covid-19 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Diamond Oops To Prep For Smile Sprint Defense In Sunday’s Opening Lead Stakes

Multiple graded-stakes winner Diamond Oops will face six rivals in Sunday's $60,000 Opening Lead at Gulfstream Park while prepping for a title defense in the Sept. 5 Smile Sprint (G3).

The Patrick Biancone-trained 5-year-old earned graded-stakes credentials with an off-the-pace three-quarters of a length triumph in last year's Smile, which the son of Lookin At Lucky used as a springboard for back-to-back Grade 1 second-place finishes in New York and Kentucky in his next two starts.

This year, Biancone has no plans to stray from South Florida in the foreseeable future.

“We decided to stay and run here and then the Smile,” said Biancone, who had entertained the idea of running Diamond Oops in the July 4 Met Mile (G1) at Belmont. “Last year, there was no Covid-19. Andie, my daughter, travels with the horses. I don't want to take the risk that she gets sick or something.”

Biancone, whose daughter serves as his assistant at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, is looking for Diamond Oops to improve off his second-place finish as the even-money favorite in the June 13 Coaltown Handicap, in which he conceded seven pounds to victorious Eye of a Jedi while making his first start in nearly five months.

“He had no excuse. The winner came on the outside and he didn't see him. It was a good race,” Biancone said.

Last year, after winning the Smile, Diamond Oops went on to finish second behind Imperial Hint in the six-furlong Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga and a game second in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland. He subsequently finished a troubled eighth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) before concluding the 2019 season with a victory in the Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream for Diamond 100 Racing Club LLC, D P Racing LLC, Patrick Biancone Racing LLC and Amy Dunne.

Although a one-turn specialist, Diamond Oops ran in the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park, acquitting himself nicely with a fourth-place finish in a field of 10.

Luca Panici, who rode Diamond Oops for the first time in the Coaltown Handicap, has the return mount in Sunday's six-furlong overnight stakes for 3-year-olds and up.

Monarch Stables Inc.'s Art G is Back is scheduled to be back in action Sunday after a seven-month layoff. The 4-year-old son of Exchange Rate had a busy and successful 3-year-old campaign, in which he won a pair of stakes and placed in fourth other stakes.

“He looks fabulous. The rest did him good,” trainer Ron Spatz said. “Hopefully, he runs well.”

Art G is Back ran 13 times at distances between seven furlongs and 1 1/16 miles, winning four of six starts over the Gulfstream Park main track, including two stakes wins at seven furlongs.

“He's never run six furlongs. I think it's a little bit short. This is a spot to jump off,” said Spatz, who also saddled Art G is Back for three stakes placings on turf.

Miguel Vasquez, who was aboard for Art G is Back's victory in the Thirsty Fish last year, will be reunited with the Florida-bred colt.

Jacks or Better Farm Inc.'s Garter and Tie will seek his first victory in six starts since capturing the Ocala Stakes by 10 ½ lengths prior to finishing fifth behind Diamond Oops in last year's Smile. The 4-year-old homebred son of Brooks 'n Down has captured three stakes over the Gulfstream track, including the $200,000 Florida Sire Stakes Affirmed in 2018.

Emisael Jaramillo has the call on the Ralph Nicks-trained half-brother to Shivaree, who finished second in the March 28 Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

Imaginary Stables and Glenn K. Ellis' Royal Squeeze, who finished fourth in last year's Smile, will seek his 11th career win over the Gulfstream track Sunday. The Elizabeth Dobles-trained 8-year-old gelding has won four stakes at Gulfstream and is coming off a May 31 optional claiming allowance victory.

Victor Lebron has the return call aboard the won of Wildcat Heir.

Mi Tres Por Ciento, a multiple-stakes winner in Chile who won his U.S. debut at Gulfstream three starts back, is scheduled to make his first start for owners Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher and trainer Michael Maker after being claimed for $62,500 out of his most recent start.

Edgard Zayas has the call aboard in the 5-year-old gelding.

My Purple Haze Stables' Cool Arrow and Linda Riznick's Running for Riz round out the field.

The post Diamond Oops To Prep For Smile Sprint Defense In Sunday’s Opening Lead Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

CDI Seeks to Sell Arlington Land

The long-term future for Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) to continue racing in Illinois involves selling its Arlington International Racecourse land for another purpose and transferring the corporation’s racing license to another location.

Bill Carstanjen, the chief executive officer of CDI, outlined the gaming company’s desire to rid itself of Chicago’s premier Thoroughbred venue in a July 30 conference call with investors. His comments came six days after Arlington’s delayed 2020 season opening (because of the pandemic and a bitter contract dispute with local horse people) and one day before 2021 dates applications were due to be filed with the Illinois Racing Board.

Carstanjen was responding to a question from an investment analyst who asked about the gaming corporation’s “broad Illinois strategy” with respect to Arlington.

