Tag: Delaware

Delaware Approves 2024 Dates, Releases Stakes Schedule

The Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission (DTRC) approved the 2024 Delaware Park live racing dates, punctuated by a $2.75 million stakes schedule. The 87th live racing season–featuring 75 days beginning on Wednesday, May 15 and concluding Saturday, Oct. 12–will be highlighted by the $500,000 GII Delaware H. July 7.

For the first time since 2009, the Delaware H. will be run on a Sunday, highlighting a festival weekend of racing that includes the $250,000 GIII Robert G. Dick S. on the July 7 undercard. The $300,000 GII Delaware Oaks will kick off the weekend July 6.

“We want to carry the positive momentum established last year into this upcoming season,” said Chief Financial Officer Kevin DeLucia. “The horsemen, commission and management have continued working together to ensure competitive, fair and safe racing. We have also been aggressively expanding our wagering menu and finding the right niches to make our signal attractive on the national landscape. It will be challenging to keep moving the needle in a positive direction in the highly competitive Mid-Atlantic market, but our team is eager for the opportunity.”

Total live racing handle increased 7.0%, to $152.3 million for the 85-day meet in 2023 from $142.3 million for the 87-day meet in 2022. The daily average handle increased 9.6%, to $1.8 million in 2023 from $1.6 million in 2022.

Live racing will be conducted on a Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday weekly format for the majority of the 2024 meet. Nine Friday cards will be added to the schedule: June 7, June 14, Aug. 2, Aug. 9, Sept. 13, Sept. 20, Sept. 27, Oct. 4 and Oct. 11.

Live racing is not scheduled on Thursday, July 11. Daily first race post time is set for 12:30 p.m.

For the complete 2024 stakes schedule, click here.

 

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Weekly Stewards and Commissions Rulings: Aug. 1-7

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky.

Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.

With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week.

 

CALIFORNIA

Track: Del Mar

Date: 08/07/2022

Licensee:  Kent Desormeaux, jockey

Penalty: Sixty-day suspension

Violation: Disorderly conduct

Explainer: Having now appeared for a formal hearing held at Del Mar Race Track on July 29, 2022, LATS Ruling #55 issued at Santa Anita Park on March 4, 2022 is set aside. Jockey Kent Desormeaux is suspended for 60 days (August 8, 2022 thru October 6, 2022, inclusive) for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1874 (Disorderly Conduct – aggressive behavior in RV park – [second offense]) at Del Mar Race Track on November 23, 2021 and violation of CHRB Rule #1485(d) (License Subject to Conditions and Agreement – failure to abide by written agreement with the Winners Foundation).

Furthermore, Kent Desormeaux shall sign a testing agreement with the California Horse Racing Board while licensed in California and is ordered to be evaluated by the Winners Foundation and shall abide by the recommendations of that organization. Failure to do so may result in a suspension of his license. During the term of this suspension all licenses and license privileges of Kent Desormeaux are suspended and pursuant to California Horse Racing Board Rule #1528 (Jurisdiction of Stewards to Suspend and Fine) Kent Desormeaux is denied access to all premises in this jurisdiction.

 

FLORIDA

The following were only recently posted on the Association of Racing Commissioners International's “Recent Rulings” website and are not timely.

Track: Gulfstream Park

Date: 06/21/2022

Licensee:  Teresa Pompay

Penalty: $1000 fine

Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: FINAL ORDER # 2021-055080 – F.S. 550.2415 VIOLATION = METHOCARBAMOL. “EIGHTHANDBROADWAY” 6/29/2022 – $1000 FINE PAID TO GULFSTREAM PARK BOARD OF RELIEF.

 

Track: Gulfstream Park

Date: 06/21/2022

Licensee:  Teresa Pompay, trainer

Penalty: $1000 fine 

Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: Steward's Ruling Final Order # 2021-052604 – F.S. 550.2415 violation = Methocarbamol. “SHASTREE” 6/29/2022 – $1000 fine paid to Gulfstream Park Board of Relief.

