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Woodbine Wraps with Casse, Kimura, Barber Titles

With a record closing day handle of $8,530,593, Woodbine's 2021 Thoroughbred meet concluded Sunday with meet titles for trainer Mark Casse, jockey Kazushi Kimura, and owner Gary Barber. Casse secured the leading training title with 110 wins from his 539 starts and earnings of $8,189,186. Martin Drexler trailed in second by wins with 56. It was Casse's 13th time atop the Woodbine leaderboard and his 27 stakes victories at the Toronto oval in 2021 were 19 more than his closest rival. Casse, who is a member of the Hall of Fame in both the U.S. and Canada, has won Canada's Sovereign Award as the country's top trainer 13 times.

In contrast, Kimura was earning his first Woodbine jockey title. The 22-year-old is the first Japanese-born rider to achieve the feat. He notched 138 wins at the meet from 717 starts, including wins in eight black-type events, with $6,360,203 in earnings. The Eclipse Award winner as North America's outstanding apprentice, Kimura also won the Sovereign Award equivalent in both 2018 and 2019.

“It's a special achievement, and it was one of my dreams,” said Kimura. “Everybody wants to be a leading rider, but it's not easy. We just need great riding skills and good horses, good support from the trainers and owners for the whole season to be able to get the title. This year, I'd say I improved, and I got good support from trainers and owners. I appreciate that help for me to get the riding title.”

Barber was the leading money-winning owner at Woodbine for the third straight year although official statistics were not immediately available. Live racing will return next spring to the Toronto oval with opening day tentatively scheduled for the penultimate weekend in April.

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Aqueduct Fall Meet Concludes with Ortiz, Jr., Pletcher, Klaravich Titles

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, and owner Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables wrapped up Aqueduct's 15-day fall meet with the titles in their respective divisions Sunday. Ortiz, Jr. earned his eighth riding title at the Ozone Park track with a fall record of 76-21-7-12, a 27.63% win rate, and earnings of over $1.44 million. His five fall stakes included three on Saturday: the GII Remsen S. with Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), the GII Demoiselle S. with Nest (Curlin), and the GIII Go For Wand S. with Lady Rocket (Tale of the Cat). Jose Lezcano and Luis Saez tied for second in the rider standings with 17 wins apiece.

Pletcher notched 13 wins during the meet, with a total scoreboard of 52-13-8-7 and earnings of over $1.55 million. His 25% win rate was also highlighted by five stakes, including three on Saturday: the GI Cigar Mile with Americanrevolution (Constitution), and the joint Remsen and Demoiselle wins while partnered with Ortiz, Jr. It was Pletcher's first Aqueduct fall title since 2018. Christophe Clement and Chad Brown tied for second in the trainer standings with 11 wins each.

Klaravich Stables won the fall meet leading owner title for the second straight year with five total wins and a final record of 17-5-0-5. With earnings just shy of $260,000, it was the stable's fourth owner title on the NYRA circuit this season. Michael Dubb and Repole Stable tied for second with four wins each.

The 56-day winter meet at Aqueduct will kick off Thursday, Dec. 9. First post on the eight-race card is 12:50 p.m. ET. The meet will feature 46 stakes races worth nearly $6 million in purses and will conclude Sunday, Mar. 27.

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Ortiz Jr., Pletcher Win Leading Jockey, Trainer For Aqueduct Fall Meet

Irad Ortiz, Jr. led all riders at the 15-day fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack to earn his eighth riding title at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y. Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher compiled 13 wins, leading all trainers through the fall meet, with Klaravich Stables claiming the title as leading owner with five wins.

Ortiz, Jr., 29, finished the meet with a record of 76-21-7-12 and earnings of more than $1.44 million, winning at a 27.63% clip. He garnered five stakes victories during the Big A fall meet including a triumph aboard Peter Brant's Serve the King in the Grade 2 Red Smith on November 20 as well as the Key Cents when piloting the Pletcher-trained Classy Edition.

On Saturday, Ortiz, Jr. added three more stakes victories to his ledger when piloting the Brad Cox-conditioned Lady Rocket [G3 Go for Wand], as well as Mo Donegal [G2 Remsen] and Nest [G2 Demoiselle] to their respective wins for Pletcher on Cigar Mile Day.

Despite not riding in New York on Sunday, Ortiz, Jr., who was in his native Puerto Rico to ride at Camarero, maintained his lead over all other riders, with Jose Lezcano and Luis Saez tying for second with 17 wins apiece.

Pletcher scored five stakes wins during the meet, spearheaded by Americanrevolution capturing the G1 Cigar Mile presented by NYRA Bets. In addition to his trio of Cigar Mile Day scores, he saddled Repole Stable's Never Surprised to victory in the Gio Ponti on November 26 and Classy Edition in the Key Cents.

