Horse Racing: I. Ortiz/B. Cox/Godolphin/Into Mischief top 2023; J. Rodriguez/B. Russell win Laurel titles on final day; L. Rice sets NYRA record for wins in a year

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday, November 17, 2023

Horseshoe Indianapolis (Indiana):

• Closing Day: Awaiting the 2024 schedule but most likely an April start date.
• Leading Jockey: Joe Ramos with 109 wins one more than Fernando De La Cruz.
• Leading Trainer: Genaro Garcia.
• Leading Horse: The Indiana-bred Itzforever was an impressive 6 5-0-0 with a 4-race win streak.

Saturday, November 18, 2023

Aqueduct (New York):

• Irad Ortiz Jr. had a memorable afternoon with five winning rides including two stakes including the lone graded event on the card.
• Rick Dutrow is back I suppose. The winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic had two mounts today and both won. He has won with his past four starters at the meet and is 7 4-2-1 since the Breeders' Cup.
• Bill Mott won both MSW races on the card. Is he going to be a nominee for Trainer of the Year? He is fifth in purse money but just hovering around 25th in wins.
• Race 5: Integration (Kendrick Carmouche/Shug McGaughey) romped home to win the Grade 2 $250,000 Hill Prince Stakes. The $700,000 3-year-old son to Quality Road was unraced until August 2023. He is a perfect 3 3-0-0. The $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes on January 27 at Gulfstream could be the next test. McGaughey may have something special again.

Integration, who set a track record in the 1 1/8-mile Virginia Derby, again delivered a record performance in the Hill Prince. His final time of 1:46.06 is on par with the track record of 1:46 set by Slew the Dragon in the 1985 Lashkari, which came before times were measured in hundredths and were instead rounded down to the nearest fifth. Source: NYRA​

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• Race 8: Waskesiu (Junior Alvarado/Bill Mott) romped in the $85,000 MSW. Spendalot (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Chad Brown), an expensive $850,000 More Than Ready filly, was a flop in her debut never making a move and finishing 9th.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Bombs Galore: Terrific payouts much of the day.
• Race 5: The $.50 Pick 3 paid $7,800.
• Race 6: The $.50 Pick 3 paid $7,300. Jaime Rodriguez won the first and third segment.
• Races 7-8: The $1 double paid $246.30 with apprentice Martina Rojas winning both legs. Rojas has caught my attention the past few weeks. She can deliver with exotics.
• Race 9: The Pick 5 paid to those who won three legs. The Pick 6 paid to those who also won three legs. I don't recall the last time I saw a Pick 6 paid out to those who only had three winning races.
• Jamie Rodriguez, with one of the top percentages in the nation, rode three straight winning mounts and each at a significant price. The winning odds were 18-to-1, 31-to-1 and 12-to-1.
• Jeiron Barbosa has hit a cold streak with just one win on 30 rides since a multi-win day on November 4.

Churchill (Kentucky):

• Race 11: The $.20 Pick 6 paid a gigantic $222,000+.
• Race 10: Hot and Sultry (Ricardo Santana, Jr./Norm Casse) won the $300,000 Grade 3 Chilukki Stakes. The 4-year-old filly was off since Kentucky Derby weekend yet won by more than 8 lengths. Onto Oaklawn when that meet opens in December.

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• Race 7: Trial (Edgar Morales/Tom Drury) was sent off at 5-to-1 down from a 12-to-1 m/l but didn't disappoint in a #120,000 MSW, one of two CD ran today. The 2-year-old is a daughter to Runhappy, sold privately, out of a Blame mare.

Fair Grounds (Louisiana):

• Corey Lanerie had a 3-win day.

Del Mar (California):

• Race 2: Nothing Like You (Juan Hernandez/Bob Baffert), who broke his maiden last time out, won the $100,000 Desi Arnaz at 4-to-1. She was out for the fifth time.

