Tag: Horseplayers

The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) will host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Monday featuring stakes racing from Belmont Park's Big Apple Showcase Day and graded stakes action from Churchill Downs.

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 in Race 8 [4:22 p.m.] at Churchill Downs when 2021 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Echo Zulu makes her 4-year-old debut against five others in the Grade 3 Winning Colors for older fillies and mares going six furlongs. The L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds-owned daughter of Gun Runner was last seen finishing second to Goodnight Olive in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in November at Keeneland for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Albaugh Family Stables' Fire On Time, by Not This Time, will look to build off a sharp six-length triumph going the Winning Colors distance on May 12 at Churchill Downs for trainer Dale Romans. The six-time winner earned black type when third in Gulfstream Park's Grade 2 Inside Information on January 28.

Action shifts to Belmont Park for the following leg in Race 8 [4:40 p.m.] where popular New York-bred veterans City Man and Somelikeithotbrown will each attempt their ninth overall stakes triumph in the $125,000 Kingston for older horses going 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf. Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Peter Searles and Patty Searles' City Man won last year's Grade 3 Forbidden Apple at Saratoga Race Course and Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale at Gulfstream for trainer Christophe Clement. Somelikeithotbrown, owned by Skychai Racing and David Koenig, will make his first start of the year and was last seen finishing a distant seventh in the Alex M. Robb on December 17 at Aqueduct for trainer Mike Maker. The 7-year-old Big Brown bay won the Grade 3 Mint Million in September at Kentucky Downs following a triumph in an off the turf edition of the West Point presented by Trustco Bank in August at the Spa.

The middle leg will feature an overflow field of turf maidens going nine furlongs at Churchill Downs [Race 9, 4:55 p.m.], where well-bred Boppy seeks to graduate at second asking for trainer Brad Cox. The son of Blame, out of dual graded stakes-winner Daring Dancer, was second on debut on March 25 going a two-turn mile at Turfway Park. He is a direct descendant of Terlingua – the dam of breed-shaping stallion Storm Cat. Trainer Kenny McPeek sends out Freydis the Red, a consistent French-bred son of Saxon Warrior who has finished second in 3-of-5 starts.

The final two legs will see action shift to beautiful Belmont Park, beginning with the 1 1/16-mile $200,000 Commentator [Race 9, 5:12 p.m.] for older horses on the main track. Michael Dubb and Michael J. Caruso's Dr Ardito vies for his second career stakes win for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown. The son of Liam's Map won the February 20 Haynesfield at the Big A before finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Westchester at Belmont in his last start.

Bankit, 2021 Champion New York-bred Older Horse, provides steep opposition as he seeks his first triumph of the year for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. The 7-year-old Central Banker horse faced open company in the last out Frank Y. Whiteley on April 15 where he finished fourth. He won the 2021 Commentator by 13 1/4 lengths.

The curtains close on the sequence in the Belmont finale [Race 10, 5:44 p.m.] where the Barry Schwartz homebred Utamaro faces an overflow field of New York-bred maidens 3-years-old and upward traveling seven furlongs over the Widener turf course. The gray son of Cairo Prince is out of the A.P. Indy mare Mindy's Gold, making him a half-brother to graded stakes winner Sharp Starr. Trainer Rudy Rodriguez will saddle Factually Correct following a close third last out on May 5 going six furlongs in an off-the-turf maiden. The son of Tourist has never finished worse than fourth and will race with blinkers on in attempt to find the winner's circle at seventh asking.

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 – Monday, May 29

Leg A: Churchill Downs – Race 8, G3 Winning Colors (4:22 p.m. Eastern)

Leg B: Belmont Park – Race 8, $125K Kingston (4:40 p.m.)

Leg C: Churchill Downs – Race 9, maiden special weight (4:55 p.m.)

Leg D: Belmont Park – Race 9, $200K Commentator (5:12 p.m.)

Leg E: Belmont Park – Race 10, New York-bred MSW (5:44 p.m.)

The post Monday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Features Stakes Action From Belmont, Churchill appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The 20-cent Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot at historic Pimlico Race Course swelled to $406,768.42 for Saturday's nine-race program after going unsolved for a ninth consecutive racing day Friday.

First race post time is 12:25 p.m.

Friday's Rainbow 6 began with a carryover of $385,699.62 from Thursday and saw $65,857 added to the pool. Multiple tickets with all six winners Friday were each worth $2,873.

Last solved for a $364.74 mandatory payout May 7, on closing day of Laurel Park's spring meet, the Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot has yet to be cashed during Pimlico's Preakness Meet, which began May 11.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 60 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 40 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Maryland's state-record Rainbow 6 carryover reached $1,435,080.75 over 27 consecutive racing programs before a mandatory payout of $31,028.08 to multiple ticketholders July 4, 2021.

Introduced in Maryland April 2, 2015, on opening day of Pimlico's spring meet, the Rainbow 6 had a prior state record carryover of $345,898.33 spanning 31 racing programs before being solved by one lucky bettor for a life-changing $399,545.94 payout April 15, 2018 at Laurel Park.

Saturday's Rainbow 6 spans Races 4-9, kicked off by a starter optional claimer for fillies and mares 3 and up scheduled for five furlongs on the grass that drew an overflow field of 12 including Preparefortakeoff, entered for main track only. Golden Can, three-for-eight lifetime over the Pimlico turf, is favored on the morning line at 2-1.

