Robin Goodfellow’s racing tips: Best bets for Thursday, July 16
Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow dishes out his tips for Thursday's meetings at Hamilton, Uttoxeter and Sandown.
Del Mar Cancels July 17-19 Racing After 15 More Jockeys Test Positive For COVID-19
With caution its primary concern, Del Mar has preemptively canceled its next three days of racing, July 17-18-19, after 15 jockeys tested positive for COVID-19. All of Del Mar's jockeys and jockey room personnel were tested on Tuesday by San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency staff as requested by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.
“Assuming these individuals continue to show no symptoms, they will be isolated for a total of 10 days and should be able to resume their usual activities, including riding after that time,” said Dr. Eric McDonald, Medical Director, Epidemiology & Immunizations Services, County of San Diego.
“Racing will return on July 24,” said Joe Harper, Del Mar's CEO. “Canceling this weekend's races will give us additional time to monitor the situation and give the individuals who tested positive additional time to recover.”
On Tuesday, based on DMTC protocols, as well as direction from medical advisers and county public health officials, the testing was administered by county medical staff. Fifteen of the jockeys tested positive and all were believed to be asymptomatic. Contact tracing procedures are underway in conjunction with the San Diego Health & Human Services Agency. However, a common factor among all but one of the riders that tested positive is that they rode at the recently concluded Los Alamitos meet.
Del Mar officials ordered the testing of all the jockeys and jockeys' room personnel after two riders, Flavien Prat and Victor Espinoza, tested positive for COVID-19.
“Even though our jockey colony did not exhibit symptoms when they arrived at Del Mar, we made the decision to test everyone as part of protocols we have developed in conjunction with local medical experts and the San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency,” said Josh Rubinstein, Del Mar Thoroughbred President and COO. “We put these measures in place to help ensure the safety of all workers at Del Mar and our surrounding community.”
Because of the Health Insurance Privacy and Portability Act (HIPPA), Del Mar is not allowed to release the names of the affected riders.
In a further safety measure, only jockeys based in California will be permitted to ride at Del Mar for the remainder of the meeting. Jockeys from jurisdictions outside of California will not be allowed to ride at Del Mar. The measure to restrict the riding colony follows a similar announcement Tuesday by the New York Racing Association concerning jockeys at Saratoga Race Course. Under Del Mar's new policy, until further notice, local jockeys who leave the track to ride at other venues will not be allowed to ride again at Del Mar for the remainder of the summer racing meeting.
Additionally, Del Mar officials are re-configuring and expanding the track's jockeys' quarters, including moving some of the functions that normally take place in the jockeys' room to an adjacent area.
Del Mar has been providing health screening, monitoring and testing resources for barn area workers and essential personnel during its summer meet, which is being held for the first time in the track's 81-year history without spectators. The meet began Friday July 10th and will conclude on Labor Day, September 7.
Del Mar's health and safety protocols have been formulated with direct input from medical experts in the community.
“We have worked with Del Mar to apply practical health protocols for its essential personnel and we applaud the track's continued vigilance to help provide a safe environment for its work force,” said Dr. Ghazala Sharieff, MD, Corporate Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at San Diego's Scripps Health. “We can reasonably expect that there will be some additional positive tests. The key is to provide strategies and protocols for testing, quarantining, containment and management, all of which Del Mar is doing in cooperation with local public health experts and officials.”
Del Mar's racing officials have said that many of the races that had been scheduled for the upcoming weekend will be shifted to the following weekend. That includes the Grade 2, $150,000 San Diego Handicap and the Grade 2 $200,000 Eddie Read Stakes.
The Thoroughbred Owners of California said they are in agreement with Del Mar's measures. “TOC strongly supports the actions taken today by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in conjunction with the San Diego County Department of Health. The health of our riders is our top priority now.”
