That news was one of the rulings posted this week among Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country.

Pimental's case was resolved without a final hearing after he accepted the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) sanctions.

Pimental's case was the subject of this in-depth TDN investigation last October. It details the then 68-year-old trainer's financial and professional struggles fighting a potential three-year ban and $25,000 fine. Pimental also has an outstanding case against him for a methamphetamine positive. Methamphetamine is a ubiquitous drug of human abuse that is the subject of nine other individual cases since HISA's drug control program went into effect.

In nearly a half-century of training, the TDN reported, the only Association of Racing Commissioners International violation on Pimental's record was a $100 fine for once not having a foal certificate on file.

In the case resolution report, HIWU lists several mitigating details in Pimental's case, including how he produced a valid prescription record for the Thyro-L, as well as a letter from his veterinarian, supporting its use in the pony, a “non-Covered Horse”; that “there is no evidence that Mr. Pimental possessed the Thyro-L for use in a Covered Horse after the ADMC Program went into effect”; that the pony for whom the Thyro-L was prescribed was “still alive and in the Pimentals' possession and care at the time the Thyro-L was found”; and that the Pimentals “openly admitted their mistake.”

At the same time, “Mr. Pimental did not educate himself on the impending ADMC Program rules, he took no precautions to ensure he was not in Possession of Thyro-L once the ADMC Program took effect, and he failed to supervise the disposal of the Thyro-L in his Possession,” the report states, in justification of the sanctions.

Trainer Manuel Badilla has also been suspended seven days and fined $1,000 after his trainee, Shana Madel, who finished second at Golden Gate on Dec. 26, subsequently tested positive for the anti-inflammatory, dexamethasone.

Dexamethasone is a Class C controlled medication, a first offense for which comes with a possible $500 fine and loss of purse. The “case resolution” report states that this was Badilla's second Class C controlled medication violation within two years, however, leading to the increased suspension period and fine.

Other rulings issued were:

NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS
The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals.

Resolved ADMC Violations

Date: 12/24/2023
Licensee: David Geofroy (listed as the horse's owner on Equibase)
Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision by HIWU.
Explainer: For the presence of 5-Hydroxy Dantrolene-Controlled Medication (Class C)-in a sample taken from Gran Runner. This was a possible violation of Rule 3312-Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 12/26/2023
Licensee: Manuel Badilla, trainer
Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility, beginning on February 1, 2024; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission.

Explainer: For the presence of Dexamethasone-Controlled Medication (Class C)-in a sample taken from Shana Madel, who finished second at Golden Gate on 12/26/23. This was a possible violation of Rule 3312-Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 01/03/2024
Licensee: Anthony Dutrow, trainer
Penalty: A fine of $3,000; imposition of 3 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: A possible violation of Rule 3314-Use or Attempted Use of a Controlled Medication Substance or a Controlled Medication Method-on the horse, Past Tense. This was also a possible violation of Rule 4222-Intra-Articular Injections Within Seven (7) Days of Timed and Reported Workout.

Date: 01/11/2024
Licensee: Ignacio Correas, trainer
Penalty: A fine of $3,000; imposition of 3 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: A possible violation of Rule 3314-Use or Attempted Use of a Controlled Medication Substance or a Controlled Medication Method-on the horse, Didia. This was also a possible violation of Rule 4222-Intra-Articular Injections Within Seven (7) Days of Timed and Reported Workout.

Date: 07/28/2023
Licensee: John Pimental, trainer
Penalty: 15-month period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on July 28, 2023; a fine of $10,000.
Explainer: For the possible possession of Levothyroxine (Thyro-L). This was a possible violation of Rule 3214(a)-Possession of Banned Substances
Read more on Pimental's story here.

