Tag: Horse racing news

Competitive Field Of Seven Will Start In Saturday’s $150,000 Maryland Million Classic

In a rare circumstance, no previous winner or defending champion returns in Saturday's $150,000 Maryland Million Classic at Laurel Park, leaving a wide-open and competitive field of seven to contest the richest race on the 35th annual Jim McKay Maryland Million program.

The 1 1/8-mile Classic for 3-year-olds and up headlines a 12-race card featuring eight stakes and four starter stakes on 'Maryland's Day at the Races,' celebrating the progeny of stallions standing in the state. First race post time is 11:25 a.m.

With 2019 victor Forest Fire sitting this one out, 2020 marks just the sixth time in the past 23 years and only the ninth in event history that the Classic will not have either the previous year's winner or a past champion in the lineup.

Returning from last year are runner-up Prendimi, beaten a half-length after setting the pace, and fifth-place finisher Tattooed, making his third straight Classic appearance. Among the competition are historic Pimlico Special (G3) winner Harpers First Ride, fellow multiple stakes winner Cordmaker, and stakes winners Monday Morning Qb and Top Line Growth.

G.J. Stable's Prendimi made his Laurel debut in last year's Classic for trainer Luis Carvajal Jr., who missed the race to be in California for the Breeders' Cup with Imperial Hint, only to have the multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire scratched the morning of the Sprint (G1) with a minor foot issue.

“It's very nice to have him in my barn. I used to gallop the mare and now we have this guy. Every baby she brings is a good horse, and Prendimi has never disappointed me,” Carvajal said. “The first time I ran him at Laurel, he definitely didn't disappoint me. Unfortunately last year I couldn't be at Laurel because I was at Santa Anita for the Breeders' Cup. This year Imperial Hint is retired so there's no Breeder's Cup for me, but it will be nice for me to be at Laurel for the Maryland Million.”

The 2019 Classic was not only Prendimi's first time at Laurel, it is the only other time the 5-year-old Dances With Ravens gelding has been nine furlongs. Daniel Centeno is named to ride from Post 1.

“I'm looking forward to it. Last year we didn't have much of an idea of if he was going to like the track or if he was going to be able to handle the mile and an eighth. There was a question mark there,” Carvajal said. “But, he did great and I was really happy with the way he ran. I'm hoping that he can perform the same way. He's doing great. He's working good for this race, so I'm very anxious to see him run again at Laurel.”

Prendimi has been third or better in 16 of 23 lifetime starts with five wins, including a trio of stakes wins at Carvajal's spring/summer base of Monmouth Park. Most recently, he was seventh in the one-mile Salvator Mile (G3) Sept. 20 after winning the Charles Hesse III Handicap Aug. 30 at the New Jersey track.

“My client, the first thing he told me when we came to Monmouth Park this spring he said, 'We have to look forward to the Maryland Million Classic.' It was the first thing he had in mind,” Carvajal said. “The horse did very well in the summer. We hope it's a beautiful day and he runs as good as he did last year.”

Maryland's overall leading trainer the past three years, Claudio Gonzalez entered stablemates Harpers First Ride and Tap the Mark. MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride enters the Classic off back-to-back stakes triumphs in the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course and the 1 1/16-mile Deputed Testamony Sept. 7 at Laurel, where he owns six wins from seven career starts.

“Before the last race I expect him to run really good because he was showing me in the mornings that he was doing better than ever,” Gonzalez said. “Every race he gets better and better. I didn't know if he could [win], but I knew he was going to be there and he ran so good. He came out of the race good, he breezed good the other day and came out of it good, so everything's good.”

Among the horses Harpers First Ride defeated in the Pimlico Special were defending champion Tenfold, another Triple Crown race veteran in runner-up Owendale, and Cordmaker, third by two necks in the 2018 Special. Angel Cruz gets the return call from Post 5.

“The Pimlico Special is a very big race,” Gonzalez said. “It was very special because it's here in Maryland. This is where I have my license and make my home. It was special for everybody. The whole team was happy that day.”

