Ellen Charles | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cordmaker’s Richard Small Win Gives Him Lead In MATCH Series

Hillwood Stable's Cordmaker, a mainstay in the Maryland stakes ranks for several years, pulled away late to win the $100,000 Richard Small Stakes at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., Nov. 27 and in the process took the lead in the overall standings for the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships (MATCH) Series heading into the championship leg Dec. 26 at Laurel.

With regular rider Victor Carrasco aboard, Cordmaker broke well in the 1 1/8-mile stakes and found himself in a good spot in third behind Workin On a Dream and Shackqueenking, who raced one-two, respectively, until a duel developed on the far turn. Cordmaker, nursed along by Carassco, rallied three-wide on the turn, reached the front in the final eighth of a mile, and pulled away to win by 1 3/4 lengths for his third stakes victory of the year.

Workin On a Dream, a blowout winner of an allowance race at Laurel in his last start for owner Steven Walfish and trainer Robin Graham, held gamely for second under jockey Forest Boyce. Shackqueenking, who had won his last two starts in allowance company at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del., for owner Pocket 3's Racing and trainer Gary Capuano, easily held for third under Jaime Rodriguez as the favorite.

Cordmaker, who cleared the $700,000 mark in career earnings with his 11th win in 33 starts, paid $12.40 to win as the fourth choice in a field of 10. The 6-year-old Maryland-bred gelding by Curlin was bred by Robert Manfuso and Katy Voss and purchased as a yearling for $150,000 by Hillwood Stable, which is operated by longtime Maryland Thoroughbred owner Ellen Charles.

“I wanted him to stay close early,” trainer Rodney Jenkins said after Cordmaker won his second MATCH Series stakes in the 3-Year-Olds and Up Long—Dirt division in 2021. “I didn't want him to have a lot of ground to make up. I told Victor, 'Keep him up there and make them run.' This is a great result for the horse, the barn and Mrs. Charles.”

Cordmaker, who has started in all five legs thus far in his division, won the Victory Gallop Stakes at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., in August. He returned in the Polynesian Stakes at Laurel in September and crossed the finish line in second but was disqualified and placed sixth for drifting out near the three-sixteenths pole. Despite the setback, he picked up 5 MATCH bonus points in the Polynesian and padded his division lead.

“He broke well and we had a great trip,” Carrasco said. “I followed (Shackqueenking) because I thought he was the only horse who could beat us. As soon as we passed the five-sixteenths pole, I said, 'Go,' and he responded nicely. He got the job done.”

Cordmaker entered the Richard Small with 24 points. He earned 10 points for the victory and another 2 bonus points for making his fifth start in the division. That gives him 36 points, nine more than Hello Beautiful, who leads the Filly and Mare Sprint—Dirt division with 27 points.

The division winners and the overall champion will be decided at Laurel the day after Christmas, when the final stakes for each of the MATCH Series' four divisions will be run.

The post Cordmaker’s Richard Small Win Gives Him Lead In MATCH Series appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Russell Rides Hello Beautiful To Alma North Victory, Gets 1,500th Winner

Jockey Sheldon Russell celebrated his 1,500th career victory in style Saturday, guiding Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables, and Magic City Stables' Hello Beautiful to a popular 3 ¾-length score in the $100,000 Alma North at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The fifth running of the Alma North for fillies and mares 3 and older was the first of three $100,000 stakes on the final program of July, followed by the Challedon, also sprinting six furlongs, and 1 1/8-mile Deputed Testamony, both for 3-year-olds and up.

All three races are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

It was the eighth career win and sixth in a stakes for Hello Beautiful ($2.20), who is trained by Russell's wife, Brittany. The final time of 1:09.63 was the fastest of two runnings at the current distance.

“It's always anxious because she means so much to us and she's been so good,” Sheldon Russell said. “As soon as she got the first quarter, I knew that she was in her happy place and it was cruise control from there. The final time was extremely impressive. She's a good filly.

“I'm just very happy that we got it out of the way, and for it to happen on Hello Beautiful. She's been a great filly throughout my career, she's given me some great wins,” he added. “She was mine and Brittany's first stakes winner together, so for me to reach a milestone on one of our favorite fillies, it's something I'll never forget.”

To commemorate the milestone, Russell teamed with agent Marty Leonard to gift Hello Beautiful's groom, Luis Barajas, with $1,500. It was a gesture Russell began with $1,000 for his 1,000th winner on March 7, 2015, with Shayjolie in the Cat Cay at Aqueduct.

