Gary and Mary West | Horse Racing Free Tips

Records Close Out Keeneland’s Fall Meet; Breeders’ Cup Next

Keeneland concluded a record-breaking fall meet Saturday with all-sources handle of $208.9 million, a season record for the Lexington track. The 17-day fall meet ran from Oct. 7-29 with Kentucky racing scheduled to switch over to Churchill Downs Sunday prior to returning to Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup Nov. 4-5.

The all-sources wagering of $208,907,655 was a 15.41% increase over the 2021 fall meet record of $181,009,626. It was the fourth consecutive season of record handle at the track. The numbers do not include whole-card simulcasting at Keeneland.

“This fall meet embodied everything our founders envisioned for Keeneland–a place where families and friends could gather and enjoy great horse racing–all heightened by anticipation for the Breeders' Cup,” said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. “The race meet was special in every way: idyllic weather, terrific racing, and special events like Make-A-Wish Day, Heroes Day, and Teacher Appreciation Day that celebrated many deserving people. We thank everyone involved in making the Fall Meet a success and look forward to the fun continuing as we host the World Championships next weekend.”

On-track wagering for the fall meet totaled $15,351,232, up from last year's $15,162,221 (a 1.25% increase). Fall Stars Saturday (Oct. 8) set records for fall meet single-day all-sources handle ($21,695,896, surpassing the $20,926,640 on the equivalent day in 2021, a previous record) and Pick 5 wagering ($1,431,736, bettering last year's $1,255,080). In addition, a Keeneland record payoff of $72,863.72 for a 10-cent superfecta wager occurred Oct. 20.

All the fall meet leader titles came down to the wire, with all decided on Saturday. Gary and Mary West won their first Keeneland leading owner title with four wins over the 17 days, including the GII Hagyard Fayette S. with West Will Power (Bernardini) on closing day. West Will Power also pushed his trainer, Brad Cox, to the trainer title with 11 total wins. It was Cox's third consecutive fall training title and fourth Keeneland title overall. Todd Pletcher and Wesley Ward tied for second with 10 wins apiece.

Luis Saez nabbed his second Keeneland riding title by winning three races on closing day, including the final race of the meet. He just edged Tyler Gaffalione 21-20. Gaffalione had six stakes wins during the fall meet, one shy of Pat Day's single-season record of seven.

Other highlights of Keeneland's fall meet included:

Average daily purses of a record $1,168,120, up 32.66% from $880,511 during the 2021 Fall Meet
Average daily all-sources handle of $12,288,686, up from $10,647,625 in 2021 (15.41% increase)
Average daily on-track handle of $903,014, up from $891,895 in 2021 (up by 1.25%)

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Life Is Good As Good As Ever in Nerud

LIFE IS GOOD (c, 4, Into Mischief–Beach Walk, by Distorted Humor) proved to be just as good as ever Saturday at Belmont, rebounding from a fourth-place finish in the G1 Dubai World Cup with a decisive score in the GII John A. Nerud S. With GISW Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) as his only threat in this four-horse affair, Life Is Good was heavily bet as expected at 1-5 in this prep for the GI Whitney S. Seizing the early advantage, the $525,000 KEESEP buy was pressed by Speaker's Corner through a half-mile in :44.70. Life Is Good was still on cruise control however, and left that foe in his dust in the lane, cruising clear to an easy four-length score in 1:21.70. Life Is Good closed out 2021 with dominant wins in the GII Kelso H. and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. He was a facile winner of the GI Pegasus World Cup prior to his effort in Dubai in March. Lifetime Record: 9-7-1-0.

Pedigree Notes:
Perennial leading sire Into Mischief sets off fireworks all year long, so it's only fitting he should kick off the Independence Day weekend with one of the most exciting horses in training. Into Mischief is responsible for five U.S. and Canadian champions, 49 graded winners, 110 black-type winners, and more than 200 stakes performers bred in the Northern Hemisphere. Life Is Good is one of 13 stakes winners for the remarkable stallion at the halfway point of 2022. Seven of his career stakes winners–and 13 of his career stakes performers–are out of Distorted Humor mares. Distorted Humor, pensioned at WinStar Farm, is the nation's current leading living broodmare sire with 125 stakes winners out of his daughters. Only a 9-year-old, Beach Walk currently has a juvenile Blame filly named Living Good, as well as a yearling Candy Ride (Arg) colt, in the pipeline. She produced a full-brother to Life Is Good Mar. 31.

Saturday, Belmont Park
JOHN A. NERUD S.-GII, $232,500, Belmont, 7-2, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:21.70, ft.
1–LIFE IS GOOD, 124, c, 4, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Beach Walk, by Distorted Humor
                2nd Dam: Bonnie Blue Flag, by Mineshaft
                3rd Dam: Tap Your Feet, by Dixieland Band
($525,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-CHC Inc. & WinStar Farm LLC;
B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher;
J-Flavien Prat. $137,500. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 9-7-1-0,
$3,551,700. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
2–Speaker's Corner, 124, c, 4, Street Sense–Tyburn Brook, by
Bernardini. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott. $50,000.
3–Repo Rocks, 118, g, 4, Tapiture–Hawaiian Love, by Not For
Love. ($35,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; $70,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP).
O-Double B Racing Stables; B-Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin (VA);
T-Gregory DiPrima. $30,000.
Margins: 5, 2HF, 12 1/4. Odds: 0.20, 2.25, 25.75.
Also Ran: Harvard. Scratched: War Tocsin.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Cox Hopes Concert Tour Can ‘Bounce Back’ In Allowance Race

A well-beaten favorite in the Jan. 15 Fifth Season Stakes, his first start for eight months, Concert Tour will be pointed to an easier spot for his next start.

Trainer Brad Cox told bloodhorse.com that an allowance race is the most likely option for the multiple Grade 2-winning son of Street Sense.

“He came out of the Fifth Season fine. We'll just regroup and probably try to find a conditioned allowance race for him,” Cox told bloodhorse.com. “Obviously he didn't have things go his way in his return. He's a very sound horse and he trains well. Hopefully he can bounce back.”

The 4-year-old Concert Tour is owned by Gary and Mary West. He began his career in the barn of embattled trainer Bob Baffert, winning his debut, the G2 San Vicente, and the G2 Rebel Stakes through his first three races before finishing third in the G1 Arkansas Derby. After a ninth-place effort in the G1 Preakness Stakes, Concert Tour went to the sidelines for eight months before resuming his career under Cox's care.

In Oaklawn's $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes, Concert Tour was within striking distance while three-wide in the one-mile contest. He faded badly in the stretch run, beaten 15 lengths as the heavy favorite.

Concert Tour has returned to the Hot Springs work tab since that effort, breezing four furlongs in 48.40 seconds on Jan. 28.

Overall, the colt's record stands at three wins from six starts for earnings of $857,350.

Maximum Security Sires First Foal

Four time Grade I-winning champion Maximum Security (New Year's Day–Lil Indy, by Anasheed) sired his first foal at Dell Ridge Farm this morning when Pussyfoot (Tiznow), a full-sister to Grade I winner Morning Line, foaled a bay filly at 5:39 a.m.

The filly was fittingly bred by Gary and Mary West, who also bred and raced Maximum Security, an earner of over $12 million on the track with wins including the GI Florida Derby, GI Haskell Invitational, GI Cigar Mile H., inaugural Saudi Cup and GI Pacific Classic.

“She's outstanding. She's a big strong foal and is very well put together, I'm delighted with her. We have a lot of Maximum Security foals on the way and if they all look like this we'll be very happy,” said Des Ryan of Dell Ridge Farm.

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