Tag: The Biz

As part of its upwards flow of positives for the summer 2022 race meet, Del Mar has unveiled an enhanced stakes schedule that features 34 major races with more than half of them boosted above their 2021 purse numbers resulting in a record gross value of $8,275,000 for its 31-day stand, the 83rd in the seaside track's rich history.

Besides the major stakes, there also will be increases from $80,000 to $100,000 for all five of its overnight stakes.

Major stakes purse raises will be in effect ranging from $25,000 to $100,000, notably including amplifications to a pair of Grade 1 offerings – the six-furlong Bing Crosby Stakes on Saturday, July 30 climbing from $300,000 to $400,000 and the filly and mare showcase that is the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes on Saturday, Aug. 6 also rising from $300,000 to $400,000.

In 2021, the shore oval's stakes schedule carried a gross value of $7,450,000. This year's additional $825,000 in purse monies means an approximate 10% increase for black type runners, making it the most lucrative stakes schedule in the shore oval's history. All told 16 major stakes are worth more money for this go-round, along with the increases for the five overnights.

“This is Del Mar shining bright and I believe our horsemen and women are going to be delighted with it,” said David Jerkens, one of the track's vice presidents and its racing secretary. “Across the board we have exceptional offerings for most any type of good horse you'd care to bring our way. We're proud to present this program and expect it will be well received.”

The track's premier event is the Grade 1, $1,000,000 TVG Pacific Classic, which will be run for the 32nd time on Saturday, Sept. 3. The mile and one quarter for 3-year-olds and up will be bolstered once again by four additional stakes surrounding it on a rich card that undoubtedly will be the highlight of the summer season.

Along with the “Classic” will be a trio of Grade 2 races, all carrying $300,000 purses: the Del Mar Handicap at 11 furlongs on turf; the Del Mar Mile at eight furlongs on turf, and the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby at nine furlongs on turf. The cherry on top of the afternoon will be the $125,000 Shared Belief Stakes at a mile on the main track.

Joining the three Grade 1 headliners already mentioned are three other Grade 1 presentations in the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks on Saturday, Aug. 20; the $300,000 TVG Del Mar Debutante on Saturday, Sept. 10, and the $300,000 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity on Sunday, Sept. 11.

Additionally, the track will offer a stakes tripleheader on Saturday, Sept. 10 (TVG Del Mar Debutante, John C. Mabee Stakes, Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf) and nine other weekend dates where it has scheduled stakes doubleheaders.

Further, Del Mar also will present its usual compliment of eight California-bred stakes, part of the Golden State Stakes Series that consists of 36 races at tracks up and down the state worth more than $4.4 million. Its stakes are the $175,000 Fleet Treat Stakes, the $175,000 Real Good Deal Stakes, the $150,000 California Dreamin' Stakes, the $125,000 CTBA Stakes, the $125,000 Graduation Stakes, the $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes, the $125,000 Generous Portion Stakes and the $125,000 I'm Smokin Stakes.

Del Mar will open its season with a three-day weekend (Friday, July 22, 23 and 24), then have five four-day weeks (Thursday through Sunday), a five-day week (including Labor Day Monday, Sept. 5), then finish with a Friday-through-Sunday weekend (Sept. 9, 10 and 11).

The list of stakes follows:

