Horse Racing Free Tips

All Graded Stakes Cross Country Pick 5 Pays $584

Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5, encompassing all graded stakes across Saratoga Race Course, Monmouth Park and Woodbine Racetrack, paid $584 for selecting all five winners for the 50-cent wager. The total pool was $194,618.

Monmouth, located in Oceanport, N.J., hosted the first two legs of the sequence, starting when favorite Global Campaign ran down Bal Harbour in the stretch and outkicked Math Wizard by 1 ½ lengths to win the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup in Race 10. Trained by Stanley Hough, Global Campaign, the winner of the 2019 Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont Park, returned $7 on a $2 win wager. Jorge Vargas, Jr. was the winning jockey.

In the second leg, 10-1 Aquaphobia pulled off the upset, posting a one-length victory in the Grade 1 United Nations going 1 3/8 miles on the turf. The Mike Maker trainee paid $23.40, hitting the wire in 2:12.63 in Race 11 under New Jersey-born rider Joe Bravo.

An international flavor was added to the Cross Country Pick 5 in the third leg, when Lady Grace won the Grade 2 Royal North, contested at six furlongs on the turf, in Woodbine's Race 9. Conditioned by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, an 11-time Sovereign Award winner as Canada's top trainer, Lady Grace, under jockey Kazushi Kimura, was seventh in the eight-horse field at the half-mile mark before making up ground entering the stretch and surging home in a 1:06.90 final time at the Rexdale, Ontario-based track. She returned $14.80.

Monmouth's signature race, the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell, lived up to its billing in an exciting fourth contest of the sequence in Race 12. Authentic, who gained notoriety early this year while on the Triple Crown prep trail, moved himself back into contention for September's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, edging Ny Traffic by a nose to win the 1 1/8-mile race, securing an all-fees paid berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Keeneland in addition to 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby. With Hall of Famers Bob Baffert and Mike Smith handing the training and riding responsibilities, respectively, Authentic posted a final time of 1:50.45 as the favorite, paying $3.20.

Historic Saratoga rounded out the loaded Cross Country Pick 5 with the wager's third Grade 1 in the $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for sophomore fillies in Race 10. A pair of contenders owned by WinStar Stablemates finished 1-2, with Paris Lights pulling ahead of Crystal Ball by a head to earn 100 qualifying points to September's Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Paris Lights [$6.00] went off as the 2-1 second choice behind favorite Tonalist's Shape, tracked Crystal Ball in second position and finished strong, potentially setting up a next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Alabama on August 15 at the Spa.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

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NYRA Report 9.4% Increase In Handle On Saratoga’s Opening Weekend

The New York Racing Association announced on Sunday that all-sources handle for opening weekend of the 2020 Saratoga summer meet totaled $80,325,660, a 9.4 percent increase over last year's opening weekend, which generated $73,441,101 from all sources.

Saratoga's recently completed opening weekend, Thursday, July 16, through Sunday, July 19, corresponds with the four-day period in 2019 from Thursday, July 11, to Sunday, July 14.

Under New York State guidelines, Saratoga Race Course is currently operating without spectators in attendance.

Closing weekend at Belmont Park for the 2020 spring/summer meet generated all-sources handle of $41,452,573 from Thursday, July 9, through Sunday, July 12.

Wagering funds the majority of the NYRA purse account, which supports the racing ecosystem by sustaining horsemen and hundreds of small businesses across New York state. Thoroughbred racing in New York is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual economic impact to the state, including $240 million alone in the Capital Region during a traditional Saratoga meet.

Racing at Saratoga resumes Wednesday, July 22 with the first steeplechase of the meet at 12:50 p.m. Post time for the day's first Thoroughbred race is 1:21 p.m. Wednesday's card features the inaugural running of the Lubash for New York-breds on the turf.

Saratoga Live presents daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit NYRA.com/SaratogaLive. .

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course and the best way to bet every race of the 40-day summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 new member bonus in addition to a host of special weekly offers. The NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at NYRABets.com.

NYRA Bets Gift Cards are now available at more than 150 Stewart's Shops across the greater Capital Region, including Warren County. The gift cards, which are available in $50 denominations, can be used to deposit funds automatically into a NYRA Bets account for betting Saratoga Race Course online this summer.

NYRA Bets Gift Cards can be used to fund both active and new NYRA Bets accounts. Fans who open a new NYRA Bets account with a NYRA Bets Gift Card are eligible for a new member bonus. For a complete list of participating Stewart's Shops locations, visit StewartsShops.com/participating-nyra-shops/.

With the conclusion of opening weekend, racing at Saratoga will now be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays. Closing week will run Wednesday, September 2 through Labor Day, Monday, September 7.

For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com.

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Unbeaten Whistle Stop Cafe Finds ‘Perfect Path’ To Victory In $1-Million Rainbow Futurity

Whistle Stop Cafe broke clean and found another gear in the last 150 yards to win the Grade 1, $1-Million Rainbow Futurity by three-quarters of a length over morning line favorite Mister Illusion at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico on Sunday. Seven ran third, and post time favorite and Ruidoso Futurity champion Cyber Monday finished fourth taking away any chance of a Triple Crown winner in the Quarter Horse division in 2020.

Undefeated Whistle Stop Cafe, who ran the 400 yards in :19.492, returned $14.40 on a $2 win ticket. The race was run under partly cloudy skies on a fast track.

Whistle Stop Cafe is owned by the Whitmire Ranch/Lainie Whitmire et al and was bred in Texas by Bobby Cox. The gray filly by Freighttrain B out of Sinuous by Mr Jess Perry hails from the barn of Blane Wood and was purchased for $42,000 at the Heritage Place Sale.

