Live Racing Returns To Laurel With Special, Rescheduled Thursday Card

McElmore Avenue, riding a four-race win streak, and Grade 2 winner Shotski highlight the second of three straight allowance events as live racing returns to Laurel Park with a special Thursday program Feb. 25.

Thursday's 10-race card was rescheduled in its entirety when Laurel's Feb. 19 program was postponed due to inclement weather. First race post time is 12:25 p.m.

Trained and co-owned by Mary Eppler, McElmore Avenue has put together three straight victories after being claimed for $16,000 out of a victory last November. After winning on or near the front end, the 4-year-old gelding had to rally from off the pace after being shuffled back early.

Alexander Crispin, the 2020 Eclipse Award winner as champion apprentice, will be aboard for the fourth straight time in the second-level optional claiming allowance for older horses going about 1 1/16 miles in Race 8.

Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, Pantofel Stable and Mike Karty's Shotski is making his first start at Laurel Park since a maiden triumph in October 2019, and just his second anywhere in nearly a year. He won the 2019 Remsen (G2) at 2 and was second in the Withers (G3) and fourth in the Fountain of Youth (G2) at 3 before going to the sidelines. Eleven months later he faded to eighth in a Jan. 15 optional claimer at Aqueduct.

The 9-5 program favorite is Siena Farm's homebred Dudley Square, trained by seven-time Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher. Dudley Square is coming out of a three-quarter-length triumph in an open, entry-level allowance going one mile Jan. 22 at Laurel.

Also on Thursday's card are an optional claiming allowance for 3-year-old fillies in Race 7 that drew a field of nine led by Wonderwall, a winner of her last two races at Laurel by a combined 17 ¾ lengths; and a 5 ½-furlong allowance for Maryland-bred/sired older horses in Race 9 which attracted a wide-open field of 10 led by lukewarm favorite Stone Courageous.

There will be a carryover of $823.25 in the $1 Super Hi-5 for Race 2. The 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 5-10) starts anew after being solved by one lucky bettor for a jackpot payout of $15,173.12 during Laurel's last live program Sunday, Feb. 21.

Live racing continues at Laurel Friday through Sunday, Feb. 26-28.

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2020 Eclipse Awards: Authentic Voted Horse Of The Year In A Landslide

Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic winner Authentic was named Horse of the Year for 2020 in the 50th annual Eclipse Awards hosted by Spendthrift Farm on Thursday evening but held virtually with no live audience because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

A 2017 foal sired by Into Mischief out of Flawless, by Mr. Greeley, Authentic was bred in Kentucky by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, Inc., owned by Spendthrift Farm LLC, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables LLC and Starlight Racing, and trained by Bob Baffert. After a maiden victory in his career debut as a 2-year-old in 2019, Authentic won five of seven starts in 2021, including three Grade 1 stakes: the TVG.com Haskell Stakes, Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, and Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

He also won the G3 Sham Stakes and G2 San Felipe Stakes at his home base at Santa Anita Park. Authentic's lone defeats came in the G1 Santa Anita Derby and G1 Preakness (to 3-year-old filly champion Swiss Skydiver.

Authentic got 224 first-place votes for Horse of the Year, with Monomoy Girl receiving seven, Swiss Skydiver six and Vekoma one.

Authentic was retired to Spendthrift, where he will stand alongside his sire.

The complete list of 2020 Eclipse Awards winners appears below:

  • Horse Of The Year: Authentic
  • Two-Year-Old Male: Essential Quality
  • Two-Year-Old Filly: Vequist
  • Three-Year-Old Male: Authentic
  • Three-Year-Old Filly: Swiss Skydiver
  • Older Dirt Male: Improbable
  • Older Dirt Female: Monomoy Girl
  • Male Sprinter: Whitmore
  • Female Sprinter: Gamine
  • Male Turf Horse: Channel Maker
  • Female Turf Horse: Rushing Fall
  • Steeplechase Horse: Moscato (GB)
  • Owner: Godolphin, LLC
  • Breeder: WinStar Farm LLC
  • Jockey: Irad Ortiz,
  • Apprentice Jockey: Alexander Crispin
  • Trainer: Brad Cox

In voting that concluded January 4, 2021, Eclipse Awards voters cast their ballots to rank the top three horses and individuals in each Championship division on a 10-5-1 point system.

