Ray Paulick | Horse Racing Free Tips

The Friday Show Presented By Monmouth Park: Weekend Turf Extravaganza At Woodbine

Woodbine racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, has put together a blockbuster weekend of racing on Saturday and Sunday with four Grade 1 stakes and one Grade 2 event comprising the Woodbine Turf Racing Festival. Three of the races – Saturday's Woodbine Mile and Sunday's Natalma and Summer Stakes are Breeders' Cup Challenge Series events. The Mile is a Win and You're in for the Breeders' Cup Mile on turf and the Natalma and Summer are for the Juvenile Fillies Turf and Juvenile Turf, respectively.

North American trainers like Mark Casse, Roger Attfield, Shug McGaughey, Josie Carroll, Christophe Clement, Chad Brown and Brad Cox are represented in Turf Racing Festival races, along with Charles Appleby with several Godolphin horses from England. Coming back from Europe in an attempt to win the G1 Canadian International for a third time is the David Simcock-trained 9-year-old Irish-bred veteran, Desert Encounter. Legendary rider Frankie Dettori will also be on hand for the weekend races.

To help sort through it all, racing analyst and handicapper Jennifer Morrison – @jensblog on Twitter and a regular contributor to OntarioRacing.com and CanadianThoroughbred.com – joins publisher Ray Paulick and bloodstock editor Joe Nevills in this week's edition of the Friday Show.

Jen also offers her post-race analysis of Tuesday's Fort of Erie Stakes – middle leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

This week's Woodbine Star of the Week is Tap It to Win, a Tapit 4-year-old colt who rebounded from three consecutive defeats to win his first graded stakes last weekend in the G3 Seagram Cup.

Watch this week's show, presented by Monmouth Park, below:

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The Friday Show Presented By Monmouth Park: Overheard On Wiretap

A recent brief filed by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York in support of wiretaps of a number of individuals indicted in March 2020 revealed partial transcripts of some of the trainers, veterinarians and suppliers rounded up in this federal racehorse doping probe.

The defendants are trying to have evidence compiled from intercepted phone conversations thrown out, saying the FBI didn't exhaust other investigatory practices before seeking approval for such surveillance. Prosecutors point out why the wiretaps were necessary and that traditional methods would not have worked.

A judge in the case has yet to decide whether to permit the evidence obtained through the wiretaps.

In this week's edition of the Friday Show, publisher Ray Paulick and editor in chief Natalie Voss review some of the conversations held among various defendants – including Jason Servis and Jorge Navarro – that were intercepted by the FBI. They reveal that the trainers had no idea what was in some of the substances they were injecting into horses in their care.

Voss also provides some details on Scott Mangini, a peddler of non-FDA approved substances who has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday.

Joe Nevills then joins Paulick to talk about this week's Woodbine Star of the Week.

Watch this week's show, presented by Monmouth Park, below:

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The Friday Show Presented By Monmouth Park: Disgust In Delaware

When the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission reduced a two-year suspension to just 60 days for trainer Amber Cobb, found by Delaware Park's board of stewards to have “demonstrated cruelty to a horse in her care,” the Paulick Report was besieged with messages of outrage and disgust from a wide array of people in Thoroughbred racing.

“I feel so sick,” one trainer commented after watching the video that accompanied Paulick Report editor-in-chief Natalie Voss' story on the appeals hearing that led to the reduction of Cobb's suspension. “That girl should never, ever be allowed near another horse. … I can't remember watching a video I was more shocked at seeing ever in my life.”

In this week's edition of the Friday Show, Voss joins publisher Ray Paulick to try and explain the unexplainable; namely, why the Delaware racing commissioners refused to support their stewards and reduced Cobb's suspension so dramatically. The commission was led by chairman W. Duncan Patterson Jr., who praised Cobb during the hearing for being “articulate,” adding, “You were an excellent witness.” Along with the praise for Cobb came criticism from the commission of the whistleblower who took the video and went to the stewards.

Bloodstock editor Joe Nevills joins Paulick to review this week's Woodbine Star of the Week, the 3-year-old Ontario-bred filly Il Malocchio, gutsy winner of last weekend's Bison City Stakes.

Watch this week's show, presented by Monmouth Park, below:

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Reader Mail Bag: Adieu To Arlington

The following is a collection of letters we've received from readers in recent days as the permanent closure of Arlington Park seems imminent. If you'd like to submit a letter to our editors, Please click/tap here.

Would create lots of controversy if I had written this in the former comments boxes you had, but the fall of Arlington Park (sorry I was never there) followed the only business rule under profit-oriented capitalism, which is always to endeavor to make the highest rate of profit you can get. It's America's real national religion.

Racing has declined to the point at which the large land areas, which most big tracks possess, is worth more if sold to real estate or developer interests. I fully expect downstate New York racing to go the same way one day. I always thought Aqueduct would go first, but I'm beginning to think Belmont might also be either shrunk dramatically or sold in total to developers. They certainly have declined horribly, both in terms of track accommodations and attendance. Back in the day, tracks were owned by sportsmen and women could never have foreseen this day — but unfortunately, it's here.

–Michael Castellano
Racing fan since the 1960s

Hi Ray, Just wanted to say thank you for your piece about the bitter fall of Arlington.

(If you missed it, it's available here.)

I, too, fell in love with racing there in the 1970s. Over the years, I got to see Secretariat, John Henry, and local legend Rossi Gold, and my cousin and I were present for the “Miracle Million.” I am absolutely heartsick about what has happened. It feels as if COVID-19 has stolen the present and the future, and now, even the past is being taken away.

–Lori Barron
Racing Fan

Hi Ray, Been a long time reader and appreciate the work you do! Just read your Arlington Park story “The Bitter End.” I live close by so it's my home track. What you wrote is so perfect and spot on. When I first heard of this being the last year, my only thought was I need to go one last time. I've been asked a few times by friends but I can't do it. It's not only the bad management as you stated or Churchill Downs greed, it's just to hard to see that beautiful place one last time knowing it's coming down. My wife, my son, my friends have so many great memories and just wish we could continue them at Arlington. I know there are other great and fun tracks but there not close to me like Arlington. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and listening to mine.

–Tom Horak
Racing Fan

I'm not sure what your coverage has been about Arlington but I would suggest looking into the political side of the story based on the state refusing to allow slots for so many years I just believe CD got fed up and walked away. I wanted to blame CD at first glance, however “after further review“ I lay the blame on the crooked politicians of Chicago and the state.

As we say in the Midwest “everything in Chicago is fixed except the roads.”

–Thom Albright
Former owner and racing fan

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