Tag: Racing

Online voting is now open to select the winner of the 13th annual Secretariat Vox Populi Award. Created by Secretariat's late owner Penny Chenery, the Vox Populi, or “Voice of the People” award recognizes the racehorse whose popularity and racing excellence best resounded with the public and gained recognition for the sport during the past year.  

Fans can vote in the online poll at Secretariat.com for one of three nominees selected by the Vox Populi Committee. Voters also have the option to write in a racehorse of their choice. The poll is open now through Nov. 30, with the winning recipient to be announced live on the FanDual TV network on Dec. 5. The Vox Populi trophy presentation is scheduled to take place at Santa Anita Park on Jan. 14. 

This year, three horses distanced themselves from the rest of the nominee contender pack. The 2022 nominees are: Cody's Wish, the talented 4-year-old colt whose win in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile was his fourth in five starts this year, and who shares a heart-warming and celebrated bond with his namesake, teenager Cody Dorman; Flightline, the spectacular 4-year-old colt whose electrifying performances winning the Metropolitan Mile, the Pacific Classic by 19¼ lengths and the Breeders' Cup Classic capped off an undefeated season and an unprecedented racing career; and Rich Strike, the 3-year-old colt and sensational 80-1 longshot winner of the Kentucky Derby whose rags-to-riches story and unheralded connections sparked hope for underdogs everywhere.

“All three of these nominees are definitely talented athletes in their own individual ways as well as fan favorites that have brought heart-warming stories and interest to the sport,” said Kate Chenery Tweedy, family historian and daughter of Penny Chenery. “Fan engagement is the name of the game—and that was Mom's vision for the Vox Populi Award and any of these horses would be a worthy recipient.” 

The list of previous Vox Populi winners reads as a who's who among the sport's contemporary superstars and beloved equine heroes: Hot Rod Charlie (2021), Authentic (2020), Bricks and Mortar (2019), Winx (2018), Ben's Cat (2017), California Chrome (2016 and 2014), American Pharoah (2015), Mucho Macho Man (2013), Paynter (2012), Rapid Redux (2011) and 2010 inaugural winner Zenyatta.

The nominating committee for the Secretariat Vox Populi Horse of 2022 is comprised of several distinguished personalities from within and outside the racing industry who all share a keen interest and affection for the sport. For more information about the award, visit Secretariat.com, the official website for the legendary Thoroughbred champion. Celebrating racing's past to enrich its future, Secretariat.com is a comprehensive online source for historical information, photography, merchandise and memorabilia chronicling the enduring legacy of the 1973 Triple Crown winner. Secretariat.com can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The post Cody’s Wish, Rich Strike Among Nominees For 2022 Secretariat ‘Vox Populi’ Award appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A pair of stakes, the $100,000 Ashbridges Bay, and $100,000 Lake Ontario, co-headline Friday afternoon's card at Woodbine.

The 1 1/16-mile Tapeta events are the curtain-closers for the eight-leg stakes Heritage Series, held at Woodbine and Fort Erie racetracks.

Ontario Racing and its Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP) Committee unveiled the series in 2021. With a total purse structure of $800,000 this year, the Heritage Series featured a total of four races – three opening legs and one final – for both 3-year-old colts and geldings, and 3-year-old fillies who are sustained to the Ontario Sires Stakes program.

A half-dozen sophomores, including Hunt Master, will take to the main track for the Lake Ontario, slated as race eight.

Owned by Openwood Farm and trained by Angus Buntain, the 3-year-old son of Hunters Bay will contest his fourth straight stakes event.

The bay arrives at his latest test off a second-place finish, just a head back of winner Banff, in the Lake Superior Stakes.

Sent off at 10-1, Hunt Master dueled to the wire in the 7-furlong turf event, a gutsy performance that was equal parts happy and heartbreaking for Buntain.

“That was his very first race on turf and I was a little unsure how he'd do on the grass, but obviously, it was a lifetime-best effort, especially Beyer-wise (92). It was a huge effort for him. Just the fact that he was well ahead of the rest of the group, he and Banff finished together, that's what I liked the best. He fired on with Banff and fought right to the wire. He showed his true grit again.

