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By The Numbers: Gulfstream’s Tapeta Surface Sees Favorites Win At 36 Percent Clip

The 2021-2022 Championship Meet will break new ground when racing is conducted on Gulfstream Park's newly constructed Tapeta surface, as well as on turf and dirt, for the first time during the winter stand that gets underway Friday.

The well-received all-weather surface, which debuted during the inaugural Fall Meet, was constructed upon the advent of year-round racing at the Hallandale Beach racetrack. While the turf course was undergoing renovation during October and November in preparation for the Championship Meet, the Tapeta course proved to be a popular alternative surface to the main track.

Gulfstream is the first racetrack in the Americas to card races on dirt, turf and an all-weather surface. There are no stakes scheduled on the Tapeta course, but the all-weather racing surface will be employed in the event stakes are transferred from the turf course due to inclement conditions.

A total of 143 races were run over the Tapeta course at the recently concluded Fall Meet while producing some expected and perhaps unexpected results.

Horses that favor turf over dirt performed well over the all-weather surface, as widely expected overall. After the first two weeks of racing on Tapeta, horses that had made their most recent starts on turf won 27 of 37 races for a whopping 73 percent. As the meet progressed and horses started running back on Tapeta with no turf races available to them, the percentage of horses going from Turf to the all-weather track dropped to 41 percent.

Favorites had a win-strike rate of 36 percent.

Horses coming from off the pace dominated during the first two weeks of racing on the Tapeta course, winning 22 of 37 races or 59 percent of the races. At meet's end, closers succeeded at a 41-percent clip. After the first two weeks only three horses won on the front end (8 percent), but the speedsters fared better as the meet went along to score at a 17-percent clip by winning 25 of 143 races. Horses pressing or stalking the pace won the remainder of the races.

Saffie Joseph Jr., who dominated the Fall Meet trainer standings, saddled 21 of his 36 winners for victories on the all-weather surface. David Fawkes ranked second with 10 winners with considerably fewer starters.

Edgard Zayas, the Fall Meet champion, led all jockeys with 16 winners on Tapeta. A resurgent Chantal Sutherland, who finished second in the Fall Meet standings, was next with 13 winners.

Gulfstream's Championship Meet kicks off Dec. 3 with a big weekend of stakes races, Claiming Crown, and the popular calendar giveaway.

Friday's 10-race program will be highlighted by two stakes races for 2-year-olds at a mile on the turf in the $75,000 Pulpit and $75,000 Wait a While for fillies.

The Pulpit could attract a full field including Eldon's Prince, a winner this summer and fall of Gulfstream's Armed Forces and Proud Man, Kitodan, who broke his maiden at Gulfstream before finishing ninth in the Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga, Duke of Love, who won his debut at Woodbine for MyRacehorse and trainer Josie Carroll, and Red Danger, second to Howling Wind in the Street Sense at Churchill Downs.

Possibles for the Wait a While include Lemieux, winner last out of the Brethren Juvenile Fillies Stakes, Myfavoritedaughter, fourth in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) in September, Gun Boat, a daughter of War Front trained by Shug McGaughey, and the Saffie Joseph-trained Sister Lou Ann.

Gulfstream's first Saturday of the Championship Meet will be highlighted by the Claiming Crown, a nine-race event offering $810,000 in purses. Along with watching some of racing's most popular, blue-collar horses, fans can get their free 2022 calendar on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. Calendars will be available at the north and south entrances.

Entries for Friday card will be taken Tuesday.

The month of December will also feature four graded stakes on Saturday, Dec. 18, headlined by the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2). Gulfstream's Championship Meet will feature major races every week with spectacular weekend events, including $5.2 million Pegasus World Cup Day Jan. 29, $650,000 Holy Bull Day Feb. 5, $1.7 million Fountain of Youth Day March 5, and the $2.2 million Florida Derby Day April 2.

Gulfstream's concert series will also kick into gear during the Championship Meet in the Sport of Kings Theater with Jefferson Starship Jan. 2, The Wall and Beyond, an Exclusive Pink Floyd Experience Jan. 15, Voices of Classic Soul Jan. 20, and The Immediate Family Feb. 20.

For more information go to: https://gulfstreampark.com/events-and-entertainment/event-calendar

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Charity Handicapping Contest Returns To Meadowlands On Dec. 4

Seven local New Jersey charitable organizations have been selected to compete in the Meadowlands Charity Handicapping Contest on Saturday, Dec. 4.

The Contest offers a $13,500 total donation/prize pool, with every charity receiving a donation. Prizes will be awarded as follows: 1^st Place: $5,000, 2^nd Place: $3,000, 3^rd Place: $2,000, 4^th Place: $1,500, 5^th Place: $1,000, 6^th& 7^th: $500.

