native diver | Horse Racing Free Tips

In an absolutely wide-open renewal of the Grade 3, $100,000 Native Diver Stakes Saturday at Del Mar, eight older horses will hook up for a mile and one-eighth tussle that serves as the feature event on a fine nine-race card.

This will be the 44th running of the Native Diver, named for one of California's greatest stakes horses and its first to win $1 million in purses. The initial 36 editions of the race were conducted at the now-closed Hollywood Park, while the seven most recent have been held at Del Mar.

A check of the past performances of the eight runners tells you right away that they're stacked as close as a pile of bricks on a construction site. Morning line maker Jon White got out his hammer and chisel and managed to separate them as best he could, making the favorite a lukewarm 7/2, dropping a pair of horses in right behind at 4-1, one at 5-1 and two more at 6-1. We're talking tight here, folks.

That lukewarm favorite is Eight Rings, the 4-year-old colt by Empire Maker owned by the collection of Coolmore Stud, Golconda Stables, Madaket Stables, SF Racing and Starlight Racing. Bob Baffert trains the $414,451 earner and has secured the saddle services of Juan Hernandez for the nine-furlong journey Saturday.

The two runners right behind him at 4-1 on the line are C R K Stable's Midcourt, who won this race in 2019 and finished second in it in 2020, and Pegram, Watson and Weitman's Azul Coast, a Super Saver 4-year-old colt who now has three races under his belt this year after 10-month layoff.

Here's the full field for the Native Diver from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

Iavarone or Iavarone's Established (Victor Espinoza, 6-1)
Midcourt (Edwin Maldonado)
Bernsen, Cady or Lambert, et al's Wicket Trick (Umberto Rispoli, 8-1)
Red Oak Stable's Bal Harbour (Joe Bravo, 8-1)
Azul Coast (Flavien Prat)
Eight Rings
Patti and Hal Earnhardt's Ax Man (Mike Smith, 6-1)
John Sondereker's Kiss Today Goodbye (Kent Desormeaux, 5-1)

Eight Rings chased blitzing Life Is Good in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile last out on Nov. 6 at Del Mar. He turned in a bullet five-furlong drill at Santa Anita subsequently on Nov. 15.

Midcourt, a 6-year-old gelding by Midnight Lute, has finished in the top three in 13 of his 18 starts and sports a bankroll of $613,195. He's a multiple-stakes winner.

Azul Coast should be ready to fire his best shot now. He's had a series of good works of late since finishing unplaced in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 2.

Ax Man, a 6-year-old gelding by the Candy Ride stallion Misremembered, will be making his first start in six months. He's won seven races and $363,797.

Trainer Baffert not only oversees Eight Rings, but also Azul Coast and Ax Man.

First post for the Saturday card is at 12:30 p.m.

The post Eight Rings Lukewarm Favorite In Wide-Open Edition Of Native Diver Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Ken Church, a prominent national rider from the 1940s to the 1960s who then transitioned to racetrack Media work in Southern California, died this morning at a hospital in Reno, Nevada, his daughter, Debbie Anderson, reported. He was 90.

Anderson said her father had suffered a case of pneumonia a week ago at the retirement home where he lived in Reno and was moved to a local hospital. The cause of death was listed as the result of him contracting COVID-19.

Church, who was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada on March 24, 1930, came to the racetrack as a teenager at Woodbine in Toronto, then began riding in the U.S. shortly thereafter. He rode in Florida, New Jersey, Illinois and Kentucky before finished his career in California. He rode in more than 14,000 races and had more than 2,000 winners.

Among the top horses he partnered with were Crafty Admiral, Oil Capitol, Old Hat, Bornastar, Native Diver, Mr. Consistency and Viking Spirit. He was the leading rider at Arlington Park and Washington Park in Chicago and a solid force wherever he competed.

When he retired from racing in 1967, he used his racing knowledge, good looks and personable ways to easily transition into a Media role for the three Southern California tracks, doing television and radio work along with speaking engagements as a racing goodwill ambassador for Del Mar, Santa Anita and Hollywood Park.

He and his late wife Nancy finally settled in Olivenhain near Del Mar and he confined his Media roles to the seaside track, working there from the 1970s through the 1990s. He was extremely popular among San Diego Media representatives who loved his ready laugh and his many racetrack tales. He retired from that role in the late '90s and moved to Reno to be near old friends.

Among his involvements with racing promotions was his participation in Del Mar's unique “Rocking Chair Derby,” the Thoroughbred version of baseball's Old Timers Game. Retired riders came back for a day to ride in a special race and the event, organized by Del Mar director of publicity Dan Smith, proved hugely popular with racing fans during its run from 1973 to 1978. Church rode in those races and won the 1974 version much to the delight of his fellow riders.

He is survived by his married daughters Debbie Anderson of Encinitas, CA, and Laurie Kurluk of Phoenix, AZ, as well as a son, Michael. Additionally, he is survived by nine grandchildren.

The family has indicated that his preference was that there be no services. They have said he will be cremated and his ashes will be combined with those of his wife of 63 years, Nancy, and that they will be scattered together at some point in the future.

The post Former Jockey, Media Specialist Ken Church Dies At Age 90 After Contracting COVID-19 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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