Brittany Russell's meteoric career trajectory reached a historic height Sunday at Laurel Park when the 34-year-old, in just her fourth full season, became the first female to lead the annual trainer standings in Maryland.
Russell formally clinched the year-end title held since 2017 by Claudio Gonzalez when Point Dume ($3.20) cruised to a popular 11-length triumph in Race 3, a six-furlong maiden claimer for 2-year-olds. He is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Diane Bashor, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, and Tom Ryan.
The win gave Russell 118 victories at Laurel and Pimlico Race Course, finishing five ahead of runner-up Jamie Ness. It was also her 37th of the calendar year-ending fall stand and broke a tie with Ness for her fifth career individual meet training title.
Married to Maryland champion jockey Sheldon Russell, with whom she shares a daughter, Edy, and a son, Rye, Russell set season highs across the board in 2023 with 687 starters, 177 wins, 141 seconds, 96 thirds and $7,996,867 in purse earnings. Nationally, she ranked 11th in wins and 16th in money won.
“I'm just so proud of the team. It's a huge accomplishment for everybody and they've been working so hard,” Russell said. “Now that everybody pointed it out to us we've been keeping an eye on it the last two days, and it feels really good to seal it up.”
Russell's incredible year saw her win 15 stakes in Maryland, earning multiple wins with Hybrid Eclipse and Prince of Jericho. She also earned her first career Grade 1 triumph with Doppelganger in the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct and sent out Full Count Felicia to a popular victory in Saturday's Suwannee River (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
“Obviously the highlight would have been 'Dopp' winning the Grade 1. That was a pretty big accomplishment on the year,” she said. “We've had a lot of good horses and a lot of good winners this year. Shoot, (Saturday) Felicia won a Grade 3 for us so honestly to end with one like that is pretty huge, too. That felt pretty good.”
Russell has been part of history before, becoming just the fourth woman to win a Maryland meet training title last spring at Laurel and then the first to do it more than once after leading the standings at Pimlico's Preakness Meet and Laurel fall.
Russell's introduction to horses came at a young age while working at local farms growing up in Peach Bottom, Pa. The one-time amateur rider turned to training and worked for such trainers as Brad Cox, Jimmy Jerkens, Ron Moquett, and late Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard before going out on her own, winning with her first starter, Oh My, Feb. 25, 2018 at Laurel.
After winning a combined 28 races with 112 starters in 2018 and 2019, Russell's breakthrough year came in pandemic-shortened 2020 when she won with 46 of 159 starters and surpassed the $1 million mark in season earnings for the first time. Russell went 71-for-274 in 2021, topping $2.8 million in purses earned and winning her first graded-stakes, the Bold Ruler (G3) at Aqueduct with Wondrwherecraigis on the day before her son was born. She won 100 of 453 races and banked $4.37 million in 2022.
“It's like relationships that have grown, like with Stuart Grant for instance. I have a lot of horses for Stuart. Now I have horses for Mike Repole. Mike Dubb has always been in the barn. Now the SF, Starlight group with Madaket,” she said. “I have loads of them. Even some of my Maryland-based clients that are huge for my business and been so supportive, all of them. It's awesome. I couldn't do it without them.”
Grant, a prominent Delaware-based attorney that founded The Elkstone Group, which counts both Hybrid Eclipse and recently retired Wondrwherecraigis among its many stakes winners.
“I know a lot of people who have spent 15 or 20 years becoming an overnight success. Nobody sees all the years that she put in with all the top trainers when she was a gallop girl and an assistant trainer and really learned and really spent the time, and spent the time when it was a little bit tough,” Grant said. “She was with Brad Cox, but not necessarily when Brad was cruising at where he is now.
“She's been doing this 15, 16, 17 years. It's not an overnight success,” he added. “But when she did go out on her own I think she had a good, solid foundation. She's really easy to work with. She communicates well. She's very hands-on with the horses. She knows all of her horses, where they are and what's going on.”
From her husband to assistants Luis Barajas and Emma Wolfe in Maryland and Sam Hopkins at Gulfstream, Russell lavishes praise on the entire team for her success.
“[Sheldon] does so much. I think the other thing is that we've had a lot of success, yes, but we've enjoyed doing it together. Honestly, it's what makes it fun, having Sheldon and my crew there,” she said. “I have a good crew. It's a crew that I really enjoy working with and I think that goes a long way. We spend a lot of hours at the barn, we spend a lot of hours at the races. It's huge.”
