Pimlico | Horse Racing Free Tips

Leading Maryland Trainer Claudio Gonzalez Dipping Toes Into South Florida Waters

Claudio Gonzalez, Maryland's overall leading trainer by wins the past five years, is overseeing a string of horses in South Florida for the first time during Gulfstream Park's 2021-'22 Championship Meet in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Gonzalez, a 45-year-old native of Chile and cancer survivor, currently has eight horses at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. He brought his first group down Jan. 13 and saddled his first starter of the winter, Magic Stable's I'm Listening, in Saturday's third race.

An 8-year-old New Jersey-bred mare, I'm Listening finished third in the 1 1/16-mile claiming event over Gulfstream's Tapeta surface. Gonzalez said the addition of the all-weather surface was a major factor in coming to Florida.

“I have some horses that I believe will like it, that's why I wanted to be here. The weather is great. The winter is tough in the north because of the weather,” he said. “It gives you good options. In the winter, if you have horses for grass or you can try the Tapeta, it will be good.”

In addition to Palm Meadows, Gonzalez continues to maintain a full barn at Laurel Park with an additional string at historic Pimlico Race Course. He owns or shares 18 individual meet titles at the two tracks, sweeping all three full meets in 2021 and leading the state with 110 wins and more than $3.6 million in purse earnings.

“This was my first week here and I wanted to see how I can make it work better, to see what days I can be here and what days I can stay there,” Gonzalez said. “The good thing is I have good assistants in all three places, so I am confident in them.”

Gonzalez has led Maryland in annual wins since 2017, averaging 106.4 per season. He earned his 1,000th career victory with He's a Shooter Oct. 14 at Laurel and ended 2021 with a lifetime-best $5,323,750 in purse earnings to go along with 161 wins.

“Like I say all the time, if you don't have good help you're done,” he said. “When you have the right help and you're confident in everybody, everything is going to be good.”

Gonzalez's next runner at Gulfstream is Magic Stable's Sloe Gin Biz in a five-furlong claiming sprint over the Tapeta Thursday, Jan. 27. The 3-year-old gelding drew far outside Post 8 and is third choice on the morning line at 4-1.

“We're going little by little, step by step. We'll come and take a look at the condition book and see what we have here,” Gonzalez said. “It's not easy here. It's tough to win races anywhere, but here they come from everywhere. But, we're very excited to try.”

The post Leading Maryland Trainer Claudio Gonzalez Dipping Toes Into South Florida Waters appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

MHBA Announces New Incentives, Awards for Steeplechase Horses

The Maryland Horse Breeders Association (MHBA) Board of Directors recently voted unanimously to begin an award program for Breeder, Owner and Stallion bonuses for registered Maryland-breds at sanctioned steeplechase race meets in Maryland. Beginning in 2022, registered Maryland-bred horses that run first, second or third will receive 30% on purses earned at National Steeplechase Association-sanctioned meets in Maryland. This program is modeled on the current bonuses paid to Maryland-breds that run at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course and Timonium.

The five meets that qualify for this program this year are: My Lady's Manor, Grand National, Maryland Hunt Cup, Fair Hill, and Legacy Chase at Shawan Downs. The bonus applies to NSA-sanctioned steeplechase and flat races with listed purses at Maryland meets. Bonuses will not apply to training flat races.

“We believe this program rewards those Maryland-bred horses that have successful careers over jumps and the people who breed, own and race them here,” said Richie Blue, Jr., MHBA president. “This community is an important part of Maryland's horse industry. Much of the land that is called 'horse country' is due to their vision and efforts to preserve green space.”

The post MHBA Announces New Incentives, Awards for Steeplechase Horses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Jevian Toledo, Claudio Gonzalez Lead Year-End Jockey/Trainer Standings In Maryland

Journeyman Jevian Toledo returned to the top of the state rider standings for the first time in four years, and Claudio Gonzalez continued his dominance among trainers that dates back to 2017 as Maryland closed the book on its 2021 racing season Friday at Laurel Park.

Toledo, 27, ended the winter meet that began Sept. 9 with 50 wins, seven more than runner-up Jorge Ruiz, and was also tops with more than $1.8 million in purse earnings to earn his seventh meet title, all at Laurel. Overall he won 125 races and $4.6 million in purses, his best single season since 2017.

“It feels great. I feel very blessed for all the opportunities I've gotten my whole career and especially this year. It's been a really great year,” Toledo said. “I hope we get the same support next year coming up and hopefully we can get the job done again.”

Toledo had 108 wins at Laurel and historic Pimlico Race Course in 2021, edging 18-year-old Charlie Marquez (102) for the most in Maryland. Represented by agent Marty Leonard, Toledo also went 2-for-7 during the Maryland State Fair Meet at Timonium.

His state championship marked the third time Toledo has led Maryland in wins, following 2015 and 2017. He began 2021 with 14 wins at Laurel's winter meet and tied for second with 39 wins during the extended Preakness Meet at historic Pimlico Race Course.

“It feels amazing. It's really special because I fell in 2018 and it was hard to come back,” Toledo said. “Thank God all the hard work paid off. I work pretty hard in the morning and my agent does a really good job. He's always with me right there. We've been pretty good together.

“This is my home,” he added. “I have to thank all the owners and trainers and all the employees at the barns. They support me. Thank God we're back on top again.”