Pletcher boasted a ledger of 52-13-8-7 for the meet with earnings in excess of $1.55 million, while winning at a 25% clip. It was his first Aqueduct fall title since 2018, when he tied with Rudy Rodriguez with a dozen victories apiece.

“We've had a good fall,” Pletcher said. “We had a solid Belmont meet and we were fortunate enough to have a good Aqueduct meet as well so we're thankful. The main thing is you just want the horses to perform to their capabilities. We're fortunate enough to train horses like these. You want to do the best you can with them and it's gratifying to see them do so well.”

Pletcher finished two victories ahead of both Christophe Clement, who captured the 2020 fall meet title at the Big A, and Chad Brown, who won this year's Saratoga and Belmont fall titles.

Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables captured their fourth owner title on the NYRA circuit this season when taking the Aqueduct fall meet title for the second straight year.

Last year, Klaravich Stables tied with Repole Stable for the 2020 fall meet, each owner earning five wins apiece. Klaravich Stables mimicked that amount of victories this fall meet, which included maiden scores with the Chad Brown-trained Inflation Adjusted, Core Conviction, and Marketsegmentation.

Klaravich Stables, NYRA's overall leading owner for the past two years, exited the fall meet with a 17-5-0-5 record and purse earnings of nearly $260,000. Michael Dubb and Repole Stable tied for second with four wins each.

Live racing resumes on Thursday when Aqueduct will kick off the 56-day winter meet which runs through Sunday, March 27. The winter meet will feature 46 stakes races worth nearly $6 million in purses. First post on the eight-race card is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Keeneland’s 85th Anniversary Meet Sees Record Handle Of $181 Million

Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., concluded its 2021 Fall Meet, which celebrated the 85th anniversary of racing at the iconic track, on Saturday with quality racing, wagering options for handicappers of all levels, idyllic fall weather and family-friendly special events that combined to generate a track record all-sources wagering total of $181 million for the season.

Keeneland offered a race meet record of $6 million in stakes purses and an expanded stakes schedule of 22 races this fall to further elevate its racing program throughout the meet. Fans responded enthusiastically.

All-sources wagering (not including whole-card simulcasting at Keeneland) for the 17-day Fall Meet, held Oct. 8-30, totaled $181,009,626, smashing the record of $164,680,229 set during the 2021 Spring Meet and the previous Fall Meet record of $160,207,916 set in 2019. The total represents a 22 percent increase over last fall's $148,229,708.

“We are so appreciative of the tremendous support from our fans, our horsemen, the Central Kentucky community, our horseplayers, and our corporate partners,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “Welcoming fans back to Keeneland this fall, along with the return of our special events and tailgating on The Hill, felt like a breath of fresh air after the restrictions of the past year and a half. It was a terrific way to mark our 85th year of racing and to celebrate the important role Keeneland plays in our community and the horse industry.”

Wagering was boosted when on Fall Stars Saturday, Oct. 9, Keeneland established records for Fall Meet single-day all-sources and Pick 5 wagering, besting previous records set on Fall Stars Saturday in 2019 and 2020, respectively. All-sources handle totaled $20,926,640, surpassing the $18,392,756 set in 2019. Wagering on the All-Stakes Pick 5 totaled $1,255,080 to shatter the former Fall Meet record of $868,303 from 2020.

Keeneland introduced a new wager, the Keeneland Turf Pick 3, with a $3 minimum and 15 percent takeout, tying together the final three turf races of each day. The wager was well received by the public, netting a total handle of $1,683,502, or an average of $112,233 per day. The average payout was over $1,300 for a $3 wager.

On-track wagering for the Fall Meet totaled $15,162,221, for an average of $2,477,890.

Memorable Racing Moments and Milestones

Purses at Keeneland this fall remained among the richest in North America, averaging $880,511 per day, up 29 percent over the 2020 Fall Meet. Average starters per race was 8.7.

To enhance the final days of the season, Keeneland scheduled two new $150,000 juvenile stakes, the Myrtlewood and Bowman Mill; revived the Perryville and Bryan Station, both fixtures for 3-year-olds, and scheduled the Grade 3 Rubicon Valley View and Grade 2 Hagyard Fayette to create multiple stakes cards.

Keeneland featured a deep turf schedule with 12 of its 22 stakes held on the grass, headlined by three Grade 1 events: $750,000 Keeneland Turf Mile, $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana, and $400,000 First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare.

The Fall Meet showcased a number of Breeders' Cup-bound horses in 10 Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” races. Among those winners pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup are Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner Rattle N Roll (TVG Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance); Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades winner Juju's Map (NetJets Juvenile Fillies); First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare winner Blowout (GB) (FanDuel Mile Presented by PDJF); Indian Summer (L) Presented by Keeneland Select winner Averly Jane (Juvenile Turf Sprint); Grade 2 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine winner California Angel (Juvenile Fillies Turf); Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster winner Letruska (Distaff); Grade 1 Keeneland Turf Mile winner In Love (BRZ) (Mile) and Grade 2 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix winner Special Reserve (Qatar Racing Sprint).

