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Weekend Lineup: Santa Anita Stacked With Graded Stakes Action

Twelve grades stakes races will be run at Penn National, Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, Lone Star Park and Santa Anita Park over the Memorial Holiday Weekend. Santa Anita closes out the holiday weekend with three Grade 1 stakes: the Gamely, Hollywood Gold Cup and the Shoemaker Mile. The Shoemaker is the first Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race to be run in the U.S. this year.

TVG will be broadcasting racing throughout the weekend from Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app, which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

“America's Day at the Races” will be live on Saturday, May 29 on FS2 from 12:30-6 p.m.; on Sunday, May 30 on Bally Sports SoCal from 3-5:30 p.m.; and on FS2 from 4-4:30 p.m. On Monday, May 31, “America's Day at the Races” will air on FS2 from 12:30—8:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 29

4:22 p.m. ― $150,000 Grade 3 Regret Stakes at Churchill Downs on FS2

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Hernon and Gary Barber's Spanish Loveaffair leads a field of nine 3-year-old fillies in a wide open Grade 3 Regret Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Churchill Downs. Trained by Mark Casse, Spanish Loveaffair, a bay daughter of 2015 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Karakontie (JPN), finished second in last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Spanish Loveaffair has had some tough racing luck this year. She crossed the wire first in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 27, but in a controversial decision, was disqualified for interference and was placed fourth. In her most recent start, the Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland, she was bumped at the start and trailed a field of six. Tyler Gaffialione has the mount, breaking from post 4. Lazy F. Ranch's Gam's Mission, defeated Mark Detampel's Flown by a neck in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Churchill on May 8. Gam's Mission, trained by Cherie DeVaux, will be ridden by Adam Beschizza from post seven. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount aboard Flown, trained by Brendan Walsh, from post eight.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD052921USA8-EQB.html

4:55 p.m. ― $150,000 Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs on FS2

Two runners exiting the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve ― O Besos (fifth) and Helium (eighth) ― lead eight 3-year-olds in the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes going 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs. Trained by Greg Foley for Bernard Racing, Tagg Team Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds and Terry Stephens, O Besos finished third in the Grade 2 TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby prior to the “Run for the Roses.” O Besos will break from post three under Marcelino Pedroza. D.J. Stable's Helium, trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Julien Leparoux from post two, has won three of four starts, including the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby at 15-1. Juddmonte's Fulsome, trained by Brad Cox, also has won three of his four races, including an impressive 1 ¼-length victory in the listed 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn Stakes at Oaklawn Park on May 1.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD052921USA9-EQB.html

5:12 p.m. ― $200,000 Grade 2 Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park on FS2

Robert LaPenta, Augustin Stable and Madaket Stables' Hard Love leads a field of nine 3-year-olds in the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge going 1 1/8 miles at Belmont Park. Trained by Jonathan Thomas, Hard Love won the black type, 1 1/16-mile Woodhaven Stakes by 1 ¼ lengths at Aqueduct on April 17. Javier Castellano has the mount from post four. WinStar Farm and CHC's Sainthood, trained by Todd Pletcher, had a rough trip in the Kentucky Derby, finishing 11^th. Prior to that, Sainthood was a fast-closing second in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park. Joel Rosario, who leads all North American riders in graded stakes wins with 20, rides Sainthood breaking from post five. Shaftesbury, also trained by Pletcher, broke his maiden at 1 1/16 miles last time out at Belmont by 2 ¾ lengths.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL052921USA9-EQB.html

6:15 p.m. ― $150,000 Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Venerable geldings Bombard, trained by Richard Mandella, and Law Abidin Citizen, trained by Mark Glatt, will vie for favoritism among five turf sprinters in the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs at Santa Anita Park. The 8-year-old Bombard will be ridden from post two by Florent Geroux. A five-time winner, Bombard finished second by a half-length in a 6-furlong allowance prep over the course on April 25. Law Abidin Citizen, a 7-year-old by Twirling Candy, has not started since a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes on Aug. 29 at Del Mar. Ridden from post four by Abel Cedillo, Law Abidin Citizen has won four of nine starts on the Santa Anita turf course.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA052921USA5-EQB.html

