Horse Racing Free Tips

Health Department Reports 17 Coronavirus Positives During Santa Anita Spring Meet

There were 17 positive tests for the coronavirus during the recently concluded Spring Meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., reports ktla.com, which got the count from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

After closing to the public on March 13, live racing at Santa Anita was shut down on March 27. The health department allowed the track to resume racing on May 15, and safety precautions included having jockeys live in trailers in the parking lot during the race week.

Santa Anita's Spring Meet ended on Sunday.

Tiz the Law 7-2 ML Favorite in Pool 5 of Kentucky Derby Future Wager

Sackatoga Stable’s GI Belmont S. winner Tiz the Law (Constitution) has been made the 7-2 morning-line favorite in Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager that will run Friday-Sunday.

With the postponement of the GI Kentucky Derby to Sept. 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Churchill Downs has announced three additional pools for the KDFW and an extra pool for the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager. In addition to this weekend’s Future Wager, Pool 6 of the KDFW will span Friday, July 17 through Sunday, July 19 while Pool 7 will run Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 9. Pool 2 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will run concurrently with KDFW Pool 6.

Here’s the complete field for Pool 5 of the KDFW (with trainer and morning line odds): #1 Art Collector (Tommy Drury Jr., 30-1); #2 Authentic (Bob Baffert, 8-1); #3 Basin (Steve Asmussen, 20-1); #4 Café Pharoah (Noriyuki Hori, 20-1); #5 Cezanne (Bob Baffert, 20-1); #6 Creed (Shug McGaughey, 50-1); #7 Dr Post (Todd Pletcher, 15-1); #8 Enforceable (Mark Casse, 50-1); #9 Ete Indien (Patrick Biancone, 30-1); #10 Honor A. P. (John Shirreffs, 5-1); #11 King Guillermo (Juan Avila, 20-1); #12 Man in the Can (Ron Moquett, 50-1); #13 Max Player (Linda Rice, 20-1); #14 Money Moves (Todd Pletcher, 30-1); #15 Mr. Big News (Bret Calhoun, 50-1); #16 Mystic Guide (Mike Stidham, 50-1); #17 Ny Traffic (Saffie Joseph Jr., 20-1); #18 Pneumatic (Steve Asmussen, 30-1); #19 Rushie (Michael McCarthy, 20-1); #20 Thousand Words (Bob Baffert, 50-1); #21 Tiz the Law (Barclay Tagg, 7-2); #22 Uncle Chuck (Bob Baffert, 20-1); #23 All 3-Year-Old Fillies (15-1); and #24 All Other 3-Year-Old Males (5-1).

The post Tiz the Law 7-2 ML Favorite in Pool 5 of Kentucky Derby Future Wager appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Stephen Foster, Ohio Derby Take Center Stage On America’s Day At The Races Broadcast

America's Day at the Races, produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports, returns this Thursday on FOX Sports and MSG+ for the start of four days of coverage and analysis of the best in thoroughbred racing from Belmont Park, Churchill Downs and Thistledown Racecourse.

The acclaimed national telecast will air Thursday through Sunday on FS1, FS2 and MSG+ for a combined 20 1/2 hours of television coverage, highlighted on Saturday by a blockbuster day of stakes races from around the country.

Stakes action takes centerstage on Saturday at Belmont Park, anchored by the 27th running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Just a Game for 4-year-olds & up (fillies & mares) going one mile on the turf. Saturday coverage from Belmont will include a pair of Grade 2 races – the $250,000 New York for 4-year-olds & up (fillies & mares) at 1 ¼ miles on the turf and the $150,000 True North for 4-year-olds & up at 6 ½ furlongs on the dirt – as well as the Grade 3 $100,000 Vagrancy Handicap for 3-year-olds & up (fillies & mares) at 6 ½ furlongs on the dirt.

Also featured on Saturday's broadcast is the Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown Racecourse for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles, which has been added to the Road to the Kentucky Derby series. The top-four finishers will receive points worth 20-8-4-2 for entry to the field for the Kentucky Derby, rescheduled for September 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Churchill Downs closes out its 38-day spring meet with two Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “Win and You're In” qualifying races, the Grade 2, $500,000 Grade 2 Stephen Foster for 4-year-olds & up going 1-1/8 miles, which offers an expenses-paid berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic to the race winner; and the Grade 2, $200,000 Fleur de Lis for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles, which grants a place in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff. Both Breeders Cup races will be on November 7 at Keeneland.

Grade 1-winner Tom's d'Etat will take on multiple graded-stakes winners By My Standards and Owendale in Saturday's 39th running of the Grade 2 Stephen Foster.

Featured in the 45th running of the Fleur de Lis – which means “Flower of the Lily” and honors the French symbol incorporated into the city of Louisville's Flag – will be the U.S. return of 2019 Champion Older Female Midnight Bisou taking on 2019 Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress.

Closing day at Churchill Downs will also include the Grade 3, $100,000 Regret for sophomore fillies and the Grade 3, $100,000 Bashford Manor for juvenile sprinters.

The week's stakes schedule kicks off on Thursday at Belmont Park with the 8th running of the $80,000 Easy Goer for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the dirt. Looking to extend his two victories in his first two career starts in his stakes debut will be Calumet Farm's Casino Grande, a Kentucky homebred, trained by Christophe Clement.

Highlighting Friday's racing from Belmont Park will be the inaugural running of the $75,000 Hessonite for 4-year-olds & up (fillies & mares) going six furlongs on the turf. Sunday's stakes race at Belmont will be the 43rd running of the $100,000 Bouwerie for 3-year-old New York fillies going seven furlongs on the dirt.