Pending ADMC Violations

Date: 12/09/2023
Licensee: Michael Gorham, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Out of competition medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Acepromazine-Controlled Medication (Class B)-in a sample taken from Tom Char. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312-Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 11/09/2023
Licensee: Steve Klesaris, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Gabapentin-Controlled Medication (Class B)-in a sample taken from She's Awesome, who won at Aqueduct on 11/9/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312-Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 11/20/2023
Licensee: Kari Craddock, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Methocarbamol-Controlled Medication (Class C)-in a sample taken from Ekati's Hit, who finished second at Remington Park on 11/20/23. This was a possible violation of Rule 3312-Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 01/07/2024
Licensee: Jose Delgado, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Dexamethasone-Controlled Medication (Class C)-in a sample taken from Buff Hello, who finished third at Gulfstream Park on 1/7/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312-Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 12/29/2023
Licensee: Hutch Holsapple, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Oxymorphone-a banned substance-in a sample taken from Krickle, who finished second at Turfway Park on 12/29/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3212-Presence of a Banned Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers.

Date: 12/13/2023
Licensee: Darien Rodriguez, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Dexamethasone-Controlled Medication (Class C)-in a sample taken from Charlotte the Brit, who finished second at Tampa Bay on 12/13/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312-Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 12/01/2023
Licensee: Daniel Franko, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Caffeine-Controlled Medication (Class B)-in a sample taken from Misty's Cat, who won at Golden Gate on 12/1/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312-Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 10/28/2023
Licensee: Ron Moquett, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Mepivacaine-Controlled Medication (Class B)-in a sample taken from Speed Bias, who finished third in the G2 Hagyard Fayette S. at Keeneland on 10/28/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312-Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

OTHER KEY RULINGS

The TDN also publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky.

Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.

NEW YORK

Track: Aqueduct
Date: 02/03/2024
Licensee: Marshall Gramm, owner
Penalty: $2,000 fine
Violation: Breach of transfer rule for claimed horses
Explainer: Owner Marshall K Gramm is hereby fined the sum of $2,000 for violating rule #4038.4 Sale, transfer restricted. This for the transfering of claimed horse “Truculent” prior to the thirty days from the date of the claim.

The post John Pimental Gets 15-Month Suspension, $10,000 Fine appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Two horses were disqualified from stakes wins for medication violations.

The Critical Way's victory in the June 19 Get Serious Stakes at Monmouth Park was taken away after the 7-year-old gelding tested positive for levamisole. Trainer Jose H. Delgado was given a 15-day suspension from Oct. 11-Oct. 25 and he was fined $500.

The Critical Way, who went on to win two subsequent stakes, including the Grade 3 Parx Dash on Aug. 31, is owned by Randal Gindi's Monster Racing Stables. Gindi in 2017 was fined $5,000 for “conduct detrimental to racing” in connection with a cell phone video in which he Jorge Navarro, his trainer at the time, could be heard joking about giving “juice” to horses and Gindi said he bet on them through a bookmaker Navarro recently pleaded guilty to federal charges of drug adulteration and misbranding.

Delgado was suspended an additional 15 days, from Sept. 26-Oct. 10 and fined $500 for a second incident in New Jersey when Glory Roll tested positive for an overage of phenylbutazone in a post-race sample from a June 13 race in which the mare finished fifth as the 3-2 favorite. Glory Roll is owned by Carole Star Stable.

Trainer Douglas Nunn was suspended 15 days from Oct. 16-30 and fined $500 after Team Effort tested positive for flunixin following a second-place finish in a May 31 Monmouth Park race.Team Effort, owned by Winner Circle Stables LLC, was disqualified from purse money in the race. The horse is entered to race Oct. 15 at Meadowlands with David Nunn as trainer.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was fined $1,000 and the horse Wind of Change was disqualified from his victory at Monmouth Park in the Mr. Prospector Stakes on May 29 after testing positive for aminocaproic acid (better known as Amicar), an adjunct bleeder medication. Wind of Change is owned by Daniel Alonso.

The sanctions against Delgado,  Joseph and Nunn were first reported by Bloodhorse.com.

Earlier this year, trainer Mario Serey Jr. was sanctioned in Maryland for two clenbuterol violations. Amen Corner, second in a May 20 race at Pimlico, was disqualified and placed last after testing positive for the bronchodilator. Family Fortune was disqualified from a May 21 win at Pimlico. Serey owns Amen Corner, while Family Fortune is owned by K12 LLC.

For both violations, Serey was fined $500. He received a 15-day suspension that was stayed, provided he does not pick up another Class 3 violation within a 365-day period. Serey served a 165-day suspension in 2019 after receiving a number of clenbuterol positives in Pennsylvania.

