The $175,000, Grade 2 Connaught Cup Stakes is a seven-eighths of a mile turf race at Woodbine that has produced some nice upsets in recent years with three of the last five winners paying $16.70 or more for a $2 win bet and an average payout of more than $19. Only one favorite has won the Connaught Cup in that five-year stretch and that was tepid 3.10-1 favorite Tower of Texas in 2017.
Tag: Horse racing news
Bill Filed to legalize Poker at NJ Tracks
A stand-alone bill that would specifically authorize New Jersey’s horse tracks to conduct poker games for the first time was filed in the state’s legislature July 2.
According the explanatory statement included in the one-page Assembly Bill No. 4365, “This bill authorizes poker to be played in poker rooms at horse racetracks in this State. The bill states that the Legislature finds and declares that the card game poker is a game of bluff and skill and is not restricted by the gambling provisions of the State Constitution.”
The poker news site Cardschat reported July 9 that poker rooms are a “monopoly” currently limited to Atlantic City casinos, and that the inclusion of the phrase “poker, as conducted under the bill, will not violate any criminal law of this State,” would allow poker rooms to open in existing gaming facilities without a referendum by voters.
Cardschat also noted another key distinction of the bill: The Division of Gaming Enforcement, and not the New Jersey Racing Commission, would have jurisdiction over poker rooms at racetracks.
The bill, filed by Republican Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, was referred to the Assembly’s Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee.
“Dancer has tried to expand poker in the state before, first introducing similar legislation in 2016,” Cardschat reported. “None of his bills made it past legislative committee discussion. His new bill doesn’t offer a provision for the state’s tracks to offer online poker,” which is noteworthy considering current COVID-19 protocols restricting on-site casino gaming.
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Terebellum Takes Aim At The Falmouth
Having come off second best in one of Royal Ascot’s major tussles, Godolphin’s Terebellum (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) seeks compensation in the G1 Falmouth S. at Newmarket on Friday. Progressive last term, the 4-year-old captured the 10-furlong G2 Prix de la Nonette at Deauville and returned to add the G2 Dahlia S. to her tally also over that trip on June 6. Dropped to a mile for the June 16 G1 Queen Anne S., she came out of a tight finale on the wrong side of Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) but proved herself at home over this trip in the process. “Terebellum showed a great attitude at Royal Ascot and should have every chance of going one better in a fillies’ only race,” trainer John Gosden said.
While Terebellum has form over further than this mile, Lael Stable’s dual G1 Prix de la Foret heroine One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is yet to score over it having been campaigned mainly at shorter trips. Despite being second in Ascot’s G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint S. over six furlongs on heavy ground in October, she proved that sprints were not her bag when sixth on her comeback in that venue’s G1 Diamond Jubilee S. on June 20. While her big days have come over seven, her form at a mile is generally top-class and she was unlucky to be caught too far back when a neck second to the enterprisingly-ridden Veracious (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in this race 12 months ago.
Alongside Terebellum, John Gosden also has Shadwell’s rapidly-improving Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) who comes here on the back of a taking success in the G2 Duke of Cambridge S. on the same Royal Ascot card as the Queen Anne. She was impressive in the June 3 Listed Snowdrop Fillies’ S. on Kempton’s Polytrack and may have more upside than the Duke of Cambridge runner-up Agincourt (Ire) (Declaration of War), but if it comes down to strict formlines she still has something to find with last year’s G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Sun Chariot S. heroine Billesdon Brook (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) who was carrying a penalty in the Snowdrop.
Nazeef’s prospects may have taken a knock with Thursday’s rain, but before that Shadwell’s Angus Gold was relishing the test ahead. “I was really impressed with her at Ascot and the way she put her head down to go and catch that leader,” he commented. “She’s as tough as she’s talented. Touch wood, she seems to have come out of it really well. John [Gosden] was delighted the way she took the race. The obvious next step is a Group 1. It’s a tougher grade again. She is a real professional and now we’ll see if we can go even higher with her.”
Also on the card is the G2 Duchess of Cambridge S., where the impressive June 19 G3 Albany S. winner Dandalla (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) looks to become the latest juvenile to complete a Royal Ascot-Newmarket July meeting double. That form has been boosted by the Group 3 success of the third-placed Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and soft ground should theoretically hold no fears as she handled the Tapeta riding standard-to-slow at Newcastle on debut on June 2. Trainer Karl Burke is full of hope she can make her class tell again here. “Dandalla is in great form, I’m very happy with her. It’s an interesting race, there are two or three nice fillies in there, but if she runs like she did at Ascot she’s the one to beat,” he said.
