Tag: Horseplayers

Ongoing air quality concerns have forced several cancellations across the Midwest on Thursday, June 29: Charles Town, Delaware Park, and Thistledown have all canceled as a result of the ongoing Canadian wildfires.

Charles Town sent out the following notice:

West Virginia's Charles Town has canceled its Thursday night card as a result of the poor air quality stemming from the Canadian wildfires.

Track and state officials monitored AQI (Air Quality Index) values throughout the morning, and with the AQI rising to “very unhealthy” levels in the 190s, the decision to cancel was made in the best interest of human and equine safety.

Live racing is expected to resume on Friday, June 30th at its standard first race post time of 7:00 P.M. ET.

Delaware Park sent out this notice:

Acting upon the recommendation of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission (DTRC) veterinarians in conjunction with the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) air quality guidelines, Delaware Park has cancelled the live racing card scheduled for today.

Live racing is scheduled to resume tomorrow, Friday, June 30, at the Wilmington, Del. track.

The post Air Quality Concerns Force Additional Cancelations On Thursday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) will host an all graded stakes Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday featuring action from Belmont Park, Delaware Park, and Woodbine Racetrack.

The Cross Country Pick 5 requires bettors to pick the winner of five select races from tracks across the country. The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country with each week featuring a mandatory payout of the net pool. The Cross Country Pick 5, boasting a low 15 percent takeout, offers sequences with races from Belmont Park and partner tracks across the country.

The sequence kicks off at Delaware Park with the Grade 3, $250,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial [Race 7, 3:30 p.m. Eastern] for fillies and mares travelling 11 furlongs on the turf.

Trainer Graham Motion will saddle Sopran Basilea – a multiple group-stakes winner in Italy – and last out Churchill Downs allowance winner Frivole, who are both making their second start in North America. Trainer Ian Wilkes will send up a streaking Miss Yearwood, who cuts back after two victories going 12 furlongs, entering off a score in the Keertana on May 27 at Churchill Downs.

Action shifts to Belmont Park for the second leg where multiple graded stakes placed Fort Bragg faces rising star Saudi Crown in the Grade 3, $200,000 Dwyer [Race 6, 3:41 p.m.] for sophomores going a one-turn mile.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Fort Bragg was a close second in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on May 6 at Churchill Downs last out and finished a distant third in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity in December. FMQ Stables' unbeaten Saudi Crown enters off a 6 1/2-furlong allowance triumph against elders at Churchill Downs for trainer Brad Cox. The son of Always Dreaming broke his maiden by 4 3/4 lengths in a six-furlong maiden on April 16 at Keeneland.

The middle leg returns to the Mid-Atlantic region as 10 sophomore fillies will assemble for the Grade 3, $300,000 Delaware Oaks [Race 7, 4:00 p.m.] traveling 1 1/16-miles. Juddmonte homebred Fireline will make her two-turn debut for trainer Chad Brown following a one-turn mile optional-claiming victory on May 18 at Belmont Park.

Hoffman Thoroughbreds and Tom McCrocklin's Promiseher America will attempt to double up on graded conquests two starts after winning the Grade 3 Gazelle in April at Aqueduct for trainer Ray Handal. The American Pharoah filly was last seen finishing last-of-14 in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 5 at Churchill Downs.

In the penultimate leg, Frank Fletcher Racing Operation's Candy Man Rocket will attempt a second straight graded win for Hall of Famer Bill Mott in the Grade 2, $250,000 John A. Nerud [Race 9, 5:19 p.m.], a seven-furlong sprint for older horses.

The 5-year-old son of Candy Ride was a last-out winner of the Grade 3 Runhappy on May 14 at Belmont. Chiefswood Stables' homebred Weyburn will make his debut for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, entering off a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Westchester for his former trainer Jimmy Jerkens. The son of Pioneerof the Nile was a two-time winner of Gulfstream Park's Sir Shackleton [2022-23] and won the Grade 3 Gotham in March 2021 at Aqueduct.

Stakes action at Woodbine in Canada closes out the sequence in the one-mile Grade 2, $175,000 Nassau [Race 10, 6:05 p.m.] for older fillies and mares on the grass.

Last year's Queen's Plate winner Moira will seek her first win since capturing the Canadian Classic for trainer Kevin Attard, entering off a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Belle Mahone on June 3 at the Ontario oval. Trainer Chad Brown will send up Grade 1-placed Eminent Victor, who makes her second start of the year. The daughter of Mr. Z was seventh in the Grade 3 Gallorette on May 20 at Pimlico last out and makes her first start at Woodbine since finishing third in the Grade 1 Natalma in 2021.

Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence will be available for download at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/cross-country-wagers.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the spring/summer meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, July 1

Leg A: Delaware – Race 7, G3 Robert G. Dick Memorial (3:30 p.m. Eastern)

Leg B: Belmont Park – Race 6, G3 Dwyer (3:41 p.m.)

Leg C: Delaware Park – Race 8, G3 Delaware Oaks (4:00 p.m.)

Leg D: Belmont Park – Race 9, G2 John A. Nerud (5:19 p.m.)

Leg E: Woodbine Racetrack – Race 10, G2 Nassau (6:05 p.m.)

The post NYRA: All Graded Stakes Cross Country Pick 5 Features Races From Belmont, Delaware, Woodbine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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You never know when a good horse is going to show up at the races. As the 2022-2023 Hong Kong racing season winds down, there have been a handful of horses that look like they will fill the ranks of top races next year. But, none has been more impressive than Dream Winner.

The New Zealand-bred son of Exosphere made his career debut in a class 4 handicap going 1000m on May 21 of this year. Always prominent despite drawing the far outside, he stalked a fast pace before pulling away to an easy victory by 5 ¼ lengths. There have been 82 races run so far this year going this distance and Dream Winner's final time of 55.14 seconds was the fastest of them all.

Yes, it might have been aided by a tailwind down the homestretch but it was a visual tour de force as the 3-year-old gelding looked like he never hit his top gear. His rating skyrocketed to a 64 – a 12-point move – and it just reinforced what was seen on the track.

Moved up to class 3, he came back on June 10 for another sprint down the straightaway but unlike his debut when he went off as the second betting choice, now he was the heavy favorite. This time, Dream Winner was away fourth in an eight-runner field but jockey Vincent Ho was able to cruise between horses to get clear passage to the front.

Weighing in at 1,280 pounds, his stride and presence was enormous and won as he pleased by 2 ½ lengths. His running time of 55.52 seconds was the third-fastest of the meet. So, in his first two career starts, he ran the fastest and third-fastest 1,000-meter final times of the season. He did it easily and gave the visual impression that there is more to come.

Rightfully impressed, his rating jumped up another dozen points to 76. To give you a reference point, it took future multiple Group 1 stakes winner Romantic Warrior four starts to achieve a rating of 76. Dream Winner has done it in two starts.

With hardly any racing experience, Dream Winner is running sectional times that remind me of the great Black Caviar when she was winning all 25 of her career starts. In both of his starts, Dream Winner ran his second 100 meters under 10 seconds.

Career debut:              Second Start:

13.07 seconds             13.07 seconds

9.87                             9.88

10.24                           10.35

10.54                           10.65

11.42                           11.57

55.14 seconds             55.52 seconds

Dream Winner is running legendary sectionals. He is doing it with ease and without any visual encouragement. So far, just hands and heels from Ho.

Trainer Frankie Lor entered Dream Winner in a class 3 on July 1 (eighth race, 7:40 p.m. in Hong Kong) going 1,000 meters  so we have the opportunity to see him one more time this season. How far he can go is anyone's guess. He looks athletic and light on his feet so going around the wide turns of Sha Tin should not be a problem.

Dream Winner's pedigree might be slanted towards shorter distances but with his size and stride I don't see any reason that he can't win up to a mile. He is still very immature so what he has shown is pure talent. With experience and maturity, the sky is the limit.

The post Hong Kong Racing Study Guide: Dream Winner, The Next Big Thing, Racing July 1 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The $1 million Stephen Foster Stakes returns to Grade 1 status in 2023 after three years as a Grade 2 event, having been run from 2002 through 2018 at this top level and featuring some of the best horses of the past couple of decades with winners such as Curlin, Fort Larned, Blame and Gun Runner.

This year's edition brings together a field of eight with nearly $10 million in career earnings between them. Among the eight, Proxy is one of three that have won at this lofty Grade 1 level, having captured the Clark Stakes last fall. Most recently Proxy won the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap, defeating Last Samurai by a head, with Stilleto Boy another nose behind in third.

Prior to the Oaklawn Handicap, Stilleto Boy won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap by a neck over Proxy and it must be noted Last Samurai proved a fit against this level when winning the 2022 Oaklawn Handicap. West Will Power brings a very consistent record of having finished first or second in 13 of 16 career races, including a second-place finish behind Proxy in the Clark last fall. Since then, West Will Power won the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic Stakes at the distance of the Stephen Foster. Rattle N Roll, winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity at 2, has won three Grade 3 stakes in a row, most recently the Blame Stakes at the distance of the Foster. He is trained by Ken McPeek, who also saddles Smile Happy, winner of the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes in his most recent race.

