People | Horse Racing Free Tips

Monmouth Presents 2021 Handleman Award To Matt Shifman

Matt Shifman, senior writer and assistant editor at Horse Racing Nation, has been named the winner of the 2021 Bill Handleman Award for outstanding coverage of last year's TVG.Com Haskell Stakes, Monmouth Park announced today.

First presented in 2012, the Handleman Award honors distinguished media coverage of the $1 million, Grade 1 Haskell, Monmouth Park's showcase race. It is presented annually prior to the Haskell.

Shifman, a retired teacher, joined Horse Racing Nation in 2011, using Monmouth Park as his home base and serving as the web site's correspondent for the track. The Metuchen, N.J., resident, a graduate of Case Western Reserve who holds a Master's degree in education from Rutgers, also co-hosts the popular weekly video show HorseCenter.

“We're pleased to formally recognize Matt's long-running association with Monmouth Park and his continued exemplary coverage of the Haskell Stakes with this year's Handleman Award,” said John. F. Heims, Monmouth Park's Director of Racing and Racing Secretary.

The award honors the late Bill Handleman, one of New Jersey's preeminent sportswriters for nearly three decades for the Asbury Park Press. Handleman, a fixture at Monmouth Park and a passionate chronicler of the sport, died in June of 2010 at the age of 62.

The first recipient of the Handleman Award was Tom Luicci of The Star-Ledger, followed by Steve Edelson of The Asbury Park Press in 2013, Dave Johnson of Sirius XM in 2014, Ed McNamara of Newsday in 2015, Bob Ehalt of ESPN.com and Bloodhorse in 2016, Tom Cassidy of TVG.com in 2017, Jim Dunleavy of Daily Racing Form in 2018, Mike Farrell of The Associated Press in 2019 and Steve Byk of the daily “At The Races With Steve Byk” radio show last year.

The post Monmouth Presents 2021 Handleman Award To Matt Shifman appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Canterbury Park Announces Hall Of Fame Class Of 2021

The newest members of the Canterbury Park Hall of Fame were announced Monday. The Class of 2021 includes A P Is Loose and Honey's Sox Appeal, Thoroughbreds that are among the all-time leaders in purse earnings in the history of the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack, as well as Steve and Dorothy Erban of Stillwater and Mary Green of Eden Prairie, pioneers in the state's racing industry dating back to the 1970s. These inductees join a group of more than 45 individuals and horses that comprise the best of Minnesota racing.

A P is Loose raced from 2013 through 2020, winning 13 times and earning $503,728 in purses at Canterbury. He was bred and owned by Joel Zamzow of Duluth. The Minnesota-bred son of Monarchos won stakes on both turf and dirt, including the Blair's Cove three times and the Minnesota Classic Championship.

Honey's Sox Appeal won the Minnesota Distaff Sprint three consecutive years, 2016 through 2018. She was named 3-year-old filly of the meet in 2016 and champion sprinter in 2016 and 2017. Her purse earnings of $437,650 are the most ever by a filly or mare at Canterbury. Honey's Sox Appeal, now in foal to Malibu Moon, is owned by Bob Lindgren of Prior Lake. She was bred by Lindgren and Paul Knapper in Minnesota.

If there was a job to be done in the early days of Minnesota horse racing that predated Canterbury's existence, Mary Green was often involved. As one of the many Minnesota Thoroughbred Association members that so badly wanted to bring a racetrack to their home state, Green met with legislators and lobbied for the state to approve pari-mutuel racing while at the same time also busy racing her horses outside the state. Green maintains a role in the MTA and also served as executive assistant to Randy Sampson when he became track president in 1994.

Steve Erban conducted race meets on the outskirts of the Twin Cities in the early 1970s. He too lobbied for a racetrack and when it became a reality in 1985 he served as the Minnesota HBPA president for six years representing racehorse owners and trainers. Together Erban and wife Dorothy have owned and bred stakes winning horses, developed a national horseracing event called the Final Fourteen, formed partnerships introducing new owners to the sport, and stood a successful stallion in the state.

The Canterbury Park Hall of Fame was founded in 1995 to recognize people and horses that have made important and lasting contributions to the racing industry within the state. The selection committee consists of representatives of local horsemen organizations, media, and Canterbury Park. The new members will be recognized during the races on Hall of Fame Night this Wednesday and inducted at a July 17 ceremony.

Steve and Dorothy Erban

The post Canterbury Park Announces Hall Of Fame Class Of 2021 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Pedroza Splitting Time Between Ellis Park, Indiana Grand

Marcelino Pedroza's hope still is to ride seven days a week this summer: Mondays-Thursdays at Indiana Grand in Shelbyvlle, Ind., where he has a 12-win lead in the jockey standings with 42 victories and a meet-leading $1.12 million in purse earnings, and then Fridays-Sundays at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky. While he's found the Ellis opportunities limited so far, the jockey is making the most of them.

With only five mounts spread over four days, Pedroza has two wins and a second. His victories include Saturday's fourth race for locally-based trainer Billy Stinson Jr. in Pedroza's only mount of the afternoon. Stinson also trains Ziggy's Storm, who won with Pedroza on July 3 at 11-1 odds.

“It's been pretty good,” Pedroza said. “I haven't had the opportunities I'm waiting for. But at the same time, I understand that the other guys are working (horses in the mornings) here every week, and I don't work any horses. But I'm glad Billy gave me the opportunity on both of us horses, and we're 2 for 2. Thanks to him and thanks to everybody who have given me the opportunity. Hopefully, I'll get more opportunities.”

