Tag: Horse racing news

Weekend Lineup: Whitney Leads ‘Win And You’re In’ Races At The Spa

Historic Saratoga Race Course will feature three Grade 1 events on Saturday, led by the $750,000 Whitney at 1 1/8 miles with an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic on the line. The card is bolstered by the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Distaff; and the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial for 3-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs. The card will be broadcast on Saratoga Live beginning at 1 p.m. ET on FOX Sports and MSG Networks.

TVG will be live on site this weekend at Del Mar covering a loaded weekend of racing that includes two Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “Win and You're In” races – the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes and the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes as well as the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes which will serve as a prep race for the Kentucky Derby in September.

Fans of international racing can also tune in to TVG to watch racing from Goodwood Racecourse in England. Coverage begins at 5:30 a.m. PT/8:30 a.m. ET on Saturday.

NBC Sports presents three hours of live horse racing this Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, highlighted by the $250,000 Bing Crosby Stakes.

Saturday August 1

3:28 p.m.—$500,000 Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on FS2

Reigning champion older dirt female Midnight Bisou, the No. 1-ranked horse on the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, will seek a 14th graded stakes victory when she aims to defend her title in the Personal Ensign. Midnight Bisou, a dark bay 5-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute, has put together a sensational record of 21-13-5-3 with purse earnings of $7,371,520. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Midnight Bisou will attempt to be the first horse to score back-to-back Personal Ensign triumphs since John C. Oxley's champion Beautiful Pleasure did so in 1999-00. This year, Midnight Bisou has sustained her winning form, displaying an inside-closing effort in the inaugural $20 million Saudi Cup in February and last out won the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs by 8 ¼ lengths.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR080120USA5-EQB.html

5:30 p.m.—$100,000 Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on TVG

In a season of unusual happenings, Saturday's Shared Belief Stakes fits right in. The 3-year-old feature – which has drawn six runners – breaks new ground in that it is the first time a Kentucky Derby prep race has been conducted at the seaside oval in its 81-year history. Heading the lineup is Honor A.P., the No. 2 ranked horse on the NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Poll, who comes into the race off a tally in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on June 6. Honor A.P. was second in the San Felipe at Santa Anita in his race prior to that and has been training forwardly at Del Mar for his prep. Mike Smith, who has handled Honor A.P. in all four of his starts so far, once again has the call Saturday.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR080120USA2-EQB.html

5:31 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks at Monmouth Park on TVG

With the top six finishers back from the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks on July 4, as well as fourth-place Acorn Stakes finisher Lucrezia, the Monmouth Oaks field has several accomplished fillies. Dream Marie, off her second-place finish to Project Whiskey in the Delaware Oaks, where she was beaten a half-length, certainly fits. Dream Marie signaled her arrival as a potential stakes winner after winning a $50,000 starter allowance at Gulfstream Park in December, following that up with a win in a $75,000 optional claimer on January 20 and a second on May 15 in the Hollywood Wildcat.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/MTH080120USA11-EQB.html

5:42 p.m.—$750,000 Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on FS1

A field comprised of five millionaires – including three horses in the top 10 of the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll – will make up a talented group of older horses assembled for the 93rd running of Saturday's Whitney going 1 1/8 miles. Trainer Al Stall, Jr. saddled subsequent Breeders' Cup Classic winner and champion Blame to victory in the 2010 Whitney off a four-race win streak. This year, the conditioner sends out red-hot Tom's d'Etat, who also arrives at the race off similar form with four straight wins. Owned by Gayle Benson's G M B Racing, the 7-year-old son of Smart Strike enters the Whitney off graded stakes triumphs in the Grade 2 Fayette on October 26 at Keeneland, the Grade 1 Clark on November 29 at Churchill Downs and the Grade 2 Stephen Foster on June 27 at Churchill Downs. Tom's d'Etat also leads all Whitney entrants with three victories at the Spa. As a 3-year-old, he broke his maiden at third asking by four lengths and won an allowance optional claiming event by nine lengths the following year. Last season, he was a one-length winner of the Alydar.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR080120USA9-EQB.html