Another Fall Meet stakes winner pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup is Grade 2 Woodford Presented by TVG winner Golden Pal (Turf Sprint).

“Fans enjoyed a spectacular fall season of racing, and we say a sincere 'thank you' to our owners, trainers, and jockeys for their loyalty and support,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell said. “We are proud of the lucrative purse money and expanded racing opportunities offered during the Fall Meet, and look forward to continuing to strengthen the quality of our program.”

This fall, Keeneland also welcomed two new race sponsors. Castle & Key Distillery, one of Central Kentucky's most popular distillery destinations, sponsored the Grade 2 Bourbon, a Breeders' Cup Challenge event won by Tiz the Bomb, who is pre-entered in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Rubicon, a Lexington-based software company known as “America's technology company” that provides smart waste and recycling solutions to businesses and governments worldwide, became the new sponsor of the Grade 3 Valley View, won by Navratilova.

Among the racing highlights, two owners – Godolphin and G. Watts Humphrey Jr. – achieved their eighth graded stakes win at Keeneland to each earn a Keeneland Tray as part of the track's Milestone Trophy Program. Both were accomplished with homebreds – Godolphin with Caramel Swirl in the Grade 2 Lexus Raven Run and Humphrey with Navratilova in the Rubicon Valley View.

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Fall Meet Leaders

The nation's top owners, trainers, and jockeys competed at Keeneland this fall, and their participation heightened the excitement surrounding the title races.

Eclipse Award-winning rider Tyler Gaffalione dominated a deep jockey colony with 29 wins to earn his second consecutive, and third overall, Fall Meet title. He was also leading rider during Keeneland's 2020 Summer Meet. Gaffalione's record was enhanced by five days on which he rode three or more winners, and he notched a win aboard Averly Jane in the Indian Summer Presented by Keeneland Select.

Florent Geroux finished second in the standings with 16 wins, highlighted by the Darley Alcibiades with Juju's Map and the Perryville with He'smyhoneybadger.

Among the jockeys to notch stakes wins during the Fall Meet were brothers Brian Hernandez Jr. and Colby Hernandez, Corey Lanerie, Flavien Prat, Joel Rosario, John Velazquez, Irad Ortiz Jr., Julien Leparoux, Rafael Bejarano, and Javier Castellano.

The battle for leading trainer honors between Brad Cox and Wesley Ward was decided in the final race on closing day. Cox prevailed with 14 victories to secure his second consecutive Fall Meet Keeneland title. Cox also earned the title in the 2018 Spring Meet. Cox's stakes wins were the Darley Alcibiades with Juju's Map and the Perryville with He'smyhoneybadger.

Ward, a seven-time leading trainer at Keeneland, won 13 races, including the Woodford Presented by TVG with Golden Pal and Indian Summer Presented by Keeneland Select with Averly Jane, to rank second in the standings.

Chad Brown and Kenny McPeek were among the other trainers to win two graded stakes this fall. Brown took the First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare with Blowout and the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana with Shantisara (IRE). McPeek scored with Rattle N Roll in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and with Tiz the Bomb in the Castle & Key Bourbon.

Brad Kelley's Calumet Farm and Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum's Godolphin tied for leading owner with four wins each. It is the first Keeneland owner title for Calumet under Kelley's ownership and the second for Godolphin, who also won in the 2017 Spring Meet.

Fall Meet Special Events Offer Fun and Philanthropy

Keeneland welcomed the on-site return of its popular special events calendar, which exemplified philanthropic goals in keeping with the track's mission to support the Central Kentucky community and horse industry.

Keeneland partnered with valued race sponsors to support community initiatives. Juddmonte and Keeneland donated $10,000 to the Kentucky Equine Management Internship Program. Lexus and Keeneland contributed $5,000 to The MAP Foundation to benefit the Woodhill Community Center.

Current members of the Keeneland jockey colony joined retired riders for an autograph session on Oct. 9 that raised $6,372 for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

On Make-A-Wish Day, Oct. 14, Keeneland teamed with local Thoroughbred farms and organizations to grant wishes for 10 deserving children, who, along with their families, enjoyed a VIP day at the races. More than $8,000 was raised from fans who placed donations into the “Wishing Well” near the Keeneland Paddock.

The following day, Keeneland hosted College Scholarship Day Presented by Lane's End. Full-time college students were eligible to win one of 10 $2,000 scholarships provided by Keeneland and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and one of two $10,000 scholarships provided by Lane's End.

Heroes Day Presented by Rubicon on Oct. 24 honored members of the military and first responders (law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, and health care workers) and their families with free general admission and access to reserved Grandstand seats. The afternoon featured lunch provided by City BBQ, children's activities, a spectacular flag unfurling on the main track, and special recognitions and remembrances throughout the day. Keeneland and Rubicon donated $5,000 to the Fraternal Order of Firefighters.

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