belmont park | Horse Racing Free Tips

NYRA’s Empire 6 To Have Mandatory Payout On Oct. 10 Jockey Club Gold Cup Day

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has announced the Saturday, October 10, Jockey Club Gold Cup Day card will feature a mandatory payout of the Empire 6, which boasts a jackpot of $352,831 following Sunday's 10-race card at Belmont Park.

Live coverage of all the races in the sequence will be available with America's Day at the Races on FOX Sports and MSG+. Free Equibase-provided past performances will be 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 lucrative October 10 card features five graded stakes including a quartet of Grade 1 Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” events headlined by the $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup, a 1 1/4-mile test for 3-year-olds and up offering a berth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic.

The stakes-laden card includes the Grade 1, $250,000 Champagne, won last year by eventual Belmont Stakes and Runhappy Travers hero Tiz the Law, at one-mile for 2-year-olds providing a spot in the starting gate for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Also featured is the Grade 1, $250,000 Flower Bowl at 10-furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up with a berth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on the line.

A great day of racing at beautiful Belmont Park is bolstered by the Grade 1, $250,000 Frizette, a one-turn mile for juvenile fillies offering a berth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies; and the Grade 2, $150,000 Sands Point for sophomore fillies at one mile on the turf.

The Empire 6 requires the bettor to select the first-place finisher of the final six races of the card. On non-mandatory payout days, if one unique ticket exists, then 100 percent of the net pool, plus the jackpot carryover if applicable, will be paid to the winner. If there is no unique wager selecting the first-place finisher in all six races, then 75 percent of the day's net pool will be distributed to those who selected the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races. The remainder will be added into the jackpot and carried to the next day's Empire 6.

For more information on the Empire 6, please visit http://www.nyrabets.com.

The post NYRA’s Empire 6 To Have Mandatory Payout On Oct. 10 Jockey Club Gold Cup Day appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Wet Your Whistle Avoids Loose Horse, Wins Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational

David Palmer's Wet Your Whistle had already registered a Grade 1 win on the grass in addition to a stakes win on a synthetic surface. On Sunday, the versatile 5-year-old again produced a professional effort, powering home a 3 1/4-length winner in the Grade 3, $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Out of the gate, Backtohisroots stumbled and unseated rider Jose Lezcano running loose at the front of the pack. Under jockey Jose Ortiz, Wet Your Whistle was still forwardly placed, staying in second position behind Battle Station before taking command with the opening quarter-mile in 22.47 seconds on the firm outer turf. Ortiz kept pressing his charge, with the half-mile going in 45.15.

The Michael Trombetta trainee maintained the edge out of the turn, with five furlongs going in 56.03, before outkicking Chewing Gum to complete the six-furlong course in a 1:07.87 final time.

“The loose horse broke and kind of kept the two speed horses, Big Wonder and Battle Station, way out on the track,” Ortiz said. “My horse broke very sharp out of the gate, so I just played it by ear. I'm just really glad it worked out.

“He was doing it very nicely the first half-mile, he was just on the beat,” he added. “Past the quarter pole, I asked him to go and had the loose horse right next to me and he just engaged with him. He started running. I think 1:07 and 4 is pretty fast for this kind of track. It's been a little heavy all day.”

Wet Your Whistle did not make his first graded stakes start until his 4-year-old campaign, when he won in his first attempt in the 2019 Grade 1 Highlander at Woodbine. Off an 11-month break, the gelded son of Stroll won the Karl Boyes over the synthetic track at Presque Isle Downs in August in his seasonal bow.

After an off-the-board finish in the Laurel Dash last month, he won his first race at Belmont in three tries.

“He had been training well. When I ran him last time the turf was soft, and he just didn't enjoy it at all,” Trombetta said. “He jumped on the bridle and had a little bit of a target. Jose took advantage of the situation. A lot of times in these races, you want to try to get the best trip possible. One thing about putting them up there, is your either good enough or you aren't.”

Off at 8-1, Wet Your Whistle returned $19 on a $2 win bet and increased his career earnings to $420,653.

“When Mike Trombetta ships here, he doesn't come here to play games,” Ortiz said. “His horses are 100 percent ready.”

Wet Your Whistle could potentially target the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on November 7 at Keeneland, though Trombetta did not commit to that spot yet.

“I'll have to talk to the owner and see what's involved. In these kinds of races, especially the turf sprinters, it's a select group that all run against each other and all beat each other here and there,” Trombetta said. “If you're going to take a chance, these are the kind of horses to do it with.”

Chewing Gum, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, edged Archidust by a nose in his first start since running off the board in the Grade 1 Fourstardave on August 22 at Saratoga Race Course.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, who rode Chewing Gum, was second in all three of Belmont's graded stakes races, with Caldee the runner-up in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo in Race 7 and Point of Honor in the Grade 2 Beldame in Race 8.

“I had a beautiful trip,” Castellano said. “I have no complaints. I felt like they didn't go that fast because everyone was screaming 'Loose horse' and everyone had to control their race and take a hold. I wish there could've been more pace, but it is what it is. We still finished up strong and well.”

Fog of War, Holiday Stone, Battle Station and Big Wonder completed the order of finish. Pulsate was scratched, as was main-track only entrant Chateau. Lezcano, aboard Backtohisroots, said he was in good order following evaluation by EMS after the race. Backtohisroots was apprehended by the outrider and walked home under his own power.

