Wood Memorial | Horse Racing Free Tips

NYRA: Wood Memorial Purse Will Increase To $1 Million If Grade/Group 1 Winner Starts

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the stakes schedule for the 15-day Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet, which will feature 13 stakes worth $2.7 million in total purses. The spring meet will open on Thursday, March 31 and continue through Sunday, April 24.

The spring meet is highlighted by the 97th running of the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, a nine-furlong test for sophomores on Saturday, April 9.

Should any horse in the field register a Grade 1 or Group 1 victory prior to running in the Wood Memorial, NYRA will increase the total purse by $250,000 if the qualifying horse is declared an official starter.

The lucrative Wood Memorial card features the first Grade 1 of 2022 on the NYRA circuit in the $300,000 Carter Handicap, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses. The stakes-laden day is headlined by the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, which offers 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers.

Bolstering the Wood Memorial day card are a trio of Grade 3 races, including the $250,000 Gazelle at nine furlongs for sophomore fillies offering 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-four finishers; the $200,000 Bay Shore, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores; and the $150,000 Distaff Handicap at seven furlongs for older fillies and mares.

Also featured on the Saturday card is the $100,000 Danger's Hour at one-mile on turf for 4-year-olds and up. Completing the weekend at the Big A on Sunday, April 10 is the $100,000 Top Flight Invitational at nine furlongs for older fillies and mares.

Opening Weekend of the spring meet on Saturday, April 2 will feature the Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior at nine furlongs for older horses. Following the Wood Memorial card, the Big A will offer the $100,000 Plenty of Grace at one-mile on turf for older fillies and mare on Saturday, April 16.

Closing weekend of the Big A spring meet offers the $200,000 NYSSS Times Square at 6 1/2-furlongs for eligible New York-sired sophomores and the $100,000 Woodhaven for sophomore turf routers on Saturday, April 23.

The 15-day spring meet will conclude on Sunday, April 24 with the $200,000 NYSSS Park Avenue at 6 1/2-furlongs for eligible New York-sired sophomore fillies and the $100,000 Memories of Silver for sophomore filly turf routers.

Follow this link for the full 2022 Aqueduct Racetrack spring stakes schedule.

The post NYRA: Wood Memorial Purse Will Increase To $1 Million If Grade/Group 1 Winner Starts appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

NYRA Releases Winter Stakes Schedule For Aqueduct

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the stakes schedule for the 2021-22 winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack.

With 46 stakes races on offer worth nearly $6 million in purses, the 56-day winter meet begins Thursday, Dec. 9 and runs through Sunday, March 27. Live racing will generally be conducted Thursday through Sunday through the end of February with a holiday break set for Dec. 20 – 29 and the addition of a special Presidents' Day card on Monday, Feb. 21. March will then feature a Friday-Sunday schedule of live racing through the conclusion of the winter meet on March 27.

As previously announced, and in accordance with New York City requirements, fans seeking to enter Aqueduct Racetrack must demonstrate proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Originally closed to the public during the height of the COVID-19 emergency in March of 2020, Aqueduct then became the site of a New York State mass vaccination center in January 2021. It will re-open to the public on Thursday, Nov. 11, Opening Day of the 18-day 2021 Aqueduct fall meet, which runs through Sunday, Dec. 5.

The Aqueduct winter meet stakes action commences on Saturday, Dec. 11 with the $100,000 Garland of Roses for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up headed six furlongs on the main track. The 2021 NYRA stakes program draws to a close with the $100,000 Bay Ridge on December 30 for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up and the $100,000 Alex M. Robb on Dec. 31 for New York-breds 3-years-old and up.

January racing will open on New Year's Day with the one-mile $150,000 Jerome, the first of three Kentucky Derby prep races at the Big A winter meet. The Jerome will offer 10-4-2-1 qualifying points to the top-four finishers.

The nine-furlong $100,000 Busanda for sophomore fillies on January 23 will provide 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top four finishers. The winter meet graded stakes calendar will open with the Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses on Jan. 29.

New York's road to the Kentucky Derby continues at the Big A winter meet with the nine-furlong Grade 3, $250,000 Withers on Feb. 5, offering 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers.

The Monday, Feb. 21 Presidents' Day card will be highlighted by the $100,000 Maddie May for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies going one mile. There will be no live racing on Thursday, Feb. 17 to accommodate the Presidents' Day card.