 

Track: Gulfstream Park

Date: 05/31/2022

Licensee: Herman Wilensky, trainer

Penalty:  $500 fine

Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: STEWARD'S RULING FINAL ORDER # 2022-001857 – F.S. 550.2415 VIOLATION = FLUNIXIN & PHENYLBUTAZONE. $500 FINE IMPOSED. 6/16/2022 – $500 FINE PAID TO GULFSTREAM PARK BOARD OF RELIEF.

 

Track: Gulfstream Park

Date: 05/31/2022

Licensee:  Sandra Slivka, trainer

Penalty: $500 fine

Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: STEWARD'S RULING FINAL ORDER # 2022-006421 – F.S. 550.2415 VIOLATION = FLUNIXIN AND PHENYLBUTAZONE. $500 FINE IMPOSED. “FUTURE FLAY” 6/15/2022 – $500 FINE PAID TO GULFSTREAM PARK BOARD OF RELIEF.

 

Track: Gulfstream Park

Date: 05/31/2022

Licensee: Armando De la Cerda, trainer

Penalty:  $300 fine

Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: STEWARD'S RULING FINAL ORDER # 2019-043370 – F.S. 550.2415 VIOLATION = DEXTRORPHAN. $300 FINE IMPOSED. “EXTRAVAGANT ROSIE” 6/30/2022 – $300 FINE PAID TO GULFSTREAM PARK BOARD OF RELIEF.

 

Track: Gulfstream Park

Date: 05/12/2022

Licensee: Richard Silvestri, trainer

Penalty: N/A

Violation: Trainer responsibility

Explainer: FINAL ORDER # 2022-013933 – F.S. 550.2415 VIOLATION = PHENYLBUTAZONE. WRITTEN WARNING IMPOSED AND ISSUED. “FEARLESS GIRL”

 

NEW HISA STEWARDS RULINGS

Note: While HISA has shared these rulings over the past week, some of them originate from prior weeks.

 

Violations of Crop Rule

FINGER LAKES

Benjamin Hernandez – ruling date July 12, 2022 – x2* (two rulings resulting from the same incident)

John Berios – ruling date July 13, 2022 – x2* (two rulings resulting from the same incident)

Benjamin Hernandez – ruling date July 18, 2022

Carlos Camilo – ruling date July 19, 2022

 

GULFSTREAM PARK

Mario Fuentes – ruling date July 16, 2022

David Boraco – ruling date July 23, 2022

Edgar Prado – ruling date July 23, 2022

Ailsa Morrison – ruling date July 29, 2022

Edwin Gonzalez – ruling date July 31, 2022

Ailsa Morrison – ruling date July 31, 2022

 

PARX RACING

Lenin Alfredo Cruz Rodriguez – ruling date July 26, 2022

 

PENN NATIONAL

Edilberto Rodriguez – ruling date July 29, 2022

 

DELAWARE PARK

Joseph Trejos – ruling date July 30, 2022

 

PRAIRIE MEADOWS

Kevin Roman – ruling date August 1, 2022

 

HORSESHOE INDIANAPOLIS

Angel Reyes – ruling date August 2, 2022

 

SARATOGA

Jose Ortiz – ruling date August 7, 2022

 

*More than one violation marked by “x2”, “x3”, etc.

 

Violations of Horseshoe Rule

DEL MAR

Milton Pineda – ruling date August 7, 2022

 

Violations of Riding Crop Specifications

ARIZONA DOWNS

Aldo Arboleda – ruling date August 1, 2022

Enrique Garcia – ruling date August 1, 2022

Isaias Enriquez – ruling date August 1, 2022

Aylssa Morales – ruling date August 1, 2022

Daniel Vergara – ruling date August 1, 2022

Michael Ybarra – ruling date August 1, 2022

Francisco Garcia – ruling date August 1, 2022

Ryan Barber – ruling date August 1, 2022

Kevin Carbajal – ruling date August 1, 2022

Devon Ellis – ruling date August 1, 2022

Arturo Rosalis – ruling date August 1, 2022

Jose Leon – ruling date August 1, 2022

Ryan Barber – ruling date August 1, 2022

 

PRAIRIE MEADOWS

Glenn Corbett – ruling date August 1, 2022

 