Toledo, a native of Puerto Rico, won the Weather Vane and Maryland Million Distaff on Hello Beautiful and the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial with Whereshetoldmetogo, both trained by Brittany Russell. Other stakes wins came aboard Brad Cox-trained Dreamalildreamofu in the Twixt and Ready to Purrform in the Laurel Futurity; Corelli in the Henry S. Clark and Grateful Bred in the Maryland Million Turf Sprint.

“Hello Beautiful, she's a special filly. Whereshetoldmetogo is a nice horse, too. Dontletsweetfoolya for Lacey [Gaudet], she's very nice and that owner [Five Hellions Farm] supports me a lot,” Toledo said. “Every horse is special, to be honest. Every single horse, every single one counts. They put me on top.”

Toledo and his wife, Kimberly, also celebrated the birth of their first child, daughter Kylie, in March.

“I have to thank God. He gave me a lot this year,” Toledo said. “I know it's been a hard year with the COVID, everything's different. It's hard. I want to do so many things with my family that I cannot do now with the COVID, but the main thing is we're healthy and that's all that matters.”

[Story Continues Below]

Gonzalez, a 45-year-old native of Chile and cancer survivor, swept all three full meets in Maryland this year, ending Laurel's fall stand with a 34-25 edge over Brittany Russell. He had 28 during its winter meet and 41 at Pimlico, and for good measure also led the Timonium standings with six wins.

“It's like I always say, if it's not for the grooms, the exercise riders, assistants, everybody,” Gonzalez said. “They're working hard in the morning and it's not easy to be there every day at 4 o'clock in the morning. It's my name they see but they do all the hard work. If it's not for them or the owners, I don't have anything.”

Gonzalez now owns 18 individual meet titles in Maryland, 16 at Laurel and two at Pimlico. He won 108 races at Laurel and Pimlico to lead all Maryland trainers for a fifth straight year, averaging 106.4 per season during his run.

“It's really special. I say all the time, there's a lot of good trainers over here. To win one year is special, and to win five, I don't know. It's really, really special,” Gonzalez said. “There's a lot of trainers here with a lot of experience for years, and to win is very, very special.”

Gonzalez won three stakes in Maryland this year with Miss Leslie – the Weber City Miss, Thirty Eight Go Go and Carousel, the latter Dec. 26. Other local stakes wins in 2021 came with Completed Pass in the King T. Leatherbury, Harpers First Ride in the Deputed Testamony and Buff Hello in the Maryland Million Nursery.

MCA Racing Stable's He's a Shooter rolled to his third straight victory Oct. 14 at Laurel to give Gonzalez his 1,000^th career win. He also reached a career high with more than $5.3 million in purse earnings for 2021, to go along with 161 wins.

“A thousand races is a lot of races. When I started, I never thought I'd win that many races so soon. I thought maybe in 10 years or something to get there,” Gonzalez said. “I have to thank all the people working for me and all the owners for giving me the chance to train their horses.”

Notes: Jockey Horacio Karmanos posted a riding double Friday aboard The Walk ($10.60) in Race 4 and Qualy ($8.80) in Race 6 … Laurel will open its 2022 winter meet with a nine-race New Year's Day holiday program. Post time is 12:25 p.m.

The post Jevian Toledo, Claudio Gonzalez Lead Year-End Jockey/Trainer Standings In Maryland appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Racing At Laurel Could Resume By Dec. 16

Live racing at Laurel Park could resume by next Thursday, Dec. 16, officials relayed to the Maryland Racing Commission during a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday. Timed workouts could resume as early as Friday, Dec. 10.

Entries had been taken for Friday, Dec. 10, but those races will not be held.

During Tuesday's meeting, comments from trainers and the public showed a perception that Maryland Jockey Club and Stronach Group officials were over-emphasizing science rather than experience, specifically referencing that of on-the-ground track maintenance professionals, trainers, and exercise riders. MJC acting president Mike Rogers countered that all feedback is welcomed and taken seriously, but Stronach's chief operations officer Aidan Butler added that ultimately the final decisions lie with the track operator.

Racing and timed workouts at Laurel have been cancelled since Nov. 28 after an alarming number of fatalities – four from racing injuries and three while training – occurred between Nov. 6-28. It was the second time in 2021 that racing at Laurel was halted because of track conditions. The first occurrence was in April after a spike in musculoskeletal injuries, which led to racing being shifted to Pimlico on an emergency basis. Track ownership undertook a multi-million dollar track renovation project that wasn't completed until August, with racing resuming at Laurel in September.

Track management launched a new investigation into the racing surface on Nov. 28, with help from noted trackmen Dennis Moore from California, Glen Kozak from the New York Racing Racing Association, and former MJC track superintendent John Passero. The process involved peeling back the track cushion to examine the base.

Rogers detailed that the most likely explanation is that water seeped into a seam in the base material of the stretch before that base material was able to cure, causing a slight depression. That has been repaired, and several additional changes have been made, including adding 50 tons of coarse white sand into the cushion.

Rogers added that this is typically the time of year that the racetrack surface needs specific maintenance ahead of the winter months, but that the entirely new surface hadn't reacted to changing conditions in the way it was expected to.

Only the outermost part of the racetrack was opening for light training through Monday, Dec. 6, but the entire width of the dirt course was scheduled to open for light training on Tuesday, Dec. 7.

Whether racing resumes on the 16th will depend on a satisfactory safety review of the repairs, officials said. Another commission meeting will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 14 to detail the outcome of that safety review and to grant approval for the resumption of racing.

The post Racing At Laurel Could Resume By Dec. 16 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post