August, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Slew’s Tiz Whiz Nominated To Defend His Title In Longacres Mile

Title defender Slew's Tiz Whiz appears the horse to beat when Emerald Downs presents the 88th renewal of the $150,000 Longacres Mile on Sunday, Aug. 13.

Seventeen horses, including two 3-year-olds, are nominated to the region's most famous race, which anchors a Championship Sunday quadruple-header also featuring the $50,000 Emerald Distaff, $50,000 Muckleshoot Derby, and $50,000 Washington Oaks.

Slew's Tiz Whiz bids to become only the fifth two-time Mile winner and join Stryker Phd (2014-15) as double winners at Emerald Downs. Trained by Tom Wenzel, the stretch running 5-year-old just won his second straight Governor's Stakes, and has racked up four wins, two seconds, and a third in his last seven starts. A Washington-bred by Slew's Tiznow, Slew's Tiz Whiz is 2 for 2 lifetime at the mile distance.

Last year, Slew's Tiz Whiz exploded in the final furlong to collar Papa's Golden Boy and win going away in 1:34.46. With Papa's Golden Boy finishing second, it marked the first Washington-bred exacta in a Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs.

Five Star General, scheduled to be ridden by two-time Kentucky Derby winner Mario Gutierrez, is one of only two horses to finish top three in three straight Miles—2nd in 2020, 3rd in 2021, 3rd in 2022. A well-traveled 7-year-old with starts at 14 different tracks, Five Star General is razor sharp this year with a win and two seconds from three starts including a front-running score in the $100,000 Evangeline Downs Mile. Trainer Grant Forster authored the biggest upset in Mile history with 60-1 No Giveaway in 2005.

Trainer Blaine Wright nominated Top Executive, fourth-place finisher last year as the 3 to 1 betting favorite, along with 3-year-olds Abeliefinthislivin and Prince Abu Dhabi, the latter two also nominated to the Muckleshoot Derby. Winner of the $100,000 California Derby at Golden Gate Fields, Prince Abu Dhabi has a 4-0-2 record in six starts with earnings of $139,200. Wright has been a key figure in recent Miles, compiling a win, three seconds and two thirds in the last five runnings.

Owner John Parker won in 2017 with Gold Rush Dancer and recently claimed Dirt Road Red for this year's race. A 6-year-old gelding, Dirt Road Red has reeled off five straight wins this season at Emerald Downs but jumps way up in class Sunday.

Justin Evans nominated $706,700 earner Zestful, a stretch-running 8-year-old that finished third in the Governor's Stakes and figures to improve around two turns.

Katonah and Il Bellator, first and third in the $150,000 Pleasanton Mile, were nominated by trainers Doug O'Neil and Jose Bautista, respectively.

Others include million-dollar earner Restrainedvengence, a close third in the 2019 Mile, Seattle Bold, claimed for $40,000 out of his gate to wire victory last week at Sacramento, and You're the Cause, last year's Top 3-Year-Old at Emerald Downs and 56 to 1 victor of the 2022 Muckleshoot Derby.

Emerald Downs again offers a special Championship Sunday all stakes $0.50 Pick Four. Last year's Pick 4 produced a record $67,847.05 payout to two winning tickets, following victories by Zippin Sevenz ($49), Tiz a Macho Girl ($45), You're the Cause ($115.60), and Slew's Tiz Whiz ($8.80).

Entries for all four Championship Sunday stakes will be drawn Wednesday morning.

$150,000 Longacres Mile, Sunday, August 13, 2023

Horse. . . . . . . . .Owner. . . . . . . .Trainer

Abeliefinthislivin (3c/KY) Peter Redekop BC Ltd. Blaine Wright
A Man's Man (7g/CA) Remmah racing Inc. Jorge Rosales
Arma d'Oro (5g/KY) A MacLennan, L Strandley, Estate of G Kelly Dan Markle
Dirt Road Red (6g/KY) John Parker Candi Cryderman
Exclusive Speaker (6g/KY) Michael Radovich Jorge Rosales
Five Star General (7h/KY) Elttaes Stable Grant Forster
Gold Crusher (6g/WA) Josh Dieringer and Frank Ortiz Justin Evans
Harmon (7g/KY) Michael Bean and Donna Perrone Monty Meier
Il Bellator (4g/KY) Theresa & Edward DeNike Jose Bautista
Katonah (4g/KY) R3 Racing LLC Doug O'Neill
Prince Abu Dhabi (3g/KY) Lance Kinross and Steve Kinross Blaine Wright
Restrainedvengence (8g/KY) Kelly Brinkerhoff and Bob Grayson Jr. Val Brinkerhoff
Seattle Bold (5h/CA) Peerenboom Racing Stables Dan Markle
Slew's Tiz Whiz (5g/WA) Slew's Crew Racing Tom Wenzel
Top Executive (5g/KY) John & Janene Maryanski & Riverbend Stable Blaine Wright
You're the Cause (4g/KY) WilWin Stable Debbie Van Horne
Zestful (8g/KY) Stable H.M.A. Justin Evans

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Kentucky Downs Adds $500,000 Stakes to Schedule

Kentucky Downs is adding the $500,000 National Thoroughbred League H. to its already lucrative stakes schedule, the track announced on Monday. The one-mile event for 3-year-olds and up will be worth $300,000 with an additional $200,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund up for grabs. It will be contested on Sunday Sept. 3.