Voided Claims

GULFSTREAM PARK

Malraux – ruling date July 16, 2022

October Time – ruling date July 17, 2022

Meade – ruling date July 23, 2022

Hierro – ruling date July 23, 2022

 

MONMOUTH PARK

Bamboo Garden – ruling date August 7, 2022

Love Nest – ruling date August 7, 2022

 

Violations Involving Forfeiture of Purse

PARX RACING: Lenin Alfredo Cruz Rodriguez – riding crop violation (unspecified amount of strikes) – waived hearing – purse redistribution

 

FINGER LAKES: Luis Perez – 11 strikes – $500 fine; 3-day suspension; 5 HISA class 2 points; horse disqualified from purse earnings

 

Appeal Request Updates

FINGER LAKES

Finger Lakes

Benjamin Hernandez

Crop rule violation

For the ruling regarding the incident on July 18, 2022

Appeal filed August 3, 2022

Stay requested

The post Weekly Stewards and Commissions Rulings: Aug. 1-7 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: ‘I Was Born For This’

John Hiraldo began learning how to ride horses just three short years ago, but today the 20-year-old is a leading candidate for the Eclipse Award as North America's outstanding apprentice jockey of 2021. 

The Puerto Rican-born Hiraldo had always wanted to be a jockey like his father, cousin, and uncle, but his mother took a firm stand on him finishing school and trying other sports before he committed to a life on the racetrack. 

“My mom tried to keep me in school and other sports; she tried her best for me to do something different,” Hiraldo said. “I'd always tell her, 'Mom, I was born for this.' 

“Now that I'm riding full-time, she's honestly my biggest fan! She records all the races, and she tells me, 'I watch 'em all, scared, I can't just sit back and not watch.' The only time she closes her eyes is when I'm at the top of the stretch and I hook up with another rider, because she doesn't want me to lose that battle to the wire!”

Hiraldo came to the U.S. mainland in 2018 to begin riding, spending time in Maryland learning how to exercise racehorses and in South Carolina, breaking babies at the Elloree Training Center. When Hiraldo returned to Maryland, he got a job working for trainer Brittany Russell. She and her husband, jockey Sheldon Russell, were instrumental in Hiraldo's continuing education.

“Thanks to her I started breezing horses, working horses out of the gate, and got my gate card,” Hiraldo relayed. “My agent asked Brittany if I was ready in November, and she said, 'Not quite yet.' When Sheldon said I was good, that's when she kind of fired me! The next day I just started walking around with my agent. I was booked to ride my first horse on Friday, and then I picked up a mount on that Thursday. 

“It was nerve-wracking, and I was definitely anxious, because honestly it was the day I was most waiting for in my life. That first race was different; I never thought I would experience something like that [being nervous]. But when I broke, it was like the most relaxing moment of my life. I was like, 'Okay, I'm here.' That was the moment I was waiting for. When I crossed the wire, I said, 'I wanna do this for the rest of my life.'”

From his first mount on Dec. 10, 2020, it took until New Year's Eve for Hiraldo to make his way to the winner's circle. As is so often the case on the racetrack, that day didn't pan out the way he'd planned it.

“All week I was looking forward to that day, because I was riding a 1-9 shot in the third race and everyone kept telling me she couldn't lose,” said Hiraldo. “Then she stumbled out of the gate, I lost my irons, and we ran third. I was so frustrated, beating myself up and wondering if I was even any good at this. I wanted to just go home, because my last horse was a 30-1 shot.”

Hiraldo bounced back and overcame the frustration to swing his leg over that longshot, and the young jockey is so glad he did.

“He comes out running, so I broke and I just sat off the lead,” he remembered. “I waited, waited, waited, then I asked him and he just took off. Without me knowing what the key to winning is, I just did it. It was patience.”

Flat Rate gives John Hiraldo his first career win at odds of 33-1

Flat Rate paid $69.80 to win, giving Hiraldo the first winner of his career.

“It's something very special, unbelievable really. I can't believe it,” Hiraldo told the Maryland Jockey Club media office from the winner's circle. “I'm very happy. I have to thank God for always watching over me and all the other riders. I'm just very happy. I've worked so hard for this moment and I've dreamed about it since I was a little kid. It's something very special for me.”

