belmont | Horse Racing Free Tips

Brown Duo Of McKulick, Kinchen Top Miss Grillo

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will saddle a formidable duo in McKulick and Kinchen for Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for juvenile fillies, at Belmont Park.

A pair of Grade 1, $500,000 stakes highlight Saturday's card at Belmont with the Woodward for 3-year-olds and up going a one-turn 1 1/8 miles on Big Sandy; and the Champagne for 2-year-olds running one mile in a prestigious race, affording a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile to the winner. The lucrative card is bolstered by the Miss Grillo along with the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the grass.

Brown, who recently secured his 100th graded stakes win at Belmont Park, is vying for his ninth Miss Grillo score following past success with Maram [2008], Watsdachances [2012], Testa Rossi [2013], Lady Eli [2014], New Money Honey [2016], Significant Form [2017], Newspaperofrecord [2018], and Selflessly [2019].

Klaravich Stables' McKulick and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Kinchen worked five-eighths in company Sunday over the Belmont inner turf in 1:02.09.

“We're very pleased with her,” Brown said regarding McKulick. “It was a very good work.”

The filly is named for the late Mary McKulick, a longtime office manager and bookkeeper for Brown and the first person the trainer hired when he launched his operation in 2007.

McKulick, by Frankel and out of the Makfi mare Astrelle, graduated on debut in a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden on August 8 at Saratoga with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up. The victory garnered a field-best 73 Beyer Speed Figure.

Kinchen, by Lope de Vega and out of the Galileo mare Miss Nouriya, rallied to finish second in her August 29 debut at 1 1/16 miles on the Saratoga inner turf under Tyler Gaffalione.

Exiting post 3 in her maiden voyage, Kinchen was off slow and took up an inside position. Gaffalione angled the filly three-wide into the stretch run before dropping back inside and then shifted outside again to split rivals inside the final sixteenth, missing by three-quarters of a length to Miss Grillo rival Hail To.

“I felt if she could have got out to the clear, she probably would have won. The break dictated to settle – which most of my horses will do – and she kicked on nicely,” Brown said. “She just found herself with some traffic inside and she probably would have been a little braver if we could have got her clear, but that happens in maiden races. We'll turn the page and hopefully she gets a better trip in this.”

Kinchen is named in honor of the late Ralph Kinchen, father of America's Day at the Races analyst Jonathon Kinchen.

Ortiz, Jr. will pilot McKulick from the outermost post 6, while Gaffalione has the call aboard Kinchen from post 4.

Woodslane Farm's Hail To, a full sister to multiple Grade 1-winner Sadler's Joy, lit up the tote board when breaking her maiden at second asking at 20-1 odds for trainer Tom Albertrani. The Kitten's Joy chestnut, out of the Dynaformer mare Dynaire, settled in fifth position under Ricardo Santana, Jr. before rallying six-wide down the lane to best Kinchen.

Hail To has breezed four times since her maiden score, including a half-mile work in 50.03 on Big Sandy on Tuesday. Santana, Jr. retains the mount from post 3.

Tracy Farmer's Philly Eagles was a half-length victor in a maiden weight-for-age contest going seven furlongs on June 26 at Doncaster with Alice Haynes as her conditioner.

The daughter of Havana, now in the care of Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, was slated to make her North American debut in the P.G. Johnson on September 2 at Saratoga but scratched when the race came off the turf.

The Irish-bred bay breezed five-eighths in 1:01.75 on September 19 over the Belmont inner turf in preparation for her belated debut. Dylan Davis has the call from post 5.

Treadway Racing Stable's multiple stakes placed Sail By graduated in June at first asking in a six-furlong maiden special weight on the Belmont turf. The Astern bay, bred in Kentucky by Jeff Treadway, followed with a runner-up effort in the five-furlong Colleen on August 1 at Monmouth Park. She enters from a pace-setting third in the P.G. Johnson, contested at seven furlongs on a fast main track.