7:19 p.m. ― $300,000 Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

LNJ Foxwoods United looms as the prohibitive favorite against three rivals in the $300,000 Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 ¼ miles on turf. An eight-time winner for trainer Richard Mandella, including last year's Whittingham, United, a 6-year-old gelding by Giant's Causeway, opened the season with a victory in Santa Anita's Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 ½ miles on March 20. Flavien Prat has the mount from post 4. Little Red Feather Racing, Gordon Jacobsen and Philip Belmonte's 7-year-old chestnut Red King last year won both the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita and the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap. Trained by Phil D'Amato, Red King will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli from post 3. D'Amato has also entered California-bred Acclimate, who finished second in the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita in February.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA052921USA7-EQB.html

7:52 p.m. ― $200,000 Grade 3 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

A field of five has been entered for the 70^th Triple Bend Stakes, a Grade 3 race at 7-furlongs for 3-year-olds and up. Jerome S. Moss' Lambeau will try to break into the graded stakes win column on Saturday after a sharp 1-mile optional allowance claiming win at Santa Anita on April 10, going wire to wire. Trained by John Shirreffs, Lambeau will be ridden by Edwin Maldonado from post two. The 4-year-old Eight Rings, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Flavian Prat from post five, will be making his first start since finishing seventh last August in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes at Saratoga. The Peter Eurton-trained 4-year-old Exaulted was third in the Grade 2 San Carlos at Santa Anita on March 6.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA052921USA8-EQB.html

Sunday, May 30

7:30 p.m. ―$200,000 Grade 2 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Ramona Bass, Perry Bass II, Adele Dilschneider and Waddell Hancock II's Soothsay, and Phoenix Thoroughbreds' Crazy Beautiful, lead five entered in Sunday's Grade 2 Summertime Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. Trained by Richard Mandella, Soothsay has won both her starts, which includes a 1-length score in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 3. Flavien Prat has be mount from post four aboard the 4-5 morning line favorite. Shipping in from Kentucky, the Ken McPeek-trained Crazy Beautiful will attempt to rebound from her 10th-place finish in the Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on April 30 when she was bothered at the start, raced wide, and did not make a move in the stretch. A daughter of Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Liam's Map, Crazy Beautiful won the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks in March.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA053021USA8-EQB.html

Monday, May 31

8:35 p.m. ― $400,000 Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park on TVG

Multiple graded stakes-winners C Z Rocket and By My Standards headline an eight-horse field at Lone Star Park in the Grade 3 $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile on the main track. Owned by Madaket Stables, Gary Barber and Tom Kagele, and trained by Peter Miller, C Z Rocket is the nation's leading sprinter, having conquered last year's champion sprinter Whitmore twice this year at Oaklawn in the listed Hot Springs and the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap. A 7-year-old gelded son of City Zip, C Z Rocket,11 of 25 lifetime, will be ridden from post eight by Florent Geroux. Allied Racing Stable and Spendthrift Farms' 5-year-old By My Standards won his first start of 2021 on April 10, taking the listed one-mile Oaklawn Mile Stakes by a nose. Last year, By My Standards, a bay son of two-time Breeders Cup Dirt Mile winner Goldencents, won a trio of Grade 2 stakes races in the New Orleans Classic Stakes at the Fair Grounds, the Oaklawn Handicap, and the Alysheba at Churchill Downs. Trained by Bret Calhoun, By My Standards will be ridden by Gabriel Saez from post 3. Another multiple graded stakes-winner is Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables' 5-year-old Warrior's Charge. Trained by Brad Cox, Warrior's Charge won the Grade 3 Razorback at Oaklawn and the Grade 3 Philip Iselin at Monmouth Park last year. Joel Rosario will ride Warrior's Charge breaking from post 4.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/LS053121USA11-EQB.html