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• Race 8: The Chosen Vron (Hector Berrios/Ian Kruljac) won the $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes for the second straight year. One of the best California breds in recent years, the 5-year-old Vronsky gelding is 19 14-1-2 with over $1.1 million in earnings. The Chosen Vron entered off a disappointing 5th place finish in his most recent effort and that defeat ended a nine-race win streak. With just one start at Turf Paradise (AZ), all other starts have been at the three southern California tracks.

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Woodbine (Ontario):

• Race 9: Flag of Honour (Kazushi Kimura/Julia Carey) won the $20,000 Kennedy Road Stakes by a nose.

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

It is getting near that point of the year where the three finalists for Eclipse Awards will be named. It is almost always a tough decision to limit picks to three.

For starters, my selections for...

Jockey of the Year:
1. Irad Ortiz, Jr.
2. Tyler Gaffalione
3. Flavien Prat

Trainer of the Year and for having a different perspective than what is a likelier outcome:
1. Bill Mott
2. Brad Cox
3. Brittany Russell

Apprentice of the Year (on hold).
Axel Concepcion has mounts at Churchill Downs on November 23. He has not ridden since October 5 at Laurel. At the time, he was my leading pick for Apprentice of the Year but then he was suspended 30 days for a ride at Delaware. He has an opportunity on a bigger stage to replenish his form.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Todd Pletcher has a beauty if the first race today is an indication. A nice Into Mischief filly but at $1.1 million that is unsurprising.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Irad Ortiz, Jr. has won the first two races at Aqueduct, the second race was the lone first-time starter.

And speaking of lone first-timers, a 16-to-1 just win Laurel's third race. It is a trusted betting angle.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, November 19, 2023

Aqueduct (New York):

• Turf Racing Halted: No more turf racing at NYRA until springtime 2024. Winter has arrived for all intents-and-purposes. The roadshow to Florida commences.
• Irad Ortiz. Jr. won four times including three first-time starters. That is a rare achievement for any rider anywhere. The past two days, he rode 16 times and finished 9-1-0.
• Race 7: Chili Flag (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Chad Brown) won the Forever Together Stakes which was the feature race on the car. Fourth place rider Jorge Ruiz lodged an objection which was nullified. I though Irad's ride was the best of the day from those I saw, he checked and then let loose.

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• Race 6: P Mutter Pickle (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Phil Antonacci) shined in another MSW win for the jockey. The 2-year-old is a daughter to Vino Rosso, a young sire who could have a bright future in his new life.

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• Race 1: Leslie's Rose (Irad Ortiz, Jr./Todd Pletcher) kicked it up a notch in the stretch to pummel the opposition. She is a $1.15 million daughter to Into Mischief. This is a first-time starter!

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Tampa Bay and Gulfstream (Florida):

• Reminder: Tampa Bay opens Wednesday.
• Reminder: Gulfstream closes Saturday then reopens for its December 1 - March 31 Championship Meet. Gulfstream does not race Sunday (Nov. 26).

Del Mar (California):

• Race 8: Nysos (Flavien Prat/Bob Baffert) won the Grade 3 $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes. Nysos, 2-for-2 lifetime, is a 2-year-old son to Nyquist, a $550,000 purchase by Baoma Corporation (Massachusetts-based Charlie Chu) at the Ocala (FL) sale earlier this year.

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Woodbine (Ontario):

• Race 10: Hopefully all escaped harm. The delay was more than 20 minutes and from what I sensed perhaps the absence and/or unavailability of a backup ambulance was cause. That is a requirement at most jurisdictions. UPDATE: leg injury for jockey. Horse is fine.

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Get to know some of the early contenders and follow their paths. Fair Grounds (LA) opened last week. Tampa Bay (FL) opens this week. Oaklawn (AR) commences next month. Gulfstream (FL) ups its game beginning next month. Southern Cal continues to be a path to success. All current 2-year-olds turn 3-years-old on January 1 (exact date) and that is the age for all Kentucky Derby runners.

