churchill May 5; the rail-drawn co-second choice Venencia (Fr) (Recoletos {Fr}), third as the favorite while making her U.S. bow in a Keeneland allowance Apr. 27; and last out Belmont maiden winner Prerequisite (Upstart).

Last term's GI Frizette S. winner Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke), meanwhile, will launch her sophomore campaign a race earlier versus six rivals in the six-furlong $150,000 Jersey Girl S. The dark bay failed to fire while making her first attempt around two turns in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland Nov. 4. Like the aforementioned Spansive, Chocolate Gelato is owned and trained by the same connections as GI Belmont S. morning-line favorite Forte (Violence). This race's namesake Jersey Girl provided Pletcher with his first Grade I victory as a trainer in the 1998 Acorn.

Drawn on the rail and sporting an imposing record of four wins from five career starts, Red Carpet Ready (Oscar Performance) is the horse to beat after hanging on by a head in the seven-furlong GII Eight Belles on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard.

Thursday's 10-race program gets underway at 3:05 p.m. ET.

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Jockeys And Jeans Names Jim ‘Mattress Mack’ McIngvale Person Of The Year

Jockeys and Jeans, an all-volunteer group, will hold its annual fundraiser at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 24 at 6 p.m. and will honor Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale as its Person of the Year. To date, the volunteer group has raised more than $2.6 million for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF), which pays a monthly stipend of $1,000 to 60 jockeys who suffer career-ending injuries. After the fundraiser this year, the group expects to raise more than $3 million.

“Mattress Mack” is the owner of three Gallery Furniture stores in Houston and is internationally known for his business acumen, philanthropy, community involvement and success as a Thoroughbred owner and breeder as well a major bettor.

McIngvale is famously known for picking up a $30 million check from Caesars Palace after he bet $10 million that the Houston Astros would beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2022 World Series. The event will reunite McIngvale with jockey Edgar Prado, one of 16 Hall of Fame riders scheduled to attend the event. Prado rode his horse, Runhappy to victory in the 2015 $1.5 million Breeder's Cup Sprint in a Keeneland track record time of 1:08.58.

As a long supporter of PDJF, he has long been an advocate for not only racing horses drug-free but improving their overall safety and well-being as well as those of their jockeys.

“Jockeys risk their lives every day they race,” said Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale. “And I think they need to be appreciated for the skills they bring to the sport. They make split-second decisions and are judged for those decisions. I think they deserve better medical care and should have a pension to help them after they retire like NFL players. I think they are racing's superstars.”

A legend in Houston and beyond, he opened the doors of his 110,000-square-foot furniture store in recent years to feed and house thousands of storm victims. There, he operated a child daycare for his employees and a vocational school that teaches trades to adults. A stroke victim himself, he helped fund the nation's first Mobile Stroke Unit, based in Houston, and donated millions to NASA to develop an artificial heart.

“Mattress Mack is truly one-of-a-kind, and I believe his acceptance speech will be something the entire racing world will be eager to hear,” said Jockeys and Jeans President Barry Pearl.” He is one of few persons who has been a successful Thoroughbred owner and breeder as well as a major bettor. He sees racing from a most unusual perspective.”

“I love horse racing,” said McIngvale. “It's an industry founded on hope, hope for a better today and hope for a better tomorrow. But I think it has to change, and I believe it will.”

Space is limited, but tickets are still available for purchase at 855-234-7469 or online at ticketmaster.com (http://ticketmaster.com) Single tickets are $125 and VIP tickets are available for $250. Nine-person tables are $1,800 and include being seated with a Hall of Fame Jockey.

The post Jockeys And Jeans Names Jim ‘Mattress Mack’ McIngvale Person Of The Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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New Energy To Continue Career in Australia

New Energy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), the 40-1 runner-up behind Native Trail (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the 2022 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, will be gelded and will ultimately continue his career under the care of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace in Australia after being acquired by Jamie Lovett's Australian Bloodstock following a lengthy courtship.

Trained in England by Sheila Lavery for her brother John, the £65,000 Tattersalls Goresbridge breezer won his maiden at first asking in June 2021, his lone victory to date, but he has run with credit at group level, as he was eighth and not beaten far in last year's G1 St James's Palace S. while also finishing runner-up to Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the G2 Park S. at Doncaster last September. Fourth as the 5-4 favourite on his seasonal return in the May 7 G3 Amethyst S. at Leopardstown, he was a latest third in the Listed Owenstown Stud S. at the Curragh May 21.

New Energy will be transferred to Harry Eustace and pre-trained in Newmarket before heading to Melbourne, where he will be trained towards a start in the G1 Cox Plate in the Australian springtime.

“He's probably the best performed horse we have ever bought,” Lovett told racenet.com.au.

“I think when we bought [G1 Melbourne Cup winner] Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}), he'd had 11 starts and run fourth in an Arc, this bloke has had 11 starts but run second in an Irish Group 1 classic, the 2000 Guineas, his form card is exceptional and we think with gelding and Maher/Eustace, we can find some improvement.

“He has been on everyone's radar. We couldn't get near him last year as the stable [Sheila Lavery] had stallion aspirations for him, but he's a 4-year-old now and we kept chasing him and finalised a deal last week, he was paid for on Tuesday.”

Lovett is comfortable that New Energy will pass the stringent veterinary examinations in Victoria.

“He was A1 on X-rays, scans and scopes, so we would have to be pretty confident he will pass all the tests that are required,” he told racenet.

Sheila Lavery told PA Sport: “They've been trying to buy him for over a year and in the end it just made economical sense for the owner to sell him.

“They've some very deep pockets and I was at a bit of a crossroads with him. It makes economical sense for the owner for him to go to Australia, so I'm delighted for John but heartbroken to see him go.

“I'm gutted. I didn't think I'd be as upset as I am, but it's the right thing and it's the right business decision. I've been very privileged and proud to train him.”

Ballylinch Stud's New Bay is the sire of three winners from as many to race in Australia, including the Chris Waller-trained New Mandate (Ire), winner of the G3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup this past April. New Bay's three top-level scorers include 3.6-million gns Tattersalls November seller Saffron Beach (Ire).

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