Stinson said he rode Pedroza when he first came to Kentucky and now uses him when racing at Indiana Grand.

“He's a really good kid, and he tries hard – and he's a good rider,” Stinson said.

Pedroza lives in Louisville, two hours from Indiana Grand. What makes riding at Ellis possible is that with school out, his family — wife Rocio, daughter Rosie and son Jeremy — can come with him to Henderson.

“When they're in school, it's a little bit tougher because I want to spend time with them,” he said. “I ride only one (Sunday), but they came with me and we'll spend the night here.”

Pedroza got to Ellis Park very early Saturday to work Bango, upon whom he won Churchill Downs' Aristides Stakes for trainer Greg Foley. But torrential rain and thunderstorm forced the track to be closed for training.

“Even all seven days, I don't care. I like to be on a horse,” Pedroza said. “Just like this morning. I came to work horses, and they canceled the works. I told Greg, 'I want to get on a horse.' He said, 'Well, tack shedrow Bango' and another one I ride for him.”

So Pedroza got on the horses and walked them around the barn shedrow, an unusual use of time for a jockey. As he said, “I'm here for work. I'm not here to play.”

The post Pedroza Splitting Time Between Ellis Park, Indiana Grand appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Ortiz, Brown, Klaravitch Stables Win Spring/Summer Meet Titles At Belmont

Chad Brown registered 32 victories to finish as the leading trainer at Belmont Park's spring/summer meet for the sixth consecutive year, while Jose Ortiz won the riding the title with 59 victories during the 48-day meet that commenced on April 22 and concluded on Sunday at the Elmont, N.Y. racetrakc. Klaravich Stables led all owners with 11 wins.

Brown continued his dominance of this meet, extending his run as the top conditioner every year since 2016. The four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer was 32-29-30 in 155 starts with earnings of $3.68 million. His win total was five more than second-place finisher Christophe Clement. Rob Atras was third with 19 wins, while Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and Mike Maker each finished with 18 victories.

Among Brown's accomplishments was a pair of Grade 1 wins on the Belmont Stakes Day undercard June 5, as Domestic Spending captured the $750,000 Resorts World Casino Manhattan for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/4 miles on the turf and Search Results won the $500,000 Acorn for sophomore fillies going a one-turn mile. Klaravich Stables owns both of those winners.

“It takes a lot of good horses, loyal and patient owners, and, of course, the team,” Brown said. “This meet wasn't easy. We had a bad virus run through the barn and that really hampered us from winning more races, but we were able to overcome it. We really just focused on getting through the meet and getting the horses healthy. Exiting the meet now, we were able to still win a lot of meaningful races, and it looks like the horses are nice and healthy heading up to Saratoga, so I'm really proud of the job they did of just persevering through a turbulent couple of months.”

NYRA's year-ending leading trainer six years running saw his starters finish in the money 58.71 percent of the time during the spring/summer meet. The success continued the 42-year-old's excellence at Belmont, as Brown has also earned a share of every Belmont fall meet title since 2012.

Ortiz, who entered Closing Day in a tie with his brother, Irad Ortiz, Jr. [who was serving a three-day suspension to conclude the meet] won twice on Sunday to earn his first Belmont spring/summer riding crown since 2017. He piloted Spectatorless to victory in Sunday's opener and guided Bella Sofia to a win in Race 7.

Like Brown, Ortiz also was successful during June's Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, winning both the $500,000 Grade 1 Ogden Phipps aboard Letruska and with Drain the Clock in the $400,000 Grade 1 Woody Stephens presented by Nassau County Industrial Development Agency on Belmont Stakes Day June 5. The previous day, Ortiz won aboard Firenze Fire in the $300,000 Grade 2 True North.

For the meet, Ortiz compiled a 59-47-46 record in 279 mounts, finishing with a 21.22 winning percentage while tallying earnings of $4.93 million. Following Irad Ortiz, Jr. [57 wins] was Manny Franco, who ended the meet with 52 wins. Joel Rosario [43] was the only other rider to crack 40.

Among Ortiz's other highlights were victories with First Captain [$250,000 Grade 3 Dwyer]; Robin Sparkles [$125,000 Mount Vernon]; River Dog [$125,000 Mike Lee]; and Sadie Lady [$100,000 Dancin Renee].

“It's always great to win a meet,” Ortiz said. “We all know Irad was out for some time; I wanted to win it, but I can only control what I can control. But it's always good to have success here to get that momentum for Saratoga. If you are winning or running second or third with good horses here, they come back in races up there and you're going to ride them. Hopefully, you get a good head start on the meet.”

Klaravich Stables won its third consecutive Belmont spring/summer meet, posting a record of 11-10-12 with 57 starters while also leading all owners with earnings of $1.39 million. Headed by Seth Klarman, Klaravich Stables teamed with Brown for a pair of Grade 1 wins with both Domestic Spending and Search Results, marking the ownership group's two stakes victories for the meet.

Michael Dubb finished second with nine wins, while West Point Thoroughbreds was third with seven victories.

Thoroughbred action moves to historic Saratoga Race Course for the 40-day summer meet from Thursday, July 15 through Labor Day, September 6. Highlighted by the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers on August 28 and the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on August 7, the 2021 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course will feature 76 stakes worth $21.5 million in total purses.

The post Ortiz, Brown, Klaravitch Stables Win Spring/Summer Meet Titles At Belmont appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post