Jaime Rodriguez ended 2023 as Maryland's leading jockey with 166 wins, one of four riders to finish in triple digits along with Jeiron Barbosa (137), Jevian Toledo (130) and Angel Cruz (105). Rodriguez, also tops with more than $6 million in purse earnings, captured Sunday's Race 9 finale on pickup mount Midnight Renegade ($5.80) to move him past Toledo, 50-49, for the fall meet title.
“We had a great year. Thank God everything came together in the last race and we got it done,” Rodriguez said. “It's amazing. I never thought it was going to happen like that. I have the support from my family. That just makes me happy and make it more special. Once you have the support of the family, you just have to keep it going and keep working.”
Rodriguez, a 32-year-old native of Puerto Rico, rides first call for Ness and in his first full season in Maryland added Laurel winter and summer meet titles, while also leading the five-month Delaware Park stand that ended Nov. 4 for a third straight year in both wins and purse earnings.
Among his Maryland wins were stakes victories with 3-year-old Coffeewithchris in the Miracle Wood, Mavilus in the Conniver, Beth's Dream in the Heavenly Cause and 2-year-old Copper Tax in the James F. Lewis III, all at Laurel.
Represented by agent John Weilbacher, Rodriguez tied Chuck Baltazar (1969) and Horacio Karamanos (2002) by riding a Laurel track record with seven wins on a single program March 17. Four of those winners were trained by Ness. He finished 2023 with career highs in starters (1,095) and purses earned ($8.2 million), while his 237 wins were second to 2022's 243.
“He's a really talented rider and a good person. He started riding for me two years ago and I don't give him instructions. He knows all my horses. It makes such a big difference when you've got a rider that you're on the same page with,” Ness said. “It's like a coach and a quarterback. It's huge. He had a great year, well-deserved. He's been leading rider on two different fronts. I don't know too many jocks that win at two different meets in two different states at the same time. That's pretty rare.”
Laurel's 38-day winter Heritage Meet opens Friday, Jan. 5 and runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Saturday, March 30.
The post Brittany Russell Makes Maryland History As Leading Trainer; Rodriquez Leads Maryland Jockeys appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Manny Franco paced all riders at the Aqueduct fall meet to not only claim the riding title at the 31-day meeting with 37 wins, but also cement his place atop the yearly jockey standings at the New York Racing Association Inc. for the third time with 238 wins across the circuit's six race meets.
Franco, 29, celebrated five stakes scores at the Big A fall meet in the Grade 3 Pebbles [Implicated], the Grade 3 Comely [Raging Sea], the Tepin [Memorialize], the NYSSS Great White Way [Antonio of Venice] and the Alex M. Robb [Dr Ardito]. In all, Franco, who is represented by agent John Panagot, posted a 198-37-32-31 record with $2,699,549 in earnings at the fall meet, good for an 18.69 win percentage and in-the-money rate of 50.51 percent.
Franco expressed his gratitude for trainer Chad Brown, who trains three of Franco's five stakes winners at the meet.
“He's been a great help for me all year,” Franco said. “For the past five or six years, he's helped me a lot. I want to say thanks to him and to his owners for giving me the opportunity to ride those kinds of horses.”
Among Franco's favorite wins at the meet was the Alex M. Robb aboard the Brown-trained Dr Ardito, whom he has ridden in all but one of his 14 starts.
“He means a lot. He's always going to be in my heart and I ride him in almost all his races,” Franco said. “He's part of my career and I'm happy to be on him.”
Jose Lezcano finished second with 24 wins at the meet while Kendrick Carmouche took third with 23 wins.
Franco's Big A fall meet victory adds to a stellar season for the native of Carolina, Puerto Rico, who completed his year with a NYRA record of 1,219-238-196-180 and earnings of $17,329,576. Franco, who was also NYRA's year-end leading rider in 2018-19, was the leading rider at three other NYRA meetings this year, claiming the Aqueduct winter [63], Aqueduct spring [37] and Belmont at the Big A fall [34].
Among Franco's 28 NYRA stakes wins were Grade 2 scores in the Sheepshead Bay [Higher Truth], Bowling Green [Channel Maker], and Mohegan Sun Ballston Spa [Evvie Jets]; and Grade 3 triumphs in the Withers [Hit Show], Bold Ruler [Durante] and the aforementioned Pebbles and Comely.
Franco also demonstrated his commitment to his mounts when notching multiple stakes victories on the year with horses like Dr Ardito [Haynesfield, Evan Shipman Handicap, Alex M. Robb], Law Professor [Queens County, Excelsior] and Spirit of St Louis [Ashley T. Cole, Mohawk].