“Luis has been with us for about a year now. He's a key role behind the scenes at the barn and he takes care of some really, really nice fillies,” Russell said. “He's got years of experience, so when they come with that kind of background, straight away when he came into Brittany's barn she gave him the best five horses pretty much that she has.

“It's good that the money's coming home. I see these guys on a daily basis and for them to make the extra money is always great,” he added. “Just finally to have gotten the 1,500, we can start moving forward now. I was starting to feel the pressure there. I had a couple of close finishes [Friday] and then today. It takes the pressure off.”

Beaten at the wire in his first mount of the day, 3-5 favorite Make It a Double in Race 2 for trainer Anthony Farrior, Russell and Hello Beautiful quickly established command as the 1-9 choice in a field of five. They rolled through a quarter-mile in :23.41 and a half in :45.84 with mild pressure from Call On Mischief.

Hello Beautiful straightened for home in front and shook loose through the stretch from Call On Mischief, who stayed up for second by a neck over Precious, followed by Bluefield and Paisley Singing. Club Car was scratched.

[Story Continues Below]

It was the first win in three tries at Pimlico for Hello Beautiful, having run third in her May 10, 2019 unveiling and second by a neck to undefeated Chub Wagon in the June 13 Shine Again. Bred in Maryland by Ellen Charles' Hillwood Stable, Hello Beautiful was picked out and purchased by Brittany Russell for $6,500 at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic December 2018 mixed sale.

“The question was always is she a horse for the course at Laurel and she's run two big races at Pimlico now so it's good that she can run on a different surface, as well. It feels great,” Brittany Russell said.

Hello Beautiful won the Jan. 16 What A Summer, 2020 Safely Kept and Maryland Million Distaff, and 2019 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship and Maryland Million Lassie, all with Sheldon Russell aboard at Laurel Park. She now has earnings of $464,610 from 16 lifetime starts and a milestone win for husband and wife, who are parents to daughter, Edy, who turns 2 next month, and are expecting a second child in November.

“It's really incredible it worked out that way, especially because [Sheldon] was on a very live horse of Farrior's in the second race and they're very good friends of ours,” she added. “I would have been just as happy to see him do it on his horse, but then when the horse got nailed on the line, selfishly I thought, 'Ok. It's going to be the big filly.' She means so much to us. It's very special.”

Russell was Maryland's overall leading rider in 2011 and has won eight career meet titles, the most recent coming at Laurel Park's calendar year-ending 2020 fall stand. He has battled various injuries over the course of his career and currently ranks second to Charlie Marquez for the state's most wins in 2021.

“In this game, you've got to stay healthy. The wins will always come. Knock on wood, we've been on a bit of a roll here and not been injured for a while,” Sheldon Russell said. “Just very fortunate. I'm happy to get to this milestone; hopefully, we can get to 2,000.”

The Alma North is named for the Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old filly and Horse of the Year in 1971 and Maryland-bred champion older filly of 1972. Owned by the late Eugene Mori's East Acres Stable, Alma North won 23 of 78 career starts with $513,597 in purse earnings from 1970-74. Her victories included graded-stakes scores in the Grade 1 Matchmaker and Grade 2 Vineland, Grade 3 Margate, and Grade 3 Betsy Ross handicaps in 1973.

The post Russell Rides Hello Beautiful To Alma North Victory, Gets 1,500th Winner appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Maryland Horse Breeders Association Elects New Board Members

The Maryland Horse Breeders Association membership has selected one incumbent member, a 2019 presidential appointee and three new members to the 2020 Board of Directors.

Dictated by MHBA bylaws, the annually-held election fills five open seats on the board. Those elected will serve for the next three years. Bill Reightler, who served on the board from 2010 to 2015 and 2017 to 2019, is this year's only incumbent.

Ellen M. Charles – A prominent owner and breeder in Maryland who races as Hillwood Stables, this will be Charles first three-year term on the board. The granddaughter of Marjorie Meriweather Post, heiress to the Post cereal fortune, resides in Washington, D.C., and has served as president of the board of Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens for 25 years. Owner of Grade 3 winner Bandbox, who stands at Northview Stallion Station, Charles has her own herd of broodmares, horses of racing age and young stock. She had connections to three 2019 Maryland-bred champions as co-breeder/co-owner of Majestic Reason, owner of Cordmaker and breeder of Laddie Liam. A board member of Beyond The Wire and past board member of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, Charles hopes “to restore racing to its success before the pandemic and continue supporting breeders' bonuses and aftercare programs.”

