Sanchez last rode Jan. 19 at Parx. Shortly after that, the Pennsylvania Racing Commission handed him a 60-day suspension after it was discovered that during a betting spree he made wagers on horses other than his own mounts on races at Parx and at Laurel. The Maryland Racing Commission also suspended Sanchez for 60 days, with the days running concurrently with the Pennsylvania suspension.

When the suspensions ended in March, Sanchez apparently had a difficult time finding a track that would allow him to ride. At the time, attorney Alan Pincus confirmed to the TDN that Parx officials would not accept entries where Sanchez was listed to ride. 1/ST Racing, which operates Laurel and Pimlico, announced that Sanchez had been banned indefinitely.

Sanchez's name first reappeared in the entries when he was listed on horses for the June 10 card at Delaware, but he was replaced on each of those mounts.

Calls and emails made Wednesday to Delaware Racing Commission Executive Director Sarah Crane went unanswered. Pincus did not return a phone call seeking to clarify Sanchez's status.

While admitting that his client had bet against himself, Pincus said that Sanchez had done so as an outlet to battle depression. He said that Sanchez, in all cases, tried to win, even when he had bet on another horse.

“It was clear he was giving his best effort,” Pincus said. “He was not fixing races. He won several of the races in which he bet against his horses. The horse paid $37 in one race, $27 in another. He was just doing something crazy that only a psychiatrist can explain.”

The TDN, through a Freedom of Information Law request, acquired the records of Sanchez's betting activity that were reviewed by the Pennsylvania Racing Commission. The betting log covers the period of Dec. 23 of last year through Jan. 3, during which time Sanchez placed 104 bets on his TVG account. From those 104, there were only six races in which he made significant bets against himself. Whether he was involved in a race or not, he was betting heavily. In one instance, he made a $2,000 win, place and show bet on a race at Laurel, betting on his mount, Johnny Sack (Mosler). He lost all $6,000 as Johnny Sack finished sixth.

The post Mychel Sanchez, Suspended for Betting Against His Mounts, Returns at Delaware Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“We tried to name him on horses for Tuesday after his suspension ends and they would not accept anyone naming him on a horse,” said Sanchez's attorney Alan Pincus.

Pincus added that he was not given any indication as to how long the ban from Parx would be in place.

Joe Wilson, Parx's chief operating officer, did not return a phone call Wednesday seeking comment and clarification.

Sanchez's status in Maryland is up in the air. After it was reported that Sanchez had placed bets against himself, The Stronach Group (TSG), which operates Laurel, announced that it would not allow Sanchez to ride at its tracks. Aidan Butler, TSG's chief operating answer, said via text that a final decision on Sanchez's status has yet to be reached. The first day Sanchez could possibly ride at Laurel is Mar. 25.

“No decision has been made yet,” Butler wrote. “I want my management to speak to him before any decision is made. It's a pretty serious deal.”

Sanchez was suspended in January after it was discovered that his recent betting activity, which included wagers of as much as $6,000 a race, included, during a brief period that started last December, at least six instances in which he bet on a horse going up against his own mount. The bets were placed in races at Parx and at Laurel and the racing commissions in both states suspended him for 60 days and ordered him to seek counseling for a gambling problem. The suspensions ran concurrently.

Ordinarily, a jockey would likely receive a suspension of well more than two months if caught betting against himself. But Pincus successfully argued that Sanchez was not trying to fix races and instead went on a gambling spree as a means to deal with his depression.

Pincus said that under Pennsylvania rules anyone barred at a track is entitled to a hearing, which he has requested.

“Obviously, Mychel is disappointed,” he said. “We went before two sets of impartial stewards [at Parx and at Laurel] who decided the penalty should be a total of two months. We trust their judgment. They are the only ones who have heard the actual facts of the case. We are eager to be able to explain the situation to the commission.”

The post Suspension Is Up, But Parx Won’t Let Sanchez Ride appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“He was just doing something crazy that only a psychiatrist can explain,” Pincus said in January.

