Paulick Report | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘I’ve Exceeded My Expectations’: Apprentice Pyfer Finds Herself In The Running For Los Al Title

Apprentice jockey Jessica Pyfer has unexpectedly found herself in the running for the jockey title at the three-week meet currently taking place at Los Alamitos, according to the Daily Racing Form. She celebrated her first multi-win day with three victories last Saturday and is currently tied for second in the standings with seven wins, only one win behind leader Juan Hernandez. The meet ends on Sunday.

Pyfer is the stepdaughter of trainer Phil D'Amato and started her riding career in September of 2020. She had her first win on Oct. 9 at Santa Anita and she ended up having a total of four wins during the track's autumn meet. So far, she has won 15 races from 81 mounts.

“I've exceeded my expectations,” Pyfer told the Daily Racing Form's Steve Anderson. “I never thought I'd have three wins in a day, not even less than three months into my career. Yesterday, I starting crying after it happened.”

Racing Canceled At Multiple Northeastern Tracks Due To Snow Storm

Racing has been canceled on Thursday at multiple tracks in the Northeastern portion of the United States due to extreme winter weather conditions. Among those announcing cancellations are: Aqueduct in New York, Charles Town in West Virginia, and Laurel Park in Maryland.

Press releases from each track follow:

– The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has canceled Thursday's live racing program at Aqueduct Racetrack due to a powerful winter storm currently impacting the New York metropolitan area with heavy winds, accumulating snow and coastal flooding.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a winter storm warning for the downstate New York region extending through 1 p.m. Thursday. The current NWS forecast, which aligns with NYRA's independent weather services, calls for sustained high winds with gusts up to 50 mph and total snow accumulations of 9-12 inches. In addition, the NWS has issued a coastal flood watch for southern Queens as of Thursday morning.

As a result, NYRA has canceled Thursday's eight-race card in the interest of the safety of all participants. Live racing at Aqueduct is scheduled to resume on Friday, Dec. 18, with a nine-race card kicking off at 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

For additional information on the 2020-21 winter meet at Aqueduct, as well as a complete stakes schedule, visit NYRA.com.

– Due to a winter storm that moved across the region bringing snow, sleet and freezing rain, the Maryland Jockey Club announced live racing at Laurel Park has been cancelled Thursday, Dec. 17. The Maryland Jockey Club's simulcast locations will remain open. Live racing will resume Friday at Laurel with a nine-race program beginning at 12:25 p.m. The eighth and ninth races will be part of the popular Stronach 5. Laurel's eighth race will serve as the opening leg of the Stronach 5 at approximately 3:49 p.m. Eastern.

Fans can watch and wager on Laurel Park and the Stronach 5 at www.1st.com/bet and xpressbet.com.

– Due to the continued impact of the winter weather moving through the area over the past 24 hours, Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races has cancelled its live racing program for Thursday, Dec. 17. The track will remain open for limited simulcasting until mid-afternoon. Live racing is currently slated to resume on Friday, Dec. 18, with a first race post time of 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

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‘Awesome Indeed’: Awesome Again Dies At 26, Full Veterinary Report Pending

Old Friends distributed the following press release on Dec. 16:

1998 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Awesome Again died very suddenly yesterday at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky. The stallion was 26.

Michael Blowen, founder and President of Old Friends, made the announcement this morning.

The exact cause of death is unknown; however, a full necropsy is pending and a full veterinary report will follow.

The Canadian-bred son of Deputy Minister, Awesome Again had an exemplary resume as both a racehorse and a stallion. He broke his maiden at Hollywood Park in just his second start as a 3-year-old in 1997. He returned a few weeks later to capture that year's Queen's Plate Stakes at Woodbine. Back in the U.S. that summer the son of Deputy Minister went on to win the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes and was third to Deputy Commander in the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.

At four, he completed an undefeated season that included five graded stakes victories, among them the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), the Whitney Handicap (G1), and one of the most memorable editions of the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), where, looking defeated, he rallied in the stretch to defeat Grade 1 winners Coronado's Quest and Swain and that year's Kentucky Derby/Preakness hero, Silver Charm.