“The only thing I can say about the race was that it was heartbreaking to lose by a head. I'm still searching for my first stakes victory as a trainer, and to get beat by that close really hurt. I would have been more comfortable if he had lost by a length or two. But at the same time, I was so proud of him. It was really a mixed emotions situation. I was so disappointed, yet so thrilled and proud of him.”

That effort came after a seventh to Moira in the Queen's Plate on August 21 and a Prince of Wales showing that saw Hunt Master outdistanced and walked off in the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown.

“Both of those races didn't go as we'd hoped. It was nice to see him rebound last time out. Ninety-nine percent of the time he tries his guts out. The only two blemishes on his card are the Plate and Prince of Wales. One of them, the Prince of Wales, was a debacle, and he was outclassed in the Plate. But otherwise, he's shown up in every single one of his races. It was nice to see him do it again. After two tough races, I wondered as a trainer, 'Are we going to get the old Hunt Master?' So, I was very, very proud of him.”

Now, the gelding will return to the Tapeta and at a distance that has yielded a second and a pair of thirds from three starts.

Hunt Master, 2-3-2 from nine starts, worked 4 furlongs in :47-flat over the Tapeta on November 11 in preparation for the Lake Ontario.

“He's doing terrific. I'm really, really pleased. After the Prince of Wales, we sent him home for a few weeks, let him spend time in the field and be a horse for a while. He did put some weight on, and he's kept that weight and put on more since then. Emma [jockey, Wilson] breezed him and she noticed he had put on weight too when she jumped up, and that made me feel good. A bit of a break might have been exactly what he needed. That made me feel even more confident he was going to run well last race.

“Mentally, he's the same. He's just a good-feeling, happy horse who loves to train. The difference is now he's bigger and stronger and it's translated into him carrying his speed a little bit further than he could earlier in the year. I wish he could have been the way he is now going into the Triple Crown. We might have done a little better. He's still maturing physically, and he is getting better. It's nice to see. I'd love to have 10 of him in my barn. I don't think he's ever been better than he is now.”

Bred by Lanny McDonald, Linda Barron, and Susan Rasmussen, Hunt Master launched his career on September 4, 2021, a runner-up effort at 5 ½ panels on the Toronto oval Tapeta. One race later, he broke his maiden courtesy of a neck victory over 6 ½ furlongs over the Tapeta.

Seven starters, including My Girl Sky, winner of the Thunder Bay Stakes, Pleasure's Gold, who took the Rondeau Bay Stakes, and Algoma Stakes victress Talk to Ya Later, will vie for top prize in the Ashbridges Bay.

First post time is 1:20 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.

FIELD FOR THE LAKE ONTARIO

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Dissectologist – Omar Moreno – Michelle Love

2 – Bossy Holiday – Rafael Hernandez – Josie Carroll

3 – Full Screen – Jeffrey Alderson – Julie Belhumeur

4 – Giant One – David Moran – Michael Doyle

5 – Lac Macaza – Luis Contreras – Julia Carey

6 – Hunt Master – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Angus Buntain

FIELD FOR THE ASHBRIDGES BAY

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Totally in Charge – Juan Crawford – Santino Di Paola

2 – My Girl Sky – Steven Bahen – Katerina Vassilieva

3 – Pleasure's Gold – Rafael Hernandez – Tino Attard

4 – Dixie Morning – David Moran – Michael Doyle

5 – Strega – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard

6 – Well Actually – Luis Contreras – Darren Glennon

7 – Talk to Ya Later – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Ian Black

The post Heritage Series Concludes With Two Stakes Friday At Woodbine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Hillwood Stable's Cordmaker, a 7-year-old fan favorite approaching the $1 million mark in career earnings and the defending champion, and fellow Grade 3 winner Ridin With Biden head a list of 29 nominees in the $100,000 Richard W. Small Saturday, Nov. 26 at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The 1 1/8-mile Small for 3-year-olds and up joins the $100,000 City of Laurel for 3-year-olds and $100,000 Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies, each sprinting seven furlongs, on the second of back-to-back stakes days over Thanksgiving weekend.