The participating charities have different missions aimed at improving the lives of people and animals living in the Garden State. The participating charities are:

North Jersey Friendship House a non-profit organization that's mission is to build the skills of individuals with varying abilities and developmental needs by providing, within a safe haven, comprehensive clinical treatment, vocational training and work opportunities in order to achieve meaningful and productive lives. www.njfriendshiphouse.org
Wayne Township Police Athletic League organized for the purpose of fostering and encouraging in the youth of Wayne Township, a spirit of loyalty and faith in American traditions and institutions through participation in constructive movements and endeavors for the promotion and safeguarding of their interests and general welfare: to promote a spirit of benevolent friendship, goodwill, and tolerance and cultivate and improve their moral standards in order to more effectively combat juvenile delinquency; to provide meeting places where the youth of Wayne may enjoy every educational and social benefit and to participate in athletic activities under competent supervision; and to acquire, lease, hold, use mortgage and dispose of real and personal property to carry out the aforesaid purpose. www.waynepal.org
Act Now Foundation Inc. raises awareness and educates communities about Alzheimer's disease, prevention and early detection; to provide support, education, evaluations testing, long-term care planning, resources and advocacy in order to improve the quality of life for families living and struggling with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. actnowfoundation.org
Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Hunterdon County aims to promote, embrace and enjoy Irish-American culture in a positive and progressive manner. Founded in 2008 the FSSP has raised and distributed more than $250,000 to families in Hunterdon County, NJ. FSSPHunterdon.com
Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of New Jersey a non-profit organization founded to promote the Standardbred as a pleasure riding and driving horse by exposing the public to their performances through equine events. Whatever the discipline is, eventing, western pleasure, driving, hunter/jumper, trail riding or dressage, our mission is to let the public know that the Standardbred is a very versatile breed. www.sphonj.org
Homeless Animal Adoption League is an all cat all volunteer rescue and adoption facility located in Clifton, NJ. Our mission is to provide a clean, loving environment for cats and kittens until a forever home is found, no matter how long it takes. We also provide humane education to the community. HAALNJ.org
Horse Rescue United saves horses of all breeds from abandonment, abuse, neglect, and slaughter. We specialize in retraining and rehoming Standardbreds. Whenever possible, HRU purchases slaughter-bound horses from auction, and also assists owner surrenders before they end up in the wrong hands. http://horserescueunited.org/

For the Charity Handicapping Contest, organizations will select one (1) horse in each of the 10 designated Meadowlands live races. The organizations will amass a mythical bankroll if their selection officially finishes first, second or third in the designated race. Official $2 WPS (Win, Place, Show) payoffs will be added to the mythical bankroll. Official race results will serve as the order of finish. The organization that accumulates the highest mythical bankroll is the winner.

The participating organizations are encouraged to make it a night at the races for their volunteers and employees. Each organization will also have the opportunity to make winner's circle presentations and be featured on the track's jumbotron.

“The COVID pandemic has greatly impacted our community and state,” said Jason Settlemoir, COO and GM of Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment. “We look forward to another fun night of racing that will raise money for these local charities who are helping to ease the burden for many in our community.”

For information on racetrack events visit playmeadowlands.com

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Del Mar Closing Day Pick 6 Pays $10,141 To Winners

The closing day Pick Six at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., Sunday returned $10,141 to 358 horseplayers who selected each of the final six winners on the nine-race card.

The pool for the wager had started the day with a $590,935 carryover and it attracted $3,975,017 in new money, meaning the final prize was $4,565,952. The bet was run under “mandatory payout” conditions because of California racing rules. It had not been hit for 12 consecutive days leading up to the 13th and final day of the track's regular Bing Crosby Season.

Del Mar will return to racing on Friday, July 22, 2022.

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‘All Others’ Closes As 3-5 Favorite In Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1

With the Kentucky Derby still 23 weeks away, the pari-mutuel field of “All Other 3-Year-Old Colts and Geldings” closed as the 3-5 favorite in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) and Smile Happy was the 8-1 second choice.

Smile Happy, the 3 ¼-length winner of Saturday's $400,000 Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., had his odds drop from 15-1 to 9-1 around 5 p.m. ET when Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, the Houston furniture store owner who campaigned Smile Happy's sire Runhappy, bet $10,000 to win on the Kentucky-bred colt who is unbeaten in two starts. Additional money flowed late until the 6 p.m. ET deadline and his odds closed at 8-1.

Jack Christopher, the impressive G1 Champagne winner for trainer Chad Brown who was expected to be the $2 million G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile favorite before he was scratched, is expected to resume training in early 2022 following surgery to heal a left shin stress fracture.

Other horses who attracted mild interest from bettors: Breeders' Futurity winner Rattle N Roll (21-1); G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and G1 American Pharoah runner-up Pappacap (23-1); G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Tiz the Bomb (24-1); and G1 Hopeful winner Gunite (25-1).

