Tag: Racing

Mucho Added New Dimension With Close Second In Oaklawn’s Fifth Season

Mucho is again training at his home base, The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington, Ky., but trainer John Ortiz said the horse is under consideration for a return trip to Oaklawn for stakes action later this month or in March.

The speedy Mucho was already an allowance winner sprinting at the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting before finishing second, beaten a neck by Rated R Superstar, in the $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses Jan. 15. The one-mile Fifth Season marked the two-turn debut for Mucho, a 6-year-old son of Blame who races for former Walmart executive William Simon (WSS Racing) and Brent and Sharilyn Gasaway of Little Rock, Ark. (4 G Racing).

Mucho shot to the front in the Fifth Season and turned back challenges from Thomas Shelby and Concert Tour before finally being overtaken on the outside in the shadow of the wire by millionaire Rated R Superstar.

“This was our test,” Ortiz said. “It was exactly what we wanted to see. We wanted to see if he could do the two turns. Now, I think we've got a good sprinter and you have a good two-turn horse. Honestly, we get to play a game with him and see where he takes us.”

It could be back to Oaklawn, Ortiz said, for the $600,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 12 or the $200,000 Whitmore (G3) at six furlongs March 19. Both races are for older horses.

Mucho returned to the work tab Tuesday at The Thoroughbred Center, covering a half-mile in :50. Ortiz's stable is split between Oaklawn and The Thoroughbred Center training facility.

“He comes here, runs and then goes back,” Ortiz said. “It's just a little bit quieter up there for him. We're not planning on running him very often. We just want to make sure we pick and choose our spots this year. We've got bigger goals. We've got to get to the Breeders' Cup with him.”

Ortiz noted Mucho finished just two lengths behind 2021 Oaklawn debut winner Aloha West in the $250,000 Phoenix Stakes (G2) Oct. 8 at Keeneland, a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” event. After finishing second in the Phoenix, Aloha West returned to win the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

This year's Breeders' Cup is at Keeneland, which is about 12 miles from The Thoroughbred Center. Also on the table is the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), Ortiz said.

“Two turns, short stretch, just like here,” Ortiz said. “That's probably going to be a good target. Breeders' Cup Day is where we want to be with him. We were very close last year. We finished third behind Aloha West and we opted out of going to the Breeders' Cup because of the logistics. But this year, we're going to be running from our backyard, from our stall, and I think home-track advantage here. I think we'll be very competitive. But that's the goal. Not just with him, but with many horses from our barn.”

On behalf of WSS and 4 G, Ortiz claimed Mucho for $80,000 in November 2020 at Churchill Downs. Mucho was an allowance winner at the 2021 Oaklawn meeting for his new connections and captured the $100,000 Challedon Stakes July 31 at Pimlico. Mucho has a 7-8-3 record from 30 lifetime starts and earnings of $716,729.

The Razorback closed with 38 nominations. Post positions will be drawn Monday. It is a major local prep for the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) at 1 1/8 miles April 23. The newly graded Whitmore (formerly the Hot Springs Stakes) is a major local steppingstone to the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) at 6 furlongs April 16.

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Happy Medium Makes Stakes Debut In Re-Scheduled Toboggan

Jay Em Ess Stable's talented Happy Medium will make his stakes debut in Saturday's re-scheduled 129th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses, to kick off graded stakes action in 2022 on the NYRA circuit at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The Toboggan was initially scheduled for last Saturday's card which was cancelled due to the impact of a powerful winter storm in the New York City metropolitan area. Five of the original seven Toboggan contenders have returned with defectors including Chateau and Penguin Power, who finished sixth in last Saturday's Fire Plug at Laurel Park.
Trained by Michelle Nevin, the three-time winning Happy Medium seeks his fourth straight trip to the winner's circle having captured his trio of wins by a combined 21 1/4-lengths.
The 4-year-old son of Runhappy arrives off a triumph in a second-level allowance optional claimer on Dec. 18 at the Big A, defeating next-out winner Wudda U Think Now and stakes-winner Chestertown. Happy Medium led at every point of call last out while extending his advantage throughout the 6 1/2-furlong journey, registering a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure for the seven-length romp.
After bursting onto the scene in September at Belmont Park with a maiden special weight victory over four next-out winners by 9 1/4-lengths, Happy Medium handled a sloppy and sealed track with style when defeating winners by five lengths in November at Aqueduct.
“He's a very nice horse and we just have taken the logical steps to go along with him. We've gone from his maiden, a-other-than and two-other-than.” Nevin said. “This step is the next logical one, so we're excited to see him run.”
Happy Medium's maiden score came off a six-month respite. He finished third at 22-1 odds in his career debut in March 2021 at Aqueduct.
“He was a little immature from two into his 3-year-old year and we just wanted to give him some time to develop,” Nevin said.
Happy Medium, bred in Kentucky by Colts Neck Stables, is out of the Coronado's Quest mare Well Spring, who also produced Mendip – a multiple group stakes winner in Dubai. Happy Medium's second dam, Chaposa Springs, captured the 1995 Grade 1 Test and 1996 Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga Race Course.
Manny Franco, aboard Happy Medium for all three of his victories, will return to the irons from the outermost post 5. Happy Medium will carry 120 pounds.
Returning to the Big A by way of Parx Racing is Hopeful Treasure, who sprung an 18-1 upset in the six-furlong Grade 3 Fall Highweight last out on November 28. The 5-year-old bay son of Oxbow provided trainer Michael Catalano, Jr. with his first graded stakes victory, fending off a late challenge by graded stakes winner Green Light Go to win by a head.
Owned by Tony Como's Just In Time Racing, Hopeful Treasure was bought for $6,000 by his original trainer Michael Pino, who conditioned the horse through three wins in his first eight career starts.
Transferred to Catalano, Jr., Hopeful Treasure picked up three more victories including a 1 3/4-length allowance score at Parx four weeks prior to the Fall Highweight.
“We thought about running in a stake at Parx at the end of the year and it just seemed like he wasn't back to where he was mentally,” Catalano, Jr. said. “He started to hit his stride in early January and has been just doing better and better each day since then. He's ready to run right now and hopefully he'll show up at one of these places and run really well again.”
Trevor McCarthy, a two-time stakes-winning rider this meet, picks up the mount from post 4 aboard Hopeful Treasure, who was assigned a field high 124 pounds.
Rounding out the field are War Tocsin [post 1, Silvestre Gonzalez], Repo Rocks [post 2, Ruben Silvera] and Drafted [post 3, Jose Ortiz].
The Toboggan is slated as Race 3 while the Withers will go as Race 8 on Saturday's nine-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.
America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.
NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Delta Downs’ Louisiana Premier Day Includes 10 Stakes Races On Feb. 5