Fierceness Top Individual Choice in Derby Future Pool 2

On Nov. 23-26 fans will have their second of six future bet opportunities on the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby (G1) where Repole Stable's Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Fierceness is the 15-1 individual betting favorite.

www.bloodhorse.com

The complete Pool 2 field and morning-line odds:
#1 Awesome Road (80-1)
#2 Bentornato (30-1)
#3 Bergen (80-1)
#4 Billal (99-1)
#5 Booth (50-1)
#6 Carbone (80-1)
#7 Catching Freedom (50-1)
#8 Copper Tax (50-1)
#9 Dancing Groom (99-1)
#10 Domestic Product (80-1)
#11 Dornoch (30-1)
#12 Drum Roll Please (80-1)
#13 Fierceness (15-1)
#14 Glengarry (80-1)
#15 Informed Patriot (80-1)
#16 Kittyhawk (99-1)
#17 Knightsbridge (50-1)
#18 Liberal Arts (30-1)
#19 Lightline (99-1)
#20 Locked (30-1)
#21 Merit (99-1)
#22 Moonlight (99-1)
#23 Mystik Dan (80-1)
#24 Nash (20-1)
#25 Nutella Fella (50-1)
#26 Otto the Conqueror (99-1)
#27 Parchment Party (99-1)
#28 Private Desire (99-1)
#29 Real Men Violin (99-1)
#30 Risk It (50-1)
#31 Sierra Leone (80-1)
#32 Stolen Magic (99-1)
#33 Stretch Ride (80-1)
#34 Stronghold (99-1)
#35 The Wine Steward (60-1)
#36 Timberlake (40-1)
#37 West Saratoga (99-1)
#38 Where's Chris (80-1)
#39 "All Fillies from the 2021 Foal Crop" (80-1)
#40 "All Other Colts and Geldings from the 2021 Foal Crop" (4-5)

The complete field for the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager with morning line odds:
#1 American Pharoah (40-1)
#2 Arrogate (25-1)
#3 Audible (50-1)
#4 Bernardini (80-1)
#5 Bolt d'Oro (20-1)
#6 Cairo Prince (50-1)
#7 Candy Ride (30-1)
#8 City of Light (30-1)
#9 Classic Empire (99-1)
#10 Constitution (60-1)
#11 Curlin (15-1)
#12 Flameaway (90-1)
#13 Ghostzapper (20-1)
#14 Good Magic (30-1)
#15 Gun Runner (15-1)
#16 Hard Spun (50-1)
#17 Into Mischief (8-1)
#18 Justify (15-1)
#19 Liam's Map (50-1)
#20 Malibu Moon (99-1)
#21 Maximus Mischief (99-1)
#22 Medaglia d'Oro (80-1)
#23 Mitole (80-1)
#24 More Than Ready (99-1)
#25 Munnings (80-1)
#26 Not This Time (50-1)
#27 Nyquist (80-1)
#28 Omaha Beach (80-1)
#29 Practical Joke (30-1)
#30 Quality Road (50-1)
#31 Runhappy (20-1)
#32 Speightstown (80-1)
#33 Street Sense (50-1)
#34 Tapit (20-1)
#35 Uncle Mo (25-1)
#36 Union Rags (99-1)
#37 Vino Rosso (80-1)
#38 Violence (25-1)
#39 War Front (99-1)
#40 All Other Sires (6-1)

All told, there are six Future Wager pools scheduled in advance of the 2023 Kentucky Derby: Pool 1 ran Oct. 31-Nov.2 (Pool 1); Nov. 23-26 (Pool 2); Jan. 19-21 (Pool 3); Feb. 16-18 (Pool 4); March 15-17 (Pool 5); and April 4-6 (Pool 6). The lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will coincide with Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 5.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Opening day at Tampa Bay is Wednesday. Big fields, small purses. One of America's top turf courses. The meet concludes on Kentucky Derby weekend and except for the annual June 30-July 1 festival is dark until November 2024.

