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Zia Park Plans For Average Overnight Purses To Reach $360,000 During 30-Day Fall Meet

The 24^th horse racing meet at Zia Park Casino, Hotel and Racetrack which starts Friday, Nov. 3, will be its richest ever with overnight purses expected to average $360,000 per day for the 30-day mixed Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse meet.

Quarter Horse racing will take place every Saturday and Sunday (plus Friday, Nov. 3) with Thoroughbred racing every Monday and Tuesday (plus Wednesday, Dec. 20.)

“With the realignment of the 2023 New Mexico racing calendar this is a tremendous opportunity to showcase New Mexico horse racing,” said Christopher McErlean, Vice President of Racing for PENN Entertainment, parent company of Zia Park. “There will be racing opportunities for all categories – New Mexico-breds and Open horses, wide ranges of allowance classes and plenty of spots for different claiming levels – and the purses will be unlike anything seen in this region of the country. If horsemen don't have Zia Park on their radar yet, they should take notice and make plans to participate,” he added.

An example of the expected purse levels is the Maiden Special Weight category with a $45,000 base purse – New Mexico bred exclusive races will go for $55,000. Open allowance categories will range from $52,500 up to $65,000 while New Mexico bred allowance races will get an added $12,000 per race. Claiming race purses will range from $24,000 to $46,500 (plus $7,000 to $8,000 added for New Mexico bred races) with claiming categories from $7,500 to $25,000.

Stall applications for the 2023 Zia Park race meet at due Aug. 15 and can be found at https://www.ziaparkcasino.com/racing. The stable area is expected to open the week of Sept. 25 and interest will be high for the 1,500 available stalls.

The $4.2 million purse schedule will be highlighted by back-to-back-to-back million-dollar stakes days. On Sunday, Nov. 26, seven New Mexico-bred stakes races totaling over $1.2 million in purses will be in the spotlight, headed by the $350,000 (est.) New Mexico Classic Cup Futurity and the $225,000 (est.) New Mexico Classic Cup Derby.

On Monday, Nov. 27, New Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds will be front and center with eight New Mexico Classic Cup championship races worth over $1.2 million, including the $200,000 Peppers Pride for older fillies and mares going one mile and the $200,000 Rocky Gulch for older male horses going one mile and seventy yards. The trifecta of million-dollar stakes days concludes Tuesday, Nov. 28, with the Land of Enchantment Stakes Day featuring seven stakes worth over $1.1 million including the $300,000 Zia Park Derby and $300,000 Zia Park Oaks, both at one mile and one sixteenth.

Sunday, Dec. 17 features six graded Quarter Horse stakes worth over $600,000, including the Grade 1, $125,000 Zia Park Quarter Horse Championship at 440 yards for the best older Quarter Horses in the Southwest.

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Keeneland Fall Meet Tickets Will Go On Sale Aug. 15

Tickets for Keeneland's 2023 Fall Meet, slated for Oct. 6-28, will go on sale to the public on Tuesday, Aug. 15, at 9 a.m. ET. A variety of ticket options for Dining, Grandstand reserved seating and General Admission are available, and all tickets must be pre-purchased via Keeneland's Official Online Ticket Office at tickets.Keeneland.com/racing.

This fall, Keeneland will award $9.05 million in purse money – a record for any racing season at the track – for 22 stakes. The meet's richest race is the $1 million Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) during the signature opening Fall Stars Weekend. Eight stakes that weekend are part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, with winners earning automatic starting positions and free entry into the 40th Breeders' Cup World Championships on Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park.

“Keeneland's Fall Meet is an exciting time as we showcase racing stars that are competing for berths in the Breeders' Cup and year-end honors,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “The gorgeous fall landscape, the pageantry of racing and the world-class competition all combine to make the fall an exceptionally memorable experience for our horsemen and fans.”

Keeneland 2023 Fall Meet: Know Before You Purchase

Ø Plan ahead: Demand is expected to be high, and fans are encouraged to browse ticket options, pricing and the process to purchase in advance on tickets.Keeneland.com/racing.

Ø Pre-purchase tickets online: All Dining, Grandstand and General Admission tickets must be purchased in advance at tickets.Keeneland.com/racing for easy entry and to ensure attendance on preferred dates because tickets do sell out. Cash and walk-up purchases are not accepted at the main gates on race days. Season passes, which offer General Admission throughout the meet, are available for purchase prior to opening day.

Ø Check availability during the meet: Keeneland offers a return policy of up to 48 hours in advance of race day. Ticket inventory is updated automatically and available for purchase at tickets.Keeneland.com/racing, so fans are encouraged to check the site regularly.

Keeneland's ticket pricing and packages for General Admission, Reserved Seating and Dining for the Fall Meet are as follows:

Ø General Admission: Wednesday/Thursday tickets are $7; Friday/Saturday/Sunday tickets are $10; Fall Stars Weekend tickets are $15. Children 12 and under are free.

Ø General Admission Fall Meet Season Passes: $50. Passes are pre-sold until Oct. 5.

Ø Reserved Grandstand Seats: Wednesday/Thursday seats are $15; Friday/Saturday/Sunday seats are $25; Fall Stars Weekend seats are $30. Price includes General Admission.

Tailgating on The Hill available Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays this fall

No ticket or reservation is required to experience a Keeneland race day in this unique setting.