The newest stakes race is named after the Kentucky Downs Day sponsor, which is a new concept based on teams of horses representing different owners and markets. The jockeys in the race will wear NTL team silks, regardless of ownership.

“We want to encourage new ideas and innovation, especially concepts created with the goal of bringing more people into horse racing,” Ron Winchell, the co-managing partner in Kentucky Downs, said. “The way you get better is to try something different or see if there is a way to tinker with with an old idea to bring it back. We also like the idea of having a handicap race, allowing horses of slightly different levels of ability to compete against each other for a lot of money.”

Horses must be nominated by Aug. 21 so they can be weighted, though there will be no fees, including entry and starter. Weights will be announced Aug. 24.

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Hambletonian Day Establishes New Handle Record At The Meadowlands

Hambletonian Day handle established a new record in the 10-year history of the new grandstand at The Meadowlands, as a total of $7,805,779 was pushed through the windows on the 16-race program Saturday, by far a 2023 industry high.

“We are so pleased and proud of this milestone,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “The handle, the crowd that we had at the track, the national television exposure we got from being shown on FOX SPORTS, all of these things made for yet another great Hambletonian Day at The Meadowlands.”

A year ago, total handle was $7,656,055. All betting numbers shown reflect North American wagering only.

Betting on The Hambletonian itself was up considerably from a year ago as $1,099,034 was put in play, a 12 percent increase over 2022.

Betting for the year is ahead of 2021, when average daily handle was just a hair more than $3 million per card. Thus far this year, a total of $203,794,252 has been bet on Meadowlands' races, good for an average per card of $3,234,829.

A LITTLE MORE: Yannick Gingras' 104 wins and Ron Burke's 85 led the driver and trainer standings, respectively, at the Winter-Spring Championship meet, which began on Jan. 6. … The Meadowlands will go dark for three weeks before resuming with live harness racing on Friday, Sept. 1. … Simulcasting will continue daily.

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Sans Shoes: Barefoot Trotting Filly Heaven Hanover Upsets Hambletonian Oaks

For the second year in a row, post 10 posed no problem for Tim Tetrick in the Hambletonian Oaks.

Tetrick guided Heaven Hanover to victory in Saturday's (Aug. 5) $500,000 race for 3-year-old female trotters at the Meadowlands, rallying from the back of the pack to defeat Bond by a neck in 1:50.3 at odds of 28-1. Righteous Resolve finished third as five horses were separated by 1-1/4 lengths at the finish.

Last year, Tetrick won the Oaks from post 10 with Fashion Schooner. Saturday's triumph was Tetrick's fourth in the Oaks, tying him with Berndt Lindstedt for second most in the race's history. Yannick Gingras holds the record, with six.

It was the first Oaks victory for trainer Marcus Melander, who previously finished second twice, with Hypnotic AM in 2020 and Iteration in 2021.

Heaven Hanover got away last in the 10-horse field and was more than 14 lengths behind when leader Railee Something got to the first quarter in :26. Railee Something remained in front to the half in :53.2 and three-quarters in 1:21.3, at which point Heaven Hanover was a three-wide ninth, still more than seven lengths behind.

From there, Heaven Hanover began her charge. She trotted her last quarter in :27.3 — the fastest in the field — and passed four horses down the stretch to get the victory.

“I needed exactly what happened to happen,” Tetrick said. “If there was no speed up front, we were too far back. But those fillies got tired, we had fresh legs, and we got it done. She had to earn it. She got the money and it's great.”

The win was Heaven Hanover's third in eight starts this season. She was third in her Hambletonian Oaks elimination last week, two weeks after winning a division of the Delvin Miller Memorial, also at the Meadowlands.

“She's been racing good all year, to be honest,” Melander said. “We took her shoes off for the Delvin Miller, and she really stepped up. We've been racing her barefoot ever since. (The Oaks) was such an open race, and if by going barefoot we can get out five percent more, that could be enough to win the race. That's why we do it.”

Heaven Hanover is a daughter of Father Patrick-Hillarmbo owned by S R F Stable, Rick Wahlstedt, Heights Stable and AMG Stable. She was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms. For her career, she has won five of 14 races and earned $429,731.

Melander's Secret Volo, who started from post nine, finished fourth, beaten by only a length.

Heaven Hanover paid $59.40 to win.

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