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Saratoga’s First Post Delayed Friday

Saratoga’s first post time Friday has been pushed back to 2:10 p.m. ET due to an ongoing technical issue with AmTote, the New York Racing Association’s tote system provider.

Friday’s card, which was slated to begin at 1:10 p.m., includes the Skidmore S., a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 2-year-olds which will be run as the third race.

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Acknowledging ‘Inconsistencies’ in New Timing System, Equibase Says Del Mar Turf Races Will Be Hand Timed for Rest of Meet

In response to reports of inaccurate times being produced for Del Mar turf races by its new Gmax GPS timing system, Equibase said in a statement Thursday that Del Mar will hand time its turf races for the rest of the meet. The statement also admitted the company found “inconsistencies” in the Gmax timing of Del Mar turf races that it will work to fix before the fall meet at the seaside oval.

“Del Mar racetrack will be utilizing hand timing for turf races for the remainder of the summer meet,” the statement read. “The times produced by the Equibase GPS System for dirt races have proven to be highly accurate and will continue to be provided. Last week, we discovered some inconsistencies with respect to the GPS survey and our historical survey relating to the turf course that we will work to rectify before Del Mar’s November meet. The GPS system will continue to provide the full running order for all types of races.”

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TDN Writers’ Room Celebrates 50 Episodes

It was a special day Wednesday for everyone who works on the TDN Writers’ Room presented by Keeneland, as the crew celebrated its 50th episode of the industry-leading weekly podcast. In a tribute to the show’s creator, the four hosts welcomed producer Patty Wolfe as the Green Group Guest of the Week to discuss her original vision for the Writers’ Room, how it has evolved since then and how she’d like to see it develop in the future.

“I’m a big podcast person and there’s one podcast that I love, NPR Politics’ Weekly Roundup, because it’s reporters, people that are used to just reporting the stories at NPR, never being celebrities themselves,” Wolfe said. “And it was so fascinating to get people who really knew their stuff as opposed to people who just are slick on camera. So I said to Sue [Finley], you’ve got such a smart staff, can we get some writers to sit around and do this? Sue said, ‘We’ve got buy-in here. We’ll do it. We’ll give it a try.'”

Originally intended as a medium to recap and preview racing and sales based out of a refashioned conference room in the TDN offices, the podcast quickly morphed into an opportunity for the writers to delve into deep, structural issues within the sport and speak candidly in pursuit of finding solutions. It also has now turned into a video recording done over Zoom, an innovation of necessity in response to the pandemic shutting down the original “studio”.

“From show one, I said. ‘Oh, this thing’s got a life of its own,”” Wolfe added. “It changed a lot from the initial thought, for the better. Who knew the kinds of stories that were going to come your way? This crazy year that has been in the sport, outside the sport, there was no topic [the hosts] weren’t willing to tackle. One of the things I enjoy the most is how honest it is. There’s no feeling of, ‘Hey, let’s take this polite approach and be deferential.’ No, you let it out. And that’s been the biggest surprise and treat for me. It just went its own way.”

Elsewhere on the podcast, there was plenty to discuss from The Jockey Club’s Round Table, and the writers zeroed in on the debate over whether and how to shrink the disproportionate number of claiming races run in America with the goal of creating a safer environment for lower-level horses. They then explored Bill Finley’s article from Wednesday’s TDN about the issues plaguing Equibase’s new Gmax timing system at tracks across the country and the wide-ranging implications that come from incorrect clockings. In the West Point Thoroughbreds news segment, the topic turned to the extensive delay of Monmouth paying out its purses and how it particularly affects smaller stables. Click here to watch the podcast, click here for the audio-only version.

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Tobys Heart Becomes First Stakes Winner for Jack Milton in Bolton Landing

Tobys Heart justified the ‘TDN Rising Star’ moniker she earned in her debut with a victory in Saratoga’s Bolton Landing S., becoming the first black-type winner for her second-crop sire (by War Front). Overcoming a troubled trip to graduate by 6 3/4 lengths in her Churchill Downs unveiling June 4, she was heavily favored at 1-2 for this step up in class. Running off the fence, the bay bided her time back in sixth as Joy’s Rocket zipped through a :22.21 zipped through an opening quarter. Swinging out four wide turning for home, Tobys Heart charged up to confront Joys Rocket in the lane and the two separated themselves from the rest of the pack. However, Joys Rocket proved no match for Tobys Heart who rolled clear to victory.

The winner’s stakes-winning dam Pick of the Pack is a daughter of GSW Cat Attack (Storm Cat) and a half-sister to GSW Great Attack (Greatness). The 19-year-old mare produce a Comissioner colt in 2019 and a Commissioner filly Apr. 15 of this year. She was bred back to Astern (Aus). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

BOLTON LANDING S., $85,000, Saratoga, 8-19, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.31, gd.
1–TOBYS HEART, 122, f, 2, by Jack Milton
                1st Dam: Pick of the Pack (SW, $107,450), by Lil’s Lad
                2nd Dam: Cat Attack, by Storm Cat
                3rd Dam: Harp Strings (Fr), by Luthier (Fr)
($5,500 Ylg ’19 FTKOCT; $45,000 2yo ’20 OBSMAR). 1ST BLACK
   TYPE WIN. O-Hamilton, Terry and Lynch, Brian A.; B-Trackside
Farm (KY); T-Brian A. Lynch; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $46,750. Lifetime
Record: 2-2-0-0, $92,150.
2–Joy’s Rocket, 122, f, 2, Anthony’s Cross–Queenie’s Pride, by
Special Rate. ($47,000 2yo ’20 OBSMAR). O-Team Hanley;
B-Weston Thoroughbreds Training & Sales (FL); T-Steven M.
Asmussen. $17,000.
3–Amanzi Yimpilo (Ire), 122, f, 2, No Nay Never–Honourably
(Ire), by Galileo (Ire). ($300,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Moulton,
Susan, Detampel, Marc and CJ Thoroughbreds; B-Longueville
Bloodstock &Matrix Bloodstock (IRE); T-Wesley Ward. $10,200.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 0.55, 7.10, 6.40.
Also Ran: Mischievous Dream, Quinoa Tifah, Sweet Souper Sweet, Hara, Sassy Hannah. Scratched: Stylish Rags, Sunny Isle Beach.

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