Oaklawn | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Features Racing From Belmont, Oaklawn

The New York Racing Association Inc. [NYRA] will host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday featuring three races from Belmont Park and two at Oaklawn Park.

Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/cross-country-wagers.

Belmont will start the action in Race 7 at 3:48 p.m. Eastern with a seven-furlong allowance contest for New York breds 3-years-old and up on the Widener turf course. Trainer John Kimmel will send out the ultra-consistent Quickflash, who has a 1-5-2 record in nine career starts and has finished second or third in five of his last six starts dating to March 2020. Rudy Rodriguez will saddle 6-year-old veteran Bad Guy, who will be making his 48th career start overall. Bad Guy will be seeking his first win at Belmont in his 13th start but has finished second at the Elmont-based track on four occasions.

Oaklawn will host the second leg as an 11-horse maiden field will compete at 1 1/16 miles in Race 6 at 4 p.m. A slew of six-figured purchases will generate excitement at the Hot Springs, Arkansas track, including Hanks, who will be making his fifth career start and is entered off back-to-back runner-up efforts at Oaklawn. Hanks, a Runhappy colt purchased for $650,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton New York Select Sale, is trained by William Martin, who also will send out Quality Run, a $425,000 purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September Sale. Unraced until his 4-year-old year, Quality Run ran second in his debut in February at Oaklawn before running fourth last out going 1 1/16 miles on a muddy and sealed track. Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen will see Caerus, bought for $250,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale, look to break his maiden at third asking.

Action alternates back to Belmont for Race 8 at 4:19 p.m. for a six-furlong maiden race for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up contesting over the inner turf. Trainer Christophe Clement saw Quick Conversation run second in her debut on March 12 at Tampa Bay Downs, and the sophomore will ship in to New York after continuing to train in Florida at Payson Park. Trainer Chad Brown will send out Crowding Out, a $230,000 purchase at the 2020 OBS Sale, for her first start. The Street Boss filly had also been training at Payson Park before trekking north.

A six-furlong starter allowance race on Oaklawn's main track will go off in Race 7 at 4:38 p.m. A dozen 4-year-olds and up includes Kitchen Fire, who earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure last year and has compiled 10 victories in 37 previous starts. The John Cox trainee will face a field that includes Westfest, whose career-high Beyer is 96 and is back in Asmussen's care after previously being transferred from the accomplished conditioner in 2020.

Belmont will close the sequence with a 6 1/2-furlong allowance optional claimer in Race 9 at 4:56 p.m. The race features some familiar faces on the NYRA circuit, with Three Technique entered for trainer Jeremiah Englehart. Three Technique competed in four stakes in 2020, running fourth in the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn before running 10th in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens in August at Saratoga and making his turf debut next-out at the Spa with a sixth-place effort in the Grade 3 Saranac. Pete's Play Call, will run at Belmont after a successful winter at Aqueduct, where he won the Gravesend in January and ran second in the Grade 3 Toboggan and Caixa Eletronica.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool. The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, May 1:
Leg A: Belmont– Race 7 (3:48 p.m.)
Leg B: Oaklawn – Race 6 (4:00 p.m.)
Leg C: Belmont – Race 8 (4:19 p.m.)
Leg D: Oaklawn – Race 7 (4:38 p.m.)
Leg E: Belmont – Race 9 (4:56 p.m.)

The post Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Features Racing From Belmont, Oaklawn appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘We Know He’s Talented Enough’: Cohen Ready For First Derby Shot With Keepmeinmind

For jockey David Cohen, winning last Saturday's second race at Oaklawn was a sign of things to come for the jockey.

Cohen said after Canadian Ginger crossed the finish line first in the starter-allowance sprint for females, her trainer, Robertino Diodoro, received a call from Churchill Downs officials, informing him that Get Her Number had been removed from consideration for the Kentucky Derby. The defection moved Keepmeinmind into the projected 20-horse field, meaning Cohen and Diodoro, both Oaklawn meet champions, will be making their Kentucky Derby debuts Saturday at Churchill Downs.

“For us, it was a nice surprise,” Cohen said Sunday afternoon at Oaklawn. “We had somewhat of an idea it was going to happen, early on, through the grapevine. For me, it was the start of a great day, obviously, to ride six and win four of them.”

