Michael Dubb | Horse Racing Free Tips

Not This Time Colt Runs Away With Runyon

Excellent Timing rewarded his new connections with a dominant front-running score in the Damon Runyon S. for New York-breds Sunday. Second on debut at Belmont as the chalk Oct. 18, the dark bay ran up the score to 7 1/4 lengths and earned an 81 Beyer Speed Figure going a sixteenth shorter here Dec. 10 for Happy Face Racing Stable and Charlton Baker. He subsequently changed hands privately, and was heavily favored to handle the next test.

Right to the front, Excellent Timing doled out soft splits of :24.49 and :49.19 while always seeming to be in complete control. Already far in front as he straightened for home, the colt cruised to the wire unchallenged and was geared down late to become the fifth black-type winner for his well-regarded now second-crop sire (by Giant's Causeway).

“The horse ran huge,” said Dan Stupp, assistant to trainer Chad Brown. “The team down at Payson [Park in Florida] did a good job preparing him this winter. He came up in great shape; he put on some weight and his coat looks great. Manny [Franco] did a great job allowing him to show his natural cruising speed and getting him to relax and settle. The horse did the rest from there.

“Off the layoff, you aren't 100% percent sure what to expect. He had put in some good works down in Florida. We worked him a nice half-mile here at Belmont last week (:48 3/5 over the training track Mar. 7) and it went great. We knew he would run well, but you never know off the bench. The track is a little deep and tiring, but we're happy with the performance.”

Co-owner Michael Dubb said, “We had open company on our mind, but this time of year, everyone throws 3-year-olds to the wolves. This horse could have a nice and long career, so we wanted to develop the horse the right way and not get him where he loses interest. We want to get him used to winning. Hopefully, once we do that, we can go to open company. It's the right thing to do with the horse.

“The fact that it's a Not This Time [colt] gave us the idea that he could stretch out and we do expect the horse will stretch out. We'll go from there.”

The winner has a 2-year-old half-sister by Union Jackson and a yearling half-sister by Unified. His dam, a half to GSW Inexplicable (Miswaki) from an old and deep Tartan Farms family, most recently visited Maximus Mischief.

DAMON RUNYON S., $100,000, Aqueduct, 3-14, (S), 3yo, 7f, 1:28.02, ft.
1–EXCELLENT TIMING, 118, c, 3, by Not This Time
                1st Dam: Explicable, by Pioneerof the Nile
                2nd Dam: Mythomania, by Nureyev
                3rd Dam: Mythographer, by Secretariat
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables LLC
& Wonder Stables; B-Sequel Stallions New York, LLC & Lakland
Farm (NY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Manuel Franco. $55,000.
Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $107,500.
2–Perfect Munnings, 122, c, 3, Munnings–Our Perfect Ten, by
Medaglia d'Oro. ($50,000 Ylg '19 SARAUG). O-JP Racing Stable;
B-Tammy & Robert Klimasewski (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$20,000.
3–It's Gravy, 118, g, 3, Freud–It's Macaroni, by City Zip. O/B-Mr.
Amore Stables, LLC (NY); T-Kelly J. Breen. $12,000.
Margins: 6 3/4, 5, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.65, 3.00, 13.60.
Also Ran: It's a Gamble, A Longlongtimeago, Echoes of Destiny, Reggae Music Man, The King Cheek. Scratched: Eagle Orb. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Faith’s House: New Childcare Center Opening At Saratoga In Summer 2021

The Belmont Child Care Association, Inc. (BCCA) today announced that its new childcare center serving families and children of the backstretch community at Saratoga Race Course is scheduled to open in summer 2021.

The 4,300-square-foot childcare center will be located on the Oklahoma side of the Saratoga backstretch. Funded by Michael and Lee Dubb, the facility will be named Faith's House in honor of Faith Dubb, mother of BCCA founder and board chairman Michael Dubb.

Faith's House will provide child care and early education programs for infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children. The center will be open seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accommodate the schedules of backstretch workers and horsemen.

“All working parents deserve to know that their children are being cared for in a safe, healthy and enriching environment during the workday,” said Dubb, who is a prominent thoroughbred owner in addition to his work with the BCCA. “We are thrilled to extend this important program to the hardworking families of the Saratoga backstretch community, who provide a vital service to the racing community.”

The Saratoga facility will complement BCCA's sister childcare center Anna House, which serves families of the Belmont Park backstretch. More than 1,000 students have participated in Anna House's programs since its opening in 2003.

“Faith's House fulfills a dream that the BCCA has been working on for over ten years. We are so excited to bring a winning formula in child care to Saratoga,” said Libby Imperio, BCCA President.

The anticipated summer 2021 opening coincides with the annual summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which brings approximately 950 backstretch workers and their families to the Spa. The opening of the new center is contingent upon licensing approval from New York State and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

“The backstretch community is the foundation of the racing industry,” said New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) President and CEO Dave O'Rourke. “All of us at NYRA extend our sincere gratitude to Michael and Lee, and the entire BCCA staff for their continued dedication and commitment to increasing access to affordable and reliable childcare for families on the backstretch. I would also like to thank our facilities team for their work on this project. NYRA is proud to host this new center of childhood education.”

Faith's House will be operated by Bright Horizons, an organization known for excellence in the child care industry which manages early childhood education programs at more than 1,000 child care centers.

More information about Faith's House, including details on registration and enrollment, will be announced in the coming months. Individuals interested in further details may contact BCCA Executive Director Joanne K. Adams by phone at (516) 488-2103 or via email at jadams@belmontchildcare.org.

