Claudio Gonzalez | Horse Racing Free Tips

Toledo, Gonzalez Win Laurel Winter Meet Titles

A pair of familiar faces topped the jockey and trainer standings following Sunday's closing day of Laurel Park's winter meet, as jockey Jevian Toledo and trainer Claudio Gonzalez reigned again as meet leaders following their titles at Laurel's 2021 fall stand as well as the year's overall Maryland championship.

Toledo, 27, did not have a mount Sunday but took a 10-win edge, 38-28, over five-pound apprentice Jean Alvelo into the nine-race program. Alvelo had six mounts Sunday, winning with Royal Thunder ($3.60) in Race 6 to finish with 29 wins. It was the eighth career meet title, all at Laurel, for the Puerto Rico native, who is represented by agent Marty Leonard. Second to Victor Carrasco with more than $1.3 million in purse earnings, Toledo was also Maryland's overall leading rider in 2015 and 2017.

“I have to thank God; without him it's impossible,” Toledo said. “I've won the summer meet and the fall meet but I never won the winter meet. It's my first one, so it feels really good. It's another accomplishment in my career. My agent does a really good job and I have a lot of support from everyone. They give me a lot of opportunity to ride nice horses, and thank God we got the job done.”

Gonzalez entered Sunday with a 24-23 advantage over John 'Jerry' Robb after sending out a pair of winners on Saturday's card. Robb did not have a horse entered Sunday, while Gonzalez had runners in four races, winning with Danny Chen's Little Ms Scarlet ($7.40) in the fourth race and Magic Stable's I'm Not Slow ($6.40) in the ninth race to raise his meet total to 26.

A 45-year-old native of Chile and cancer survivor, Gonzalez has won nine consecutive meet titles in Maryland dating back to Laurel's 2019 summer stand. It was the 17th career meet championship at Laurel to go along with two at Pimlico for Gonzalez, who has finished as Maryland's overall leading trainer five consecutive years starting in 2017.

“I feel really good. It's like I say, to win one race is tough and to win the title again is a good feeling,” Gonzalez said. “I have to thank all my people, my workers, all the assistants I have, the grooms, hotwalkers, exercise riders, blacksmiths. Everybody does a good job, it's not only me. If you don't have good help, you don't make it. I try to explain to all my workers, it's the little things that make the difference. That's why you have to pay attention to every little thing and sometimes it makes a big difference.”

The post Toledo, Gonzalez Win Laurel Winter Meet Titles appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Leading Maryland Trainer Claudio Gonzalez Dipping Toes Into South Florida Waters

Claudio Gonzalez, Maryland's overall leading trainer by wins the past five years, is overseeing a string of horses in South Florida for the first time during Gulfstream Park's 2021-'22 Championship Meet in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Gonzalez, a 45-year-old native of Chile and cancer survivor, currently has eight horses at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. He brought his first group down Jan. 13 and saddled his first starter of the winter, Magic Stable's I'm Listening, in Saturday's third race.

An 8-year-old New Jersey-bred mare, I'm Listening finished third in the 1 1/16-mile claiming event over Gulfstream's Tapeta surface. Gonzalez said the addition of the all-weather surface was a major factor in coming to Florida.

“I have some horses that I believe will like it, that's why I wanted to be here. The weather is great. The winter is tough in the north because of the weather,” he said. “It gives you good options. In the winter, if you have horses for grass or you can try the Tapeta, it will be good.”

In addition to Palm Meadows, Gonzalez continues to maintain a full barn at Laurel Park with an additional string at historic Pimlico Race Course. He owns or shares 18 individual meet titles at the two tracks, sweeping all three full meets in 2021 and leading the state with 110 wins and more than $3.6 million in purse earnings.

“This was my first week here and I wanted to see how I can make it work better, to see what days I can be here and what days I can stay there,” Gonzalez said. “The good thing is I have good assistants in all three places, so I am confident in them.”

Gonzalez has led Maryland in annual wins since 2017, averaging 106.4 per season. He earned his 1,000th career victory with He's a Shooter Oct. 14 at Laurel and ended 2021 with a lifetime-best $5,323,750 in purse earnings to go along with 161 wins.

“Like I say all the time, if you don't have good help you're done,” he said. “When you have the right help and you're confident in everybody, everything is going to be good.”

Gonzalez's next runner at Gulfstream is Magic Stable's Sloe Gin Biz in a five-furlong claiming sprint over the Tapeta Thursday, Jan. 27. The 3-year-old gelding drew far outside Post 8 and is third choice on the morning line at 4-1.

“We're going little by little, step by step. We'll come and take a look at the condition book and see what we have here,” Gonzalez said. “It's not easy here. It's tough to win races anywhere, but here they come from everywhere. But, we're very excited to try.”

The post Leading Maryland Trainer Claudio Gonzalez Dipping Toes Into South Florida Waters appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Jevian Toledo, Claudio Gonzalez Lead Year-End Jockey/Trainer Standings In Maryland

Journeyman Jevian Toledo returned to the top of the state rider standings for the first time in four years, and Claudio Gonzalez continued his dominance among trainers that dates back to 2017 as Maryland closed the book on its 2021 racing season Friday at Laurel Park.