BB Horses' Tap the Mark registered a win on the Special's undercard, a half-length optional claiming allowance triumph going 1 1/16 miles over Toughest 'Ombre and Tattooed. Weston Hamilton has the assignment from Post 6.

“He's a horse that tries all the time and is always right there. He's made almost $200,000 already and he's more mature. He's a big horse and I think he can run the long distance. He's the kind of horse that can run right there with the speed and he's an easy horse to ride,” Gonzalez said. “This is a big day for everybody. It [would be] very special for us to win one race, especially the Classic. We are going to give it a try.”

Cash is King and LC Racing's Monday Morning Qb, based at Parx with trainer Robert E. 'Butch' Reid Jr., has raced twice previously at Laurel, winning the Heft Stakes as a 2-year-old last December and running second in the Federico Tesio Sept. 7. The Tesio was the Imagining colt's first race in seven months and came at the Classic's distance.

Monday Morning Qb will try to join exclusive company Saturday. Bonus Points in 2017 is the only other 3-year-old to win the Classic.

“He obviously handles the dirt very well, and a firm dirt is what I'm looking for. He likes that track down at Laurel so we'll give it a shot,” Reid said. “We feel like he's sitting on a good race. He breezed beautiful the other day. We just let him kind of stretch his legs and blow off a little steam, and it should set him up perfect for this spot.”

Monday Morning Qb made his turf debut following the Tesio, racing in contention for a half-mile before fading in the one-mile James W. Murphy Oct. 3 on the Preakness (G1) undercard at Pimlico.

“He caught a real soft turf course that day and he's a big, heavy horse. I think it really compromised his chances in there,” Reid said. “He came out of it like he didn't even run, and he really didn't, so that's the reason why we don't mind running him back a little quicker for this spot.”

Sheldon Russell rides Monday Morning Qb from Post 3.

Hillwood Stable's Cordmaker has gone winless in five 2020 starts but has shown steady improvement since his belated season opener July 3. The gelded 5-year-old son of Hall of Famer Curlin was second in the Deputed Testamony and third for the second straight year in the Pimlico Special, beaten less than six lengths combined. Regular rider Victor Carrasco has the mount from Post 4.

The Elkstone Group's homebred Top Line Growth takes a perfect 4-0 record at Laurel into the Million. A 4-year-old Tapizar gelding, he finished a rallying second in the Salvator Mile last out snapping a two-race win streak. Promoted winner of the Iowa Derby last July, he capped his sophomore season with a second-level optional claiming allowance win at Laurel, then made a successful return off an 11-month layoff in a third-level spot Aug. 14. Julian Pimentel rides from Post 7.

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Delaware Park Shows Increases In Average Handle, Starters During 2020 Meet

Despite a reduction in live race dates and significant safety protocols for live on-track patrons, horsemen and employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 live race meet at Delaware Park concluded on positive notes on Saturday, Oct. 17.

The 83rd season of live racing was originally scheduled to have 85-days beginning on May 27 and ending on Oct. 31, but because of the pandemic the meet was reduced by 20-days with opening day on June 17.

The 65-day season had increases in average handle per race and average starters per race. In 2020, the average handle per race was $167,192 with average starters per race of 7.52 and in 2019, the average handle per race was $157,640 with average starters per race of 6.56. There were 556 races compared to 661 in 2019. Total handle was $92,958,696 compared to the $104,200,290 from last year's 81-day meet.

“Without a doubt, this was one of the most challenging meets I can remember, but in many ways, it was also one of the most rewarding,” said Kevin DeLucia, Senior Vice President of Racing/Finance, who has been at Delaware Park for 24 years. “We were one of the first tracks and sporting venues to allow fans and we did so from the beginning of the meet until the end without incident. While we successfully negotiated all of the safety protocols and restrictions, we experienced increases in average handle and starters per race. None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the cooperation and support of the fans, employees, Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen Association and the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission.”

