Luis Rivera Jr. Hits Trifecta With Monmouth Win As Jockey, Trainer And Owner

Luis Rivera, Jr. said the credit for Strawberry Red's victory in Friday night's third race at Monmouth Park belonged to the horse's owner, trainer and jockey.

In other words, to him.

The 53-year-old journeyman rider posted his first victory as an owner, trainer and jockey since Strawberry Red won at Monmouth Park on Aug. 8, 2018, when the gelded son of Regal Ransom rallied through to slop to overtake Victory Chimes for a victory in the $12,500 claimer.

Strawberry Red paid $13.60 for his sixth career win.

“Everyone gets to celebrate this – the owner, trainer and jockey,” said Rivera, Jr., who took out his training license in June of 2018. He has 1,560 winners as a jockey in a career that began in 1987.

Rivera's La Familia Stable LLC owns Strawberry Red, who came back to Rivera's care from trainer Bill Hogan two starts ago. Strawberry Red won a race at Monmouth Park a year ago with Rivera as the trainer, but Isaac Castillo rode the horse.

The 2018 victory by Strawberry Red was the last time Rivera pulled off his “trifecta” as winning owner, trainer and rider. That also marked his first victory as a trainer.

“I just get up every morning and start working,” said Rivera. “That's all there is to it. I just have the one horse now that I own, train and ride so that makes it a little easier. But this is why I keep doing this, for times like this. I love it.”

Rivera said he took out his training license “because I know I can't ride forever. I need something to do when I stop riding.”

Racing resumes at Monmouth Park on Saturday with a 13-race card. First race post time is 12:50 p.m.

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Kitten’s Joy Filly, Dialed In Colt Top Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze Up Sale

The relocated Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze Up Sale, transferred from its original venue and date at Fairyhouse in May to Park Paddocks, Newmarket in July due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions, saw sustained healthy and strong trade throughout the one-day session.

Overall, 125 horses were sold for an aggregate of €3,816,490 (US$4,448,506), an average price of €30,532 (US$35,588), an improvement of 9 percent compared with 2019, and a median price of €21,978 (US$25,617), an increase of 22 percent. The clearance rate was 85 percent.

The sale was conducted in sterling and four lots sold for six-figures with the Grove Stud consigned filly by Kitten's Joy fetching the top price of £220,000 (US$281,623) (Lot 74).

Her sale was a serious pinhook result for consignor Brendan Holland of Grove Stud – she cost just $27,000 as a yearling last summer.

“I bought her off my pals at Hunter Valley. She has done really well, she is a lovely, lovely filly, she has loads of quality. She was always very natural, I am delighted it is a great result,” said Holland.

The filly's sale was 2020's penultimate breeze up offering from Grove Stud and Holland added: “It is a great end to the season. I look forward to relaxing and watching Goodwood next week, but we have got yearlings in and we are starting to prep them.”

Another of the pinhook results of the day came late in the day – the colt by Dialed In, named Onesmoothoperator, purchased by Ger Kennedy of Sherbourne Lodge last autumn for $5,000, sold for £140,000 (US$179,217) today (Lot 244). He was bought by Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock, standing on the stairs with trainer David Simcock.

He didn't do a fast time at all, but he is bred to be a [mile and a quarter] horse so you would not expect it – he is out of a Medaglia D'Oro mare from Stormy Atlantic's family,” said Brown. “He is a phenomenal mover.  he has a wonderful way of going. He has been bought for our Never Say Die re-sale syndicate. We will put him in a field for two weeks now and he will probably go to David's in September.”

“Ger found him late on in the U.S. at the Fasig October Sale,” said Yvonne Kennedy. “Buying yearlings in France and the U.S. has been good to us this year, and there has been a lot of interest in the horse this spring.”

Ger added: “The sale companies have all been brilliant with everything this year, and there is no place like an auction ring to find the true value of a horse.”

