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Venezia Award Nominees Announced, Voting Open To Active Jockeys

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that voting for the 2021 Mike Venezia Memorial Award is now open to active jockeys in the continental U.S. They will choose among a distinguished group of finalists including Junior Alvarado, Julien Leparoux, Deshawn Parker, Gerard Melancon, and Scott Stevens.

Created in 1989, the Mike Venezia Memorial Award is awarded to a jockey who displays the extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship that personified Venezia, who died as the result of injuries suffered in a spill in 1988. Venezia, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., won more than 2,300 races during his 25-year career.

The competition was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making this year the first time the award will be bestowed since 2019. This year's award — in which the riders will select the winner — marks a change from the past several years when fans voted for the Venezia Award.

“No one knows better than their fellow riders who is the most deserving of this award,” said Terry Meyocks, President and CEO of the Jockeys' Guild. “No matter who is chosen this year, each of these finalists is an accomplished athlete whose skills and dedication to racing is rivaled only by the respect they earn off the track.”

For Richard Migliore of NYRA TV, a retired jockey and the 2003 Venezia Award winner, the award serves to continue the legacy of Venezia.

“Winning the award myself was one the proudest moments of my career because Mike Venezia embodied everything you look for in a rider,” said Migliore. “He continues to be a role model for riders and for our sport. This group of nominees is as well.”

The 2021 Mike Venezia Memorial Award will be presented in a special ceremony at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Thursday, September 2.

The first Venezia Memorial Award was awarded posthumously to Venezia in 1989. Recent winners of the award include Hall of Famer Javier Castellano [2019], Joe Bravo [2018], Kendrick Carmouche [2017], Mario Pino [2016], Jon Court [2015], Hall of Famer John Velazquez [2014], and Hall of Famer Ramon Dominguez [2013].

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2021 nominee biographies:

Junior Alvarado: A native of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, and the son of a jockey, Alvarado is a mainstay on the New York and Florida racing circuits, with more than 1,800 races and $103 million in purses in a career that dates to 2007 in the U.S. In New York, Alvarado has consistently excelled, winning the 2019 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic aboard Arlow and the Grade 1 Woodward presented by NYRA Bets on Preservationist; and in 2014, Moreno in the Grade 1 Whitney. In his first start in a Triple Crown race, the 2016 Kentucky Derby, Alvarado finished fourth aboard Mohaymen.

Julien Leparoux: A native of Senlis, France whose father was a jockey-turned-assistant trainer, Leparoux has amassed more than 2,800 wins and $175 million in prize money since moving to the U.S. in 2005. Those victories include seven Breeders' Cup races, including the 2015 Mile aboard Champion Turf Mare Tepin and the 2016 Juvenile on Classic Empire. At the 2009 Breeders' Cup, Leparoux earned the Shoemaker Award as the winningest jockey with three victories. Also in 2009, he led the North American earnings list and received the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey.

Deshawn Parker: In 2010, the Cincinnati native and son of a jockey became the first African American rider since 1895 to lead all North American jockeys in races. Racing professionally since 1988, Parker has amassed more than 5,800 wins and $75 million in earnings with many of those victories compiled at Mountaineer Park, where he was a perennial leading rider at Mountaineer Park in West Virginia for more than 20 years. Earlier this year, Parker was selected by a vote of jockeys nationwide as the winner of the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, presented annually by Santa Anita to the rider whose career and personal character earn esteem for the individual and for racing.

Gerard Melancon: On June 11, 2021 in the eighth race at Evangeline Downs, the Rayne, Louisiana native reached a milestone when he became the 37th jockey in North American history to reach 5,000 wins. Melancon's first professional ride was at Delta Downs in 1984 – and since then, he has ridden in more than 31,900 races and earned more than $88 million in purses. Melancon has won multiple riding titles at Delta Downs, Evangeline Downs and Louisiana Downs; and ridden successful horses ranging from Bonapaw and Fantasticat to Rise Up, Sabrecat, Skate Away and Zarb's Dahar.

Scott Stevens: Breaking into racing in 1976 and accepting his first mount at age 15 at Les Bois Park in his native Idaho, Stevens has established himself through the years as top rider at Turf Paradise, where he has won nine titles, and one of the best at Canterbury Downs, where he has earned three riding titles. Stevens has compiled career marks of 5,049 wins and $43,680,518 in purses to date. In 2019, he was honored with the George Woolf Award. He is the older brother of Hall of Fame rider and 1999 Venezia Memorial Award-winner Gary Stevens.

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Sophomore Fillies In The Spotlight At Woodbine This Saturday

The $150,000 Grade 3 Selene Stakes and the $125,000 Fury Stakes share the spotlight this Saturday at Woodbine.

A key prep on the road to this year's Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser (August 1, at Woodbine), the 1 1/16-mile main track Selene, for 3-year-olds, has attracted a pair of Canadian-breds – Il Malocchio (cross-entered in the Fury) and Munnyfor Ro – who could contest the $500,000 Oaks.

Vying for top honors in the Selene is Kentucky-bred Gote Go, a 3-year-old daughter of Street Boss.

Trained by dual hall of fame inductee Roger Attfield, and bred and owned by William Harrigan, Gote Go will be making her first stakes appearance and fifth start at Woodbine.

“I'm excited,” said Harrigan. “She's running in her first graded stakes and I hope it won't be her last.”

The chestnut filly, who sports a mark of 2-1-0 from seven races, arrives at the Selene off an impressive two-length triumph in a 1 1/16-mile turf engagement at Churchill Downs on June 5.

Under Julien Leparoux, Gote Go rallied to take top spot in the $102,000 allowance event, just shy of one month after a fifth-place effort at the same distance.

“She got a great ride from Julien and we were very confident that she would run well and she did,” said Harrigan.

Gote Go debuted last August at Woodbine, finishing eighth in a six-furlong main track race. After a fifth on the Toronto oval's Inner Turf and a second to Sleek Lynx on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, she broke her maiden courtesy of a half-length victory over 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta.

“I've known her since she was a foal,” started Harrigan. “We put her through a yearling sale, the July Fasig-Tipton Sale, and I didn't get what I wanted, so we bought her back. I brought her down to Payson Park – I go there every winter with the 2-year-olds – and we had her in a 2-year-old sale. That was the year the 2-year-old sales were off because of COVID, so we took her out of the sale. I brought her back up here to Keeneland and trained her for a few weeks. I sent her to Roger. I told him, 'Roger, most horses that come out of those 2-year-olds sales need time off, but this one doesn't. Treat like she's yours and onward you go.'”

Harrigan hopes Saturday's effort is Gote Go's best one yet.

“She broke her maiden at Woodbine and then we gave her some time off. I told Roger we shouldn't worry about a horse that just won – let's have a good year next year. That's what we did. He brought her along and here we are today. We're glad to be in there with a chance and I'm excited to have a horse I bred in there, in Roger's hands.”

California Lily, Flash Drive, Sweet Souper Sweet, and Danger, are also set to go postward in the 68th running of the Selene.

Trainer Mark Casse has won a record six Selene crowns, including the past three editions. His first Selene score came in 2001 with Dark Ending.

The Selene is complemented by the Fury, a seven-furlong race over the Tapeta for three-year-old Canadian-bred fillies, also an important fixture ahead of the Oaks.

Lorena, a daughter of Souper Speedy, will look to make it three straight wins to start her career.

The dark bay, trained and co-owned by Stuart Simon, was impressive in her debut last November at Woodbine, and followed it up with a smart score on June 19 at the Toronto oval.

Brent and Russell McLellan, and former jockey Gerry Olguin are the other co-owners of Lorena.

Curlin's Catch, winner of this year's Suncoast Stakes, returns to Woodbine where she contested the first two races of her career. Bodacious Miss, boasting a mark of 1-0-0 from three starts, Owen's Tour Guide, two-for-two, Victorian Queen stakes champ Il Malocchio, El Bayern, last year's Muskoka Stakes winner, and Astrological, sixth in her debut, round out the field.

The Selene is race seven on Saturday's 11-race card. The Fury is slated for race nine. First post time is 1:20 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com. Sunday's card features a pair of important Queen's Plate preps, the $150,000 Grade 3 Marine Stakes and $125,000 Queenston Stakes.

FIELD FOR THE $150,000 GRADE 3 SELENE

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Gote Go – Steven Bahen – Roger Attfield

2 – California Lily – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

3 – Our Flash Drive – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

4 – Il Malocchio – Kazushi Kimura – Martin Drexler

5 – Sweet Souper Sweet – Luis Contreras – Michael Trombetta

6 – Danger – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse

7 – Munnyfor Ro – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

FIELD FOR THE $125,000 FURY

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Bodacious Miss – Justin Stein – Steve Owens

2 – Owen's Tour Guide – Ademar Santos – William Armata

3 – Il Malocchio – Patrick Husbands – Martin Drexler

4 – Curlin's Catch – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

5 – Lorena – Gary Boulager – Stuart Simon

6 – El Bayern – Sheena Ryan – Mike Mattine

7 – Astrological – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse

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Rusty Arnold Plans Full Slate Of Stakes, Return to Saratoga For Barn

Reiko and Michael Baum's Illiogami, trained by Rusty Arnold, will make her stakes debut in Saturday's $250,000 Grade 2 Mother Goose Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile test for sophomore fillies at Belmont Park in Elmont, Ny.

The Tapit grey, a $400,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, is out of the multiple Group 1-winning Falco mare Odeliz.

The sizable filly made her first two starts traveling one mile on the turf in Kentucky, finishing fifth on debut in October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. and second in November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Illiogami closed out her juvenile campaign with a closing second on November 28 on the Churchill Downs main track.

Illiogami has thrived at 1 1/16-miles on the dirt to start her 3-year-old campaign, notching a maiden score at Keeneland on April 2 and a similar late-moving score at Churchill on April 30.

“She's a vastly improved 3-year-old. We're very excited about her and think she has a big future,” said Arnold. “We started her on turf and she ran well. We decided to give her a try on dirt and she breezed good on it and then ran good on it.”

Arnold said he wanted to give Illiogami some time between starts after winning races 28 days apart.

“We ran her back pretty quick and then started trying to map out where we wanted to go and there wasn't anything here for her,” said Arnold. “I think she'll like Belmont. She's a big filly and I think the turns will help her. We've aimed at this the whole time.”

Her dam, Odeliz, ran second to Just the Judge in the 2014 Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine and the following year captured the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville and the Group 1 Lydia Tesio at Rome.

Given the impressive pedigree, Arnold said he hasn't ruled out a return to turf for Illiogami.

“She may be back to the turf at some point, but right now it's hard to move her off the dirt when she's won two in a row,” said Arnold.

Julien Leparoux will retain the mount on Illiogami for the Mother Goose, which is expected to attract a classy field that includes graded-stakes winner Clairiere and the undefeated Always Carina.

Arnold said Calumet Farm homebred Cellist, a Big Blue Kitten colt, will make his next start in the $1 million Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational. The first leg of the Turf Triple series for sophomores is contested at 10 furlongs on the Belmont turf on July 10.

A winner at second asking traveling 1 1/16-miles on the turf at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. in February, Cellist followed with a close second in a nine-furlong Keeneland turf allowance on April 23.

Last out, Cellist made every call a winning one in the nine-furlong Audubon over good turf on May 29 at Churchill.

“We're really high on him and we're bringing him up for the Belmont Derby,” said Arnold. “He has a lot to learn but I think the distance will help him. The purse is really good, and, hopefully, he'll handle the jump up.”

Arnold said he plans to have his usual string of 16 horses at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, Ny. this summer after missing the meet last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Last year was the first year I hadn't been at Saratoga since '85,” said Arnold. “We love Saratoga and we've been there for a long time. You like it on the years when you have good horses better than when you don't and we're excited to get back.”

Among the good horses to be part of Arnold's Saratoga contingent is A. Dunne, P. Harlow, B. Miley, and J. Wilkinson's Artos, who finished fourth in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes on June 16 at Ascot.

“She ran very well. We wish we'd been third but she had a tough go on her side of the course. She ran very credible,” said Arnold.

The Irish-bred Kodiac filly graduated at second asking in a 5 1/2-furlong Churchill turf sprint by a nose over Overbore, who exited that effort to win the Tremont on the Belmont main track.

Arnold said Artos will target the $120,000 Bolton Landing Stakes, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for juvenile fillies on August 18 at Saratoga.

“We'll play it by how she comes back, but that's two months off and will give her a lot of time to recover,” said Arnold. “She gets back to Kentucky on Friday and we'll ship to Saratoga soon after that.”

G. Watts Humprey's stakes-placed Navratilova will make her next start in the one-mile Tepin Stakes for sophomore fillies on the Churchill turf on June 26 before making her way to Saratoga.

The well-bred Medaglia d'Oro bay is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning Smart Strike mare Centre Court, who won the 2013 Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland.

Arnold said the filly's moniker is a nod to the strong family line, including the second dam, Let, who was second in the 1998 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland and won the 1999 Grade 2 Churchill Downs Distaff for the veteran conditioner.

“We had bought the mare, Let, who placed in a Grade 1 for us and one of her foals was Centre Court, who was a Grade 1 winner, and this [Navratilova] is her foal. The theme comes from the female line,” said Arnold. “Navratilova will run in the Tepin on the last day at Churchill and hopefully move on to the end of the stakes schedule at Saratoga.”

Notable turf route options for sophomore fillies at Saratoga include the $700,000 Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational, second leg of the Turf Triple series for females, at 1 3/16-miles on August 8 and the $200,000 Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes at 1 1/16-miles on August 21.

Amy Dunne, Brenda Miley, Westrock Stables, and Jean Wilkinson's multiple graded stakes winner Leinster is enjoying a freshening at Wavertree in Ocala, Florida. The 6-year-old Majestic Warrior bay captured the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint on February 13 in his most recent effort.

“He won well at Gulfstream but came out of it with some issues,” said Arnold. “All the turf races for him are in the fall so we sent him to the farm down at Wavertree and we expect him back for the Saratoga meet. I'm not sure if he'll run there or not, but we'll have him back in training for the fall.”

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Stretch Punch Gives War Like Goddess Victory In Keeneland’s Closing Day Bewitch

George Krikorian's favored War Like Goddess rallied from off the pace in impressive fashion to capture the 59th running of the $150,000 Bewitch (G3) on closing day of Keeneland's Spring Meet in Lexington, Ky. Ridden by Julien Leparoux for trainer Bill Mott, she finished 3¾ lengths ahead of stablemate Delta's Kingdom and won the 1½-mile race in 2:29.21.

War Like Goddess gave Mott, a member of the Racing Hall of Fame, his fourth victory in the Bewitch following Heatherten (1984), Gaily (1989) and Miss Lenora (1993).

In the Bewitch, Three Flamingos led the field through fractions of :24.46, :49.73, 1:15.96 and a mile in 1:41.73 while War Like Goddess raced far back in the field of 11 older fillies and mares.

Leparoux swung War Like Goddess five-wide in upper stretch, and the filly charged past the leaders to take command of the race.

The victory was worth $90,000 to War Like Goddess, a 4-year-old daughter of English Channel out of Misty North, by North Light (IRE). The Keeneland sales graduate, who was bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, has won four of five career races and earned $246,184. On March 27, War Like Goddess won the 1 3/8-mile Orchid (G3) at Gulfstream Park in her last start.

War Like Goddess paid $4.60, $3.40 and $2.80. Delta's Kingdom, who was ridden by Luis Saez, paid $5.60 and $3.40. Pass the Plate, who finished a neck behind in third with Rafael Bejarano aboard, returned $4.80.

Kalifornia Queen (GER) finished a neck behind in fourth and was followed in order by Dalika (GER), Domiga, Three Flamingos, Margaret's Joy, English Affair, Court Return and Cambeliza.

Post-race quotes:

Bill Mott (winning trainer of War Like Goddess): “That is her natural way of running (from off the pace.) She has developed very nicely. As a 2-year-old, she was kind of a spindly little girl but she has filled out, gotten stronger and is very professional. She loves (this) distance and she loves the course. Today was her day.”

Julien Leparoux (winning rider): “I wanted to make sure I kept my position (early in the race). She was traveling very good for me. I felt like I was a winner the whole way around. When I asked her, she kicked on very nicely.”

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