Laurel will host a pair of $75,000 stakes restricted to Maryland-bred/sired horses Friday, Nov. 25 – the seven-furlong Howard & Sondra Bender Memorial for 3-year-olds and up and six-furlong Politely for fillies and mares 3 and older.

Also nominated to the Bender, Cordmaker is based with trainer Rodney Jenkins at Laurel where the son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin has earned 11 of his 14 lifetime wins including the biggest of his career, the Feb. 19 General George (G3).

Cordmaker went unraced from the General George until launching his comeback in a one-mile optional claiming allowance Nov. 4 at Laurel. Sent off as the favorite, he raced near the lead early before tiring to be sixth and pushing his bankroll to $990,880 in 37 career starts, with 10 stakes wins including a 1 ¾-length triumph in last year's Small.

Cash is King and LC Racing's Ridin With Biden became a stakes winner in the 1 1/8-mile Deputed Testamony July 30 at Laurel, then stretched out to 1 ½ miles two starts later to capture the Greenwood Cup (G3). Last out he set the pace before finishing fifth in the M.P. Ballezzi Appreciation Mile, also at Parx.

Happy Got Lucky Stable, Inc.'s Ournationparade, another co-Bender nominee, won the Maryland Million Classic by 5 ¾ lengths Oct. 22 in his first start since being claimed by trainer Jamie Ness for $50,000 in September. The 5-year-old Cal Nation gelding also won the Maryland Million Nursery as a 2-year-old in 2019.

Lynch Racing's Flat Out Flying is a 15-time career winner with victories in four of his last five starts who is 0-for-3 lifetime at Laurel. Charles Town-based Muad'dib has won 12 of his 13 career starts, five of them in stakes, the only loss coming when second to Art Collector in the Charles Town Classic (G2) Aug. 26.

Also prominent among Small nominees are stakes winners Armando R, Forewarned, Galerio, Shackqueenking, Tappin Cat, Vance Scholars and Jalen Journey, the latter promoted to victory via disqualification in the 2021 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) at Laurel.

The City of Laurel attracted 26 nominees including West Point Thoroughbreds and Joseph Besecker's B Dawk, a chestnut son of Gormley that ran second to Ethereal Road in the May 21 Sir Barton at historic Pimlico Race Course in his stakes debut. The Doug O'Neill trainee ran third in the seven-furlong Perryville Oct. 22 at Keeneland and came back to dead heat for first in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance on the undercard of the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup day program.

Stakes winners Cynergy's Star, Local Motive, Nimitz Class and Undercover Kitty; Red Danger, a two-time stakes winner on the grass; and stakes-placed Al Loves Josie, Coastal Mission and Uncle Buddy are also among the nominees.

Most popular among horsemen was the Safely Kept, named for the Maryland-bred Hall of Fame mare that won 24 of 31 starts and nearly $2.2 million in purses from 1988-91. Leading the 34 nominations are graded-stakes winning shippers Girl With a Dream and Hot Peppers.

Jim Bakke and Gerry Isbister's Girl With a Dream has not raced since having a three-race win streak snapped when sixth in the one-mile Davona Dale (G2) March 5 at Gulfstream Park off back-to-back stakes wins including Gulfstream's seven-furlong Forward Gal (G3). Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso's Hot Peppers owns five career wins topped by the 6 ½-furlong Victory Ride (G3) and six-furlong Jersey Girl this summer at Belmont Park.

Other notable nominees include stakes winners Bazinga C, Buy the Best, Cashing Big Checks, Disco Ebo, Divine Huntress, Half Is Enough, Last Leaf, Murph, November Rain, Stand Up Comic, Swayin to and Fro and The Sky Is Falling and Grade 3-placed Beguine, scratched from Laurel's Thirty Eight Go Go Nov. 12.