The four-bagger was a career high at Oaklawn for Cohen, 36, who was Oaklawn's leading jockey in 2019. He had previously won three races on an Oaklawn card 12 times, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization. In addition to Canadian Ginger ($6.20), Cohen won the fifth race aboard Greeley and Ben ($8.40) for trainer Karl Broberg, ninth race aboard American Dubai ($31.20) for Diodoro and the 11th race aboard Livingmybestlife ($5.60) for trainer John Sadler.

Cohen is Diodoro's go-to rider and the regular pilot of the yo-yo-like Keepmeinmind, who was among the country's top 2-year-olds of 2020 after finishing second in the $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) Oct. 3 at Keeneland, third in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland and breaking his maiden in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.

It's been a deflating 2021, for the most part, however.

Keepmeinmind had been set to make his 3-year-old debut Feb. 15 at Oaklawn – the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) – before severe winter weather led to multiple postponements of the race and interrupted the late-running colt's training schedule. Oaklawn lost eight live racing dates and 11 days of training (Feb. 12-22) because of heavy snow and arctic temperatures. Keepmeinmind also was entered in the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds, but Diodoro opted to remain at Oaklawn, where the colt had been based since late December.

Keepmeinmind, in his 3-year-old debut, finished sixth in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) March 13 at Oaklawn, then fifth in the $800,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G2) April 3 at Keeneland in his last start.

Following the final round of Kentucky Derby points races April 10, including Oaklawn's $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1), Keepmeinmind was 30th on the leaderboard with 18 points – all collected as a 2-year-old – and needed 10 defections to be guaranteed a spot in the Run for the Roses, which is limited to 20 starters. Using a musical analogy, Keepmeinmind was number one with a bullet, climbing to No. 28 (April 12), No. 27 (April 15), No. 24 (April 17), No. 22 (April 19), No. 21 (April 23) and No. 20 (April 24) in official rankings compiled by Churchill Downs. Points earned in designated races like the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Rebel and Blue Grass are used to determine starting preference.

“It's been such an emotional ride with him because he was a horse that started the year with 18 points,” Cohen said. “Then we miss out because of the weather and he missed both races. He missed the Fair Grounds race and he missed the Southwest, so that hurt us. He obviously didn't perform to the way we felt he was training, even though we know he's better than that. He's really developed over his 3-year-old year, even though he hasn't shown it on paper. On paper, it doesn't look like he deserves to be in there. We know he's talented enough. We're happy for the horse, that he gets the chance that he does deserve, in our eyes.”

Following Oaklawn's April 22 card, Cohen flew privately to Kentucky to work Keepmeinmind and stablemates Ava's Grace and Dreamer's Disease the next morning at Churchill Downs. Keepmeinmind, in company, recorded a half-mile bullet (:46.20). Keepmeinmind breezed without blinkers last week and will remove the equipment Saturday At that time, Keepmeinmind was 21st on the points list.

“The owners and us, we made a big decision to send me out there,” Cohen said. “It's not cheap. For them to still have faith in the horse and not give up on him and keep him in Kentucky after the Blue Grass, they could have easily said, 'No. Send him back here and run in the Oaklawn Stakes the same day.' ”

Instead, Cohen will be at Churchill Downs Saturday. His Kentucky Derby debut comes a little more than seven years after a severe leg injury (he was kicked by a horse in the paddock before a Feb. 1, 2014, race at Aqueduct) and the subsequent deaths of deaths of his father (cancer) and sister (head injury) threatened to derail the jockey's once-promising career.

Cohen rode his first winner in 2004 and five years later ranked sixth nationally in victories (288) and 24th in purse earnings ($7,357,326) – both career highs – competing in New York and the Mid-Atlantic. In 2012, Cohen won Saratoga's prestigious $1 million Travers Stakes (G1) for 3-year-olds aboard 33-1 long shot Golden Ticket, who dead-heated with favored Alpha.

After not riding in 2015 and 2016, Cohen returned to the saddle in late 2017 and rode 37 winners in his Oaklawn debut in 2018 to finish third in the standings. Cohen rode 75 winners the following year at Oaklawn to end Ricardo Santana Jr.'s six-year hold on the title.