Junior Alvarado retains the mount from the inside post.

Rounding out the field is Judy Hicks' homebred Charlee O, a maiden winner at first asking sprinting six furlongs over the Belmont turf on July 11. The Tourist bay followed with a sixth in the 5 1/2-furlong Bolton Landing, contested over yielding Saratoga turf on August 18.

Manny Franco has the call from post 2.

The Miss Grillo is slated as Race 4 on Saturday's 11-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Brown Duo Of McKulick, Kinchen Top Miss Grillo appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Thursday’s Insights: Code of Honor Sibling Debuts at Belmont

6th-BEL, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 4:43 p.m. ET
SIDEKICK (Honor Code), a 2-year-old half-brother to MGISW and GI Woodward S.-bound Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), debuts for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey. The Edward J. Hudson, Jr. and W.S. Farish colorbearer worked four furlongs from the gate in :48 (7/50) at Belmont Sept. 25. John Velazquez has the mount. TJCIS PPs

The post Thursday’s Insights: Code of Honor Sibling Debuts at Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Woodward: Maxfield ‘Should Love The Sweeping Turns’ At Belmont Park

With three graded stakes wins this year, Godolphin's Maxfield has established himself as one of the leaders in the older horse division. On Saturday, the son of Street Sense will vie to add a Grade 1 victory to his 4-year-old campaign in the 68th running of the nine-furlong $500,000 Woodward, which returns to Belmont Park for the first time since 2005.

The Woodward is one of two Grade 1, $500,000 events on Saturday's card along with the Champagne for 2-year-olds running one mile in a prestigious race, affording a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile to the winner. The lucrative card is bolstered by the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the grass along with the Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for juvenile fillies.

Previously held at Saratoga Race Course, the Woodward was inaugurated in 1954 at Belmont Park and also was run several times at Aqueduct before being moved to Saratoga.

Maxfield, who boasts a consistent 9-7-1-1 record with over $1.45 million in earnings, arrives off a runner-up effort to Knicks Go in the Grade 1 Whitney on August 7 at Saratoga. Trainer Brendan Walsh saddled the 4-year-old son of Street Sense to back-to-back scores in the Alysheba [105 Beyer] on April 30 and Stephen Foster [103 Beyer] on June 26, both Grade 2 events at Churchill Downs.

A winner on debut going a one-turn mile in September 2019 at Churchill Downs, Maxfield became a Grade 1 winner in his second career start when capturing the Breeders' Futurity going two turns at Keeneland, where he made up nearly ten lengths from ninth to win by 5 ½ lengths – his largest margin of victory to date.

Walsh said earning a Grade 1 triumph as an older horse is crucial for Maxfield.

“It's absolutely important, especially with a horse like him, who we always thought would get better as he gets older,” Walsh said. “For his stallion career and everything, it would be very important to get a Grade 1 win in him this year.”

Lightly raced for a horse of his level, Maxfield has done the bulk of his racing this year having raced a cumulative four times at ages two and three, all of which were wins. He kicked off a successful year with a 3 ¼-length win in the Grade 3 Mineshaft in February at Fair Grounds before suffering his first loss in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap three weeks later.

“I think it all has helped. Thinking back at this point last year, this horse had only run three times in his career and he was about to turn four,” Walsh said. “We've always been on the back foot as far as seasoning and racing experience goes. I think we saw an advance on him in the Whitney because he ran right through the wire, which I was pleased to see him do. It all bodes well for the races ahead.”

Walsh expressed no concern with cutting back to one-turn from the two-turn Whitney.

“I think it suits him if anything,” Walsh said. “He should love the sweeping turns here. He seems to run his turns very well, which is probably the strongest part of his races. A big horse like him with a big stride on him, I can't see why it wouldn't be to his advantage more than anything.”

Walsh, who previously worked for Godolphin as an assistant trainer in Dubai, spoke volumes of the world-class breeding and racing operation.

