Horse racing news | Horse Racing Free Tips

Grade 1 Winner Voodoo Song Retired; Stallion Plans Pending

Sheryl and Barry Schwartz announce the retirement from racing of their homebred Grade 1 winner Voodoo Song, as they enter the process for his placement as a stallion prospect.

The New York-bred son of English Channel, captured his first Grade 1 win at a mile in the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga. Voodoo Song defeated four other Grade 1 winners in that race including Yoshida, Heart to Heart, Divisidero and Delta Prince.

Owner Barry Schwartz spoke of his love for speedy turf runners saying, “I love frontrunning grass horses. Everyone takes back in grass races. It's been the nature of grass racing and the world forever. I love those horses that go to the front and keep running.”

Though Voodoo Song was a speedy frontrunner, his tenacity was on full display.

“There's been a lot of great horses who have raced at Saratoga over the years, but if he can win six races in a row up here in two years, I've never heard of anything like that, except for Native Dancer (a Hall of Famer who won four races there in 1952 and was six-for-six at the Spa from 1952-54),” Schwartz said. “You breed a lot of horses, and with each crop you hope you have a good one. It's not that you're surprised to get a good one. You're thrilled that he's grown into the kind of horse you can get excited about.”

As a 3-year-old Voodoo Song defeated eventual 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar, who was only defeated twice in his career, as well as, Yoshida in the G3 Saranac.

Out of the stakes-winning mare Mystic Chant, by Unbridled's Song, Voodoo Song was bred in New York by Stonewall Farm, with lifetime earnings of $954,350.

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America’s Day At The Races Returns This Thursday On FOX Sports

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that America's Day at the Races returns this week on FOX Sports and MSG Networks to provide coverage and analysis of thoroughbred racing from Belmont Park, Churchill Downs and Delaware Park.

After a summer hiatus, the show resumes on Thursday with live racing from Churchill Downs and Delaware Park, before transitioning on Friday – Opening Day of the 27-day Belmont Park fall meet – for complete coverage of this weekend's live racing from Belmont Park and Churchill Downs.

Produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, the acclaimed national telecast airs Thursday through Sunday on FOX Sports (FS1/FS2) and MSG+, beginning each day at 12:30 p.m., Eastern. With the addition of a show on Wednesday, Sept. 23, America's Day at the Races will air live coverage of every race day this fall at both Belmont Park and Churchill Downs.

Featured this weekend will be stakes action from Belmont Park, starting on Friday with the inaugural running of the $80,000 Miner's Mark for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/2 miles on the dirt. Saturday's broadcast is highlighted by the first Grade 1 race of the Belmont fall meet, the $250,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/4 miles on the turf.

America's Day at the Races is also broadcast on NYRA's YouTube channel. Fans can subscribe to NYRA's channel and set a reminder to watch the show on YouTube Live. NYRA's YouTube channel also hosts a number of race replays, special features, America's Day at the Races replays and more.

America's Day at the Races is presented by America's Best Racing, Runhappy, and Claiborne Farm. This weekend's broadcast team includes Greg Wolf, Andy Serling, Maggie Wolfendale, Richard Migliore, Acacia Courtney and Jonathon Kinchen.

For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the 27-day fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 new member bonus in addition to a host of special weekly offers. The NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

The 2020 Belmont Park fall meet will begin on Friday, Sept. 18 and run through Sunday, Nov. 1. Following opening weekend at Belmont, live racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday with the exception of Columbus Day weekend, when live racing will be offered on Monday, Oct. 12 and will resume on Friday, Oct. 16.

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‘I Really Needed Somebody To Push Me’: Davis Credits New Agent For Recent Success

After going a month between starters, jockey Katie Davis is making up for lost time.

The 28-year-old fiancée of fellow rider Trevor McCarthy has registered seven wins with her last 15 mounts including a hat trick Sept. 12, the last live racing day at Laurel Park. She is named in three of 10 races when action resumes Thursday at Laurel, and two of nine races Friday.

A Maryland regular since late 2016, Davis rode three programs at Colonial Downs in neighboring Virginia before the meet was closed down Aug. 14 with a number of positive coronavirus results. One of them was McCarthy, and though she tested negative she joined her fiance in quarantine for two weeks.