This fall, The Hill is open for tailgating on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the meet. Fans can watch racing and football via a jumbo TV and place their bets in a wagering tent while live music and food trucks create a festive atmosphere.

For those who want to elevate their experience, Keeneland will partner with RevelXP to offer tailgate packages for groups of any size. Whether a party of 10 or 750, RevelXP can organize your tailgate by furnishing a designated tent, catering, amenities and more. Visit Keeneland.com/tailgating for full details.

Additionally, simulcast wagering on Keeneland's Fall Meet is available at Red Mile, where admission and parking are free.

The post Keeneland Fall Meet Tickets Will Go On Sale Aug. 15 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Up To The Mark, Santin, Atone Among Nominees For Inaugural Arlington Million At Colonial

Nominations closed July 21 for the inaugural Colonial Downs Festival of Racing featuring the Grade 1 Arlington Million, Grade 1 $500,000 Beverly D., and Grade 1 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes. The trio of internationally recognized turf tests are being held in Virginia for the first time in 2023 on Saturday, August 12.

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's multiple Grade 1 stakes winner Up to the Mark heads the list of 29 nominated for the 1¼-mile Arlington Million. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the son of Not This Time captured the G1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs and G1 Manhattan at Belmont in his last two starts.

Pletcher also has nominated Bass Racing's Annapolis, winner of the 2022 G1 Turf Mile at Keeneland and recent G3 Poker victor Emmanuel, who races in the colors of WinStar Farm and Siena Farm.

Other notable nominees for the Million include defending champion Godolphin's Santin, who captured the 2022 running when the race was held at Churchill Downs; Three Diamonds Farm's Atone, who took the G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream in January; the last two winners of Monmouth Park's G1 United Nations – 2022 victor Adhamo for owners Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Louis Lazzinnaro and Michael Caruso and this year's champ the Dubb-owned Therapist.

The G1 $500,000 Beverly D. has been selected as one of the Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Races. The nominated winner of the Beverly D. will be entitled to automatic entry into the 2023 running of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. The nominated winner will also be entitled to have pre-entry and entry fees waived for the 2023 Filly & Mare Turf. The sister race to the Million, the Beverly D. will be run at a distance of 1-3/16 miles.

Trainer Chad Brown, who won five consecutive runnings of the race at Arlington Park from 2015-2019, has nominated 11 distaffers from his stable including 2023 G1 stakes winners Peter Brant's In Italian, who captured the Just a Game at Belmont Park on June 9; Klaravich Stables' Marketsegmentation, winner of the New York the same day; and Diana Stakes victress Juddmonte's Whitebeam.

Other filles and mares of note nominated include: R Unicorn Stable's Macadamia, winner of the G1 Gamely at Santa Anita Park for trainer Phil D'Amato; Merriebelle Stable's Didia, the Ignacio Correas IV trainee who took the G3 Modesty at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day; and the Mark Casse-trained Fev Rover, winner of the G2 Nassau Stakes at Woodbine for owner Tracy Farmer.

The Grade 2 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes, named after the Virginia-bred 1973 Triple Crown hero, is a one-mile race for 3-year-olds. Trainer Todd Pletcher has five sophomores nominated led by LSU Stables' Far Bridge, winner of the G1 Belmont Derby last out on July 8 and multiple G2 stakes winner Spendthrift Farm's Major Dude.

Godolphin has three horses nominated, two for European stalwart Charlie Appleby – Mysterious Night, winner of the G2 Summer Stakes at Woodbine last fall in a previous trip to North America, and Group 3 stakes victor Silver Knott, whose last two starts were stateside at Belmont Park. Godophin's other nominee is the Brad Cox-trained Wadsworth, who captured the American Derby at Ellis Park last time out.

Other graded stakes winners nominated include: D. J. Stable's Webslinger (G2 American Turf at Churchill); BBN Racing's Mo Stash (G3 Transylvania at Keeneland); and Victory Racing Partners' More Than Looks (G3 Manila at Belmont).

Entries for the Colonial Downs Festival of Racing will be drawn Wednesday, August 9. Tickets for the Colonial Downs Festival of Racing can be purchased at www.colonialdowns.com.

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Pudgy Pony: Should He Work More Or Eat Less?

A reader asked The Horse whether it would be more beneficial to cut back her overweight horse's rations, increase his workload, or introduce a combination of the two.

Dr. Janice Holland responded, lauding the owner for understanding the health implications an obese horse may face, including a propensity for laminitis, arthritis, heat stress and more.

Involving the horse's veterinarian is key, as some weight issues may be related to metabolic diseases, which often require medication as well as feed and exercise adjustments.

Working with an equine nutritionist is also helpful to ensure that the horse is receiving adequate calories. Weighing the horse at least bi-monthly – preferably with a scale – is preferred.

Decreasing calories or increasing exercise can help a horse lose weight, but doing them both together will garner faster results.

Mature, mostly grass hay is recommended for horses that need to lose weight since it's lower in calories than other hays. A slow feeder or a haynet with smaller holes can force the horse to consume his hay more slowly, preventing him from getting bored in his stall. His turnout time doesn't need to be decreased, but consider using a grazing muzzle to limit how much grass he can consume. This is particularly important when grasses are lush.

Increase his workload, if possible, to include a minimum of 30 minutes of trotting three to five days a week. If the horse is mainly trail riding, increase the total amount of time on the trails each week.

It takes about two months for a horse to safely drop one body condition score, which is about 50 pounds.