All of the positive tests were reported by Industrial Laboratories of Wheat Ridge, Colo. Industrial replaced Truesdail Laboratories of Irvine, Calif.,  as the official testing lab in a number of states over the past year, including New Jersey and Maryland.

The post Regulatory Roundup: Jose Delgado, Saffie Joseph Jr., Douglas Nunn, Mario Serey Jr. Sanctioned appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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It wasn't just that The Critical Way won the $75,000 Get Serious Stakes with ease, pulling away for a three-length victory. It was how he won the five-furlong grass feature.

Known for his blazing early speed, The Critical Way sat off the flanks of an even speedier French Reef, doing so through an opening quarter in a dazzling :20.11 and through a half in :43.34. Jockey Paco Lopez eased The Critical Way around French Reef entering the final turn and the son of Tizway took off, showing a finishing kick that can sometimes elude him when he is on the front end.

Final time for the five furlongs on a turf that was listed as “firm” was :55.19.

“We always think of this horse as being in front right out of the gate because he has a lot of speed,” said Delgado, who tops the Monmouth Park trainer standings with 11 wins. “But Paco Lopez told me he was very comfortable coming off the pace. That's a new dimension for him. We always think he's one way and it's go, go, go. Now we've seen he can sit behind the speed and make one move and he can win that way. I like that.

“We saw he can sit comfortably. That gives us a lot of options. He is very consistent. He gives you everything he has. We'll look at some serious things for him now. Maybe we'll try something in Saratoga, then one or two races at Parx and then if everything goes right we will try to take him to the Breeders' Cup. That's the plan. That's the hope.”

Lopez said The Critical Way “didn't break like he usually does.”

“Usually he is right out of the gate and on the lead,” said Lopez. “I think he got scared a little bit and jumped behind (French Reef). I know that horse from seeing him in Florida. That's a very fast horse. So I was behind that one but he was very comfortable, which surprised me because it is something new for him.

“I came in thinking I would make the lead but I had to go to Plan B. But the horse made it easy for me with how comfortable he was. He was close. It's not like he was far back. So when I did ask him he just took off.”

After being caught at the wire in his last start in the Turf Sprint Stakes at Pimlico on the Preakness Stakes card, The Critical Way notched his fourth stakes victory and eighth win overall in 25 career starts for Monster Racing Stables. He paid $3.80 to win.

French Reef held second, 1¼ lengths ahead of Francatelli.

The post Delgado Has Visions of Breeders’ Cup For The Critical Way appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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“He doesn't need to prove anything in the morning. My job is just to keep him happy – that's it,” Delgado said Thursday, a day after The Critical Way won Tampa Bay Downs' $100,000, five-furlong Turf Dash Stakes by a half-length from Grade 2 winner Imprimis.

The victory clinched the Salt Rock Tavern Trainer of the Month Award for Delgado.

Throughout June and the first week of July, Delgado worked out The Critical Way four times on a weekly basis. But after he returned to competition on Aug. 9 at Monmouth Park for his first start in almost 6 months, Delgado began spacing his workouts at least three weeks apart, with no official workouts between July 25 and Sept. 26.

It seems no coincidence a freshened The Critical Way won the $80,000 Marshall Jenney Handicap for Pennsylvania-breds going 5 furlongs on the turf on Sept. 7 at Parx Racing in gate-to-wire fashion, giving Delgado his first career stakes victory. Then, it was back to a relative life of leisure for the son of Tizway: one official workout before a game second-place finish on Oct. 3 in the Virgil Buddy Raines Stakes at Monmouth.

“I slowed down his training because most of the time, he's only racing 5 furlongs,” said Delgado, who trains The Critical Way for Randal Gindi's Monster Racing Stables. “He has a big heart, and he's been real honest with me and given me everything he has when he's running. He sprints from the gate like a Quarter Horse, and when he gets the lead he keeps going. He was under pressure the whole time and still had that little kick at the end.”

