albin jiminez | Horse Racing Free Tips

Lots Of New Faces At Turfway Park This Winter; New Tapeta Surface Getting Rave Reviews

Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. is set to open for live racing on Wednesday, Dec. 2. Racing will be conducted Wednesday through Saturday until Jan. 3, 2021, after which the schedule will shift to Thursday through Saturday from Jan. 7 through March 28.

First post is scheduled for 6:15 p.m., Eastern time.

Several new trainers highlight the 2020 – 2021 racing season including Brad Cox, winner of four Breeders' Cup World Championship races at Keeneland this year, and Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. Other new notable trainers that will have stalls on the Turfway backside include Mike Tomlinson, Ray Handal, Jonathan Thomas and Eddie Kenneally. Returning Turfway mainstays who will again be stabled on the grounds include 2019 – 2020 leading trainer Mike Maker, Wesley Ward, Jeff Greenhill and Kim Hammond.

“I am really looking forward to having horses stabled at Turfway Park this winter,” Brad Cox said. “It will be the first time I have had horses stabled at Turfway since 2008 and this allows me the opportunity to race year round in Kentucky. Our horses have been training for a few weeks over the new Tapeta track and it appears to be an excellent racing surface. We are excited to be there and are looking forward to the race meet.”

Several new jockeys will be calling Turfway home this winter including Chris Landeros, who will stay in his home base of Kentucky for the winter, and Reylu Gutierrez, who has spent previous winters in New York. Other new faces that will ride at Turfway for the first time this winter include Rocco Bowen, Declan Cannon, and Jermaine Bridgmohan.

Last year's leading jockey Albin Jimenez as well as other Turfway Park regulars John McKee, Malcolm Franklin, Rodney Prescott and Gerardo Corrales will be back for the 2020 – 2021 race meet.

Turfway Park will be closed to only essential personnel and licensed thoroughbred owners with horses racing on the evening for the 2020 – 2021 race meet. Racing fans in the Northern Kentucky area are encouraged to visit Newport Racing and Gaming to watch and wager on races from Turfway Park, while fans from outside the area are encouraged to wager on Twinspires.com.

The Wagering Menu will consist of a $.50 Pick 5 on races 1-5 as well as the popular $.20 Single Six Jackpot wager on races 3-8, both of which offer a low 15 percent takeout. Pick 4 wagers will be offered on races 2-5 and races 5-8. Traditional win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, daily double and Pick 3 wagers will also be available.

The post Lots Of New Faces At Turfway Park This Winter; New Tapeta Surface Getting Rave Reviews appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Indiana Stewards Suspend Jockey Gabriel Saez 30 Days For ‘Extreme Carelessness On The Racetrack’

Stewards at Indiana Grand in Shelbyville, Ind. handed down a 30-day suspension to jockey Gabriel Saez due to an incident he was involved in during the fourth race on June 17, reports the Daily Racing Form.

Aboard Justtequilatalkin in the 2-year-old maiden, Saez was out in front when his mount shifted toward the rail and caused three other horses and riders to fall. Jockey Joseph Ramos escaped unharmed, but Augustin Gomez broke his tibia and Albin Jiminez broke his eye socket and has five fractures in his back.

Two of the horses walked off the track, while a third was vanned off.

The stewards watched video replays of the race with Saez on June 18, and their ruling, handed down that same day, cites Saez for “extreme carelessness on the racetrack.” The suspension was to begin on June 22, and Saez is not named aboard any mounts at Indiana Grand this week, but the jockey is appealing to the Indiana Racing Commission and has requested a stay of his suspension.

Saez is named on horses at Churchill Downs beginning Thursday, June 25, and is booked to ride multiple graded stakes winner By My Standards in Saturday's Grade 2, $500,000 Stephen Foster Stakes beneath the Twin Spires.

Appropriately-Named Sentimentaljourney Wins Indiana Opener In Honor Of Late Jon Schuster

The winner of the season opener could not have been more appropriately named. Sentimentaljourney, ridden by Albin Jimenez, scored the win in the first race of the season named in honor of Jonathan B. Schuster, former vice president and general manager at Indiana Grand who passed away over the winter.

A recent claim by Owner Maggi Moss, Sentimentaljourney was making her first start for the Tom Amoss Stable in the $37,000 allowance. The three-year-old daughter of Unbridled Express was claimed out of her last start a Fair Grounds in February with hopes of spending the summer at Indiana Grand.

“This was a Maggi Moss idea,” said Amoss, who has numerous track records to his credit in Indiana, including six training titles. “Because she (Sentimentaljourney) was Indiana sired and bred, we decided to take the plunge and what a beautiful payoff with the win today. We sure do miss the fans here, though. This is one of our favorite tracks to race at.”

Sentimentaljourney began her debut for the Amoss-Moss connection from post four. Jimenez sat patiently in mid pack of the eight-horse field as Betcha and Rocco Bowen surged to the front from the outside to lead the way in the five-furlong sprint. In the stretch, Sentimentaljourney found an inside path and surged through, scoring the win by one and three-quarter lengths over Forbidden Fruit and Malcolm Franklin. Real Deputee and Fernando De La Cruz finished third. The time of the sprint was 1:00.51.

“We were sitting along the rail and were just waiting,” said Jimenez, the track's 2015 leading jockey. “When the inside opened up, she went right through. It feels great to be back and I'm happy to be riding here this summer. Hopefully, we will see spectators soon. I miss having them here.”

The favorite of the field, Sentimentaljourney paid $5.20, $4.00 and $3.00 across the board. It was her second win in nine career starts and the first of 2020. She now has in excess of $55,000 on her card.

The 18th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing started with a tribute to Schuster by Eric Halstrom, vice president and general manager of racing. Chaplain Otto Thorwarth held a moment of silence followed by a prayer to lead into the first race named in Schuster's honor.

“Jon was not only a great GM, he was a great friend,” added Amoss. “Anything you called upon him for, he was there for the horsemen. He was truly a horsemen's GM and will be missed.”

Live racing continues through Wednesday, Nov. 18 with action held Monday through Thursday beginning at 2:20 p.m. Four Saturday programs are slated for all-Quarter Horse days with a preliminary first post set at 2:20 p.m. July 4, Aug. 8, Oct. 23 and Oct. 24. Continuing in line with Governor Holcomb's plan to return to full operations for businesses in the state of Indiana, spectators are expected to return beginning July 4.

The post Appropriately-Named Sentimentaljourney Wins Indiana Opener In Honor Of Late Jon Schuster appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post