Tag: People

Raul Mena felt more tired than he'd expected after riding Antonov to a third-place finish in Tampa Bay Downs opener Sunday, the jockey's first race since fracturing his left femur in an accident in a turf race at the Oldsmar, Fla. track on Dec. 7.

Outside of his fatigue, which was increased by the heat and high humidity, the 30-year-old Mena said he answered the other questions that had been swirling in his mind in the days leading to his return.

“When you are out for a couple of months, or even a couple of weeks, you can feel the difference, especially in this kind of weather,” Mena said. “But you never forget what you have to do.

“I've been working horses now for three weeks, and there were a few times when I thought I might have to relearn something. But it's something you never forget. After the gate opens it's something natural for me, and it is a very special sensation.”

A native of Santiago, Chile, Mena plans to compete here through May 6 before he and his wife, Jaqueline Cabral, head north for the Delaware Park meet beginning May 24. After his assigned mount in Saturday's third race, Mikes Myth, was scratched, he was chomping at the bit to get back in action.

Mena followed his first race back with a sixth-place finish on Any Minute in the third race and a seventh-place effort on Whistlewhileyoumow in the ninth on the turf, both longshots.

Mena finished 12th in the Tampa Bay Downs standings two seasons ago with 28 winners, moving his tack last winter to Aqueduct in New York, where he posted six victories. He had a solid meet last year at Delaware, finishing sixth with 39 winners, and was fifth the previous year with 38 winners.

“My goal this winter was to try to be in the top five here, but God had a different plan for me,” said Mena, who had a titanium rod inserted to keep his femur in place. “I was very frustrated not riding, but being able to come back here for the last three weeks means a lot to me.

“I'm thankful to God for helping me come back and to my wife for all she did to help with my recovery. A lot of family members and friends were calling all the time to give me support, and that helped me a lot.

“You never know what is going to happen in this career, so you have to be prepared for everything mentally and physically,” he added.

The post Mena Returns To Riding After Four Months On Sidelines appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Eclipse Award champion Victor Carrasco, who went 150 days between mounts with a dislocated left thumb, gave Larry Metz and Larry Bathon's For Cryin Out Loud an ideal trip to spring an 8-1 upset Thursday at Laurel Park in Maryland and earn the first local victory of his comeback.

For Cryin Out Loud ($18), making her fifth career start and first since being claimed for $30,000 by trainer Mike Gorham Feb. 18, covered 5 ½ furlongs over a fast main track in 1:06.41 to win the maiden claimer for 3-year-old fillies by a half-length on Metz's birthday.

It was the first of two mounts on the day for the 30-year-old Carrasco, who ran sixth on Shamrock Farm's 4-year-old filly Money's Worth for trainer Graham Motion in Race 7, a one-mile allowance for Maryland-bred/sired fillies and mares 3 and up.

Free Admission was in front through splits of :22.42 and :46.72,  pressed to her outside by For Cryin Out Loud with Cora's Choice saving ground along the rail. Free Admission was still in front at the top of the stretch but unable to hold off a steady drive down the middle of the track from For Cryin Out Loud, who held sway after Cora's Choice tipped to the outside to make her run.

“I want to say thank you to Mr. Gorham and the owner. Happy birthday, Larry,” Carrasco said. “It feels great. I've been working extremely hard for the last few weeks since I've been back. I knew it was going to take a little bit of time to get going. It's always nice to get the first win at home.”

Carrasco, a four-time leading rider in Maryland and the champion apprentice of 2013, was injured in an Oct. 21 spill at Laurel on the eve of the 37^th Jim McKay Maryland Million program. Following surgery and rehab, he returned to be sixth aboard Libraryofcongress March 19 at Laurel.

Represented by agent Scotty Silver, Carrasco now has two wins, one second and three thirds from 16 mounts this year. He picked up his first win March 27 at Parx on 4-year-old gelding Amusing Mischief, his ninth mount.

Carrasco is named in three races Saturday including Summer Cause in the $125,000 Federico Tesio, a 'Win and In' qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated 3-year-olds to the 148^th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 20 at historic Pimlico Race Course.

A Waterford Stable homebred trained by Christophe Clement, Summer Cause will be making his stakes debut after graduating fourth time out in a Feb. 26 maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park at the Tesio's 1 1/8-mile distance. He is one of six Triple Crown-nominated horses in a field of nine for the Tesio and will break from Post 6 as fourth choice on the morning line at 6-1 behind stakes winners Coffeewithchris (5-2), Prince of Jericho (3-1) and Ninetyprcentmaddie (4-1).

A winner of more than 1,200 career races, Carrasco also has mounts on Toofareastiswest, a 3-year-old Street Sense colt trained by Mike Trombetta, in Race 6 and Blame D Rule Maker in Race 11, both maiden special weights for horses aged 3, 4 and 5 scheduled for one mile respectively on the Dahlia and All Along turf courses.

“It seems like I have a really nice one in the Tesio for Mr. Clement,” Carrasco said. “I'm looking forward to it.”

The Tesio headlines the first of back-to-back Spring Stakes Spectacular Saturdays at Laurel, joined by the $125,000 Weber City Miss, $100,000 Frank Y. Whiteley and $100,000 Heavenly Cause. The 1 1/16-mile Weber City Miss is an automatic qualifier for 3-year-old fillies to the 99^th Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 19 at Pimlico.