Race	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
1	$20,000	Maiden Claiming	1 M	Turf	9	12:38 PM ET
2	$18,000	Claiming	6 F	Dirt	8	1:08 PM ET
3	$18,000	Claiming	1 mile 40 Y	Dirt	10	1:38 PM ET
4	$17,000	Maiden Claiming	6 1/2 F	Dirt	14	2:08 PM ET
5	$18,000	Claiming	6 F	Dirt	10	2:38 PM ET
6	$22,000	Maiden Claiming	5 1/2 F	Dirt	12	3:08 PM ET
7	$20,500	Claiming	1 1/16 M	Turf	14	3:38 PM ET
8	$53,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	6 F	Dirt	10	4:08 PM ET
9	$25,500	Claiming	1 1/16 M	Turf	14	4:40 PM ET

Looking deeper into Tampa Bay, turf players will relish as always. But some interesting names on the docket.

Jamie Ness, now of Philly and Maryland, is returning for the first time in about six years to the track he had much success.

Minnesota superstar Mac Robertson is heading south for the first time. He has tried Oaklawn and Delaware but Tampa should be another indication of his growing presence.

Carol Cedeno is moving her tack. Chelsey Moysey, a hip mid-Atlantic trainer, is among her potential suitors as is Robertson, All have Delaware in their recent roots and with that track closed for the winter, many ship south.

I would expect former New England star John Rigattieri to continue his brilliant legacy. Rigattieri had been training since the 1960s and has a keen sense, old-school if anything, but maintains a low-key approach to attention. He is winning at a 28% clip in 2023 which is his highest since 2004.

And finally...Jeremy Rose has mounts. Woo. He doesn't venture outside the mid-Atlantic much so this is a surprise.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

KENTUCKY RACING: Turfway released its 2023-24 calendar, very visually appealing, too. All tracks should adopt some sort of similarly laid out image for their live racing calendars posted on websites. It makes it easier for the handicapper. With the exception of one day, it appears that Turfway will run evenings until the meet ends in March. I assume Keeneland will then open in April before Churchill Downs' Kentucky Derby meet is activated.

Churchill Downs is immense on Saturday. Check out the baby races. Hall of Fame (trained by Steve Asmussen) is probably going to debut this weekend as he is entered in races Saturday and Sunday, the latter more likely is my guess. He is a $1.4 million son to Gun Runner.

They Gaffalione is also on board Stop the Press, a $1.5 million Uncle Mo colt on Saturday,

Race	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
1	$120,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/8 M	Turf	16	1:00 PM ET
2	$120,000	Maiden Special Weight	7 F	Dirt	16	1:28 PM ET
3	$127,000	Allowance	1 1/16 M	Turf	12	1:56 PM ET
4	$127,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 M	Dirt	13	2:24 PM ET
5	$120,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 M	Dirt	16	2:53 PM ET
6	$120,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 M	Turf	16	3:21 PM ET
7	$127,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 M	Dirt	12	3:49 PM ET
8	$120,000	Maiden Special Weight	1 1/16 M	Dirt	14	4:18 PM ET
9	$225,000	Ed Brown S.	6 1/2 F	Dirt	9	4:48 PM ET
10	$400,000	Golden Rod S.	1 1/16 M	Dirt	8	5:18 PM ET
11	$400,000	Kentucky Jockey Club S.	1 1/16 M	Dirt	8	5:48 PM ET
12	$225,000	Fern Creek S.	6 1/2 F	Dirt	12	6:18 PM ET

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Horseshoe Indianapolis' handle was up 23% from 2022, a noticeable upgrade in a year that has been stagnant much of elsewhere in North America.

I mentioned their simulcast signal a few times during the year, arguably the most attractive presentation and though that may be akin to kicking tires on a car, it helps handicappers with clear fonts and colors as the pari-mutuel numbers change and oftentimes dramatically. Also, field size is good. Rachel McLaughlin is a standout.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Finger Lakes (New York):

• Closing Day: The meet began April 24.
• Top Jockey: Keibar Coa with 68 wins, his first local riders' title. He won three times today to break a 65-65 tie with jockey Emanuel De Diego.
• Top Trainer: Paul Barrow with 61 wins, his first local training title. Chris Englehart, with 20 local training titles, came in second place.
• Top Horse: Fiery Heart: 8 7-1-0.

