Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Champions Talk’ Event to Benefit NY Race Track Chaplaincy

With its two annual fund-raising events in Saratoga Springs cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York Race Track Chaplaincy will instead host “Champions Talk,” featuring five prominent personalities from the world of sports and horse racing, which will premiere Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. ET.

The five individuals are Hall of Fame jockeys Angel Cordero, Jr. and Ramòn Dominguez, Kentucky Derby winning owner Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds, Churchill Downs’ all-time leading trainer Dale Romans and Pro Football Hall of Fame and two-time Super Bowl winning coach and Thoroughbred owner Bill Parcells.

The legendary former New York Racing Association announcer Tom Durkin will serve as the moderator for the roundtable discussion, which will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube. The discussion will take place at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, but spectators will not be permitted to attend due to COVID-19 protocols in place.

The NY Chaplaincy will be honoring the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA) as part of the event for its longtime dedication and support of the backstretch community at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.

“While it’s disappointing to cancel our immensely popular brunch at Saratoga National Golf Club and our jockeys versus horsemen basketball game, we know that racing fans all over the world will enjoy hearing some of the colorful anecdotes that these five gentlemen experienced through the years,” said Humberto Chavez, the chaplain of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy. “We are hopeful that organizations and individuals will lend their support to this event because the needs of the backstretch workers are even greater in the midst of this pandemic.”

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Diamond King Putting His Versatility To The Test In True North

Cash is King and LC Racing's Diamond King will turn back in distance for Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 True North, a 6 ½-furlong sprint for 4-years-old and up at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by John Servis, the 5-year-old Quality Road bay won the one-mile Stymie in March at Aqueduct Racetrack but was off-the-board last out in the one-mile Blame on May 23 at Churchill Downs.

Diamond King last breezed on June 9 at Parx when he posted a swift half-mile in 47.44 seconds. He will again have the services of regular pilot Kendrick Carmouche when he exits the inside post in Saturday's test, which also features Grade 1-winners Promises Fulfilled and Firenze Fire.

Servis said the cut back in distance won't be a problem for the versatile Diamond King, who has won at distances ranging from 5 1/2-furlongs to 1 1/8-miles.

“It's not that big a turnback, he's going from a mile to six and a half,” said Servis. “I'd like it a lot better if we didn't have the one hole.”

Servis said he expects Diamond King to be forwardly placed

“Being in the one hole, it doesn't give you a whole lot of choices. We'll see how it plays out,” said Servis.

Last weekend, Servis saddled multiple graded-stakes winner Mischevious Alex to a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens, captured by the free-wheeling No Parole.

Servis said Mischevious Alex, who captured the Grade 3 Swale in February at Gulfstream and the Grade 3 Gotham in March at the Big A, has come out of the even effort in good order and he has not yet finalized plans for a possible next start.

“I was a little disappointed with the way he ran. I'm just putting a line through it,” said Servis. “He came out of the race super and we're considering a number of options for his next start.”

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Brisnet.com Triple Crown Throwdown: Ohio Derby

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN’s Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins.

DeRosa – Belmont Stakes Result – Tiz the Law (+$325) proved too good for them. Bankroll: $3540.

GIII Ohio Derby – Awesome field lined up and no brainer to fade Storm the Court as ML favorite based on this year’s form. Hopefully last year’s champion Breeders’ Cup winner takes money though. On top it’s Sprawl for me. We won’t get 15-1 or even half that, but this colt is well meant for Mott and I think Paco is a good fit. Drew well and nine furlongs shouldn’t be an issue. Selection: #6 Sprawl (15-1).

Sherack – Belmont Stakes Result – Pneumatic got the right kind of trip, but ran out of gas once the real running began. Guess that’s why he was so chilly on the board. Bankroll: $2605.

GIII Ohio Derby – Sprawl won’t be anywhere near that 15-1 ML quote, but he should still offer nice value in this wide-open race. The well-bred son of City Zip from the family of Congrats, Flatter, et al, has taken a major step forward in his last two starts for Hall of Famer Bill Mott, turning in a huge third with a wide trip in a salty optional claimer at Gulfstream, then adding a first-level allowance in dominating fashion beneath the Twin Spires. Ready for a breakthrough performance. Selection: #6 Sprawl (15-1).

DiDonato – Belmont Stakes Result – Tiz the Law was too good, but landed on the right runner-up in Dr Post (+$290). The tri and super with suggested best alternatives didn’t pay too badly either. Bankroll: $3755.

GIII Ohio Derby – It feels like a thousand years ago at this point, but I remember sitting at the OTB in Hartford, CT on the Saturday after Thanksgiving with my dad and being impressed with Soros‘s win in the Smooth Air S. There were some other nice colts on that card, as Sole Volante and King Guillermo finished first and third, respectively, on the grass one race earlier. Eclipse bought into Soros off of that effort, but he finished off the board in his next two outings, including a sixth-place run last time in the Unbridled S. behind Dr Post. Pretty much everyone to run back from that race came back faster, so maybe that effort was stronger than it looks on paper, and he probably doesn’t want to be up on the pace like he was that day. This is a pretty aggressive spot considering his recent form, so he must be training well. He should get a set-up, and figures to appreciate the distance–his sire excelled at nine furlongs and farther. This is definitely a good spot to go longshot hunting. Selection: #11 Soros (15-1).

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After Easy Goer ‘Walk In The Park,’ Handal May Wheel Celtic Striker Back In July 16 Peter Pan

Trainer Ray Handal reported that all was well with Celtic Striker the morning after a 19 3/4-length romp in Thursday's Easy Goer, which scratched down to a field of two at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The newly minted stakes victor earned an 80 Beyer Speed Figure for the triumph and Handal said Celtic Striker's next start could take place in the Grade 3, $100,000 Peter Pan on July 16 at Saratoga Race Course.

“He's looking really good. Came back like it was just a walk in a park,” Handal said. “He ran though. It wasn't like he went around there and galloped. He didn't just canter around there. He performed. He ran hard.”

Normally contested at Belmont Park, the Peter Pan, a 1 1/8-mile event for 3-year-olds, found a home at The Spa for this year's summer meet following a readjustment to the stakes schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it offers the Top 4 finishers 50-20-10-5 qualifying points towards the Grade 1, $3 million Kentucky Derby on Sept 5 at Churchill Downs.

“It's a little sooner than I want to but the way he came out of it that's the short term goal,” said Handel who also offered the Grade 2, $150,000 Jim Dandy on September 5 at Saratoga as another possibility.

Celtic Striker, bred in Kentucky by Stoneview Farm and Craig D. Upham, scored a third lifetime victory in seven starts in the Easy Goer. Two starts after a second-out graduation at Monmouth Park in October, he defeated winners at Parx Racing. He was purchased for $100,000 from the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Celtic Striker's win in the Easy Goer marked the first match race on the NYRA circuit since Painted Poney topped Epiphany in a claiming sprint on January 29, 2015 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Handal also said stakes-placed Kansas Kis, second to Water White in the March 7 Busher Invitational at Aqueduct, will receive a freshening in preparation for a campaign during the second half of the year.

“She's been running hard. She just needed some time off, so we gave her 60 days and we'll look for a big second half of the year with her,” Handal said.

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