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Preakness-Winning Trainer Michael McCarthy Featured On Thursday’s ‘Cocktails & Conversation’

“Cocktails & Conversation,” the weekly virtual happy hour series, returns for the sixth episode of the season on Thursday, May 20, at 6 p.m. Eastern, with special guest Preakness Stakes and Breeders' Cup winning trainer Michael McCarthy; hosted by Britney Eurton and Nick Luck of NBC Sports and joined by renowned mixologist and creator of Breeders' Cup's official cocktails Mark Tubridy.

The multiple G1 winning trainer McCarthy joins the show fresh off his impressive Preakness victory with former Future Stars Friday contender Rombauer. McCarthy also had the honor of training 2018 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile champion City of Light and the speedy Apple Blossom Handicap winner Ce Ce. He has saddled over 1,000 starters since training on his own after being an assistant to Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, and has won over $19 million in earnings.

McCarthy will share his experience preparing Rombauer for the Preakness and what's next.

This week's cocktails are both bright, refreshing sippers perfect for May. The first cocktail is the Bramble, a vibrant classic with gin, lemon juice, Crème de Mûre and syrup. The second drink, the Maker's Renewal, is an upgrade to the standard whiskey sour. This cocktail is made with Maker's Mark®, lemon juice, Crème de Cassis, simple syrup and Angostura Bitters.

In addition to the cocktail mixing segment, fans will be able to submit questions via social media for the hosts and McCarthy to answer during the live stream. Throughout the cocktail hour, viewers will be encouraged to donate to industry workers and communities in need through the official Breeders' Cup website.

All donations generated from Cocktails & Conversation are wholly donated to organizations benefitting the horse racing and hospitality industries, including the Race Track Chaplaincy of America, USBG National Charity Foundation and Restaurant Workers Relief Program.

Live streams can be viewed at Breeders' Cup's Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels.

To learn more about the virtual happy hour series, watch past episodes, and to support those in need, please visit BreedersCup.com/Convos.

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Belmont: Prat Expected To Ride Hot Rod Charlie Over Preakness Winner Rombauer

Trainer Doug O'Neill told the Daily Racing Form on Wednesday that top jockey Flavien Prat has committed to ride Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Hot Rod Charlie in the June 5 Belmont Stakes, rather than staying aboard Saturday's Preakness winner Rombauer, whom he rode for trainer Michael McCarthy.

“We have Prat. Grateful to have him,” O'Neill told DRF.

Hot Rod Charlie shipped back to California after the Derby, and is expected to breeze on Saturday. He will work again on May 28, then fly to New York on May 29.

McCarthy has not decided on a replacement rider for Rombauer, who won the Preakness by 3 1/2 lengths at odds of 11-1. Rombauer shipped straight to Belmont Park after the Preakness, and will be entered in the Belmont Stakes pending he trains well up to the race.

Other potential Belmont Stakes contenders include: Essential Quality, Midnight Bourbon, Rock Your World, France Go De Ina, Bourbonic, Known Agenda, Overtook, and Rebel's Romance, Weyburn, Brooklyn Strong, and Keepmeinmind.

Steve Asmussen Edges Mike Maker In Preakness Weekend Trainer Bonus

Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen edged defending champion Mike Maker to claim the top prize of $50,000 for the third time in five years in the Maryland Jockey Club's $100,000 trainer bonus offered to horsemen for their participation in stakes races over Preakness weekend, May 14-15, at Pimlico Race Course.

Asmussen started 11 horses in 10 stakes over the two days, finishing with 54 points. On May 15 he ran first and second with Mighty Mischief and Jaxon Traveler in the $200,000 Chick Lang (G3) and also finished second with Midnight Bourbon in the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1), Strike Power in the $150,000 Maryland Sprint (G3) and Casual in the $100,000 Runhappy Skipat. Boldor finished fourth for Asmussen in the $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint.

Willful Woman's runner-up effort in the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) was Asmussen's best finish with five horses on the May 14 program. He was also third with Arm Candy in the $100,000 Hilltop, fifth with Abrogate in the $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3), sixth with Max Player in the historic $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3) and seventh with Another Broad in the $150,000 Allaire du Pont (G3).

