Churchill Downs | Horse Racing Free Tips

Churchill Downs to Offer COVID-19 Vaccines

Churchill Downs will host a Norton Healthcare Vaccine Clinic for community members who are eligible per state guidelines and as supply is available. The public may now register for appointments to receive their first dose of vaccine. Appointment times are available Mar. 29 and 30 and Apr. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The second round of booster shots will be automatically scheduled for Apr. 19 and 20 and May 3. Vaccinations will take place at Churchill Downs Racetrack in the second floor clubhouse.

Individuals meeting eligibility requirements (essential workers, people 50 and older and people 18-49 with chronic conditions) may register here. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins will be accepted while supplies last. Residents of the neighborhoods surrounding Churchill Downs will be prioritized.

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Illinois Racing Board Member Criticizes Churchill For ‘Shortsighted,’ ‘Self-Defeating’ Decision To Sell Arlington

One member of the Illinois Racing Board, author and journalist Alan Henry, had a lot to say about Churchill Downs Inc.'s decision to put Arlington Park up for sale at the monthly board meeting. According to the Chicago Daily-Herald, Henry called CDI's refusal to sell the property to another racing entity “a shortsighted and self-defeating posture” that would irreparably tarnish the company's brand.

“While CDI's stock is currently riding high, the corporate graveyard is full of companies whose leaders lost sight of their brand and in doing so lost the loyalty of their customers,” Henry said. “In the long run, the company that trumpets its bond to horse racing and wants to keep the brand in good standing across all its platforms has to respect current horseplayers and keep attracting new ones. To do that, you've got to honor the horse and the horsemen and mean it, and that starts by keeping tracks open, not closing them down.”

Henry referenced CDI's shut downs of California's Hollywood Park and Florida's Calder Race Course, adding that CDI now sees Arlington as “disposable” in an effort to protect the nearby CDI-owned Rivers Casino.

CDI announced the sale of Arlington on Feb. 23, 2021, indicating that it would host live racing at the Illinois track through the 2021 season, which is scheduled to end on Sept. 25.

Read more at the Chicago Daily-Herald.

The post Illinois Racing Board Member Criticizes Churchill For ‘Shortsighted,’ ‘Self-Defeating’ Decision To Sell Arlington appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Essential Quality Tabbed As 3-1 Morning Line Favorite For Final Kentucky Derby Future Wager

Godolphin's undefeated champion colt Essential Quality was made the 3-1 morning line favorite in the field of 24 betting options for Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”) that will span Friday-Sunday.

Pool 5 of the KDFW is the final pari-mutuel opportunity for bettors to get early action prior to the 147th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade 1) on Saturday, May 1. The three-day pool opens Friday at noon (all times Eastern) and will close Sunday at 6 p.m. Wagering will be available on www.TwinSpires.com and other outlets.

Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality is currently based at Fair Grounds and is preparing for the April 3, $800,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. The Tapit colt most recently defeated six rivals, including fellow KDFW entrant Spielberg, in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn. Essential Quality is one of three Cox trainees in Pool 5. The others are Shortleaf Stables' $150,000 Smarty Jones winner Caddo River and Juddmonte Farm's $400,000 Risen Star (G2) hero Mandaloun.

One of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's top Derby contenders, Life Is Good, was removed from contention for this year's race because he is scheduled to undergo surgery March 26 to remove a small chip in his left hind ankle. Baffert is still well-stocked for the Kentucky Derby with Gary and Mary West's undefeated colt Concert Tour. The son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense is targeting the $1 million Arkansas Derby (GI1 on April 10 following his victory in the $1 million Rebel (G2). Along with Concert Tour, the Baffert army also includes Zedan Racing Stables' $100,000 Robert B. Lewis (G3) winner Medina Spirit along with SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Golconda Stable, Siena Farm and Robert Masterson's Rebel runner-up Hozier and Southwest runner-up Spielberg.

Another horse likely to garner attention in Pool 5 of the KDFW is Courtlandt Farm's $300,000 Fountain of Youth (G2 winner Greatest Honour. Campaigned by 2013 Kentucky Derby winning trainer Shug McGaughey III, Greatest Honour is the likely favorite in Saturday's $800,000 Florida Derby (G1).

The complete field for Pool 5 of the KDFW (with trainer, morning line odds): #1 Big Lake (Steve Asmussen, 50-1); #2 Caddo River (Cox, 30-1); #3 Collaborate (Saffie Joseph Jr., 30-1); #4 Concert Tour (Baffert, 9-2); #5 Crowded Trade (Chad Brown, 30-1); #6 Dream Shake (Peter Eurton, 50-1); #7 Essential Quality (Cox, 3-1); #8 Greatest Honour (McGaughey, 4-1); #9 Helium (Mark Casse, 30-1); #10 Hidden Stash (Vicki Oliver, 50-1); #11 Highly Motivated (Brown, 30-1); #12 Hot Rod Charlie (Doug O'Neill, 6-1); #13 Hozier (Baffert, 30-1); #14 Mandaloun (Cox, 30-1); #15 Medina Spirit (Baffert, 20-1); #16 Midnight Bourbon (Asmussen, 30-1); #17 O Besos (Greg Foley, 50-1); #18 Prevalence (Brendan Walsh, 20-1); #19 Proxy (Mike Stidham, 30-1); #20 Risk Taking (Brown, 30-1); #21 Rock Your World (John Sadler, 50-1); #22 Spielberg (Baffert, 50-1); #23 Weyburn (Jimmy Jerkens, 30-1); #24 “All Other 3-Year-Olds” (20-1).

There are 10 races remaining on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The remaining race schedule can be found at www.kentuckyderby.com/horses/prep-races.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which features $2 Win and Exacta wagering, provide fans of Thoroughbred racing with opportunities to place bets on possible entrants in the Kentucky Derby at odds that could be far greater than those available on the day of the race.

There are no refunds in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Should Churchill Downs officials determine during the duration of this week's three-day pool that one of the wagering interests has experienced an injury, illness or other circumstance that would prevent the horse from participating in the Kentucky Derby, betting on the individual horse will be suspended immediately.

More information and real-time odds are available online at www.KentuckyDerby.com/FutureWager.

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Additional Derby/Oaks Tickets On Sale Mar. 26

Additional ticket inventory for the 147th running of the GI Kentucky Derby will go on sale to the general public Friday, Mar. 26 at noon Eastern time.

The newest options, good for both Derby day May 1 and the preceding afternoon's GI Kentucky Oaks program, are uncovered reserved bleacher-type seating in the first turn and uncovered box seating for groups of six in the infield. There will also be a limited number of first- and second-floor grandstand reserved seats available for purchase. Click here for ticket information.

For 2021, all reserved tickets for the Derby and the Oaks include all-inclusive food, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages in an effort to reduce the amount of time spent standing in line while offering contact-free payment options and offering access to a greater variety of food options.

Following previously announced COVID-19 protocols, Churchill will limit the number of reserved seats to 40-50% of capacity and up to 60% in certain private areas that allow for social distancing. Churchill reserves the right to make additional seating available should the circumstances surrounding the virus continue to improve.

Fans are encouraged to subscribe to the Kentucky Derby email distribution list by clicking here and by following the track on its social media platforms. Information regarding Churchill Downs' Health & Safety plan for Kentucky Derby 2021 can be found here.

The post Additional Derby/Oaks Tickets On Sale Mar. 26 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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