Tag: Travers Stakes

Jockey Club Gold Cup and Flower Bowl Added to Saratoga’s 2021 Stakes Schedule

The New York Racing Association unveiled the stakes schedule for the Saratoga meet, which will feature 76 stakes worth $21.5 million in total purses, including the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup and GI Flower Bowl S., both of which were previously run at Belmont.

Both races will be run Sept. 4 and, to accommodate this change, the GI Woodward S. and GIII Fasig-Tipton Waya S. will be moved to the Belmont fall meet. The Jockey Club Gold Cup will be worth a $1 million for the first time since 2016, up from $750,000. The Flower Bowl was cut from $500,000 to $250,000 last year due to COVID-19, but will be boosted to $600,000 this season.

Whitney day will also include the GI Longines Test S.; GI Saratoga Derby, which is being run as a Grade I for the first time this year; GII Glens Falls S.; and Fasig-Tipton Lure S.

The blockbuster Travers day card will also include the GI Sword Dancer S., GI Personal Ensign S., GI Ballerina S., GI Forego S., GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. and GII Ballston Spa S. The first three on that list are Breeders' Cup Win and You're In events, just like the Whitney.

New York Showcase Day will retain its traditional spot on the calendar on Travers eve, Aug. 27, with six stakes for Empire-breds worth a total of $1.15 million.

The local prep for the Travers, the GII Jim Dandy S. will be held July 31, as will the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. and GII Bowling Green S. The GII Amsterdam S. for sophomore sprinters will take place the following day, Aug. 1.

The GIII Schuylerville S. and GIII Quick Call S. highlight the opening day card July 15 and the first Grade I of the season is the Diana S. July 17. Other Grade Is at the Spa include the GI CCA Oaks July 24; the GI Alabama S. Aug. 21; and the GI Fourstardave H. Aug. 14, a qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile.

In addition to the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Flower Bowl, the final Saturday of the meet, Sept. 4, will include the GII Prioress S. and GIII Saranac S. The GI Spinaway S. will take place Sept. 5 and the GI Hopeful S. remains in its traditional spot on closing day, Sept. 6, as does the GII Bernard Baruch H.

Additional upgraded races for the Saratoga summer meet include the previously listed $200,000 GIII Caress S. July 24, in addition to 20 stakes receiving a $20,000 boost to offer a $120,000 purse.

Beginning in 2021, the use of Furosemide (Lasix) is prohibited within 48 hours of all stakes races conducted at NYRA tracks.

Earlier this month, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that live sports and entertainment venues with a minimum reserved seating capacity of 10,000 will be permitted to re-open to a limited number of spectators beginning Feb. 23 with approval from the New York State Department of Health. All attendees must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event and adhere to health and safety requirements, including mandatory facial coverings and social distancing.

NYRA will continue to closely monitor New York State-issued regulations to determine how they impact Saratoga Race Course. Additional details on fan attendance and tickets for the 2021 summer meet will be provided as information becomes available.

Click here to view the complete stakes schedule.

The post Jockey Club Gold Cup and Flower Bowl Added to Saratoga’s 2021 Stakes Schedule appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Classic Preparations: Tiz The Law Breezes Six Furlongs At Keeneland

Belmont and Travers winner Tiz the Law had his first workout at Keeneland on Friday, ridden by Heather Smullen through six furlongs over the fast main track in 1:13.20. The 3-year-old son off Constitution put in splits of :26, :23.60, and :23.60, galloping out seven furlongs in 1:25.40 and a mile in 1:42, according to Keeneland's Twitter account.

Trained by Barclay Tagg, Tiz the Law is expected to make his next start in the Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 7 at Keeneland. He arrived at the Kentucky track from his New York base on Sunday.

Winner of the G1 Champagne Stakes as a 2-year-old, Tiz the Law has had a strong season in 2020. The Sackatoga Stable-owned colt has compiled wins in the G3 Holy Bull, G1 Florida Derby, G1 Belmont Stakes, and G1 Travers Stakes, and he was most recently second to Authentic in the G1 Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5.

The post Classic Preparations: Tiz The Law Breezes Six Furlongs At Keeneland appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Tiz the Law Preps for BC Classic

MGISW Tiz the Law (Constitution) breezed six furlongs in 1:12.26 (1/1) over the Belmont main track Friday morning in preparation for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland Nov. 7. The Empire-bred will be vanned to Kentucky Sunday to continue his preparations for the World Championships.

Under exercise rider Heather Smullen, Tiz the Law went in company with stablemate Niko’s Dream (Central Banker) (five furlongs in 1:01.05) before drawing away at the top of the lane. He recorded splits of :13.07, :24.84, :36.43, and :47.63 before galloping out seven furlongs in 1:25.46 and one mile in 1:40.05.