The TDN, through a Freedom of Information Law request, has acquired the records of Sanchez's betting activity that were reviewed by the Pennsylvania Racing Commission. In some respects, they lend credence to the lawyer's argument. The betting log covers the period of Dec. 23 of last year through Jan. 3, during which time Sanchez placed 104 bets on his TVG account. From those 104, there were only six races in which he made significant bets against himself. He bet on his own mount seven times. All other wagers were made on races in which he did not have a mount.

In most states, jockeys are not prohibited from betting on races in which they don't ride or on betting on their own mounts.

Nonetheless, a jockey betting against himself, no matter how few times it happened, is a serious offense that brings the integrity of those races into question. Did Sanchez, in fact, do his very best to win or was he more interested in cashing his bets, one of which was for $4,380? Only he knows for sure.

These are the six races in which Sanchez made significant bets on a horse other than the one he rode. They are:

(*) Dec. 26th, 8th at Laurel: Sanchez bet $2,190 to win and place on 6-5 favorite Cordmaker (Curlin) in the Robert Manfuso S. Cordmaker won, giving Sanchez a profit of $3,066. His mount, Alwaysmining, (Stay Thirsty) finished last at 13-1.

(*) Dec. 28, 7th at Parx: Sanchez bet $100 to win, place and show on 4-1 shot Miss Mosaic (Verrazano) in the Mrs. Claus S. Sanchez won the race aboard 18-1 Jakarta (Bustin Stones), beating Miss Mosaic, who finished second. Sanchez's share of the purse was $5,520. Had Miss Mosaic won he would have won about $800 on his bets.

(*) Dec. 29, 6th at Parx: Sanchez bet $200 to win, place and show on Six Cider (Medaglia d'Oro) and $25 to win, place and show on Double the Heart (Alternation). Both horses finished out of the money. He rode 52-1 shot Dangerfield (Into Mischief), who finished last.

(*) Dec. 31, 6th at Laurel: Sanchez bet $100 to win, place and show on I Can Run (Tourist), who finished fourth. His mount, Ocean Tide (More Than Ready), was last.

(*) Jan. 2, 5th at Laurel: Sanchez bet $1,000 win and place on 7-2 shot Bear Force Won (Bandbox), who won the race. Sanchez's profit on the bet was $4,900. His mount, the 2-1 shot Satchel de Ritches (Country Day), finished fourth.

(*) Jan. 3, 3rd at Parx: Sanchez bet $500 to win, place and show on Iova (lea), who finished second. He made a profit of $1,000 on the race. His mount, The Biggest One (Gone Astray), finished third at 9-2.

From those six races, Sanchez made a profit of $8,171.

In addition, Sanchez bet $864 on the Pick Five Dec. 29 at Parx and hit the bet, which paid $7,875. He did not include his mount in the first leg, the 52-1 shot Dangerfield, on his ticket. Sanchez rode the winner of the final leg, 12-1 shot No Fooling Dude (Orientate).

Pincus said that Sanchez was not gambling regularly until opening up a TVG account late last year. He did so under his own name and a TVG employee alerted the Pennsylvania Racing Commission after noticing that Sanchez was betting against himself. His betting was more or less in control at the start. On Dec. 23, a day in which he did not ride, he started off with a $100 win and place bet at Gulfstream and followed that with a $50 win bet and a $15 win and place bet, also on races at Gulfstream. But as the day wore on he began to bet larger amounts. He switched his betting to Turfway Park and in two races bet $1,000 to win, place and show on a horse. Both horses finished out of the money.

Racing took a break for the Christmas holiday and Sanchez did not wager again until Dec. 26, betting on Laurel, where he rode.  He made his first bet in the second race, in which he did not have a mount. He bet $1000 win, place and show on 3-1 shot Beneath the Stars (Connect), who finished second. In the third race, he bet on himself, wagering $1,000 to win, place and show on 7-2 shot Last Romance (Tapiture), who finished second.

