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Kendrick Carmouche Will Be Back In The Saddle Next Monday

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche is expected to return to riding races next Monday at Parx Racing, reports the Daily Racing Form.

He has not ridden in the afternoon since Belmont Stakes day on June 5, when he suffered a broken ankle in the final race and had to undergo surgery.

“He probably could have come back and ridden the final couple of days at Saratoga, but the book was already out and we didn't know exactly when he'd be able to return, and Kendrick didn't want to come back here just to come back,” agent Kevin Bubser told DRF. “He'll ride Monday through Wednesday each of the next two weeks at Parx and be ready to return when Belmont reopens the following Thursday.”

Carmouche began working horses again on Sunday morning at Saratoga.

After Eventful Forego, Lombardi Looks Toward Vosburgh Repeat For Firenze Fire

To say that the stretch run of the Grade 1 Forego was an anxious one for owner Ron Lombardi would be an understatement, but he was still proud of a valiant effort from multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Firenze Fire, who finished second after savaging subsequent winner Yaupon in the final sixteenth of the seven-furlong event at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Kelly Breen, Firenze Fire, who finished a respective second and 11th in the last two editions of the Forego, raced in second position throughout just off the flank of Yaupon and edged his way to even terms around the turn. The pair raced nip-and-tuck in upper stretch before Firenze Fire, with Jose Ortiz up, savaged Yaupon inside the eighth pole, biting at his rival's bridle.

“He ran great. He's a warrior,” Lombardi said. “Unfortunately, that mishap cost him the race. If he stays focused, I think he wins the race. It was unfortunate but it was a race that people will be talking about for a while. Jose did a tremendous job keeping Firenze Fire in there.”

Firenze Fire was on the receiving end of a similar situation when capturing the Grade 3 Gallant Bob in September 2018 at Parx, where he fended off Whereshetoldmetogo, who tried to bite Firenze Fire in the final furlong.

“It happens so rarely and to have one horse involved in it twice – both the giving and receiving end – is really amazing,” Lombardi said with a laugh.

Lombardi, who races under the Mr. Amore Stable moniker, said Firenze Fire will target a repeat victory in the $250,000 Grade 2 Vosburgh on October 9 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

“That was always the plan. In fact, I was thinking about skipping the Forego,” Lombardi said. “But he was doing great and it's six weeks for that. I talked to Kelly this morning; he came out of the race great like he always does. Our goal will be the Vosburgh if things fall in line.”

Not all was lost for Lombardi this weekend as New York homebred juvenile filly November Rein won her stakes debut in Friday's $200,000 Seeking the Ante on New York Showcase Day.

Lombardi said the daughter of Street Boss could target either the $250,000 Maid of the Mist on October 30 at Belmont Park, or face open company in the $400,000 Grade 1 Frizette on October 3 – a “Win And You're In” event for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

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Mean Mary May Target Waya, Joe Hirsch At Belmont In October

Alex Campbell, Jr.'s Mean Mary is 2-for-2 competing in graded stakes races at Belmont Park and could look to extend that streak in the fall, with trainer Graham Motion saying the 5-year-old Scat Daddy mare is a possibility to return to the Elmont-based track.

After running second to winner Santa Barbara in the Grade 1 Beverly D. on August 14 at Arlington Park, Motion said Mean Mary is a possibility to compete in the $300,000 Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Waya for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at 1 3/8 miles on the turf on October 3. But Motion also left open the possibility that she could face males in the $500,000 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic held at 1 1/2 miles on October 9.

“She's good. I do plan to point her to the races at Belmont in October,” Motion said. “I would say both options are on the table.”

Mean Mary overcame challenging circumstances to finish as the Beverly D. runner-up, breaking through the gate and needing to be re-loaded. She still served as the pacesetter and finished strong enough to outkick Lemista by a neck.

“I definitely think it had an effect on her and her style. I thought she was courageous to run on and be second,” Motion said. “It's just disappointing because she didn't run her 'A' race.”

A closer effort to that A-grade race was her gate-to-wire triumph in the Grade 2 New York on the eve of Belmont Stakes Day June 4, when she held off next-out winner Thundering Nights by a nose to win the 1 1/4-mile contest and earn triple-digit speed figures for the third time in her career, garnering a 101 Beyer.

The win helped Mean Mary repeat in the prestigious stake, as she cruised to a 5 1/2-length score in the 2020 edition of the New York in her Belmont debut.

She followed with a thrilling second to Rushing Fall in the 2020 Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga, finishing a neck short in the elusive quest to give Motion his first win in the stakes, but still earned a personal-best 102 Beyer.

