Tag: People

A dominant force throughout Santa Anita's Winter/Spring Meet dating back to opening day of the Arcadia, Calif., track on Dec. 26, trainer Phil D'Amato won his record 57th race on day 74 Friday as his Carpe Vinum rallied for a 2 ¼-length victory in the day's $72,000 allowance feature.  Ridden for the first time by Ramon Vazquez, Carpe Vinum got one mile on turf in 1:34.55.

D'Amato moved into a single season tie with Doug O'Neill earlier in the day as Ma France took Friday's first race, giving D'Amato 56 on the season which equaled O'Neill's mark established in 2006-07.

“It's a great feeling,” said D'Amato, who also leads all trainers in stakes wins heading into closing weekend with 15 added money tallies.  “I wasn't expecting it or counting the wins, but it's just a testament to all my people.  A total team effort.  From my assistants, exercise riders and grooms on down.  And most importantly, my owners and the kinds of horses they're giving me to be able to do this.”

As for Carpe Vinum, she was taken in-hand out of the gate and sat fifth at the rail in behind a quick early pace to the far turn and was about five off longshot leader Super Game as the field headed up the backside.

Heading into the far turn, Vazquez angled out as the leaders came back to him, stepped on the gas a quarter mile out and wheeled three-deep turning for home while in full flight as she went on to overhaul Freedom Flyer in the final sixteenth of a mile.

“She had a nice set-up today,” said D'Amato.  “Ramon got her to the outside where she likes to be.  She's just a very steady going filly.  We've been slowly inching forward with her and hopefully, we can try a stake with her down at Del Mar.

Most recently fourth in the Grade 3 Santa Barbara Stakes going a mile and one half on turf May 14, Carpe Vinum was the second choice in a field of seven fillies and mares at 7-2 and paid $9.60, $4.00 and $3.20.

Owned by MyRacehorse and Joey Platts, Carpe Vinum, a 5-year-old mare by Giant's Causeway out of the Johar mare Martita Sangrita, had been winless in her last 10 starts and improved her overall mark to 16-3-1-4.  With the winner's share of $43,200, she increased her earnings to $180,018.

Irish-bred Quattroelle, idle since May 22 of 2021, rallied from last around the far turn to touch Freedom Flyer by a nose on the money.  Off at 4-1 with Tyler Baze, she paid $4.80 and $3.80.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Freedom Flyer was off at 5-1 and paid $3.40 to show while finishing three quarters of a length in front of Macadamia.

Javanica, the 2-1 favorite with Umberto Rispoli, sat second early and came up empty through the lane to finish fifth.

Fractions on the race were 22.18, 45.37, 1:10.59 and 1:22.74.

Racing resumes with first post time for a 12-race card on Saturday, the penultimate day of Santa Anita's 76-day Winter/Spring run at 1 p.m.

The post D’Amato Sets Single-Season Win Record With 57th Santa Anita Score appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Rafael Bejarano became only the 15th rider in Churchill Downs history to record 500 victories beneath the historic Twin Spires when debuting 2-year-old filly Just Cindy prevailed in Friday's seventh race.

Bejarano joined Pat Day (2,482 Churchill Downs wins), Calvin Borel (1,232), Robby Albarado (1,192) and Corey Lanerie (1,172), Julien Leparoux (1,002), Don Brumfield (925), Larry Melancon (914), Jim McKnight (883), Charlie Woods Jr. (757), Brian Hernandez Jr. (740), Shane Sellers (738), Shaun Bridgmohan (728), Julio Espinoza (642) and Jon Court (583) in a select group of jockeys that reached the 500-win milestone at Churchill Downs.

Bejarano, who will turn 40 on June 23, became riding in his native Peru in 1999. He began riding at Churchill Downs in 2003 and won three local riding titles (2004-05 Spring and 2005 Fall) before moving his tack to California in 2008. He returned to the Kentucky circuit in 2020.

A winner of 61 Grade 1 races in his career, some of Bejarano's most prestigious victories at Churchill Downs include the 2010 Longines Kentucky Oaks (Blind Luck); 2010 Old Forester Turf Classic (General Quarters); 2007 Derby City Distaff (Hystericalady); 2020 Clark (Bodexpress); and 2004 Stephen Foster (Colonial Colony).