“When they broke, both horses on either side of her sort of split and gave her a perfect path. She's a fast filly and knows exactly what to do,” said trainer Wood.

Jockey Rickey Ramirez was aboard for the win today, as he has been for all of her other victories, including her first place finish in the 2020 Heritage Place Juvenile.

“She been a terrific filly from the start. We knew we had something when she performed so well at Remington in the spring, but she's blossomed even more this summer,” said jockey Ramirez. “I saw a horse coming at me on the side and right at the same time I felt my horse re-break about half-way through. She's perfect so far. I hope we can keep her that way.”

In the other feature race of the day, the $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile Stakes, the barn of Sergio Ibarra had the first and second place finishers with For The Irony and One Eagles Delight who ran in the race as an alternate after Jess Cindy was scratched earlier in the day. For The Irony won handily by 1 ¼ lengths over the 400 yards with a time of :19.968 beating out his stable mate.

“He just keeps knocking on the door,” said trainer Ibarra. “He's been a little unlucky with his times in the trial races, but has done everything right. That's four in a row versus some very nice horses.”

Owned by Diamond Racing Stables/Julietta Torres et al, For The Irony by Valiant Hero out of Dare You To Beat Me by Tres Seis is a California-bred black gelding. He was ridden today by Ibarra's go-to jockey, Sergio Becerra, Jr., who also rode him to victory in the Ruidoso Juvenile earlier this summer.

“He gave me a little trouble in the starting gate but then settled down. Once he broke everything was okay,” said jockey Becerra, Jr.

Live racing continues next weekend at Ruidoso Downs Race Track with the Zia Festival and three days full of races dedicated to New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. Friday's race card features trials for the Rio Grande Señor and Rio Grande Señorita Futurities. Saturday's program includes the Grade II Zia QH Derby, and Sunday's highlights include the GI Zia Futurity along with six additional stakes races.

Post time is 1:00 PM MDT on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. At this time, the Turf Club and the Jockey Club are limited to 50% capacity due to the Public Health Order from the State of New Mexico. For more information on how to watch online, place your bet with your favorite online wagering provider, or conduct drive-thru wagering, please visit RaceRuidoso.com.

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Racing Community Rallies In Support Of Injured Jockey Montanez

In a testament to the close-knit community of Thoroughbred racing, a GoFundMe account to benefit injured Laurel Park jockey Rosario Montanez had already surpassed its initial goal less than 24 hours after being created.

Montanez, 28, suffered multiple fractures to his back in a first-race spill at Laurel July 17, and underwent successful surgery the following morning at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. Agent Joe Rocco Sr. said Montanez also injured his neck in the accident.

Laurel trainer Brittany Russell launched the fundraiser the same day, with a goal of $20,000 to help with medical and general living expenses for Montanez and his fiancé, Chloe LaBarre, who works in Russell's barn and is the sister of apprentice rider Rebecca LaBarre.

By 1 p.m. Sunday, the fundraiser total stood at $20,750 and climbing, with 145 donations from horsemen throughout the Mid-Atlantic and beyond.

“It's incredible, right? It's so cool. The racing community, everybody is amazing,” Russell said. “You know when these guys get hurt, between the medical bills and just the living expenses, they're going to be out for a while and something like that can help.”

Montanez, a San Diego native who was a finalist for the 2011 Eclipse Award as champion apprentice, was unseated when his mount, 4-year-old filly Hendaya, clipped heels and fell leaving the backstretch of a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint for filly and mare claimers 3 and up. Jockey Angel Cruz, aboard Annie Boo Boo, jumped to avoid the fallen horse and rider while Hendaya was able to get up and jog off the turf course.

A career winner of 609 races and more than $18.8 million in purse earnings since 2010, Montanez missed 20 months after suffering a concussion, fractured rib and pelvis, and head lacerations that required a plate to be surgically inserted in his face after a July 2014 spill at Saratoga, returning to the irons in March 2016.

Montanez was hurt again last August and didn't ride back until getting single mounts March 14 and 15 at Laurel. Following the March 15 program, live racing was paused in Maryland for 2 ½ months amid the coronavirus pandemic, resuming May 30.

“It's so sad. He's taken some hard hits. You're just gutted for him,” Russell said. “He was ready to come back and then the coronavirus hit. He was out there working every day, trying to hustle, and we [weren't] even racing. We get back to racing and then this happens. It's brutal.”

Riding primarily in Maryland, Montanez had seven wins from 77 mounts in 2020. A multiple stakes-winning jockey, he was also aboard Happy Lantern for Hall of Fame trainer King Leatherbury's 6,500^th career victory Sept. 22, 2018 at Laurel.

“He's a good person. A lot of people like him,” Russell said. “You don't ever want to see these things happen ever, regardless of who it is. The last thing they need to be worrying about is expenses. They have enough on their plate right now.”

The day before Montanez was hurt, Russell's husband Sheldon, a multiple meet champion in Maryland who was leading Laurel's current summer stand in wins and purse earnings, broke his wrist in a starting gate mishap at Delaware Park and is expected to be out four to six weeks.

“It's been a rough couple days,” Russell said. “Sheldon's OK. It sucks and it's never a good time to get hurt, but looking at what happened to Rosario, it's a risk that's always there. Sheldon has a great attitude. It's racing. Things happen. It's dangerous.”

To donate to the Montanez GoFundMe fundraiser, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/rosario-montanez

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