Racing | Horse Racing Free Tips

Shannon C Finally Gets The Win In Remington Park Turf Sprint

There was no one more excited to see that Welder was not entered for this year's $70,000 Remington Park Turf Sprint Stakes than the connections of Shannon C, this year's winner on Friday night.

Four times in his career, Shannon C had finished second to Remington Park's all-time winningest horse, Welder, in stakes races, including by only a neck in the Remington Park Turf Sprint Stakes last year. Shannon C has been to Welder what Alydar was to Affirmed or Sham to Secretariat, the ultimate of runners-up of stakes quality. Shannon C had a three-race winning streak going as a 3-year-old, including the $30,000 Oklahoma Stallion Stakes, his only other stakes win before Friday night. Then he ran into Welder for the first time. He was beaten 4-3/4 lengths in second of the 2018 $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Sprint and the $70,000 Silver Goblin Stakes, losing by 6-1/4 lengths as the bridesmaid. He also watched in second as Welder won the $55,000 TRAO Classic Sprint in 2020 at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla., losing by 6-1/2 lengths. His final silver medalist run to Welder came in last year's version of this race.

“We've been chasing Welder a long time,” said Shannon C's trainer Scott Young. “We thought we had him last year in this race and then he got us by a neck.”

Welder, a winner of an unprecedented 16 races at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla., lifetime, opted to run in Sunday's $150,000 David M. Vance Stakes on Oklahoma Derby Day. Young and jockey Floyd Wethey, Jr., couldn't be happier.

“He's been taking swings at giants,” said Wethey. “This horse knows what he's doing. I'm proud of him. It finally worked out.”

Young seconded that.

“He's fast,” Young said of Shannon C. “When it's his day, it's his day.”

Wethey kept the 6-year-old gelded son of Latent Heat, out of the Fistfite stakes-winning mare Miranda Diane, in perfect position, sitting just off the shoulder of front-runner Denver City, the even-money betting favorite. Broodmare Miranda Diane was a multiple stakes winner in her career.

When they came to the wire, Denver City had faded to fourth and Shannon C (2-1) was able to hold off the closing No Lak of Speed (10-1) in second by a neck. Those two had run second and third in this race last year behind Welder, so it was almost an exact replay. Getting up for third was Pomeroy Haze (8-1), a half-length back of No Lak of Speed. Shannon C paid $6.20 to win, $3.60 to place and $2.60 to show.

Owned by B and S Racing (Robert Smith) of Springfield, Mo., Shannon C earned $42,000 for the win in the 5 furlongs sprint on the grass. He improved his record to 26 starts, six wins, 11 seconds, and two thirds for $290,766. That is a ton of money earned from those runner-up spots and only six trips to the winner's circle.

Shannon C covered the distance in :56.05 over the firm turf. The early fractions were :21.34 for the first quarter-mile and a blistering :43.91 after a half-mile. Shannon C was bred in Oklahoma by his owner.

This is the first win in the Remington Park Turf Sprint for owner B and S Racing and for jockey Floyd Wethey. Shannon C gave trainer Scott Young his second win in the race as he also saddled Devious Runner to victory in 2016.

Racing continues this week with a Saturday-Sunday schedule. It's the only Sunday race day of the meet, serving as Oklahoma Derby Day. Post time is 3 p.m. on Sept. 26, while Saturday night begins at 7:07 p.m. All times Central.

The post Shannon C Finally Gets The Win In Remington Park Turf Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Racing ‘Rookie’ Speaker’s Corner Ready To Step Up In Pennsylvania Derby

The rookie of the Pennsylvania Derby, experience wise, is Godolphin Racing's Speaker's Corner.

When the son of Street Sense enters the starting gate for the Grade 1, $1 million race, it will be just the fourth start for Speaker's Corner and second this year. All of the eight other runners have more race day experience.

Of the other Derby runners, two of them – I Am Redeemed and Americanrevolution – will be making the Pennsylvania Derby their fifth career start.

The lack of seasoning might be cause for concern to those who like Speaker's Corner, but that anxiety should dissipate when you see who is training him. Hall of Famer Bill Mott is not sending Speaker's Corner to Parx because he wants to load up on Philly Cheese Steaks.

Speaker's Corner's highly anticipated return to the races came Aug. 14 at Saratoga in an allowance, a seven-furlong race he won easily by 5 ¼ lengths.

“It was everything we expected and a little bit more,” Mott said. “I was happy with it, for sure. I wasn't sure if the seven-eighths would be enough ground for him. I thought they would run him off his feet a little bit early in the race.”