“He just goes out there and does his job,” Smullen said. “He was on the bridle, breaking off of her [Niko’s Dream] and then he decided ‘Well, it’s time to finish up’ and he just went on away from her. He does everything you expect a good horse to do.”

“We wanted him to settle next to [Niko’s Dream], which he did,” said trainer Barclay Tagg’s assistant and longtime partner Robin Smullen said. “They went the first three-eighths in 36 and 4. He galloped out seven-eighths in 1:25. He pulled up great, cooled out well.”

A decisive winner of the GI Belmont S. June 20, Tiz the Law was ultra-impressive when capturing the GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 8 and was second in the GI Kentucky Derby Sept. 5. Connections chose to skip the GI Preakness S. Oct. 3 and train up to the Classic.

The post Tiz the Law Preps for BC Classic appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

‘We Can Be Competitive’: Max Player Heading To Preakness Stakes

Max Player is headed to the Preakness Stakes (G1), which as it currently stands will stamp him as the only horse to compete in all three legs of the Triple Crown — plus Saratoga's Travers Stakes (G1).

Owned by George Hall and the SportBLX Thoroughbreds company he co-founded, Max Player finished third in the Belmont Stakes (G1), third in the Travers and most recently fifth in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby (G1). Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, winner of the 2007 Preakness with Curlin and the 2009 edition with the filly Rachel Alexandra, ran Max Player for the first time in the Derby, with New York-based Linda Rice previously training the Honor Code colt.

Hall won the 2011 Belmont Stakes with 24-1 shot Ruler On Ice. Max Player was his best finish out of four starters in the Kentucky Derby and his first to run in the Churchill Downs classic since Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Pants On Fire came in ninth in 2011.

“I'm very excited because I haven't been in the Preakness yet,” Hall said by phone. “Steve and I stay in close contact. He shares a lot of information with me, and we discuss things. So it's been great. We both agreed we'd take a lot of things into consideration before there was a decision.

“First, and most importantly, how was the horse feeling and was the horse up for it? Because we don't want to do anything that is not in the interest of the horse. After the Kentucky Derby, he looked like he wanted to keep running. Steve watched him closely, and he was in great shape. He's galloped well. He's breezed well. We felt the horse was at the peak of his game and is ready to run.

“The next thing is, are we going to be competitive? I really feel like we will be competitive. If you look at the Belmont Stakes, where we were third, he didn't have such a great trip. We got really caught behind a lot of horses and had to move around a lot and still wound up being third because he came on so strong at the end. In the Travers, he again came on strong to be third. It's no shame to lose to Tiz the Law, as everybody knows. We feel like he's a really good horse.

“When we started to look at the Preakness, I think the view is that he's in perfectly good health. He's in good shape, and he needs to develop. Reviewing the Kentucky Derby, he really came out of the gate slow (from post 1) and was far behind in the first jump. If we can get a little better trip out of the gate, maybe get a better post position and not fall so far behind and give him so much work to do at the end, we think that we can be competitive.”

Paco Lopez, known for getting horses into a race, has the Preakness mount on Max Player, Hall said. “That's what Paco is known for. Obviously, we want to stay in the race, but we have to be careful because he is going to be a closer, no matter what. I'm sure Steve will give Paco the correct instructions.”

Max Player won Aqueduct's 1 1/8-mile Withers Stakes (G3) on Feb. 1 after winning a maiden race at Parx on his second attempt. He did not run again until the June 20 Belmont, which this year also was 1 1/8 miles instead of the traditional 1 1/2-miles because of the COVID-forced changes to the 2020 Triple Crown.

“He had a long layoff before the Belmont, but then he's had a robust campaign since,” Hall said. “What's most important to us is that he stays healthy and has a good 4-year-old and hopefully 5-year-old career. We didn't really think there was negative toward running in the Preakness that would affect his long-term prospects as a 4-year-old. We're pretty excited about what he's going to do be doing in the future, too.”

Hall bred Max Player through his K & G Stables, named for his children Katherine and George, with the colt raised on his Annestes Farm in Versailles, Ky. Hall owns 86 percent of Max Player, with SportBLX Thoroughbreds owning the other 14 percent. Co-founded by Hall with Joe De Perio, SportBLX Thoroughbreds allows people to buy micro-shares in racehorses, similar in basic premise to Myracehorse, a minority owner in Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness favorite Authentic.

More micro-shares in Max Player, which will come out of his majority interest, likely will be available for purchase next week, Hall said.

Asmussen also is running Monmouth Park's Pegasus winner Pneumatic in the Preakness, with Joe Bravo to ride.

The post ‘We Can Be Competitive’: Max Player Heading To Preakness Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights