Horse racing news | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mirahmadi Passing Mic To Griffin For Remainder Of Monmouth, Meadowlands Meets

Monmouth Park fans will hear a new voice calling races for the duration of the meet starting on Saturday, Sept. 12, when Chris Griffin takes over as the track announcer.

Griffin will be filling in for regular announcer Frank Mirahmadi through the remainder of the Monmouth Park meet that concludes Sept. 27 as well as the nine-day Meadowlands-at-Monmouth meet in October. Mirahmadi is returning to California to resume his role as the track announcer for Santa Anita, which kicks off its fall meet on Sept. 19.

Griffin, 39, most recently served as the track announcer at Sam Houston Race Park in Texas.

“It's a huge opportunity. I'm excited,” said Griffin. “I'm looking forward to getting back into the booth and calling races. This has been a strange year as everyone knows so when an opportunity like this comes along you take it.”

Griffin, who currently resides in Peoria, Ill., got his start as an announcer at the Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale, Calif. in 2015. The Santa Monica, Calif. native has called races at the various California fair meets, at Portland Meadows, Los Alamitos and Gulfstream Park West.

“Chris is a rising star in the industry,” said Mirahmadi. “He has a great voice and has earned this opportunity. I'm so happy to welcome him to the Monmouth Park announcer's booth. Our fans will love him.”

The post Mirahmadi Passing Mic To Griffin For Remainder Of Monmouth, Meadowlands Meets appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Queen’s Plate Day At Woodbine To Include Jackpot Hi-5 Mandatory Payout

Woodbine Entertainment announced that there will be a mandatory payout for the Woodbine Thoroughbred Jackpot Hi-5 on Saturday, Sept. 12 to close out the Queen's Plate program. at the Toronto, Ontario, racetrack.

Wagering on the Jackpot Hi-5 will be suspended following the Monday, Sept. 7 race card and will not be offered on the Friday, Sept. 11 program. The carryover, which has been growing since the last mandatory payout date on August 8, currently sits at $193,135.97.

The Jackpot Hi-5 wager, which has a 20-cent minimum bet, requires horseplayers to select the top five finishers in the correct order for the final race on the program. The Jackpot proviso means that the entire pool pays out only when there is a single winning ticket or when there is a mandatory payout.

The Jackpot Hi-5 pool for the previous mandatory payout included a carryover of $295,470.54, with $897,226.70 in new money wagered. The payout was $13,727.24 for a 20-cent base wager.

First race post time for Monday's nine-race card is 1 p.m. The draw for next Saturday's race card will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

The post Queen’s Plate Day At Woodbine To Include Jackpot Hi-5 Mandatory Payout appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

What’s in a Name: Bold Mistress

Literary references are not rare in horse racing, and 2yo winner Bold Mistress (Vronsky–Common Truth) carries a precious such connection, linked to the GOAT (probably) writer Lev Tolstoy. Unhappily married Anna Karenina is in fact the absolutely bold mistress of Count Vronsky in the Russian novelist’s book of the same name.

“Many writers consider ‘Anna Karenina’ the greatest work of literature ever and the author himself called it his first true novel,” states Wikipedia–and only a few years before Tolstoy had written “War and Peace,” which I personally prefer (reading the earlier masterpiece is like being immersed in life, I think).

This flying and head-strong young filly deserves her name and let’s hope that her race beginnings are as promising and luminous as the very famous incipit of “Anna Karenina”: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

6th-Golden Gate Fields, $36,300, Msw, 9-6, 2yo, f, 5f (AWT), :58.40, ft.
BOLD MISTRESS (f, 2, Vronsky–Common Truth, by Bertrando) O-Curt & Lila Lanning; B-Curt & Lila Lanning LLC (CA); T-Ed Moger, Jr.

The post What’s in a Name: Bold Mistress appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Force The Pass Sold To Stand In Saudi Arabia

Grade 1-winning millionaire Force the Pass, who stood his first season at stud in 2020 at Anchor & Hope Farm in Port Deposit, Md., has been sold to continue his stallion career in Saudi Arabia.

A son of Speightstown, Force the Pass was acquired last year by T.K. Kuegler's Wasabi Ventures Stallions, LLC, and represented Wasabi's first foray into the stallion business after gaining success with racing partnerships and recently branching out into broodmare partnerships, as well.

“When we obtained Force the Pass a year ago, we had every expectation of turning him into a successful Mid-Atlantic stallion,” stated Kuegler. “We never had any intention of selling him, but when the offer came in out of the blue from Saudi Arabia, it was just too good to pass up. As everyone involved in racing and breeding knows, it is very hard to make money in this business, and while we are sad to see Force the Pass go, we are pleased for the ownership group that our first stallion venture resulted in a favorable outcome for them — especially during what have been generally challenging economic circumstances. Now, with this fantastic result under our belt and having learned a great deal about the stallion business, we can turn our attention to finding the next successful Wasabi stallion.”

“Force the Pass was — and still is — a stand-out sire prospect,” according to George Adams, Wasabi's director of stallions and breeding. “We were excited to offer Maryland breeders the chance to breed to a stallion of his qualifications at what we think was a bargain price, and we are very appreciative of the support of all those breeders who sent mares to the horse. We are especially happy for the lifetime breeding right holders who believed in our program and in Force the Pass, and glad that we were able to do right by them even though they did not have an ownership interest in the horse.”

One of those lifetime breeding right holders was the Thornmar Farm of Cynthia and Charles McGinnes, who took the news of Force the Pass's sale in stride.

“We are happy to have three mares in foal,” said Cynthia. “Sometimes you get an offer that you just can't refuse. I am sure the horse will be a terrific success now, but you have to do what is best for the times.”

“We wish the best of luck to all the breeders who supported Force the Pass this year,” added Kuegler, “and will certainly be looking for his foals at the sales in the coming years. We still believe that Force the Pass will be an outstanding sire, and we cannot wait to campaign many of his runners in our silks.”

Force the Pass covered 57 mares during the 2020 breeding season.

The post Force The Pass Sold To Stand In Saudi Arabia appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post