Speed Bias stepped into stakes company for the first time last month and was beaten just a nose at the finish in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special by Rattle N Roll.  Happy American rounds out the field, with his biggest win coming in the Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes last December, noting he has been beaten soundly by Rattle N Roll in his two most recent races.

Top contenders:

Proxy is a Grade 1 winner in a Grade 1 race, which can be a strong factor even in a field in which there are some up-and-coming stars. That win came last November at Churchill Downs in the Clark Stakes, the fall equivalent of the Stephen Foster, at the same level and distance. The win last fall followed a four-month layoff and a third-place finish in the 2022 Foster. Not only does Proxy return from a similar layoff, as he last ran in April, that race was a career best effort at this distance in which he earned a 113 Equibase Speed Figure taking the Oaklawn Handicap.

In the Oaklawn Handicap, Proxy gamely prevailing by a head over Last Samurai, with Stilleto Boy another nose back in third. Joel Rosario has ridden Proxy to his last two wins and is aboard again. Proxy draws the ground saving rail and has the ability to win from just off the pace as he did in the Clark, or to come from mid-pack, as he was when fifth of seven in the early stages of the Oaklawn Handicap. All in all this appears to make Proxy the horse to beat in this year's Stephen Foster Stakes.

Before losing to Proxy by a head and a nose in the Oaklawn Handicap in April, Stilleto Boy won the Santa Anita Handicap by a neck over Proxy a little over one month earlier. Already a graded stakes winner at the nine furlong trip of this race when capturing the Californian Stakes in April of last year with a 112 figure, Stilleto Boy was very game in the Oaklawn Handicap and earned the same 113 figure as the winner. Jockey Kent Desormeaux was aboard for both of the horse's recent “A” efforts and rides back so there is every reason to believe Stilleto Boy will be in the thick of the action right down to the wire once more.

Comments about the rest:

Last November in the Clark, West Will Power led from the start but was no match for Proxy in the late stages and ended up beaten three-quarters of a length. After nearly three months off, West Will Power once again set the pace from the start but again settled for second, this time behind Last Samurai in the Razorback Handicap. Taking a stalking position in second for the first half-of the New Orleans Classic Stakes in March, West Will Power drew away convincingly late and earned a 115 figure, which would be very competitive if repeated in this race.

However, when he returned to the style of wanting to lead early, West Will Power could only manage third when beaten by Smile Happy last month in the Alysheba Stakes. In this year's Foster it appears Speed Bias (who has an inside draw in the gate) will have the advantage in the early stages, and since both Proxy and Stilleto Boy appear to have stronger late kick, West Will Power may end up in a minor position once more.

Last Samurai won the 2022 Oaklawn Handicap at the distance of the Foster, a career-best effort at the time with a 108 figure. Since then he has won two of 11 races and lost two others by a neck and a head. One of those narrow defeats was to Proxy in the Oaklawn Handicap in April. That effort earned a 113 figure, competitive with the best here if repeated, but I have concerns as to whether that effort is repeatable.  This is because his only effort since the Oaklawn Handicap resulted in a fourth-place finish behind Smile Happy and West Will Power

As to the aspiring 4-year-olds from the McPeek barn, Smile Happy and Rattle N Roll, I don't think they are yet ready for this level, although it must be noted the last two winners of the Stephen Foster both won the Alysheba Stakes – which Smile Happy took by two lengths this year. Although Smile Happy earned a 117 figure in the Alysheba, I have concerns whether that kind of effort is repeatable in this field.

Rattle N Roll may have won three straight stakes races but all were Grade 3 level races and his figures of 105 to 107, although consistent, don't show a pattern of improvement to get to the 113 to 117 level it will take to win this year's Foster.

Speed Bias earned a 107 figure when beaten a nose by Rattle N Roll in the Pimlico Special Stakes last month but even with some improvement he may not be able to step up from Grade 3 to Grade 1 stakes competition and run as well. Happy American earned 102 and 100 figures when finishing fourth, then third, in his last two races behind Rattle N Roll and appears overmatched.

Win Contenders:
Proxy
Stilleto Boy

Honorable mention and possible for a minor award:
West Will Power
Last Samurai

$1-Million Stephen Foster Stakes – Grade 1
Ellis Park: Saturday, July 1 – Race 10.
Post Time 5:26 PM ET
1 1/8 Miles, 4-Year-Olds and Upward

Ellis Starr is national racing analyst for Equibase

The post Equibase Analysis: Proxy Gets The Vote In Stephen Foster appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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