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Laurel, Aqueduct Cancel Friday Cards Due To Winter Storm

The Maryland Jockey Club has canceled Friday's live nine-race program at Laurel Park after a winter storm swept through the area overnight and into the morning.

As a result the national weekly Stronach 5 wager, which was scheduled to open with Laurel's ninth race, has also been cancelled and will return Friday, Jan. 14.

Laurel, Pimlico, Rosecroft and the MJC OTB Network remain open for simulcasting.

Live racing is scheduled to return to Laurel with a nine-race program Saturday that features the return of 2021 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) winner Hibiscus Punch in Race 8, a six-furlong optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares four and up.

First race post time is 12:25 p.m.

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has canceled Friday's live racing program at Aqueduct Racetrack due to a winter storm currently impacting the New York metropolitan area.

New York City remains under a winter weather advisory, with the National Weather Service (NWS) forecasting continued high winds and heavy snow into Friday afternoon. As a result, NYRA has canceled Friday's eight-race card in the interest of the safety of all participants.

Live racing at Aqueduct will resume on Saturday, January 8 with a nine-race card headlined by the $100,000 Say Florida Sandy. First post on Saturday is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

For additional information on the 2021-22 winter meet at Aqueduct, visit NYRA.com.

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Aqueduct Cancels Friday Card

Live racing and simulcasting has been canceled at Aqueduct Friday due to a winter storm impacting the New York Metropolitan area, according to a press release from the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA). Snow was falling heavily in the area Friday morning, and up to six inches of snow is expected.

New York City remains under a winter weather advisory, with the National Weather Service forecasting continued high winds and heavy snow into Friday afternoon. “As a result, NYRA has canceled Friday's eight-race card in the interest of the safety of all participants,” the release said.

Live racing at Aqueduct is expected to resume Saturday, Jan. 8 with a nine-race card headlined by the $100,000 Say Florida Sandy. First post on Saturday is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

The post Aqueduct Cancels Friday Card appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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‘It Was A Mistake’: Irad Ortiz Returns From 30-Day Suspension, Rides Two Winners At Gulfstream

Record-setting jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. got his 2021-2022 Championship Meet off to a strong start by riding a pair of winners on Thursday's 10-race program.

Ortiz, 29, was named in six races and finished off the board with his first mount, 2-1 favorite Macedonian, in Race 2. The Puerto Rico native registered back-to-back wins with Time to Two Step ($8) in Race 3 and 4-5 favorite Miss You Ella ($3.60) in Race 3.

“It feels great. It's been a long time,” Ortiz said. “Thank God we're back. I'm just happy to be back riding, honestly.”

Ortiz had not ridden since notching three victories on the Dec. 5 Clasic Internacional del Caribe program at Camarero Racetrack in his home country. He also finished second in the Copa Invitacional de Importados (G1) with Luna Fortis.

The Championship Meet's three-time defending champion had been serving a 30-day suspension handed down in New York for incidents of careless riding including Grand Casique Dec. 3 at Aqueduct.

“It was a mistake. I'm human. Everybody makes mistakes. Nobody's perfect,” Ortiz said. “I made a mistake and I did my suspension. The stewards did their job, they gave me my suspension and I paid for it, so that's it.”

Only Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, who did it a record five times between 2011-2012 and 2015-2016, has won as many as four consecutive Championship Meet titles. Ortiz rode a record 140 winners at Gulfstream in 2020-2021, breaking Luis Saez's mark of 137 with his victory aboard Known Agenda in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farm at Xalapa.

Ortiz has won the past three Eclipse Awards as North America's champion jockey. He led all riders with 336 wins in 2021 and ranked second with 1,443 starts and $29,274,435 in purse earnings. He also won a personal best 36 graded-stakes, 10 of them Grade 1, including the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) aboard Colonel Liam.

Following the Clasico del Caribe, Ortiz remained in Puerto Rico before returning to South Florida to work horses, primarily for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher at Palm Beach Downs. He is named in nine of 10 races Friday and 10 of 11 Saturday, including Value Proposition in the $100,000 Tropical Turf (G3).

“I spent time with my family and working,” Ortiz said. “I stayed one week in Puerto Rico and then I came back here and started working to get ready to come back.”

Saez leads the Championship Meet with 42 wins. Paco Lopez is second with 25 wins and Tyler Gaffalione third at 23.

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Friday's Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $1.3 Million

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $1.3 million for Friday's 10-race program at Gulfstream Park.

Multiple tickets with all six winners were sold Thursday, each worth $47,862.80. The popular multi-race wager was last solved for a $407,067.66 jackpot payout Dec. 11, a span of 17 racing days.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Friday's Rainbow 6 sequence begins in Race 5, a second-level allowance for Florida-breds going one mile and 70 yards on the Tapeta surface. Birdman Richie, never worse than third in five career starts racing first time with Lasix for trainer Larry Rivelli, is the 3-1 program favorite.

A maiden special weight for 3-year-olds sprinting five furlongs on the grass is scheduled in Race 6. Michael Tabor's Comedic is an $800,000 daughter of Practical Joke that returns to the turf after finishing third in a six-furlong maiden event on the main track Dec. 11 at Los Alamitos. Trained by California-based Simon Callaghan, she is cross-entered in a similar spot for 3-year-old fillies Saturday at Gulfstream.

Race 8 is an optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 4 and up going one mile that drew a field of nine led by 9-5 program favorite Join the Dots, a 3 ½-length debut winner Oct. 29 at Belmont Park for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. The Medaglia d'Oro filly fetched $700,000 as a yearling in September 2019.

