TVG Analysts Weigh In On Kentucky Derby; ADW Offering Special Promotions

TVG, America's horse racing network and leading ADW provider, will be offering special promotions and featuring expert selections from their team of analysts in advance of Saturday's 146th running of the Kentucky Derby. Additionally, the award-winning network will be live on site at Del Mar for the long holiday weekend for four graded stakes races including the Del Mar Debutante (G1) and Runhappy Del Mar Futurity (G1).

Throughout the week, TVG will be airing analysis and features on the Kentucky Derby contenders including a special Kentucky Derby Profile Show which can be viewed here. Select races from Churchill Downs will be available on TVG2.

TVG Expert 1st 2nd 3rd
Simon Bray #17 Tiz the Law #6 King Guillermo #15 Ny Traffic
Matt Carothers #17 Tiz the Law #7 Money Moves #16 Honor A.P.
Todd Schrupp #17 Tiz the Law #16 Honor A.P. #13 Attachment Rate
Ken Rudulph #3 Enforceable #16 Honor A.P. #11 Necker Island
Christina Blacker #16 Honor A.P. #17 Tiz The Law #13 Attachment Rate
Mike Joyce #17 Tiz The Law #7 Money Moves #16 Honor A.P.

TVG will be offering a Money Back Special promotion throughout the week and will be giving money back for 2nd and 3rd-place finishes on win bets on multiple races each day.

New customers can take advantage of a $200 Risk Free Bet on their first win wager. For further details, go to https://www.tvg.com/promos.

TVG's Todd Schrupp, Mike Joyce, Christina Blacker and Joaquin Jamie will be reporting live from Del Mar with Simon Bray contributing to the broadcast remotely. The coverage will include exclusive interviews and analysis as Del Mar concludes its summer meet on Labor Day. There are four graded stakes scheduled including the Del Mar Debutante (GI) and Runhappy Del Mar Futurity (GI), two premier races for juveniles.

Labor Day will also mark opening day of the popular Runhappy Meet at Kentucky Downs. Caton Bredar will be live trackside on Monday. The track's boutique six-day turf meet offers $2 million per day in purses and will host the Runhappy Turf Sprint (GIII) which is part of the Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Series and earns the winner a spot in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (GI) on November 7 at Keeneland.

Fans of international racing can tune in to TVG on Saturday morning as international superstar Enable (GB) competes in the September Stakes (GIII)  at Kempton in preparation for her fourth appearance in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (GI) in October. She won the Arc in 2017 and 2018 and was second last year. TVG's international expert Scott Hazelton will be covering the race from Los Angeles. Post time for the September Stakes is approximately 9:35 a.m. ET/6:35 a.m. PT.

In addition to Del Mar and Kentucky Downs, TVG will also be broadcasting racing from Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park, Golden Gate and more all weekend.

The post TVG Analysts Weigh In On Kentucky Derby; ADW Offering Special Promotions appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Marcelino Pedroza Jr. Returns From Injury Monday At Indiana Grand

Marcelino Pedroza Jr., 2019 leading jockey at Indiana Grand, is set to return Monday, Sept. 7 at the Shelbyville, Ind., track. The native of Panama has been out with an elbow injury since a training incident May 28 at Indiana Grand.

“I've been working hard and exercising and getting on an Equicizer to get back in shape, and I feel great,” said Pedroza. “I didn't want to get on any horses until I got the okay from the doctor because I wanted to do everything right. I got the okay from the doctor yesterday (Wednesday, Sept. 2) and was able to get on four horses (Thursday, Sept. 3). It feels really good to be back.”

Pedroza has been competing on the Indiana circuit full time for the past five years. He earned the leading rider title during the 2017 meet followed up by a title in 2019. Last year's record-setting season in Indiana brought him 153 winners during the 120-day meet. He set the record for most purse earnings in one season ($3,406,044). He also tied Rodney Prescott for most wins on one program with six wins. Pedroza has earned 15 career stakes wins at Indiana Grand and is ranked fifth on the list of all-time leading riders for wins in Indiana with 495 trips to the winner's circle, bringing in more than $12 million in total purse earnings.

“I've been exercising a lot in addition to my physical therapy,” added Pedroza. “I go to therapy for my (left) elbow twice a week and my therapist told me last week I was ready, but we had to wait for the doctor's okay. I'm just happy to finally be back and I can't wait to ride Monday. It's good to be able to do what you love to do.”

Pedroza has five scheduled mounts on the Monday, Sept. 7 racing program. He will begin in Race 1 aboard Talented Tapper from post one at odds of 5-2.

Racing is held Monday through Thursday each week through Wednesday, Nov. 18. Two more Saturday programs are slated for all-Quarter Horse racing days Oct. 3 and Oct. 24 with a daytime first post. For more information, visit www.indianagrand.com.

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Uncle Mo Filly Girl Daddy Earns Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Berth With Pocahontas Score

Albaugh Family Stables' Girl Daddy collared dueling leaders Inject and Mania at the head of stretch and then repulsed a bid from favored Crazy Beautiful to win the 52nd running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Pocahontas for 2-year-old fillies by two lengths at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and take the first step toward the 2021 running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Trained by Dale Romans and ridden by Joe Talamo, Girl Daddy covered the mile on the fast main track in 1:34.94. The victory was a record-setting fourth in the Pocahontas for Romans who previously won with Sara Louise (2008), Sassy Image (2009) and Cristina's Journey (2014).

Girl Daddy picked up 10 points toward next year's Oaks with the second- through fourth-place finishers picking up four, two and one point, respectively.