That didn't happen. The talent the colt showed as a 2-year-old was still there despite a long layoff. He broke his maiden in his second start last October at Belmont and some of the horses he beat that day included Caddo River, Greatest Honour, Miles D and Pennsylvania Derby rival Bourbonic.

After that, an ankle injury put him on the equine disabled list for a while and a spring-time virus that went through Mott's barn delayed his return even longer.

It was worth the wait. Mott is asking him to take a gigantic step forward as he tries graded stakes company for the first time.

“We have always felt we belonged with this group,” Mott said. “We have the one race under our belt and it's working out well.”

Speaker's Corner, who will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, is 12-1 on the Derby morning line.

Mott will also saddle Juddmonte's Obligatory in the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion. The daughter of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin finished fifth in the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga in her last start on Aug. 7.

“The big thing about her is that it is a two-turn test,” Mott said about the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion.

“We know she's quite effective at seven-eighths and a flat mile at one turn. This is a bit of a fact-finding mission for us to figure out if the configuration of the race is going to suit her. We'll see.”

Ortiz also has the mount on Obligatory, who is 10-1 on the Cotillion morning line.

The post Racing ‘Rookie’ Speaker’s Corner Ready To Step Up In Pennsylvania Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Abscess Rules Keepmeinmind Out Of Pennsylvania Derby

Keepmeinmind, the 5-1 morning-line third choice in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, will not run.

Trainer Robertino Diodoro said the son of Laoban has an abscess in his left front foot.

“It's just bad timing,” Diorodo said. “He trained like a monster (Thursday) and we needed the pony to get him off the track, he was feeling so good. This is definitely disappointing, but the main thing is the horse is going to be ok. Terrible timing.”

Keepmeinmind last raced in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 28, finishing fourth. He has not won a race in seven starts this year. For his career, Keepmeinmind has one win, three seconds and a third-place finish in 11 starts.

Diodoro had confidence in the week leading up to the Pennsylvania Derby because of the way the late-running Keepmeinmind had been working at Belmont Park.

Now, instead of getting the colt ready for a ship to Parx early Saturday morning, Keepmeinmind will remain at Belmont. Friday afternoon, he was in his stall, his left foot soaking in a tub.

“He is sulking a little bit right now,” Diorodo said. “Those abscesses, they're painful. He will be back to himself in a few days.”

With the defection of Keepmeinmind, the field for the Pennsylvania Derby has been reduced to eight. Earlier in the week, Medina Spirit, the 2-1 morning line favorite, was taken out of the race by trainer Bob Baffert.

The post Abscess Rules Keepmeinmind Out Of Pennsylvania Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Pair Of 2-Year-Old Stakes Featured On Closing Day At Monmouth Park

Two-year-olds will take center stage on Sunday at Monmouth Park with a pair of stakes races on the final day of the 55-day meet, which concludes with a 14-race card.

The $500,000 Nownownow Stakes, scheduled for a mile on the grass, and the $100,000 Smoke Glacken, at six furlongs on the main track, will serve as showcases for 2-year-olds, some of which have designs on the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar.

Monmouth Park increased the purse of the Nownownow Stakes from $150,000 to $500,000 in an effort to lure potential Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hopefuls looking for one last prep.

The Mark Casse-trained Coinage, coming off a win in the Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 1, heads a 10-horse field in the Nownownow Stakes, which includes first-out winner Dakota Gold. The New York-bred Dakota Gold won his debut for trainer Danny Gargan by 4½ lengths against open Maiden Special Weight company on Sept. 2 at Saratoga.

Midnight Chrome, Grooms All Bizness and There Are No Words come into the race after breaking their maiden on the grass at Monmouth Park in their last start.

The Butch Reid-trained Practical Coach, a first-out winner at Parx on Aug. 25 at six furlongs, heads a field of eight 2-year-olds for the Smoke Glacken Stakes. Swift Tap, a handy debut winner at Monmouth Park on Aug. 11 before finishing fifth in the $200,000 Sapling Stakes, will add blinkers for this start for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

The races for top jockey, trainer and owner all appear to have been decided, with Paco Lopez already clinching his eighth riding title with 100 victories for the meet entering the final three-day weekend of racing. Only Joe Bravo, with 13, has won more riding titles at Monmouth Park.

Wayne Potts enters the final three days of live racing with a 10-win lead (36 to 26) over Kelly Breen in the trainers' race, while Colts Neck Stables LLC has a four-win lead over Mr. Amore Stable (12 to 8) in the quest for top owner honors.

The post Pair Of 2-Year-Old Stakes Featured On Closing Day At Monmouth Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post