Mike Smith Tests Positive For COVID-19, Off Weekend Mounts At Los Al

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not ride at Los Alamitos this weekend, according to TVG on Twitter. The news was first reported by DRF's Steve Andersen.

“The good news is that he's feeling great,” said TVG's Brittney Eurton. “He's showing no signs of COVID-19. He did take two rapid tests, they came back positive. He's going to re-test with a normal one, a traditional test on Monday.”

All jockeys and valets are required to test for COVID-19 at Los Alamitos.

Smith was listed to ride morning-line favorite Astute for trainer Richard Mandella in the G1 Starlet Stakes on Saturday, but will now be replaced by jockey Flavien Prat.

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TVG’s Weekend Coverage Features Cigar Mile, Opening Of Los Al, Gulfstream

The Cigar Mile (G1) headlines horse racing coverage from coast to coast this weekend on TVG featuring racing from Aqueduct, Fair Grounds and Tampa Bay Downs alongside opening weekend cards from Los Alamitos and Gulfstream Park.

The prestigious Cigar Mile (G1) is the tenth and final race of the day on a star-studded card from Aqueduct which includes three additional graded stakes races – the $150,000 Remsen Stakes (G2), the $100,000 Go for Wand Handicap (G3) and the $150,000 Demoiselle Stakes (G2). The Cigar Mile has attracted a contentious field of nine including multiple graded stakes winner Firenze Fire, last seen finishing third in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) for trainer Kelly Breen.

Los Alamitos will kick off their afternoon Thoroughbred meet on Friday and TVG's Christina Blacker and Britney Eurton will be live trackside throughout the weekend with analysis and selections. Saturday's featured race is the $300,000 Starlet Stakes (G1) for juvenile fillies. Princess Noor tops the field of five for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Victor Espinoza. The two-time graded stakes winning daughter of Not This Time will be trying to improve off of a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). The Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos will run through Sunday, Dec. 20.

Gulfstream Park began their Championship Meet on Wednesday and this weekend will host the popular Claiming Crown which will feature an eleven-race card, nine of which are stakes races, and purses over $800,000. The stakes races include the $150,000 Claiming Crown Jewel which will be run at 1 1/8 miles and has drawn an accomplished field of eight including Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) runner-up Jesus' Team for trainer Jose Francisco D'Angelo. Luis Saez will be aboard the 3-year-old son of Tapiture who rose up from the claiming ranks this spring to finish third in the Preakness Stakes (G1).

The stakes action will continue at Fair Grounds on Saturday with the $75,000 Pan Zareta Stakes, the featured race on the nine-race program. A turf sprint for fillies and mares, the race has drawn a full field of fourteen contenders including Into Mystic, the 5-2 morning line favorite for trainer Brendan Walsh. A 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, she is trying to rebound off of a twelfth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) and will have Ricardo Santana, Jr. in the irons.

In addition to racing from Aqueduct, Los Alamitos, Gulfstream Park and Fair Grounds, TVG will also be featuring Tampa Bay Downs, Laurel Park and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

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TVG Coverage Features Holiday Stakes, Opening Weekends At Fair Grounds, Tampa

TVG, America's horse racing network and leading ADW platform, will bring live horse racing into homes across the country on Thanksgiving Day with live racing from Del Mar in California and opening day from Fair Grounds in Louisiana. The award-winning network will also feature stakes races from Aqueduct, opening weekend from Tampa Bay Downs and premier international racing including the Japan Cup (Group 1) as part of the weekend coverage.

On Thursday, Del Mar will kick off a star-studded four days of racing featuring seven graded stakes races including the $300,000 Hollywood Derby (G1) on Saturday and the $300,000 Matriarch Stakes (G1) on Sunday. Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker, Britney Eurton, Joaquin Jaime and Mike Joyce will be live on-site at Del Mar with exclusive interviews, expert analysis and selections while Simon Bray will be contributing to the broadcast from home.

The featured race on Thursday at Del Mar is the $100,000 Red Carpet Stakes (G3) which has attracted a competitive field of ten fillies and mares including representatives from top East Coast barns for trainers Chad Brown and Graham Motion. Orglandes, has been tabbed as the morning line favorite at odds of 5-2 for Chad Brown and the four-year-old filly will be making her stakes debut after an allowance win at Belmont Park in October. Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be in the irons.

The prestigious $300,000 Hollywood Derby (G1), the ninth and final race on Saturday, has drawn a field of thirteen of the top turf three-year-olds from coast to coast. The one-two finishers in the Hill Prince Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park in October, Get Smokin and Decorated Invader, have both shipped to California for a rematch. Get Smokin, trained by Tom Bush, will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith and the Christophe Clement-trained Decorated Invader retains regular rider Joel Rosario.

The live racing season will begin at Fair Grounds on Thursday with a loaded ten-race card featuring the $125,000 Thanksgiving Classic Stakes. The six-furlong contest has drawn a field of eight including Manny Wah, the 3-1 morning line favorite for trainer Wayne Catalano. The four-year-old son of Will Take Charge was last seen finishing fifth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) and will be ridden by James Graham. The 76-day meet will run through March 28th and will broadcast in its entirety by TVG.

Racing from Aqueduct will resume on Friday with ten stakes races scheduled over the course of three days. Friday's featured race, the $100,000 Comely Stakes (G3) has a field of ten sophomore fillies set to compete in the 1 1/8 mile contest including Thankful, a daughter of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the bay filly has won her last two starts and will be making her stakes debut under jockey Kendrick Carmouche.

On Saturday, fans of international racing can tune in to watch champion Almond Eye make the final start of her career in the Japan Cup (G1) where she will square off against undefeated 2019 Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail and the undefeated Triple Tiara champion Daring Tact. International expert Candice Hare will host the broadcast and post time for the Japan Cup (G1) is at 1:40 a.m. ET/10:40 p.m. PT on Saturday night.

In addition to racing from Del Mar, Fair Grounds and Aqueduct TVG will also be featuring Laurel, Gulfstream Park West and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

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Online ‘Live Money’ Del Mar Fall Challenge Set For Nov. 28

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will offer the “Del Mar Fall Challenge” handicapping contest on Saturday, Nov. 28, presenting a stellar nine-race card including three graded stakes from the seaside track near San Diego, Calif.

The “live money” Challenge is offered online through TVG.com only.

Those interested in competing can sign up now at the Handicapping Contest link at DMTC.com.

Here are the rules and facts around the Challenge:

  • $4,000 to enter with $3,000 to bankroll and $1,000 to prizes. 100% payout of prizes.
  • Del Mar live races only with three graded stakes, including the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby.
  • $100,000 in prizes include three Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge and four National Horseplayer Championship entries.
  • Win, place, show, exacta, trifecta and double wagering.
  • Wager at least $500 on three races and at least $3,000 for the Challenge.
  • Up to two entries per player. Limited to 100 total entries.
  • Qualifiers are offered on HorseTourneys.com.

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