A total of 12 racing cards are set for March, featuring eight stakes' days, including two graded events. The centerpiece of the March racing calendar is the one-mile Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham on March 5, which provides 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers. The Gotham Day card includes the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap for 4-year-olds and up going six furlongs; the $250,000 Busher Invitational for 3-year-old fillies offering 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-four finishers; and the $125,000 Stymie for 4-year-olds and up.

The final weekend of the winter meet will feature a 10-stakes card on New York Claiming Championship Day, Saturday, March 26 and the $100,000 East View on Sunday, March 27.

Admission to Aqueduct, which will be open to the public on live race days only, is free of charge. The gates will open daily at 11 a.m. First post during the Aqueduct fall and winter meets is 12:30 p.m.

Fans visiting Aqueduct should use the Clubhouse Entrance to provide the required proof of vaccination. Preferred parking will be $10 daily in the Clubhouse lot and general parking with be in the Conduit lot. All parking fees must be paid via credit card.

For the complete winter meet stakes schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/stakes-schedule/

The post NYRA Releases Winter Stakes Schedule For Aqueduct appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Brown: Crowded Trade Needs ‘To Step Up’ For Preakness Start

Four years after securing his first victory in a Triple Crown race in the Preakness Stakes (G1), trainer Chad Brown is aiming Crowded Trade for Pimlico Race Course's signature event on May 15.

Cloud Computing, a 13-1 long shot co-owned by Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence, won the 2017 Preakness by a head over Classic Empire. Klaravich is the sole owner of Crowded Trade, who has been on course for the Preakness since finishing third in the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct on April 3.

Brown said Wednesday by phone from Saratoga Springs, N.Y. that Crowded Trade is scheduled to work this weekend, probably on Saturday, weather permitting.

“Assuming he works well, I'm planning on coming to Pimlico and trying the Preakness,” Brown said.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano is booked to ride the colt in the Preakness.

Brown's only other Preakness starter was Good Magic, who ended up fourth in a tight finish of the memorably fog-shrouded 2018 running won by eventual Triple Crown champion Justify.

Crowded Trade is a work in progress for Brown, the four-time Eclipse champion trainer. After breaking his maiden by six furlongs Jan. 28 at Aqueduct, the son of More Than Ready finished second by a nose to Weyburn in the Gotham (G3) before going on to the Wood.

“He's got to step up off his last race and prove he can get the distance,” Brown said. “In both of his last starts, as we have stretched him out, he has come up a little short through the stretch. He makes a good move and he sort of hung a little bit both starts. The distance is definitely a question mark, but he seems like a horse that's improving.”

Although Crowded Trade had enough qualifying points to make it into the field, Brown opted to skip the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby (G1) and wait for the 1 3/16-mile Preakness.

“We specifically sat out the Derby to try to give him a little bit more time in between starts and try a slightly shorter distance than the Derby,” Brown said. “As of right now, we're still following that thought process to give it a try.”

The post Brown: Crowded Trade Needs ‘To Step Up’ For Preakness Start appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Klaravich Runners Work at Belmont

Three runners campaigned by Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables—one bound for Kentucky, one for Maryland and a third to stay at home–worked Saturday morning over the Belmont main track.

Crowded Trade (More Than Read) and Risk Taking (Medaglia d'Oro), third and seventh, respectively, when last seen in the GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct Apr. 3, worked a half-mile in :47.55 in company for trainer Chad Brown.

“They both seem to have bounced out of the Wood in fine shape,” said Brown . “We'll monitor them week to week, but they were moving well. I'm leaning towards the [GI] Preakness [S., Pimlico, May 15] for Crowded Trade and with Risk Taking, I'm leaning towards the [May 8 GII] Peter Pan [S].”

Cloud Computing (Maclean's Music) won the 2017 Preakness for the connections. All things equal, Brown and Klaravich will be represented in the GI Kentucky Derby by Highly Motivated (Into Mischief).

Undefeated Search Results (Flatter) will take her spot in the field for the GI Kentucky Oaks Apr. 30 on the heels of a victory in the GIII Gazelle S. Apr. 3. She worked a half-mile in :48.33 Saturday morning at Big Sandy.

“She put in one of the best works I've seen from her, so I think she's come out of her last race in really good shape,” said Brown. “She went in :48 and change and did it really nicely. I thought she galloped out strong.”

The post Klaravich Runners Work at Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post