paco lopez | Horse Racing Free Tips

All-Stakes Cross Country Pick 5 Featuring Whitney, Hambletonian Pays $699.25

An all-stakes cross-breed Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday paid $699.25 for selecting all five winners for the 50-cent wager. The total pool was $60,003. The wager, which featured thoroughbred racing from historic Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., also encompassed two prestigious harness races from the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J.

Thoroughbreds started the action when State of Rest won the $1 million Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational to capture the second leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series for 3-year-olds in Race 9 at the Spa. The Irish-bred State of Rest, trained by Joseph O'Brien and ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, topped Solider Rising by one length in the 1 3/16-mile contest on the Mellon turf course in a final time of 1:53.35. Off at 21-1, State of Rest returned $44.20 on a $2 win wager.

Monmouth Park, located in Oceanport, New Jersey, hosted the $100,000 Tyro for juveniles going five furlongs on the turf in Race 12. Her World, an Irish bred trained by Wesley Ward, romped by six lengths as the even-money favorite, paying $3.80. Under jockey Paco Lopez, Her World completed the course in :56.62 seconds.

A unique wrinkle to the Cross County Pick 5 came in the third leg when standardbreds took center stage with the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks in Race 14 at the Meadowlands. The prestigious race for 3-year-old fillies saw heavy favorite Bella Bellini win in rein to driver Dexter Dunn. The R. Nifty Norman trainee paid $3 to win in capturing the race for trotters.

Saratoga's feature, the 94th running of the $1 million Grade 1 Whitney in Race 10, saw Knicks Go surge to the front and go wire-to-wire to best the five-horse field under jockey Joel Rosario, who notched his second career Whitney victory. Trained by Brad Cox, Knicks Go won by 4 1/2 lengths as the favorite, paying $4.10, and hit the wire in the 1 1/8-mile contest in 1:47.70.

Standardbreds closed out the sequence when another favorite – Captain Corey – won the 96th running of the $1 million Hambletonian for 3-year-olds in Race 15 at the Meadowlands. Trainer and driver Ake Svanstedt led Captain Corey [$4.60] to victory in the one-mile stakes for trotters.

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 All-Stakes Cross Country Pick 5 Featuring Whitney, Hambletonian Pays $699.25 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Her World Wows In Tyro Win At Monmouth

Her World lived up to the hype – and then some.

Touted by trainer Wesley Ward as perhaps the best 2-year-old filly he has ever had at this stage of her career, Her World took on the daunting double task of her first career start coming against colts and in stakes company. She handled both with ease.

In a virtual gate-to-wire victory, Her World romped to a dazzling six-length victory in the 80th edition of Tyro Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. Ridden by Paco Lopez, the daughter of Caravaggio breezed the five furlongs over a firm turf course in :56.62, easily dispatching her seven male rivals in the $100,000 feature race.

“We're excited. She did exactly what we thought she would,” said Ward. “We don't have to change much after watching that race moving forward. We're going to bring her next to Keeneland, and then we plan on bringing her to the Breeders' Cup.

“With what she showed today winning in a stakes race against colts who had experience, it's encouraging. We're going to skip right along and continue from this. I look forward to her next couple of starts but I also look forward to her being a 3-year-old, and I think (co-owner) Dick Brodie and the rest of the owners have a special one with her.”

The race was marred by a spill that saw third-place finisher Roman Poet drift out at the quarter pole, causing Vodka N Water and jockey Gerardo Corrales to clip heels and go down.

Corrales was taken by ambulance to Monmouth Medical Center for X-rays on his right shoulder, said Dr. Angelo Chinnici, the track's medical director.

“He was alert and oriented,” Dr. Chinnici said. “He was unconscious for a brief period of time but now he is fine.”

Vodka N Water experienced only cuts to his legs but was otherwise fine, said Mitch Dennison, who oversees Steve Asmussen's division at Monmouth Park.

“The horse is up and running around and looks okay except for the cuts,” said Dennison.

Roman Poet, who finished third, was disqualified and placed last for causing the interference.

Her World, meanwhile, made her challenge look almost too easy, returning $3.80 to win as the heavy favorite in the field. Trust Our Journey was second, with Baytown Warrior elevated from fourth to third following the DQ of Roman Poet.

“She is obviously a very nice filly,” said Lopez. “Wesley told me she's the best filly he has now and maybe for many, many years at this stage of her career. She broke on top and was looking around a little, maybe trying to figure things out (in her first career start). She was very professional.

“I used her to get to the top right away because Wesley Ward told me she had that kind of speed. Sometimes you want to get out there second or third and relax but she wanted to go. I looked behind after a while for the other horses but no one was running at us. She was flying in the stretch.

“You have to be special to do something like this in your first start, a stakes race and a filly against boys. But Wesley was very confident. He told me he loves this filly and wants to take her to the Breeders' Cup. Now that I have ridden her I know she can do it.”