Notes: Jockey Grant Whitacre and owner-trainer Mario Serey Jr. teamed up for a pair of winners Monday, One Two Kid ($31.80) in Race 4 and Red Queen ($13.40) in Race 8 … The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot carryover swelled to $36,421.01 after going unsolved for the 20^th consecutive racing day. Tickets with five of six winners Monday returned $263.16 … Laurel will next host a live, nine-race program Friday, Nov. 18 starting at 12:15 p.m.

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The nation's third oldest racetrack, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots is set to open for the 151st meet on Friday, Nov 18. Two racing days kick things off and post time will be 3 p.m. (all times Central) on Friday and 1:15 p.m. on Saturday. Opening weekend of the 80-day Thoroughbred meet includes the inaugural running of six stakes written for Louisiana-breds, serving as preps for Louisiana Champions Day on Dec 10.

The meet will feature 65 stakes worth a combined $8.5 million, up more than $700,000 from last season. Working with the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association and Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, Fair Grounds' racing office created 12 new stakes peppered throughout the schedule, making it the richest program ever offered in Louisiana.

Christmas comes early for horseplayers as Fair Grounds has announced takeout will be lowered to 15% for the Pick 5. Also, a non-jackpot $1 Pick 6, also with a low 15% take, has been added to the wagering menu. Everyone will get to see the payouts light up the new toteboard in the infield.

The progression of the Road to Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve prep races continues to attract top connections. Beginning with the $100,000 Gun Runner (Dec. 26) for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles, the Grade 3 $200,000 Lecomte (Jan. 21) stays at that same distance, then the Grade 2 $400,000 Risen Star (Feb. 19) stretches out to 1 1/8 miles. It all culminates in the 1 3/16 miles Grade 2 $1,000,000 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (March 25).

Fair Grounds has become the sport's destination for 3-year-olds on the Kentucky Derby trail. Three-year-olds running in these races have had phenomenal success in the “Run for the Roses.” Country House won in 2019, Mandaloun won in 2021, and Epicenter finished second in 2022. Further than that, the 2022 Kentucky Derby trifecta and four of the top six finishers of 2021 all traveled through Fair Grounds' Derby preps.

Much of the excitement around the Derby prep races extends from the presence of perennial powerhouses Steve Asmussen and Brad Cox, who will be back for 2022-23. Dating back to 1994, Asmussen has won 1,081 races at Fair Grounds, including last year's Gun Runner, Risen Star, and Louisiana Derby with Epicenter, and the Fair Grounds Oaks with Echo Zulu. North America's all-time leading trainer, Asmussen's historic 10,000th career win will likely come during the meet.

Cox finished second in the 2021-22 trainer standings but he earned the crown four years in a row starting in 2016. Last year's string of 3-year-olds included Grade 2 $300,000 Rachel Alexandra-winner Turnerloose, as well as Kentucky Derby-runners Cyberknife, Tawny Port, and Zozos.

“We are very much looking forward to welcoming our horsemen back for our 151st season at this historic racetrack,” said Racing Secretary Scott Jones. “Fair Grounds has proven to be one of the premier winter racing destinations. Once again last year, the quality of horses who stabled or came through New Orleans made a huge impact in premier races all over the country.”

Titan trainers Tom Amoss, Al Stall Jr., Bret Calhoun, Dallas Stewart, Greg Foley, and Michael Stidham all return with packed barns of stakes-caliber Thoroughbreds.

A new addition to the backside is Ken McPeek. McPeek shipped in Smile Happy and Rattle N Roll to last year's Derby preps. With a win in the Preakness and the Belmont under his belt, he is still on the hunt for his first Kentucky Derby winner.

Beyond Kenneth McPeek, new barns include 2022 Derby-runner Barber Road's trainer John Ortiz, Brian Williamson, and Mike Tomlinson. Robertino Diodoro will have a larger presence than last year, as will Norm Casse, and Chris Davis returns following a year in Florida.