“They've been a big influence on my career,” Walsh said. “It's just a privilege to train for them and an even greater privilege to have a horse of this caliber for them in such a great year. Hopefully, we can keep it going for the next couple of months and make it even better.”

Maxfield will race with blinkers on for the Woodward, and will be piloted by regular rider Jose Ortiz from post 2.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle a pair of top contenders in Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector and Don Alberto Stable's Forza Di Oro.

Art Collector has matched up 103 Beyers in his last two starts at nine furlongs, capturing the Alydar on August 6 at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic on August 27. A seven-time winner from 14 starts, Art Collector has banked more than $1.2 million. Art Collector is a 4-year-old son of Bernardini, who sired previous Woodward victors To Honor and Serve [2012] and Alpha [2013].

Art Collector burst onto the scene during his sophomore campaign with victories in the Grade 2 Blue Grass last July at Keeneland and the Ellis Park Derby one month later for his former trainer Tommy Drury, Jr.

Art Collector arrives off a half-mile breeze in 49.49 seconds on September 25 over the Oklahoma training track.

“He looked good and smooth in his last work,” said Mott, who previously won the Woodward with Hall of Famer Cigar [1995-96], To Honor and Serve [2012] and Yoshida [2018]. “He's made no mistakes so far. He looks great and the horse is doing very well. We're very pleased with him.”

Forza Di Oro, a 4-year-old Speightstown chestnut, sports a ledger of 7-4-1-1 led by a score in the Grade 3 Discovery in November at the Big A. Last out, Forza Di Oro finished a pacesetting third in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 4 at Saratoga.

“It could have been the distance. We were concerned about that going in,” Mott said. “He's capable of a different running style. We'll leave that up to the jock.”

Luis Saez returns aboard Art Collector from post 3, while Junior Alvarado will ride Forza Di Oro from post 6.

[Story Continues Below]

A victory from dual Grade 1-winner Code of Honor would give the Farish family their first Woodward win since Mineshaft in 2003. Last out, the 5-year-old homebred son of Noble Mission made his first start off a seven-month layoff a triumphant one in capturing the Grade 3 Phillip H. Iselin on August 21 at Monmouth Park, garnering a 105 Beyer.

Code of Honor boasts field-best lifetime earnings in excess of $2.8 million through a 17-7-4-2 record, highlighted by 2019 triumphs in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers and Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup during his 3-year-old season.

“He's training as good as he could – as good as I've ever seen him,” McGaughey said. “I think two turns is probably better, but the mile and an eighth is fine. I think the way he's training right now, he's sharp and he'll be laying in the right spot to wait and make a move.”

Paco Lopez, aboard for his last out Iselin score, will return to the irons from post 5.

St. Elias Stable's Dr Post will attempt his first Grade 1 victory for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

The son of 2010 Woodward winner Quality Road arrives off a third in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on August 21 at Del Mar, where he considerably advanced position in the last two points of call coming from seventh to complete the trifecta. Piloted by Joel Rosario, Dr Post appeared to be losing considerable ground around the far turn.

“In the middle part of the race, he sort of backed up on us and came with a good solid late run,” Pletcher said. “Joel seemed to think that maybe he was struggling with the track a little bit in the middle part of the race for some reason. He seemed to get a hold of it well late in the race, but just put himself in a tough spot with too much to do. It wasn't a bad race by any means.”

Dr Post displayed a successful seasonal commencement when capturing the Grade 3 Westchester at Belmont on May 1 before taking the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup on July 17 two starts later.

Dr Post will race with blinkers in the Woodward, as he did in his previous two starts.

“After the first time, I thought they moved him up quite a bit, but they didn't seem to have the same effect the second time, or at least the middle part of the race,” Pletcher said. “We'll leave them on to keep him focused.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr., who piloted Dr Post to his first stakes win in the Unbridled last April at Gulfstream Park and a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes last year, will be reunited with the four-time winner from the inside post.