Horses in order of the public's betting choice (with trainer, Pool 1 odds and $2 Win Will Pays): #24 All Other Colts and Geldings from the 2019 Foal Crop (3-5, $3.40); #18 Smile Happy (Kenny McPeek, Runhappy, 8-1, $19.20); #11 Jack Christopher (Chad Brown, Munnings, 10-1, $23.20); #17 Rattle N Roll (Kenny McPeek, Connect, 21-1, $45.80); #16 Pappacap (Mark Casse, Gun Runner, 23-1, $49.40); #19 Tiz the Bomb (Kenny McPeek, Hit It a Bomb, 24-1, $51); #9 Gunite (Steve Asmussen, Gun Runner, 25-1, $53.80); #3 Commandperformance (Todd Pletcher, Union Rags, 31-1, $64.80); #7 Giant Game (Dale Romans, Giant's Causeway, 37-1, $77.40); #13 Mo Donegal (Todd Pletcher, Uncle Mo, 37-1, $77.60); #23 All Fillies from the 2019 Foal Crop (41-1, $85.20); #12 Major General (Todd Pletcher, Constitution, 43-1, $88.60); #10 Howling Time (Dale Romans, Not This Time, 43-1, $89.60); #2 Classic Causeway (Brian Lynch, Giant's Causeway, 44-1, $90.20); #5 Epicenter (Steve Asmussen, Not This Time, 52-1, $106.80); #21 Varatti (Todd Pletcher, Into Mischief, 54-1, $111.80); #22 Zandon (Chad Brown, Upstart, 56-1, $114.40); #1 Ben Diesel (Dallas Stewart, Will Take Charge, 66-1, $134.20); #4 Double Thunder (Todd Pletcher, Super Saver, 72-1, $147); #15 Oviatt Class (Keith Desormeaux, Bernardini, 87-1, $177.20); #20 Trafalgar (Al Stall Jr., Lord Nelson, 98-1, $198.80); #8 Graphic Detail (Bill Mott, Practical Joke, 133-1, $269); #6 Forced Ranking (Chad Brown, Mastery, 138-1, $279.80); and #14 Osbourne (Ron Moquett, Tapiture, 155-1, $312.80).

Total handle for the Nov. 25-28 KDFW pool – the first of five scheduled wagering pools in advance of the 148th running of the G1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on Saturday, May 7 – was $326,448 ($263,008 in the Win pool and $63,440 in Exactas), up 30.9% from last year's $249,331 ($191,984 in the Win Pool and $57,347 in Exactas).

Inaugurated in 1999, the Kentucky Derby Future Wager has been offered for a 24th consecutive year, but this marks just the ninth time that Churchill Downs has hosted a KDFW pool on closing weekend of its Fall Meet.

This year's early Derby betting menu also included the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager, which, for the seventh consecutive year, provided bettors with a unique opportunity to wager on select breeding stars and their entire crop of juveniles with the hope of winning next year's Kentucky Derby.

“All Other Sires” at 7-2 and Runhappy at 7-1 attracted the most attention from bettors – and McIngvale, who plunged $3,000 on his prized sire around 5 p.m. to lower his odds from 17-1 to the second betting choice. Gun Runner progeny was the 9-1 third betting choice.

Sires in order of favoritism for the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager (Odds and $2 Win Will Pays): #24 “All Other Sires” (7-2, $9.60); #16 Runhappy (7-1, $16); #6 Gun Runner (9-1, $20); #15 Quality Road (10-1, $23.20); #7 Into Mischief (14-1, $30); #4 Empire Maker (16-1, $35.80); #3 Curlin (17-1, $37.80); #19 Tapit (18-1, $38); #10 Munnings (18-1, $39.80); #1 American Pharoah (20-1, $42.60); #11 Not This Time (23-1, $48.20); #5 Giant's Causeway (24-1, $51); #21 Uncle Mo (25-1, $53.40); #22 Union Rags (29-1, $60); #9 Medaglia D'Oro (32-1, $66.60); #14 Practical Joke (33-1, $69.60); #2 Candy Ride (ARG) (37-1, $76.80); #12 Nyquist (40-1, $83.20); #18 Street Sense (41-1, $84); #23 Violence (45-1, $93.80); #20 Twirling Candy (48-1, $98.80); #13 Pioneerof the Nile (53-1, $108.40); #17 Speightstown (75-1, $152.40); and #8 Mastery (76-1, $155.80).

Total betting on the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager was a record $50,205 ($38,073 in the Win pool and $12,132 in the Exactas), up 5.5% from last year's $47,567 ($33,269 in the Win pool and $14,298 in Exactas).

The KDFW and Sire Future Wager combined to handle $376,653, a 26.9% jump from last year's $296,898.

The other Future Wager dates are set for Jan. 21-23 (Pool 2), Feb. 11-13 (Pool 3), March 11-13 (Pool 4), and March 31-April 2 (Pool 5). The lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will coincide with Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4 on March 11-13.

Visit www.KentuckyDerby.com/FutureWager for more information.

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