h. allen jerkens stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Following Sea May Target H. Allen Jerkens Stakes At Saratoga

Spendthrift Farm's general manager Ned Toffey said Following Sea remains under consideration for the $500,000 Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens on August 28 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The talented son of champion medication-free stallion Runhappy was elevated to second via disqualification last out in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on July 17 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

In his second start, Following Sea was a decisive 5 ¾-length winner on April 10 at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., before defeating winners on June 3 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Since the Haskell, Following Sea has recorded two breezes over the Saratoga main track for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, most recently going a half-mile in :49.22 seconds on August 14.

“We'll see. Obviously, the Jerkens is coming up tough,” Toffey said. “He's clearly a very talented horse. He's working really well. We'll put our heads together with Todd and see which way we want to go. We certainly have an eye on the Jerkens, but it will be very tough for a horse that still has his conditions. We'll see how his next work is, talk to Todd and go from there.”

A Kentucky homebred, Following Sea is out of the stakes-placed Speightstown mare Quick Flip.

The post Following Sea May Target H. Allen Jerkens Stakes At Saratoga appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Gulfstream Park: Sir Anthony Posts Jerkens Upset; Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Has $550,000 Guarantee

Déjà vu at Gulfstream Park.

Richard Otto Stables Inc.'s Sir Anthony, winner of the 2018 Harlan's Holiday (G3) at odds of 25-1, ran down the pacesetter Conviction Trade to win Saturday's $75,000 H. Allen Jerkens at two miles at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Odds for Sir Anthony in the Jerkens? 25-1.

A 5-year-old by Mineshaft winless in four previous attempts on the turf, Sir Anthony covered the rare, two mile distance in a track record 3:19.48 under jockey Julien Leparoux. The Jerkens was Sir Anthony's first victory since winning the 2019 Cornhusker (G3).

“We've been trying for a race for him on the dirt and it's been a while since he won. I was really looking for a confidence race for him and to get a race past a mile, which is tough to do,” said trainer Anthony Mitchell. “The opportunities out there were really for longer races on the turf, so we gave him a couple of runs on the turf in Arlington and it looked like he was OK on it, so we had that in the back of our mind. Moving forward we were looking for a race past a mile and an eighth. The opportunity to go two miles was out there and we presented it to the owner. He agreed, so we took a crack at it.”

Conviction Trade and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. took the field of 11 through fractions of :26.06, 51:57, 1:17.05 and 1:41.81 and held the lead entering the stretch before Sir Anthony and Leparoux took over inside the eighth pole.

“I said it after he won the Harlan's Holiday, they don't give him the respect he deserves,” Anthony said. “The owner is a pure champion of a man. He's been good to me and our relationship has been 26 years now. He bred this horse, along with a lot of other graded stakes winners that I've had. Full credit to Mr. Otto.”

Sunday's Rainbow 6 Guarantee $550,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have a guaranteed pool of $550,000 when racing resumes Sunday with a 12:05 p.m. first race post.

Multiple winning tickets in Saturday's Rainbow 6 returned $24,981.16.

The jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

There will also be a Super Hi-5 carryover Sunday of $5,069.17.

Sunday's Rainbow 6 sequence begins in the sixth race, post time 2:38 p.m., with a claiming event at 1 1/16 mile on the turf. Four of the six races in the sequence will be contested on the turf.

The third leg, an allowance optional claimer for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 mile on the turf, features an intriguing cast including Gary Barber's Declarationwarrior, making her first start since in 10 months since finishing third in the Herecomesthebride (G3), Princesa Caroline, graded-stakes placed at Del Mar as a juvenile and making only her second start in 13 months, Mimina's Team, making her first start since May when finishing fifth in the Honey Ryder here at Gulfstream, and Setting the Mood, making her first start since finishing fourth in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) in September.

Who's Hot: Irad Ortiz Jr. had three winners Saturday with Amount ($5.20) in Race 5, Colonel Liam ($4.40) in Race 8 and the Tropical Park Derby, and What's to Blame ($23.80) in Race 9. Jockey Julien Leparoux won two stakes, taking the Jerkens with Sir Anthony and the Tropical Park Oaks with Vigilantes Way ($7).

The post Gulfstream Park: Sir Anthony Posts Jerkens Upset; Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Has $550,000 Guarantee appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

$13,744.50 Payout In NYRA’s Cross Country Pick 5

Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5 paid $13,744.50 for selecting all five winners for the 50-cent wager that encompassed live racing from Saratoga Race Course, Monmouth Park and Woodbine Racetrack. The sequence's total pool was $113,192.

Woodbine commenced the wager when Olliemyboy defeated Belichick by two lengths to capture a maiden special weight in Race 9. Trained by Sid Attard, Olliemyboy returned $15.50 on a $2 win wager, completing 1 1/8 miles on the all-weather track in 1:51.69 under jockey Patrick Husbands.

Monmouth started the stakes action when Hopeful Growth pulled of an 11-1 upset in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks in Race 11. Trained by Anthony Margotta, Jr., Hopeful Growth, ridden by Antonio Gallardo, pulled away by four lengths in the 1 1/16-mile trek that awarded 50-20-10-5 qualifying points to September's Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Project Whiskey, Eve of War and Dream Marie rounded out the superfecta to acquire those points.

