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Linda Rice secured a record 165th training win on the New York Racing Association Inc. circuit for 2023 when George's Vice posted a gate-to-wire score in Race 2 on Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

With Eric Cancel up, Cloud Nine Stable's George's Vice zipped through fractions of :22.78 and :46.78 over the fast main track in the 6 1/2-furlong claiming sprint for fillies and mares. The 3-year-old New York-bred daughter of Unified held a precarious advantage at the top of the stretch but dug in gamely to stave off stablemate Active Lane and post the one-length win in a final time of 1:18.61. George's Vice, bred in the Empire State by Barry Ostrager, paid $20.80 to win.

“It's a tough number to get to. I think about how we're starting over at one tomorrow,” said Rice, with a laugh. “It's just been an incredible year. I'm really excited and I just hope we can do something that will compare going forward. That's a high bar to set.”

Rice, a 59-year-old resident of Floral Park, N.Y., eclipsed the previous single-season record of 164 set by trainer David Jacobson in 2013. Rice has enjoyed a banner year on the NYRA circuit, earning leading trainer honors at the winter [37 wins] and spring [17 wins] meets at the Big A; the Belmont Park spring/summer meet [34 wins]; as well as tying with Chad Brown [35 wins] to register her second title at the Saratoga Race Course summer meet. She has also secured the title at the Aqueduct fall meet, which concludes today, with George's Vice marking her 20th win at the meet.

Rice, who campaigned 2015 champion female sprinter La Verdad, has saddled 11 horses to stakes scores on the NYRA circuit this season, including graded wins with Joey Freshwater [G3 Bay Shore] and Mommasgottarun [G3 Distaff Handicap] along with stakes winners Amanda's Folly [Ticonderoga], Betsy Blue [Interborough], Downtown Mischief [Bouwerie, Cicada], El Grande O [Bertram F. Bongard, Sleepy Hollow], Hot Fudge [Garland of Roses], Ichiban [Fleet Indian], Les Bon Temps [NYSSS Park Avenue], Pioneering Spirit [Bernard Baruch, Knickerbocker], and Runaway Rumour [John F. Hettinger].

Rice noted victories with claimed horses Pioneering Spirit, haltered for $40,000 in March for owner A. Bianco Holding Limited, and Mommasgottarun, taken for $50,000 last December for owner Ronald P. Stewart, among numerous high points on the year.

“We claimed Pioneering Spirit in March in a maiden $40,000, and for him to win the Bernaud Baruch, win the Knickerbocker, run in Grade 1s, that was exciting,” Rice said. “Mommasgottarun we claimed in December. She won a Grade 3, wins a couple of allowance races for some new clients. That was really exciting.”

The veteran conditioner also noted the ultra-consistent Sheriff Bianco [14-1-7-4 in 2023] and stakes winners Amanda's Folly and Ichiban as seasonal standouts along with the promising El Grande O, who is nominated to next weekend's Jerome here.

Rice saddled her first winner, Contraboss, in 1987 at Garden State Park and now boasts a career ledger of 12,879-2,409-1,989-1,829 and purse earnings in excess of $104 million, according to Equibase statistics.

The post Linda Rice Sets NYRA Single-Season Training Record With 165th Win Of 2023 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Turfway Park concluded its 2023 Holiday Meet on Saturday night with jockey Luan Machado, trainer Brad Cox, and owner Dixiana Farms emerging as leaders in their respective categories over the 20-day stand.

Machado, represented by Cory Prewitt, tallied an impressive 21 wins from 98 mounts (21%), marking his third leading rider title at Turfway Park. Previous titles include the 2019 Winter/Spring Meet and 2018 Holiday Meet.

Machado was followed in the standings by apprentice rider Axel Concepcion who tallied 19 wins. He was seven wins ahead of third-place Fernando De La Cruz.

The Holiday Meet was Cox's second leading trainer title at Turfway. His barn, which is represented locally by assistant Tessa Walden, started 20 horses, won seven races and banked earnings of $356,046. Prior to racing on New Year's Eve, Cox led all North American trainers in earnings for 2023 with $30,775,698.

John Ennis secured second place in the standings with six wins from 27 starts, followed by Bill Morey and Paulo Lobo, tied for third with five wins.