After betting on two more races in which he didn't have a mount, he crossed the line for the first time, making the $2,190 win and place bet on Cordmaker. His mount, Alwaysmining, went to the front and led for the first half-mile before tiring. The footnote for the race reads: “Alwaysmining rushed up between foes and then dropped in to take the early lead, was pressured from his outside, ceded command around the far turn and faltered.”

A clear betting pattern was emerging. While Sanchez made an occasional multi-race wager, the majority of his bets were either to win and place or to win, place and show. And he was betting heavily. Sanchez would routinely bet $1,000 or more to win, place and show on a horse. On the Dec. 27th, he made a $2,000 win, place and show bet on a race at Laurel, betting on his mount, Johnny Sack (Mosler). On the largest bet he made during the period in question, he lost all $6,000 as Johnny Sack finished sixth.

On Dec. 30, while he was riding at Laurel, he bet $5,000 to win on 11-10 favorite Palace Magic (Palace Malice) in the ninth race at the Fair Grounds. Palace Magic finished second.

On Jan. 3, Sanchez rode at Parx, where he made just three wagers, two $500 win and place bets and a $400 Pick 5 ticket. From a gambling perspective, he was having a good day, winning $3,200 on his two straight bets. But Sanchez stopped abruptly and did not bet any other races on the card. It is not clear what motivated him to stop.

Throughout the betting binge, Sanchez bet a total of $129,212 and lost more than $18,000.

Based on the time stamp on his bets, Sanchez was placing them, on the days when he rode, from the track between races when he would have been in the jockey's room. In many countries, jockeys are not allowed to take communication devices into the jockey's room.

On Jan. 10, Sanchez appeared at a hearing before the Pennsylvania Racing Commission Board of Stewards and was suspended for 60 days and ordered to complete an accredited program for gambling addiction. Pincus said at the time that Sanchez had also sought treatment to deal with his depression.

The Maryland Racing Commission took no action against Sanchez at the time he was suspended in Pennsylvania. Michael Hopkins, the executive director of the Maryland Racing Commission, told Pat Cummings of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation that the matter is closed and the commission has no plans to take action against Sanchez. On Jan. 21, after learning of the allegations against Sanchez, 1/ST Racing, the owners of Laurel, took the jockey off all his mounts that day and banned him for an indefinite period. At time of deadline for this story, the TDN was unable to confirm whether or not Sanchez will be cleared to ride by 1/ST officials after his Pennsylvania suspension has been served.

Sanchez rode at Aqueduct on Jan. 1, but did not bet against any of his own mounts that day.

Though there are no established guidelines for the length of a suspension when a jockey is caught betting against himself, that Sanchez only got 60 days suggests that the Pennsylvania Racing Commission believed that he was not fixing races and that it was sympathetic to his assertion that depression played a role in his betting frenzy.

“He just did something because of a mental problem,” Pincus said in January. “People are responsible for their own actions, but he has to be viewed with sympathy.”

Sanchez's suspension ends March 21.

The post Sanchez Bet Heavily, And Sometimes Against Himself appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“It was clear he was giving his best effort,” Pincus said. “He was not fixing races. He won several of the races in which he bet against his horses. The horse paid $37 in one race, $27 in another. He was just doing something crazy that only a psychiatrist can explain.”

With Sanchez's main track, Parx, dark Friday, the jockey was listed on two mounts at Laurel. After the Maryland Racing Commission learned of the Pennsylvania suspension, Sanchez was taken of his mounts. The Maryland Jockey Club and 1/ST RACING issued a statement later in the day in which it said Sanchez has been banned indefinitely.

“After learning of the serious allegations of illegal wagering on the part of jockey Mychel Sanchez, effective immediately 1/ST RACING will institute an indefinite ban against him from training or racing at any 1/ST RACING venue,” read a statement issued by 1/ST RACING. “Any decision regarding Sanchez's reinstatement will be made at a later time. 1/ST RACING stands on the principles of integrity and accountability, and we believe there is no place in our sport for this kind of unethical and illegal activity.”