About a half-hour later, Delgado won the next race, a $6,250 claiming contest, with 6-year-old gelding War Giant, who is owned by the Carole Star Stables concern of his father-in-law, Bob Apicelli. That gave Delgado nine winners during the Trainer of the Month judging period, the most of any candidate.

Delgado has been making a big impression at Tampa Bay Downs, where he trails only Gerald Bennett, 37-27, in the trainer standings. Depriving Bennett of a sixth consecutive title seems like a long shot, but Delgado is happy to be mentioned in the conversation.

Delgado plans to return to Monmouth in May. His wife Robyn and their three children – son Sebastian, 8, and twin 4-year-old daughters Carole and Isabella – live minutes from the racetrack in Oceanport, N.J., where Robyn teaches second-graders.

Although he misses his family dearly, Delgado doesn't want to trade places with Robyn.

“I give my wife a lot of respect. I think it's a lot more difficult to raise kids than train horses,” Delgado said, laughing. “Horses don't talk back, and they do what you ask.”

The ex-jockey, who rode more than 300 winners before hanging up his tack, enjoys trying to discover the keys to turning around claiming horses, attempting to help them regain their previous form.

“They get to the point where they may be going downhill, and you have to help them get their confidence back so they can do the job again,” Delgado said.

When the subject of the Tampa Bay Downs owners title comes up in a telephone conversation (Carole Star Stables leads the standings with 14 victories), you can sense Delgado's eyes light up.

“I would be really happy and excited if that happened. We're having a heck of a meet, and everything is working the right way,” said Delgado. “My crew does a great job taking care of the horses. Hopefully, we will keep getting lucky.

“Whatever happens, I feel very blessed.”

The post Trainer Jose Delgado Feels ‘Very Blessed’ By ‘Real Honest’ Stakes Winner The Critical Way appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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But the owner's faith in trainer Jose H. Delgado's judgment was rewarded when the 7-year-old gelding held on stubbornly to defeat favored Imprimis by a half-length in Wednesday's 17th running of the $100,000, five-furlong Turf Dash Stakes on the lawn at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.

“I give special thanks to Jose,” said Gindi, who flew from Brooklyn, N.Y., to watch The Critical Way post his third career stakes victory, and second in Gindi's Monster Racing Stables colors, in the Turf Dash. “He really believed in the horse, and when he entered him in a stakes (the Marshall Jenney Handicap for Pennsylvania-breds) at Parx (on Sept. 7), he said 'I don't care what the Beyer Figures say. This horse is ready.'

“He wired the field that day from the outside (No. 11) post. I'm very excited about this horse because of his speed and ability to get tactical position,” Gindi said.

Samy Camacho rode The Critical Way, a Pennsylvania-bred son of Tizway out of the Star de Naskra mare Critical Factor. The victory was his seventh from 22 career starts. The winner's time was 55.30 seconds.

Imprimis, a multiple graded-stakes winner with career earnings of more than $820,000, held off third-place finisher The Connector by 1 ¾ lengths, with Turned Aside another neck back in fourth.

The Critical Way earned $45,000 for the victory, raising his career earnings to $334,168.

In Wednesday's other Turf Sprint Showcase Day stakes, the 17th running of the $100,000, five-furlong Lightning City Stakes for older fillies and mares, 5-year-old Florida-bred mare Miss Auramet moved decisively to the lead on the turn and was still moving well at the wire to defeat a charging Ode to Joy by a half-length.

Roberto Alvarado, Jr., rode Miss Auramet, who completed the distance in 55.30 seconds, .21 seconds off the stakes record set last year by Jean Elizabeth. Sethamee Street charged late to be third, with betting favorite Payntdembluesaway, in search of her seventh consecutive victory, finishing fourth.

In the Turf Dash, Camacho was concerned early when he couldn't shake 4-year-old colt Turned Aside in the early going. The two ran head-and-head early through an arduous opening quarter-mile in 20.99 seconds, with the half-mile in 43.54.

“The race was going too fast, and (Jose Ferrer, on Turned Aside) was trying to get in front of me and take my position,” Camacho said. “But (Delgado) told me no matter what, go to the front and don't lose the lead. (On the turn), I asked my horse a little and thought, nobody can catch me.”

