The Biz | Horse Racing Free Tips

Grants Pass Downs Reports Significant Handle Increase; Over $2.2 Million Wagered On Summer Meet

Grants Pass Downs, Oregon's premier horse racing track, concluded its second commercial meet on July 8, following a four-week run of Tuesday and Wednesday racing. The summer meet, which began June 16, carded 78 races over nine dates and handled a total of $2,235,303, nearly quadruple the total amount from last year's non-commercial summer meet. The meet saw a dramatic jump in online and off-track betting, with nearly 94 percent of the meet's handle being driven by off-site betting – representing an astounding 859 percent increase from last summer's meet.

The horsemen and horsewomen received $619,511 in purse money on the season at an average of $68,835 per race day and $7,942 per race. Compared to summer 2019, average race day purses saw an increase of $38,863 – up 130 percent. Additionally, the track's field size jumped to an average 7.94 horses per race over last summer's 5.34 horses per race.

“This record-breaking meet shows that racing is alive and well in spite of COVID-19, and our success is a testament to the hard work put in by track staff, operations and facilities teams and the wonderful community of horsemen and women whose efforts made the meet possible,” said Randy Evers, President of Grants Pass Downs. “We are proud to be one of the few live sporting events on television while supporting the local Grants Pass economy.”

Once again, the meet's leading jockey was Kassie Guglielmino with 14 wins in 58 starts. Guglielmino, who also finished the 2019 fall commercial meet as Grants Pass Downs' top jockey, was followed by Taylor E. Smith (11 wins in 50 starts). Jorge Rosales was the meet's leading trainer with 12 wins and ten second place finishes in 37 starts, and Marjorie Avery finished atop the owner rankings with five wins and six second place finishes in 16 starts.

The meet's record handles were achieved despite limited crowd sizes. In response to the pandemic, Grants Pass Downs complied with the Governor's order to limit the number of nonessential people on site at 250 on racing days during the summer meet. It also made significant operational changes to align with guidance from the CDC and Oregon public health officials to ensure the safety of staff, participating horsemen, athletes, and stakeholders. Dates for the upcoming fall race meet will be announced soon.

For questions about meet details, terms, training schedules, or fees and regulations, please visit https://gpdowns.com/.

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Del Mar: Two Owners Per Horse Will Now Be Able To Attend Races

Starting this Friday July 31, 2020, licensed owners with a horse entered can attend the races at Del Mar. Due to COVID-19, currently space is limited to two licensed owners per horse. No guests are permitted.

Up until now, licensed owners have been on track in the morning to watch workouts. The first come, first serve seating in the afternoons will be located in the same area in the spacious clubhouse box seating. Owners will be required to email Mary Forney, Executive Director of TOC (mforney@toconline.com) to secure access, and reservations can be made up until 24 hours before race day. If a horse has more than two owners wishing to attend the races, TOC will do its best to accommodate if space is available.

On race day, owners must show their license when entering the Del Mar Race Track and park in the designated area just outside the clubhouse. Owners will enter through the same area they have been using in the morning, adjacent to the clubhouse entrance. Owners will be required to be on the owner reservation list, provide their CHRB owners license, and undergo a full Covid-19 health screening including a temperature check. Masks will be required to be worn at all times, and owners must respect social distancing guidelines.

Owners will be required to remain in the clubhouse seating area the entire time and may not enter the paddock or the winners circle. Owners are still not permitted to access the backstretch. Any violation of this strict policy will result in a forfeiture of racetrack privileges.

“We appreciate that owners have been practicing social distancing, wearing masks, and creating a safe environment for all horsemen in the morning,” said TOC Chairman Nick Alexander. “Because that has been successful, we are now able to watch our horses in the afternoon. We recognize owners have been attending races in Northern California, Kentucky, and New York, and for some it has been frustrating having limited access to watch our thoroughbreds race in Southern California. Please continue to respect the new rules and guidelines so we can hopefully safely allow more members to attend the races.”

If you have any questions, feel free to contact TOC Executive Director Mary Forney at (626) 826-3782

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COVID-19: Turf Paradise Reschedules Opening Day To After Thanksgiving

Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Ariz. has rescheduled its opening day to the day after Thanksgiving, Friday November 27. Originally, the 133-day live meet had been scheduled to run from October 17-May 1, 2021. The new schedule will run from Nov. 27-May 1, for 110 live race days.

“We are hoping that by opening later the Coronavirus situation will settle down in Arizona,” said track general manager Vincent Francia. “Regardless we will have health protocols in place when the meet opens.”

Francia added, “We are working with AZHBPA president Bob Hutton as to a date when the horses can begin to arrive in the stable area.”

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Gulfstream Won’t Run Princess Rooney Invitational In 2020

The Grade 2 Princess Rooney Invitational won't be held at Gulfstream Park in 2020, the Daily Racing Form reported Monday. Earlier this year, the Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” race for the Filly & Mare Sprint was rescheduled from the first week in July to Sept. 5 and the purse increased to $300,000.

“We had it all planned out, moving the date to a more attractive spot on the calendar in relation to the division, changing the distance back to six furlongs, raising the purse,” Gulfstream vice president of racing Mike Lakow told drf.com. “Then Covid hit and Churchill moved the Derby as well as their Grade 1 filly and mare sprint to the same day.”

Lakow expects to bring the Princess Rooney back in 2021, with the goal of rebuilding it into a Grade 1 race.

The Grade 3 Smile Sprint will still be run, but its purse will be reduced to $100,000 this year.