DATE	RACE / CONDITIONS	PURSE / DISTANCE
Fri. Jul 22	OCEANSIDE STAKES Three-year-olds, N/W S/S of $50,000 at 1 M o/o in 2022	$100,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile (T)
Sat. Jul 23	SAN CLEMENTE STAKES (Gr. II) Fillies, Three-year-olds	$200,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile (T)
Sat. Jul 23	Osunitas Stakes* Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up, N/W S/S $50,000 at 1 M o/o since September 1	$100,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile (T)
Sun. Jul 24	COUGAR II STAKES (Gr. III) Three-year-olds & up	$125,000 Guaranteed 1 1/2 Miles
Sun. Jul 24	Wickerr Stakes* Three-year-olds & up, N/W S/S of $50,000 at 1 M o/o since September 1	$100,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile (T)
Thu. Jul 28	FLEET TREAT STAKES Fillies, Three-year-olds, Cal-Bred	$175,000 Guaranteed 7 Furlongs
Fri. Jul 29	Daisycutter Handicap* Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up	$100,000 Guaranteed 5 Furlongs (T)
Sat. Jul 30	SAN DIEGO HANDICAP (Gr. II) Three-year-olds & up	$300,000 Guaranteed 1 1/16 Miles
Sat. Jul 30	BING CROSBY STAKES (Gr. I) Three-year-olds & up	$400,000 Guaranteed 6 Furlongs
Sun. Jul 31	EDDIE READ STAKES (Gr. II) Three-year-olds & up	$250,000 Guaranteed 1 1/8 Miles (T)
Fri. Aug 05	REAL GOOD DEAL STAKES Three-year-olds, Cal-Bred	$175,000 Guaranteed 7 Furlongs
Sat. Aug 06	CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' STAKES Three-year-olds & up, Cal-Bred	$150,000 Guaranteed 1 1/16 Miles (T)
Sat. Aug 06	CLEMENT L. HIRSCH STAKES (Gr. I) Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up	$400,000 Guaranteed 1 1/16 Miles
Sun. Aug 07	LA JOLLA HANDICAP (Gr. III) Three-year-olds	$150,000 Guaranteed 1 1/16 Miles (T)
Sun. Aug 07	CTBA STAKES Fillies, Two-year-olds, Cal-Bred	$125,000 Guaranteed 5 1/2 Furlongs
Fri. Aug 12	GRADUATION STAKES Two-year-olds, Cal-Bred	$125,000 Guaranteed 5 1/2 Furlongs
Sat. Aug 13	SORRENTO STAKES (GR. II) Fillies, Two-year-olds	$200,000 Guaranteed 6 Furlongs
Sat. Aug 13	YELLOW RIBBON HANDICAP (Gr. II) Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up	$250,000 Guaranteed 1 1/16 Miles (T)
Sun. Aug 14	BEST PAL STAKES (Gr. III) Two-year-olds	$200,000 Guaranteed 6 Furlongs
Fri. Aug 19	CTT & TOC Stakes* Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up	$100,000 Guaranteed 1 3/8 Miles (T)
Sat. Aug 20	DEL MAR OAKS (Gr. I) Fillies, Three-year-olds	$300,000 Guaranteed 1 1/8 Miles (T)
Sun. Aug 21	SOLANA BEACH STAKES Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up, Cal-Bred	$150,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile (T)
Sat. Aug 27	PAT O'BRIEN STAKES (Gr. II) Three-year-olds & up	$250,000 Guaranteed 7 Furlongs
Sun. Aug 28	RANCHO BERNARDO HANDICAP (Gr. III) Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up	$150,000 Guaranteed 6 1/2 Furlongs
Sat. Sep 03	TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC (Gr. I) Three-year-olds & up	$1,000,000 Guaranteed 1 1/4 Miles
Sat. Sep 03	DEL MAR HANDICAP (Gr. II) Three-year-olds & up	$300,000 Guaranteed 1 3/8 Miles (T)
Sat. Sep 03	DEL MAR MILE (Gr. II) Three-year-olds & up	$300,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile (T)
Sat. Sep 03	CAESARS SPORTSBOOK DEL MAR DERBY (Gr. II) Three-year-olds	$300,000 Guaranteed 1 1/8 Miles (T)
Sat. Sep 03	SHARED BELIEF STAKES Three-year-olds	$125,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile
Sun. Sep 04	TORREY PINES STAKES (Gr. III) Fillies, Three-year-olds	$125,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile
Sun. Sep 04	GREEN FLASH HANDICAP (Gr. III) Three-year-olds & up	$150,000 Guaranteed 5 Furlongs (T)
Mon. Sep 05	GENEROUS PORTION STAKES Fillies, Two-year-olds, Cal-Bred	$125,000 Guaranteed 6 Furlongs
Mon. Sep 05	Tranquility Lake Stakes* Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up, N/W S/S $50,000 at 1 M o/o since February 1	$100,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile
Fri. Sep 09	I'M SMOKIN STAKES Two-year-olds, Cal-Bred	$125,000 Guaranteed 6 Furlongs
Sat. Sep 10	JOHN C. MABEE STAKES (Gr. II) Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up	$250,000 Guaranteed 1 1/8 Miles (T)
Sat. Sep 10	TVG DEL MAR DEBUTANTE (Gr. I) Fillies, Two-year-olds	$300,000 Guaranteed 7 Furlongs
Sat. Sep 10	DEL MAR JUVENILE FILLIES TURF Fillies, Two-year-olds	$100,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile (T)
Sun. Sep 11	DEL MAR JUVENILE TURF (Gr. III) Two-year-olds	$100,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile (T)
Sun. Sep 11	RUNHAPPY DEL MAR FUTURITY (Gr. I) Two-year-olds	$300,000 Guaranteed 7 Furlongs

The post Del Mar’s 2022 Stakes Schedule Most Lucrative In Track History appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer James “Jimmy” Baker has been fined $500 and suspended for 30 days due to a positive test for Metformin, according to a ruling by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission dated Feb. 26, 2022.

According to medlineplus.gov, metformin (a Class B drug) is used to treat type 2 diabetes by decreasing the amount of glucose absorbed from food and the amount of glucose made by the liver; it also increases the body's response to insulin. Metformin has been examined in several studies regarding equine metabolic syndrome.

Baker trainee Fed Money, winner of the 10th race at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4, 2021, has been disqualified with all purse monies forfeited.

Due to mitigating circumstances (number of violations in relation to overall record), 15 days of Baker's suspension were stayed on the condition that no Class A or Class B medication violation occurs in any racing jurisdiction within 365 days from the date of this ruling.