Tom Chuckas, the director of the Thoroughbred division of the Pennsylvania Racing Commission, was not available to the media. A call to his office went to voice mail and no one returned the call from the TDN seeking comment. There was nothing related to Sanchez's suspension on the page on the Pennsylvania Racing Commission's website listing rulings. An official ruling will likely be issued following a regularly scheduled commission meeting next week.

Should Chuckas ever make himself available, he will likely be asked to explain what appears to be a serious offense resulted in a suspension of just 60 days.

“Mychal is a straight shooter and he has worked hard and with skill and talent has risen to a very strong position,” Pincus said. “He is the sole support for his family both here and in Venezuela and life, on the surface, was great for him. But, he was feeling depressed. And he was not doing anything to deal with it. He was just turning inward. He turned to gambling on the races for a very short period of time. I'm not a psychiatrist, but he was doing this to numb the pain.”

Pincus said that Sanchez opened a TVG account in his own name and began betting Dec. 23 and made his last bets Jan. 3. He went six for 28 during that period. During that time, he also rode at Aqueduct and at Laurel. Pincus said he was not sure whether or not Sanchez also bet against his mounts in New York and Maryland or just at Parx. If he bet against himself in New York or in Maryland, he could face additional penalties from those states.

“We will look into this,” said J. Michael Hopkins, the executive director of the Maryland Racing Commission. “But right now he's suspended in Pennsylvania, so there's no need to be in a rush because he doesn't ride here regularly. But we will definitely take a look at it.”

TVG employees noticed that the jockey had been betting against his own horses and notified the appropriate racing commissions.

Having, through his lawyer, admitted that he bet against his own horses, Sanchez will not fight the suspension.

“He was suspended 60 days starting [Friday] to the 21st of March,” Pincus said. “Obviously, it was warranted. We are not going to appeal this.”

Pincus said that Sanchez has already enrolled in a problem gambling program and has also sought out psychiatric help.

“He just did something because of a mental problem,” Pincus said. “People are responsible for their own actions, but he has to be viewed with sympathy.”

Sanchez began riding in the U.S. in 2013 and was the leading rider at Parx in 2020. According to Equibase, he's won 940 races from 6,097 mounts.

The post Sanchez Suspended, Gambling an Outlet for Depression appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Pincus confirmed that Sanchez opened a TVG account in his own name in late December 2021. He said that Sanchez made numerous bets over a period of about 10 days, including wagering on horses that were racing against his own mounts. But the attorney said Sanchez rode to win in those races and in fact registered two upsets at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa., during the period in question, one at 12-1 odds and the other at 18-1.

“These are extremely weird circumstances,” Pincus said. “You can never totally understand how the human mind works. People who may appear to be on top of the world – like the tennis star Naomi Osaka – can be suffering from depression. You don't know.

“Mychel Sanchez is suffering from some type of depression,” he said. “I'm not a psychiatrist, but he's someone who needs help. He started betting. Not in any cheating way, just as a way of coping with the pain he was experiencing. He's been feeling low for some time and it's been building up in him.

“He's doing this, and fortunately TVG notices who it is and what's going on and they alert the racing commission,” said Pincus. “It's inexplicable. He had races where he actually bet against his own horse, then went out and won the race. One horse paid $37 to win. Another race he bets against himself and he won the race on a horse that paid $27. He's not pulling horses, he's not doing it for evil purposes, he's doing it for crazy purposes, inexplicable purposes. But obviously it is against the rules and you can't do that.”

Sanchez rode the $38.60 winner Jakarta at Parx on Dec. 28 and the $27.40 winner No Fooling Dude on Dec. 29, according to Equibase charts.

TVG confirmed its role in alerting racing officials of Sanchez's wagering activities.