6:18 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on FS2

A rematch featuring the superfecta of last month's Grade 1 Woody Stephens will highlight another high-caliber contest, with No Parole looking to propel his 3 ¾-length victory into more glory in Saturday's H. Allen Jerkens Memorial. No Parole, owned by Maggi Moss and Greg Tramontin, is unbeaten going one turn, registering a perfect 4-for-4 ledger in sprints. Overall, the Tom Amoss trainee has won 5-of-6 starts, including his gate-to-wire win in the seven-furlong Woody Stephens on June 20.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR080120USA10-EQB.html

6:50 p.m.—$250,000 Grade 2 Bowling Green Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on FS2

Grade 1-winning veterans Channel Maker and Sadler's Joy, who together have combined to earn more than $4.7 million in purses during their lengthy careers, will attempt to put the brakes on frustrating losing streaks Saturday in the Bowling Green on the inner turf. Channel Maker has gone winless in nine starts since his neck victory in the Grade 1 Man o' War in May 2019 at Belmont Park, also contested at the Bowling Green distance. Most recently, he finished fourth by a length after pressing the pace into the stretch of the 1 ¼-mile Manhattan on July 4 at Belmont. Sadler's Joy earned his lone career Grade 1 victory in the 2018 Sword Dancer at Saratoga. The 7-year-old gelding capped his 2019 campaign by winning the Grade 3 Red Smith last November at Aqueduct, but has gone winless in four tries this year.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR080120USA11-EQB.html

9:30 p.m.—$250,000 Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on NBCSN and TVG

The Bing Crosby appears likely to have nine starters Saturday when the venerable sprint stakes will be run for the 75th time. Multi-millionaire McKinzie was slated to head up the Crosby field for this go-round, but trainer Bob Baffert has called an audible and indicated he'd rather run him later in the meet at seven furlongs in the Pat O'Brien Stakes on August 29. Stepping up to fill the role of favorite in the Crosby is Fashionably Fast, a 5-year-old gelding who is just what his name indicates. The son of the late Lucky Pulpit has won six of his last seven starts, each time using his exceptional speed to make or stalk the pace. His last outing – the Grade 2 Triple Bend Stakes over seven panels at Santa Anita on June 7 – saw him run a sharp second to McKinzie.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR080120USA10-EQB.html

Sunday August 2

9:30 p.m.—$250,000 Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on TVG

Three Grade 1 winners are slated to start in the six-horse field of fillies and mares assembled for the Clement L. Hirsch. Ce Ce, winner of the Grade 1 Beholder Mile and Apple Blossom Handicap this year, comes in off a third-place finish behind fellow Hirsch entrant Fighting Mad in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita on May 31. Hard Not to Love, who took the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes last December, was second in the Santa Maria while Ollie's Candy seeks her first victory since taking last year's edition of the Clement L. Hirsch.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR080220USA10-EQB.html

The post Weekend Lineup: Whitney Leads ‘Win And You’re In’ Races At The Spa appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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CDI Seeks to Sell Arlington Land

The long-term future for Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) to continue racing in Illinois involves selling its Arlington International Racecourse land for another purpose and transferring the corporation’s racing license to another location.

Bill Carstanjen, the chief executive officer of CDI, outlined the gaming company’s desire to rid itself of Chicago’s premier Thoroughbred venue in a July 30 conference call with investors. His comments came six days after Arlington’s delayed 2020 season opening (because of the pandemic and a bitter contract dispute with local horse people) and one day before 2021 dates applications were due to be filed with the Illinois Racing Board.

Carstanjen was responding to a question from an investment analyst who asked about the gaming corporation’s “broad Illinois strategy” with respect to Arlington.

“We reached an agreement with the horsemen [and] we’re running the race meet right now,” Carstanjen said, according to an edited transcript of the call posted on Yahoo! Finance. “We’ll run a 2020 race meeting. We have an agreement to run a 2021 race meet if we elect to do so. That’s not a long-term viable solution for the Arlington Park license.”