To be eligible, trainers had to run a minimum of five horses in the 15 Thoroughbred stakes races during Preakness weekend, not including the $100,000 UAE President Cup (G1) for Arabians. Points were accumulated for finishing first (10), second (seven), third (five), fourth (three) and fifth through last (one).

This marked the fifth straight year the MJC has offered the trainer bonus program. Asmussen also earned the top prize in each of the first two years, 2017 and 2018.

Maker ran seven horses in six stakes and finished with 43 points for a $25,000 bonus. He won the Black-Eyed Susan with Army Wife and ran first and seventh with Last Judgment and Treasure Trove in the Pimlico Special, also finishing seventh with Phantom Vision in the Hilltop. On Preakness day, Maker won the $250,000 Dinner Party (G2) with 2020 runner-up Somelikeithotbrown and Maryland Sprint with Special Reserve, and was seventh with Kasim in the $100,000 James W. Murphy.

Fair Hill (Md.) Training Center-based Graham Motion was third with 27 points and earned $12,000. Mean Mary won the $150,000 Gallorette (G3) and Alda and Mia Martina were respectively first and fourth in the Hilltop. Bye Bye Melvin was fourth and English Bee seventh in the Dinner Party.

Brad Cox, the 2019 top bonus winner, had 24 points to finish fourth and earn $7,000. He won the James Murphy with T D Dance, was second and third with Dreamalildreamofu and Getridofwhatailesu in the Dinner Party, seventh with French Empire in the Skipat and eighth with Adventuring in the Black-Eyed Susan.

Rounding out the top finishers were Chad Brown with 14 points ($4,000) and Mike Trombetta with 12 points ($2,000). Among his horses, Brown ran third and fourth with Great Island and Flighty Lady in the Gallorette and fifth with Crowded Trade and eighth with Risk Taking in the Preakness. Trombetta's best stakes finish came with Murphy runner-up Arzak.

Bonus money totaling $50,000 was also offered for trainers having the most points in non-stakes races during Preakness weekend, with points accumulated in similar fashion. Trombetta and Claudio Gonzalez, Maryland's winningest trainer the past four years, tied for first with 27 points and split the $35,000 top prize.

Also winning bonus money were Brittany Russell (21 points, $7,500), Hamilton Smith (15 points, $4,000), Arnaud Delacour (14 points, $1,750) and Anthony Aguirre (14 points, $1,750).

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Flavien Prat’s Preakness Ride Nets Jockey Of The Week Honors

Flavien Prat won his first Preakness Stakes with a powerful stretch run earning Jockey of the Week honors for May 10 through May 16. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Saddling his first runner in a Triple Crown race, trainer Michael McCarthy gave a leg up to Flavien Prat on Rombauer in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes, the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. Riding the 3-year-old for the first time, Prat raced between horses in sixth place in the 10-horse field. Prat and Rombauer launched their bid from the outside on the final turn passing the pacesetters Medina Spirit and Midnight Bourbon in the stretch for the decisive 3-1/2 lengths victory.

“I was pretty confident going to the three-eighths pole,” Prat said. “I was behind the two favorites and I was travelling well. I thought if he switched leads and give me a good kick, I might be able to run them down.”

Rombauer covered the 1-3/16th miles in 1:53.62 returning $25.60 for the win.

Speaking to NBC after the race, Prat said: “It does feel different. Oh, what a feeling. I'm so thankful to [trainer] Michael [McCarthy] and all his team. I want to thank the groom and the pony girl, because he was quite on his toes before the race and I thought they did a great job.”

Prat continued, clearly humbled by the win.

“To be honest, when I left France it was to do better than what I was doing in France,” he said. “I didn't know the magnitude of these races. I knew a lot about the Breeders' Cup but the Triple Crown I didn't know much about it. I realize how important it is. There's so much history behind these races. To win one is amazing. To win the Preakness, it's even better.”

Prat's weekly statistics were 9-1-1-2 for an in-the-money rate of 44.4 percent and total purse earnings of $669,040. He sits comfortably atop the jockey standings at Santa Anita with 102 wins through May 16. He registered his 1,000th North American victory on Feb. 19, 2021 and has amassed 11 Southern California riding titles.

For Jockey of the Week, Prat out-polled Edwin Gonzalez who tied for number of wins with nine, Joel Rosario with two stakes wins including the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan, Diego Saenz with eight wins, and John Velazquez who won two graded stakes.

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