“As part of TVG's regular monitoring of new accounts and account activity, members of our team noticed wagers that warranted us suspending the account in question and alerting the regulatory authorities in the states where those races occurred,” a statement from the advance-deposit wagering platform said. “We are cooperating fully with the authorities investigating these activities.”

Pincus said the penalty was fair, given the circumstances.

“If you are betting against your own horse and stiff him, now you are talking about being barred forever,” he said. “That didn't happen.”

Sanchez has been ordered to undergo treatment facilitated by the Jockeys' Guild, Pincus said.

“He has started a treatment program,” Pincus said. “He is not a criminal. He was not pulling horses. He's a person who needs help.”

He also said regulators in Maryland and New York may be investigating the matter. Sanchez rode at several tracks in December, including Parx, Laurel Park in Maryland, Aqueduct in New York, and Gulfstream Park in Maryland.

A native of Venezuela who first rode in the U.S. in 2013, Sanchez was co-leading rider at Parx in 2019 and leading rider in 2020. He was a top 10 rider at Monmouth Park, Laurel Park and Parx in 2021. Sanchez compiled 940 career wins in the U.S. from 6,097 mounts.

1/ST Racing, which operates Laurel and Gulfstream, issued a statement saying Sanchez has been suspended indefinitely from riding at its tracks.

“After learning of the serious allegations of illegal wagering on the part of jockey Mychel Sanchez, effective immediately 1/ST Racing will institute an indefinite ban against him from training or racing at any 1/ST Racing venue,” the statement said. “Any decision regarding Sanchez's reinstatement will be made at a later time. 1/ST Racing stands on the principles of integrity and accountability, and we believe there is no place in our sport for this kind of unethical and illegal activity.”

“Although he needs to be punished and needs treatment,” Pincus said, “it shouldn't be fatal punishment.”

The post Attorney For Suspended Jockey Mychel Sanchez: ‘He Is Not A Criminal … He’s A Person Who Needs Help’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

J. Michael Hopkins, executive director of the Maryland Racing Commission said he was notified that Sanchez has been suspended 60 days by Pennsylvania stewards on Thursday, Jan. 20, for wagering on horse races.

Pressed for specifics, Hopkins said, “You can't bet against yourself.”

The Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission has yet to confirm the suspension and no recent rulings against Sanchez are posted on the commission's website.

Hopkins said the Maryland Racing Commission has already begun its own investigation of Sanchez, who has been riding at Parx, Laurel Park, Aqueduct and Gulfstream Park in recent months. His biggest win came at Aqueduct aboard Hopeful Treasure in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap  on Nov. 28.

Hopkins said Maryland could issue its own suspension of the jockey when the investigation is concluded.

A native of Venezuela where his father, brother and an uncle were jockeys, Sanchez began riding in the U.S. in 2013. He tied for leading jockey at Parx in 2019 and led the standings there in 2020. In 2021 he branched out to ride at Monmouth and elsewhere in the northeast and was a top 10 rider at Monmouth, Laurel Park and Parx Racing meets. Since 2013 he's won 940 races from 6,097 mounts for total earnings of $30.4 million.

Sanchez was named on three mounts Friday at Laurel. Two were scratched and he was removed from the third mount by stewards. He was named on one horse Saturday at Laurel and on multiple mounts Jan. 24-25-26 at Parx.

He last rode at Parx Racing on Jan. 19, winning with three of his six mounts.

The post ‘You Can’t Bet Against Yourself’: Leading Parx Racing Jockey Mychel Sanchez Suspended appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Out of the gate in the six-furlong stakes, the favored Chateau, carrying 131 pounds, grabbed a two-length lead, with Rough Entry, War Tocsin, and Hopeful Treasure stalking the pace down the backstretch. Hopeful Treasure, carrying 128 pounds, moved up to second after a first quarter-mile in :22.51, maintaining his second-place position around the far turn as Chateau continued to lead by two lengths. Fifth early, Green Light Go, carrying 129 pounds, switched from the rail to the outside on the turn, with Chateau going into the stretch still on the lead, Hopeful Treasure and Green Light Go chasing.

