joe bravo | Horse Racing Free Tips

Santa Anita ‘Folds of Honor’ Charity Poker Tournament Raises $50K

Santa Anita Park's inaugural “Folds of Honor” Charity Poker Tournament, held Saturday night following the races in the track's Player's Lounge, raised more than $50,000 to help provide scholarships to spouses and children of disabled or fallen American military veterans.

A large contingent of Santa Anita fans, jockeys, agents, owners, trainers, employees and other racing industry personalities participated to make the event a success.

“We were very gratified with the turnout and the support we were able to provide to Folds of Honor,” said Santa Anita Senior Vice President and General Manager Nate Newby. “100% of the money won went to the Folds of Honor Foundation. This is a tremendous cause and I think everyone senses we have an obligation to help the families of those who have given so much in the defense of our freedom. We look forward to expanding this event and hosting it again next year.”

Among those Santa Anita-based jockeys that participated were Joe Bravo, Abel Cedillo, Kyle Frey, Ricky Gonzalez, Juan Hernandez, Edwin Maldonado, Tiago Pereira and Jessica Pyfer. Trainers included Vladimir Cerin, Ryan Hanson, Doug O'Neill and Jonathan Wong. Frank Mirahmadi, the Voice of Santa Anita and TVG's Dave Weaver, headed an enthusiastic group of Santa Anita employees and Thoroughbred owners.

The Folds of Honor Foundation, which has awarded more than 35,000 educational scholarships, was represented by retired United States Marine Corps Sergeant and P.O.W. Rocky Stickmann, who was one of 65 Americans taken hostage at the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran on Nov. 4, 1979. Stickman and his fellow Americans were held captive for 444 days until their release in January 1981.

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Flavien Prat Heads Jockey Colony For Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet

With Southern California kingpin Flavien Prat heading the charge, a full complement of world class jockeys is set to compete throughout the course of Santa Anita's upcoming 16-day Autumn Meet, which is set to open on Friday, Oct. 1. A total of four stakes, three of them Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifiers, will headline a nine-race program, with first post time at 1 p.m.

Prat, a 29-year-old native of Malun, France, is enjoying yet another tremendous year, having just won the riding title at the recently concluded Del Mar Summer Race Meet. Although based in Southern California, Prat has ridden in major stakes throughout the country in 2021 and he currently ranks fourth among North American jockeys with earnings of more than $16.8 million.

A triumvirate of talented riders, Juan Hernandez, Abel Cedillo and Umberto Rispoli, should again figure prominently in the Autumn Meet standings. Hernandez and Cedillo, former leading riders at Golden Gate Fields, finished two-three at Del Mar, while Italian native Rispoli, regarded as one of the circuit's top turf riders, checked in fourth. (Hernandez and Rispoli rank 12th and 14th nationally, with respective earnings of $7.8 million and $7.5 million).

Legendary Hall of Fame jockeys Mike Smith, Victor Espinoza and Kent Desormeaux are again set to call Santa Anita home beginning next Friday and they'll all be aboard Breeders' Cup hopefuls throughout opening weekend.

“Jersey Joe” Bravo, who relocated to Southern California this past summer, enjoyed a solid summer at Del Mar, finishing fifth in the standings, and he adds considerable depth to a strong jockey colony. Regarded as California's best “gate rider,” Edwin Maldonado is enjoying perhaps the best year of his career and he figures to have plenty of live mounts throughout the 16-day stand.

Brazilian-born Tiago Pereira, who notched his biggest North American win aboard Tripoli in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic Aug. 21, along with Mario Gutierrez, Geovanni Franco, Kyle Frey, Tyler Baze, Ricky Gonzalez, Drayden Van Dyke and Jose Valdivia, Jr., all comprise a deep pool of journeyman talent that fans and horsemen can readily embrace.

Jessica Pyfer, a recent graduate of Azusa Pacific University, continues in her quest to be named America's Eclipse Champion Apprentice Jockey for 2021, while fellow “bug” riders Diego Herrera, Emily Ellingwood and Alexis Centeno all form a solid group of apprentice talent.

A great deal of anticipation surrounds next Friday's Grade 2, $200,000 Eddie D Stakes, named in honor of retired Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, as it marks a return to Santa Anita's Camino Real Hillside Turf Course. For 3-year-olds and up, the Eddie D will be contested at about 6 ½ furlongs and will likely attract a full field of 10 or 12 runners.