Tampa Bay Downs (Florida):

• Kevin Gomez has been riding in the US for about 10 years but prior to today had never ridden at Tampa Bay Downs. He had quite the prosperous day with two wins aboard two mounts. He has been riding at Delaware and Laurel.

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• Race 1: Lord Knows (Kevin Gomez/Mike Dini) won the opener of the meet which will run into Kentucky Derby weekend.
• Race 6: Lady Prospect (Kevin Gomez/Jamie Ness) gave the trainer his first win at Tampa Bay since 2017, his first starter since then.
• Graphics:

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The King's Plate 2024:

• 165th edition and will be run Saturday, August 17 at Woodbine (ON).
• is the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.
• is the longest actively run race in North America dating to 1860.
• set a record handle $18.1 million last year (was run on a Sunday last year).
• is named after the reigning British monarch. It was renamed from the Queen's Plate for the first time in 70 years following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Thursday, November 23, 2023

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Kentucky Derby advertising:

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• Phil Bauer entered three races and came away with three victories. Bauer is winning at a 27% clip this year, dramatically up from his 15% lifetime mark. He has four graded stakes victories in 2023, doubling his career total. The Louisville native, in his mid-30s, is having a splendid meet, winning at a 47% mark, an inconceivable if not flawless figure.
• Race 10: Star Fortress (Luis Saez/Cherie DeVaux) won the Grade 3 $300,000 Cardinal Stakes at 6-to-1. It was her U.S. debut following seven rides in Europe.

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• Race 11: Xigera (Julien Leparoux/Phil Bauer) won the Grade 3 $400,000 Falls City Stakes by more than six lengths at the minute odds of 1-to-9. The 3-year-old Nyquist filly is a perfect 3 3-0-0 at CD and is currently riding a 3-race win streak. She is 6 5-0-0 in 2023.

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday, November 24, 2023

Aqueduct (New York):

• Jose Ortiz rode three winners.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Jevian Toledo rode four winners including a natural hat trick.
• Turf Racing: All done until 2024 some time.

Gulfstream (Florida):

• Edwin Gonzalez won three times.
• Turf Course: Looks to be in good shape. Not unexpected since it has been resurfaced again while not being used since the first half of the year. An abundance of attention is given to Gulf this time of year but as the alternative to Tampa, the turf course needs to hold up the next four months or so.
• Meet: Closing day is tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 25).

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Turf Course: Another setback for the locals as turf racing has been removed for the balance of the meet which ends Sunday.
• Axel Concepcion rode two winners today. He is 7 3-1-1 in two days at CD. As mentioned above, he was my pick for Apprentice of the Year prior to being suspended for 30 days but this is his rebound and he has excelled. He could be the leading candidate for that Eclipse Award. Laurel (MD), where he often rode this year, has an excellent tradition with bugs, maybe the best in the nation in recent years.
• Race 10: Heavenly Sunday (Florent Geroux/Brad Cox) was sent off the favorite and won the Mrs. Revere Stakes. Many in the race tried dirt for the first time, as did the winner. Racing was moved from turf to dirt.

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• Race 11: Trademark (Fernando De La Cruz/Vicky Oliver) won the Grade 2 $600,000 Clark Stakes at 13-to-1 by a nose, beating favorite First Mission (Luis Saez/Brad Cox).

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• Leading Jockeys: Tyler Gaffalione (22 wins) and Luis Saez (18).
• Leading Trainers: Steve Asmussen (14 wins) and Brad Cox (14) are in a tie.

Del Mar (California):

• Race 7: Planetario (Hector Berrios/Richard Mandella) won the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes.

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Saturday, November 25, 2023

Aqueduct (New York):

• Manny Franco, as consistent a rider on the circuit, won the final three races for a natural hat trick.
• Race 9: Raging Sea (Manny Franco/Chad Brown) won the Grade 3 $200,000 Comely Stakes.