In addition to Keepmeinmind (50-1 on the morning line), Cohen also is scheduled Dreamer's Disease in the $500,000 Pat Day Mile (G2) for 3-year-olds Saturday at Churchill Downs. Dreamer's Disease had several published workouts this year at Oaklawn, but didn't run at the meeting after falling behind in his training because of winter weather. He was also supposed to be riding in the Kentucky Oaks, the country's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies, for the first time aboard Ava's Grace, but the filly was scratched Wednesday morning with an injury. She had finished second in the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) April 3 at Oaklawn.

“Honestly, I never felt like I wouldn't have the opportunity again,” Cohen said. “For me, it's special to get it with a team that's been so essential in my return from an injury. To have it with Robertino, not only with the Derby, but with the Pat Day Mile, for me that's definitely a special touch and the cherry on top. It means a lot. The guy's very loyal. For it to be the home team really means a lot.”

Cohen, named 2018 Comeback Jockey of the Year by JockeyTalk.360.com, a web site dedicated to promoting jockeys around the world, has 186 career victories at Oaklawn, according to Equibase. Almost two-thirds (111) have come for Diodoro.

Keepmeinmind and Dreamer's Disease, who ran sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, were all at Trophy Club Training Center in Royal (roughly 20 minutes west of Oaklawn) last spring completing the breaking process under Ike Green, who has strong ties to Diodoro. Ike Green was Diodoro's assistant at Oaklawn in 2019 and 2020 when he captured his first local training title. Green and his wife, Aidan, have run Diodoro's divisions at Saratoga and Churchill Downs in recent years. Aidan Green went out on her own last year and recorded her first career training victory and stakes victory at the 2021 Oaklawn meeting.

The post ‘We Know He’s Talented Enough’: Cohen Ready For First Derby Shot With Keepmeinmind appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Cross Country Pick 5 Pays $9,200; Logs Total Pool Of Nearly $130K

Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5, showcasing live action from Belmont and Oaklawn Park, returned $9,200.25 for selecting all five winner's for the 50-cent wager. The total was pool was $129,903.

Shaftesbury started the sequence with a strong 2 3/4-length win in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race on Belmont's Widener turf course in Race 6. The Todd Pletcher trainee, off as the 5-2 favorite, had finished second in three consecutive starts before breaking through, hitting the wire in 1:41.63 under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. Shaftesbury, a $675,000 purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale, paid $7.60 on a $2 win wager.

Oaklawn got in on the fun with a six-furlong main track allowance tilt for 4-year-olds and up in Race 5, as Greely and Ben edged Sevier by a neck to earn victory for trainer Karl Broberg. Ridden by David Cohen, Greeley and Ben, who went off at 3-1 and returned $8.40, completed the course in 1:10.48.

Back at Belmont, Looking At Bikinis made his 5-year-old debut a successful one for trainer Chad Brown, rewarding his even-money favoritism to post a one-length score in a seven-furlong allowance optional claimer in Race 7. Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano kept Looking At Bikinis, who competed in the 2019 Grade 1 Runhappy Travers and that year's Grade 1 Cigar Mile, forwardly placed in stalking position behind pacesetter American Power before a strong finish and a final time of 1:23.45. He paid $4.20.

At Oaklawn, Firehorn provided the sequence's biggest upset, winning a six-furlong main track sprint at 16-1 odds in Race 6. Firehorn, who returned $34, pulled away in the stretch under rider Fernando De La Cruz to win by a half-length over Sharp Art for trainer Randy Morse. The sprint for 3-year-olds and up saw Firehorn post a final time of 1:11.17.

Belmont ended the wager with the sequence's lone stakes, as Casa Creed won a blanket finish, a head in front of favorite Front Run the Fed in the $100,000 Elusive Quality in Race 8. The seven-furlong sprint was the first turf stakes of Belmont Park's 48-day spring/summer meet, and Joe Bravo piloted Casa Creed to a final time of 1:22.65. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Casa Creed paid $7.60.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

The post Cross Country Pick 5 Pays $9,200; Logs Total Pool Of Nearly $130K appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Whirlwind 24 Hours For Kentucky Derby-Bound David Cohen

Jockey David Cohen traveled 1,000 miles to win at 1 1/16 miles Friday at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark..

