Tag: People

Michelle Lovell Celebrates ‘Very Special’ New York Win From Louisville

Trainer Michelle Lovell is hoping Griffon Farm's homebred Just Might can return to his top form and cap a 72-hour stakes double in Saturday's $110,000 Mighty Beau Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Lovell made the difficult decision to stay in Louisville on Thursday and continued to oversee her stable at Churchill Downs while assistant Chad Mouton traveled to New York with her fellow turf sprint specialist Change of Control to compete in the $200,000 Intercontinental Stakes (Grade 3). The classy 5-year-old mare rallied from just off the pace for a 1 ½-length victory.

“This mare has been incredibly special to us,” Lovell said. “She tries so hard every time she runs and has been in top form this year. Colby (Hernandez) got her into a great spot early and she was able to relax behind the pace. Into the stretch, it looked like Colby had a ton of horse and when she was able to get outside, she really showed her stride late. That was a great win for everyone involved.”

Just Might, a four-time winner from 25 starts, who is also co-owned and bred by Lovell, was installed as the 9-2 third choice on Mike Battaglia's morning line odds for Saturday's Mighty Beau.

“He ran some of his best races over the winter at Fair Grounds,” Lovell said. “We've run him the last couple years against some graded-type fields, including in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1). I think he matches up well with Saturday's field and hopefully this race gives him a confidence boost heading into the summer.”

Hernandez, who collected his first career graded stakes win aboard Change of Control in the Intercontinental, returned to Kentucky on Friday and is slated to ride Just Might in the Mighty Beau from post No. 2.

Just Might won the last two runnings of the $100,000 Colonel Power Stakes at Fair Grounds. Typically run at 5 ½ furlongs on turf, this year's edition was switched to the dirt due to inclement weather. The son of Justin Phillip entered the Mighty Beau with solid career record of 25-4-7-6 with purse earnings of $333,533.

“I've been partners with Dr. (Robert) Griffon for many years and this horse is very special to us,” Lovell said. “He's like family to me and I've trained for him nearly my entire career.”

The complete field from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Smart Remark (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver, 15-1); Just Might (Hernandez, Lovell, 9-2); Carotari (Julien Leparoux, Brian Lynch, 4-1); Johnny Unleashed (Gerardo Corrales, Eric Foster, 12-1); High Crime (James Graham, Darrin Miller, 10-1); The Connector (Francisco Arrieta, Mark Hoffman, 12-1); Classy John (Corey Lanerie, Dallas Stewart, 4-1); Verb (Mitchell Murrill, Keith Desormeaux, 10-1); Elusive Mischief (Chris Landeros, Ian Wilkes, 15-1); and Totally Boss (Brian Hernandez Jr., Rusty Arnold, 3-1).

The Might Beau, run at five furlongs on the Matt Winn Turf Course, is slated as Race 11 with a post time of 5:58 p.m. First post for the 11-race program is 12:45 p.m. Fans are invited to stay after the finale to watch the 153rd running of the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (G1) on the Big Board. Post time for the Belmont is 6:49 p.m.

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Chase Miller Scores First Victory Aboard His Father’s Trainee At Churchill Downs

Jockey Chase Miller, the 27-year-old son of trainer Darrin Miller, recorded his first-career victory Thursday evening aboard Bethy in Race 4 at Churchill Downs.

Owned by Silverton Hill, and trained by Miller's father, Bethy cruised to a 3 ¼-length win as the 4-5 post time favorite.

Bethy was Miller's 10th mount in his young career. He moved to Kentucky at an early age and attended Oldham County High School. Miller began to work for his father and eventually was an exercise rider for Steve Asmussen, Todd Pletcher and, in more recent years, George Weaver.

Miller's career in the saddle began in 2012 at Delaware Park where he rode in three races. He worked the past several years as an exercise rider until he once again pursued his dream to ride races. He was named on one horse Friday for his father and two Sunday for trainers Genevieve Londono and Jason Cook.

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Irad Ortiz, Jr. Transported To Hospital After Belmont Spill

Reigning champion jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. was placed on a flat board and transported to a hospital via ambulance following a spill in Thursday's fifth race at Belmont Park, according to NYRA analyst and former champion jockey Richard Migliore.