“We reached an agreement with the horsemen [and] we’re running the race meet right now,” Carstanjen said, according to an edited transcript of the call posted on Yahoo! Finance. “We’ll run a 2020 race meeting. We have an agreement to run a 2021 race meet if we elect to do so. That’s not a long-term viable solution for the Arlington Park license.”

Carstanjen continued: “Long-term for Arlington Park, as we’ve explained on these calls, and [as] we’ve explained to the state, it doesn’t work. The economics don’t work. It’s not a viable solution. We’d like to give the state, given everything that’s going on, an opportunity to help us find a better long-term solution. But the long-term solution is not Arlington Park. That land will have a higher and better purpose for something else at some point.

“But we want to work constructively with all of the constituencies in the market to see if there’s an opportunity to move the license or otherwise change the circumstances so that racing can continue in Illinois. But for us, we’ve been patient and thoughtful and constructive with the parties up in that jurisdiction.

“But long term, that land gets sold, and that license will need to move if it’s going to continue,” Carstanjen said. “And the time frame for doing that is not something I’m going to comment on this call today, and it’s not definitive. But certainly, certainly, it’s something that’s on our mind on a week-to-week basis, if not a day-to-day basis.”

The relationship between Arlington and the horse people who race on the Illinois circuit has been contentious for several years now. The split widened considerably last August when Arlington management stunned Illinois stakeholders by intentionally missing a deadline to apply for a racino license after more than a decade of working with the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (ITHA) to get the Illinois Gaming Act passed as a way to boost purses via other forms of betting.

Arlington’s decision not to pursue slot machines and table games at the track took on heightened controversy because Arlington’s corporate parent, Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), has an ownership stake in a nearby competing casino and is aiming to open another near Chicago.

Horsemen have stated a belief that CDI doesn’t want Arlington competing with its own (and potentially more lucrative) venues. Last summer, CDI cited the racino law’s requirement of having to contribute gaming revenues to the Thoroughbred purse account as a competitive disadvantage it did not want to undertake.

The Daily Herald of suburban Chicago obtained a statement on Thursday from the ITHA that stated “For Churchill’s CEO to say preposterously that Churchill has been ‘patient’ with other stakeholders speaks to the height of Churchill’s contempt for the elected officials and working families of Illinois. The very least that Churchill could do is be honest about its true intention: the company cares only about maximizing profit and is happy to sacrifice the spirit of Illinois law and the livelihood of working Illinoisans to serve its greed.”

Carstanjen also disclosed on the call that despite applying for a sports betting license in March, Arlington no longer plans on pursuing it.

“Currently, we’re not planning on doing sports wagering there through the Arlington license. We’re happy to play heavily in Illinois and sports wagering through our Rivers [Casino] license.” That venue is about 10 miles from Arlington and CDI owns a 61% stake in it.

The Daily Herald quoted a rebuke from Tom Hayes, the mayor of Arlington Heights, where the track is located.

“It’s very disappointing to hear,” Hayes said. “Certainly, I’ve never felt Churchill Downs was all that concerned about Arlington Heights and our community at all. I think they’re concerned about the bottom line.”

The post CDI Seeks to Sell Arlington Land appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Shirreffs Has An ‘Emotional Connection’ To Shared Belief Favorite Honor A. P.

Del Mar will be the venue for a Kentucky Derby prep race Saturday, the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes.

Weird, right?

“Nothing feels weird this year, weird is the norm,” said John Shirreffs, trainer of 8-5 morning line favorite Honor A. P.

Amen to that.

Back on March 30, Churchill Downs announced that, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Run for the Roses – a worldwide sports calendar fixture on the first Saturday in May – would be moved to the first Saturday in September for its 146th running. Likely a somewhat unsettling announcement to many trainers with Derby candidates in their stables. But, of course, not to Shirreffs.

“It didn't require any big adjustment,” Shirreffs said matter of factly – his default attitude on most matters. “We waited for the San Felipe and then the Santa Anita Derby, which was the regular plan.”

Honor A. P., a son of Honor Code and grandson of champion A.P. Indy, made his racing debut at 6 furlongs with a fast-closing runner-up finish at Del Mar on August 17 of last year. Stretched to a mile two months later, he was a 5 1/4 –length winner at Santa Anita to end a 2-year-old campaign that, while brief, caught the eye of Derby watchers.

He was second to Authentic in the Grade II, 1 1/16-mile San Felipe on March 20, beaten 2 ¼ lengths, but turned the tables in the COVID-delayed, 1 1/18-mile Santa Anita Derby on June 6, winning by 2 ¾-lengths.

The win elevated Honor A. P. to the top, or near it, on Derby Watch lists. But it necessitated a decision for Shirreffs and owners C R K Stable of Lee and Susan Searing of Arcadia, CA, regarding the next stop on the Derby trail. Go east for one of several large-purse races or stay in Southern California for the Shared Belief?