He retired from racing in 1998 with nine wins from 12 starts and earnings of $4,374,590.

As significant in the breeding shed as he was on the track, Awesome again sired three champions: Ghostzapper, 2004 Horse of the Year and champion older horse; Ginger Punch, 2007 champion older mare; and Nominee, a multiple champion in Trinidad and Tobago. His other elite runners include Old Friends retirees Game on Dude — who captured 14 graded stakes and is the only three-time winner of the Santa Anita Handicap in history — and Awesome Gem, who captured the Hollywood Gold Cup at age seven; Breeder's Cup Distaff winner Round Pond; Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Wilko; and 2019 Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston.

He sired 13 millionaires and five multimillionaires as well as four Breeders' Cup Champions. Awesome Again was also the first Breeders' Cup Classic winner to sire a Breeders' Cup Classic winner (Ghostzapper).

Awesome Again had been retired from stud duty at Frank Stronach's Adena Springs in Paris, Ky., in 2019 and was pensioned to Old Friends in October of this year along with the stallions Milwaukee Brew and Silver Max.

“Anyone who ever saw Awesome Again on the racetrack or at Adena Springs knew he was aptly-named,” said Old Friends' Blowen. “I'm just sorry his time at Old Friends was so short because I know he would have made a searing, lasting impression on his many fans, and I'm so sorry that circumstances prevented him from displaying his greatness for a lot longer. Awesome, indeed.”

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Two Unbeaten Sons Of Speightstown Head Entries For Malibu Stakes

A pair of unbeatens, Bob Baffert's Charlatan and Steve Asmussen's Nashville head a powerful group of probable starters in Santa Anita's Grade 1, $300,000 Runhappy Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs on opening day, Saturday, Dec. 26. Santa Anita's traditional opening day headliner, the Malibu, the final Grade 1 of the year for 3-year-olds, will be run for the 74th time. (The race was run in divisions in 1972, 1975, 1977 & 1984).

Idle since taking a division of the G1 Arkansas Derby by six lengths on May 2, Charlatan was subsequently disqualified from purse money due to a medication violation, so he thus officially has two wins from three starts. Including the Arkansas Derby, Charlatan, who broke his maiden and took a first condition allowance here this past winter, has won his three starts by a combined 22 lengths.

In a performance that had the racing world abuzz on Breeders' Cup Classic Day at Keeneland Nov. 7, Nashville powered to a 3 ½ length victory in a six furlong ungraded stakes, stopping the clock at 1:07.80 and thus earning a solid 102 Beyer Speed figure—two points less than Whitmore's 104 Beyer in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Sprint over the same surface. Heavily favored in three starts, all sprints, Nashville, like Charlatan, is a son of champion sprinter Speightstown. A first-out maiden winner Sept. 2 at Saratoga, he has won all three of his races in gate to wire fashion by a combined 24 ¾ lengths.

Baffert will also be represented in the Malibu by three-time stakes winner Thousand Words, who has been idle since well beaten in the G1 Preakness Stakes Oct. 3.

Mark Glatt's Grade 1 stakes winning sprinter Collusion Illusion is also listed as probable and although he was well beaten by Whitmore when shuffled back early in the Breeder's Cup Sprint, he ran a much better-than-looked race and should give a good account of himself back on his home ground.

Nominations closed Dec. 10 and among those also listed as probable for the Malibu are the John Shirreffs-trained Express Train, Michael McCarthy's Independence Hall and Doug O'Neill's Strongconstitution.

Opening day entries for the Runhappy Malibu and five other stakes, the G1 La Brea, the G1 American Oaks, the G2 Mathis Brothers Mile, the G2 San Antonio and the Lady of Shamrock Stakes, will be taken at Santa Anita on Monday, Dec. 21.

Although there is still no public admittance due to continuing restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa Anita's races can be viewed live at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager on these races via a number of ADW platforms, including 1st.com/Bet.

Special early first post time on opening day is at 11:00 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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