Del Mar | Horse Racing Free Tips

John Lies To Pinch Hit For Larry Collmus In Final Four Days Of Del Mar Season

John Lies, a seasoned race caller who has worked at Del Mar since 2007 in different capacities, will take over the mic for the final four days of the current summer season as Larry Collmus, who has been pinch-hitting since opening day for regular announcer Trevor Denman, heads off to Kentucky to prepare for his annual role with NBC as the race caller for the Kentucky Derby.

Lies (pronounced “Lees”) has called races at locations around the U.S., including 10-year stints at both Lone Star Park in Texas and Kentucky Downs, as well as at his current jobs at Will Rogers Downs and Fair Meadows Tulsa in Oklahoma.

Collmus, a nationally-known announcer who has worked at racing venues around the country and has been the voice of the Triple Crown since 2011, stepped up and in at Del Mar when Denman, Del Mar's caller since 1984, told the track he was going to stay home in Minnesota this summer in light of the COVID-19 situation. In his role as a “pinch hitter,” Collmus' professionalism and enthusiasm have shone through at the seaside oval since he took up the mic on July 10.

Collumus will call his final Del Mar card on Monday, August 31 and then head off for his assignment at the delayed Kentucky Derby scheduled for Saturday, September 5. Lies will call the four remaining programs of Del Mar's 81st summer season – September 4, 5, 6 and the Labor Day finale on September 7.

Lies, 43, was born in Long Beach, CA, but grew up mostly in the San Diego area. His father was a trainer and young John's racing interests found him imitating the calls of his hero, Denman, accent and all. When he met the South African caller at the age of 9 at Del Mar, a friendship was formed and his role as hero/mentor all but ensured that young Lies had found his calling.

Besides his full-time announcing jobs, Lies estimates he has guest announced at a dozen tracks nationally, including twice at Del Mar. Additionally, the savvy racetrack veteran has filled many different roles at various venues around the country. At Del Mar he's been its simulcast signal announcer since 2007, has worked in its racing office since 2013 and this year took over the job of morning line maker. At both Will Rogers Downs and Fair Meadows Tulsa he is the announcer, the racing secretary and the morning line maker.

Denman has told Del Mar officials that he plans on returning to his regular role at the track with the start of its fall season on October 31.

The post John Lies To Pinch Hit For Larry Collmus In Final Four Days Of Del Mar Season appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘Forgotten Horse’ Authentic Completes Penultimate Workout For Kentucky Derby

Following an abandoned workout on Monday, Haskell winner Authentic completed his scheduled breeze successfully on Tuesday at Del Mar. According to the Daily Racing Form, the 3-year-old son of Into Mischief was given an official time of 1:38.60 for a mile under exercise rider Juan Ochoa.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert had Authentic in 1:24.60 for seven furlongs, and plans to breeze the colt again on Sunday before shipping him to Churchill Downs on Monday.

A five-time winner from six starts, Authentic is expected to be at least double-digit odds in the Run for the Roses.

“He's the forgotten horse,” Baffert told drf.com.

Champion Maximum Security Back Out Front In NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

Champion Maximum Security asserted his class when he captured the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on August 22, an effort that has once again moved the son of New Year's Day to the head of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll.

In earning his tenth career triumph and fourth top-level victory, Maximum Security secured 16 first-place votes and 343 points to take the lead in the poll for the first time since March 2. The 4-year-old bay colt has won both of his starts since being transferred to the barn of Bob Baffert having previously annexed the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on July 25 in his first start under the care of the Hall of Fame trainer.

“He was a totally different horse today,” Baffert told the Del Mar publicity team after the Pacific Classic. He (jockey Abel Cedillo) got to know 'Max' last time and I'm happy for him. (Maximum Security) just does things effortlessly. He wasn't even blowing when he came back. I'm just so happy for this horse. It's not his fault what he went through. Today he showed that he is a great horse.”

With Maximum Security taking over the top spot, fellow multiple Grade 1-winner Vekoma drops one position to No. 2 with 8 first-place votes and 297 points. Tom's d'Etat (3 first-place votes, 250 points) is now third followed by Grade 1 Whitney Stakes-winner Improbable (232 points) in fourth.

Top sophomore Tiz the Law (11 first-place votes, 228 points) remains in fifth, just ahead of champion distaffer Midnight Bisou in sixth with 204 points. Zulu Alpha (109 points) ranks seventh while the Chad Brown-trained Rushing Fall (102 points) jumps up three spots to eighth on the strength of her triumph in the Grade 1 Diana Stakes on August 23.

Champion Monomoy Girl (1 first-place vote and 96 points) and By My Standards (81 points) round out the top 10.

With the September 5 Kentucky Derby less than two weeks away, Belmont and Travers Stakes hero Tiz the Law remains the leader in the NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Poll with 39 first-place votes and 390 points.

Blue Grass Stakes winner Art Collector remains in second with 320 points followed by Honor A. P. (274 points) and fellow Grade 1 winner Authentic (249).

After being tied for the fifth spot last week, Gamine now owns that position outright with 207 points – one point more than her expected Kentucky Oaks rival Swiss Skydiver (206). Thousand Words (138 points) holds in seventh with King Guillermo (102), Ny Traffic (77) and Travers runner-up Caracaro (60) completing the top 10.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in both the Top Three-Year-Old Poll and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through the conclusion of the Breeders' Cup in November.

The post Champion Maximum Security Back Out Front In NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Authentic Pulled Up Mid-Workout To Avoid Stricken Horse; Breeze Rescheduled For Tuesday

Haskell winner and Kentucky Derby contender Authentic was about an eighth of a mile into his penultimate breeze on Monday morning at Del Mar, reports the Daily Racing Form, when Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert radioed from his spot in the grandstand out to exercise rider Juan Ochoa, telling him to pull up.

Ahead of Authentic, near the wire, a different horse had suffered a catastrophic injury, causing track officials to set off the warning siren.

Authentic was pulled up and taken back to the barn, and Baffert decided to reschedule the colt's workout for Tuesday morning, five days ahead of his planned final breeze on Sunday. The 3-year-old son of Into Mischief is scheduled to fly to Kentucky the following morning, on Monday, Aug. 31.

The injured horse, vanned off the track after the incident, was identified as Phil D'Amato trainee Irreproachable.