Fillies and mares ages 3, 4 and 5 are scheduled to go 1 1/8 miles on the grass in Race 6, a maiden claiming event with 14 entrants, two – Brooklyn Girl and Italian War Cry – for the main track. Golden Belief, trained by Michael Matz, is the even-money program favorite from Post 3, purchased for $150,000 as a 2-year-old in training in 2021 that has three seconds and a third from 10 starts, the most recent a runner-up finish March 31 at Gulfstream Park. Cush Effect is set to make her 4-year-old debut in her first start since last July.

Saturday's feature comes in Race 8, a 1 1/8-mile allowance for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up. Among the field of nine are It's Viper, a last-out winner going 1 1/16 miles May 14 at Pimlico for Preakness Meet-leading trainer Brittany Russell; Mr Jefferson, second in the Federico Tesio and third in the Sir Barton in 2022; and 8-year-old gelding Hot N Spicy Love, third or better in 42 of 73 lifetime starts with 18 wins, including a 3 ¼-length allowance triumph going one mile April 29 at Laurel Park in his most recent start.

The $1 Jackpot Super High Five went unsolved for a fifth straight racing day, growing the carryover to $397,555.33 for Saturday. Multiple winning tickets Friday each paid $2,268.50.

A total of $89,302 was wagered into the Jackpot Super High Five on top of a $359,601.90 carryover from Thursday. The wager was last hit for a $10,383.50 payout May 14 at Pimlico.

Launched April 1, on opening day of Laurel Park's spring meet, the Jackpot Super High Five takes place in Race 6 every live race day. In the Jackpot Super High 5, the jackpot is paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with each of the first five finishers in exact order. On days when there is no unique ticket, 50 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with all five finishers while 50 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

If there is no ticket with all five finishers in exact order, the entire pool will be carried over to the next day's Jackpot Super High Five.

Notes: Jockey Horacio Karamanos doubled Friday aboard Toss a Coin ($8.20) in Race 6 and Shasta Star ($4.80) in Race 8 … Five-pound apprentice Axel Concepcion also visited the winner's circle twice, with Esperannna ($4) in Race 4 and Dock Rock ($8) in Race 9 … Gracie Mae Stables and Great Lakes Stable's Street Tough ($38.40), a gelded Maryland-bred son of Street Magician trained by John Salzman Sr., sprung an 18-1 upset in Race 7, a 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight for 2-year-olds featuring seven first-time starters. Captain Woodrow was second by a head at 36-1, a head in front of 4-5 favorite Under the Overpass in a blanket finish. The winning time was 52.96 seconds.

The post Pimlico: Rainbow 6 Carryover Jackpot Hits $406,768 For Saturday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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For the second year in a row, a player from the Caesars Racebook at Clarksville is the top handicapper in Horseshoe Indianapolis' Road to Louisville, a 16-week handicapping contest extending to Kentucky Derby Day on the first Saturday in May. This year's winner is Jeffrey Hampton of Salem, Ind., a frequent player at the facility in Clarksville, Ind.

Hampton bested a total of 454 individuals who played in the contest. His final tally of points over the 16-week contest was 1,261.48 ahead of second place finisher Tom Congalosi with 1,204.84 points. Hampton has developed his handicapping skills over several decades.

“My dad passed away in late 1968,” said Hampton. “Then I began to heal my heart by hanging with and going to the horse track with my Uncle Gerald Hampton. My love of horse racing began when my uncle took me for my first trip to Miles Park in 1969 in Louisville. My first bet was a horse named CapnJulius. It won and paid $15.60. So goes the story, I was hooked, and my love of horse racing did not stop there, I still love horse racing.”

Hampton also has some experience working directly with horses. He worked on the backstretch of a few local tracks from 1988 until 1995. He has fond memories of his time working around horses.

Points are based on selections made during Derby Prep races from mid-January until the Derby. More than $6,000 in prize money was awarded during the contest featuring weekly, monthly, and grand prize money in addition to the $30,000 option to purchase an Indiana yearling. The contest is provided through a partnership with Horseshoe Indianapolis and the Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (ITOBA).

Hampton received $1,000 for the win. One thing Hampton did not do was the $30,000 Indiana horse option. That option went to second place finisher Tom Congalosi, a retired supply chain industry executive and current resident of Georgetown, Ky.

Congalosi follows in the footsteps of last year's winner, Anthony Bradshaw, who won the 2022 Road to Louisville and the option for the ITOBA Fall Sale held at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Bradshaw purchased Jailhouse Justice from the sale for $8,000 with the remaining balance going toward expenses. Jailhouse Justice, who Bradshaw quickly nicknamed “JJ,” is currently part of the Anthony Granitz Stable and expected to make his racing debut in July.

“This contest has generated so much positive feedback and has grown in just two years,” said Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis. “We came together with ITOBA (Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association) to offer a unique platform with the goal of introducing new owners into the sport. It has been a fun journey watching Tony (Bradshaw) go through the initial steps of horse ownership and we look forward to the same experience with Tom Congalosi.”

The 21st season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing extends through Friday, Nov. 17. Following live racing for Memorial Day Monday, May 29 at 12 p.m., live racing begins a Tuesday through Thursday schedule beginning May 30 with Saturday racing added in during the summer months. First post Tuesday and Wednesday is 2:30 p.m. with Thursday racing beginning at 2:10 p.m. The Summer Saturday Racing Series includes six all-Quarter Horse dates June 3, July 1, July 22, Aug. 12, Sept. 2, and Oct. 7 beginning at 10:45 a.m. Indiana's featured event, the Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby is set for Saturday, July 8 with a first post time of 12 p.m. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.

The post Hampton Takes Horseshoe Indianapolis’ Road To Louisville Handicapping Tournament appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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