rombauer | Horse Racing Free Tips

Michael McCarthy Joins Writers’ Room

Fresh off the first Classic win of his career with his first Triple Crown starter, trainer Michael McCarthy joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by JPMorgan Private Bank Wednesday morning. Calling in via Zoom from his Santa Anita stable as the Green Group Guest of the Week, McCarthy discussed getting Rombauer (Twirling Candy) to run his peak race in Saturday's GI Preakness S., whether he has any regrets about not running in the GI Kentucky Derby, what he learned from former boss Todd Pletcher and more.

“When the horses came to the quarter pole, I started getting excited and I almost had a bit of disbelief,” McCarthy recalled of his emotions Saturday. “The first thought that went through my head was, all right, the horse carried himself to the quarter pole and at least I can say he put up a respectable performance in a Triple Crown race. When they straightened up for home and Flavien [Prat] wheeled outside and they were three across the track, I could see the other two guys inside of him working. Flavien still looked like he was in a little bit of a rhythm and hadn't really gotten after him all that aggressively yet. Then, it was almost like my world went silent from the quarter pole to the wire. When he did strike the front and was pulling away from those horses, it was like an out-of-body experience.”

Asked about what he learned in his eight years working as an assistant to Pletcher, McCarthy said, “If you're around Todd, he leads by example. He shows up and gives it his best every day. He's got some things that I think he does better than anybody that I've been around. His attention to detail. His organizational skills. His big picture kind of thinking. This is something that he set out to do. As I read it, he had said to his parents at 12 or 13 that he'd like to be a racehorse trainer. So when you've got someone that's dedicated their life, like Todd has, to training racehorses, obviously he's left no stone unturned. It doesn't take thousands of races won or championships or Triple
Crown races to see the kind of person he is.”

Elsewhere on the show, which is also sponsored by Keeneland, West Point Thoroughbreds and Legacy Bloodstock, the writers reacted to the news that the New York Racing Association is suspending Bob Baffert and, in the Minnesota Racehorse Engagement Project Story of the Week, debated whether or not the punishment fit the crime for Linda Rice's suspension. Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version.

The post Michael McCarthy Joins Writers’ Room appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

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.

The post Preakness-Winning Trainer Michael McCarthy Featured On Thursday’s ‘Cocktails & Conversation’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

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.

What’s In A Name? Seize the Night, Someday Is Today, Caravel, Que Sera Sir Ralph, Heresy

As for intriguing names of winning horses, that was the week that was.

Let's start with the seminal power of those two immortal little words Carpe Diem ('Seize The Day'} from Ancient Rome prince of poets Horace (65-8 BC)–also responsible for Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori ('It is sweet and fitting to die for the homeland'), written only a few years after having run away, throwing the shield on the ground, at the battle of Philippi (42 BC).

Two horses creatively honored the WinStar stallion Carpe Diem (by Giant's Causeway out of Rebridled Dreams by Unbridled's Song): Churchill Downs 5-14 2yo winner SEIZE THE NIGHT (by Carpe Diem out of Candle Maker by Tapit) cleverly switched day with night with some help from his dam's name, while Charles Town 5-13 3yo winning filly SOMEDAY IS TODAY (by Carpe Diem out of Any Day Now by Smart Strike) sounds like an eloquent exhortation based on both father's and mother's names.

Then we have the nautical congruity of the name of Pimlico's The Very One S. triumphant speed merchant CARAVEL (by Mizzen Mast out of Zeezee Zoomzoom by Congrats). Caravels, Portuguese-developed ships that were “agile and easy to navigate” (according to Wikipedia), ventured across the oceans in the 13th century with notorious epoch-making results. The mizzen mast is the aft-most (or last) mast of many sailing ships, lower in height and well suited to carry a relatively small lateen (triangular) sail in those adventurous caravels.

The name of Golden Gate 3-year-old winner QUE SERA SIR RALPH (by Haynesfield out of Norah's Kitten by Kitten's Joy) is a phonetical little masterpiece of wordplay–Doris Day would approve of it and maybe smile her famous smile.

Down Under winner HERESY (AUS) {by Street Boss out of Montsegur {Aus} by New Approach {Ire}) carries a cunning name. The Chateau de Montsegur is a former fortress in the Ariege department in southern France. Its ruins are the site of a razed stronghold of the Cathars, unorthodox Christians that were persecuted as heretics by the Catholic Church between the 12th and the 14th centuries. Godolphin namers, do not make me work this hard–this was a tough one, I almost missed it.

And, last but absolutely not least, we have our brilliant Preakness winner. A few people have noticed a possible link with a precious Napa Valley Chardonnay–and this number includes the national daily newspaper USA TODAY, who ran a story before the race about the 10 Preakness participants, ranking their names for “originality, prestige and more” (Concert Tour was first, the winner fourth). The ultimate origin of the very name ROMBAUER is not clear and may be never known, but, in any case, the name has a great sound to it: it evokes 'roar' and 'rumble' and 'blast'. It is greatly suited to a sporting spectacle: not for nothing, “Rombo Di Tuono” ('Roar of Thunder') was the nickname of Italian soccer legendary goal scorer Gigi Riva. Never ask for whom the crowd roars: it roars for the winner, dark horse or not.

5th-Churchill Downs, $99,058, Msw, 5-14, 2yo, 5f, :58.81, ft, head.
SEIZE THE NIGHT (c, 2, Carpe Diem–Candle Maker, by Tapit) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,488. O-Willis Horton Racing LLC; B-Cove Springs Farm LLC (KY); T-Dallas Stewart.

Someday Is Today, f, 3, Carpe Diem–Any Day Now, by Smart Strike. Charles Town, 5-13, (S), 6 1/2f, 1:19.94. Lifetime
Record: 2-1-1-0, $26,145. B-Schiano Racing Inc. & Carpe Diem Syndicate (WV). *$50,000 Ylg '19 FTKFEB; $30,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT

THE VERY ONE S., $100,000, Pimlico, 5-14, 3yo/up, f/m, 5fT, :56.21, fm.
1–CARAVEL, 122, f, 4, Mizzen Mast–Zeezee Zoomzoom, by Congrats. ($330,000 RNA 3yo '20 WANOCT). O/B/T-Elizabeth M Merryman (PA); J-Florent Geroux. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 7-5-0-2, $212,872.

Que Sera Sir Ralph, g, 3, Haynesfield–Norah's Kitten, by Kitten's Joy. Golden Gate Fields, 5-14, 1 1/16mT, 1:47.03. Lifetime Record: 8-1-0-2, $31,154. B-Richard James & Roberto Gonzalez (CA).

Heresy (Aus), f, 2, Street Boss–Montsegur (Aus) (GSW-Aus, $267,703), by New Approach (Ire). Morphettville, 5-15, David Coles AM S.-G3 ($99k), 1200mT, 1:10.78. B-Godolphin Australia (NSW). *1ST STAKES WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN.

The post What’s In A Name? Seize the Night, Someday Is Today, Caravel, Que Sera Sir Ralph, Heresy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post