Tag: People

Claudio Gonzalez and Jevian Toledo both enjoyed career highs as they defended their titles as the Maryland Jockey Club's respective leading trainer and jockey in 2022.

Gonzalez, a 46-year-old cancer survivor from Chile, finished with 74 wins at Laurel Park and historic Pimlico Race Course to edge Brittany Russell and Jamie Ness, who tied for second with 73 wins apiece.

It marked the sixth consecutive year that Gonzalez has led the Maryland standings, averaging 101 wins per season. He captured Laurel's winter stand to open 2022, his 19^th individual meet title in Maryland.

“It feels very good. Like I always say, it's not easy and now six years in a row, it's even tougher. I never thought we'd be able do something like that,” Gonzalez said. “When we won the first year, I was happy for myself and all my people, all my workers, and every year they continue. They're very consistent, working very hard, everybody.”

Horses trained by Gonzalez bankrolled $5,626,781 in 2022, the sixth straight year he has seen an increase in seasonal purse earnings. He finished with 162 wins overall, second only to the 174 he won in 2019.

Gonzalez branched out in 2022 with a string at Monmouth Park during the summer as well as a year-round presence at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. He won the Monmouth title with 32 wins and was second with $1.3 million in purses earned, and went 31-for-167 (19 percent) at Gulfstream.

“We were able to win the title at Monmouth, which is also not easy. The numbers in Florida have been really good, too, and it's tougher there than anywhere. My assistants are really good and I can relax. I don't have to worry about them and that's the key,” Gonzalez said. “The people, they see my name but it's everybody, all the workers. They do a great job.

“My goal is to try and do the same this year, but it gets tougher and tougher every year,' he added. “The competition is so hard everywhere, but we're going to continue working hard and see what happens.”

Toledo, 28, won 145 races at Laurel and Pimlico for his fourth overall Maryland championship following 2015, 2017 and 2021, also banking a state-high $5,668,927. Jeiron Barbosa, a leading contender for the Eclipse Award as champion apprentice of 2022, was second with 107 wins.

Over the final three days of Laurel's calendar year-ending fall meet Toledo registered seven wins including a four-win day Dec. 30 and a double Dec. 31 that enabled him to finish with a career-best 188 wins. He also reached a personal high with more than $7.7 million in purse earnings

“It was a fabulous year, the best year of my career, for sure,” Toledo said. “Amazing, man. I have to thank God. He's the one that keeps us here, and I'm just very grateful for all the opportunities I get from all the owners and trainers and all the staff, the grooms and exercise riders, and the horses, as well. They do all the work.”

Toledo led Laurel's 2022 winter meet standings in wins and tied for first at Laurel summer, and earned his first Pimlico crown during the spring Preakness Meet, giving him 10 individual meet titles in Maryland.

Represented since 2014 by agent Marty Leonard, Toledo also captured the summer stand at Colonial Downs with 25 wins and more than $1.2 million in purse earnings. He rode 993 races in 2022, his most since 2017 (1,036), and even went to Florida to win the Captiva Island with Headline Hunter last March at Gulfstream Park.

“My agent does a tremendous job. We've been together for a long time already and we have a really good connection. We understand each other. Sometimes we lose races, but we win, too,” Toledo said. “We went to Colonial thinking [we'd] win one race a week and we ended up winning the whole meet. We're always think positive about winning races, for sure, but I never expected to be leading rider over there. This is my home and I like to do well and win races here, but it felt really good to win out of Maryland , too.”

Toledo registered Maryland stakes wins in 2022 with Wondrwherecraigis in the Fire Plug, Whereshetoldmetogo in the Not For Love, Pennybaker in the Heavenly Cause, Disco Pharoah in the Frank Y. Whiteley, Caesar's Wish with Hybrid Eclipse, Star de Naskra with Alottahope, Selima with Born Dapper and Robert T.  Manfuso with Nimitz Class.

Wondrwherecraigis, Whereshetoldmetogo and Hybrid Eclipse are all trained by Brittany Russell, for whom he won 38 of 120 races (32 percent) in 2022. They teamed up to win Race 3 Sunday – opening day of Laurel's 2023 winter meet – with Grace and Charm ($6.20).

“Hopefully the owners and trainers keep helping me to keep going and keep winning races this year,” Toledo said.

The post Gonzalez, Toledo Repeat As Maryland Champions In 2022 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The terrible twos? Not for trainer Kenny McPeek Saturday at Oaklawn.

McPeek equaled a career high with four victories on the 10-race card – the first in Oaklawn history exclusively for 2-year-olds – highlighted by a sweep of the Renaissance Stakes at six furlongs and the Year's End Stakes for fillies at one mile.

The all-2-year-old format, the brainchild of Oaklawn racing secretary Pat Pope and patterned after Churchill Downs' popular “Stars of Tomorrow” programs, offered purses totaling nearly $1 million.

“We've got a lot of good young horses,” McPeek said during a phone call moments after the Year's End. “Got a lot of good clients that let us do that. When I was young, I had nothing but claimers up there (Oaklawn). At this stage, it's a real luxury to have the kind of horses that we're handling. For it all to come together there in one day, just a whole lot of fun to watch.”

McPeek won the fourth race, a $90,000 maiden special weight at one mile, with favored Sun Thunder ($4.20), Renaissance with Frosted Departure ($21.20), eighth race, a $90,000 maiden special weight for fillies at six furlongs, with Dear Lady ($11) and the Year's End with favored Defining Purpose ($6).

Fittingly, all four of McPeek's winners ran Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs, the second “Stars of Tomorrow” program during its 19-day fall meeting. McPeek also finished fifth in Saturday's second race, a $90,000 maiden special weight for fillies at one mile, with favored Kid's Last Laugh and sixth in the 10th race with Interlock Empire, a first-time starter. The nightcap was a $90,000 maiden special weight at six furlongs.

“Honestly, I haven't had a great month, until today,” McPeek said. “We've actually had kind of a modest month, but I don't typically run a lot during the winter anyway, early December. I just really like this December meet that Pat's put together, too.”

Before eliminating the category in 1975, Oaklawn had run more than 1,000 races for 2-year-olds since opening in 1905. Oaklawn has been able to again card 2-year-old races after shifting its opening, which had traditionally been in January or February, to December in 2021. Oaklawn had never run more than four 2-year-old races on a program since the calendar shift for the 2021-2022 meeting. There were three stakes for 2-year-olds this season after the addition of the Renaissance and Year's End for the 2022-2023 meeting that began Dec. 9. The $150,000 Advent for sprinters marked Oaklawn's first stakes race for 2-year-olds since 1973 when it debuted at the 2021-2022 meeting. Pope, obviously, moved the needle Saturday.

“These are great spots,” McPeek said. “Pat's done a good job with the program there. Get some route horses in spots, some sprinters a spot. It's great.”

McPeek said he already has next-race plans for three of his four winners. Defining Purpose, a dominant 5 ¼-length winner, will be pointed to the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Jan. 28 at Oaklawn. The 1 1/16-mile Martha Washington is Oaklawn's first of three Kentucky Oaks points races.

Sun Thunder, a 6 ½-length winner of his two-turn debut, is headed to the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Jan. 28 at Oaklawn. The 1 1/16-mile Southwest is Oaklawn's second of four Kentucky Derby points races. McPeek had two entrants (Ten Days Later and Denington) for its first, Sunday's $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at 1 mile. Sun Thunder, a $400,000 purchase in 2020, is by super sire Into Mischief. He finished third in his Nov. 26 career debut at Churchill Downs.

Dear Lady probably goes next in a two-turn entry-level allowance spot, McPeek said, while plans are pending for Frosted Departure, who was making his ninth career start in the Renaissance. McPeek said he does plan to keep Frosted Departure sprinting.

“I'm just trying to enjoy the moment,” McPeek said. “We're not going to worry about that until later.”

McPeek's wife, Sherri, co-owns Dear Lady, Defining Purpose, and Frosted Departure. Dear Lady represented Kenny McPeek's 1,900th career North American victory, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization. The trainer only had to wait about 30 minutes for No. 1,901.

“We've always felt she was a really good filly and that filly is going to need to stretch out in her next run as well,” McPeek said, referring to Dear Lady. “I think we're in a great position with these young fillies.”

McPeek previously had won four races on a card twice – Oct. 26, 2008, at Churchill Downs and Nov. 27, 2021, at Churchill Downs. McPeek recorded his first career victory Oct. 27, 1985, at River Downs. Saturday's four-bagger pushed McPeek's career Oaklawn total to 65, the first coming Feb. 19, 1992. His biggest victory to date at Oaklawn came with future Eclipse Award winner Swiss Skydiver in the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies in 2020. He also won the 2022 Smarty Jones with Dash Attack.

McPeek needed to just one day to match his victory total from the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting, when he had a string of horses in Hot Springs for the first time since 2018.

“It was a great day,” McPeek said.

In McPeek's absence, assistant trainer Ray Bryner saddled Saturday's winners. Bryner oversees McPeek's Oaklawn division. McPeek has 25 stalls for the 2022-2023 Oaklawn meeting.

David Cabrera rode Sun Thunder, Dear Lady and Defining Purpose. Francisco Arrieta rode Frosted Departure. Cabrera and Arrieta each rode 62 winners to share the 2021-2022 Oaklawn riding title.

Purses Saturday totaled $995,000. In addition to the Renaissance and Year's End, there was a $104,000 entry-level allowance/optional claimer for female sprinters and six maiden special weight events, each worth $90,000. The program attracted 113 entrants.

The post ‘We’ve Got A Lot Of Good Young Horses’: McPeek’s Banner Four-Win Day With Oaklawn 2YOs Includes Stakes Double appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Linda Rice enjoyed a tremendous fall meet at Aqueduct, leading the way in both the trainer standings [20 wins] and owner standings [10 wins].

Rice, who posted a training record of 93-20-23-13, secured the eighth training title of her career and first since the 2020 Aqueduct winter meet.

As leading owner at the 29-day fall meet, Rice secured a record of 33-10-6-2, earning $342,562 in purses with a win percentage of 30.30 and in-the-money rate of 54.55 percent.

“My staff has done a great job,” Rice said. “I have people that have worked for me for 25 years. They are dedicated, terrific people, and they're like family to me. I can't overstate their efforts in this. It's pretty exciting and a great end to the year.”

Rice said her barn grew stronger over the course of the year after a difficult 2021 Big A fall meet in which she won just two races. However, the stable picked up steam through the spring/summer meet at Belmont Park, finishing in a tie for fifth with 15 wins ahead of a strong effort at Saratoga where she finished sixth with 14 wins. The stable recorded 18 wins at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet to finish second behind Chad Brown.

“We had a tough winter last year at Aqueduct and struggled through that a little bit. In the summer, things were starting to come together,” Rice said. “But we finished second behind Chad at the fall meet, so things had really started to pick up.”

Rice, who currently oversees a string of 70 horses, said part of her success has been a sharpened focus on the claiming game.

“Over the last five years, it's been so difficult to buy horses at the sales at value prices,” Rice said. “I love to buy weanlings, yearlings and 2-year-olds but you go the sales and you get outbid a lot, especially with partnerships and investors pooling their money. It makes it difficult to buy what you want.

“So, I decided to do more claiming for my clients that have limited budgets and I think that's worked really well for them,” continued Rice. “We've had a lot of great claims this year. We've had failures, too, but you just have to recognize when you have a claim that's marginal at best and discuss it with your client and move on. You just have to be realistic.”

Among Rice's most successful claims is Cloud Nine Stable's graded-stakes placed New York-bred Betsy Blue, who was haltered for $50,000 out of an optional-claiming score in March 2021 at the Big A just one start after being claimed for $25,000 from a state-bred maiden win.

Through 17 starts for Rice, the now 5-year-old Tonalist mare has posted a record of 7-6-2, including a third in the Grade 3 Go for Wand on December 3 here before returning on one week's rest to take the Garland of Roses.