Ortiz's mount, Equal Pay, stumbled in the stretch and unseated the rider in the path of oncoming horses.

On the America's Day At The Races broadcast, Migliore said that after the race, both Jose Ortiz and Junior Alvarado “ran back up above the eighth pole to check on his condition and when (Jose) came back he said was he was moving everything, he's talking, did have some cuts and contusions because he was clipped by one of the trailing horses.… his brother seemed relieved that he was talking and moving everything. It's always a huge concern when a rider goes down, particularly when they are in the path of oncoming horses.”

NYRA's public relations man Keith McCalmont Tweeted that Ortiz is “awake and alert, moving all extremities, and will be transported to local hospital for further evaluation.”

Ortiz is named to ride in nine races on Friday and in all 13 races on Saturday's Belmont Stakes card, including Known Agenda for Todd Pletcher in the Belmont.

This story will be updated when more information is available.

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NYRA Launches Elizabeth Bracken Memorial Scholarship

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the formation of the Elizabeth Bracken Memorial Scholarship to support and encourage students enrolled in the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP) to secure careers in the Thoroughbred industry.

The $10,000 scholarship, to be awarded annually, will be open to juniors and seniors who have completed one full semester in the RTIP and have expressed the desire to work in the Thoroughbred racing industry.

The scholarship honors the memory of Elizabeth Bracken, an RTIP graduate who spent 16 years at NYRA before returning to RTIP as Associate Coordinator and an instructor. Bracken died in November 2019; she was 52.

“We view this scholarship as a way of attracting talented students to careers in our industry, especially in New York,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke. “Liz was an inspiration to everyone who knew her. Our hope is that recipients will share the kind of creativity, vision and drive that Liz brought to everything she accomplished at NYRA and elsewhere in racing.”

Bracken had a long and distinguished career in the thoroughbred industry. A native of Providence, she served as a racing official at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Hialeah Park, Tampa Bay Downs, Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park.

Joining NYRA in 1997 as Simulcast Coordinator, Bracken advanced to Director of Simulcasting in 2002, and Vice President of Simulcasting in 2008, overseeing NYRA's off-track network and coordinating simulcast distribution of the Belmont Stakes.

In 2013, Bracken returned to RTIP, and taught classes on racing management, wagering, and racing laws and enforcement. She also assisted in the coordination of the RTIP's annual Global Symposium on Racing.

“NYRA continues to be a strong supporter of the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program, and the Elizabeth Bracken Memorial Scholarship will support current and future students seeking careers in horse racing,” said RTIP Assistant Professor of Practice Phil O'Hara. “This is a fitting honor to Liz Bracken, who contributed so much to NYRA and to the University of Arizona.”

The RTIP is the country's premier collegiate program designed to educate and train future leaders in the racing industry. It is the only program of its kind to offer a Bachelor's degree centered on the racing industry.

Students choose either a Business Path – designed for careers in management, marketing and regulation or an Equine Management Path – designed for careers in training, the bloodstock industry or farm management.

The $10,000 annual scholarship will be split into two parts – with $5,000 awarded for the fall semester and $5,000 for the spring semester. Eligibility requirements for those interested in applying for NYRA's Elizabeth Bracken Memorial Scholarship are as follows:

–Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to seeking employment in the Thoroughbred racing industry.
–The scholarship is open to RTIP students in their junior and senior years. All applicants must have already completed one full semester at the University of Arizona.
–Students who receive scholarships in their junior year will be eligible for a scholarship in their senior year, provided they have completed an internship with NYRA during the summer after their junior year.
–Students must maintain a minimum 2.5 grade-point average and have full-time status in the RTIP (If either of these requirements are not met, NYRA reserves the right to withhold from the scholarship commitment for the spring semester of 2022).
–Applicants must be RTIP students who are residents of the U.S., Canada, or Puerto Rico.

For more information, please visit: https://ua-rtip.org/sites/ua-rtip.org/files/E_Bracken_Scholarship_Application.pdf

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