Laurel (Maryland):

• Race 6: Post Time (Sheldon Russell/Brittany Russell) won the $100,000 City of Laurel Stakes. Post Time has been on my Watch List since early on and while today was a nail-biter, the colt is a perfect 4 4-0-0 at Laurel in six career starts.

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Gulfstream (Florida):

• Closing Day of the Sunshine Meet: The Championship Meet starts this weekend. Gulfstream DOES NOT run tomorrow (Sunday).
  • Leading Jockey: Edgard Zayas in a runaway.
  • Leading Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr. and Victor Barboza Jr. finished in a dead-heat with 33 winners each.
• Edwin Gonzalez rode three winners for the second straight day.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky):

• Joel Rosario seemed to be in a funk or perhaps an afterthought for much of the year but today rode three winners. He was Eclipse Award winner in 2021 for Jockey of the Year. His win total in 2023 could be a personal low since 2006.
• Tyler Gaffalione rode three winners and is all but certain to clinch another Kentucky riding crown. The meet ends tomorrow.
• Race 10: Intricate (Tyler Gaffalione/Brendan Walsh) won the $400,000 Grade 2 Golden Road Stakes.
• Race 11: Honor Marie (Rafael Bejarano/Whit Beckman) won the $400,000 Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and with it 10 points towards the Kentucky Derby. The trainer, formerly under the tutelage of Chad Brown, won his biggest prize in his young career.

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[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Luzzi. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. 33-1 in the Aqueduct opener.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Woah. The $.50 Pick 5 returned over $87,000 at Aqueduct. Bombs in the opening and closing legs.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Aqueduct just got the big boom. The second $.50 Pick 5 returned over $236,000.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Sunday, November 26, 2023

Tokyo Racecourse (Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan):

• Equinox (Christophe Lemaire /Tetsuya Kimura), considered by many the top race horse in the world, romped to win the Japan Cup in a field of 18 that included six top grade winners. US odds were equalled to 1-to-4. A crowd of 85,866 fans attended. The purse was the equal of $8,282,443. Equinox has career earnings of $19,375,462 in winning his last six and now eight of 10 career races. This race could be the finale for Equinox.

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Aqueduct (New York):

• Race 1: Lady Fortuna (Lane Luzzi/Leah Gyarmati) was the longest odds on the board at 33-to-1 but flew like the wind to capture the opener and set the stage for a delirious afternoon at the Big A. Luzzi was riding in/near the southwest for much of the year but came to Monmouth this summer and now New York. His dad is basically in retirement except for exercise riding.

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• Race 5: The Cobbler (Richard Mitchell/Neville Henry) was the longest odds on the board at 46-to-1 but completed a $.50 Pick 5 worth in excess of $87,000. The jockey won for the 10th time this year. The small-stable trainer prevailed for the third time, a personal high since 2015. Both hail from Jamaica.

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• Race 9: Ain't Broke (Eric Cancel/Linda Rice) finished the day with a victory at 5-to-1 but it was enough to contribute to a $.50 Pick 5 worth in excess of $236,000. I don't recall Cancel riding for Rice too often.

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Churchill (Kentucky):

• Closing Day: Churchill resumes racing on April 27. Onto Turfway starting Nov. 29 and night racing in Kentucky.
• Leading Jockey : Tyler Gaffalione, his 11th Churchill title.
• Leading Trainer: Steve Asmussen edged Brad Cox for leading trainer, 19 wins to 17, for his record-extending 27th CD crown.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

FS2 to provide coverage of Cigar Mile Day at Aqueduct Racetrack

FS2 to provide coverage of Cigar Mile Day at Aqueduct Racetrack | The New York Racing Association

cms.nyra.com

Live coverage of the lucrative Cigar Mile Day card at Aqueduct Racetrack, featuring four stakes worth $1.2 million in combined purse money, will air Saturday, December 2, as part of a special America’s Day at the Races broadcast featuring two stakes from Caymanas Park in Jamaica.​

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America's Day at the Races, the acclaimed national telecast produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports, will provide live coverage of the Cigar Mile Day card from 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Eastern on FS2.​

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The Big A program is headlined by the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by NYRA Bets for 3-year-olds and upward traveling a one-turn mile and is supported by the one-mile Grade 3, $200,000 Go for Wand for fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward. Also featured are a pair of Grade 2, $250,000 nine-furlong qualifiers offering 10-5-3-2-1 points to the top-five finishers, respectively, for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks in the Remsen for juveniles and the Demoiselle for juvenile fillies.​

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Putting aside all colts and geldings not listed in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Bets, currently at 6-5, Todd Pletcher has the top two picks from handicappers with Fierceness at 8-1 and Locked at 14-1.