7:00 p.m. – $300,000 Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Cannon Thoroughbreds' multiple graded stakes-winner Smooth Like Strait and Electric City Racing, Madaket Stables, Christopher Dunn and Jeremy Peskoff's Whisper Not (GB) headline a field of seven runners in the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile (G1) to be run at 1-mile on the turf on Monday, May 31, at Santa Anita Park. The Shoemaker Mile, the first U.S. Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race of 2021, will award the winner an automatic starting position into the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). Smooth Like Strait, was a hard luck third-place finisher in the 1 1/8-mile Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 1. Smooth Like Strait set the pace and held the lead until mid-stretch when his saddle slipped. He still fought gamely to the wire and finished just a neck behind Colonel Liam and Domestic Spending, who wound up in a dead heat. Smooth Like Strait was also beaten by a neck in his previous start, the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1) at Santa Anita on March 6. Since coming over from Great Britain in the second half of 2020, Whisper Not has hit the board in all five of his starts for trainer Richard Baltas. In his most recent start, he came from off the pace in the San Francisco Mile (G3) at Golden Gate Fields on April 24 to win by a head as the 7-5 favorite. Geovanni Franco will ride Whisper Not from post six.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA053121USA7-EQB.html

7:30 p.m. – $300,000 Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Royal Ship (BRZ), winner of the Grade 2 Californian Stakes, leads seven older horses entered for Monday's $300,000 Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 ¼ miles. Trained by Richard Mandella, Royal Ship, owned by Fox Hill Farm and Sienna Farm, and ridden from post one by Mike Smith, has won six of 12 starts, and got his first victory in the U.S. when winning the Californian on April 17 by a neck over WinStar Farm's Country Grammer. The latter, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Flavien Prat from post 2, won last year's Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes at Saratoga. CRK Stable's Express Train has hit the board in his last four starts in graded stakes. Trained by John Shirreffs and ridden by Juan Hernandez from post 3, Express Train won the Grade 3 San Pasqual at Santa Anita on Jan. 30, finished second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6, and was third in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on April 17. Jim Daniell and Donna Daniell's Florida-bred Rushie won last September's Grade 2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA053121USA8-EQB.html

8 p.m. – $300,000 Grade 1 Gamely Handicap at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Tommy Town Thoroughbreds' Keeper ofthe Stars, the defending champion, leads nine fillies and mares in the Grade 1 Gamely Handicap at Santa Anita. Trained by Jonathan Wong, Keeper ofthe Stars, won last year's race by a 1 ¼ lengths over Bodhicitta (GB). Keeper of the Stars faced males in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields, and finished second by a head to Whisper Not (GB). Abel Cedillo has the mount, breaking from post 6. Making her first start this year, Calvin Nguyen's Bodhicitta (GB) was the runner-up in last year's Gamely for trainer Richard Baltas. A 5-year-old chestnut daughter of Showcasing (GB), Bodhicitta won last year's Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar. Batlas has also entered the 4-year-old Going to Vegas, who won the Grade 3 Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita on March 27.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA053121USA9-EQB.html

The post Weekend Lineup: Santa Anita Stacked With Graded Stakes Action appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Live Racing Broadcast Daily Through Belmont Spring/Summer Meet

America's Day at the Races, produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports, will present live racing throughout the 48-day Belmont Park spring/summer meet that will run from Thursday, Apr. 22 through Sunday, July 11. The network will also feature live racing from the 38-day Churchill Downs spring meet that runs Apr. 24 to June 26, as well as continued coverage of the 57-day Oaklawn Park which runs through May 1.

Each live racing day at Belmont Park will feature coverage on FS2, which will also offer special preview shows for both the GI Kentucky Derby Friday, Apr. 30, and the GI Belmont S. Friday, June 4. In May, Belmont will offer a 1 p.m. post time with some exceptions. Thursday cards in May will begin at 3:05 p.m. America's Day at the Races will feature those cards as well as the Twilight Thursday program at Churchill Downs.

A complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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NYRA Announces April And May Post Times For Belmont Park Spring/Summer Meet

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced post times for April and May of the upcoming 48-day Belmont Park spring/summer meet.

The lucrative Belmont spring/summer meet includes 59 stakes races worth $16.95 million in total purse money and will begin Thursday, April 22 and continue through Sunday, July 11.

In April, first post time at Belmont will be 1 p.m. Eastern, with the exception of Kentucky Oaks Day on Friday, April 30, which will offer a 12:20 p.m. first post.

In May, Belmont will offer a 1 p.m. post time with some exceptions.

Thursday cards in May will begin at 3:05 p.m. and will be featured on America's Day at the Races, the acclaimed national telecast produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, airing coverage of live racing from Belmont, as well as the Twilight Thursday program at Churchill Downs.

