three diamonds farm | Horse Racing Free Tips

Runhappy Meet at Kentucky Downs Generates Record Handle

The Runhappy meet at Kentucky Downs, which concluded Wednesday, Sept. 16, saw record betting handle across the six days of live racing that totaled $59,828,44 for a total of 62 races (average per race $964,975), including $9,487,705 on the final day. The previous record of $41,239,699 (average $824,794) was set in 2019.

Even with a modest reduction in prize money owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and a two-month absence of revenue from historical racing machines, a record total of $12,337,000 was paid out over the course of the meet, bettering last year’s $11,520,380.

A perennial leader among U.S. tracks in number of starters per race, Kentucky Downs averaged 9.98 for the just-concluded season, a decline from last year’s astonishing 11.26. The 16 black-type races staged at the meet drew an average of 10.25 runners, including 11.17 for the six sprint stakes. Nine first-level allowance races averaged 11.18 horses, while non-claiming maiden races averaged 10.33 runners.

The meet did not come off completely glitch-free. The fifth race on the opening day of the meet Sept. 7 was declared a no-contest when a gate malfunction saw the gates open with two horses left to load and several others unprepared for the start. On Wednesday’s closing card, officials initially posted the incorrect order of finish for race three, but corrected the mistake prior to the race being declared official. And the track made use of Equibase’s Gmax timing and tracking systems, resulting in times that were uniformly faster from past meets. The track attributed this to “different and more standard starting positions based on GPS measurements,” resulting in race times that varied “significantly.”

“We can’t thank the horsemen and the horseplayers enough for their support this meet,” said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs’ senior vice president and general manager. “The numbers speak for themselves. We appreciate the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission giving us an additional day this year, and the horsemen took full advantage of it. We had some mishaps and glitches, and each will be scrutinized whether they resulted from human error or were beyond our control. Through it all, our racing was spectacular, which is a credit to our owners, trainers and jockeys and to which bettors across the country enthusiastically responded.

He continued, “As far as times and course records, we are going to study the data before making a final determination. But in all likelihood, 2020 will become the baseline year going forward as far as course records. With any new technology, there is a learning curve and hiccups. But we believe the new system is a big step toward addressing the challenges of timing such a unique course as Kentucky Downs.”

Tyler Gaffalione was the meet’s leading rider with 11 victories, while Mike Maker won a record fifth title with eight winners. His client Three Diamonds Farm was represented by four winners.

The post Runhappy Meet at Kentucky Downs Generates Record Handle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Gaffalione, Maker, Three Diamonds Farm Claim Meet Titles At Kentucky Downs

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione and owner Three Diamonds Farm earned their first meet titles at Kentucky Downs, with Mike Maker — who trains for Three Diamonds and frequently uses Gaffalione — winning a record fifth crown at America's most unique race meet in Franklin, Ky.

Wagering on the final day of the six-date meet totaled $9,487,705 on the 10-race card. That brought totaling wagering over the meet's 62 races (with another race ruled a no-contest) to $59,828,444, smashing last year's record $41,239,699 over 50 races and five days.

The RUNHAPPY Meet at Kentucky Downs paid out $12,337,000 in purses to horse owners.

Gaffalione earned his first Kentucky Downs riding title with 11 victories at the six-date meet that concluded Wednesday. That was five wins more than two-time defending titlist Jose Ortiz and his brother, reigning Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz.

Gaffalione ended the meet with a bang, his three wins Wednesday capped by Guildsman's victory in the Grade 3 Franklin-Simpson Stakes in his final mount of the meet.

“This was incredible. This is such a fun place to ride,” said Gaffalione, the 2015 Eclipse Award-winning apprentice jockey. “I always enjoy coming here every year. All the credit goes to my agent (Matt Muzikar). He's really done a great job getting ready for this meet. He told me we were really loaded. I just had to show up and get the job done. A lot of credit goes to all the horsemen who got the horses ready. It was a lot of fun. Hopefully we can do it again next year.”

Maker, already the track's all-time win leader, earned a record fifth meet training crown with eight victories out of a meet-high 56 starters, including four wins last Saturday. That nipped Wesley Ward's seven wins out of 31 starts, denying Ward his own fifth title.

Owner Kirk Wycoff's Three Diamonds Farm earned its first Kentucky Downs owners title with four wins, all trained by Maker.