Delgado's assistant, Natia Zarzeczny, said positive vibes emanated from the Delgado barn in the days leading to the race, which had been postponed twice due to wet grounds.

But they knew it was no sure thing, as Imprimis had defeated The Critical Way by a neck on Jan. 1 in the Janus Stakes on the turf at Gulfstream, when The Critical Way settled for third.

“I was a little nervous. Actually, a lot nervous,” Zarzeczny said. “But this is our home turf, and we were pumped and ready. Everything just came together. I think the winning attitude helped,” she said.

Miss Auramet, who has won four of her last six starts, captured her first stakes victory in the Lightning City to raise her record to 8-for-19, with five seconds. The daughter of Uncaptured, out of Hello Rosie, by Yes It's True, paid $18 to win.

Edward Plesa, Jr., who trains Miss Auramet for the partnership of David Melin, Leon Ellman and Laurie Plesa, his wife, said Allison De Luca, the Tampa Bay Downs Racing Secretary, was instrumental in his decision to keep Miss Auramet in the race after the two postponements.

“It was disappointing because I was thinking about running her next week (in the Captiva Island Stakes at Gulfstream, which is also 5 furlongs on the turf),” Plesa said from south Florida. “Allison was on top of her business like all good racing secretaries are supposed to be and kept me informed what was happening there with the weather and the turf course.

“If it wasn't for Allison, (Miss Auramet) would not have been in the race,” Plesa said. “That said, I thought she had an excellent chance of winning. The jockey knew her and gave her a perfect ride.”

Plesa won the Lightning City in 2018 with Miz Mayhem, owned by his wife.

Alvarado, who rode Miss Auramet to victory last August at Delaware, let her go after pace-setters Payntdembluesaway and The Goddess Lyssa on the turn for home, and she sped past both swiftly.

“I knew she is a good breaker. There was a lot of speed in the race, but I knew I was going to be close and when she was ready, I just let her roll,” Alvarado said. “Other horses were coming late, but she kept digging in so I wasn't too worried. She's an honest horse who always tries hard, on dirt and turf.”

Plesa said the victory was a welcome tonic for co-owner David Melin, who is currently hospitalized after a fall. “We were able to talk afterward and he is really pleased,” Plesa said.

As a Florida-bred eligible for additional Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association funds, Miss Auramet earned $60,000 to increase her career earnings to $349,790.

Soup And Sandwich Impressive In Second Start
Mark Casse has been telling folks if a Kentucky Derby horse resides in his barn, it is likely the gray Live Oak Plantation homebred Soup and Sandwich.

The son of Into Mischief, out of the Tapit mare Souper Scoop, did nothing to alter his trainer's opinion in Wednesday's second race.

Taking the lead with a burst of acceleration inside the three-eighths-mile pole, the Florida-bred colt dispatched his competition with relative ease under jockey Antonio Gallardo, scooting away to a 2 ¾-length victory from Foreman. Only three 3-year-olds competed after three late scratches from the allowance/$75,000 optional claiming event.

Casse said Soup and Sandwich, who broke his maiden Jan. 28 at Gulfstream by 7 ¼ lengths, will probably try stakes competition next time, but added that the Grade 2, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby is likely too quick a turnaround.

“He still has a lot to prove. This was one step, and I have to figure out the next one,” Casse said. “He ran a good number when he broke his maiden and you saw this today, and the thing is he has no clue yet what he's doing. It's just like he made the lead and started swapping leads, and then he jumped the (tire) tracks (in the stretch).

“But Antonio was just saying (in the winner's circle), what a horse. He said they tried to box him in – sometimes a three-horse field is tougher, because everyone can concentrate on one horse – but when the leader went off the rail, Antonio said he went to smooching and it was like hitting the gas on a race car,” Casse added.

Casse said Soup and Sandwich's debut was pushed back because of a minor injury he incurred when popping out of the starting gate last spring. “He's gotten better, but he was a little timid at first about breaking,” Casse said.

Based on Wednesday's race, the conditioner is going to have fun playing catch-up with Soup and Sandwich.

Around the oval. In addition to his Turf Dash victory with The Critical Way, trainer Jose H. Delgado sent out War Giant to win the next race, the eighth, under jockey Jacinto Herrera. War Giant, a 6-year-old gelding, is owned by Carole Star Stables.