Starting her current campaign after ending 2020 with a seventh in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Keeneland, Mean Mary won the Grade 3 Gallorette in May at Pimlico in returning from a five-month freshening before going on to the New York and Beverly D.

While Mean Mary could be running in a stakes at a NYRA track, stablemates Ziyad and Invincible Gal will be skipping potential starts at Saratoga this upcoming week.

Wertheimer and Frere's Ziyad, who was targeting the $120,000 John's Call on Wednesday, will skip that start in favor of additional rest. His previous start was a sixth-place effort in the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup on June 4.

“Unfortunately, I can't make that race with him, which is disappointing,” Motion said. “I haven't been happy with him the last week or so; I didn't feel good about doing it. He also got sick, which was part of the problem. He needs more time.”

The British-bred Ziyad, who arrived from Europe last fall and transferred into Motion's care, capped his 2020 with consecutive third-place finishes in the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland and the Grade 3 Red Smith at Aqueduct, respectively. The now 6-year-old Rock of Gibraltar gelding made his seasonal bow in a sixth-place Grade 1 Man o' War finish in May at Belmont before the Belmont Gold Cup.

Invincible Gal, who was possible for the $120,000 Riskaverse on Thursday at Saratoga, will likely target another race closer to where she is training at Motion's base in Fair Hill, Maryland, her conditioner said.

“She probably won't go there,” Motion said. “She's doing fine, but I just think there are probably other spots for her without going back up there.”

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Panza Leaving NYRA Role As Senior VP Of Racing Operations

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that Martin Panza will depart from his position as Senior Vice President of Racing Operations at the conclusion of the Belmont Park fall meet on Oct. 31.

Since joining NYRA in 2013, Panza has been responsible for the leadership and oversight of racing functions at NYRA, including the overall development, planning, and execution of NYRA's premier stakes offerings and daily racing programs.

“Martin has successfully maintained the history and traditions of New York racing while also modernizing the program to adapt to changes in the sport and the overall industry,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke. “His contributions have strengthened thoroughbred racing here in New York and across our sport. During his tenure, Martin has established a talented racing office team that will serve as the foundation for continued success. We extend our thanks to Martin for his years of service to NYRA and wish him the best as he enters a new phase in his career.”

Panza successfully led NYRA's efforts to create significant events by bundling major stakes races into either a single day or across a series of days. The strategy resulted in blockbuster Travers and Whitney days at Saratoga Race Course, and the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and Stars and Stripes Racing Festival at Belmont Park. Panza was also instrumental in the creation of the Turf Triple Series, which emulates the American dirt classics to shine a spotlight on the finest 3-year-old turf runners on the male and female side.

“I would like to thank my colleagues at NYRA and the NYRA Board of Directors for their dedication to this organization and the sport, which has allowed us to innovate together to enhance NYRA's world class racing product,” said Panza. “I'd also like to thank the horsemen, jockeys, and horseplayers who support our racing on a daily basis throughout the year.”

NYRA's organizational commitment to safety and integrity now sets the industry standard. Panza played a leading role in the formation of a coalition of leading Thoroughbred racing associations and organizations committed to phasing out the use of Lasix. Subsequently, NYRA and its coalition partners eliminated the use of Lasix in all 2-year-old races in 2020 followed by all stakes races in 2021. As a result, the three Triple Crown races are now contested without the use of race day medication.

Panza served as chair of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Safety Committee, establishing the NTRA Code of Safety Standards in the process. NYRA was a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, which was launched in 2019 to create and implement a series of significant safety, medication, operational, and integrity guidelines across Thoroughbred racing to ensure the well-being of horses and jockeys while increasing transparency and accountability.

Over the last eight years, NYRA has embarked on a sustained effort led by Panza to recruit prominent international horses and trainers to compete on the New York circuit. Driven by the interconnected nature of the sport, as well as the increasing popularity of turf racing, this initiative has generated an increase in global interest in NYRA and strengthened the foundation of New York racing.

“I've been lucky to have learned the craft from some of the best in the business,” Panza said. “It's a responsibility to share that knowledge with the next generation, and I look forward to watching the NYRA racing office flourish and succeed for many years to come.”

Panza sits on the board of the NTRA, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the Racetrack Medication and Testing Consortium and the Thoroughbred Racing Association. He also serves on the advisory board of the University of Arizona Racetrack Industry Program.

In addition, Panza has served on a number of racing committees and organizations, including the American Graded Stakes Committee, the Breeders' Cup Selection Committee, and the North American Ratings Committee.

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