For the sixth time in seven years, Carol Cedeno was the leading jockey with 84 victories. The native of Puerto Rico, who lives in Delaware, has been the leading rider at Delaware Park every year since 2014, with the exception of 2017. She equaled the record for most titles by a jockey set by Michael McCarthy, who won six from 1996 through 2000 and 2002. Cedeno, concluded the meet 11 wins away from her 1,000th career victory (through October 21). Nearly 500 of those wins have been at Delaware Park.

“It really is overwhelming,” said jockey Carol Cedeno, who set the record for most wins in a day at Delaware Park in 2018 when she rode seven on a single card. “I am honored to be included in the group of the all-time great jockeys in Delaware Park history. There are some big names on that list and for my name to be among them at my hometown track is very humbling. We all work very hard at what we do and I am lucky that my hard work and sacrifices have resulted in these achievements.”

Jamie Ness recorded his sixth consecutive leading trainer championship by saddling 52 winners. The native of Heron, South Dakota, is one title shy of equaling the record for most consecutive trainer titles set by Delaware Park legends Grover 'Buddy' Delp from 1963 through 1969 and Scott Lake from 2002 through 2008. This is the eighth overall title for Ness. He has also been leading trainer in 2012 and 2013 and from 2015 through 2019. The record for most titles by a trainer is eleven also set by Grover “Buddy” Delp.

Jagger Inc. won the leading owner title by recording 25 wins.

The brilliant filly Dunbar Road won the Delaware Handicap with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard on July 11th. Owned by Peter M. Brant, the daughter of Quality Road posted a 3-length victory in the filly and mare summer classic. The Kentucky-bred is conditioned by Chad Brown. Otter Bend Stables' Gufo won the Kent Stakes with Trevor McCarthy aboard on July 4. The son of Declaration of War trained by Christophe Clement notched a half-length win and followed with a second in the Saratoga Derby on Aug. 15 and a victory in the Belmont Derby on Oct. 3.

“The racing at the meet was exciting and competitive from the beginning to the end,” said John Mooney, the Executive Director of Racing. “I could not be happier. Between our big race days and the race for leading jockey, trainer and owner, every live race day had something special. We are very much looking forward to seeing how horses like Dunbar Road and Gufo do in the race for national divisional championships. We could not be happier for Carol Cedeno and Jamie Ness as they are continuing the rich tradition of top and first class jockeys and trainers at Delaware Park.”

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Canadian Triple Crown Hopeful Mighty Heart Is ‘Up To The Challenge’ In Saturday’s Breeders’ Stakes

Mighty Heart will continue his quest to join an elite group of horses to sweep all three legs of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown this Saturday in the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack.

Trained by Hall of Famer and three-time Queen's Plate winner Josie Carroll, Mighty Heart headlines the final jewel of the tri-surface series for Canadian-bred three-year-olds, which concludes on Woodbine's world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course with the longest leg at the distance of 1 ½-miles.

The son of Dramedy, bred and owned by Lawrence Cordes, is the even-money morning line favorite in the field of 12 having already scored wins in the $1 million Queen's Plate at 1 ¼ miles over Woodbine's Tapeta track on September 12 and the $400,000 Prince of Wales at 1 3/16 miles over Fort Erie's dirt course on September 29.

“He's a little horse that's overcome [a lot],” said Carroll, who won the 2006 Plate with Edenwold and the 2011 running with the filly Inglorious. “There's something in racing we call heart, and horses with heart are what you're looking for more so sometimes than horses with talent.”

Aside from contending with 11 rivals, Mighty Heart could have to contend with turf that has some give to it. The Toronto area has experienced rainy weather in the lead-up to Saturday.

“I can't tell you how he's going to handle a yielding turf,” offered Carroll. “In North America, we very seldom get the chance to run on very soft turf. I believe he'll handle the grass. He's run once on the grass, and we had him up on the E.P. course the other day, and he just skipped across it. Pedigree-wise, we have every reason to think he'll handle it [the 1 ½-mile distance], but until a horse does that, you really don't know. It's a very, very challenging thing to be asking him to do right now. This horse has run two hard races and now you're asking him to go a mile and a half on a possibly tiring course. Hopefully, he's up to the challenge.”