Down the stretch at the Ozone Park, N.Y., racetrack, Chateau dug in, trying to hold onto the lead, but Hopeful Treasure's closing bid gave him enough to catch the former frontrunner in the last sixteenth. Green Light Go was able to get by Chateau in the waning strides before the wire, but was too late to catch Hopeful Treasure, who won by a head.

The final time for the six furlongs was 1:11.19. Find this race's chart here.

Hopeful Treasure paid $38.00, $11.40, and $6.30. Green Light Go paid $5.90 and $5.40. Chateau paid $3.50.

“The horse is a nice horse. He ran a monster race last out and he was just starting to come into himself. He was feeling great, and this was his owner's [Tony Como] idea. He said, 'Let's give this horse a shot'. Tony has had the confidence in him from Day One. He ran a couple of good races in his past, he just needed some time to mature into himself and grow. He got a great ride from his jockey in his last start and today, he got the same ride. It just worked out,” trainer Michael Catalano Jr. said after the race.

“I know him really well even though it's only been my second time riding him. I've worked him since he was a baby. I told the trainer and owner that he was going to compete and run his best race. They just had him ready,” jockey Mychel Sanchez told the NYRA Press Office after the Fall Highweight. “I broke awesome and got in good position early in the race. I was always confident. I knew I could go by the one horse [Chateau] any time. I was only concerned if anyone else was going to close better than him, but he got it done.”

Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, Hopeful Treasure is by Oxbow out of the Giant's Causeway mare Elle Special. He is owned by Just In Time Racing. The 4-year-old ridgling was consigned by Ballysax Bloodstock and purchased by Mike Pino, agent, for $6,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. With his win in the G3 Fall Highweight, Hopeful Treasure has three wins in six starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of six wins in 14 starts and career earnings of $282,402.

The post Hopeful Treasure Passes Chateau Late To Win Fall Highweight Handicap appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The 11th running of the City of Laurel for 3-year-olds was the first of three $100,000 stakes on the program, followed by the Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies, also sprinting seven furlongs, and 1 1/8-mile Richard W. Small for 3-year-olds and up.

Ridden by Mychel Sanchez for trainer Kelly Breen, Pickin' Time ($12.80) earned his fourth career stakes win and first in open company since the 2020 Grade 3 Nashua last November at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y. Most recently, he won the Monmouth Park's New Jersey Breeders Handicap Aug. 29. The winning time was 1:23.74 over a fast main track.

Breaking outside all but one horse in the field of eight, Pickin' Time was positioned third while in the clear behind multiple stakes-placed pacesetter Awesome Gerry, who led through a quarter-mile in :23.28 pressed by 31-1 long shot Three Two Zone. Three Two Zone assumed the lead after a half in :46.60 with Pickin' Time poised to pounce.

“He gave me a pretty good feeling from the beginning. I think the team did a great job getting him ready for the race,” Sanchez said. “He was pretty easy. He broke really well. I had a good position. I didn't have to use him in the beginning, so I pretty much sav[ed ground] the whole way and when I asked him to go, he really took off.”

Pickin' Time rolled past Three Two Zone once straightened for home and powered through the stretch while He'smyhoneybadger, who beat Pickin' Time in the Oct. 23 Perryville at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., came with a belated run. It was three lengths back to Three Two Zone, who was three-quarters of a length better than Awesome Gerry in fourth.

Stakes winner Everett's Song, the 3-2 favorite, ran fifth to snap his three-race win streak. Riden With Biden, Plamen, and Depository completed the order of finish.

“I guess my horse was ready to go today,” Sanchez said. “It seems like he does better when he gets early position clear. The last couple times he was kind of in between horses [when] he broke a little poorly. I think the post position helped me today.”