The victory also earned Girl Daddy a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to be run Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

Inject and Mania led the field of nine through fractions of :22.22 and :44.97 as Talamo had Girl Daddy racing in the second tier on the outside. Moving three-wide at the head of the lane, Girl Daddy shot to the lead and got the jump on Crazy Beautiful who was caught in traffic.

“What a talented filly she is,” said Talamo. “In the paddock Dale (Romans) just said to ride her like I did last time. Fortunately, it worked out that way.  I just let her do her thing. It's crazy that they went in :44 and change. The way she was going, it felt like :46 and change. That's how you know you're on a good one. Her mind is what makes her so talented. When she won at Ellis Park she acted like she had run 12 times. It was the same thing today. She was on the muscle, but in a good way.”

Girl Daddy is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Uncle Mo out of the Unbridled's Song mare Cara Marie. Now perfect in two starts, Girl Daddy picked up the winner's share of $119,040 and increased her bankroll to $141,240.

“This filly was super impressive with that fast pace up front,” said Romans. “They were running really fast but Joe (Talamo) got her in a great spot. She's shown some incredible talent for this stage of her career. It's exciting having a filly developing this quickly. We're thrilled to only have to take a short trip down the road to Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup.”

Girl Daddy returned $8.60, $3.60 and $3.20. Crazy Beautiful, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., returned $3 and $2.60 with Alexandria finishing another 3 3/4 lengths back in third and paying $5 to show under Gerardo Corrales.

It was another 5 3/4 lengths back to Xtrema who was followed in order by Fabricate, Mania, American Grace. Inject and Blissful Change.

Friday's 13-race program that begins at 11 a.m. (all times Eastern) is headlined by the 146th running of the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI). In addition to the Oaks, five other graded stakes are on tap including the $500,000 La Troienne  (G1) for fillies and mares that features 2018 Eclipse Award winner and Kentucky Oaks winner Monomoy Girl.

“We're thrilled to only have to take a short trip down the road to Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup,” said Dale Romans, trainer of Girl Daddy

The post Uncle Mo Filly Girl Daddy Earns Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Berth With Pocahontas Score appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Goliath Versus Davids In the Kentucky Oaks

In this corner comes TDN Rising Star‘ Gamine (Into Mischief), a filly by one of the world’s hottest and most fashionable sires who was purchased for a seven-figure price tag at public auction and has whitewashed Grade I rivals by a combined 25 3/4 lengths in her last two starts.

Sharing space in the other corner is Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), a much more modest auction purchase, who is perfect in her last four against her own sex; and Speech (Mr Speaker), not quite as accomplished as her two chief rivals, but who should in no way be ignored in Friday’s GI Longines Kentucky Oaks.

A $220,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, Gamine fetched a record-breaking $1.8 million at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale and nothing has finished ahead of her in four career starts. Bar one start, none of her rivals has come close. A maiden winner at first asking by open lengths, she crossed the line a neck better than Speech in a first-level Oaklawn allowance in what is her lone two-turn start to date. Subsequently disqualified for a drug positive, she earned a 110 Beyer for an 18 3/4-length jaw-dropper in the GI Longines Acorn S. going Belmont’s one-turn mile June 20 (by comparison, Tiz the Law was given a 100 for his Belmont score). Shortening up to seven furlongs for the GI Longines Test S., she set the pace from the fleet Venetian Harbor (Munnings) and ran away from her to hit the line seven lengths to the good.

The nine-furlong distance is the obvious question mark for Gamine heading into Friday, but if three-time Oaks-winning trainer Bob Baffert is feeling the pinch, he isn’t exactly showing it.

‘We know she’s fast and she’s done [two turns] before so it’s not like it’s new,” he said. “We’re just blessed we have a filly like this. We gave a lot of money for her and it’s worked out. A lot of times you do that and they don’t work out. We’re just enjoying her.”

Gamine is expected to be the speed of the Oaks, but Tyler Gaffalione should have Swiss Skydiver within shouting distance from the start. The $35,000 long-time Ken McPeek client Peter Callahan invested in the chestnut at Keeneland September two falls ago has proven to be money very well spent. While the margins of her victories have been less imposing than those posted by Gamine, the performances have been no less dominating.

The victims look the same–she defeated Venetian Harbor in a highly rated renewal of Oaklawn’s GIII Fantasy S. in May, then ventured to Speech’s home turf and took down her colors in the GII Santa Anita Oaks the following month. Hardly disgraced when second to Art Collector (Bernardini) in an audacious attempt at the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. July 11, she thrashed her rivals in the GI Alabama S. when last spotted Aug. 15. McPeek is looking forward to the challenge directly ahead.

“We ran on the same racetrack that weekend at Oaklawn and I don’t think there’s a lot separating them,” he said. “It’s going to be fun to watch. That’s what makes me confident. [Bob Baffert’s] filly is going to have to do something she hasn’t experienced and it’s something we’ve done over and over all year.”

Speech figures to sit a good trip in the Oaks, tracking the top two. The Florida-bred earned a richly deserved Grade I last time out in Keeneland’s Ashland S. July 11, earning a figure competitive with what Gamine and Swiss Skydiver have put up going two turns. A $65,000 short yearling at the 2018 OBS Winter Mixed Sale, Speech was bought back on a bid of $95,000 at Fasig-Tipton July that summer and fetched $190,000 at OBS March 18 months ago.

TDN Rising Star‘ Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo) was just touched off as the favorite in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in just her second career start and makes his first start since soundly defeating Speech in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. at Santa Anita Mar. 8.

It seems only fitting that in the town the late Muhammad Ali called home, a true heavyweight battle looms in the minutes just prior to 6 p.m. Friday afternoon.

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