Michael D. Golden DVM – A small animal veterinarian, Golden is the vice president of family-owned Northview Stallion Station and Sycamore Hall Farm in Chesapeake City (Cecil County), and will serve on the board for the first time. The Baltimore City resident has been involved in Thoroughbred breeding and racing since 1975, highlighted by homebred Clever Mind's win in the 2017 Maryland Million Nursery, and has owned the Veterinary Housecall Service and Clinic, based in Crofton, since 1997. While serving on the board, Golden aims to “support an agenda conducive to the growth and expansion of Thoroughbred breeding in Maryland, promote ongoing efforts to improve the safety of Thoroughbred racing, and help the transition of horses from racing to a second career when not suitable for breeding.”

A. Leonard Pineau VMD – Owner of Three Pines Farm in Glyndon (Baltimore County), Pineau has bred the likes of graded stakes winner Purely Hot and stakes winners Ten Out of Ten and Music City. A veterinarian at Aardmore Veterinary Hospital, Pineau is a member of the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association (VMA) and American VMA, while also serving as president of the Greater Baltimore VMA. President of Pet E.R. and board member of the McDonogh School, Pineau has the goal of “ensuring the highest standard of integrity, honesty and drug-free racing.”

William S. Reightler – Founder and president of Bill Reightler Sales and Consulting Agency, this is Reightler's fourth term on the board, having previously served from 2010 to 2015, and 2017 to 2019. The resident of White Hall (Harford County) owns Hillrise Farm with wife Barrie. Serving as part of the MHBA's Yearling Show, Building and Legislative committees, Reightler is also a board member of the Maryland Agricultural Commission, Maryland State Fair, Maryland Horse Council and Maryland Association of Wildlife Conservation. One of the leading Thoroughbred sales agents in the Mid-Atlantic region, Reightler plans to “continue the stewardship that has resulted in Maryland's achievement of creating a strong regional program for racing and breeding.”

Thomas J. Rooney – A former U.S. Congress member, whose family owns Shamrock Farms in Woodbine (Carroll County), Rooney was a presidential appointee to the MHBA board in 2019. Based in Tequesta, Fla., Rooney is an attorney, instructor of constitutional law at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and CEO of Home Safe, a shelter for abused and abandoned children in Florida. With a small breeding and racing program of his own, Rooney strives to “make sure owners and breeders with a small stable are represented.” After working at the top level of politics, he understands “in order to move forward in a productive way, you have to have an open mind and understand all points of view.”

Of the five directors whose terms expired in 2020, Larry Murray was ineligible to stand for reelection because of having served six consecutive years as a member of the MHBA Board. Those whose terms have not expired are Richard F. Blue Jr., Michael Harrison DVM, Christy Holden, Michael Horning, Louis Merryman, Sabrina Moore, Kent Allen Murray, James B. Steele, David Wade and Theresa Wiseman.

The election results, along with committee presentations, will be on the agenda at the MHBA annual general membership meeting, to be held virtually Monday, June 22, starting at 12 p.m., online via Zoom.

The post Maryland Horse Breeders Association Elects New Board Members appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

MHBA Board of Directors Election Results Announced

The Maryland Horse Breeders Association announced the results of its board elections Tuesday, with membership selecting one incumbent member, a 2019 presidential appointee and three new members to the 2020 Board of Directors. Dictated by MHBA bylaws, the annually held election fills five open seats on the board. Those elected will serve for the next three years. Bill Reightler, who served on the board from 2010 to 2015 and 2017 to 2019, is this year’s only incumbent. He will be joined by Ellen Charles, Michael Golden, A. Leonard Pineau and Thomas Rooney.

Of the five directors whose terms expired in 2020, Larry Murray was ineligible to stand for reelection because of having served six consecutive years as a member of the MHBA Board. Those whose terms have not expired are Richard F. Blue, Jr., Michael Harrison, DVM, Christy Holden, Michael Horning, Louis Merryman, Sabrina Moore, Kent Allen Murray, James B. Steele, David Wade and Theresa Wiseman.

The post MHBA Board of Directors Election Results Announced appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post