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Danon The Kid Remains Undefeated With Year-End Triumph In Hopeful Stakes

Race favorite Danon the Kid claimed this year's Hopeful Stakes at Nakayama in Japan, giving his sire Just a Way (by Heart's Cry) his first G1 title. The bay colt has emulated this year's Triple Crown victor Contrail in capping off his debut campaign undefeated with three consecutive wins—after claiming his debut start in June, he scored a graded win in the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes (G3) on Nov. 23.

Trainer Takayuki Yasuda captured his 12th JRA-G1 title, his first since the 2013 Sprinters Stakes with Lord Kanaloa, while jockey Yuga Kawada claimed his 15th, celebrating his latest victory just a week earlier with Grenadier Guards in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes.

The 15 runners broke smoothly with Land of Liberty grabbing the lead, pressed by Titleholder in second and Orthoclase in third by the first turn. Danon the Kid, along with Vanishing Point on his outside, advanced to third and fourth, respectively, as the field cruised down the backstretch. As the pacesetter swerved way off course and tossed his rider while the field approached the final corner, Danon the Kid made a wide move entering the straight first and turned up an extra gear in the last 100 meters to cross the wire by a good 1-1/4 length margin.

“I'm just so happy that I have at last been able to win on one of my mentor and teacher Mr. Yasuda's runners. The stable staff did a great job in tuning up the colt and he ran much better than he did in his previous start but still, he couldn't find a good rhythm and was not steady in the last two corners today. There is still a lot of room for improvement and we intend to work hard so he can kick off a good three-year-old campaign,” commented Yuga Kawada after the race.

Breaking from the most inner stall, third favorite Orthoclase steadily saved ground in third to fourth up to the last corner, advanced smoothly to second by the furlong pole and threatened the eventual winner briefly but lacked the final kick, while holding off Yoho Lake by 1/2 length to finish second.

Sent off fourth favorite, Yoho Lake was unhurried traveling in mid-field and three-wide before making rapid headway rounding the last turn and chased the eventual winner in the straight with the tied fastest late drive but succumbed to third.

Other Horses:

4th: (11) Titleholder—broke sharply, pressed pace, fought briefly with winner in early stretch, gave up 3rd in last 50m
5th: (13) Chevalier Rose—wide trip in 10th to 11th, advanced while chasing Yoho Lake in straight, no match
6th: (5) Tenkaharu—settled in 10th to 11th, rounded last corner economically, showed effort
7th: (9) Aoi Sho—4th from rear, shifted out wide for bid, tied with fastest last 3-furlong drive, unable to threaten
8th: (7) Machaon d'Or—saved ground around 13th, made headway along the rails and rallied for the lead, weakened in last 50m
9th: (4) Vigore—took economic trip around 6th, met traffic at early stretch, lacked needed kick
10th: (12) Admire Sage—settled around 7th, took wide route to enter lane, unable to reach contention
11th: (6) Whole Shebang—sat around 6th, dropped position in last corners, showed little at stretch
12th: (8) Vanishing Point—traveled wide in midfield, advanced to 2nd in backstretch, fell back turning last corner
13th: (15) Say Hello to You—traveled 2nd from last, no factor
14th: (14) Moriden Arrow—trailed in very rear, never a threat
Fail to Finish: (3) Land of Liberty—set pace, drifted outside at 4th corner and lost rider

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‘We Have An Obligation’: Louis Cella Named Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Sportsman of the Year

Oaklawn owner and president Louis Cella has been named the 2020 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Sportsman of the Year for his efforts to keep racing going during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The track operated without fans in attendance beginning on March 13, and was able to continue hosting racing through the end of the season. Cella even rescheduled the Arkansas Derby to the first Saturday in May when it was announced that Churchill Downs would postpone the Kentucky Derby.

“In racing, we have an obligation,” Cella told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “It's not like a retail store. You send your employees home and good luck and let's talk next week. We have 500 people in the backstretch. We've got 1,500 horses that have to be fed and cared for. We have our own employees, and at that time, we're ramped up to a thousand people. We can't just turn the lights off and say go home. It's not right, and we can't do it.”

Read more at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

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‘Out Of My Wheelhouse’: Maggie Wolfendale Learned To Broadcast From Home In 2020

Just one live day – the New Year's Eve card at Aqueduct Racetrack – remains in 2020 to complete a remarkable year of racing action on the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit. The NYRA Press Office checked in with a selection of New York-based racing personalities to get their reflections on the memorable year.

As a third-generation horsewoman, Maggie Wolfendale's life has been immersed in horse racing since birth. The daughter of Maryland-based conditioner Howard Wolfendale worked on-air at Pimlico Race Course and Colonial Downs before joining NYRA's on-air talent as paddock analyst, a role that she has maintained since October 2010. In addition to her television duties, Wolfendale works alongside her husband, trainer Tom Morley, and gallops horses during morning training. Wolfendale also is involved with Thoroughbred aftercare.