“I feel great and I feel blessed,” said Franco. “It's not easy to do this in this kind of colony of great riders, and I'm just thankful for all the support of the trainers and owners, my agent. And, I'm proud of myself.”
Franco added his successes are thanks in great part to Panagot.
“We'll just keep with the same mind in the new year and work hard with my agent,” said Franco. “I think that's key – to have a lot of communication. I think that helps it a lot, and to be here day in and day out.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. claimed second in the year-end standings with 168 wins while Jose Ortiz finished third with 154 wins.
Linda Rice won Sunday's second race with George's Vice to earn a record 165th training win on the NYRA circuit for 2023. She captured her first year-end title with a record of 705-165-122-107, adding to a banner year that saw her finish as leading trainer at 5-of-6 NYRA meetings, including Aqueduct winter [37], spring [17] and fall [20 wins]; Belmont spring/summer [34], and Saratoga, where she closed a five-win deficit on the final two days to tie Chad Brown for top honors with 35 wins each. She completed the year with $10,375,322 in earnings at NYRA.
“I was really excited about winning the Belmont meet this year. I tied Todd [Pletcher] for the Belmont meet in 2011, but to win it outright was really special, because that's the very marquee meet,” said Rice. “And then to come back and tie at Saratoga, that was probably the most exciting meet of my career. To be five down and pull it off and get the tie, that was amazing. What are we going to do for fun next?”
Rice, 59, sent out 11 horses to stakes scores on the NYRA circuit this season, including graded wins with Joey Freshwater [G3 Bay Shore] and Mommasgottarun [G3 Distaff Handicap] along with stakes winners Amanda's Folly [Ticonderoga], Betsy Blue [Interborough], Downtown Mischief [Bouwerie, Cicada], El Grande O [Bertram F. Bongard, Sleepy Hollow], Hot Fudge [Garland of Roses], Ichiban [Fleet Indian], Les Bon Temps [NYSSS Park Avenue], Pioneering Spirit [Bernard Baruch, Knickerbocker], and Runaway Rumour [John F. Hettinger].
“I run a lot of horses in allowance races, claiming races, maiden races, some stakes – we're always hoping to cut off the bottom end and improve the top end, and I think over the course of the last maybe eight years, we've done that,” Rice said.
Chad Brown [132] and Todd Pletcher [82] finished second and third, respectively, in the NYRA year-end trainer standings.
Rice closed out her career-best year with one more training title at NYRA, posting 20 wins to finish on top at the Big A fall meet over Chad Brown [17 wins] and Rudy Rodriguez [16 wins]. Highlights of the meet for Rice included a stakes victory with Hot Fudge in the $120,000 Garland of Roses, as well as a pair of allowance-level wins with the in-form Ain't Broke. She completed the meeting with a record of 112-20-18-14 and earnings of $1,157,905, good for a win rate of 17.86 percent and in-the-money rate of 46.43 percent.
As an owner, Rice tied with Klaravich Stables for leading owner at the fall meet with seven wins each. Rice's victories include a pair of scores with Kunshan Bridge in a December 1 starter allowance and a December 29 claiming tilt. Rice posted a record of 23-7-3-4 with $236,026 in earnings.
Sanford Goldfarb finished third in the fall meet owners' standings with six wins.
Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables finished the year as NYRA's leading owner for a fifth consecutive time, completing the season with a record of 235-62-39-33 and total purse earnings of $6,408,466. Their tremendous season included 15 stakes wins at NYRA, led by Grade 1 triumphs at Belmont Park with Marketsegmentation in the New York and at Saratoga with Program Trading in the Saratoga Derby Invitational and Randomized in the Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales.
Klaravich Stables' additional stakes victories came in the Grade 2 Glens Falls [McKulick], Grade 2 Beldame [Randomized], Grade 3 Beaugay [Marketsegmentation], Grade 3 Lake George [Surge Capacity], and Grade 3 Waya [McKulick]; as well as the Ruthless [Interpolate], Gander [Neural Network], Wilton [Randomized], De La Rose [Technical Analysis], Noble Damsel [Gerrymander], Athenia [Technical Analysis] and Awad [Move to Gold].
Michael Dubb landed second in the year-end standings with 33 wins while Rice finished third with 31 wins.
At the Big A fall meet, Klaravich Stables' tie with Rice gave them their 25th owners' title at a NYRA meeting and fifth this year when posting seven wins [31-7-2-2] with $427,273 in earnings. Their wins included a strong allowance triumph with the Brown-trained and Franco-piloted Aggregation in November, and maiden scores with promising juvenile fillies Dynamic Pricing and Regulatory Risk.