Saratoga hosted the first of its two legs in the sequence when Improbable posted a two-length win in the prestigious Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles in Race 9. Off at 3-1, Improbable bested the five-horse field and gave Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert his second consecutive Whitney win [McKinzie last year], paying $8.50. Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. won his second Whitney in the last three years, as Improbable tracked Mr. Buff's early speed before finishing strong, hitting the wire in 1:48.65 for his second consecutive Grade 1 win.

Artistico won an optional claiming race in Woodbine's Race 10 in the fourth race of the Cross Country Pick 5. Conditioned by Sylvain Pion and ridden by Rafael Hernandez, Artistico returned $10.90 for the 1 3/8-mile turf route.

Saratoga concluded the wager when Echo Town notched a 3 ½-length score in the Grade 1, $300,000 H. Allen Jerkens presented by Runhappy in Race 10. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Echo Town completed the seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds in 1:22.53 under Ricardo Santana, Jr. Echo Town paid $16.40.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Echo Town winning the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes

The post $13,744.50 Payout In NYRA’s Cross Country Pick 5 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Echo Town Puts It All Together In H. Allen Jerkens

L and N Racing's Echo Town, a tough-luck runner-up against a familiar cast of rivals last time out, swept to the lead on the far outside and powered down the center of the track to earn his first career stakes triumph in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 H. Allen Jerkens presented by Runhappy at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The 36th running of the seven-furlong Jerkens for 3-year-olds was the third of five stakes, three of them Grade 1, worth $2 million in purses on a spectacular 12-race Whitney Day program highlighted by Improbable's victory over Tom's d'Etat in the 93rd renewal of the historic Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney for 3-year-olds and up, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Also on Saturday's card were the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign presented by NYRA Bets for older females, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Distaff where champion Midnight Bisou was upset as the 1-5 favorite by Calumet Farm's Vexatious; the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green for older turf horses; and the $200,000 Caress for older female turf sprinters.

Echo Town's drama-free triumph in 1:22.53 over a fast main track under jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen came three hours after the same duo finished ran second with Midnight Bisou and had the outcome confirmed by a steward's inquiry following the jockey's objection.

A bay son of champion sprinter Speightstown that went unraced at 2, Echo Town had alternated wins and losses through his first six starts this year, capturing his January 18 debut at Fair Grounds and a March 13 open allowance at Oaklawn Park. Second by a head in the six-furlong Bachelor in April, he stretched out to seven-eighths for the first time last out, the Grade 1 Woody Stephens on June 20 at Belmont Park, where he overcame some early trouble to be second behind No Parole, the Jerkens' 2-1 favorite.

“It was great to see him put it all together when it matters so much on this stage. He ran solidly here. He ran really well into the Woody Stephens, but I thought the timing of this race was better,” Asmussen said. “He's run hard all year. He's run consistently all year. Now, he will be noticed.”

No Parole, seeking his third consecutive victory, found himself in familiar front-running fashion pressed by Grade 1 winner Eight Rings through a quarter-mile in 22.67 seconds and two-time Grade 3 winner Mischevious Alex after a half in 45.31. Tap It to Win, last seen running fifth behind Tiz the Law in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 20, moved up into a contending position with the leaders on the turn from his far outside post while Echo Town remained unhurried in fifth.

“He broke really sharp today and when the dirt started hitting him in the face, he was jumping a little bit but he was really comfortable,” Santana said. “I took him outside and he gave me a nice kick at the end. He was traveling really well. I knew there was plenty of speed today and I just wanted to sit behind the speed. I'm really happy with the horse.”

The top three turned for home together when No Parole along the rail began to drop back, leaving Mischevious Alex and Tap It to Win in a duel. Santana put Echo Town in a drive midway around the far turn, tipped furthest outside once in the straight and came with a steady run to catch the leaders and surge past for a 3 1/2-length victory. Tap It to Win, with Hall of Famer John Velazquez up, held off Echo Town's late-running stablemate Shoplifted by a half-length for second.

“I had a perfect trip. I broke on the outside and let him get his position going into the turn. I gave him his head but the other horse passed him easily. He put in a good run,” Velazquez said. “I think he's probably best going a flat mile. Today, he ran a really good race but because we had such a bad post, I had to let him burn a little bit so we could save a little ground into the turn.”

It was 1 1/2 lengths back to 28-1 long shot Captain Bombastic in fourth, followed by Sonneman, Mischevious Alex, Eight Rings, Hopeful Treasure, No Parole, Three Technique and Liam's Pride.

In giving both Asmussen and Santana their first career Jerkens victory, Echo Town returned $16.40 for a $2 win bet.

Purchased for $100,000 at Keeneland's 2018 September Yearling Sale, Kentucky-bred Echo Town earned $165,000 for the victory to push his career bankroll to $375,320.

Live racing returns Sunday to Saratoga to wrap up the second full week of the summer meet with a 10-race program featuring the $100,000 Birdstone for 4-year-olds and up going 1 ¾ miles in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. First post is 1:10 p.m.

The post Echo Town Puts It All Together In H. Allen Jerkens appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post