In a year of unprecedented tests and challenges, what would you say has been the highlight of 2020?

Wolfendale: Getting back to racing on June 3. It was a sense of relief; a sense of anticipation in getting back to the races. I think through it all, we proved, amidst a global pandemic, that we can be sustainable, and we can be successful as a business and thrive. At the end of the day, these horses need to run. It was a welcoming day to get back to work.

What has been your best betting/handicapping day of the year?

Wolfendale: It wasn't at NYRA, but we were broadcasting from our homes and we were covering Churchill in mid-May. It was good for me because it's out of my wheelhouse and I'm used to looking at horses in person and not through a TV screen. But I had five winners that day, including Cat's Pajamas who paid around $50 [$57] for Graham Motion.

What was NYRA's biggest accomplishment this year?

Wolfendale: Being able to get back to racing, by far. The fact that in the whole state of New York and this portion of the country, the COVID cases skyrocketed in March and April. The fact that we got everything under control and back to a safe environment. By the end of April, things were where they should be in terms of the protocols put in place. The fact that the TV department put on about 700 hours of live coverage and the amount of handle we increased by broadcasting to people's living rooms, considering they couldn't be here on track.

Broadcasting from your home is interesting. Especially when you have a young baby and child on the other side of the door, that can be a bit distracting. Fortunately, I have a good husband and mother that are able to help out. It was different, but it was a lot of fun in retrospect. I missed physically being around the horses more than anything else. That was the most painful thing to go through during the pandemic. Once I got back out to the barn, I felt so much better being around horses. Everyone in the TV department really rallied.

When watching the races on the NYRA circuit this year, did you notice any track biases for handicappers to consider?

Wolfendale: On the turf course at Aqueduct it paid to save ground, but that's fairly typical in all turf races. That's something you typically see at Saratoga as well over their inner turf course. There would be days, especially at Belmont Park, when it seems like if it rains and it was on the drying out spectrum, you wanted to be on the inside and have early speed.

Who would you say has been the most improved jockey?

Wolfendale: It was really fun to watch the progression of apprentice jockey Luis Cardenas. He obviously showed some talent earlier on in the year and, like everyone else, had the layoff in the springtime, but he's just come back and just rode extremely well. It's also been really enjoyable watching Kendrick Carmouche and all that he's done, winning his first Grade 1 and getting the riding title during the fall meet at Aqueduct.

As far as trainers are concerned, who has stood out the most to you this season?

Wolfendale: I think each year, with new trainers that come in, you gather more information and learn more about what each trainer's horses look like. It adds a tool and a nuance to looking at horses in what to expect when it comes to looking at horses from different barns. Each year, you learn a little bit more about each trainer. For example, Horacio DePaz is a fairly new face consistently on the Maryland and NYRA circuit and I'm learning more about his horses and what to expect, and he does a fantastic job. That's helped me a bit in looking at horses in the paddock.

I think what Christophe Clement accomplished throughout the year has been phenomenal, especially considering that he doesn't have the numbers that Chad Brown or Todd Pletcher do. A lot of the success comes when you have the right horses for the right spots, but once they run through those conditions, you hit that lull. Christophe brought over first time starter after first time starter to the winner's circle, but he does a good job of capitalizing on his stock. Timeless Journey for example, won a maiden 40 at Saratoga and then wins a starter allowance, kind of surprisingly, and got things her own way, but then he brings her to the dirt and runs her through her allowance conditions on the dirt. That's just what he's done with his entire stable to win at the percentage that he has. I like the fact that it's a family-style operation. Christophe has his son [Miguel Clement] working for him and he has longtime assistant Christophe Lorieul working for him for over 20 years, so it's a very family type of establishment and operation. That's been really fun to watch.

The 2020-21 winter meet at Aqueduct returns to action on Thursday, Dec. 31, and continues through Sunday, March 28.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

For additional information, and the complete winter meet stakes schedule, please visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/stakes-schedule.

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Harpers First Ride Caps Off 2020 With Native Dancer Win

MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride put the finishing touches on an outstanding 2020 season by dismissing a bid from fellow multiple stakes winner Cordmaker at the top of the stretch and rolling home a 3 ¼-length winner in Saturday's $100,000 Native Dancer at Laurel Park in Maryland.

The 53^rd running of the 1 1/8-mile Native Dancer, first held at old Bowie Race Course in 1966, was among three stakes for 3-year-olds and up on the undercard of a Christmastide Day program of eight stakes worth $850,000 in purses led by the $150,000 Allaire du Pont (Grade 3).

In a pair of six-furlong springs earlier on the card, Whershetoldmetogo captured the $100,000 Dave's Friend for males and Dontletsweetfoolya won her fifth straight race in the $100,000 Willa On the Move for fillies and mares.

