Each week a panel of media members, horseplayers, and Breeders’ Cup World Championships officials release a poll tabulating their votes on the nation's top contenders for the 2020 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Category: Horse Racing News
Colonial Downs Increases Takeout Rates, Bumps Tuesday Post Time Due To Heat Wave
Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va. was scheduled to begin live racing on Monday, July 27, but a heat wave in the area forced that card to be rescheduled. On Tuesday, track officials decided to push post time back to 6:30 p.m., according to drf.com.
In addition, the Daily Racing Form reported that Colonial Downs has raised wagering takeout rates for its 2020 meet. The new rates will be as follows:
- Win, Place, Show Wagers: 18 percent (2019: 16 percent)
- Exotic Bets: 22 percent (2019: 20 percent)
- Pick 5: eliminated (2019: 12 percent)
Colonial is racing on a Monday through Wednesday schedule this season, a change from last year's Friday to Sunday schedule. That places the track around a different set of competitors with higher takeout rates, explained John Marshall, executive vice president of operations.
“We felt like [Colonial's new rates] are still the most competitive in that set,” Marshall told the Daily Racing Form. “We just didn't feel the need to go super low this year.”
The post Colonial Downs Increases Takeout Rates, Bumps Tuesday Post Time Due To Heat Wave appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Sole Volante To Train Up To Kentucky Derby; Ete Indien Suffers Setback
Trainer Patrick Biancone spoke to Horse Racing Nation about his two Kentucky Derby hopefuls on Tuesday, laying out his decision to train Sole Volante up to the Sept. 5 race and revealing that Ete Indien had suffered a setback in his training.
Ete Indien, the 3-year-old Summer Front colt whose record includes a win in the G2 Fountain of Youth, is now “50-50” to make the Run for the Roses. Biancone said he would not rush Ete Indien, and the next 10 days will be vital to determining whether the colt remains on the Kentucky Derby trail.
Meanwhile, plans for Sole Volante will take advantage of the 2 1/2 months between the Belmont Stakes and the Derby. The Karakontie colt won the G3 Sam Davis before finishing second in the G2 Tampa Bay Derby, then won a Gulfstream allowance race over the favored Ete Indien in early June. Ten days later, Biancone sent Sole Volante to New York to run in the Belmont Stakes, only to see him finish a disappointing sixth.
“I got stupid to run him,” Biancone told Horse Racing Nation. “I misjudged the energy level and the inside nervousness. He's usually a very cool horse. So we took a shot. I made a wrong decision. We spent $30,000 on the plane to fly the horse (from Florida to New York). But anyway, it's done. What can I do? Nobody's perfect. I got it wrong that time.”
Sole Volante will now train up to the Kentucky Derby, and Biancone hopes that his 30 points will be enough to secure the colt a spot in the starting gate. As it stands, Sole Volante is 20th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, while Ete Indien is eighth with 74 points. Biancone said he would not chase more points with Sole Volante, and intends to bring him to the Derby fresh.
Read more at Horse Racing Nation.
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Owners May Attend Races at Del Mar
Starting Friday July 31, licensed owners with a horse entered may attend the races at Del Mar. Space is limited to two licensed owners per horse. No guests are permitted.
Up until now, licensed owners have only been allowed on track in the morning to watch workouts. The first come, first serve seating in the afternoons will be located in the same area in the clubhouse box seating. Owners will be required to email Mary Forney, Executive Director of TOC (mforney@toconline.com) to secure access, and reservations can be made up until 24 hours before race day. If a horse has more than two owners wishing to attend the races, TOC will do its best to accommodate if space is available.
Owners must show their license when entering the Del Mar Race Track and park in the designated area just outside the clubhouse. Owners will enter through the same area they have been using in the morning, adjacent to the clubhouse entrance. Owners will be required to be on the owner reservation list, provide their CHRB owners license, and undergo a full Covid-19 health screening including a temperature check. Masks will be required to be worn at all times, and owners must respect social distancing guidelines.
Owners will be required to remain in the clubhouse seating area the entire time and may not enter the paddock or the winners circle. Owners are still not permitted to access the backstretch. Any violation of this strict policy will result in a forfeiture of racetrack privileges.
“We appreciate that owners have been practicing social distancing, wearing masks, and creating a safe environment for all horsemen in the morning,” said TOC Chairman Nick Alexander. “Because that has been successful, we are now able to watch our horses in the afternoon. We recognize owners have been attending races in Northern California, Kentucky, and New York, and for some it has been frustrating having limited access to watch our thoroughbreds race in Southern California. Please continue to respect the new rules and guidelines so we can hopefully safely allow more members to attend the races.”
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