The Belmont Child Care Association works to provide a safe, supportive, and academically inspiring environment for the children of parents working in the thoroughbred racing backstretch area located at New York's historic Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course. For more information, visit BelmontChildCare.org.

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New Childcare Center Serving Saratoga Backstretch Community to Open Summer 2021

A new childcare center serving families and children of the backstretch community at Saratoga Race Course is scheduled to open in summer 2021, the Belmont Child Care Association, Inc. (BCCA) has announced.

“All working parents deserve to know that their children are being cared for in a safe, healthy and enriching environment during the workday,” said Dubb, who is a prominent Thoroughbred owner in addition to his work with the BCCA. “We are thrilled to extend this important program to the hardworking families of the Saratoga backstretch community, who provide a vital service to the racing community.”

“Faith's House fulfills a dream that the BCCA has been working on for over 10 years. We are so excited to bring a winning formula in child care to Saratoga,” said Libby Imperio, BCCA President.

The anticipated summer 2021 opening coincides with the annual summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which brings approximately 950 backstretch workers and their families to the Spa.

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Classy Veterans Pete’s Play Call, Stan The Man Get Rematch In Toboggan

Graded stakes action kicks off at Aqueduct Racetrack for 2021 with a field of five assembling for Saturday's 128th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan for 4-year-olds and upward going seven furlongs over the main track.

Trained by Rudy Rodriguez for owner Michael Dubb, the 8-year-old Pete's Play Call was claimed for $62,500 out of a winning effort in an optional-claiming sprint on Nov. 27 at the Big A. He made first start for new connections a winning one when capturing the 6 1/2-furlong Gravesend last out on Jan. 2 at Aqueduct.

Pete's Play Call was hustled out of the gate in the Gravesend by Jorge A. Vargas, Jr. and sat to the outside of pacesetter Happy Farm. After establishing clear command approaching the quarter pole, Pete's Play Call held off a late charge from fellow Toboggan aspirant Stan the Man to win by 2 ½ lengths over the muddy and sealed track.

Pete's Play Call, who has gone 4-1-0 in his last six starts, worked five-eighths in 1:01.58 on January 22 on the Belmont Park dirt training track.

“In his last four or five races, it looks like he's improving a little,” said Rodriguez, who saddled Head Heart Hoof (2013) and Sassicaia (2016) to Toboggan scores. “He's been doing great. We're just trying to keep him happy and keep him fit. He really looks like he's been coming along well and I hope that he stays the way he's been doing. He worked very well the other day. He's full of himself right now.”

The seasoned son of Munnings boasts the most victories in the Toboggan field with a 46-14-9-6 lifetime record and earnings of $648,421.

Bred in Maryland by Mr. and Mrs. Charles McGinnes, Pete's Play Call is out of the 2019 Maryland Broodmare of the Year Taft Lil Queen, who also produced graded stakes winner Kiss to Remember. He comes from the same family as dual Grade 1-winner Spun Sugar.

Vargas, Jr. will return to the saddle from the inside post.

Long Lake Stable's Stan the Man will attempt to turn the tables on Pete's Play Call in search of a third stakes victory and first graded score for trainer John Terranova, who won the 2010 Toboggan with Wall Street Wonder.

The four-times graded stakes-placed Stan the Man arrives at Saturday's event with consistent form, having finished in the money in his last five starts, all of which were at stakes level.

Prior to finishing a late-closing second in the Gravesend, the 7-year-old Broken Vow chestnut was a close second to Toboggan-rival Share the Ride in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight on Nov. 27 at the Big A.

Stan the Man enjoyed a prosperous campaign in 2020, which included a triumph in the seven-furlong Tale of the Cat at Saratoga and three placings against graded stakes company. At the tail end of 2019, Stan the Man notched his first stakes victory when taking the Queens County at Aqueduct going nine furlongs.

“He's been a good horse and a fun horse for us, very consistent. Especially lately, since the summer,” Terranova said. “We're proud of him. He's happy and healthy and this looks like the right spot for him.”

Jockey Eric Cancel will be aboard from post 4.

Silvino Ramirez's Share the Ride vies for his second graded stakes victory for trainer Antonio Arriaga.

The dark bay or brown son of Candy Ride won the Grade 3 Fall Highweight at the Big A two starts back and arrives at the Toboggan off a close runner-up finish to Wendell Fong in the Fire Plug on Jan. 16 at Laurel Park.

Jockey Manny Franco will be aboard from post 3.

Misty Hollow Farm's 7-year-old Drafted will seek to get back to his winning form for trainer David Duggan. After a 2-year-old season with trainer Eoin Harty, the son of Field Commission raced for the barn of Middle East-based Doug Watson, for whom he won two Group 3 events at Meydan Racecourse in the winter of 2019. In his last effort, he finished third beaten 5 ¾ lengths in the Gravesend.

Jockey Dylan Davis rides from post 2.

Rounding out the field is American Power, who attempts a third consecutive victory after besting stakes winner Mihos and next out-winning stable mate Lil Commissioner in a Dec. 11 optional claiming tilt going seven furlongs.

Trained by Rob Atras and owned by Sanford J. Goldfarb and Irwin Goldfarb, the 6-year-old son of Power Broker won three races in a row during his 2019 campaign for trainer Linda Rice.

Big A winter meet leading rider Kendrick Carmouche has the mount from post 5.

The Toboggan is slated as Race 4 on Saturday's nine-race program, which has a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter 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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