Carstanjen continued: “Long-term for Arlington Park, as we’ve explained on these calls, and [as] we’ve explained to the state, it doesn’t work. The economics don’t work. It’s not a viable solution. We’d like to give the state, given everything that’s going on, an opportunity to help us find a better long-term solution. But the long-term solution is not Arlington Park. That land will have a higher and better purpose for something else at some point.

“But we want to work constructively with all of the constituencies in the market to see if there’s an opportunity to move the license or otherwise change the circumstances so that racing can continue in Illinois. But for us, we’ve been patient and thoughtful and constructive with the parties up in that jurisdiction.

“But long term, that land gets sold, and that license will need to move if it’s going to continue,” Carstanjen said. “And the time frame for doing that is not something I’m going to comment on this call today, and it’s not definitive. But certainly, certainly, it’s something that’s on our mind on a week-to-week basis, if not a day-to-day basis.”

The relationship between Arlington and the horse people who race on the Illinois circuit has been contentious for several years now. The split widened considerably last August when Arlington management stunned Illinois stakeholders by intentionally missing a deadline to apply for a racino license after more than a decade of working with the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (ITHA) to get the Illinois Gaming Act passed as a way to boost purses via other forms of betting.

Arlington’s decision not to pursue slot machines and table games at the track took on heightened controversy because Arlington’s corporate parent, Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), has an ownership stake in a nearby competing casino and is aiming to open another near Chicago.

Horsemen have stated a belief that CDI doesn’t want Arlington competing with its own (and potentially more lucrative) venues. Last summer, CDI cited the racino law’s requirement of having to contribute gaming revenues to the Thoroughbred purse account as a competitive disadvantage it did not want to undertake.

The Daily Herald of suburban Chicago obtained a statement on Thursday from the ITHA that stated “For Churchill’s CEO to say preposterously that Churchill has been ‘patient’ with other stakeholders speaks to the height of Churchill’s contempt for the elected officials and working families of Illinois. The very least that Churchill could do is be honest about its true intention: the company cares only about maximizing profit and is happy to sacrifice the spirit of Illinois law and the livelihood of working Illinoisans to serve its greed.”

Carstanjen also disclosed on the call that despite applying for a sports betting license in March, Arlington no longer plans on pursuing it.

“Currently, we’re not planning on doing sports wagering there through the Arlington license. We’re happy to play heavily in Illinois and sports wagering through our Rivers [Casino] license.” That venue is about 10 miles from Arlington and CDI owns a 61% stake in it.

The Daily Herald quoted a rebuke from Tom Hayes, the mayor of Arlington Heights, where the track is located.

“It’s very disappointing to hear,” Hayes said. “Certainly, I’ve never felt Churchill Downs was all that concerned about Arlington Heights and our community at all. I think they’re concerned about the bottom line.”

The post CDI Seeks to Sell Arlington Land appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Shirreffs Has An ‘Emotional Connection’ To Shared Belief Favorite Honor A. P.

Del Mar will be the venue for a Kentucky Derby prep race Saturday, the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes.

Weird, right?

“Nothing feels weird this year, weird is the norm,” said John Shirreffs, trainer of 8-5 morning line favorite Honor A. P.

Amen to that.

Back on March 30, Churchill Downs announced that, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Run for the Roses – a worldwide sports calendar fixture on the first Saturday in May – would be moved to the first Saturday in September for its 146th running. Likely a somewhat unsettling announcement to many trainers with Derby candidates in their stables. But, of course, not to Shirreffs.

“It didn't require any big adjustment,” Shirreffs said matter of factly – his default attitude on most matters. “We waited for the San Felipe and then the Santa Anita Derby, which was the regular plan.”

Honor A. P., a son of Honor Code and grandson of champion A.P. Indy, made his racing debut at 6 furlongs with a fast-closing runner-up finish at Del Mar on August 17 of last year. Stretched to a mile two months later, he was a 5 1/4 –length winner at Santa Anita to end a 2-year-old campaign that, while brief, caught the eye of Derby watchers.