At the conclusion of the sale, Tattersalls Ireland Director Simon Kerins commented:

“Firstly, I would like to thank the vendors who have risen to the challenge of today's sale being relocated to Park Paddocks at the 11th hour. Like many in the bloodstock industry, the breeze up consignors have had to deal with difficult circumstances in the run up to the 2020 Breeze Up season, notably with today's sale original dated in May and they have met the change in date and venue with tremendous positivity and it was pleasing to see several vendors have excellent results.

“The bloodstock industry is truly resilient, and this was evident today by the strong demand for the choice lots. It was immensely satisfying to sell the second highest price ever for a two-year-old at the Goresbridge Breeze Up Sale with Grove Stud's Kitten's Joy filly selling for £220,000 (US$281,623) to David Simcock. There were considerable increases in the average of £27,284 (US$34,919) (up 9 percent from €27,992 (US$32,627) in 2019) and median of £20,000 (US$25,596) (up 22 percent from €18,000 (US$20,980) in 2019) considering that the numbers offered were down significantly on 2019, while the high clearance rate of 85 percent also needs to be acknowledged. We can now look forward to the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze Up Sale returning to Fairyhouse Racecourse and Tattersalls Ireland respectively in 2021.

The Tattersalls Ireland team look with positivity to hosting our Derby Sale and May Store Sale on Aug. 18-20, followed by the August NH Sale on Aug. 27-28 in Ireland.”

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Beat Ray At Del Mar Online Contest: A Bear Trap On The Beach

The only good thing I can say about racing being cancelled last weekend at Del Mar is that I didn't have to lose another round in the track's Beat Ray Everyday online handicapping contest.

But with the return of racing on Friday kicking off a four-day, stakes-packed weekend at the seaside track, I am loaded for bear … literally.

Chris Fallica, the ESPN College GameDay personality known as The Bear and a skilled horseplayer in his own right, has been recruited by Del Mar to trounce challenge me in the second celebrity round of Beat Ray Everyday.

As its name implies, Beat Ray Everyday is an online contest offered every racing day of the Del Mar summer meet. It's free to play and you can still sign up here. All you have to do is bet a mythical $100 each day on the selected contest race in win, place or show bets on any horse or horses. You can read the specific rules here. At the end of the meet, the player with the highest bankroll with those wagers  becomes the “Beach Boss” and wins two VIP tickets to the 2021 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar. Other prizes are available to top finishers and anyone who finishes ahead of me is entered in a drawing for even more prizes.

Every Saturday, a racing or sports celebrity will be a guest handicapper and take their turns beating me like a drum.

The Bear will join fellow handicapper Michelle Yu and me on Saturday at 11 a.m. PT on Del Mar's social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube) to handicap the day's contest race, the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going a mile on turf as the ninth race. Tune in to hear our handicapping strategies and our bets for the contest.

Based on his Tweet, The Bear seems a bit overconfident going into this round.

I've spent hours reviewing replays and poring over past performances for the San Clemente. By any estimation, it's a wide-open race, though I'm pretty sure I've found the right horse, the late-running Irish-bred Croughavouke from the barn of Jeff Mullins. She's 6-1 on the morning line and overdue for a winning race after recording three seconds and a third in seven U.S. starts.

Despite that confidence Croughavouke, I'm placing a hedge bet on 15-1 outsider Over Attracted, who spent her early days in France and will be making her second U.S. start for trainer Carla Gaines and jockey Mike Smith.

Ray's Beat Ray Everyday plays:
July 10: $100 win on Hit the Road. Result: Won and paid $5.20 ($260 total)
July 11: $100 win on Voodoo Song. Result: Fifth as 2.90-1 favorite
July 12: $100 win on Going to Vegas. Result: Sixth at 6.10-1
July 24: $50 win/place on Surrender Now. Result: To come
July 25: $40 win/place Croughavouke; #20 win Over Attracted: Result: To come

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