Completing the field is Knight R.B. Stables' Mo Gotcha, a five-time winning 5-year-old son of Uncle Mo. Trainer Naipaul Chatterpaul claimed Mo Gotcha two starts back for $40,000 following a victory via disqualification on September 2 at the Spa and arrives off a third-place finish in his stakes debut in the Grand Prix American Jockey Club on September 18.

Returning pilot Jalon Samuel will ride from post 4.

The Woodward is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's 11-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

The prestigious event for older horses honors William Woodward, who was chairman of the Jockey Club 1930-50. Woodward also owned Bel Air Stud who campaigned father-son Triple Crown-winning pair of Gallant Fox and Omaha. Since its inception, the Woodward has been won by all-time greats Sword Dancer [1959-60], Kelso [1961-63], Buckpasser [1966], Damascus [1967] and Forego, who won four consecutive runnings from 1974-77. More recent prominent winners of the Woodward include Skip Away [1998], Mineshaft [2003], Ghostzapper [2004], Saint Liam [2005], Curlin [2008], Rachel Alexandra [2009], Havre de Grace [2011] and Gun Runner [2017] whose Woodward victories would help cement Horse of the Year honors in their respective years.

The post Woodward: Maxfield ‘Should Love The Sweeping Turns’ At Belmont Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘We Are NY Horse Racing’: Small Business Coalition Launched In New York

A coalition comprised of small businesses, unions, non-profits, and trade organizations today announced the launch of We Are NY Horse Racing, a coalition designed to educate New Yorkers regarding the importance of the sport of horse racing to the New York economy. From downstate labor unions to upstate local restaurants and hotels, We Are NY Horse Racing has garnered statewide support.

The horse racing economy includes farmers, trainers, horse breeders, horse owners, racetrack employees, dozens of labor unions that support racing operations, backstretch workers, veterinarians, and racing officials as well as seasonal and part-time jobs directly tied to big events such as the Belmont Stakes or the annual summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course. As a driver of tourism both downstate and throughout upstate New York, horse racing is a big business for the hospitality sector at a time when hotels, bars and restaurants continue to face uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The recently concluded 2021 summer meet in Saratoga saw an average daily attendance of more than 26,000.

According to a study published by the American Horse Council in 2018, horse racing in New York State is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual economic impact. In addition, the broader equine industry is New York's second-largest agribusiness, generating good-paying jobs in every county and corner of the State. The sport of horse racing drives an industry that sustains hundreds of small businesses on and around the 11 racetracks currently in operation in New York.

We Are NY Horse Racing will engage in a number of activities moving forward, including events, paid media and other efforts directly related to educating and informing New Yorkers about the importance of horse racing to the New York economy.

To learn more about the coalition, please visit www.nyhorseracing.com.

Founding members of the We Are NY Horse Racing Coalition include:

New York State Laborers' Organizing Fund
Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce
Long Island Contractors Association
New York Farm Bureau
Saratoga Casino and Hotel
NY Racetrack Chaplaincy
District Council 9, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
DZ Restaurants, Saratoga
The Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau & Suffolk Counties, AFL-CIO
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA)
New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. (NYTB)
Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA)
Discover Saratoga
New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA)
Gateway Youth Outreach
Western New York Harness Horsemen's Association
Standardbred Owners Association, Inc.
Capital Off-Track Betting
Backstretch Employees Service Team (B.E.S.T)
Harness Horse Association of Central New York
Saratoga Harness Horseperson's Association
Monticello Harness Horsemen's Association
Empire State Harness Horsemen's Alliance
Catskill Off-Track Betting

“The mission of the New York Farm Bureau is to support today's agricultural needs and create member opportunities for tomorrow, and many of these opportunities are a direct result of the horse racing industry,” stated Jeff Williams, Public Policy Director of the New York Farm Bureau. “New York agriculture and horse racing go hand in hand, which is why our organization is pleased to be a part of We Are NY Horse Racing.”