This voting established the top three finalists in each division, whose names were released on Jan. 16, 2021.

The tallies below represent only first-place votes from members of the consolidated voting entities, NTRA, Daily Racing Form, and National Turf Writers And Broadcasters.

Voter participation rate: 238/249 = 95.58%

Two-Year-Old Male
Essential Quality, 231; Jackie's Warrior, 6; Fire At Will, 1.

Two-Year-Old Filly
Vequist, 212; Aunt Pearl (IRE), 24; Malathaat, 1; Voter Abstention, 1.

Three-Year-Old Male
Authentic, 236; Tiz the Law, 2. 

Three-Year-Old Filly
Swiss Skydiver, 218; Gamine, 20.

Older Dirt Male
Improbable, 218; Knicks Go; 8, Vekoma, 5; Maximum Security, 4; Global Campaign, 1; Tom's d'Etat, 1; Whitmore, 1.

Older Dirt Female
Monomoy Girl, 234; Midnight Bisou, 4.

Male Sprinter
Whitmore, 132; Vekoma, 83; Volatile, 16; Charlatan, 4; C Z Rocket, 3.

Female Sprinter
Gamine, 219; Serengeti Empress, 13; Frank's Rockette, 4; Guarana, 1; Voter Abstention, 1.

Male Turf Horse
Channel Maker, 180; Zulu Alpha, 17; Order of Australia (IRE), 15; Factor This, 7; United, 7; Gufo, 4; Domestic Spending (GB), 3; Arklow, 2; War of Will, 1; Voter Abstentions, 2.

Female Turf Horse
Rushing Fall, 115; Tarnawa (IRE), 106; Magical (IRE), 8; Audarya (FR), 5; Starship Jubilee, 2; Newspaperofrecord (IRE) 1; Sharing, 1.

Steeplechase Horse
Moscato (GB), 155; Snap Decision, 28; Rashaan (IRE), 21; Iranistan,2; Voter Abstentions, 32.

Owner
Godolphin, LLC, 78; Spendthrift Farm, LLC, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, and Starlight Racing, 56; Klaravich Stables Inc., 47; Gary Barber, 23; Sackatoga Stables, 7; End Zone Athletics Inc., 6; Peter Callahan, 4; Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, LLC, The Elkstone Group LLC, and Bethlehem Stables, 3; Calumet Farm, 1; Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, 1; M and M Racing, 1; Maggi Moss, 1; Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey 1; Gary and Mary West, 1; Voter Abstentions, 8.

Breeder
WinStar Farm, LLC, 128; Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC, 52; Calumet Farm, 45; Godolphin, 6; Charles Fipke, 1; Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, 1; Voter Abstentions, 5.

Trainer
Brad Cox, 106; Bob Baffert, 69; Steve Asmussen, 44; Chad Brown, 8; Christophe Clement, 1; Michael Maker, 1; Peter Miller, 1; Ron Moquett, 1; Bill Mott, 1; Barclay Tagg, 1; Wesley Ward, 1; Voter Abstentions, 4.

Jockey
Irad Ortiz, Jr., 162; Joel Rosario, 54; John Velazquez, 14; Florent Geroux, 3; Tyler Gaffalione, 2; Flavien Prat, 1; Luis Saez, 1; Voter Abstention, 1.

Apprentice Jockey
Alexander Crispin, 79; Yarmarie Correa, 74; Luis Cardenas, 38; Charlie Marquez, 15; Cristian Torres, 3; Sunday Diaz, Jr. 1; Voter Abstentions, 28.

Media Eclipse Awards
Media Eclipse Awards also are given in the categories of photography, audio and multi-media Internet, news/enterprise writing, feature/commentary writing, television–feature, and television–live racing programming to recognize members of the media for outstanding coverage of Thoroughbred racing. The 2020 Media Eclipse Awards winners, determined by a judges' panel for each category and previously announced, are:

Photography – Alex Evers, Paulick Report, “A Derby Without Fans,” Sept. 21, 2020.

