For the fourth year in a row, America’s Best Racing is challenging some of the brightest minds in horse betting to come up with their top three picks for key races every weekend leading up to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The handicappers face off in what we like to call “Big-Race Showdown.”
Author: News
Breeders’ Cup Fantastic Finishes: Epic Rally for Perfection
The quest for perfection in professional sports is fraught with peril. An elite pitcher can be absolutely flawless for eight innings and lose a perfect game if he misses his spot by an inch and allows a bloop single, or an NFL team like the New England Patriots in 2007 can win every game in the regular season and breeze into the Super Bowl only to lose the big game in a monumental upset.
The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: Who’s Really Training That Horse?
Regulators and racetrack officials often shrug and say it's hard to prove when a horse is entered in the name of a trainer who, in fact, has not been supervising the conditioning of a racehorse. These so-called “program trainers” or “paper trainers” may be doing a favor for someone who, for a variety of reasons, is not at a licensed track but is training the horse at a private training facility not under the auspices of regulators.
This past week, however, the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) told trainer Wayne Potts to vacate his 30 stalls at Laurel Park within seven days after concluding he was fronting for trainer Marcus Vitali, who was coming off a one-year suspension and unable to race horses at Laurel. Potts entered some horses in his own name that MJC officials were convinced Vitali was training at a private training center in New Jersey.
In this week's edition of the Friday Show, Ray Paulick and editor-in-chief Natalie Voss discuss a story they co-bylined that included details about Potts and Vitali, how the trainers' alleged actions were uncovered and the role that unregulated private training centers can play when it comes to efforts by horsemen to deceive racing officials.
Also discussed this week is the warning made at last week's Jockey Club Round Table on Matters Pertaining to Racing by Stuart Janney, chairman of The Jockey Club, that more federal indictments are likely in the FBI's anti-doping probe and why there has been a delay since the arrests of trainers Jorge Navarro, Jason Servis and more than two dozen others in March.
Watch the Friday Show below.
The post The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: Who’s Really Training That Horse? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Pletcher Eyeing Runhappy Hopeful With Sharp Debut Winner Mutasaabeq
Following a highly impressive debut victory on the Runhappy Travers Day undercard at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Shadwell Stables' Mutasaabeq will attempt to make the grade in the Grade 1, $250,000 Runhappy Hopeful on Monday, September 7.
The Todd Pletcher trained son of Into Mischief, out of the Scat Daddy broodmare Downside Scenario, arrived at his career debut off two sharp bullet works from the gate, where he went five furlongs in 59.03 and a half-mile in 46.53.
Since his maiden win, he worked a half-mile in 48.88 seconds on Monday over the Saratoga main track.
In his career debut traveling 5 ½ furlongs, Mutasaabeq broke a step slow out of the gate, was four wide in pursuit and powered away to a 4 1/2-length score that garnered an 84 Beyer Speed Figure.
“He had been touting himself in the morning, so we were hoping for a good debut out of him. His first step isn't that quick, we knew that going in. But once he gets going, he gets to be pretty fast,” Pletcher said. “He seemed to emerge from his race well and so right now we're pointing towards the Hopeful. We're very pleased with him. He definitely has trained as though the stretch out won't bother him, so we're excited about the way he's doing and we're looking forward to it.”
Bred in Kentucky by BlackRidge Stables, Mutasaabeq was purchased for $425,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.
Pletcher is a three-time winner of the Runhappy Hopeful, scoring with Circular Quay (2006), Shanghai Bobby (2012), and Competitive Edge (2014).
On Saturday, Pletcher will be sending out Harrell Ventures' Halladay in the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave Handicap at one mile over the inner turf at Saratoga.
The consistent 4-year-old son of War Front arrives at the Fourstardave after finishing fourth beaten 1 ¼ lengths in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch, where he tracked a slow pace in second behind gate-to-wire winner Somelikeithotbrown.
A two-time stakes winner going 1 1/16 miles over the Gulfstream Park turf, Halladay has only finished off the board twice in 13 starts.
Halladay has posted two half-mile breezes over the Saratoga main track since his last effort going 48.55 seconds in his most recent move.
“We'll play it on the break, but if he's the main speed we won't take that away from him,” Pletcher said. “He's been doing well. I liked his two breezes since the race. It's a very tough race, but hopefully he's able to step up.”
Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Farm and Winchell Thoroughbreds, Halladay is out of two-time graded stakes winning Tapit broodmare Hightap.
The post Pletcher Eyeing Runhappy Hopeful With Sharp Debut Winner Mutasaabeq appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