Ennis client Dixiana Farms tied for the leading owner title with Thirstyacres Racing, Gerald Brooks, and Carl Hess Jr., PTK LLC, and Blanca Salazar. Dixiana Farms' runners earned $89,343, surpassing other four leading owners.

With the competition on the racetrack remained fierce, bettors enjoyed handsome rewards with an average $2 win mutuel of $16.67. The high win mutuels resulted in many six-figure payouts in the Pick 4, 5, and 6 pools. The average 50-cent Pick 4 paid a whopping $3,129 while the average 50-cent Pick 5 returned $25,420. The 20-cent Single 6 Jackpot was hit by a single-winning combination three times for an average payout of $110,647 to the single ticket holder. If there were multiple winning tickets in the bet, the average payout was $10,002.

Live racing from Turfway Park will continue in the New Year. The 2024 Winter/Spring season will begin Wednesday and run through Saturday, March 30. Daily first post will be 5:55 p.m. (ET) except for March 23 for Jeff Ruby Steaks Day, which will run in the afternoon.

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Legendary jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. spent his 77th birthday Friday at Santa Anita, enjoying the day with family and friends.

After the third race, which was named in his honor, Pincay was joined in the winner's circle by the Santa Anita jockey colony and others where he was presented a birthday cake.

“This has been a great day, really enjoying it,” Pincay said. “I also got some nice presents.”

Pincay, who is an avid golfer, said his birthday gifts included a new golf bag and laptop computer from his fiancé, Edith.

“She's going to get me into computers,” Pincay said with a chuckle. “I don't know anything about them.”

Pincay retired from the saddle in April 2003 after amassing 9,530 victories, which at the time was the most-ever by a jockey. That record was later eclipsed by Russell Baze.

Born 1946 in Panama City, Panama, Pincay began his riding career at age 17 in his native country. He moved to the U.S. in 1966 where he initially rode at Arlington Park under contract with prominent horseman Fred W. Hooper.

By the 1970s, Pincay was a player on the national scene. He won the Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey four times that decade (1971, ' 73, '74, and '79). He was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1975.

In 1984, Pincay won the Kentucky Derby (G1) aboard Swale for trainer Woody Stephens. The following year he would add his fifth Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding jockey.

Other notable achievements by Pincay are plentiful. He won seven Breeders' Cup races, three consecutive Belmont Stakes (G1) from 1982-'84 and led the nation in purse earnings seven times. He was also a 14-time leading rider at the Santa Anita Winter Meet.

Pincay continues to reside in nearby San Gabriel, Calif. Among his retirement activities is lending support to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

“A couple times a year I do something for the disabled jockeys, which I really like to do,” Pincay said. “I play golf, do my things around the house. I also travel a lot and go to my country Panama a few times year. I'm enjoying life.”

The post ‘I’m Enjoying Life’: Hall Of Fame Jockey Pincay Celebrates 77th Birthday At Santa Anita appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Oisin Murphy walked into the scale room outside the winner's circle following Saturday's third race at Gulfstream Park with Clerk of Scales Victor Sanchez waiting for the international star jockey to weigh out following a hard-fought triumph aboard Variable Cost.

“It took me long enough,” said Murphy before stepping onto the scale.

Murphy found the Gulfstream winner's circle on his second day of the Championship Meet, coming out a nose to the good following a protracted stretch duel between Variable Cost ($6.60) and I Am the Game, the 6-5 favorite ridden by Emisael Jaramillo.

Murphy, the three-time British champion jockey who will ride at Gulfstream Park through January, had rallied outside the favorite aboard the Jack Sisterson trainee for the better part of the stretch in the 1 1/16-mile claiming race on Tapeta.

Murphy is the retained jockey for Qatar Racing, owner of Variable Cost.

“Gulfstream is a beautiful track, and it's great to see a crowd here every day. It's nice to get one on the board,” the 28-year-old Murphy said. “There were two standout horses in the race. He did it very well.”

Murphy, who had three mounts prior to Saturday's victory, is no stranger to the all-weather surface.

“It's very similar to what we have in England,” he said.

The post ‘It Took Me Long Enough’: Murphy Finds Winner’s Circle On Day 2 At Gulfstream appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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