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Jockey Cristian Torres clinched his first Oaklawn riding title when favored Unifying won Friday's ninth race, a $104,000 allowance sprint for 3-year-old fillies, for trainer Riley Mott.

Unifying ($5) was Torres' third victory on the card and 98th at the 2022-2023 meeting that began Dec. 9.

Francisco Arrieta had 83 victories following the ninth race, but only 14 remaining scheduled mounts at the meeting. The triple also helped Torres ($6,015,200) become the first jockey in Oaklawn history to surpass $6 million in purse earnings at a meet. Torres reached the milestone in the 10th race when Frosted Grace finished second in the inaugural $150,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes for older horses at 1 1/16 miles.

“I feel blessed now,” Torres said Saturday morning. “Since I got here three years ago, I looked at the jockey colony and I thought I could be leading rider. It took time, but finally we got it.”

Named on 13 horses Saturday – 68th day of the meeting – Torres was trying to join Hall of Famer Pat Day as the only riders in Oaklawn history to reach 100 victories in a single season. Day won an Oaklawn-record 137 races in 1986 and reached 100 victories in 1990 and 1991.

Torres, on April 29, set a single-season Oaklawn record for purse earnings ($5,675,541) when Tape to Tape won a $104,000 allowance sprint for older horses. Ricardo Santana Jr. set the previous record ($5,643,023) in 2021. In addition to Unifying, Torres won Friday's fifth race aboard favored Aux Arcs ($5) for trainer Ernie Witt II and the sixth race aboard favored Albizu ($4.20) for trainer Robertino Diodoro and owner Jerry Caroom of Hot Springs. Torres is Diodoro's go-to rider.

“Very bright future,” Diodoro said Saturday morning. “We're not talking about a veteran. If a veteran did this, this is great. But we're not talking about a veteran. We're talking about a 25-year-old. He hasn't been riding for that long. Got all the tools to keep moving up the ladder.”

Torres' career has been ascending since hiring retired-trainer-turned agent Cody Autrey last summer. Torres captured his first career riding title in December at Remington Park and said his “original goal” for the 2022-2023 Oaklawn meeting was 60 victories, noting David Cabrera and Arrieta shared the 2021-2022 title with 62 victories. Torres reached 60 victories March 16 – Day 43 – and continued to pile up victories and purse earnings. In addition to victories and purse earnings, Torres entered Saturday with meet highs for mounts (476) and stakes victories (six).

“It surpassed more than what I thought,” Torres said. “I'm just going to be honest with you. As I've said before, we were hoping for a good meet. Man, we've been blessed. It's just been a great, great, great meet. I have no words to describe about how I feel because it's been an unbelievable meet.”

A native of Puerto Rico, Torres made his Oaklawn debut in 2021, riding 22 winners, and won 19 races during an injury-shortened 2021-2022 meeting.

Torres recorded her first career victory April 21, 2019, at Gulfstream Park and entered Friday with 517 overall, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization. Torres will be based at Churchill Downs for the first time this spring and summer.

Diodoro, with Albizu's victory, became just the third trainer in Oaklawn history to reach 60 in a single season, following the late Cole Norman and Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. Diodoro entered Saturday with a 60-54 cushion over Asmussen in the race for leading trainer. Diodoro was seeking his second Oaklawn trainer's title after topping the standings in 2020.

“It's been a good meet,” Diodoro said. “Like I've said, it's a team effort, with the help, assistant and owners. Got a good group of owners.”

Heath and Sheena Campbell of Benton, Ark., entered the final day of the meeting with a 17-16 lead over Caroom in the chase for leading owner. The Campbells had four horses entered Saturday; Caroom had one horse entered. Both owners were seeking their first Oaklawn title. Ten Strike (founding partners Marshall Gramm and Arkansas native Clay Sanders) entered Saturday with 14 victories at the meeting to rank third. Ten Strike had three closing-day entrants.

Diodoro trains for the Campbells and Caroom.

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Trainer Anthony Dutrow earned the 2,000th victory of his career when Predicted scored a 6 3/4-length victory in Friday's third race at Belmont Park, a 6 1/2-furlong maiden claimer for 3-year-olds and up.

Ridden to victory from post 4 by Paco Lopez, Predicted stalked the early pace set by West Star and was confidently handled by Lopez into the turn before taking a clear lead at the top of the lane and winning geared down in a final time of 1:19.24. He returned $3.30 for a $2 win ticket as the post-time 3-5 favorite.