“The owners, the trainers, the jockey colony, the backside workers–there's something special about Fair Grounds that extends from the heritage of horse racing in Louisiana,” said Racing Director Jason Boulet. “With the new toteboard, the increased purses, the high profile connections and the best of the esteemed Louisiana-bred program, we are thrilled for what's in store for our 151st year.”

Week two of racing picks back up on Thanksgiving, a well-celebrated New Orleans tradition,  with a noon starting time on a card that features the 98th running of the Thanksgiving Classic, last year won by Just Might, the winning-most stakes horse in North America in 2021. His trainer Michelle Lovell will be back after winning 9 races at a 21% clip last season.

Coming off back-to-back trainer and jockey titles, all connections will be targeting Ron Faucheux and James Graham. Faucheux consistently excels at Fair Grounds, and sitting at 283 local wins, the barn will assuredly surpass 300 this meet. No active jockey comes close to James Graham's career 1,283 wins at Fair Grounds, but there are three new yet familiar additions to this year's colony who have had their lion's share of success.

Famed pilot of Gun Runner, Monomoy Girl, The Pizza Man, and 2021 Derby-winner Mandaloun, Florent Geroux returns to Fair Grounds seeking his next world-traveling, grade-one winning mount. With two riding titles and a 22% career win rate at Fair Grounds, Geroux will be back looking to pick up where he left off in 2020-21.

Hailing from the Lafayette area, Fair Grounds welcomes home Louisiana-natives Corey Lanerie and Jamie Theriot. With five top 5 finishes in the jockey standings, Lanerie will get live mounts. Winner of the 2007-08 jockey title but absent from racing since 2018, Theriot will be donned “The Comeback Kid” as he battles to earn a seat aboard his next Breeders' Cup winner, having ridden two for Bret Calhoun in 2010.

Other newcomers to the colony include David Cohen who rode last winter at Oaklawn Park. Coming off a successful year riding in Kentucky where he got first call on a lot of Tom Amoss horses, Edgar Morales moves his tack back south, where he rode three meets between 2017-20.

Ready and waiting will be Rey Gutierrez and Jareth Loveberry who both finished in the top 10 their first season at Fair Grounds. In May career win 6,000 came for Deshawn Parker, and he'll be back for his second local meet after riding 40 to the finish line first last year. The 2018-19 title-winner Adam Beschizza, brothers Brain Hernandez Jr. and Colby Hernandez, and “Mighty” Mitchell Murrill will each vie for a spot in the top 10 of an accomplished jockey colony.

Evelyn Benoit's ​​Brittlyn Stable ran away with the 2021-22 owner's title with every one of her 22 winners being sired by Star Guitar, the all-time leading money earner among Louisiana-breds. The trainer behind those wins, Jose Camejo, returns with many of the same formful Louisiana-breds.

When not playing the races live at Fair Grounds, fans can enjoy the spoils of one of our 15 statewide Off Track Betting facilities, or play the races through mobile devices at Twin Spires. The official wagering service of the Kentucky Derby will also entice fans with ongoing promotional offers to potentially help pad their wagering accounts. Don't forget to opt in.

Fair Grounds will also team with Horse Racing Nation to provide unique horseplayer content and in depth coverage. Both the Louisiana and Muniz Stakes are presented by Horse Racing Nation.

The 80-day, 2022-23 Fair Grounds racing season runs through Sunday, March 26. Regular post time will be 1:15 p.m., but there will be an earlier noon first post on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24), Louisiana Champions Day (Dec. 10), Road to the Derby Kickoff Day (Dec. 26), Road to the Derby Day presented by Hotel Monteleone (Jan. 21), Louisiana Derby Preview Day presented by Lamarque Ford-Lincoln (Feb. 18), and Louisiana Derby Day (March 25). A complete list of the racing days and stakes schedule can be found here: https://www.fairgroundsracecourse.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/FGNO-42861_22-23-ThoroughbredRacingSched.PocketGuide-8.5×11-WEB_V4-HR.pdf.

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