The Triple Crown begins on Kentucky Derby Day [Saturday, May 1] at Churchill Downs, with first post at Belmont slated for 12:20 p.m., while Preakness Day [Saturday, May 15], the second jewel to be contested at Pimlico Race Course, will see Belmont offer a noon first post.

The 153rd running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes, the 1 ½-mile final leg of the Triple Crown, is set for Saturday, June 5 at Belmont Park.

A special middle pick 5 with a mandatory payout will be offered on Belmont cards featuring 11 or more races.

For more information, please visit NYRA.com.

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Q and A on the New NYRA Fox Sports Deal

After the big announcement Thursday on a 10-year deal between NYRA and Fox Sports that will see the t.v. giant acquire 25% of NYRA Bets, TDN Publisher Sue Finley talked to Michael Mulvihill, FOX Sports's Executive Vice President, Head of Strategy and Analytics, and to Tony Allevato, the President of NYRA Bets.

TDN: Tony, when you did this deal with Fox in 2019, a lot of people doubted that it was the right move, and argued that people would struggle to find horse racing on t.v. That hasn't been the case.

TA: This is the third stage to this deal. The first stage was in 2016, when we showed 80 hours from Saratoga. In 2019, we chose to take Belmont races and Saratoga races and make them exclusive on Fox. There was obviously a lot of risk associated with that. It played out very well. People obviously found the network and were able to watch the races. We've seen it in our handle numbers, and in our viewership numbers. So, there's no doubt in our mind, the transition worked. For us, it was important to really be able to be about controlling the narrative, and the way our content was distributed. We're about telling stories about horse racing, and helping the sport grow. Horse welfare, the jockeys, ownership, those are things that are really important to us and Fox agrees with that approach in the television programs, and I think it has played out pretty well.

MM: We love the partnership. I don't think we could ask for a better relationship than what we have with NYRA. We're really excited by the growth that we've already seen for NYRA Bets and ADW wagering in general.
MM: I think what we're trying to provide is a kind of a blueprint for the future of sports on t.v., not to be too grand about it. But everybody now is considering how are we going to use the content to drive betting activity as sports wagering becomes legal, and we're already doing it. And so far, I think it's working well.

TDN: Tony, can you put into words how important this is to helping horse racing to get back into the mainstream?

TA: As someone who has worked in horse racing for over three decades now, I look at all the missed opportunities that horse racing has had over the last few decades, going back 50 years-plus. Some of it was self-inflicted, some of it was out of our control, but we have had missed opportunities. Right now, with sports betting being legalized all over the country, and a greater acceptance of gambling in general in the United States, we have what could be a tremendous opportunity, or something that could hurt horse racing. We believe if we handle this correctly, it could be the best opportunity for horse racing in the last 50 years. There has never been a sport that has been hurt by being on television, and there's no reason to think that horse racing would be the first one. By being on television as many hours as we're going to be for the next 10 years, at a time when sports betting is sweeping across the country, we believe it will have both a short- and a long-term benefit for us. It's important to mention that NYRA is a not-for-profit, so for us, this is truly a long game, and something that we are fully invested in. We look at this as a deal that will benefit not just our business, but the sport in general. And, by giving Fox some skin in the game by having them own a piece of NYRA Bets, it incentivizes them to give us as much promotion and distribute us to as many eyeballs as possible. And that's the difference, to me, between this deal and other deals that have been done in the past. They are tied into the wagering component now.

TDN: Mike, how important was the NYRA Bets aspect of this to Fox? That you had some skin in the game as Tony said?

MM: Extremely important. It was paramount. We are undergoing an evolution from being exclusively a media content company to now increasing to being a content and gaming company, and this is a really important part of that. You see that on several fronts. There's this deal, there are very significant gaming elements in our new NFL rights deal that we announced last week. We're doing gaming content every day on FS1. I feel like in a number of ways, we're either creating content that supports a gaming business, or doing deals in which media rights and wagering are really intertwined in ways that they never

have been before. So the opportunity to get in this on a wagering level was extremely important. Where this leaves us now is that we're the only media company that has an ownership position in a sports betting business, a racing betting business, and an online poker and casino business. I think that's a pretty great place for us to be, and we can leverage our t.v. assets to build all of those wagering interests. So it was the main driver of the deal.