Over the ensuing year, Hiraldo worked hard to find as many mounts as possible, riding at up to three tracks in a single day. 

In one week, for example, he rode at Parx on Monday and Tuesday; at Colonial on Wednesday; at Delaware Park and Charles Town on Thursday; at Laurel, Delaware, and Charles Town on Friday; at Delaware and Penn National on Saturday; and at Laurel on Sunday.

He has gotten a lot of advice from his cousin, Angel Cruz (an Eclipse Award finalist for outstanding apprentice in 2014), and his uncle, Luis Batista, as well as some of the other riders on the Midatlantic circuit, like Xavier Perez and Victor Carrasco.

“I got a lot of experience, and it helped me to mature more in the game,” said Hiraldo. “Riding different surfaces against good jocks helped me to learn to ride over a lot of different racetracks.”

He celebrated his first stakes win on Oct. 13, winning the Clay Creek Stakes at Delaware Park aboard Red Hot Mess. The filly is trained by Hiraldo's girlfriend, Chelsey Moysey, for whom the win was also a first in stakes company.

“That was pretty cool,” Hiraldo said. “First for both.”

Hiraldo won 81 races in 2021, riding across the Midatlantic region for most of the year and at Oaklawn Park during the month of December. His major competitor for an Eclipse Award appears to be California-based Jessica Pyfer with 56 victories; her earnings of $2.7 million bested Hiraldo's $2.1 million.

While it's only been three years since he first got into the irons, and the race for the Eclipse is over (voting closes on Jan. 10), Hiraldo is just getting started. He'll keep his “bug,” the weight allowance granted to apprentice riders, through April, and hopes that his alliance with Oaklawn-based agent Jay Fedor will lead to a productive meet. So far, he's ridden five winners from 39 starters at the Hot Springs, Ark., track.

“I just want to make a name for myself here,” Hiraldo said. “The dream is to be in New York or Kentucky, so I've got to keep riding a lot of races, learning, and trying to win!”

Chelsey Moysey and John Hiraldo after their stakes win at Delaware Park

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Beer Can Mean Heads Down The Hill In Saturday’s Joe Hernandez Stakes

Trainer Mark Glatt's red-hot Beer Can Man heads a field of seven older horses going 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita's hillside turf course in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes. Named for the original Voice of Santa Anita, the Hernandez will return to a hillside start after being run in late 2020 at 5 ½ furlongs over the track's turf oval.

Forwardly placed early, Beer Can Man prevailed by a head as the 3-5 favorite in his most recent start, a five furlong turf classified allowance at Del Mar Nov. 7. Off the board in his debut going six furlongs over a sloppy track at Indiana Grand on July 22, 2020, the 4-year-old colt by Can the Man has been well at home on turf ever since, winning five races (including the G3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes in his first start for Glatt on Nov. 29, 2020), while second twice and third once.

Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, LLC and Madaket Stable, LLC, Beer Can Man will be trying the hillside course for the first time in what will be his 11th career start. With Flavien Prat set to ride him back, Beer Can Man, who is out of the Dynaformer mare Cheesecake, has earnings of $273,556.

A head and a nose away from being unbeaten in his last three starts, French-bred Commander, a rousing two-length winner down the hill two starts back on Oct. 2, comes off a close second in a five furlong turf classified allowance on Nov. 7 at Del Mar and rates a huge chance with Juan Hernandez taking over. Owned by the Sinnott Family Trust, this 5-year-old gelding will hope to be rallying late.

Three eastern shippers, Bill Mott's Chewing Gum, Paddy Gallagher's Delaware and Michael Trombetta's Momos, are all consistent turf horses in search of their first graded stakes victories.

THE GRADE 2 JOE HERNANDEZ STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 6 of 10 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT

  1. Beer Can Man—Flavien Prat—120
  2. Bran—Joe Bravo—120
  3. Chewing Gum—Umberto Rispoli—120
  4. Delaware—Mike Smith—120
  5. Commander—Juan Hernandez—120
  6. Momos—John Velazquez—120
  7. Cupid's Claws—Kent Desormeaux—120

First post time for a 10-race card that will include four graded stakes on Saturday is at 12 noon. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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