He was second to Authentic in the Grade II, 1 1/16-mile San Felipe on March 20, beaten 2 ¼ lengths, but turned the tables in the COVID-delayed, 1 1/18-mile Santa Anita Derby on June 6, winning by 2 ¾-lengths.

The win elevated Honor A. P. to the top, or near it, on Derby Watch lists. But it necessitated a decision for Shirreffs and owners C R K Stable of Lee and Susan Searing of Arcadia, CA, regarding the next stop on the Derby trail. Go east for one of several large-purse races or stay in Southern California for the Shared Belief?

In anticipation of being a Derby prep — one that would offer Derby “points” (50-20-10-5 to the first four finishers) — the Shared Belief had been moved back a few weeks on the Del Mar scheduled and advanced from a mile to 1 1/16 miles in distance. The next race call went to the Shared Belief.

Honor A. P. has worked four times over the Del Mar surface and Shirreffs said: “I think he's coming into this race as well as he was for the Santa Anita Derby.”

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, aboard for all four of Honor A. P.'s starts, describes him as a “big, strong, developing colt,” who could wind up benefitting from the delay of the Derby with the extra time for maturity and experience.

Shirreffs says: “He's got a great stride on him and he's light on his feet. My job is finding ways to get him to relax; to learn a little more race by race.”

Shirreffs trained the colt's dam, Hollywood Story. “That gives me an emotional connection,” he said. “But I really benefit from training his sister Hollywood Girl. That helps a lot because they're alike in that they're really competitive and have similar dispositions.”

Honor A. P. has reunited Shirreffs and Smith for a third Derby run in the past 15 years. In 2005, they combined for a victory in Louisville on 50-1 Giacomo, to that point the second-biggest longshot winner in Derby history. Giacomo paid $102.60 to win and was the front of a superfecta that returned more than $1.7 million.

Giacomo had finished fourth in the Santa Anita Derby a month earlier and was part of a crop of California 3-year-olds that was largely dismissed as contenders.

“(Giacomo) had run a creditable Santa Anita Derby but he hadn't won any of the preps,” Shirreffs recalled. “Mike was the one who encouraged us to go on; he thought he'd do better at the mile and a quarter.”

Unlike the betting public, Smith was sold on Giacomo – owned by recording executive Jerry Moss and his wife Anne and named for the son of the musician Sting.

“I really believed going in that he had a good shot,” Smith remembered. “I told everyone I knew 'Don't leave him out.' I knew the mile and a quarter would be right up his alley.”

A stone closer, Giacomo was 17th of 20 in the early going, well off a blistering pace, but stormed down the stretch to win by a half length and provide Smith with his first Derby victory in his 12th start.

“None of the Southern California races set up for him,” Smith said. “He ran in a tough year and didn't get credit for being as good as he was. But he was a really good horse. For him to come back (to Del Mar) the next year and win the San Diego Handicap was really something.”

Giacomo went into the 2006 San Diego Handicap winless in four starts following the Kentucky Derby. He was the sixth Derby winner to race at Del Mar, but only fourth choice in a field of eight at 5-1 on the morning line. Reminiscent of the Derby, he made a gritty stretch run and prevailed over Bob Baffert trainee Preachinathebar by a head in the final jump.

“He might have redeemed himself today. And he might have redeemed me too,” Smith said after the race.

“It was like the Derby again wasn't it,” Shirreffs said. “He won the Derby, so anything (negative) anybody said about him has gone in one ear and out the other.”

The win by Giacomo was the 15th of a now 70 total stakes victories in 19 seasons at Del Mar, 10th all time, for Smith. It was the fifth stakes win for Shirreffs, who has added 11 more in subsequent years, three of them coming in consecutive runnings of the Clement L. Hirsch (2008, '09, '10) by his marvelous mare Zenyatta.

What does Smith think of riding in a Kentucky Derby prep at Del Mar?

“It's very different, but this has been a very different kind of year,” the rider said.

That makes it unanimous.

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