NL Article | Horse Racing Free Tips

The Friday Show Presented By Monmouth Park: Perry Ouzts. Ageless Wonder

Like much of what he's done throughout a riding career that began in 1973, the occasion of jockey Perry Wayne Ouzts' 52,000th mount on July 20 got scant attention. It was just another day in the office for the 67-year-old, who recorded three wins that same afternoon at Belterra Park in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Ouzts now sits at 7,200 career victories, sixth on the all-time list and first among active riders.

No one has followed Ouzts' career closer than John Engelhardt, a writer, photographer, host of the Winning Ponies podcast and former publicist at River Downs, the Cincinnati track where Arkansas native Ouzts rode for so many years. (Belterra racetrack and casino was built where the old River Downs was located.)

Engelhardt joins publisher Ray Paulick (a 67-year-old who will not be doing any horseback riding) and news editor Chelsea Hackbarth (who got to know Ouzts when she was working at defunct Beulah Park) to share stories and answer some questions about the riding legend who was the subject of the Hennegan Brothers' Eclipse Award-winning documentary, “Ironman Perry Ouzts,”

Ray and Chelsea also review last weekend's Connaught Cup and the winner, Avie's Flatter, who earned Woodbine Star of the Week honors.

Watch this week's show, presented by Monmouth Park, below:

The post The Friday Show Presented By Monmouth Park: Perry Ouzts. Ageless Wonder appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Colonial Downs Kicks Off 2021 Season With Record Opening Day Handle

Colonial Downs kicked off its 2021 racing season Monday with a record opening day handle of $2.66 million, spurred by a four-pack of $100,000 Virginia-restricted turf stakes races, and the return of fans to the New Kent track now in its third year under ownership of the Colonial Downs Group.

“We would like to thank the horsemen, our fans on and off site and our team for starting the meet on the right foot,” said John Marshall, Executive VP Operations for the Colonial Downs Group. “What a delight it was to see 2,500 fans at Colonial Downs on a Monday afternoon with such enthusiasm. We appreciate our fans for urging a new all-time Colonial Downs all-source handle opening day record. Looking at today's card, Colonial Downs has arrived at a whole new level.”

Story lines were aplenty in the nine-race program as Colonial's all-time leading rider Horacio Karamanos reached the winners circle three times including a gate-to-wire victory atop Reiley McDonald's Passion Play in the 1 1/16th miles Bert Allen Stakes. The 5-year-old Hold Me Back gelding crossed two lengths ahead of Forloveofcountry, who had a four-race win streak snapped. The winner, a Mary Eppler trainee who broke his maiden two years ago in New Kent, pushed his bankroll to $197,947. Betting favorite Chess Chief finished fourth.

“I expected someone else to go to the front, but when my horse broke out of the gate and took the lead, I tried to control the pace and at the half mile mark, knew I had plenty of horse left,” said Karamanos. “I'm so happy to come here and win this much. This is like my home. I broke records here and feel so happy when I'm back at Colonial Downs.

Karamanos also scored aboard Cavalier Cupid and My Sweet Story.

Gordon Keys' Grateful Bred's win in the 5 1/2-furlong Meadow Stable Stakes gave Middleburg, Virginia-based trainer Madison Myers her first stakes win. The 5-year-old Great Notion gelding raced three-wide around the turn, took the lead at the top of the stretch and crossed 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Sky's Not Falling. He is now 4-for-5 on the turf with earnings of $159,765.

“It's pretty important and exciting to get my first stakes win,” said Myers. “I can't thank Mr. Keys enough for giving me a chance with a horse like this. We only have a handful of horses, so for him to leave him with me and let us go down this route is very special. He won a Maryland-bred allowance four weeks and this was the goal, so we worked him once in between.”

Myers added that winning in Virginia made it extra special win. “The horse is Maryland-bred and Virginia-Certified, and we want to support both programs. We moved to Virginia 8 1/2 years ago, bought a house and just had a baby, so we're pretty settled here now.”

Newtown Anner Stud Farm's Tasting the Stars earned her third stakes win in the Nellie Mae Cox for Virginia-bred and sired horses with Feargal Lynch in the irons. The John Kimmel trainee was fifth heading into the final turn, launched an inside bid turning for home, and won by 2 1/4 lengths. The 5-year-old Bodemeister mare previously won the Brookmeade at Laurel and Just Jenda Stakes at Monmouth. She is now 5-for-7 with earnings of $204,600.

