Tag: People

Laurel Park presented eight stakes races and four Starter Stakes during the Jim McKay Maryland Million Day program on Saturday with Laurel's leading jockey, Jevian Toledo, winning three stakes including the highlight of the card, the Maryland Million Classic. The panel of racing experts voted Toledo Jockey of the Week for Oct. 9 through Oct. 15.

The honor recognizes jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1,050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

On “Maryland's Day at the Races,” Toledo was aboard Witty for trainer Elizabeth Merryman in the Maryland Million Turf Sprint for three-year-olds and up. Off as the favorite in the field of 12, Witty raced last around the first turn while saving ground. At the quarter pole, Witty found the rail wide open and took over the leaders at the sixteenth marker to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:02.64 for 5 1/2 furlongs.

Trainer Gary Capuano next gave a leg up to Toledo on Intrepid Daydream in race 10, the Maryland Million Distaff. Intrepid Daydream drew into the race after several scratches. Off at even-money, Intrepid Daydream broke from the outside and raced in the clear. Into the stretch, Intrepid Daydream went four-wide sprinting clear of the leader, Response Time, to win by three lengths in 1:24.62 for seven furlongs on the main track.

“She is a really nice filly,” Toledo said. “That's three in a row. She got a great post on the outside today. There was lots of speed on the inside, so the plan was to stay close and follow them into the turn.”

The feature race, the Maryland Million Classic, had Toledo aboard the longest shot in the field, Ain't Da Beer Cold. Toledo hustled Ain't Da Beer Cold to the front from post position seven and lead the field with Market Maven a close second. Racing side-by-side down the stretch, Market Maven took the lead but floated out bumping Ain't Da Beer Cold. After an objection, Ain't Da Beer Cold was placed first. Final time was 1:52.39 for the 1 1/8-mile  contest on the main track rated as good.

The win was the fourth of the day for Toledo which included a win aboard Disputed Claim in a Starter Handicap.

The win in the Maryland Million Classic was Toledo's 17th in Maryland Million history moving him into a tie with Hall of Famer Ramon Dominguez for second all-time behind fellow Hall of Famer Edgar Prado with 18 Maryland Million wins.

Toledo, 29, won his first career Grade I race on April 8 of this year in the Carter Handicap with Doppelganger at Aqueduct for trainer Brittany Russell. He won his 1,000th career race on July 24, 2020 at Laurel. One of the mid-Atlantic's leading riders, Toledo has led the jockey standings multiple times at Laurel and Pimlico.

Toledo out polled Arnaldo Bochachica with three stakes wins at Charles Town, Antonio Gallardo who won a total of nine races during the week, Gustavo Larrosa with three stakes wins at Charles Town, and Flavien Prat with a Grade 2 win at Keeneland.

The post Stakes Triple Leads To Jockey Of The Week Title For Jevian Toledo appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, now in its eighth year in the United States, concluded Tuesday evening during an awards ceremony at Keeneland Racecourse's Entertainment Center in Lexington, Ky.

Winners were announced in a total of seven categories with a total of $122,000 awarded. For the first time this year, in addition to the three finalists in each category, two alternates were also chosen and received monetary rewards. Todd Schrupp, FanDuel TV analyst, served as the master of ceremonies.

Tom Law, Saratoga Special Managing Editor and this year's judging panels chair, commented, “The winners and finalists honored at this year's ceremony, along with the alternates, are truly great representatives of the hard-working individuals in our industry. It's been said many times that they are the backbone of the industry that we all love; and it's absolutely true. And speaking for myself, as well as my fellow judges, we'd like to express our admiration for all the nominees and what they do for our sport.”

The full list of winners, finalists and alternates are as follows:

Newcomer Award, sponsored by NYRA

Winner: Dominick Merritt, Exercise Rider, Todd Pletcher
Finalists: Deja Robinson, Ed Brown Society and Nursing Staff Technician with Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital; Sara Gordon, Social Media Manager, Thoroughbred Daily News
Alternates: Adrianne Devaux, Cherie Devaux Racing Stable; Susan Kemper, Coolmore America/Ashford Stud

Support Services Award, sponsored by 1/ST Racing

Winner: Bill Vest, Backside Security Manager, Churchill Downs
Finalists: Rita Cutler, Security Guard, New York Racing Association; Tracy Attfield, Owner, TLore Management
Alternates: Raul Gutierrez, Santa Anita Park; Julie Adair, Farm Owner

Katherine McKee Administration Award, sponsored by Keeneland

Winner: Kelly Danner, Racing Operations Manager, Churchill Downs
Finalists: Jamie Bradley, Office Manager, Steve Asmussen Racing Stable; Samantha McGreevy, Sales Manager, Taylor Made Sales Agency
Alternates: Gwenn Pierce, WB Payson Park, LLC; Eleanor Poppe, New York Race Track Chaplaincy

Dedication to Breeding Award, sponsored by Hallway Feeds

Winner: Jimmy Tate, Assistant Broodmare Manager, WinStar Farm
Finalists: Phillip Hampton, Stallion Groom, Godolphin; Rafael Zambrano, Farm Manager, War Horse Place
Alternates: Harmon Sullivan, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption; Abel Garcia, Four Pillars Holding, LLC

Dedication to Racing Award, sponsored by the NTRA

Winner: Myra “Mickey” Hall, Groom, Herringswell Stables
Finalists: Kathy Sanchez, Assistant Trainer, Tom Amoss Racing Stable; Laura “Tils” Tilbury, Hotwalker, Todd Pletcher Racing Stables
Alternates: Carlos Davila, Craig Wheeler Racing Stable; Moises Morales, Groom

Leadership Award, sponsored by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute

Winner: Manuel Hernandez, Farm Manager, Walmac Farm
Finalists: Gene Guy, Farm Manager, Glencrest Farm; Loretta Lusteg, Assistant Trainer, John C. Kimmel Racing Stable
Alternates: Juan Aguilar, Indian Creek Farm; Christine Jones, Pleasant Acres Stallions

Dr. J. David “Doc” Richardson Community Award, sponsored by Churchill Downs

Winner: Linda Doane, Lifestyle Program Director, The Healing Place/Churchill Downs
Runner-up: Francisco Barrera, Backstretch Employee Service Team
Alternates: Merlin Cano, Backside Learning Center; Diana Varon, Keeneland Racetrack Chaplaincy

Videos of all the finalists can be viewed here.

