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The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: Talking Tapeta With Jim Lawson

Jim Lawson, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment, recommended to the company's board of directors in 2015 that the Toronto racetrack's main Polytrack surface be replaced with another all-weather synthetic material, Tapeta Footings. Eight years later, he is confident it was the right call.

Woodbine is one of the safest racetracks in North America, with 0.42 racing fatalities per 1,000 starts on the Tapeta surface in 2022, according to data from The Jockey Club's Equine Injury Database. That compares to an overall 2022 average of 1.25 fatalities per 1,000 starts on all racing surfaces in North America, and a 1.44 per 1,000 fatality rate on dirt tracks.

So far in 2023, Woodbine has seen two fatal injuries from roughly 4,500 starts. From about 14,000 timed workouts, Lawson said, there have only been two fatalities.

Those numbers compare favorably to national averages on traditional dirt surfaces, which have come under fire recently after the high-profile fatal injuries to budding stars Maple Leaf Mel and New York Thunder in Grade 1 races at Saratoga in August.

Lawson joins Ray Paulick and bloodstock editor Joe Nevills on this week's Friday Show to discuss the experience Woodbine has had with Tapeta. It's not perfect, Lawson said, with maintenance difficulties during hot and cold weather (something that occurs during Woodbine's long April to December meet). Overall, however, Lawson believes the Tapeta surface has been better for the horses and for Woodbine's bottom line.

Watch this week's episode of The Friday Show below:

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Two-Year-Old Spotlight Presented By Stonestreet Bred & Raised: Taking On The Lawn At Kentucky Downs

Summer means an increased focus on 2-year-olds, most notably at some of the country's most prominent meets.

Each week, we'll look at a race of interest to those looking for horse racing's next rising stars.

This week, Emily White takes us to Kentucky Downs and a big field of fillies tackling a mile on that unique turf course.

Among the runners is a well-bred filly by freshman sire Demarchelier, one of the few sons of international super-sire Dubawi standing in the United States, as well as a daughter of Constitution that could move up in her second try on the track.

Watch this week's 2-Year-Old Spotlight video below:

The post Two-Year-Old Spotlight Presented By Stonestreet Bred & Raised: Taking On The Lawn At Kentucky Downs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Longshot Look Presented By Kentucky Downs: Hunting For Value On Opening Day

The elite Kentucky Downs meet kicks off Thursday, Aug. 31., featuring some of the nation's largest purses and field sizes, and one of the most attractive wagering menus on the racing calendar.

The Paulick Report is back with another season of Longshot Look to help you get the most out of one of North America's premier turf meets.

For each card of the seven-day meet, J.D. Fox will single out a price play with his reasoning for what makes the horse worth a look when they might go overlooked.

On Thursday's opening day card, Fox has zeroed in on a horse in the seventh race: a one-mile allowance for 3-year-olds and up that have not won a graded stakes race on the turf in 2023. At odds of 10-1 his pick will aim to regain the winning form he established this spring in Maryland.

In the event of inclement weather around Franklin, Ky., we've introduced J.D.'s “Scratch Saver” pick to increase the chances of the host helping you find a winner, whether they're a longshot or not.

Thursday's Scratch Saver comes in the 10th and final race of the day: a one-mile maiden special weight for 2-year-olds.

#12 Raguel's dam had a strong runner-up effort in debut routing at Keeneland and Raguel sire's lineage is “win early” as well (Scat Daddy, Johannesburg, Hennessy, Storm Cat). Those with experience in the race haven't done much, outside of Frontline Warrior who is fourth on the also eligible list. Raguel is 12-1 on the morning line.

Kentucky Downs' 2022 meet takes place Aug. 31 and Sept. 2, 3, 7, 9, 10 and 13. First post each day is at 12:25 p.m. Central, except for the Saturday, Sept. 9 card, which features a special start time of 11:30 a.m. Central.

The post Longshot Look Presented By Kentucky Downs: Hunting For Value On Opening Day appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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VIDEO: Where Are The Horses Of The 2015 Kentucky Derby Today?

The 2015 Kentucky Derby featured one of the strongest top-to-bottom fields in recent memory, led by eventual Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year American Pharoah.

Bloodstock editor Joe Nevills takes a look at where every member of the 19-horse field is today, eight years after the race. Some have gone on to prominent stud careers, some have ended up standing at stud overseas, some have gone on to succeed in fields outside of the racing and breeding industry, while others left us too soon.

This video is a compilation of a “Where Are They Now” series from the Paulick Report's TikTok account. We'll be doing special shortform video content on TikTok, with short visual features, opinions, and anything else that we can shoot with our phones that might be fun for racing fans to watch.

To follow and subscribe to the Paulick Report TikTok account, click here.

Find out where the horses of the 2015 Kentucky Derby are in the video below:

The post VIDEO: Where Are The Horses Of The 2015 Kentucky Derby Today? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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