The post Del Mar Cancels July 17-19 Racing After 15 More Jockeys Test Positive For COVID-19 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
U.S.’s First 2-Year-Old Winner Quinoa Tifah Returns In Thursday’s Schuylerville
Arindel Farm's Quinoa Tifah, the winner of the first race for 2-year-olds in the U.S. this year at Gulfstream Park, is set to make her much-anticipated return in Thursday's Schuylerville (G3) on Saratoga's opening-day program.
The Arindel homebred will be joined in the six-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies by two other recent Gulfstream winners, J Stables LLC and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Queen Arella and Briannjenn Racing LLC's Hara.
Juan Alvarado-trained Quinoa Tifah chased the heavily favored Lime before scoring over the Wesley Ward trainee by three-quarters of a length in a $65,000 maiden special weight race April 16 at Gulfstream. The Florida-bred daughter of Gemologist, who is not eligible for the upcoming Florida Sire Stakes series, ran 4 ½-furlongs in 52 seconds. Manny Franco has the call.
Queen Arella overcame a very troubled start in a May 29 maiden special weight race at Gulfstream to win her debut going away by four lengths. The Roderick Rodriguez-trained filly provided freshman sire Speightster with his first winner, running five furlongs in 59.54 seconds. Joel Rosario has the mount aboard the New York-bred filly.
Hara, who set a pressured pace before settling for second behind by Queen Arella in her debut, came back to score an impressive front-running eight-length victory at Gulfstream June 19. Tyler Gaffalione, a multi-meet champion at Gulfstream fresh off winning titles at Keeneland and Churchill Downs, has the call.
John Oxley's Beautiful Memories, a handy 10-length winner at Churchill in her recent debut for trainer Mark Casse, has been installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite.
One race later on the Saratoga card, Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing LLC's Caracaro, an impressive maiden winner during Gulfstream's Championship Meet, is scheduled to make his long-awaited return to action in the Peter Pan (G3).
Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the son of Uncle Mo has been idle since scoring an eye-catching six-length victory at a mile Jan. 11. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has the call on Caracaro, who set a pressured pace in his Dec. 8 debut at Gulfstream before finishing second to a next-out winner. Mathis Stable LLC's Candy Tycoon, who broke his maiden at Gulfstream before finishing second in the Fountain of Youth (G2), is along among the eight 3-year-olds entered in the 1 1/8-mile race.
Saffie Joseph Jr., the Gulfstream Spring/Summer Meet's leading trainer, has sent multiple graded-stakes winner Tonalist's Shape to Saratoga for Saturday's Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). Owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Doug Branham and Legacy Ranch Inc., the daughter of Tonalist, is currently ninth in qualifying points for the Sept. 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. Tonalist's Shape, an impressive allowance winner at Gulfstream in her most recent start, won the Forward Gal (G3) and the Davona Dale (G2) during the Championship Meet.
Joseph is also scheduled to send out Ny Traffic for Saturday's $1 million Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park. The 3-year-old son of Cross Traffic, who is owned by John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing and Paul Braverman, won an allowance at Gulfstream in his first start for Joseph before finishing third in the Risen Star (G2) and second in both the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds and the Matt Winn (G3) at Churchill Downs. Ny Traffic is currently eighth in qualifying points for the Sept. 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill.
Grupo 7C Racing Stable's Jesus' Team, a runner-up to Sole Volante in a stakes-quality allowance at Gulfstream last time out, was also entered in the Haskell by trainer Jose D'Angelo.
The post U.S.’s First 2-Year-Old Winner Quinoa Tifah Returns In Thursday’s Schuylerville appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Del Mar Cancels Weekend Racing
Del Mar has cancelled its weekend racing–scheduled to run Friday through Sunday–because of multiple jockeys testing positive for COVID-19, as first reported in Daily Racing Form.
In a subsequent press release Wednesday afternoon, Del Mar explained that all of the track’s jockeys and jockey room personnel were tested on Tuesday by San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency staff, with 15 jockeys showing up positive for COVID-19. All were reportedly asymptomatic.