News/Enterprise Writing – Natalie Voss, Paulick Report – Multi-part Series: “A Decade In, How Are We Doing With Thoroughbred Aftercare?” Dec. 2, 2019; “Emptying The Ocean With A Teaspoon: The Challenges Of Aftercare,” Dec. 3, 2019; and “Aftercare Should Not Be An Afterthought: Solutions For The Future,” Dec. 4, 2019.

Feature/Commentary Writing – Natalie Voss, Paulick Report, “'An Angel On His Shoulder': This Thoroughbred's Fate Was Written In Ink,” May 13, 2020.

Television – Feature – NBC Sports, “Riders Up: The World's First Sports Bubble,” Oct. 2, 2020 on NBCSN; Produced by the Hennegan Brothers.

Television – Live Racing Programming – NBC Sports, “The Breeders' Cup World Championships,” Nov. 7, 2020; Billy Matthews and Lindsay Schanzer, producers.

Audio/Multi-Media Internet – Thoroughbred Daily News (TDN), “To Hell and Back: Belmont Marks A Deserved Triumph for New York City,” June 19, 2020; Joe Bianca, writer and narrator, Patty Wolfe, producer.

The Eclipse Awards are sponsored by Spendthrift Farm, Roberts Communications, Four Roses Bourbon, Daily Racing Form, Breeders' Cup, FanDuel Group, The Stronach Group, TVG, Dean Dorton, Stonestreet Farm, Keeneland, Racetrack Television Network, Jackson Family Wines, Florida HBPA, Runhappy, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, Hallway Feeds, and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

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Crispin Awarded Eclipse for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey

Continuing the influx of Puerto Rican jockeys transferring their skills adroitly to racing in the mainland U.S., Alexander Crispin made a name for himself on the mid-Atlantic circuit in 2020. The 22-year-old, who studied at the famed Escuela Vocacional Hipica Agustin Mercado Reveron jockey school that produced John Velazquez, both Ortiz brothers, Manny Franco and myriad other successful Puerto Rican riders, Crispin first landed at Turfway Park in March and bounced around to Belterra Park and Indiana Grand before settling in the mid-Atlantic at Delaware Park in the summer. That's where he scored his first stakes victory aboard Singlino (Uncle Lino) in the $100,000 First State Dash Sept. 26, and he kept his momentum going at Laurel, finishing the year with over 100 total victories and more than $2 million in earnings, both second among all apprentices, while boasting a 19% strike rate.

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Eclipse Finalist Alexander Crispin Continues Strong Maryland Tradition Of Apprentice Riders

Jockey Alexander Crispin is one of three finalists for the Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice of 2020. The winners in 17 equine and human categories will be announced during a virtual ceremony starting at 8 p.m. Thursday.

Maryland-based riders have captured 11 of the 46 Eclipse Awards as champion apprentice, the most recent being Weston Hamilton in 2018. Other winners are Chris McCarron (1974), Ronnie Franklin (1978), Alberto Delgado (1982), Allen Stacy (1986), Kent Desormeaux (1987), Mike Luzzi (1989), Mark Johnston (1990), Jeremy Rose (2001), Ryan Fogelsonger (2002) and Victor Carrasco (2013). Hamilton and Carrasco continue to be based in Maryland.

Maryland Jockey Club host and analyst Naomi Tukker had a chance to talk to Crispin about his 2020 season and what it would be like to win the Eclipse Award.

Crispin graduated from Puerto Rico's famed Escuela Vocacional Hipica in December 2019 and made his pro debut last Jan. 1 at Hipodromo Camarero. After coming to the U.S. late last winter, Cripsin was fifth in his mainland debut aboard Time Marches On March 7, 2020 at Turfway Park.

He continued to ride in the Midwest, picking up his first win March 12, 2020 on Thorpe d'Oro at Turfway, until moving his tack to Delaware Park for the summer. Crispin finished the Delaware meet as its leading apprentice, ranking second overall with 58 wins and fourth with more than $1.3 million in purse earnings.

Crispin arrived in Maryland in late October, two weeks into Laurel Park's fall meet, and wound up leading all apprentice riders and ranking third overall with 29 wins while banking $725,920 in purses earned.

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