Camacho and Antonio Gallardo each rode two winners. Besides winning aboard The Critical Way, Camacho won the sixth race on Strum and Pluck, a 4-year-old gelding owned by Josie Gump and trained by Kathleen O'Connell.

In addition to his victory on Soup and Sandwich, Gallardo won the fourth race on Purple Peopleeater, a 4-year-old filly owned and trained by Donald F. Hunt.

Thoroughbred racing continues Friday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:15 p.m. Tampa Bay Downs currently races on a Wednesday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday schedule. The track is open every day for simulcast wagering, no-limits action and tournament play in The Silks Poker Room and golf fun and instruction at The Downs Golf Practice Facility.

The post The Critical Way Upsets Imprimis In Tampa’s Turf Dash Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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But this year has been anything but normal.

Breen, who owns Monmouth Park training titles from 2005 and 2006, is the leading returning trainer from a year ago in terms of wins with 36. But the Covid-19 virus has changed everything about the sport, forcing Monmouth Park into a condensed 37-day meet.

“I don't have the number of runners right know to think about being leading trainer,” Breen said. “When you have 40 horses and quite a few are 2-year-olds they're going to make minimal starts, especially over a shorter meet. Until I start claiming some horses I can't think about a title. We'll see how that goes.”

Breen is one of six trainers stabled on the grounds who have a Monmouth Park training title to their credit, a list that includes Jane Cibelli, Tim Hills, Bruce Alexander, Dan Lopez and Ben Perkins, Jr.

Yet for all of his career success, Stidham has won just one training title – in 2016 at Fair Grounds.

“Generally we don't run the type of operation that goes for a training title because we don't do a lot of claiming,” Stidham said. “We tend to get well-bred young horses that we're trying to develop. That's usually not the formula for a leading trainer.

“Having said that, we did win the title in 2016 at the Fair Grounds. You have to see how things develop and whether the barn gets rolling quickly in a shorter meet. It just kind of happened at the Fair Grounds that year as a byproduct of winning.”

With 25 winners a year ago – from just 81 starts – Jose Delgado is the second-leading returning trainer from Monmouth Park's 2019 meet. With a claiming stable and a high percentage of success he looms as a factor as well.

“I don't know. So much depends on luck,” said Delgado. “I think I've got the right horses to make a run for the title. The thing about being leading trainer is you have to have the right horses for that meet and you have to have a lot of horses. I only have 25.

“But it is a shorter meet and if they're ready to go from the beginning you have a chance. I'm definitely going to give it a shot.”

Delgado, 41, said it would especially significant for him personally to win his first training title at Monmouth Park.

“It would mean a lot to me because I couldn't do it as a jockey,” he said. “I would have loved to have won a riding title as a jockey. Now I have another chance to do it as a trainer.”

Pat McBurney, coming off a successful 2019, should be in contention as well, along with Cibelli, Gregg Sacco, Kent Sweezey and Mike Dini, all of whom are well-represented in the Monmouth Park backside.

With 35 horses stabled at Monmouth, after winning 10 races from just 19 starts a year ago, Jonathan Thomas said “numerically, this is the biggest stable we've ever had in any one place.”

But he doesn't expect to be in contention for leading trainer because of the makeup of his stable, with up to 25 of his 2-year-olds calling Monmouth Park home this summer.

“We're top heavy with 2-year-olds, the majority of which we'd like to get started here,” he said. “We've found it to be a great place for young horses. Maybe if the meet were longer would could be a factor. At this juncture we're more focused on individually starting a campaign for a horse and seeing where that takes us.”

Monmouth Park's semi-sesquicentennial season will feature live racing from Friday, July 3, through Sunday, Sept. 27. Post time on Fridays will be 5 p.m. (except for Sept. 4, which will have a 12:50 post), while Saturdays and Sundays will start at 12:50 p.m. The exception to that will be a noon first post on Saturday, July 18, when the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes headlines a stakes-filled program.

The post Monmouth: Trainers’ Race Appears Wide Open Ahead Of Shortened 2020 Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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