The post Pickin’ Time Wins City of Laurel Stakes At Laurel Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Trainer Luis Carvajal Jr. said the New Jersey-bred 6-year-old Dance With Ravens gelding returned to their base at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., following the Classic and was bright and energetic Sunday morning.

“He's good. I do play around with Twitter a little bit and I did tweet a picture of him this morning. He was very awake and I like the way he came out of the race,” Carvajal said. “First of all, he ate everything, of course. When they put him on the scale yesterday, he weighed like 1240 pounds. He's a good eater. He got here late last night and then we waited a couple hours and we fed him and he cleaned the feed tub after that, so that's a good sign.”

Sunday morning @MonmouthPark with Maryland Million Classic Winner PRENDIMI what a great day @LaurelPark @njbreds and team @CarvajalStables pic.twitter.com/l7MmxoZFU7

— Luis Carvajal jr (@CarvajalStables) October 24, 2021

The 1 1/8-mile Classic was the richest of four career stakes wins for Prendimi and first away from Monmouth Park. He led from start to finish under jockey Mychel Sanchez and was tested every step of the way, including a protracted stretch duel with favored Tappin Cat, prevailing by a neck.

“You can see that when he wants to run, he's a fighter. Sometimes he has his lazy days and if he doesn't want to try, he just doesn't try,” Carvajal said. “On the morning of the race, I thought about the horse and I thought he had a good chance. Once they open the gate, plans go out the window but he did everything right and the jockey did a great job. Mychel rode him so good and he looked so energetic down the lane. It's good to see.”

It was the third straight trip to the Classic for Prendimi, who ran second in 2019 and seventh in 2020. He got the rest of the year off each time before returning the following season, and Carvajal said he will continue that blueprint this year.

“That's the plan. As long as the horse is happy and healthy, there's always the next time,” he said. “Home for me is Florida. That's where I have my wife and kids and home. Plans are already made to go back to Florida. He'll get a little bit of rest and probably run a few times there. Tampa Bay Downs is good and usually horses do good when they come back here.”

Carvajal, who galloped Prendimi's dam, Cigno d'Oro, won his first career graded stake at Laurel with Imperial Hint in the 2017 Grade 3 General George off a victory in Laurel's Fire Plug the month prior. Imperial Hint would go on to four Grade 1 victories and earn more than $2.2 million in purses.

“If I had a few more horses, I probably would have left something up. I have such good luck over there at Laurel,” he said. “Laurel has been good to me. It's probably just a matter of time [until] I keep some horses there, too.”

The post Prendimi Gets Well-Earned Break After Maryland Million Classic Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Prendimi took the top spot right out of the gate, with Ain't Da Beer Cold and Tappin Cat in second and third a half-length back. Thorough early factions of :23.61 and :46.84, Prendimi ran comfortably on the lead under jockey Mychel Sanchez. Ain't Da Beer Cold pulled even with Prendimi as they approached the far turn, with Tappin Cat going to the outside to find racing room

Around the turn, Ain't Da Beer Cold faded as Tappin Cat made his bid for the lead as they straightened out into the Laurel stretch. Prendimi had a half-length on Tappin Cat, but the challenger would not quit, forcing Prendimi to dig in late stretch to hold off Tappin Cat and win by a head. The Poser was third. Torch of Truth, Dream Big Dreams, Crouchelli, Dashing Lou, and Ain't Da Beer Cold rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:50.46. Find this race's chart here.

Prendimi paid $26.20, $7.80, and $4.60. Tappin Cat paid $2.40 and $2.10. The Poser paid $3.60.

Bred in New Jersey by owner GJ Stables, Prendimi is by Dance With Ravens out of the Tour d'Or mare Cigno d'Oro. He is trained by Luis Carvajal, Jr. The Maryland Million Classic is Prendimi's first win in 2021, for a lifetime record of six wins in 30 starts and $472,005 in career earnings.

The post Prendimi Outlasts Tappin Cat to Take Maryland Million Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post