Big Lick Farm's Puppymonkeybaby prevailed in the M. Tyson Gilpin Stakes, her second straight win, and gave trainer Sara Nagle her second win of the day. The lightly raced 3-year-old Hit it a Bomb filly was sent off at 24-1 and was making just her third lifetime start. Winning jockey Jevian Toledo collected his second stakes win — he also guided Grateful Bred to victory. Betting favorite Street Lute, winner of seven dirt stakes, finished sixth in her first effort on grass.

Colonial Downs continues its summer meet with a nine-race card Tuesday at 1:45 PM. The season continues every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday thru September 1.

The post Colonial Downs Kicks Off 2021 Season With Record Opening Day Handle appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Louisiana Joins Lawsuit Seeking To Derail Horseracing Integrity And Safety Authority

The state of Louisiana has joined a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2021 that would create a national regulatory oversight board for medication and safety issues in Thoroughbred racing.

The legislation passed both Houses of Congress as part of an omnibus spending bill late last year and was signed into law by then-President Donald Trump. It creates an independent, non-governmental agency, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, which is expected to contract with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. The Federal Trade Commission is charged with reviewing the Authority's policies.

Louisiana joins two other states, Oklahoma and West Virginia, in challenging the constitutionality of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act and seeks an injunction to prevent the Authority from assuming its responsibilities by July 2022, as required by the law. That suit, which also includes the United States Trotting Association as a plaintiff, was filed in April.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry issued the following statement concerning the decision to join the suit:

“HISA requires the unelected Authority to exercise regulatory authority over horseracing in Louisiana, mandates our State to assist the Authority, and forces us to choose between remitting funds to the Authority or losing some of our powers of taxation. This violation of the Tenth Amendment would have devastating effects to our State and the thousands of Louisianans in the horse industry,” said Landry.

“While I believe that horses should be treated humanely and horseracing should be held to the highest degree of integrity, I know that more bureaucracy from an overreaching and unaccountable fiefdom is not the way to achieve these goals,” Landry continued. “We should continue our Legislature's decades-long delegation of police powers over the industry to the Louisiana State Racing Commission, knowledgeable participants who have collected significant fees and taxes while enforcing our statutes and regulations concerning the health and safety of equine athletes and all other industry participants throughout Louisiana.”

The Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, which already joined an earlier suit filed by the National HBPA and several affiliates, issued a statement by its president, Benard Chatters.

“The actions of Attorney General Jeff Landry in opposing the HISA law demonstrates his genuine concern for the well-being of the Louisiana horse racing and breeding industry and its participants throughout the State as well as our equine athletes,” Chatters said.

“The Louisiana Horsemen appreciate and respect the unwavering support of Attorney General Jeff Landry, which he has consistently shown to the Louisiana horse racing and breeding industry throughout our State,” said Ed Fenasci, executive director of the Louisiana HBPA.

The post Louisiana Joins Lawsuit Seeking To Derail Horseracing Integrity And Safety Authority appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The Friday Show Presented By Monmouth Park: ‘Jersey Joe’ Bravo Tries A Different Shore

A 13-time riding champion at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., Joe Bravo has shifted his tack to Southern California in time for Friday's opening of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club meeting in Del Mar, Calif. For the first time in years, he'll be watching Haskell Stakes day at Monmouth Park from afar because of his unwillingness to ride under the rules imposed by the New Jersey Racing Commission banning the whip for anything other than safety.

Before getting legged up for his West Coast invasion, Bravo joined publisher Ray Paulick and bloodstock editor Joe Nevills in this week's edition of the Friday Show to talk about what it takes to win at the track where he earned the moniker “Jersey Joe.” For example, Bravo said the speed of the racetrack and front-end or closing biases at Monmouth can be influenced by the tides of the nearby Atlantic Ocean. He suggests watching the color of the dirt track to see if it gets darker or lighter during a day's races as the tides go in or out. That can change how races are run, Bravo said.

Bravo is enthusiastic for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, a national oversight body for medication and safety regulations in horse racing scheduled to be in place in July 2022. Bravo is looking to HISA to bring uniform national rules for use of the riding crop – currently prohibited in New Jersey for anything other than safety – and medication.

Watch this week's show, presented by Monmouth Park, below:

The post The Friday Show Presented By Monmouth Park: ‘Jersey Joe’ Bravo Tries A Different Shore appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post