With agent John DiNatale handling her book, Davis returned to action Sept. 3 and rode at least one winner each day that weekend including a two-win day Sept. 4. She has also finished third twice during her recent stretch.

“When I came back from the quarantine I was kind of lost and confused on what I wanted to do, because all the agents were pretty much taken. I really needed somebody to push me,” Davis said. “You can only do so much with yourself. I got very lucky. Trevor kind of put the word out for me a little more.

“Frank Saumell, the clerk of scales, said he had a longtime friend that had been in the business for 30-some years, 40 years. He used to be a trainer but he really wanted to get back in the game and become an agent,” she added. “That was probably the best thing that ever happened to me.”

DiNatale won 145 races and more than $1.5 million in purses in a training career with stops and starts between 1976 and 2009. One of his best horses was Stonewall Sue, who ran fifth in the 1994 Maryland Million Distaff and 1995 Shamrock Stakes at Laurel.

“A lot of people do know him, people that have been in the game a lot longer. Just picking him up really gave me that confidence that I needed,” Davis said. “Not that Trevor didn't give me confidence in that way, but the confidence in my own business to succeed and ride smart and keep going. That's what really lifted me up off my feet.

“Even the first week John and I were together he was like, 'Keep doing what you're doing, don't change a thing. You're riding smart and giving your horses every opportunity to win.' That alone shows that I can do this. I can perform well with the horses.”

Davis has 229 wins from 1,882 career starters and purse earnings of more than $6.1 million. She is one of six children that grew up around the sport while their father, Robbie, was winning 3,382 races between 1981 and 2002 primarily on the New York circuit. Older sister Jackie and younger brother Dylan are also professional jockeys, respectively based in Pennsylvania and New York.

In addition to her agent, Davis continues to lean on her father for his input. His mother, Davis' grandmother, passed away Sept. 1.

“Recently we've been talking a lot more. I really sat him down and said, 'C'mon, it's time to look at my races now. You've been looking at Dylan's for far too long,'” Davis laughed. “I sent him all my races, even if I finish last or got in a bad spot and ask him what he thinks I can do differently. He told me I was doing good and riding smart and my left hand was amazing. It's important to use both hands.”

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Half to Monarch of Egypt Debuts at Naas

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday’s Insights features a pricy half-brother to G1SP Monarch of Egypt (American Pharoah).

3.40 Yarmouth, Novice, £6,300, 2yo, 8f 3yT
FRANCESCO GUARDI (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is given a confidence boost in this four-runner affair, having finished third in Newbury’s Listed Washington Singer S. last month. The Ballylinch Stud-bred and James Ferguson-trained bay, whose dam is a stakes-placed half to Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}), meets The Queen’s unraced Chalk Stream (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), a William Haggas-trained half-brother to the G1 Winx S. runner-up Invictus Prince (GB) (Dansili {GB}).

4.10 Yarmouth, Novice, £6,300, 2yo, f, 6f 3yT
AROUSING (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) represents the longstanding Lael Stable-William Haggas who have enjoyed high-profile success with her dual G1 Prix de la Foret-winning half-sister One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Out of the G3 Molecomb S. and G3 King George S. winner Enticing (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), the April-foaled bay gets seven pounds from Hunscote Stud and Chris Humber’s Ville de Grace (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}), a Sir Michael Stoute-trained daughter of an unraced full-sister to the Grade I hero Prince Arch.

5.45 Naas, Debutantes, €15,500, 2yo, 7fT
KHARTOUM (Pioneerof The Nile) cost $1,000,000 at Keeneland September and debuts for Messrs Smith, Magnier, Tabor & Peter Brant and the Ballydoyle stable. A half-brother to the G1 Phoenix S. runner-up Monarch of Egypt by Pioneerof The Nile’s son American Pharoah, the April-foaled bay meets Aquis Racing and Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al-Attiya’s Southern Lights (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), a Joseph O’Brien-trained €550,000 Goffs Orby graduate from the family of High Chaparral (Ire).

The post Half to Monarch of Egypt Debuts at Naas appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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