Toledo, 27, ended the winter meet that began Sept. 9 with 50 wins, seven more than runner-up Jorge Ruiz, and was also tops with more than $1.8 million in purse earnings to earn his seventh meet title, all at Laurel. Overall he won 125 races and $4.6 million in purses, his best single season since 2017.

“It feels great. I feel very blessed for all the opportunities I've gotten my whole career and especially this year. It's been a really great year,” Toledo said. “I hope we get the same support next year coming up and hopefully we can get the job done again.”

Toledo had 108 wins at Laurel and historic Pimlico Race Course in 2021, edging 18-year-old Charlie Marquez (102) for the most in Maryland. Represented by agent Marty Leonard, Toledo also went 2-for-7 during the Maryland State Fair Meet at Timonium.

His state championship marked the third time Toledo has led Maryland in wins, following 2015 and 2017. He began 2021 with 14 wins at Laurel's winter meet and tied for second with 39 wins during the extended Preakness Meet at historic Pimlico Race Course.

“It feels amazing. It's really special because I fell in 2018 and it was hard to come back,” Toledo said. “Thank God all the hard work paid off. I work pretty hard in the morning and my agent does a really good job. He's always with me right there. We've been pretty good together.

“This is my home,” he added. “I have to thank all the owners and trainers and all the employees at the barns. They support me. Thank God we're back on top again.”

Toledo, a native of Puerto Rico, won the Weather Vane and Maryland Million Distaff on Hello Beautiful and the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial with Whereshetoldmetogo, both trained by Brittany Russell. Other stakes wins came aboard Brad Cox-trained Dreamalildreamofu in the Twixt and Ready to Purrform in the Laurel Futurity; Corelli in the Henry S. Clark and Grateful Bred in the Maryland Million Turf Sprint.

“Hello Beautiful, she's a special filly. Whereshetoldmetogo is a nice horse, too. Dontletsweetfoolya for Lacey [Gaudet], she's very nice and that owner [Five Hellions Farm] supports me a lot,” Toledo said. “Every horse is special, to be honest. Every single horse, every single one counts. They put me on top.”

Toledo and his wife, Kimberly, also celebrated the birth of their first child, daughter Kylie, in March.

“I have to thank God. He gave me a lot this year,” Toledo said. “I know it's been a hard year with the COVID, everything's different. It's hard. I want to do so many things with my family that I cannot do now with the COVID, but the main thing is we're healthy and that's all that matters.”

[Story Continues Below]

Gonzalez, a 45-year-old native of Chile and cancer survivor, swept all three full meets in Maryland this year, ending Laurel's fall stand with a 34-25 edge over Brittany Russell. He had 28 during its winter meet and 41 at Pimlico, and for good measure also led the Timonium standings with six wins.

“It's like I always say, if it's not for the grooms, the exercise riders, assistants, everybody,” Gonzalez said. “They're working hard in the morning and it's not easy to be there every day at 4 o'clock in the morning. It's my name they see but they do all the hard work. If it's not for them or the owners, I don't have anything.”

Gonzalez now owns 18 individual meet titles in Maryland, 16 at Laurel and two at Pimlico. He won 108 races at Laurel and Pimlico to lead all Maryland trainers for a fifth straight year, averaging 106.4 per season during his run.

“It's really special. I say all the time, there's a lot of good trainers over here. To win one year is special, and to win five, I don't know. It's really, really special,” Gonzalez said. “There's a lot of trainers here with a lot of experience for years, and to win is very, very special.”

Gonzalez won three stakes in Maryland this year with Miss Leslie – the Weber City Miss, Thirty Eight Go Go and Carousel, the latter Dec. 26. Other local stakes wins in 2021 came with Completed Pass in the King T. Leatherbury, Harpers First Ride in the Deputed Testamony and Buff Hello in the Maryland Million Nursery.

MCA Racing Stable's He's a Shooter rolled to his third straight victory Oct. 14 at Laurel to give Gonzalez his 1,000^th career win. He also reached a career high with more than $5.3 million in purse earnings for 2021, to go along with 161 wins.

“A thousand races is a lot of races. When I started, I never thought I'd win that many races so soon. I thought maybe in 10 years or something to get there,” Gonzalez said. “I have to thank all the people working for me and all the owners for giving me the chance to train their horses.”

Notes: Jockey Horacio Karmanos posted a riding double Friday aboard The Walk ($10.60) in Race 4 and Qualy ($8.80) in Race 6 … Laurel will open its 2022 winter meet with a nine-race New Year's Day holiday program. Post time is 12:25 p.m.