This week's America's Day at the Races schedule:

(All times Eastern)

Thursday, June 25:
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (FS2)
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (MSG+)

Friday, June 26:
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (FS2)
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (MSG+)

Saturday. June 27:
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (FS2)
3:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (FS1)
1:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (MSG+)

Sunday, June 28:
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (FS2)
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (MSG+)

America's Day at the Races is also broadcast on NYRA's YouTube channel, which boasts more than 40,000 subscribers. Fans can subscribe to NYRA's channel and set a reminder to watch the show on YouTube Live. NYRA's YouTube channel also hosts a number of race replays, special features, America's Day at the Races replays and more.

America's Day at the Races is presented by America's Best Racing, Runhappy, and Claiborne Farm. This weekend's broadcast team includes Greg Wolf, Andy Serling, Maggie Wolfendale, Richard Migliore, Acacia Courtney and Jonathon Kinchen.

NYRA Bets is the official online wagering platform of the Belmont spring/summer meet available to customers across the United States. In addition to a host of weekly special offers, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 deposit match bonus to new members.

NYRA Bets provides fans the opportunity to wager on racing from tracks around the world at any time. The NYRA Bets app is available for download for iOS and Android at NYRA Bets App. Watch and wager on the best racing while earning points on every bet.

For further details on the new member bonus, visit NYRABets.com/#sign-up-bonus.

Free Equibase-provided past performances are available for races that are part of the America's Day at the Races broadcast and can be accessed at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

The 2020 Belmont spring/summer meet continues through Sunday, July 12. Live racing is offered Thursday through Sunday with a first post of 1:15 p.m. The 25-day meet features 22 graded stakes and 40 stakes races in total worth $7 million in purses.

The post Stephen Foster, Ohio Derby Take Center Stage On America’s Day At The Races Broadcast appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Kirkpatrick & Co Presents In Their Care: Longtime Volunteer At Old Friends Has Staying Power

June Shaw has long been fascinated by Thoroughbreds, and she has shared her passion by leading tours at Saratoga Race Course for more than 30 years. One horse always stood out for her – Thunder Rumble.

The aptly-named New York-bred was, indeed, ready to rumble on and off the track. When Shaw would lead a group past trainer Richard O'Connell's barn, she would delight in observing that Thunder Rumble typically required two handlers. One did not stand a chance.

On the track, the combination of his innate strength and his imposing will allowed him to develop into one of the most formidable New York-breds in history. In 1992, before a devoted following at Saratoga Race Course, he captured the Jim Dandy as a prelude to becoming the first New York-bred to win the Travers since 1867.

“He was hyper and hard to control,” Shaw said. “But when he went to work, boy, he went to work.”

We do not know about the hyper and hard to control aspect. But when Shaw, 75, goes to work, boy, she goes to work. Of the 45 volunteers overseeing 15 retired horses at Old Friends' satellite farm in upstate New York – Old Friends at Cabin Creek: The Bobby Frankel Division – no one sets a brisker pace or is more dedicated than Shaw.

“She is my hero, really. I look up to her in every way. I hope and pray when I'm 75, I'm doing what June is doing,” said JoAnn Pepper, who operates Old Friends at Cabin Creek with her husband, Mark.

Shaw, all 5'5″, 106 pounds of her, was drawn by Thunder Rumble to the tranquil retirement facility that is a short drive from Saratoga Race Course. The nearly-black stallion arrived in 2009 as one of the first retirees to be placed there. He never failed to flex his muscles until the day he died of complications due to colic in January 2015. He was 26.

The opportunity to work with Thunder Rumble helped to attract Shaw to Old Friends at Cabin Creek. She and her husband, Ron, had given their all to raising three children — Tim, Ben and Samantha. Her 25-year career as a school bus driver was over. She felt she had more to give. So why not give it to Thunder Rumble and others?

“I think it was going to be twice a week,” Pepper said. “But she ended up coming every day.”

Shaw prepares the all-important carrots for retirees

Almost instantly, a visitor is struck by the importance of aftercare and how essential each volunteer is.

“They are like the blood force of it all because there is such intense care that the horses get every day,” Pepper said. “We check them all over.”

Shaw proved to be an immediate asset. She understands the intricacies of equine care through her long-term ownership and love affair with Patrick, a retired Quarter Horse who is now 33. She finds a way to connect with most horses. With Thunder Rumble, she quickly learned to give him his space.

“He used to chase me out of the paddock,” she said, happy to have such memories.

Shaw finds every hour she gives to be rewarding, knowing each retiree has been spared the terror of the slaughterhouse.

“I've been to auctions. I know the people are there to take them to where I don't want them to go,” she said. “It's nasty. They stuff them into vans and it's just an awful thing.”

The pandemic did not stop Shaw and others who give so willingly of their time from mucking stalls and tending to the retirees' many needs.

“All of us were thrilled to be here during the awful pandemic,” she said. “At least we are able to get out and be where we want to be.”

Pepper is proud of the way everything continued to operate seamlessly. Masks were worn, distance was maintained and the volunteers proved that it is possible to work safely.

“We kept each other healthy through this whole thing,” Pepper said. “Nobody has even gotten a cold.”

Shaw hard at work at Old Friends Cabin Creek

Something succeeded at slowing down Shaw. Thankfully, it had nothing to do with COVID-19. Although she was wearing cleats, she slipped on ice in January and broke her right wrist as she attempted to brace herself during the fall. She wore a cast for six weeks and only recently shed a brace.

Even then, she continued to report for unpaid duty, handling as many chores as she could with her good hand. The injury raised the question of how much longer Shaw can continue.

“I have today. Who knows what tomorrow brings?” she said. “I want to live in the day. It works for my head.”

The post Kirkpatrick & Co Presents In Their Care: Longtime Volunteer At Old Friends Has Staying Power appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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