Cordes is thrilled to see the outpouring of affection for Mighty Heart, which continues to swell ahead of the Breeders' Stakes.

“In this time of COVID, this is a boost to people,” he said. “The phone calls I get from the west coast to east coast of Canada, my girlfriend and I have had multiple dozens of calls… people are just so excited. I feel the same thing, it just puts the excitement into me, so for all of the racing fans and all of his fans, let's make it happen. Just cheer him on, we need everything we can get.”

Mighty Heart will once again have Daisuke Fukumoto in the irons.

The young Japanese-born rider is still wrapping his head around the significance of what it would mean to come out on top in the Breeders' Stakes.

“It would be very special,” said Fukumoto. “To win the Queen's Plate is already special, but the Triple Crown is the highest. You never think of winning the Triple Crown.”

The pair will square off against some familiar foes on Saturday.

Trained by Kevin Attard, Clayton (6-1), who won the Plate Trial in mid-August, was third in the Queen's Plate and runner-up in the Prince of Wales. Owned by Donato Lanni and Daniel Plouffe, the son of Bodemeister finished second, 2 ½ lengths behind Mighty Heart in the middle jewel at 1 3/16 miles over Fort Erie's dirt track on September 29.

Belichick, who finished a strong second in the Queen's Plate, and is the 7-2 second choice in the morning line, will look to turn the tables on his stablemate.

The son of Lemon Drop Kid, also coached by Carroll, has a pair of seconds and a third in three lifetime starts.

Owned by NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods, Belichick should appreciate the move to turf and the mile-and-a-half distance.

“This is a really talented horse,” said Carroll, who won the 2014 Breeders' Stakes with Ami's Holiday. “I think from the moment he came in my barn, he showed a great deal of ability. If anything has surprised me, it's that it has taken this long for him to really blossom. I'm not surprised to have him in this position. It's also very rewarding to train a horse of his caliber.”

Other Breeders' Stakes hopefuls include Conrad Farms' Muskoka Giant (20-1), who broke his maiden over one mile of turf two starts prior to his fifth-place finish in the Prince of Wales for trainer Mark Casse.

A two-time (2014 with Lexie Lou and in 2018 with Wonder Gadot) Queen's Plate winner, Casse, who won the 2007 Breeders' with Marchfield and the 2018 renewal with Neepawa, will also send out Deviant (30-1).

A chestnut son of Daredevil, Deviant won last year's El Joven Stakes and Sunday Silence Stakes. The Red Lane Thoroughbreds' gelding will be making his second straight start at Woodbine, after finishing seventh in the Queenston Stakes this July.

Unraced as a two-year-old, English Conqueror (12-1), a chestnut son of English Channel, will make his Triple Crown debut in the Breeders'.

Bred and owned by JWS Farms, the Darwin Banach trainee finished third in his career bow on July 5 at Woodbine, a seven-furlong maiden special weight turf engagement. After a disappointing 10th-place finish next time out, English Conqueror rebounded with a fourth in 1 1/16 mile race run on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, an effort that saw him display plenty of vigor in the late going.

He arrives at the Breeders' off a maiden-breaking score on September 19, a head victory that was earned over 1 1/16 miles on the Woodbine Inner Turf.

“He's doing really well,” said Banach. “He's like an immature little boy, in that it took him a little while to learn what was going on, and he's still learning. You have to ask him to do what you want him to do. He doesn't just go ahead and do it. I thought Emma [jockey, Wilson] would suit this horse fantastically after he finished fourth, and it did. I was quite concerned in that race because they went so slow early, but he does have a great turn of foot and he was able to kick on from there, get the lead and then get the win. I was very happy with that effort.”

Banach believes the lightly-raced Ontario-bred will be even better on Saturday.

“We always thought he was a good horse. We even considered the Queen's Plate and other races, but he couldn't quite get his game together before that time. So, here we are. We think he can handle a mile and a half and we've got to give it a shot.”