Live racing will resume Thursday at Belmont with a 10-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

The post Wet Your Whistle Avoids Loose Horse, Wins Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Horologist Upsets Point Of Honor, Dunbar Road In Beldame

Chasing a fast early pace in a field scratched down to just four runners, Horologist moved to the lead at the top of the stretch, then raced to an easy three-length victory over Point of Honor and Dunbar Road as the longest shot in the field in Sunday's Grade 2 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Point of Honor made a belated bid along the rail to be second, with even-money favorite Dunbar Road, winner of the G2 Delaware Handicap last out, never threatening while third. Letruska, who set fast fractions and led by a wide margin for the first six furlongs, was last.

Ridden by Junior Alvarado, Horologist covered nine furlongs on a fast track in 1:49.01. She paid $16.20 for the victory, her seventh in 19 starts and second stakes win since Bill Mott took over her training earlier this year.

Racing for There's a Chance Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Medallion Racing and Abbondanza Racing, Horologist is a 4-year-old filly by Gemologist bred by Holly Crest Farm in New Jersey, where her three previous stakes victories were recorded at Monmouth Park: the Smarty N Classy Handicap and G3 Monmouth Oaks in 2019 and G3 Molly Pitcher this year in her first start for Mott.

Letruska, coming off a front-running win in the G3 Shuvee at Saratoga on Aug. 30, went to the front early under Kendrick Carmouche, taking a one-length advantage through a quarter mile in :23.10, then opened up by 3 1/2 lengths after a :45.52 half mile. Through six furlongs, timed in 1:09.05, Letruska extended her advantage to seven lengths.

Horologist was her closest pursuer throughout and began to eat into Letruska's lead before turning for home. She took command by 2 1/2 lengths with a furlong to run, the mile in 1:35.62, adding another half length to that margin at the finish.

Mott was winning the Beldame for the third time, having saddled Royal Delta in 2012 and Elate in 2017.

The post Horologist Upsets Point Of Honor, Dunbar Road In Beldame appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

First Samurai Filly Remains Unbeaten in Miss Grillo

Plum Ali remained undefeated and picked up her second straight stakes win with a convincing score in Sunday’s GII Miss Grillo S. on the Belmont turf.

Unveiled going two turns over the Saratoga lawn July 23, the $65,000 Keeneland September buy rallied to a two-length success. Shipped south to Kentucky Downs for the Mint Juvenile Fillies S. Sept. 7, the chestnut overcame a troubled start and uncorked a powerful late run to score going away by 2 3/4 lengths.

Hammered down late to even-money favoritism, Plum Ali traveled last of a tightly-packed quintet as second choice Caldee went clear through an easy :24.81 quarter. Steadily creeping forward at the hedge down the backstretch, she moved into third passing a :48.06 half and set upon the frontrunner from the two path five-sixteenths out. Poking her head in front soon after straightening for home, she started to get away from that rival entering the final furlong and hit the wire as a comfortable winner. Caldee dug in to win a tight photo for the place over Editor At Large.

“She’s a very nice filly. She’s won in different scenarios, different tracks and different jockeys,” said winning trainer Christophe Clement. “That’s what good horses do. They face the challenge and they win. It’s very exciting. It’s nice when they keep facing these things and win. Just like anything else, I’ll only go to the Breeders’ Cup [Juvenile Fillies Turf] if she’s training great and doing great. I’m very happy. She’s done everything right.”

“Christophe always said to me she was the nicest 2-year-old turf filly in the barn,” added winning co-owner Michael Dubb. “We knew this winter when was she on the farm that she was above average, but we didn’t know how good she was. She seems, with every race, to be maturing. She had more composure in the paddock today. She’s just going forward the right way and we hope we can get one more race out of her this year.”

Pedigree Notes:

Already one of 28 stakes winners for MGISW juvenile First Samurai, Plum Ali becomes his 17th graded stakes winner with the victory. She is the second foal to race out of a half to turf GSW Meribel (Peaks and Valleys). Skipping has a yearling Lemon Drop Kid filly and dropped a full-sister to the victress this term before visiting Mastery.

Sunday, Belmont Park
MISS GRILLO S.-GII, $145,500, Belmont, 10-4, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.03, fm.
1–PLUM ALI, 122, f, 2, by First Samurai
                1st Dam: Skipping, by Stroll
                2nd Dam: Count to Six, by Saratoga Six
                3rd Dam: Countess Aura, by Halo
   1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($65,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP).
O-Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables LLC & Bethlehem Stables
LLC; B-Stone Farm (KY); T-Christophe Clement; J-Jose L. Ortiz.
$82,500. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $413,500. Werk Nick
   Rating: A++. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Caldee, 120, f, 2, More Than Ready–Holiday’s Jewel, by
Harlan’s Holiday. O/B-Shortleaf Stable (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.
$30,000.
3–Editor At Large (Ire), 120, f, 2, Lope de Vega (Ire)–What Say
You (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). (160,000gns Wlg ’18 TATFOA;
260,000gns Ylg ’19 TATOCT). O-Peter M. Brant; B-R J B
Bloodstock & Lynch Bages Ltd (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown. $18,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, NO, 15HF. Odds: 1.15, 1.80, 4.10.
Also Ran: Mashnee Girl, Director’s Cut. Scratched: Batyah, Fifth Risk, Freedomofthepress, Lovestruck. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post First Samurai Filly Remains Unbeaten in Miss Grillo appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post