“Saratoga Race Course is an economic engine for upstate New York and a source of great pride for our communities,” stated Todd Shimkus, President of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. “Our member businesses recognize the sport's direct impact to the local economy, which is why we will take every opportunity to emphasize horse racing's importance to Saratoga County and New York.”

“The Horse Racing Industry is so instrumental to my restaurants across Saratoga. Without it, I'm not sure how local businesses like mine would survive,” stated Nancy Bambara, VP and COO of DZ Restaurants which owns and operates Chianti Il Ristorante, Forno Bistro and Boca Bistro. “I am very happy to be joining We Are NY Horse Racing and its initiatives, especially as the restaurant industry recovers from the pandemic and we look towards the recovery of our local economy.”

“Long Island contractors are proud to join the We are NY Horse Racing as this industry is an economic boom for our area,” stated Marc Herbst, Executive Director of the Long Island Contractors' Association. “Horse racing has provided our contractors with good-paying jobs – from working at Belmont Park to repairing critical infrastructure that enables fans to visit Belmont, we are grateful to have these local job opportunities.”

“Our membership is well aware of the hard work and dedication required to support a successful racing industry in New York,” stated Najja Thompson, Executive Director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. “New York's horse breeders and farm owners have propelled the sport forward in recent years, and we look forward to contributing our collective voice to this important effort.”

“Our members have been positively impacted by the horse racing industry for decades,” stated Vincent Albanese, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the New York State Laborers' Organizing Fund. “You may not see it on television, but our members are the folks responsible for maintaining many facets of the track. We're proud to support this new coalition that will educate New Yorkers about the broad impact of the industry, including the employment of hundreds of unionized construction workers.”

“The Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau & Suffolk Counties stand in solidarity with the We Are NY Horse Racing Coalition,” stated Matthew Aracich, President of The Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau & Suffolk Counties. “The sport of horse racing and its broader industry provides our members with family-sustaining jobs in and around Belmont Park. From our carpenters to our engineers and plumbers, we are grateful for the opportunities the horse racing industry brings to our local unions.”

“At Gateway Youth Outreach (GYO), we provide quality after-school programs to children in the communities surrounding Belmont Park,” stated Pat Boyle, Executive Director of Gateway Youth Outreach. “The men and women who work at Belmont are our friends and neighbors and recognize their role in supporting organizations like GYO whenever possible. The children and families we serve are better off because of the opportunities to be found right here at Belmont Park.”

“New York State's harness racing industry is proud to stand together with our thoroughbred colleagues and agricultural stakeholders from all across the state as part of the We are New York Horse Racing Coalition,” stated Joseph Faraldo, of the Empire State Harness Horsemen's Alliance. “We look forward to telling our story directly to New Yorkers and decision makers in Albany to highlight the importance of the equine industry in New York.”

“At the Belmont Child Care Association, we provide a safe, supportive and academically inspiring environment for the children of parents working in thoroughbred racing,” stated Joanne K. Adams, Executive Director of the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA). “The sport's continued success helps to enable the BCCA to expand our programming and work with even more children in the future. That's why we are committed to this effort and look forward to participating in the months to come.”

“We provide health and wellness medical services for the NYRA backstretch community and see firsthand how the sport provides good jobs that support families,” stated Paul Ruchames, Executive Director of the Backstretch Employee Service Team of NY. “Our community takes great pride in caring for horses and the essential services that make racing possible throughout the year in New York. We will play an active role in this growing coalition.”

“Our mission is to minister to the heart and soul of the hardworking women and men working in the backstretch at NYRA tracks,” stated Reverend Humberto Chavez of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy. “We must do everything we can to secure the livelihoods of the backstretch community that keeps our racetracks running.”

The post ‘We Are NY Horse Racing’: Small Business Coalition Launched In New York appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post