Pool 2 ended this weekend.

Nash, trained by Brad Cox, is 18-1.

My early interest is Bill Mott's Knightbridge who stands fourth at 19-1 alongside Danny Gargan's Dornoch. Mott doesn't usually put out the first time but his horse showed me a professional style and with Nyquist as the sire that is a good sign of potential stardom. Still very early in the process.

When January commences, all horses age one year and thus the current crop of 2-year-olds become three and eligible for the 2024 Derby.

 

[GKJ]

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Most training wins at the NYRA circuit in any given year:

Trainer	Year	Total
David Jacobson	2013	164
Gary Contessa	2007	159
Chad Brown	2022	159
Frank Martin	1974	156
Chad Brown	2018	154
Linda Rice	2023/ongoing	152

Most training wins in a career by a female:

1. Kathleen O'Connell 2,425
2. Kim Hammond 2,405
3. Linda Rice 2,395

all three are active​

Source: DRF

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Finger Lakes (NY) bucked the 2023 trend of handle decreases as this year saw more than an 18% improvement from 2022. Last year saw a 16% increase from 2021. Strong trends the last two years may lead to purse increases.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Aqueduct usually releases Saturday cards on Wednesdays. It should be a doozie.

The second day and first Saturday of Gulfstream's Championship Meet.

Jose Ortiz rides at Gulf on Friday and Sunday but is without official mounts Saturday which leads me to believe he will return to NY. He appears to be the lone NY regular to be at Gulf this weekend or at least part.

Race	Purse	Race Type	Distance	Surface	Starters	Est. Post
1	$71,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 1/16 M	Turf	10	12:10 PM ET
2	$70,000	Maiden Special Weight	6 1/2 F	Dirt	7	12:38 PM ET
3	$22,000	Claiming	5 1/2 F	All Weather	8	1:07 PM ET
4	$22,000	Maiden Claiming	1 M 70 Y	All Weather	11	1:36 PM ET
5	$300,000	FTBOA Florida Sire In Reality S.	1 1/16 M	Dirt	7	2:05 PM ET
6	$26,000	Claiming	1 1/16 M	All Weather	16	2:35 PM ET
7	$31,000	Claiming	6 F	Dirt	8	3:05 PM ET
8	$72,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	1 M	Turf	11	3:34 PM ET
9	$100,000	Handicap	1 1/16 M	All Weather	10	4:04 PM ET
10	$300,000	FTBOA Florida Sire My Dear Girl S.	1 1/16 M	Dirt	8	4:36 PM ET
11	$71,000	Allowance Optional Claiming	5 F	Turf	15	5:07 PM ET

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Friday, Saturday and Sunday....

Dec. 1	"America's Day at the Races"	12 p.m.-4:30 p.m.	FS2
Dec. 1	Live coverage of horse racing including opening day of the Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park	post time varies	FanDuel TV
Dec. 1	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	Racetrack Television Network
Dec. 2	"America's Day at the Races" featuring the Cigar Mile Handicap card at Aqueduct and racing from Jamaica	11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.	FS2
Dec. 2	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	FanDuel TV
Dec. 2	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	Racetrack Television Network
Dec. 3	"America's Day at the Races"	12 p.m.-2 p.m. on FS1, 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. on FS2	FS1 and FS2
Dec. 3	Live coverage of horse racing including closing day at Del Mar	post time varies	FanDuel TV
Dec. 3	Live coverage of horse racing	post time varies	Racetrack Television Network