“It was a good meet, deep and competitive,” Maker said. “Like everything else, wish we'd won a few more but that's racing. Always fun to come here and to do well. We have so many turf horses. It's nice that when we can get an abundance of them in on any given day and know we're coming over here live.”

Maker acknowledged his biggest disappointment was favored Zulu Alpha finishing a rallying third in defense of last year's triumph in the $1 million Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup, which was won by Zulu Alpha's nemesis and 2018 winner Arklow. Both horses now are being pointed to the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

Maker now has won 63 races in his career at Kentucky Downs. His four-year streak of meet titles ended last year when his three wins were one shy of sharing the crown with Ward, Joe Sharp and Ian Wilkes. But even last year, when he had a track-record 15 seconds, he won the money title at $1.4 million.

Noting that the seconds and thirds can be lucrative at Kentucky Downs, Maker said, “For sure. Pays a lot of bills.”

This year Maker finished fourth in money ($823,321), with that title won by four-time reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown at $980,375. Until this meet, Brown had run only one horse at Kentucky Downs.

Gaffalione, who turned 26 on Sept. 12, also earned the jockey money title at $1,619,461, including capturing the $500,000, Grade 3 Real Solution Ladies Sprint on Got Stormy and the $500,000 The Mint Juvenile Fillies on Plum Ali. He won at least one race on five of the meet's six days.

“We always want to be leading rider, but the main thing is they give away so much money so you try to get the money title here more than anything,” Gaffalione said. “But it's always great to get as many wins as possible. Great venue, great racing here. Lot of class horses showed up. Plum Ali really stands out. Got Stormy ran huge. The other day Miss J McKay (second in Tuesday's Music City at 11-1) ran a bang-up race in finishing second. It's been a great meet.”

Kentucky Downs' top six betting days
$17,437,731 — Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020
$11,321,492 — Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019
$10,039,008 — Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018
$9,487,705 — Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020
$8,983,981 — Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020
$8,950,973 — Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020

The post Gaffalione, Maker, Three Diamonds Farm Claim Meet Titles At Kentucky Downs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Fire At Will Resolute In Winning Off-The-Turf With Anticipation

Three Diamonds Farm's Fire At Will made his main track debut a winning one, staying off the pace as Blame the Booze set the early speed before gaining the lead in the stretch and holding off the even-money favorite's re-rally bid in deep stretch for a half-length win in the $100,000 With Anticipation for juveniles moved off the turf on Wednesday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

(The With Anticipation was originally carded as a Grade 3 race but with the change in surface is automatically downgraded to a listed stakes. Its status will be reevaluated by the American Graded Stakes Committee.)

After running sixth in his debut on August 20 over firm Saratoga turf, Fire At Will made his second appearance at the Spa, taking a step up in class in the 16th running of the With Anticipation that was originally carded for 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf. With heavy rainfall forcing the race off the grass and into a seven-furlong dirt sprint, Fire At Will was content to track in the back of the pack in fourth under Irad Ortiz, Jr. as debut winner Blame the Booze led the field through the opening quarter-mile in 22.60 seconds and the half in 45.61 on the sloppy and sealed track.

Approaching the top of the stretch, Ortiz, Jr. urged Fire At Will up and soon gained the advantage along the rail, overtaking Blame the Booze and repelled a stretch-length challenge, completing the course in 1:23.14.

“Speed is doing well so far, but I don't like to rush the horses too much, so I just broke out of there with good intentions,” said Ortiz, Jr. who won four races on the card and is the meet leader with 51 victories with five days remaining. “He didn't have the speed to stay close with them, so I just let him be him, let him settle and tried to save some ground. When I asked him, he responded really well from the half-mile all the way to the wire.

“I was saving all the ground I could and stayed on the rail,” he added. “I was thinking about getting outside but I saw the horse [Blame the Booze, No. 1] get out a bit, so I just stayed on the rail and went for it.”

Trained by Mike Maker, Fire At Will's ability to stay off the pace made the difference.

“It wasn't necessarily by design. We left it up to Irad, he's a smart rider,” said Maker assistant Nolan Ramsey. “As soon as he took back off the pace, I was really happy and he made a good run.”

Ramsey said they talked to Three Diamonds Farm's Kirk Wycoff about staying in the race when it was moved off the grass and made a winning decision.

“With a short field, it made sense,” Ramsey said. “The horse really seemed to get a lot out of his first start and he's been pretty sharp since. He worked a really nice half for us last time [bullet breeze in 47.16 on Aug. 29] and we talked to Mr. Wycoff and Mike and made the decision to stay in and we're clearly happy we did.”