[Story Continues Below]

Her World is owned by Andrew Farm, Susan Molton, For the People Racing Stable, and Windmill Manor Farm.

“Personally I was nervous going into the race, but I will tell you what, Wesley Ward had a lot of confidence in the horse and that's why she ended up in this race against the boys,” said co-owner Dick Brodie of Andrew Farm. “It's not up to me, but there have been conversations about running her the first weekend at Keeneland. My ownership partnership is with Charlie O'Connor and John Morgan.

“After today, I would definitely tell you this is one of, if not my favorite horse, we own right now. I am thrilled with what I saw.”

The post Her World Wows In Tyro Win At Monmouth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Miss Alacrity Gets First Stakes Win In Colleen At Monmouth

Miss Alacrity didn't win Sunday's $100,000 Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. by quite as big a margin as she did in her debut on May 20, but the Wesley Ward-trainee was nonetheless impressive once again.

Disposing of the early speed horse, Kodama, coming out of the final turn, Miss Alacrity went on to an easy 2¾-lengths victory in the 83rd edition of the Colleen Stakes for 2-year-old fillies going five furlongs on the turf.

The unbeaten daughter of Munnings won her debut by 10 lengths on the dirt. She had no problems transitioning to the grass.

“This is a very nice filly,” said winning rider Paco Lopez. “She has a lot of talent. Wesley Ward had her ready. She was a little green but she is very talented. I can feel it. I was aggressive early because that's how she likes to run but I did not have to make the lead.

“I stayed close to (Kodama) because I know that filly has a lot of speed and I wanted to make sure she didn't get too far away. But this filly was too good. She can hook horses and still have plenty left. You can tell she's a good one.”

Sent off as the 11-10 favorite in the field of seven, Miss Alacrity stayed with the early pace set by Kodama and Tizplenty through an opening quarter in :21:20. The duel came down to Kodama and Miss Alacrity after an opening half in :44.74, at which time Kodama backed out.

Miss Alacrity covered the distance in :57.23 over a turf course listed as firm.

Sail By rallied from far back to get second, 2¼ lengths ahead of Tizplenty.

Owned by CJ Thoroughbreds, Miss Alacrity paid $4.20, $2.80, and $2.40. Sail by paid $4.60 and $3.20. Tizplenty paid $3.00 to show.

The post Miss Alacrity Gets First Stakes Win In Colleen At Monmouth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Prat Gets Seven-Day Suspension For Haskell Ride; Begins After Del Mar Meet Closes

Jockey Flavien Prat has been handed a seven-day suspension by the Monmouth Park board of stewards for his ride in the July 17 TVG.com Haskell Stakes that resulted in the disqualification of first-place finisher Hot Rod Charlie after Midnight Bourbon clipped heels in mid-stretch, unseating jockey Paco Lopez.

The suspension begins on Sept. 7, the day after the close of the Del Mar meet in California, where Prat is the runaway leader in the jockey standings. The suspension runs through Sept. 13.

Hot Rod Charlie, ridden by Prat, made a four-wide move into the stretch of the 1 1/8-mile Haskell. overtaking Midnight Bourbon to his immediate inside nearing the furlong pole. Hot Rod Charlie then drifted in to engage Mandaloun on the rail, but did so without sufficiently clearing Midnight Bourbon, who stumbled badly after Lopez appeared to attempt to swing his mount to the outside. Midnight Bourbon managed to stay on his feet, but Lopez was unseated as Hot Rod Charlie and Mandaloun raced as a team to the wire. Hot Rod Charlie won by a nose but was disqualified and placed last, giving Mandaloun the victory in the Grade 1 race and the winner's share of the $1,005,000 purse.

Neither Midnight Bourbon nor Lopez suffered serious injury and Lopez rode the following day.

The stewards conducted a hearing with Prat July 29 and issued the ruling on Sunday morning.

“Jockey Flavien Prat failed to make a reasonable effort to keep his horse from drifting in past the eighth-mile pole, allowing his horse to cross in front of Midnight Bourbon, which resulted in Midnight Bourbon clipping heels with Hot Rod Charlie, causing Midnight Bourbon to stumble badly, unseating his rider,” the ruling states.

“Mr. Prat's actions were in violation of NJAC 13:70-11.1 (crossing and weaving), which states: 'When clear a horse may be taken to any part of the course but no horse shall cross or weave in front of other horses in such a way as to impede them or constitute or cause interference or intimidation.'”

There was no immediate word on whether Prat would appeal the suspension.

Prat's suspension comes during the Los Angeles County Fair meet at Los Alamitos.

The post Prat Gets Seven-Day Suspension For Haskell Ride; Begins After Del Mar Meet Closes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post