Just Cindy, trained by Eddie Kenneally, was Bejarano's 4,281st career win. His more than 21,000 lifetime mounts have amassed more than $217 million in prize money.

The post Rafael Bejarano Becomes 15th Jockey To Win 500 Races At Churchill Downs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Jockey Evin Roman, trainer Jonathan Wong, and owner Tommy Town Thoroughbreds LLC finished at the top of the standings in their respective categories at the recently concluded 2022 Winter/Spring meeting at Golden Gate Fields.

The Winter/Spring meet, one of three race meetings annually at Golden Gate, ran from Dec. 26, 2021, through last Sunday, June 12.

The 24-year-old Puerto Rican native Evin Roman won the most races out of any jockey at the 2022 Winter/Spring meet with 87 trips to the winner's circle. He finished the meet four wins ahead of runner-up Pedro Terrero and earned $1,745,152 in purse winnings.

Earlier in his career, Roman earned five riding titles at tracks in Southern California throughout 2017 and was awarded the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Rider that year.

Bay Area native Jonathan Wong picked up his fifth consecutive training title at the 2022 Winter/Spring meet. Wong started the most horses out of any conditioner by a large margin and accrued 71 wins from 349 starters at the meeting, equating to a 20 percent win rate. Wong won a pair of stakes races during the meet with California-bred Bettor Trip Nick in the El Dorado Shooter Stakes and Sadie Bluegrass in the Camilla Urso Stakes for filly and mare turf sprinters.

Tom and Debi Stull's Tommy Town Thoroughbreds LLC scored 19 wins from 90 starters and won the most races out of any owner at the meet. Top runner from their outfit includes graded stakes placed sprinter Dynasty of Her Own, the speedy Day Plan, 3-year-old colt As Amatter of Fact, and Opening Buzz, who earned a 92 Beyer speed figure for a dazzling maiden win closing week. All of the Tommy Town horses were trained by Jonathan Wong.

Bay Area horse racing moves to the Northern California fair circuit for the next two months, with live racing at Pleasanton, Sacramento, and Santa Rosa. Pleasanton and Sacramento are run by the California Association of Racing Fairs (CARF) while Santa Rosa campaigns as its own entity.

*Friday, Aug. 26, is a tentative Opening Day date for Golden Gate Fields to begin its summer race meet, though the summer dates must be approved by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) before any dates are finalized and official.

*dates subject to change

The post Evin Roman, Jonathan Wong, Tommy Town Thoroughbreds Finish On Top At Golden Gate Fields appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

DeShawn Parker will accept the 2021 Pedersen Award on behalf of his late father, Daryl, on June 25, 2022, at Thistledown (JACK Thistledown Racino) during the Ohio Derby festivities.

Family members and friends will be present to be part of the presentation ceremony.

The Racing Officials Accreditation Program (ROAP) announced in December the winners of the 2021 Pete Pedersen Award, which is presented to stewards who have demonstrated professional excellence, integrity, and benevolent consideration in the performance of their duties. Contributions of time and expertise to the horse racing industry on the local and national levels are also significant factors in the selection of Pedersen award winners.

The late Daryl Parker was one of two winners for 2021. Parker was the first African-American to serve as a steward in U.S. racing history. Beginning in 1986, he served as a steward at all three of the Ohio Thoroughbred tracks as well as in Michigan. He was accredited by ROAP in 1993.

Prior to becoming a steward, he spent many decades on the racetrack working as an exercise rider, pony person, and jockey agent, before becoming the second Black racing official in the country. Parker held various positions in the racing offices at Fairmount Park and the now defunct Cahokia Downs in Southern Illinois.

Pete Pedersen, for whom the award is named, worked as a steward in California for 50 years before retiring at the age of 85 in 2005. The Seattle native became the second steward to receive the Eclipse Award of Merit in 2002. He was also the recipient of the Laffit Pincay Jr. Award in 2008 for serving the racing industry with integrity, dedication, determination, and distinction. Pedersen worked at nearly every track on the West Coast, and his reputation for objectivity and kindness was widely known.

The post Deshawn Parker To Accept 2021 Pedersen Award On His Late Father’s Behalf At Thistledown appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post