A victory would be even more special considering the sire of English Conqueror's dam, champion Sky Conqueror, was bred and owned by William Sorokolit, Sr., who recently passed away.

Banach trained the multiple graded stakes winning son of Sky Classic for Sorokolit. Sky Conqueror's victories included consecutive (2006-07) editions of the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (G2T) and the 2007 running of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1T). Multiple graded stakes winner Classic Stamp was also another a horse of note for Sorokolit.

A successful businessman and entrepreneur, Sorokolit won 212 career races along with over $10.1 million (U.S.) in purse earnings.

“Emma rode Sky Conqueror, so maybe this is meant to be,” said Banach. “We loved training for Mr. Sorokolit and he'll be dearly missed. I believe he started owning horses in university, so for 70-some years he owned horses.”

Enchant Me (50-1), Glorious Tribute (30-1), and Olliemyboy (12-1) will also go postward after making an appearance in the opening legs of the Triple Crown.

Told It All (12-1), Meyer (30-1) and Kunal (50-1) complete the field.

In 2018, the Casse-trained filly Wonder Gadot won the first two Triple Crown races but did not compete in the Breeders' Stakes. Casse sent out Neepawa to victory in the final leg that year.

The last Triple Crown contender prior to Wonder Gadot was the great Wando, just the seventh horse to complete the series sweep since it was established in 1959 when he won the 2003 Breeders' Stakes with jockey Patrick Husbands aboard for trainer Michael Keogh and the late owner/breeder Gustav Schickedanz.

Since then, A Bit O'Gold (2004), Pender Harbour (2011) and Tone Broke (2019) also claimed two-thirds of the Triple Crown by taking the last two legs.

The longest shot to win the Breeders' was Miami Deco in 2010. The Ontario-bred son of Limehouse returned $132.10 for a $2 win bet. Catherine Day Phillips became the first female trainer to win the race courtesy of A Bit O'Gold in 2004. One year later, she was in the winner's circle again, this time with Jambalaya. Roger Attfield holds the record for most wins by a trainer with nine. His first came with Carotene in 1986. Jockey Rafael Hernandez has won three of the past four runnings.

“This is a great time for racing in Ontario,” said Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson. “It's fun. It's a wonderful opportunity for us to promote the sport of horse racing. We're thrilled that there is this opportunity.”

Post time is set for 1:10 p.m. ET, with the Breeders' Stakes scheduled as the ninth race (approximately 5:39 p.m. ET). The historic event will be broadcast live from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET on TSN. Coverage is led by Canadian broadcasting legend Brian Williams, alongside TSN's Laura Diakun and Woodbine Entertainment's Jason Portuondo, with Brodie Lawson contributing reports from track level.

FIELD FOR THE BREEDERS' STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer – Owner – Morning Line

1 – Meyer – Sahin Civaci – Martin Drexler – Bruno Schickedanz – 30-1

2 – Enchant Me – Steven Bahen – Santino Di Paola – York Tech Racing Stable – 50-1

3 – Clayton – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard – Donato Lanni and Daniel Plouffe – 6-1

4 – Olliemyboy – Patrick Husbands – Sid Attard – JMJ Racing Stables LLC – 12-1

5 – English Conqueror – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Darwin Banach – JWS Farms – 12-1*

6 – Glorious Tribute – David Moran – Barbara Minshall – Bruce Lunsford – 30-1

7 – Deviant – Jerome Lermyte – Mark Casse – Red Lane Thoroughbreds LLC – 30-1

8 – Mighty Heart – Daisuke Fukumoto – Josie Carroll – Lawrence Cordes – 1-1

9 – Belichick – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll – NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods – 7-2

10 – Kunal – Emile Ramsammy – Steven Chircop – Bruno Schickedanz – 50-1

11 – Told It All – Kazushi Kimura – Norm McKnight – Rainbow Stables – 12-1*

12 – Muskoka Giant – Justin Stein – Mark Casse – Conrad Farms – 20-1

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