The post Jevian Toledo, Claudio Gonzalez Lead Year-End Jockey/Trainer Standings In Maryland appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Cordmaker Clinches MATCH Title With Robert T. Manfuso Triumph

In a fitting end to his 6-year-old season, Hillwood Stable's Cordmaker paid tribute to his breeder by earning his 12^th career victory and eighth against stakes company in Sunday's $100,000 Robert T. Manfuso at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The inaugural Manfuso for 3-year-olds and up going about 1 1/16 miles and the return of the 1 1/8-mile Carousel for fillies and mares 3 and up, which carried Grade 3 status from 1988 through 1997 and was last run in 2002 at Laurel, were among six $100,000 stakes on a nine-race Christmastide Day program.

Cordmaker ($4.40) was bred in Maryland by Manfuso and his life partner, Laurel-based trainer Katy Voss, who presented the winner's trophy to the connections, including Hillwood's Ellen Charles, trainer Rodney Jenkins and regular rider Victor Carrasco.

A longtime owner and breeder and former owner of both Laurel and historic Pimlico Race Course who was instrumental in revitalizing Maryland racing, Manfuso passed away in March 2020.

“We've all been talking about it for about a week. I'm glad we were able to get it done,” Jenkins said. “It was nice. He's such a good horse.”

A gelded son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, Cordmaker won for the third time in four starts – all in stakes – and clinched the older male long dirt division and overall MATCH Series titles.

Breaking from the rail as the 6-5 favorite in a field that scratched down to six, Cordmaker settled in fourth as multiple stakes winner Alwaysmining took the lead and held it through a quarter-mile in 23.47 seconds and a half in 47.38 pressed by Workin On a Dream, who finished second to Cordmaker in the Richard W. Small Nov. 27 at Laurel.

Carrasco tipped Cordmaker out leaving the far turn and set his sights on 3-2 second choice Shackqueenking, who had inherited the lead after Alwaysmining began to fade. Cordmaker straightened out, powered past Shackqueenking and opened up for a 3 ½-length victory. Workin On a Dream edged Shackqueenking by a half-length for second, with Plot the Dots a nose better than McElmore Avenue in fourth.

“Naturally he drew the one hole of all days, but he figured it out,” Jenkins said. “He got around that turn and saved some ground there, and then when they straightened out and Victor asked him, I think he won as easy as he's won any race in his life.”

Cordmaker has finished third or better 23 times in 34 career starts including 12 wins and $794,640 in purse earnings. He is 17-for-26 in the money at Laurel, his home track, with other stakes wins in the 2018 Jennings, 2019 Polynesian, and 2019 and 2021 Harrison Johnson Memorial and last month's Small. He also won the Aug. 23 Victory Gallop at Colonial Downs and 2019 DTHA Governors Day Handicap at Delaware Park, and was third in the 2019 and 2020 Pimlico Special (G3).

Miss Leslie wins her third consecutive race in the Carousel for trainer Claudio Gonzalez

Miss Leslie Runs Win Streak to Three in $100,000 Carousel
BB Horses' Miss Leslie extended her win streak to three races including back-to-back stakes after sweeping to the lead once straightened for home and sprinting clear through the stretch to a 3 ¾-length triumph in the $100,000 Carousel.

Ridden by Angel Cruz for fall meet-leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, Miss Leslie ($5) ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.21 over a fast main track as the 3-2 favorite in a field of eight fillies and mares. Fellow multiple stakes winner Artful Splatter was second, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Kiss the Girl, who edged Belle of the North by a neck for third.

Scatrattleandroll, breaking from one spot inside Miss Leslie who drew the far outside, was sent out of the gate by jockey Jaime Rodriguez and in front through fractions of 24.58 and 49.11 seconds, pressed by Artful Splatter. Smooth With a Kick, racing for the first time since Jan. 17, led the second flight with Kiss the Girl.

Cruz gave Miss Leslie her cue leaving the backstretch and the 3-year-old daughter of Paynter began to roll while in the clear on the outside, reeling in Artful Splatter at the top of the stretch and opening up after a mile in 1:39.52.

“I felt really comfortable because we worked her last week and she worked really good,” Cruz said. “Today, every horse was coming from off the pace and my filly comes from off of it. It played out really well.”

Miss Leslie won the Anne Arundel County to cap her 2-year-old campaign and the April 24 Weber City Miss in her third start at 3. She went winless in five starts, including graded attempts in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2), Monmouth Oaks (G3) and Charles Town Oaks (G3), before ending the slide with a last-to-first optional claiming triumph Oct. 21 at Delaware Park.

In her prior start, Miss Leslie rallied from next-to-last to capture the Nov. 13 Thirty Eight Go Go going about 1 1/16 miles at Laurel. Each of the wins during her streak have come over older horses and with Cruz aboard.

“She's a good filly. She's nice to ride. We've had to work hard with her but she does everything right,” Cruz said. “A lot of times I just work her because she's really nervous in the morning. Claudio lets me work her and it's been playing out really good. She works good and she runs good.”

Notes: Laurel will host a special Monday program of nine races Dec. 27 featuring carryovers of $10,645.14 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 and $2,170.08 in the $1 Super Hi-5. Tickets with five of six winners in Sunday's Rainbow 6 each returned $1,419.50.

The post Cordmaker Clinches MATCH Title With Robert T. Manfuso Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post