The post Franco Leads Aqueduct Meet, Year-End NYRA Jockey Standings; Rice Closes Career-Best Year On Top appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
St. Elias Stable and Repole Stable's Crupi outfinished a trio of rivals in a thrilling blanket finish to take the final New York stakes of 2023 in Sunday's $150,000 Queens County, a listed 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Crupi notched back-to-back stakes scores after a 1 1/4-length victory last out in the Discovery going the same distance under returning rider Kendrick Carmouche. The talented sophomore son of Curlin has now won four of his last five outings, including an eighth-out graduation in July at Monmouth Park and an allowance score against elders in August at Saratoga Race Course.
Away a step slow from post 4, Crupi settled near the rear of the eight-horse field after checking behind the Manny Franco-piloted Quality Chic and King Kumbalay in a scramble for early position. Crupi's ambitious stablemate Lost Ark was sent strongly by Trevor McCarthy along the inside to take charge from a pressing Kinetic Sky through the first turn and mark an opening quarter-mile in :24.15 over the fast main track.
“We got in a little jam [in the first turn] because I was wanting to be forward and Manny was making it tight on everybody,” Carmouche said. “I just had to squeeze back and let everything develop again. After that, he got back underneath me and I was in the perfect spot the whole race.”
Kinetic Sky made a swift move and challenged for the lead down the backstretch, but a determined Lost Ark would not relinquish his advantage and held steady at the front as a three-wide Quality Chic vied for third position with the rail-skimming Constitutionlawyer. Crupi patiently awaited his cue while racing in sixth approaching the turn and was asked for his best with a sweeping four-wide bid after a half-mile in :48.59.
Post-time favorite Signator, who was away slowly from post 5, followed the run of Crupi midway through the turn and ranged up widest of all for his bid towards a resolute Kinetic Sky, who overtook the lead from a retreating Lost Ark at the top of the stretch while under pressure from Quality Chic through three-quarters in 1:13.04.
Kinetic Sky, who was racing on just three days' rest after winning a local allowance on Thursday, dug in at the sixteenth pole in tandem with Kinetic Sky as Signator and Crupi ranged up on the outside to make it four horses across the track. It appeared to be anyone's race in the final strides with each horse giving their all, but Crupi had the superior momentum to reach the wire first by a neck over Quality Chic and complete the course in 1:50.13.
Quality Chic put his nose in front of Kinetic Sky for place honors while Signator finished another neck back in fourth. King Kumbalay, Constitutionlawyer, Lost Ark, and Forewarned, who trailed throughout, completed the order of finish.
Carmouche, who rode Crupi in the last-out Discovery, expressed his delight in seeing the chestnut colt show maturity.
“The last eighth of a mile, he's the one who won the race. Crupi won the race the last eighth of a mile,” said Carmouche. “He just took the bit out of my hand and accelerated the last sixteenth. I'm so glad this horse is improving with age. I look forward to see where we go from here.”
Amelia Green, Pletcher's Belmont Park-based assistant, shared a similar sentiment about Crupi's progression.
“He's really matured, mentally. Even as a 2-year-old, he was so immature and as a 3-year-old still,” said Green. “Now, finally, he's maturing turning four. I feel he's always had the fight in him, he was just so immature in the mind and the gate was his problem – he broke pretty good today, minus the first turn with all that drama. I think he's starting to figure it out and learn he likes to run and enjoy it.”
Bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farm, Crupi was produced by the Malibu Moon mare Don'tforgetaboutme. Offered by his breeder at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Crupi sold for $275,000. With Sunday's win, he brought his record to 12-4-2-3 and banked $82,500 in victory, boosting his total purse earnings to $372,750.
Crupi returned $14.80 on a $2 win ticket.
Javier Castellano said the Shug McGaughey-trained Signator, who had scratched from Saturday's Grade 3 Harlan's Holiday at Gulfstream Park in favor of this spot, would have benefitted from swifter fractions.
“For those type of horse, they went :24 and change and :48 and [1:13] I'm very satisfied with the horse — he finished,” said Castellano. “When I stepped him outside, he finished. But those horses, they didn't come back to me. They all carried their speed all the way to the wire. I don't have nothing to complain about the horse – he ran a huge race and made a great effort, and I'm very satisfied the way he did it today.”
The post ‘He’s Always Had The Fight In Him’: Crupi Prevails In Queens County Thriller appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