Friday's feature comes in Race 9, a stakes-quality optional claiming allowance for 4-year-olds and up sprinting 6 ½ furlongs on the main track that marks the return of Mutasaabeq, a Grade 2 winner on the turf in his first race since winning the one-mile Mucho Macho Man last January. Stakes-placed Collaborate, a 12 ½-length maiden winner last winter at Gulfstream who ran fifth in the Florida Derby (G1), also returns for the first time since finishing sixth in the Curlin July 30 at Saratoga.

Also coming off a layoff in Race 9 is speedy Bank On Shea, unraced since capturing the Affirmed Success against fellow New York-breds last April at Aqueduct. The multiple stakes winner will be making his first start since joining the barn of Gulfstream-based trainer Carlos David.

There will be a mandatory payout in the Rainbow 6, as well as the 50-cent Late Pick 5 and $1 Super Hi-5, on Saturday. The 11-race program is highlighted by the 44th running of the $100,000 Tropical Turf (G3).

Who's Hot: Championship Meet-leading rider Luis Saez visited the winner's circle twice Thursday aboard Exponential ($7.40) in Race 1 and Discreet Tune ($7.60) in Race 9. Emisael Jaramillo also doubled with Merzaz ($7.80) in Race 2 and Hot Peppers ($5) in Race 7.

Rainbow 6 Gross Jackpot Pool Guarantee: $1.3 million

The post ‘It Was A Mistake’: Irad Ortiz Returns From 30-Day Suspension, Rides Two Winners At Gulfstream appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Rivalry Between My Boy Tate, Lobsta Continues In Saturday’s Say Florida Sandy

Lobsta and My Boy Tate, the respective one-two finishers last out in the NYSSS Thunder Rumble, will square off once more in Saturday's fifth running of the $100,000 Say Florida Sandy for New York-breds 4-years-old and up going seven furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Both Lobsta and My Boy Tate will carry 124 pounds Saturday, six more pounds than each of their four rivals in the six-horse Say Florida Sandy field.

Last out, in the seven-furlong NYSSS Thunder Rumble on Dec 5 at the Big A, the Gary Sciacca-trained Lobsta, carrying 118 pounds, took command from Post 10 and battled with stablemate and full-brother Chowda to his inside.

My Boy Tate, assigned a co-field high 124 pounds, raced along the rail down the backstretch and launched a menacing bid in upper stretch briefly capturing command. But Lobsta responded to Hall of Famer Javier Castellano's right-handed encouragement, getting the better of his foe by a half-length.

Owned by Eddie Fazzone's Eddie F's Racing, Lobsta earned three stakes placings prior to his last out victory, which came off a nearly five-month layoff.

Following a successful sophomore debut last January at a flat mile, the 4-year-old son of Emcee was a distant second to Nicky the Vest in the Gander before completing the trifecta in the Mike Lee at Belmont Park and the New York Derby at Finger Lakes.

“I thought Chowda was going to get the lead, but Lobsta dragged Castellano to the front. I couldn't believe it,” Sciacca recalled. “I was surprised Lobsta broke like he did off a layoff and come out of there like a rocket. Both runners have a lot of fight in them.”

Sciacca said his friendship with Fazzone dates back over three decades.

“He's a good friend that I've known for over 30 years,” Sciacca said. “We just became good friends along the years. Nobody loves racing more than him. He's a loyal, great guy. More owners like him would make the game easier.”

Bred in the Empire State by Fedwell Farm, Lobsta sports a consistent ledger of 8-3-1-2 with earnings of $221,400.

Castellano will pilot Lobsta once more from post 4.

My Boy Tate will seek a second non-consecutive win in the Say Florida Sandy, capturing the event in 2018. Trained, bred and co-owned by Michelle Nevin in partnership with Little Red Feather Racing, the 8-year-old son of Boys At Tosconova arrives as the most accomplished horse in the field with six stakes victories and a field-best $717,788 in earnings.

With 5-of-6 stakes wins taking place at Aqueduct, including dual victories in the Hollie Hughes [2018 and 2021], My Boy Tate will attempt an eighth career win over the Big A oval. He currently boasts a record of 14-7-3-1 when competing at Aqueduct.

Nevin, who has captured three of the four runnings of the Say Florida Sandy saddling Honor Up [2019] and Our Last Buck [2021] to respective victories, said My Boy Tate produced a game effort last out.

“He went out and ran his race. He didn't do anything wrong and he was giving it his best,” Nevin said. “Hopefully, this time he has a better day and gets the best of them. He's a determined horse. He's definitely a fun horse to have around.”

Eric Cancel, who rode My Boy Tate to victory in last year's Haynesfield, will return to the irons from post 5.

Seeking his first stakes coup since the 2020 Albany at Saratoga is Chestertown, a royally-bred son of Tapit out of Grade 1-winner Artemis Agrotera, for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

Chestertown, owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Chester and Mary Broman, Woodford Racing, Siena Farms and Robert Masiello, kicked off his 2021 campaign with a four-length victory in a nine-furlong allowance at Aqueduct. In his lone stakes start last season, he was a distant second in the Hudson on Oct 30 over a sloppy and sealed Belmont Park main track.

Returning pilot Jose Lezcano will ride from post 2.

Completing the field are Alpha Chi Rho [post 1, Jose Ortiz] – who arrives off two straight wins; graded-stakes placed Battle Station [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche], and five-time winner Saratoga Pal [post 6, Trevor McCarthy].

The Say Florida Sandy honors the late multiple graded stakes winner whose lengthy career saw 98 starts and spanned from 1996-2003. Say Florida Sandy earned New York-bred championship honors multiple times, including three New York champion sprinter titles and New York Horse of the Year honors in 2001-02. Following a 10-year career at stud, Say Florida Sandy was pensioned and retired to Old Friends in 2014.

The Say Florida Sandy is carded as Race 8 on Saturday's nine-race card at the Big A. First post is 12:20 p.m.

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