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Woodbine Entertainment has announced the appointment of former Ontario politician Monte McNaughton as Executive Vice President, Industry Relations and People Experience.

McNaughton, who was most recently Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development for the Province of Ontario, has served in public office for more than 15 years and was a Member of Provincial Parliament since 2011.

In cabinet, he was credited with forging unprecedented alliances with labour groups ​ – a key factor in the government's success.

“We have an opportunity to expand our business in a way that benefits Ontario's horse racing industry and the families depending on it. I believe Monte's expertise and leadership will guide us toward realizing our ambitious goals,” said Michael Copeland, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment.

Woodbine Entertainment, which operates like a not-for-profit organization with the sole mandate of sustaining and growing horse racing in Ontario, is focused on transformative growth initiatives to generate new and sustainable revenue streams for the racing industry and the 25,000 jobs it supports across the province.

“I'm honoured to join Michael and his team of dynamic business leaders at Woodbine Entertainment,” McNaughton said. “Together, we will focus on growing horse racing and revenues associated with it, to create jobs and ultimately benefit our communities and families.”

Woodbine Entertainment is engaged in one of the largest property development projects in Canada. The nearly 400-acre project in the Rexdale community of North Etobicoke will include a privately-funded mass-transit train station and upwards of 29,000 residential homes. An estimated 17,000 permanent jobs will be created through the project.

McNaughton, a native of southwestern Ontario, is a graduate of Westervelt College and executive programs at the Ivey School of Business at Western University.

“As an eight-year-old boy I stood in the winner's circle with family friends who raced horses,” said McNaughton. “The sport has captivated me ever since.”

Woodbine Entertainment directly employs nearly 1,700 individuals and is the largest racetrack operator in the country, operating Woodbine Racetrack in Rexdale, Woodbine Mohawk Park in Milton, Canada's only legal horse racing wagering site, HPIbet.com, and a large network of off-track-betting locations, including Greenwood Teletheatre in Toronto and WEGZ Stadium Bar in Vaughan.

McNaughton's appointment is effective immediately. He will report directly to Michael.

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Cheryl White, who in 1971 became the first licensed Black female jockey in this country to win a Thoroughbred race, is the subject of two events taking place at Keeneland on Saturday, Oct 21.

From 8-10 a.m. (ET), Keeneland will spotlight White's historic career during Sunrise Trackside, a free, family-friendly event. Children will learn what it takes to ride a racehorse, and Keeneland will donate new Breyer sets featuring a figure of White, model horse Jetolara (her first winning mount) and a copy of the new book The Jockey & Her Horse, co-written by her brother Raymond White Jr., to a few lucky winners.

From 1-3 p.m., The Keeneland Shop and Keeneland Library will host a signing with Raymond White Jr. outside The Keeneland Shop. Cheryl White Breyer sets and copies of The Jockey & Her Horse will be available to purchase.

White learned about racing from her father, jockey, and trainer Raymond White Sr., and her mother, Doris Gorske, a Polish breeder and owner. At 17, White secured her first mount at Thistledown in Ohio on June 15, 1971, just three years after the first jockey license was issued to a woman in the United States in 1968. Her mount that day, Ace Reward, was trained by her father. Despite their impressive initial sprint, the pair finished last.

Nearly three months later, White rode her first winner, Jetolara, at West Virginia's Waterford Park (now Mountaineer Park) on Sept. 2, 1971. Jetolara was trained and owned by White's father and bred by White's mother.

White's trailblazing rides over the summer of 1971 made headlines and landed her on the cover of the July 29, 1971, issue of Jet magazine. Over her riding career that spanned more than 20 years, White accumulated 227 wins on Thoroughbreds at primarily Midwestern tracks before moving to California in 1974 to ride American Quarter Horses and Appaloosas on the county fair circuit. White topped the Appaloosa Horse Club's jockey standings in 1977, 1983, 1984, and 1985.

After riding her last winner at Los Alamitos on July 25, 1992, White retired with more than 750 career wins. She became a racing steward in California before returning to Ohio to join the racing office at Mahoning Valley Race Course in 2014. During Keeneland's 2014 Spring Meet, White joined a number of notable retired and active female jockeys here for the “Ladies of the Turf” celebration on Horses and Hope Pink Day.

White, who worked at Ohio tracks until her death in 2019, is included in the Library's fascinating exhibit, The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers, which highlights the lives and careers of 80 African Americans working in the Thoroughbred industry from the mid-1800s to the present.

Located on Keeneland's campus, Keeneland Library is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To reach the Library, enter Keeneland at Gate 1 on Keeneland Blvd. and take the first right on Entertainment Ct. The Library is to the left of the Keene Barn and Entertainment Center. The exhibit is free.

Contact Roda Ferraro at rferraro@keeneland.com to book exhibit youth and adult educational programs.

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