Bred in Kentucky by Troy Rankin, Fire At Will was purchased for $97,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The Declaration of War colt went off at 3-1 and returned $8.20 on a $2 win wager.

Three Diamonds Farm registered its eighth win of the summer meet, tying Repole Stable for second-place in trailing only Klaravich Stables with 12.

Blame the Booze, a first-out winner for trainer Wesley Ward by 2 1/2 lengths on July 10 at Belmont Park in a race also moved off the turf, was five lengths clear of Zippy Baby for second. Winfromwithin completed the order of finish.

“He broke pretty nice and was right there,” said Blame the Booze jockey Luis Saez. “He was handling the track good and tried hard. He got a little tired at the end. When I made him switch leads, he came back on a little but the other horse was already gone.”

American Monarch, the morning-line favorite, and Nathan Detroit both scratched.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Saratoga with a 10-race card highlighted by the the $100,000 P.G. Johnson for 2-year-old fillies on turf in Race 3 at 2:17 p.m. Eastern and the New York Stallion Stakes Series Park Avenue for state-bred 3-year-old fillies in Race 6 at 4:01 p.m. First post is 1:10 p.m.

The post Fire At Will Resolute In Winning Off-The-Turf With Anticipation appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Declaration of War Colt Graduates in Rained-Off With Anticipation

Three Diamonds Farm’s Fire At Will (Declaration of War) came from off the pace to win his main track debut in an off-turf renewal of the GIII With Anticipation S. at Saratoga Wednesday. Sent off the 3-1 second choice behind the Wesley Ward-trained Blame the Booze (Blame), Fire At Will was allowed to ease back to last of four, well behind the favorite, who carved out opening splits of :22.60 and :45.61 on the sloppy and sealed track. Kicking into another gear passing the five-sixteenths marker, the colt gained the advantage along the rail, and repelled Blame the Booze late en route to a half-length victory. Originally carded for 1 1/16 miles on the turf, the With Anticipation was cut back to seven furlongs once moved to the main track.

“I talked to the assistant [Nolan Ramsey] and we talked about staying close to the pace,” explained winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr., who was partnering the colt for the first time. “Speed is doing well so far, but I don’t like to rush the horses too much, so I just broke out of there with good intentions. He didn’t have the speed to stay close with them, so I just let him be him, let him settle and tried to save some ground. When I asked him, he responded really well from the half-mile all the way to the wire.”

In his career debut, Fire At Will, who was accompanied by Tyler Gaffalione, came home sixth going a mile and a sixteenth over the Saratoga turf Aug. 8.

“With a short field, it made sense [to stay in the race],” explained Ramsey, assistant to Mike Maker. “The horse really seemed to get a lot out of his first start and he’s been pretty sharp since. He worked a really nice half for us last time and we talked to Mr. [Kirk] Wycoff [owner, Three Diamonds Farm] and Mike and made the decision to stay in and we’re clearly happy we did.”

Wednesday, Saratoga
*WITH ANTICIPATION S., $93,000, Saratoga, 9-2, 2yo, 7f (off turf), 1:23.14, sy.
1–FIRE AT WILL, 118, c, 2, by Declaration of War
1st Dam: Flirt, by Kitten’s Joy
2nd Dam: Gamely Girl, by Arch
3rd Dam: Helstra, by Nureyev
($97,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Three
Diamonds Farm; B-Troy Rankin (KY); T-Michael J. Maker; J-Irad
Ortiz, Jr. $55,000. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $55,432.
2–Blame the Booze, 120, g, 2, Blame–Discreet Star, by Discreet
Cat. O/B-Mark Breen (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward. $20,000.
3–Zippy Baby, 122, g, 2, Cairo Prince–Zip Cash Back, by City Zip.
($25,000 Wlg ’18 KEENOV; $65,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP; $50,000
2yo ’20 OBSMAR). O-Glenn Del Russo; B-Fredrick Allor (KY);
T-Dermot Magner. $12,000.
Margins: HF, 5, 5HF. Odds: 3.10, 1.00, 4.00.
Also Ran: Winfromwithin. Scratched: American Monarch, Nathan Detroit. *Automatically downgraded from Grade III due to surface switch.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Declaration of War Colt Graduates in Rained-Off With Anticipation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post