Delta Downs in Vinton, La. will host its richest race program of the season on Saturday, Feb. 5, when the track will award $933,000 in total purse money throughout 11 races, included 10 stakes, all for Louisiana-bred horses. The event is called Louisiana Premier Day, and this year marks the 19th renewal of the event which will kick off with a special first post time of 12 noon.

The featured race on the card will be the $150,000 Louisiana Premier Day Championship for older horses competing at 1-1/16 miles, which will be the 10th race on the program. This year's Championship attracted a full field of 12, which includes two also eligible runners.

The Championship is guaranteed to have a new winner this year. Underpressure, who has won the last two editions of the race, was not entered this year. The lukewarm 3-1 morning line favorite for Saturday's feature is Keith Plaisance's Langs Day, who won the Gold Cup at Delta Downs on October 30 impressively before finishing a hard closing second in a tough allowance race last time out on January 12.

The Championship field also includes Kendel D. Standlee's Izzy's Baby Boy (5-1), who most recently won a dramatic B Connected Stakes on New Year's Day; Robert Asaro Enterprises, Inc's Maga Man (8-1), who comes into the event with the highest career earnings mark of $289,480; and the Sam B. David, Jr. trainee Jax Man (6-1), who ran second, only a neck behind Izzy's Baby Boy, in the B Connected.

Fans will also be in for a treat when the $100,00 Louisiana Premier Day Matron rolls around as Grade 2 winner Cilla takes on several rivals in the five-furlong dash for older fillies and mares. The Brett Brinkman trainee and daughter of the great California Chrome is the solid 6-5 favorite as she goes for her seventh career win and attempts to add to her lofty $416,000 bankroll.

Another race that will get plenty of attention will be the $100,000 Louisiana Premier Day Starlet. The one-mile event will be a rematch between 5-2 morning line favorite Free Like a Girl and Medley. Medley narrowly defeated Free Like a Girl in the $100,000 Louisiana Lassie Stakes at Fair Grounds on December 11. But Medley has never raced at Delta Downs and Free Like A Girl is undefeated in Vinton with two stakes tallies in as many starts earlier this meet. On October 22 she romped by 18-1/2 lengths in the $100,000 Louisiana Jewel and on November 19 she scored another impressive win in the $100,000 My Trusty Cat.

In addition to the many local horsemen taking part in Louisiana Premier Day, there are also some nationally prominent trainers who will saddle horses on the program. They include Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, as well as Karl Broberg, Tom Amoss, W. Bret Calhoun and many others.

Delta Downs will offer the DRF Bets $50,000 Guaranteed All Stakes Pick 4 wager on the Louisiana Premier Day program. The special wager will take place on race 8 – 11, which includes the afternoon's richest race, the $150,000 Louisiana Premier Day Championship serving as the penultimate leg. The special wager will also include an ultra-low takeout of just 12%.

Delta Downs will also welcome a special guest to its simulcast program during Louisiana Premier Day. Nationally known horse racing analyst and commentator Martha Claussen will join track announcer Don Stevens on the simulcast show as a co-host, handicapper and trackside reporter following the major stakes races.

Listed below are each Louisiana Premier Day race in program order.

Race # Purse Stakes Race Distance Age

1 $50,000 LAPD Bon Temps Starter 5 furlongs 4yo & up FM

2 $100,000 LAPD Matron 5 furlongs 4yo & up FM

3 $38,000 (La-bred Maidens) 7-1/2 furlongs 3yo

4 $50,000 LAPD Ragin Cajun Starter 5 furlongs 4yo & up

5 $100,000 LAPD Starlet 1 mile 3yo FM

6 $60,000 LAPD Ladies Starter 1 mile 4yo & up

7 $100,000 LAPD Sprint 5 furlongs 4yo & up

8 $125,000 LAPD Distaff 1 mile 4yo & up FM

9 $100,000 LAPD Prince 1 mile 3yo

10 $150,000 LAPD Championship 1-1/16 miles 4yo & up

11 $60,000 LAPD Gentlemen Starter 1-1/16 miles 4yo & up

The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association will be awarding two (2) $1,000 college scholarships via a drawing that will take place on Louisiana Premier Day.

Entries for the LTBA drawing will be taken at a designated booth between 11 am and 12 noon. Winners will be announced after the fifth race and will have to be present to win when the announcement is made from winner's circle. To qualify for the drawing, entrants must be enrolled full time for spring or summer 2022 classes and in good standing with their Louisiana college or university.

For more information about Louisiana Premier Day and the remainder of Delta Downs' current season, which runs through March 5, visit the track's website at www.deltadownsracing.com. Fans can also follow the track on Facebook and Twitter.

Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana, on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles, take Exit 7 and from Texas, take Exit 4.

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