“Assuming these individuals continue to show no symptoms, they will be isolated for a total of 10 days and should be able to resume their usual activities, including riding after that time,” said Dr. Eric McDonald, Medical Director, Epidemiology & Immunizations Services, County of San Diego.
“Racing will return on July 24,” added Joe Harper, Del Mar’s CEO, in the release. “Canceling this weekend’s races will give us additional time to monitor the situation and give the individuals who tested positive additional time to recover.”
This weekend’s card was scheduled to include the GII San Diego H. and the GII Eddie Read S.
Contact tracing procedures are underway in conjunction with the San Diego Health & Human Services Agency, the press release explained, pointing as a “common factor” to Los Alamitos, where five jockeys–Flavien Prat, Victor Espinoza, Eduard Rojas Fernandez, Luis Saez and Martin Garcia–who rode there over the July 4 weekend subsequently testing positive for COVID-19.
“Even though our jockey colony did not exhibit symptoms when they arrived at Del Mar, we made the decision to test everyone as part of protocols we have developed in conjunction with local medical experts and the San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency,” said Josh Rubinstein, Del Mar Thoroughbred President and COO. “We put these measures in place to help ensure the safety of all workers at Del Mar and our surrounding community.”
Del Mar is not permitted to release the names of the affected riders because of the Health Insurance Privacy and Portability Act (HIPPA). However, it appears that one of the jockeys to have tested positive is Umberto Rispoli, who Tweeted Wednesday, “I’m feeling more than well, quarantined, and looking forward to comeback stronger than before.”
Jockey Drayden Van Dyke also Tweeted, “Tested positive yes, but feel good, thank god and will quarantine with respect for others.”
When racing resumed at Del Mar July 10, it did so with different restrictions regarding jockey COVID protocols than what had been instituted at Santa Anita to tackle spread of the virus. For example, jockeys weren’t mandated to be tested prior to riding over a weekend, as Santa Anita required.
That decision was reversed last Sunday, when Del Mar announced that before racing resumed this Friday, the track would test all jockeys and jockeys’ room personnel.
Unlike Santa Anita, Del Mar initially permitted jockeys and their agents onto the backstretch during morning training. A Del Mar spokesperson told TDN Monday that jockeys had since been barred from the backstretch.
In Wednesday’s press release, Del Mar outlined a series of enhanced jockey safety measures at the track.
For example, only jockeys based in California will be permitted to ride at Del Mar for the remainder of the meeting, barring out-of-state jockeys from competing at the track.
“The measure to restrict the riding colony follows a similar announcement Tuesday by the New York Racing Association concerning jockeys at Saratoga Race Course. Under Del Mar’s new policy, until further notice, local jockeys who leave the track to ride at other venues will not be allowed to ride again at Del Mar for the remainder of the summer racing meeting,” the press release stated.
Del Mar also announced that it was “re-configuring and expanding the track’s jockeys’ quarters, including moving some of the functions that normally take place in the jockeys’ room to an adjacent area.”
As noted in the press release, Del Mar has been screening, monitoring and testing backstretch workers and other personnel–part of a set of health and safety protocols formulated with direct input from medical experts in the community.
“We have worked with Del Mar to apply practical health protocols for its essential personnel and we applaud the track’s continued vigilance to help provide a safe environment for its work force,” said Dr. Ghazala Sharieff, MD, Corporate Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at San Diego’s Scripps Health. “We can reasonably expect that there will be some additional positive tests. The key is to provide strategies and protocols for testing, quarantining, containment and management, all of which Del Mar is doing in cooperation with local public health experts and officials.”
The Del Mar racing office also sent out additional information Wednesday afternoon to the horsemen, explaining that an extra sheet would be compiled for Friday, and there exists the possibility of additional days of racing being added. No jockeys will be permitted to ride workers until further notice.
The post Del Mar Cancels Weekend Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
