2021 meet | Horse Racing Free Tips

Assiniboia Downs Closes with Near-Record Handle

Assiniboia Downs closed the 2021 season with $36,609,401 wagered over the 51-day meet, the second-highest total handle in the track's history behind 2020 figures. Ongoing COVID-19 restrictions limited spectators and some horsemen early, but fans were able to return mid-season and some inter-provincial travel restrictions were loosened for horsemen, also mid-season.

Trainer Jerry Gourneau won his third training title in the last four years and jockey Jorge Carreno won the jockey title in his first season at the Winnipeg track.

“What another incredible year,” said CEO Darren Dunn. “We are absolutely thrilled with the results from only our second year of the Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday schedule. The market has responded in spades. We have really enjoyed bringing some weekend excitement to weekday racing.”

The 2022 meet at Assiniboia Downs will run from May to September.

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Colonial Season Ends on a High

Colonial Downs concluded its 21-day season this week, highlighted by a new all-time daily average handle and over $10-million in purse distribution. In all, total handle was $46,867,078, a record average daily handle of $2,231,765. The 2019 meet–which was 15 days over five weeks–produced an average handle of $1,166,666, for a more that 91% increase.

“It is so gratifying to see the continued revival of Virginia racing as we mark new all-time handle heights,” said John Marshall, Colonial Downs Group Executive Vice President, Operations. “We have held true to our promise of building Colonial Downs into one of the country's elite boutique meets. We thank our horsemen, fans and team for doing their part in making it so.”

The Colonial racing program generated a total of 1,713 starters for the 205 races conducted this year, for an average of 8.36 runners per race. A total of 148 races were contested over Colonial's Secretariat Turf Course. A total of 1,325 horses competed over turf, an average of 8.85 starters per race; and 388 horses participated in 57 dirt races for an average of 6.81 per race.

The Aug. 31 GIII Virginia Derby established a new all-sources handle single-day record of $4,890,704, 10% higher than the previous best of $4.4 million which was set on Virginia Derby Day in 2008.

In the battle for meeting titles, leading jockey Horacio Karamanos and Joe Rocco Jr. finished on par with 20 wins apiece, while Hamilton Smith led all trainers with 10 wins. Mike Trombetta, with eight wins, was the leading money earning trainer with $491,650.

Larry Johnson, owner of Legacy Farm in Bluemont, Virginia, was the leading owner with six wins, besting PTK, LLC who had five.

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Thistledown to Open with 10% Purse Increases

After a delayed and somewhat abbreviated 2020 meet due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ohio's JACK Thistledown Racino will open Monday, Apr. 26, for a full 2021 season with a 10% boost in purses. The 100-day meet will feature cards on a Monday through Thursday schedule with special Saturday cards beginning on Derby day May 1. The highlight of the meet is the 87th edition of the GIII Ohio Derby, which is the only graded event in Ohio. It will be worth $500,000 this year and will be run June 26.

“We are excited to get back to our full slate of racing,” said Thistledown's director of racing, Patrick Ellsworth. “We worked closely with the Ohio State Racing Commission and the Horsemen's group last season to establish safe protocols that allowed us to race a shortened season. Now it's time to look ahead to the 2021 season.”

The Thistledown meet will conclude Oct. 14.

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Monmouth Releases 2021 Stakes Schedule Worth Over $6 Million

Monmouth Park is set to hold 53 racing days for its 2021 meet, highlighted by the GI TVG.com Haskell S. July 17 and 45 other stakes races. The meet will open Friday, May 28, with the $100,000 Jersey Derby, and will run through Sept. 26. The New Jersey track will offer $6,150,000 in stakes races as it hosts its 76th racing season. A total of 46 black-type events will be contested at Monmouth, including 10 graded stakes and 10 New Jersey-bred stakes.

The $1-million Haskell, won last year by eventual Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief), is traditionally the highlight of Monmouth's racing in New Jersey. Authentic earned the $1-million BetMakers bonanza bonus in 2020 by capturing a trio of races: the Haskell, the GI Kentucky Derby, and the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

The GI United Nations S. and three other graded races will also be held on the same day as the Haskell. The United Nations, worth $300,000 last year, will get a purse increase to $500,000 for 2021.

A local favorite, the annual New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival, now in its 19th year, will be renewed Aug. 29. Featured on that card is the $125,000 Charles Hesse III H., plus two other stakes events.

Stall applications for the 2021 meet are due by Mar. 31. Visit monmouthpark.com for the entire stakes schedule.

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