A trainer since 1989, Baker has had only two published medication rulings on thoroughbredrulings.com. Those were both for methocarbamol (a muscle relaxant), one in Louisiana in 2016 and the other in Kentucky in 2017.

Baker's suspension is to be served from March 1, 2022 through March 15, 2022.

Trainer Wesley Ward recently received a similar fine and suspension for a Metformin positive in an April 2021 race, in a ruling dated late January of 2022.

The post Trainer Jimmy Baker Fined, Suspended 15 Days Over Diabetes Drug Positive appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) hosted its first Racecourse Managers' Conference and Workshop over the last three days at the South Point Hotel and Casino's Arena & Equestrian Center in Las Vegas.

The conference brought together nearly 50 professionals currently serving as racetrack management, superintendents, and equine facility managers from 15 locations across the country.

This conference is a critical component in ensuring that surface professionals have the tools they need to keep horses and riders safe at facilities across the country.

“NYRA is committed to implementing science-driven best practices to establish and maintain safe racing surfaces and facilities for the equine and human athletes who race and train at Belmont Park, Saratoga Race Course, and Aqueduct Racetrack,” said Glen Kozak, NYRA Senior Vice President for Operations & Capital Projects.

“As that science and technology continues to evolve, it is more important than ever to share knowledge and best practices informed by on-the-ground experience. The NTRA Racecourse Managers' Conference and Workshop provided the ideal venue to engage in this important dialogue to support safe racing throughout the country.”

The conference brought together a wide crossroads of professionals to experience comprehensive, science-based discussions and demonstrations on maintaining safe racing, training, and event surfaces, along with an explanation of how to participate in the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) racing surface regulations and the processes for HISA implementation and reporting. Additionally, Michael Lawton of Ellis Park Racing in Henderson, KY was the winner of the John Deere TS Gator Giveaway.

During the Conference, the first class of the Racetrack Maintenance Innovation Awards winners were announced and awarded. This award was created to celebrate the work of racetrack professionals who have day-to-day responsibilities for the maintenance, protection, and safety of horses and riders at tracks across the US. The 2022 winners distinguished themselves as some of the most innovative racetrack professionals in Thoroughbred racing. The 2022 winners are:

Leif Dickenson – Turf and Landscape Superintendent at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
Joe King – posthumously awarded, former New York Racing Association (NYRA) Track Superintendent
Dennis Moore – Superintendent at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Santa Anita Racetrack, and Los Alamitos Thoroughbred Racing

This conference will be held on an annual basis and NTRA will announce 2023 conference dates at a later time.

The post NTRA Concludes Successful First Racecourse Managers Conference And Workshop appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The first race on Sunday, March 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack drew intense criticism on social media, focusing on the ride jockey Jose Lezcano gave the runner-up finisher Foxtail.

Foxtail was defeated a neck by Indian Bella and Trevor McCarthy, the leading pair finishing six lengths clear of the third-place horse.

Lezcano's actions during the race included multiple looks over his inside shoulder while maintaining a tight hold on Foxtail, allowing the eventual winner to surprise his mount on the outside.

According to the Equibase chart notes, Foxtail “showed in front early then was taken under a tight hold and relinquished the advantage, stalked outside the leading duo under stout restraint, engaged those leaders while still in hand in the four path around the turn, had the rider take a peek behind him at the five-sixteenths, took the advantage while the rider took five more looks to the inside into upper stretch, was asked while surprised by the presence of the winner to her outside at the three-sixteenths then lost the advantage, kept on under a drive while fighting inside that foe in the final furlong and just missed while well clear for the place.”

NYRA's vice president of communications, Pat McKenna, told Daily Racing Form's Dave Grening that the NYRA stewards spoke with Lezcano on March 6 and scheduled a “formal film review” for Friday, March 11.

Foxtail was making her first start for new owner/trainer Linda Rice after being claimed for $20,000 on Jan. 13. Foxtail's previous owners, Krakow Racing and America's Pastime Stables, are the owners of Indian Bella. Mertkan Kantarmaci trains Indian Bella.

Indian Bella was off at odds of 3.70-1, while Foxtail's odds were 2.40-1. Neither filly was the race favorite (that was fourth-place finisher Magnetique at 2.10-1).

Neither Indian Bella nor Foxtail were claimed out of the March 6 race, which offered entrants for a tag of $12,500.

hey there @TheNYRA @NYSGamingComm you REALLY need to chat with Jose Lezcano after his “ride” in the 1st today at AQU
I'd like to hear why he's looking all around waiting for the 5 to get by him
I'm anxiously awaiting your replies…@EMD4ME @LauraEAVA pic.twitter.com/p9SVEMsE4k

— TracksideMikeN (@TracksideMikeN) March 6, 2022

The post NYRA Stewards Schedule ‘Formal Film Review’ For Jockey Jose Lezcano After Controversial Ride appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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