TDN: What does this mean for NYRA Bets holders, and for Fox Bets account holders?

TA: Fox Bets is completely separate from this deal. The two are not connected. Our deal is with Fox Sports. There's always a possibility that down the road, if horse racing is going to be incorporated into sports betting apps, which we hope will happen, that NYRA Bets will be a provider of that product. But the way we look at it, if horse racing is on 700 hours, and people are watching and betting, the money is going into the pools, and it's going to benefit the racetracks and the purses.

TDN: Can you see any further synergies?

MM: Yes, but it's a little bit early to speculate. Tony is correct in that they are complimentary and separate brands, but there obviously are logical ways in which they could be connected and they could appeal to the same kind of player. So, I wouldn't rule out that kind of thinking in the future, but we just did this deal and it's a little bit early to be contemplating those ideas.

TDN: How might this change the TV presentation, and will we notice it as viewers?

TA: We always try to walk the fine line with the gambling product as well as the story telling, which is not always easy. We try to simplify the show so that the casual sports fan can understand it, but we don't want to alienate the core customer. Talent has done a terrific job of recognizing that. The long answer is yes, you're going to see more contests, more handicapping contests, more free-to- play contests.

TDN: Tony talked about controlling the narrative, telling stories, and highlighting horse welfare. Horse racing has been through some tough times in the past couple of years. What is it about the sport-beyond the gambling aspects we have already discussed-that appealed to Fox?

MM: That's a really interesting question. I think that as we do develop this gaming business, we don't want that business to be just about the money and the math and the numbers. For these businesses to appeal to a general sports audience, they have to be soulful, and they have to have the elements that horse racing has–the grandeur of the animals themselves, and the excitement of a day at the racetrack, and we don't want it to be just like betting on a roulette wheel. There is real heart and character to horse racing that is unique and makes it more than just a betting business. And I think that Tony and his crew, in our five summers of doing races together, they do a great job as not just presenting it as a wagering opportunity, but as a really fun and unique sport. Whether that's highlighting some of the aftercare initiatives that are out there, or just telling the story about horses and riders and trainers, we want to make sure we're telling the story about the sport, and not just telling the story about the betting.

I think there's a good mix of perspectives. Somebody like Jon Kinchen who did make his name as a pure handicapper, he's got a great analytical way of thinking about the horses, and so does Andy Serling. But Acacia (Courtney) obviously, is really committed to aftercare. You're not going to encounter anyone who cares more about the horses themselves than Richie (Migliore), or Gary (Stevens), for that matter. I think it's a nice balance of people who got into it for the betting, and those for the love of the horse.

TDN: Mike, Fox has an app called the Fox Super Six which offers weekly contents. Is that something that could be applied to racing?

MM: The Fox Super Six is free-to-play; we do it every week in the NFL and do it every week in college football. We could potentially do a Fox Super Six on big NYRA stakes days, Travers day would be logical because of the Fox broadcast. So it is something that we talked about, but we have to develop the idea a little further. But we like using that free-to-play game with any programming that is a priority to us, so it would make a lot of sense.

TA: We feel like by being partnered with Fox, this gives us the best opportunity to capture new fans or lapsed fans. From what we're seeing, just from the results from the pandemic, we acquired a lot of new customers during the pandemic. We can tell from the way they bet that they were not regular players. They were more casual fans. And those customers to this point have proven to very sticky. They're still playing and they're still watching, which is a very positive sign for us and which bodes well for the future.

TDN: What other things might you have in the works together?

TA: I think that, from a television standpoint, we're looking to bring more international racing into the U.S. and distribute it on a bigger platform. So, we've already had people reached out to us from overseas, just seeing the press release, to see how they can get more involved, which is a positive. We're always looking to do more. We've had some great partners jump on board, Churchill Downs, Oaklawn, to name a couple, who have been part of the shows. I think that there are other people in the industry who see the value that television brings with sport and they have embraced it.

TDN: What does this mean for the Belmont?

TA: We have a great relationship with NBC. They have the rights for the Belmont, and we are locked in with NBC.

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