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The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: Casse Bullish On Synthetics

“Horses were not bred to run on the dirt,” said trainer Mark Casse. “They were bred to run on the grass, and Tapeta is as close to grass as you can get.”

Casse – inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame this year after a 2016 induction in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame – is this week's special guest on the Friday Show, joining Ray Paulick and bloodstock editor Joe Nevills to share his extensive knowledge and strong opinions about track surfaces. This week, Gulfstream Park in South Florida became the first facility in North America to have three unique racing surfaces: dirt, turf and the Tapeta Footings synthetic track.

Other tracks could follow suit, Casse said. “I think New York may be flirting with synthetic tracks somewhere down the line,” he said. “And I think it would be great and I think it would pay for itself in no time.”

What about the anecdotal contention by some horsemen suggesting that, while synthetics may result in fewer fractures or fatal injuries, more soft-tissue problems develop on a synthetic track?

“That is the biggest bunch of hogwash that I've ever heard,” said Casse. “That's the most ridiculous statement. I can tell you we have far more soft tissue injuries on dirt than we ever do on synthetics. That's somebody saying things and they don't know what they're talking about. Whenever I hear that I just laugh.”

Casse also brings viewers up to date on some of his stable stars, including two-time Grade 1 Fourstardave Stakes winner Got Stormy.

This week's Woodbine Star of the Week is Pink Lloyd, the Canadian sprint superstar who scored his 24th career stakes win last week in the Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes.

Watch this week's Friday Show, presented by Woodbine, below:

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Gear Jockey Delivers Course-Record Performance In Kentucky Downs’ Turf Sprint

On Calumet Saturday at Kentucky Downs, the farm's homebred Gear Jockey delivered a timely performance to triumph in the Grade 3 FanDuel Turf Sprint. Crossing the wire 2 1/2 lengths the best at odds of 5-1, Gear Jockey lowered the track record for six furlongs by over a second: his final time was 1:07.90 over the firm turf. Jose Lezcano piloted the Rusty Arnold trainee to victory.

The 4-year-old son of Twirling Candy earned the first graded stakes victory of his career in the Turf Sprint, as well as an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in November.

Third by a length in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf as a maiden, Gear Jockey has continued to improve with age. The colt broke his maiden in January of 2021, and hadn't run worse than fourth in seven starts this year as he entered the starting gate at Kentucky Downs. Most recently, Gear Jockey ran third after a poor start in the G3 Troy Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 6.

Coming from well off the pace that day, Gear Jockey was much closer to the pace in this pace-less edition of the Turf Sprint. Bombard grabbed the lead at the start, and Lezcano kept Gear Jockey right on his heels through fractions of :22.38 and :45.14. Rounding the far turn Gear Jockey drew even with the frontrunner, and Lezcano sent him up the hill to the wire an easy winner by 2 1/2 lengths.

Diamond Oops, also up close early, made up ground in the lane to out-finish Bombard by a nose for the place. Troy Stakes winner Fast Boat finished another head back in fourth. Race-favorite Got Stormy, the filly taking on the males, finished sixth, beaten 3 1/4 lengths.

Bred in Kentucky by owner Brad Kelley's Calumet Farm, Gear Jockey is out of the winning Tapit mare Switching Gears, from the family of Grade 1 winner Stroll. Calumet purchased the mare with Gear Jockey in utero for $20,000 at the 2017 Keeneland January sale. With a record of four wins, two seconds, and five fifths from 15 career starts, Gear Jockey has earned a total of $902,875.

The post Gear Jockey Delivers Course-Record Performance In Kentucky Downs’ Turf Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘Stormy’ Forecast at Kentucky Downs

After annexing her second career win in the GI Fourstardave H. at Saratoga this summer, Got Stormy (Get Stormy) will take on males once again in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GIII Fanduel Turf Sprint S. going six furlongs at Kentucky Downs.

A winner of the GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint S. at an additional half of a furlong here last term, Got Stormy narrowly captured the GIII Honey Fox S. at Gulfstream Feb. 27 before rolling a pair of fives in the GII Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. May 1 and GI Jackpocket Jaipur S. at Belmont June 5.

Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) was given the nod on the morning-line at odds of 7-2 in this wide-open affair. A flashy come-from-behind upset winner in the Jaipur on the GI Belmont S. undercard two back, he rallied for third in the Fourstardave last time.

Last year's narrow Turf Sprint winner Imprimis (Broken Vow), drawn widest of all in post 12, and dead-heat second-place finishers Bombard (War Front) and Front Run the Fed (Fed Biz) will renew acquaintances again here.

Save a disappointing sixth in the Jaipur, Fast Boat (City Zip) has won three out of his last four, led by a sharp win in Saratoga's GIII Troy S. last time Aug. 6.

Saturday's loaded program at Kentucky Downs also features: the 'Win and You're In' GII Calumet Turf Cup; the GII Franklin-Simpson S., led by GI Bruce D. winner Point Me By (Point of Entry); the GIII Mint Ladies Sprint S., featuring the speedy Venetian Harbor (Munnings); and the GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf S.

The post ‘Stormy’ Forecast at Kentucky Downs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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NBS Sports To Present Live Coverage Of Kentucky Downs’ Breeders’ Cup Challenge Races

The “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing” comes to Kentucky Downs tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 11 on NBC from 5-6 p.m., with live coverage of the $1 million FanDuel Turf Sprint Stakes (G3) and the $1 million Calumet Turf Cup Stakes (G2).

Saturday's program marks the sixth telecast this year in the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing” on NBC and NBCSN from some of North America's most iconic racetracks. The series leads to the 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, to be held Nov. 5-6 on NBC and NBCSN. The complete series TV schedule can be accessed here.

NBC Sports' coverage will feature commentary and discussion from its International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., led by host Ahmed Fareed, and analysts Randy Moss and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, who won 15 Breeders' Cup races including five victories in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). Reporter Britney Eurton and handicapper Matt Bernier will be on-site at Kentucky Downs.

The FanDuel Turf Sprint Stakes, to be run at 6 furlongs, gives the winner a free berth into the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1). The race is headlined by the outstanding 5-year-old mare Got Stormy, who is seeking her second Breeders' Cup Challenge Series win this year. Owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, and trained by Mark Casse, Got Stormy secured a free berth into the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF (G1) when she defeated male rivals in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 14. A 12-time winner, Got Stormy finished second in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Mile and was fifth in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Tyler Gaffalione will ride Got Stormy from post nine.

LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's 5-year-old Casa Creed, trained by Bill Mott, already earned an automatic starting position into the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint when he captured the Jackpocket Jaipur Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park on June 5. In his most recent start, Casa Creed finished third in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 14. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount breaking from post seven. Breeze Easy's 7-year-old gelding Imprimis won last year's race by a neck and earned a free berth into the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Trained by Joe Orseno, Imprimis got caught in traffic on the turn for home in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, and finished 13th. This year, Imprimis won the Janus Stakes at Gulfstream Park in January, and was fourth in the Troy Stakes (G3) at Saratoga on Aug 6.

The past two winners of the Calumet Turf Cup Stakes ― Arklow and Zulu Alpha ― are among 12 horses entered for the 1 ½-mile race, with the winner gaining a free starting position into the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1), which will also be run at 1 ½ miles. Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger and the Estate of Peter Coneway's 7-year-old gelding Arklow won last year's race by 1 ¼ lengths. Trained by Brad Cox, Arklow has one win in three starts this year, taking the Louisville Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs on May 15 for his ninth career victory. Arklow will be ridden from post 5 by Florent Geroux. Michael Hui's ulu Alpha, won the 2019 Turf Cup by 1 ¾ lengths, and finished third behind Arklow in last year's renewal. A leg injury prevented Zulu Alpha from running in last year's Breeders' Cup. This year, the 8-year-old gelding, trained by Mike Maker, has been winless in two starts, registering a seventh-place finish last time out in the Mr. D. Stakes (G1) at Arlington Park. Ricardo Santana Jr. rides Zulu Alpha from post 11.

Calumet Farm's homebred Channel Cat has a Grade 1 victory this year, taking the Man o' War Stakes at Belmont Park on May 8. Channel Cat, a 6-year-old son of 2007 Breeders' Cup Turf winner English Channel, is trained by Jack Sisterson, and will be ridden from post three by John Velazquez.

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