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Delta Downs Preparing For Delayed Thoroughbred Season Kicking Off Nov. 24

Delta Downs' 2020-21 Thoroughbred season will see plenty of changes after a pair of powerful storms caused heavy damage to the racetrack during the offseason.

Hurricane Laura, which struck the Vinton, La. area on Aug. 27 as a Category 4 storm with winds of nearly 150 miles per hour, caused extensive damage to the facility before Hurricane Delta struck nearly the same area as a Category 2 storm on Oct. 9.

Due to the lengthy repairs necessary, Delta Downs' season has been pushed back from its original starting date of Oct. 6 and will now begin on Tuesday, Nov. 24. The 84-day meeting will run through April 16 and feature live racing each Monday through Thursday following opening week. Post times for this season will be at 12:55 pm Central Time each day since the lighting system was damaged beyond repair and nighttime racing was made impossible.

Delta Downs' stakes schedule for the upcoming season has also been altered this year. Overall, the track will offer 22 added-money races worth a total of $1.745 million.

The stakes activity will begin on opening week with a pair of $60,000 races, the Lookout and the B Connected Stakes, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 24 and 25. The track will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26 before the week wraps up on Friday and Saturday with a pair of $100,000 events, the Treasure Chest and the Delta Mile.

The richest race day of the year will happen on Wednesday, Feb. 10 when the track hosts the 18th edition of Louisiana Premier Day. The star-studded program will include 10 stakes races for Louisiana-bred horses and a total of $805,000 in total purse money. The featured race on Louisiana Premier Day will be the $125,000 Louisiana Premier Day Championship for older horses traveling 1 1/16 miles.

For more information about the upcoming season, including the entire stakes schedule, visit the track's website at www.deltadownsracing.com. Fans can also get information about the track through Facebook by visiting the page 'Delta Downs Racing'. The track's Twitter handle is @deltaracing.

The post Delta Downs Preparing For Delayed Thoroughbred Season Kicking Off Nov. 24 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Racing Resumes in Wuhan, China

Thoroughbred racing resumed in Wuhan, China on Oct. 1. Racing had been halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic which originated in the region. A crowd of 3,000 fans were allowed to attend the races, with masks and strict social distancing measures enforced. The first race of the five-race card was the China Cup (video), which went to Ashraf (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in track-record time. Racecourse announcer Wen Li proclaimed, “Wuhan racing, we are back.”

The post Racing Resumes in Wuhan, China appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Zayat Legal Woes Continue As Creditors Force Involuntary Bankruptcy

2015 Triple Crown-winning owner Ahmed Zayat was hit with yet another legal proceeding this week, as the Thoroughbred Daily News reports a small number of Zayat creditors have initiated involuntary bankruptcy proceedings against him.

Involuntary bankruptcy actions are relatively uncommon, according to the TDN's T.D. Thornton, and are primarily designed to protect creditors who fear a debtor's assets will dwindle before they can be repaid. Thornton explains the gamble with involuntary bankruptcy filings is the filers can be required to pay the defendant's legal fees if a judge dismisses the petition.

Zayat filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy last week, listing tens of millions of dollars in debts. A judge awarded MGG Investments a $24.5 million in summary judgment against his Zayat Stables earlier this year as part of a civil suit over a loan that went partially unpaid. Zayat has countersued and the case is ongong.

The petitioners in the involuntary bankruptcy petition include former Zayat financial advisor Steven Keefer (who Chapter 7 documents say is owed $275,000), U.S. Elite, where Keefer is CEO ($188,500), and and Joseph Bodner ($150,000).

Jockeys Pledge Support to Injured Rider Vinnie Bednar

Jockeys Javier Castellano, Mike Smith, John Velazquez, Manuel Franco and Tyler Gaffalione have pledged a percentage of their earnings from the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Kentucky Derby race cards to help rider 28-year-old rider Vinnie Bednar, who suffered a catastrophic fall at Los Alamitos Racetrack Aug. 22. Bednar is currently experiencing lower-limb paralysis following initial surgery at USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. He remains hospitalized while awaiting transfer to the Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado, a world-renowned, premier center for spinal and brain injury. The accident occurred in the seventh race when his mount, Peek It Up, broke down 100 yards from the finish line in the 300-yard race.

“Vinnie was overcome with emotion when I told him that some of the country’s top jockeys had reached out and wanted to help. He couldn’t believe that they were thinking about him while they are amid their big race weekend at Churchill Downs,” said Karen Bednar, Vinnie’s mother.

In the Derby, Castellano will be aboard Money Moves; Franco will ride the heavy favorite Tiz the Law and Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount on South Bend. Mike Smith, who piloted Justify to a Triple Crown title in 2018, will be aboard Honor A.P., while Velazquez will ride Authentic for two-time Triple Crown winner Bob Baffert.

“This could have been any one of us,” said North America’s all-time leading money earner Velazquez. “The injuries Vinnie sustained are going to require a tremendous amount of financial support for his medical bills and rehabilitation. We will be riding with Vinnie and his family in our thoughts and prayers.”

Vinnie Bednar, a former motocross rider, began riding Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses in 2011. As of his latest race, he ranked second in the jockey standings at Los Alamitos. This season Bednar had 41 Quarter Horse victories from 201 starts with earnings of $635,959 and is ranked 23rd in the country. He also rode Thoroughbreds this year, garnering 18 wins from 94 mounts.

To assist with Bednar’s continued medical support, visit the GoFundMe page at https://gf.me/u/yvsusr

The post Jockeys Pledge Support to Injured Rider Vinnie Bednar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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