“I got to 1,900 wins no problem, but the last hundred has taken forever,” said Dutrow, with a laugh. “I'm so appreciative of the respect NYRA gave me just now and it's been a lot of fun. It was an easy win for Predicted today and maybe he said, 'OK, I can do this' and maybe he'll get a little better.”

Dutrow, 65, was born in Hagerstown, Md., and has earned several prestigious Grade 1 victories, including the Futurity [Burning Roma, 2000], the Prioress [Cat Moves, 2009], the Ogden Phipps [Seattle Smooth, 2009], the Ballerina [Rightly So, 2010], the Spinaway [Grace Hall, 2011; So Many Ways, 2012], the King's Bishop [The Big Beast, 2014], the Alabama [Embellish the Lace, 2015], and the Hollywood Derby [Mo Town, 2017].

The son of multiple graded stakes-winning trainer Richard Dutrow Sr. has also won over 190 additional graded and listed stakes, earning in excess of $75 million in total purses according to statistics provided by Equibase.

“Looking back, there's been so many nice wins and big efforts from these horses,” said Dutrow. “Oh my goodness, I don't even want to think because I could reflect on so many of them, even the claiming horses.”

In 2010, Dutrow was ranked the ninth leading trainer in North America by earnings for a year that saw him win eight graded stakes, led by the New York-bred Rightly So's dominant four-length victory in the Grade 1 Ballerina and a win in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy with A Little Warm, both at Saratoga Race Course.

Several of Dutrow's trainees have gone on to productive breeding careers, including dual-surface graded stakes-winner Mo Town, who took up stud duties at Ashford Stud, and the multiple graded stakes-winner Burning Roma, who sired three-time Grade 1-winner Sheer Drama.

“There have been so many great horses through the years and so much of it is personal because so many of them were bought and raised by my family,” said Dutrow. “To accomplish any of it with the people you're working with, that's as gratifying as the 2,000 wins itself.”

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The story of Cody Dorman and the horse he said “saved my life” is the story of legends, writes Tom Pedulla in a special feature at BreedersCup.com.

When Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Cody's Wish makes his 2023 debut in Saturday's G1 Churchill Downs Stakes on the Kentucky Derby card, 17-year-old Cody will be at the Louisville track to cheer him on.

Afflicted with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, Cody met the Curlin colt as a foal after attending Keeneland as part of the Lexington track's Make-A-Wish Foundation day. They struck a unique bond that has helped young Cody get through some difficult moments.

“You can't hear it, but you can see it and you can certainly feel it,” said Kelly Dorman, Cody's father, of the relationship between the two. “It's pretty amazing.”

To read the full story, click here

The post ‘He Saved My Life’: Cody Dorman In Louisville To See Namesake Run In Derby Day Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Woodbine Entertainment has announced the addition of long-time prominent Thoroughbred breeder Yvonne Schwabe and perennial leading Standardbred owner and breeder Brad Grant to committees for its Board of Directors.

Woodbine's Board of Directors consists of several committees focused on specific areas of business. Schwabe will serve on the Thoroughbred Racing Committee, while Grant joins the Standardbred Racing Committee.

Schwabe has been a breeder for over 25 years and is the owner of Persley Den Farms in Acton, Ontario. Schwabe notably bred 2013 Queen's Plate winner Midnight Aria. In addition to her successful breeding operation, Schwabe is a former director and current Funding Chair for the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. She has also served on several other industry boards and committees, including as a former Ontario and National Director of the CTHS and as a Steward of the Jockey Club of Canada.

Grant has been the leading Woodbine Standardbred owner for six of the last seven seasons and currently sits atop the standings for 2023. He was also named 2022 Owner of the Year by the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) and has owned several prominent horses in recent years, including Bulldog Hanover and Atlanta.

Grant has also been recognized by the industry for his philanthropy, receiving the 2018 USHWA Humanitarian Award.

“The addition of Yvonne and Brad to our racing committees is a significant boost for Woodbine,” said Hugh Mitchell, Chair, Board of Directors. “Both of these individuals are highly regarded within the industry and have enjoyed tremendous success. The industry knowledge and experience they have will be leaned upon by our Board.”

Standardbred Racing Committee
​Hugh Mitchell (Chair), Nick Eaves, Brad Grant, Ed Hannah, Marvin Katz, Jim Lawson

Thoroughbred Racing Committee ​ ​
​Jim Lawson (Chair), Bob Aziz, Michael Lay, Hugh Mitchell, Jaime Roth, Yvonne Schwabe

The Thoroughbred and Standardbred Committees meet regularly throughout the year to provide guidance and oversight to their respective racing management teams.

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