In anticipation of being a Derby prep — one that would offer Derby “points” (50-20-10-5 to the first four finishers) — the Shared Belief had been moved back a few weeks on the Del Mar scheduled and advanced from a mile to 1 1/16 miles in distance. The next race call went to the Shared Belief.

Honor A. P. has worked four times over the Del Mar surface and Shirreffs said: “I think he's coming into this race as well as he was for the Santa Anita Derby.”

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, aboard for all four of Honor A. P.'s starts, describes him as a “big, strong, developing colt,” who could wind up benefitting from the delay of the Derby with the extra time for maturity and experience.

Shirreffs says: “He's got a great stride on him and he's light on his feet. My job is finding ways to get him to relax; to learn a little more race by race.”

Shirreffs trained the colt's dam, Hollywood Story. “That gives me an emotional connection,” he said. “But I really benefit from training his sister Hollywood Girl. That helps a lot because they're alike in that they're really competitive and have similar dispositions.”

Honor A. P. has reunited Shirreffs and Smith for a third Derby run in the past 15 years. In 2005, they combined for a victory in Louisville on 50-1 Giacomo, to that point the second-biggest longshot winner in Derby history. Giacomo paid $102.60 to win and was the front of a superfecta that returned more than $1.7 million.

Giacomo had finished fourth in the Santa Anita Derby a month earlier and was part of a crop of California 3-year-olds that was largely dismissed as contenders.

“(Giacomo) had run a creditable Santa Anita Derby but he hadn't won any of the preps,” Shirreffs recalled. “Mike was the one who encouraged us to go on; he thought he'd do better at the mile and a quarter.”

Unlike the betting public, Smith was sold on Giacomo – owned by recording executive Jerry Moss and his wife Anne and named for the son of the musician Sting.

“I really believed going in that he had a good shot,” Smith remembered. “I told everyone I knew 'Don't leave him out.' I knew the mile and a quarter would be right up his alley.”

A stone closer, Giacomo was 17th of 20 in the early going, well off a blistering pace, but stormed down the stretch to win by a half length and provide Smith with his first Derby victory in his 12th start.

“None of the Southern California races set up for him,” Smith said. “He ran in a tough year and didn't get credit for being as good as he was. But he was a really good horse. For him to come back (to Del Mar) the next year and win the San Diego Handicap was really something.”

Giacomo went into the 2006 San Diego Handicap winless in four starts following the Kentucky Derby. He was the sixth Derby winner to race at Del Mar, but only fourth choice in a field of eight at 5-1 on the morning line. Reminiscent of the Derby, he made a gritty stretch run and prevailed over Bob Baffert trainee Preachinathebar by a head in the final jump.

“He might have redeemed himself today. And he might have redeemed me too,” Smith said after the race.

“It was like the Derby again wasn't it,” Shirreffs said. “He won the Derby, so anything (negative) anybody said about him has gone in one ear and out the other.”

The win by Giacomo was the 15th of a now 70 total stakes victories in 19 seasons at Del Mar, 10th all time, for Smith. It was the fifth stakes win for Shirreffs, who has added 11 more in subsequent years, three of them coming in consecutive runnings of the Clement L. Hirsch (2008, '09, '10) by his marvelous mare Zenyatta.

What does Smith think of riding in a Kentucky Derby prep at Del Mar?

“It's very different, but this has been a very different kind of year,” the rider said.

That makes it unanimous.

The post Shirreffs Has An ‘Emotional Connection’ To Shared Belief Favorite Honor A. P. appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

10% Purse Increase at Del Mar

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has instituted a 10% purse increase, which will be retroactive to the track’s opening day, July 10. Del Mar has also added a stakes race to its 2020 calendar–the $75,000 Del Mar Juvenile Filly Turf–a one-mile grass test for 2-year-old fillies Sept. 6. The race, which had been a regular feature at the seaside oval in the previous eight seasons, had been omitted from the original stakes schedule due to belt tightening measures. From July 10 through July 27, Del Mar conducted seven days of racing, without spectators due to COVID-19 restrictions, however, accounted for $133,841,412 in online wagering, an increase of over 5% over corresponding dates last year.

“Our horsemen have been terrific and our customers have responded very positively to what we’re presenting,” said Tom Robbins, Del Mar’s executive vice president for racing. “We’ve been running either 11- or 10-race cards and our field size is up to 8.6 in the early going. We’re very pleased to offer this purse boost in conjunction with how the meet has unfolded so far.”
Last summer the track’s average field size finished at 8.0 per race.

Del Mar’s summer season is scheduled through Labor Day Sept. 7 with racing Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. However, in response to the cancellation of racing during its second week, the track added Monday racing (July 27) with a 10-race card that drew $11.6 million in wagers. Del Mar indicated the plan is to make up their second and third missing days from week two with an added race day and additional races on scheduled cards.

The track returns to action Friday with six stakes races planned over the three-day weekend, including the GI Bing Crosby S. and GI Kentucky Derby point-earning race, the Shared Belief S. Saturday.

The post 10% Purse Increase at Del Mar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post