Three Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” stakes, the Grade 1, $300,000 American Pharoah, the Grade 2, $200,000 Chandelier and the $100,000 Speakeasy will provide their respective winners with fees-paid berths in corresponding stakes over the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar Nov. 5 & 6.

For additional information on Santa Anita's upcoming Autumn Meet, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Flavien Prat Heads Jockey Colony For Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Miller Contemplates Next Start For None Above The Law

Peter Miller looked down the shedrow and smiled approvingly as one of his young sons was petted None Above the Law, the versatile 3-year-old California-bred who had pulled off a 10-1 upset in Saturday's $250,000 Grade 2 Del Mar Derby at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

“He looks great, he's happy, he feels good, he's a cool head,” Miller said, referring to the horse.

None Above the Law raced three times at the meeting, finishing ninth, beaten only three lengths in the opening day Oceanside Stakes at a mile on turf on July 16, winning the Real Good Deal Stakes at seven furlongs on dirt on July 30 and then prevailing by three-quarters of a length in the 1 1/8-mile Derby when guided along the rail in the stretch by jockey Joe Bravo.

None Above the Law was the second Miller trainee to win two stakes at a summer meeting. He saddled Red Outlaw to win the Real Good Deal and El Cajon in 2014.

“I do remember Red Outlaw,” Miller said. “A real nice horse that ran for Blinkers On Stable. To win the Real Good Deal and the Del Mar Derby (as None Above the Law did) – I don't think that double has been done before.”

The win boosted None Above the Law's career earnings to $454,060, a number that Miller would like to enhance during the fall meeting here, via an undercard stakes during the Breeders' Cup days of November 5-6 or one of the Bing Crosby season stakes that follow.

“I don't know what they have on the undercard, I haven't checked but I know the Hollywood Derby in the fall would be a possibility. We'd like to keep him with 3-year-olds. I just don't think he's quite up to Breeders' Cup capabilities at this point.”

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None Above The Law Takes Inside Route To Del Mar Derby Victory

Given a ground-saving ride by veteran Joe Bravo, the gray gelding None Above the Law fired in the lane and came away a winner of the 77th running of the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby at the seaside course north of San Diego, Calif., on Saturday, proving best by three-quarters of a length in the $254,000, Grade 2 headliner.

The son of the Japanese stallion Karakontie who was bred in California by his owners, J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas, found running room in the stretch and outfinished 12 rivals late to tally his sixth victory and earn a first prize of $150,000, which pushed his earnings up to $454,060. He is trained by Peter Miller.

Finishing second in the 3-year-old contest on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course was Wachtel Stable, Barber or Drion, et al's Flashiest, who had a head on Reddam Racing's Hockey Dad, the race's pacesetter who hung tough late.

Final time for the nine furlongs out of the angular Del Mar infield chute was 1:48.97.

None Above the Law paid $23.00, $13.60 and $8.60. Flashiest returned $14.80 and $8.00, while Hockey Dad paid $7.60 to show.

This was the first stakes win in the Del Mar Derby for both Bravo and Miller. The jockey is riding his first full season at Del Mar. Miller is the current meet's leading trainer and is en route to winning his eighth conditioning title at the shore oval.

In the track's Pick 6 Single Ticket Jackpot wager, the bet once again could not be hit and its carryover swelled to $556,901. If it is not hit during tomorrow's 11-race card, it will carry to closing day Monday, which will be a “mandatory” payout afternoon.

First post Sunday will be at 1:30 p.m.

Post-race quotes:

JOE BRAVO (None Above the Law, winner) – “Peter (trainer Miller) told me this horse can do anything. He wins running seven eighths on the dirt; he wins going a mile and one-eighth on the grass. We just saved all we could and I showed him daylight turning for home. He really got up under me. I'm having fun riding out here. Riding for good horsemen and riding good horses in Southern California. What more could a guy want?”

PETER MILLER (None Above the Law, winner) “I know he went from a mile on turf (9th, Oceanside Stakes) to seven-furlongs on the dirt (won Real Good Deal) to a mile and an eighth on the turf to win this. You won't find that in any training manual, that's not the way you do it. But this horse just does everything well. He's just an overachiever and I just love this horse. The Robinsons are longtime clients and what a ride by Joe Bravo.”

FRACTIONS: :23.80 :48.00 1:12.89 1:37.51 1:48.97

The stakes win was the fourth of the meet for rider Bravo, but his first in the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby. He now has six stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the fourth of the meet for trainer Miller, but his first in the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby. He now has 42 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owners are also the breeders, J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas.

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