michelle nevin | Horse Racing Free Tips

Wisecracken Euthanized After Race Five At The Spa

During the Wednesday running of race five at Saratoga Race Course, a $50,000 starter allowance going nine furlongs over the turf, Wisecraken (McCraken) sustained a catastrophic injury to his right hind leg, Pat McKenna, NYRA's Vice President of Communications, said via email Wednesday afternoon.

Despite the immediate response of on-site veterinarians, the horse was humanely euthanized due to the severity of the injury. The 3-year-old gelding owned by Ironhorse Racing Stable LLC was trained by Michelle Nevin and ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr., who was uninjured.

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‘Rising Star’ Happy Medium to Make Stakes Debut in Rescheduled Toboggan

Streaking 'TDN Rising Star' Happy Medium (Runhappy) will make his stakes debut against four rivals in Saturday's GIII Toboggan S. at Aqueduct.

The 4-year-old Jay Em Ess Stable colorbearer has won three straight in impressive fashion, including an optional claimer by seven lengths with a 104 Beyer Speed Figure at the Big A last time Dec. 18.

The seven-furlong Toboggan was pushed back a week after last Saturday's snow storm.

“He's a very nice horse and we just have taken the logical steps to go along with him. We've gone from his maiden, a-other-than and two-other-than,” trainer Michelle Nevin said. “This step is the next logical one, so we're excited to see him run.”

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Happy Medium Makes Stakes Debut In Re-Scheduled Toboggan

Jay Em Ess Stable's talented Happy Medium will make his stakes debut in Saturday's re-scheduled 129th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses, to kick off graded stakes action in 2022 on the NYRA circuit at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Toboggan was initially scheduled for last Saturday's card which was cancelled due to the impact of a powerful winter storm in the New York City metropolitan area. Five of the original seven Toboggan contenders have returned with defectors including Chateau and Penguin Power, who finished sixth in last Saturday's Fire Plug at Laurel Park.

Trained by Michelle Nevin, the three-time winning Happy Medium seeks his fourth straight trip to the winner's circle having captured his trio of wins by a combined 21 1/4-lengths.

The 4-year-old son of Runhappy arrives off a triumph in a second-level allowance optional claimer on Dec. 18 at the Big A, defeating next-out winner Wudda U Think Now and stakes-winner Chestertown. Happy Medium led at every point of call last out while extending his advantage throughout the 6 1/2-furlong journey, registering a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure for the seven-length romp.

After bursting onto the scene in September at Belmont Park with a maiden special weight victory over four next-out winners by 9 1/4-lengths, Happy Medium handled a sloppy and sealed track with style when defeating winners by five lengths in November at Aqueduct.

“He's a very nice horse and we just have taken the logical steps to go along with him. We've gone from his maiden, a-other-than and two-other-than.” Nevin said. “This step is the next logical one, so we're excited to see him run.”

Happy Medium's maiden score came off a six-month respite. He finished third at 22-1 odds in his career debut in March 2021 at Aqueduct.

“He was a little immature from two into his 3-year-old year and we just wanted to give him some time to develop,” Nevin said.

Happy Medium, bred in Kentucky by Colts Neck Stables, is out of the Coronado's Quest mare Well Spring, who also produced Mendip – a multiple group stakes winner in Dubai. Happy Medium's second dam, Chaposa Springs, captured the 1995 Grade 1 Test and 1996 Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga Race Course.

Manny Franco, aboard Happy Medium for all three of his victories, will return to the irons from the outermost post 5. Happy Medium will carry 120 pounds.

Returning to the Big A by way of Parx Racing is Hopeful Treasure, who sprung an 18-1 upset in the six-furlong Grade 3 Fall Highweight last out on November 28. The 5-year-old bay son of Oxbow provided trainer Michael Catalano, Jr. with his first graded stakes victory, fending off a late challenge by graded stakes winner Green Light Go to win by a head.

Owned by Tony Como's Just In Time Racing, Hopeful Treasure was bought for $6,000 by his original trainer Michael Pino, who conditioned the horse through three wins in his first eight career starts.

Transferred to Catalano, Jr., Hopeful Treasure picked up three more victories including a 1 3/4-length allowance score at Parx four weeks prior to the Fall Highweight.

“We thought about running in a stake at Parx at the end of the year and it just seemed like he wasn't back to where he was mentally,” Catalano, Jr. said. “He started to hit his stride in early January and has been just doing better and better each day since then. He's ready to run right now and hopefully he'll show up at one of these places and run really well again.”

Trevor McCarthy, a two-time stakes-winning rider this meet, picks up the mount from post 4 aboard Hopeful Treasure, who was assigned a field high 124 pounds.

Rounding out the field are War Tocsin [post 1, Silvestre Gonzalez], Repo Rocks [post 2, Ruben Silvera] and Drafted [post 3, Jose Ortiz].

The Toboggan is slated as Race 3 while the Withers will go as Race 8 on Saturday's nine-race card. First post 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 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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Trainer Nevin ‘Pleased’ With Happy Medium’s 2021 Performances

Jay Em Ess Stable's Happy Medium equaled his career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure when he coasted home the seven-length winner of a non-winners of two optional claimer going 6 ½ furlongs Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

A 3-year-old son of Runhappy, Happy Medium has gone 3-for-4 this year, his only loss coming in his debut where he finished third going seven furlongs at Aqueduct in March.

Michelle Nevin, who trains the Kentucky-bred gelding, said that she was pleased with Happy Medium's effort.

“He's doing all the right things,” said Nevin. “We're very happy with him and we are taking each logical step as he's gone along and he's really shown up.”

Happy Medium earned his first 103 Beyer with a 9 ¼ length maiden special weight winner at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., in his second start. He followed with a five-length victory over a sloppy and sealed main track at Aqueduct on November 13.

Nevin said Happy Medium's effort Saturday was the best of his career.

“Yesterday, he looked more in control of the race every step of the way,” Nevin said. “When he broke his maiden, he did it easily but it maybe didn't look as impressive as yesterday.”

Nevin said she is content to take her time with Happy Medium, who finished the 6 ½ furlongs in a final time of 1:15.88, 1.53 seconds off the track record of 1:14.35.

“We'll just get past this and get past this, get back to training, and see how we are and then we'll make our decisions down the road a little bit,” Nevin said. “We're going to have to see how he comes out of this race. It was a huge effort, so I'm not in a rush to pick a spot. Once I feel like he's back on his feet again, we'll see what's available to us.”

Nevin also provided an update on multiple stakes winner My Boy Tate and stakes winner Our Last Buck, who finished second and third, respectively, in the Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series on December 5.

My Boy Tate, whose last win came in the Leon Reed Memorial at Finger Lakes Racetrack in Farmington, N.Y., two starts back, worked a half-mile in :49.55 Sunday morning over Belmont Park's dirt training track.

Nevin said the 7-year-old gelding could be headed to the $100,000 Say Florida Sandy – slated for January 8 at the Big A – for a fourth time after winning the seven-furlong sprint for state-breds in 2018 and finishing off the board the last two years.

“He's doing good,” Nevin said. “We're happy with how he's been. I think there's a spot for him in January, so we'll see.”

Our Last Buck also worked Sunday, completing his half-mile drill over Belmont's training track in :51.89. Nevin said she will bide her time and let the 7-year-old gelding let her know what the next move will be for him.

“He's going great, too,” said Nevin. “We aren't in any rush and we'll see what becomes available for him.”

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