“She was a seven-way shake for $25,000 and we wheeled back and got her for $50,000 and she's just been a super-nice filly to have in the barn,” Rice said. “She shows up every time and has made over $600,000 now. You hope to have more claims like that.”

Rice said Betsy Blue, bred by Blue Devil Racing Stable, is on target for the $100,000 Interborough on January 21 at the Big A with an eye on another graded attempt in the Grade 3, $250,000 Barbara Fritchie on February 18 at Laurel Park.

Another strong claim for Rice is Sheriff Bianco, a now 5-year-old New York-bred Speightster gelding that she haltered for $30,000 out of a winning effort on July 9 on the Belmont turf.

Bred by SF Bloodstock, the improving bay had competed almost exclusively on turf for his former conditioner Wesley Ward and subsequently posted a pair of third-place efforts for Rice on the Saratoga turf in state-bred allowance tilts. His career path changed when taking an off-the-turf state-bred allowance by 11 3/4-lengths in October at Belmont at the Big A over a sloppy and sealed main track.

Sheriff Bianco has since made three successive six-furlong dirt starts at Aqueduct – each garnering matching career-best 94 Beyer Speed Figures – including a state-bred optional-claiming win on November 17 and an open-company allowance score over muddy and sealed going on December 17. He finished a game second here Friday in an open optional-claiming tilt.

“Those type of claims don't happen every day, but you look at a horse like Sheriff Bianco, who we claimed for $30,000. On the turf that's what he was worth, but the next thing you know, he's become a really nice dirt horse for us this fall,” Rice said. “They're not all going to work out, but I've gone to doing more claiming because the sales have become so expensive.”

Rice will also have her eye on the Kentucky Derby point standings this year as she prepares Chester and Mary Broman's New York homebred Arctic Arrogance for a start in Saturday's one-mile $150,000 Jerome, which offers 10-4-3-2-1 qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

By Frosted and out of the Uncle Mo mare Modest Maven, Arctic Arrogance made his first three starts in state-bred company, graduating in his September 5 debut in a six-furlong sprint at the Spa over muddy and sealed going ahead of a pacesetting second in the seven-furlong Bertram F. Bongard on September 29 at Belmont at the Big A.

He exited that effort to win the one-turn mile Sleepy Hollow in gate-to-wire fashion on October 30 at Belmont at the Big A before battling to a game runner-up effort to Dubyuhnell when stretched out to nine furlongs on December 3 here in the Grade 2 Remsen, garnering four Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

“We really didn't think of him as a Derby horse going into this fall. Mr. Broman and I said let's just see how far we make it,” recalled Rice. “He ran really well in the Remsen. We were delighted with that effort. So, let's see how far we get and maybe we'll be pleasantly surprised.”

Arctic Arrogance has breezed back twice, including a five-eighths effort Saturday in 1:03 flat over the Belmont dirt training track.

“The track had been really slow and cuppy, so I delayed his breeze two days waiting for a better track,” Rice said. “The track was pretty heavy, but he worked beautifully.”

The post ‘Great End To The Year’: Rice Takes Both Trainer, Owner Titles At Aqueduct Fall Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Mandy Lynn Delahoussaye, daughter of retired Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, now a commissioner with the Louisiana Racing Commission, passed away Friday at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. She was 47.

Mandy lived in Arcadia, California with her family from 1979 until 2014, when her family moved back to Louisiana.

The family will receive guests Wednesday at Martin & Castille's Southside location in Lafayette from 1 to 2 p.m. (CT).

A private inurnment will be held at a later date in Holy Family Cemetery & Mausoleum in New Iberia.

Deacon Cody Miller will officiate at the services.

In addition to her father, survivors include her mother, Juanita Delahoussaye, her brother, Loren Delahoussaye and his wife Rachel; her nephew, Luke Austin Delahoussaye; her aunt and nanny, Rose Ann Delahoussaye; and her uncle and godfather, Edwin Paul Delahoussaye.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Mandy Lynn Delahoussaye's name to Children's Hospital New Orleans, Shriner's Hospital, or St. Jude.

The post Mandy Delahoussaye, Daughter Of Hall Of Fame Jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, Passes At Age 47 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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