Favored at odds of 1-5 over his six rivals, Harpers First Ride ($2.40) registered his seventh win from 11 starts this year and fourth stakes win, none bigger than the historic Pimlico Special (G3) Oct. 2 at Pimlico Race Course. The winning time was 1:48.56 over a fast main track.

Jockey Angel Cruz, riding for fall meet-leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, positioned Harpers First Ride behind pacesetting 45-1 long shot Saratoga Jack through a quarter-mile in 24.61 seconds, with Cordmaker and Hall Pass battling side by side behind the top two. Harpers First Ride was in front after a half in 48.39 seconds and went six furlongs in 1:11.53 when Cordmaker – third in the 2019 and 2020 Pimlico Special – came calling. They straightened for home together but Cordmaker was unable to sustain his drive and got passed by Forewarned for second.

“Claudio told me to get a good position and just sit behind the speed. The speed's on the outside so [I] just [tried to] get him to relax and go on from there,” Cruz said. “At the top of the stretch I had so much horse, when I asked Harper he responded very well. When Cordmaker came by me I just sat patient and waited a little bit and when I asked him he responded for me. He's just a game horse. He fights to the end.”

Harpers First Ride won four of his last five starts to cap 2020, all of them in stakes – the Deputed Testamony, Pimlico Special, Richard W. Small and Native Dancer. He owns eight wins from 10 career tries at Laurel with one second and one third.

Whereshetoldmetogo Proves Best in $100,000 Dave's Friend
Madaket Stables, Ten Strike Racing, Michael Kisber and Black Cloud Racing Stable's Whereshetoldmetogo came with a determined run through the stretch on the far outside and edged clear to a three-quarter-length triumph in the $100,000 Dave's Friend.

It was the third consecutive win and second straight in a stakes for Whereshetoldmetogo ($6), racing for the fourth time since joining Laurel trainer Brittany Russell. The 5-year-old El Padrino gelding ran six furlongs in a sharp 1:08.55 over a fast main track.

Jockey Jevian Toledo, subbing for regular rider Sheldon Russell, was unhurried in the early going as 25-1 long shot Charge to Victory ran a quarter-mile in 22.13 seconds before being overtaken by 13-time career winner Penguin Power after a half in 44.63. Put in the clear leaving the backstretch, Whereshetoldmetogo began rolling on the outside around the turn and was set down for a drive once straightened for home.

“Brittany told me not to rush him out of there and just leave him alone wherever he's comfortable,” Toledo said. “I just let him break and settle and when I felt he was trying to move I made my move, and he gave me everything he had. He's a really nice horse.”

Taco Supream put in a strong effort to be second, 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Penguin Power. Laki, favored at 4-5, was another two lengths back in fourth with multiple stakes winner and first-time gelding Lebda finishing fifth.

Whereshetoldmetogo has crossed the wire first for three straight races, but was disqualified to second in the Sept. 26 New Castle Stakes at Delaware Park for interference before rebounding to edge Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) winner Laki by a nose in the Frank Y. Whiteley Nov. 28 at Laurel.

'Sweet' Streak Reaches Five in $100,000 Willa On the Move
Five Hellions Farm's Dontletsweetfoolya extended her win streak to five races, putting away main rival Malibu Mischief at the top of the stretch and sprinting clear to her second straight stakes victory in the $100,000 Willa On the Move.

Dontletsweetfoolya ($4.20), favored at even money in a field of eight, hit the wire 2 ¼ lengths in front in 1:09.47 for six furlongs over a fast main track. It was the closest a horse had come to beating the daughter of Grade 1 winner Stay Thirsty during her streak, where she had won by an average of 6 ½ lengths.

“Ever since we drew the one-hole we were kind of dreading it, especially with the weather coming in. The track guys did a fantastic job with working this rail all day,” winning trainer Lacey Gaudet said. “We've had rain and cold weather and this rail is beautiful so it did give us a little more confidence when we led her over here. [There was] a lot of speed; being on the inside we knew she was going to be pressed pretty hard and she just keeps coming back at them.”

Jevian Toledo, aboard for the entirety of the streak, hustled Dontletsweetfoolya from their rail post and was quickly joined by Malibu Mischief, a New York shipper that had won her six straight races. Malibu Mischief pressed Dontletsweetfoolya through fractions of 22.40, 44.81 and 56.75 seconds but was no match once they straightened for home, when Dontletsweetfoolya drew off to her fifth win in eight career starts.

“I didn't tell Jevian anything. He rides this filly with confidence and he knows her very well,” Gaudet said. “He got to the paddock and I gave him a fist bump and said, 'It's up to you now.' That's kind of what we've done the last few races with her, and he gets her home.”

Hisbiscus Punch, off at 21-1, edged Malibu Mischief by a half-length for second with Club Car just a neck back in fourth.

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