Cohen's whirlwind journey began when he rode seven races Thursday at Oaklawn, the last at 5:36 p.m. (Central). A little less than two hours later, Cohen flew privately from Hot Springs to Louisville, Ky. (approximately 500 miles), arriving at 9:52 p.m. (Eastern). Cohen worked four horses early Friday morning at Churchill Downs and flew back to Hot Springs, arriving at 9:46 a.m., a little more than an hour before training hours ended at Oaklawn. First post was 1 p.m.

Cohen rode five races Friday at Oaklawn, winning the eighth, a 1 1/16-mile event for older $17,500 claimers, on heavily favored Lord Dragon ($3.60) for his major clients, trainer Robertino Diodoro and owner M and M Racing (Mike and Mickala Sisk). It was Cohen's 26th winner at the meeting.

“I've done this before, but it makes it a lot easier on a private jet,” Cohen said after his first mount Friday, the Diodoro-trained Wildwood Flash, finished seventh in the second race. “We were up at 3:20 (a.m.) our time (Central), because it was 4:20 their time (eastern). Robertino's assistant picked us at the hotel at 4:45, so that would have been 3:45 our time. Worked the first horse, Ava's Grace, the Oaks filly, at 5. Knocked out four workers, flew back and I actually had time to go home and lay down and take a shower and relax.”

In addition to Ava's Grace (Kentucky Oaks), Cohen worked two other horses previously based at Oaklawn, Keepmeinmind (Kentucky Derby) and Dreamer's Disease (Pat Day Mile), for potential stakes engagements next week at Churchill Downs. All three were for Diodoro, who accompanied the jockey on the quick trip.

Keepmeinmind, who finished sixth in his 3-year-old debut, the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) March 13 at Oaklawn, covered a half mile in :46.20 over a fast track, quickest of 108 works published at the distance. Keepmeinmind, shedding blinkers, breezed with stablemate Shasta Star, a 6-year-old mare.

Cohen called the work, “beautiful.”

“He went very strong,” said Cohen, Oaklawn's leading rider in 2019. “I actually put him behind another one of our horses, about 10 lengths. Just wanted to give him a good target and wanted to give him something to pass. As soon as he got up by that horse and went up on the inside, there was a little traffic outside. Opted to just go up the rail. That was one thing he was dealing with early on in his career. He wasn't wanting to go into some tight spots and kind of sucking out and giving up some much needed ground, which he did in the Breeders' Cup prep and the Breeders' Cup as well.”

Before breaking his maiden in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs, Keepmeinmind finished second in the $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) Oct. 3 at Keeneland and third in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

Keepmeinmind had been scheduled to make his 2021 debut Feb. 15 at Oaklawn – the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) – before severe winter weather led to multiple postponements of the race and interrupted the late-running colt's training schedule. Oaklawn lost eight live racing dates and 11 days of training (Feb. 12-22) because of heavy snow and arctic temperatures.

After finishing sixth in the Rebel, Keepmeinmind shipped to Keeneland and finished fifth in the $800,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G2) April 3. Keepmeinmind moved up to No. 20 on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard after Get Her Number was withdrawn from consideration, giving the colt the final starting position. Post positions will be drawn Tuesday.

Ava's Grace, in her 3-year-old debut, ran third in an entry-level allowance sprint March 4 at Oaklawn before finishing second in the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) April 3. The 1 1/16-mile Fantasy, Oaklawn's biggest prize for 3-year-old fillies, marked the two-turn debut for the lightly raced Ava's Grace. She is safely in the field for the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) April 30. It is limited to 14 starters.

Dreamer's Disease, sixth in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, worked several times at Oaklawn, but didn't start at the meeting after falling behind in his training because of winter weather. The $500,000 Pat Day Mile (G2) May 1 will be his 3-year-old debut.

“Been a weird year,” Diodoro said between races Friday afternoon at Oaklawn. “We had a good meet. I'm happy with the meet, but just weird. Just how fast the meet went, those two weeks of the storm threw a couple of these 3-year-olds off schedule and just made the meet go so fast.”

Diodoro was Oaklawn's leading trainer in 2020 and entered Saturday with 38 victories to rank second in the standings. Friday was the 45^th day of the weather-shortened 51-day meeting.

The post Whirlwind 24 Hours For Kentucky Derby-Bound David Cohen appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post