Post time for the first of 11 races Saturday is 12:25 p.m.

The post ‘It Feels Great,’ Carrasco Says After Comeback Win At Laurel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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When trainer Charlie Appleby was last seen at Keeneland, he was picking up his third piece of 2022 Breeders' Cup World Championships' hardware following the victory by Godolphin's Rebel's Romance (IRE) in the $4 million Turf (G1).

That victory came on the heels of wins for Godolphin and Appleby in the FanDuel Breeders' Mile (G1) Presented by PDJF by eventual champion Modern Games (IRE) and in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) by Mischief Magic (IRE). They were Appleby's first Keeneland winners.

“You learn what horses to bring over,” Appleby said Friday morning after watching Modern Games and With The Moonlight (IRE) train for engagements today and Saturday in the Maker's Mark Mile (G1) and Jenny Wiley (G1), respectively.

Coming over from Europe was something Appleby did successfully with Modern Games and With The Moonlight. Modern Games took the Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1) before his Breeders' Cup victory and With The Moonlight ran at Belmont and Saratoga with a win and two seconds in graded stakes.

“I have no worries at all with my team,” Appleby said of the extensive travel. “The horses have adopted very well to their surroundings.”

With the blueprint in place, Appleby envisions a similar schedule for Godolphin runners this year.

“We are working back from the Breeders' Cup (to be held at Santa Anita on Nov. 3-4),” said Appleby, who will return to Europe Saturday night. “The season in Europe is just getting started and these races (in North America) fit our schedule. I can see Belmont, Saratoga and Woodbine (in play).”

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FanDuel TV, the New York Racing Association (NYRA), Keeneland and Santa Anita will team with Hall of Fame jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild and other prominent racing personalities on Sunday, April 23, for the fifth annual telethon to raise money for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). The telethon will be presented by Lane's End.

The event will be broadcast on both FanDuel TV and America's Day at the Races in collaboration with NYRA and FOX Sports as well as streamed on tvg.com. Fans can participate in the telethon by calling 1-844-884-7353 on Sunday, April 23, between 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. ET or can donate directly at https://pdjf.org/donate/

“We are proud of the way this event has grown each year and that is largely due to the collaborative efforts from the Guild and our partners at Santa Anita, Keeneland, NYRA and FOX Sports,” said FanDuel's Mike Joyce, who also serves on the Board of Directors of the PDJF. “Every single day, jockeys assume incredible risk. This event raises important funding and showcases the work that the PDJF does to support these athletes.”

In 2022, the popular event again saw record-breaking donations and raised $418,300 to support jockeys who have suffered serious on-track injuries. The event has raised in excess of $1.2 million in support of the PDJF since the inaugural telethon in 2018. Fan favorite jockeys of today and years past will be on hand live at call centers in California from Santa Anita and at Keeneland in Kentucky from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET as their schedule permits. Throughout the day, FanDuel TV and America's Day At The Races will be connecting with personalities and horsemen who have been involved with the PDJF's work.

“The Jockeys' Guild is most appreciative of the on-going support of Fanduel TV, Keeneland, NYRA and Santa Anita in helping to raise vital funds for the PDJF,” said Jockeys' Guild president and CEO Terry Meyocks. “This telethon not only raises awareness of the charity but helps the racing public understand its mission of providing much-needed monthly financial assistance to the approximately 60 riders who have sustained catastrophic on-track injuries such as paralysis, brain injuries or both.  With no guaranteed funding from the racing industry, this telethon is the major yearly fundraiser for the organization.”

Among the jockeys participating in the event are Hall of Fame riders Sandy Hawley, Chris McCarron, Mike Smith and John Velazquez alongside Quarter Horse champion riders G.R. Carter and Cody Jensen.

“On behalf of the PDJF Board and our recipients, we are very grateful for the support of FanDuel TV management and staff as well as NYRA and our telethon host tracks Keeneland and Santa Anita for their continued support of this annual telethon,” Nancy LaSala, PDJF Board President.

Callers who donate via the telethon will be entered in a drawing to win assorted autographed memorabilia through a sweepstakes which will take place each hour of the telethon.

“NYRA is thrilled to be able to support the PDJF by once again broadcasting this year's telethon to a national audience on America's Day at the Races,” said Eric Donovan, NYRA senior director of TV Broadcast Operations. “The PDJF exists to improve the lives of jockeys who have dedicated so much to the sport, and we encourage racing fans to tune in on April 23 and consider a donation to the PDJF.”

“On behalf of everyone at Santa Anita Park, it is a privilege to host the PDJF telethon once again,” said Nate Newby, general manager at Santa Anita. “The Santa Anita jockey colony is among the finest in the world and it is an honor to work with these men and women every day.  We are pleased to be able to support them and the PDJF through this worthwhile event that shines a spotlight on the need to assist those who have dedicated their lives to the sport.”

“Keeneland is honored to once again support the PDJF and to assist with its important fundraising efforts via the telethon,” Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “Our sport owes its thanks to these skilled athletes, and Keeneland is pleased to join with our partners, horsemen and fans in showing our appreciation for their commitment to racing.”

The PDJF is a registered 501(c)3 charity that provides financial assistance to former jockeys who have suffered on-track injuries. Since its foundation in 2006, PDJF has disbursed over $11 million to support disabled jockeys, the organization is 100% reliant on charitable donations.

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