Welcome to 2024 Kentucky Derby Prospect Profiles, where we’ll take a look each week at a recent winner on the Triple Crown trail, usually from a race that’s part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series offering qualifying points for the Derby. The 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve will be held May 4, 2024, at Churchill Downs.
Month: December 2023
Santa Anita: ‘Best Turned Out’ Program, Presented By Avion Law, Celebrates Track Grooms
With horsemanship a top priority, Santa Anita Park will again honor and reward vital members of its workforce beginning with its Classic Meet opener next Tuesday, as one groom per race will receive a $50 gift card via the track's “Best Turned Out” program, presented by AVION LAW. The “Best Turned Out” horse in each race will be acknowledged on Santa Anita's Infield Big Board and throughout the 1/ST Racing simulcast network prior to each race as the horses come onto the track.
“AVION LAW is again very proud to sponsor the Best Turned Out program here at Santa Anita,” said Richard Pearson, founder and principal at Avion Law. “As a racehorse owner myself, I know first-hand that our grooms are an absolutely vital component to our industry and they take great pride in the care and attention they give to these magnificent equine athletes.”
Racetrack grooms are men and women who are typically assigned to care for two to four horses. Grooms arrive early, typically far in advance of sunrise and begin a daily routine that includes monitoring feed tubs, checking temperatures and legs, brushing, bathing, attending to foot care, bandaging, setting tack and much more.
AVION LAW is a California-based international law firm focused exclusively on the private aviation industry. Determined from its creation to “make a difference,” the firm has a Giving Back program which is devoted to raising awareness of and making donations to, organizations both within and outside of the racing industry.
First post time on opening day Tuesday, is at 11 a.m., with admission gates opening at 9 a.m. For additional information regarding opening day and Santa Anita's Classic Meet, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.
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Santa Anita: $1 Pick Six, $3 All Turf Pick 3 Return For Classic Meet Wagering Menu
Santa Anita's traditional $1 Pick Six heads a robust and varied 2023-24 Classic Meet Wagering Menu as The Great Race Place approaches its traditional opening day on Tuesday, Dec. 26.
The $1 Pick Six features a carryover component and a 70/30 split, with 70 percent of each day's net pool going to any ticket with six winners and the remaining 30 percent paid out to consolation winners with five winners. In the event there are no tickets with six winners, 70 percent of the net pool is carried over to the next racing day.
Along with the $1 Pick Six, Santa Anita will also again be offering the $3 All Turf Pick 3. Unveiled at its recent Autumn Meet, the $3 All Turf Pick, which is comprised of the final three turf races each day, proved very popular with players seeking large fields and added value.
Additionally, all Trifectas and rolling Pick 3's will now be $1 minimum wagers in an effort to increase mutuel payouts.
The upcoming Classic Meet will no doubt get off to a fast start, as three Grade 1, $300,000 stakes, the Malibu, the La Brea and the American Oaks headline what figures to be a spectacular card. Additionally, three Grade 2, $200,000 stakes, the San Antonio, the San Gabriel and the Mathis Mile, will also adorn the opening day proceedings.
Santa Anita will continue to offer a low 14 percent takeout 50 cent Early Pick 5, as well as the 50 cent Late Pick 5, $1 exactas, $2 rolling Daily Doubles, an early 50 cent Pick 4, as well as 10 cent Superfectas on all races with a minimum of six runners. As noted above, all Trifectas and rolling Pick 3's are now $1 minimum wagers.
In addition to wagering on-track, fans have a variety of betting options, including 1st.com/bet, which can be downloaded free of charge at the App Store. In addition to Santa Anita's simulcast signal, all of the track's races are available free of charge at santaanita.com/live will be shown live on FanDuel TV as well.
2024 CLASSIC MEET COMPLETE WAGERING MENU
–Traditional $1 Pick Six offered on the final six races each day
–Low 14 percent takeout 50 cent Early Pick 5, as well as the traditional 50 cent Late Pick 5
–$3 All Turf Pick 3, to be offered on the final three grass races each day
–$1 Golden Hour Pick Four, with 15 percent takeout
–$5 Golden Hour Double, with 15 percent takeout
–$2 Win, Place & Show wagering on each race, featuring the lowest takeout (15.43 percent) of any major racetrack in North America
–$1 Trifectas on each race with a minimum of four scheduled runners
–10 cent Superfectas on all races with a minimum of six scheduled runners
–$1 Exacts on each race
–50 cent Early Pick 4, which is comprised of races 2 through 5
–50 cent Late Pick 4, covering the final four races each day
–50 cent Mid Pick 4, available only when there are 10 or more races carded. In the event of an 11-race program, the wager begins with race 5
–Rolling $2 Daily Doubles
–$1 Rolling Pick 3's, beginning with the first race each day
–$1 Super Hi 5, available on all races with seven or more declared starters and requires players to pick the first five finishers in exact order. If there are no perfect tickets with five winners, there is no consolation payoff, as 100 percent of the net pool is carried over to the next Super Hi 5 race.
For additional information regarding Santa Anita's 49-day Classic Meet, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.
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Kyle Frey Named Jockey Of The Week After Los Al Futurity Triumph
After taking a seven week break from riding during the summer for personal reasons, Kyle Frey returned to ride in late September at Los Alamitos's September meet and the fall meet at Santa Anita before finishing sixth at the very competitive Del Mar Bing Crosby meet. Frey rode that momentum into the Los Alamitos Winter Thoroughbred meet and won their premier race for 2-year-olds, the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity aboard the unheralded Wynstock. He also finished in a tie for second in the standings.
The panel of racing experts voted Frey Jockey of the Week for December 11 through December 17.
The honor recognizes jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1,050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
Riding for Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert, Frey was aboard Wynstock for the second time after piloting the colt to his maiden win on October 15 at Santa Anita. Wynstock was the longest priced entrant of the trio Baffert saddled in the Los Alamitos Futurity which included race favorite Coach Prime who finished third and second betting choice, Wine Me Up who finished fourth in the field of five.
Off at odds of 13-1, Frey sent Wynstock to the front from the inside and led the field by a length to the top of the stretch. He was confronted by Stronghold midway in the stretch but bravely dug in and fought past that rival to win by a half-length in 1:43.53 for 1 1/16 miles, paying $29.40. The win was Frey's first graded stakes in Southern California.
“Relaxing isn't an issue for this horse,” said Frey. “Just getting out of the gate is and he did that perfectly today. He has the heart of a lion. He's a lot of fun to ride, that's for sure.”
Frey, who will turn 32 Jan. 3, is a native of Northern California and was the Eclipse Award winner as the nation's top apprentice in 2011. He won three consecutive riding titles at Golden Gate before moving to Southern California. He recorded his 1,000 career win on Nov. 19, 2021 at Del Mar and is following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Paul Frey, who was a talented jockey who rode in California and Washington State.
Other contenders for Jockey of the Week included Javier Castellano who won a stakes race at Aqueduct, Manny Franco who also won a stakes race at Aqueduct, Juan J. Hernandez with two stakes victories at Los Alamitos, and Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won 10 races for the week to lead all riders.
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