Heading the opposition to Dandalla is Qatar Racing’s Time Scale (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}), who was impressive when taking the June 28 Listed Empress Fillies’ S. over this trip on the Rowley Mile here. Trainer Ralph Beckett commented, “Time Scale bounced out of the Empress in good shape. She’s in good form at home and we’re very happy with her. She won at Chepstow on good-to-soft and the ground was quick at Newmarket, so she is versatile.” ‘TDN Rising Star’ More Beautiful (War Front) is at a more suitable trip than the five furlongs over which she made such a striking debut at Naas on June 8 and at which she was ninth when the even-money favourite in the June 20 G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot. Against her is the ground, as she looked out of the top drawer on a lively surface on her racecourse bow.
Sultan Ali’s Hala Hala Hala (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) beat Thursday’s Newmarket winner She’s So Nice (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) over this trip at Thirsk on June 22 and warrants respect from Kevin Ryan’s stable which generally houses a serious juvenile each year. “She’s a lovely filly, she’s always shown a high level of ability,” he said. “She won nicely first time out. Obviously Karl Burke’s filly is the bench mark, but you can’t run away from one horse. We think quite a lot of our filly and we’re looking forward to seeing her run.”
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Speedy Lebda Under Consideration For July 18 Haskell
Having exited the first loss of his 3-year-old season in good shape, Euro Stable's multiple stakes winner Lebda is under consideration for the $1 million Haskell (G1) July 18 at Monmouth Park.
Based at Laurel Park with summer meet-leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, Lebda is among 34 horses nominated to the 1 1/8-mile Haskell, which this year will serve as a points qualifier to the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby (G1).
Gonzalez said he expects to make a decision this week after speaking with Euro's Valter Ramos, who paid $3,000 by the June 4 deadline to make Lebda a late nominee to the Triple Crown.
“I have to talk to the owner, and we want to see who's going to come for the Haskell. We might take a look at that race,” Gonzalez said. “You never know. We're going to see how he continues to do, and then we'll decide.”
Lebda won the one-mile Miracle Wood and the two-turn Private Terms, contested at about 1 1/16 miles, on his home track over the winter. The latter came March 14, one day before Maryland racing was put on pause for 2 ½ months amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Live racing resumed in Maryland May 30 but with stakes races on hold, Gonzalez targeted the 1 1/8-mile Ohio Derby (G3) June 27 for Lebda's return. Sent off as the fourth choice in a field of 13 at odds of 6-1, Lebda pressed an opening quarter in 22.80 seconds and then led after a half in 47.22 before tiring to sixth.
“He came back good,” Gonzalez said. “He went really fast the first quarter; 22 [seconds] for a mile and an eighth is a little too fast.”
Monmouth would be the sixth different track for Lebda, a winner of four of nine career starts with one second and two thirds, both in the stakes – the 1/16-mile Iroquois (G3) last fall in Kentucky and the seven-furlong Heft at Laurel in his juvenile finale.
“I think it would be good because the track over there is always [good] for the speed horses,” Gonzalez said of Monmouth. “You have to be right there. That's why maybe it fits good for him. We'll see.”
Gonzalez may have another horse to bring to New Jersey in MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride, an impressive one-mile allowance winner July 3 at Laurel over a graded-stakes quality field that included Alwaysmining, Cordmaker, Name Changer and Honor the Fleet.
Harpers First Ride is nominated to the 1 1/8-mile Monmouth Cup (G3) on the Haskell undercard. The 4-year-old gelding has won five of seven starts since being haltered by Gonzalez out of a maiden claiming triumph last fall in Kentucky.
“We nominated for the Monmouth Cup and I'm 50-50 to run there,” Gonzalez said. “For now, he's doing really good and he came back really good from the race. I'm going to take a couple more days to decide. I think this horse will run better going a little longer.”
Harpers First Ride, yet to make his stakes debut, led nearly all the way in his recent 1 ¾-length victory over a quartet that had a combined 15 stakes wins including Name Changer's 2018 Monmouth Cup score. Last year, Alwaysmining swept Laurel's series for 3-year-olds and competed in the Preakness (G1) while Cordmaker was beaten two necks when third in the historic Pimlico Special (G3).
“That field was really tough. They are really good horses,” Gonzalez said. “You know what happened with this horse? Every race, he came back better and better. He's a really cool horse. He's not crazy. He's all business. I don't have any trouble with him at all. He's doing really good.”
Gonzalez said he was also proud of Magic Stable's Princess Cadey's effort in a troubled third-place finish in the July 4 Delaware Oaks (G3), her first race since taking Laurel's Beyond the Wire March 14.
“I'm very happy with her. She didn't break that great, and I wanted to see her right there in the clear because always she doesn't like dirt in the face,” Gonzalez said. “She didn't break good and she came [from] last and she still finished third. She came back good, and I'm very happy for her and how she ran. She ran big. It wasn't how I wanted the trip, that's why I'm so happy for her.”
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