Mon, 11/23/2020 - 14:16

Clement atop standings thanks to six juvenile winners

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Brattle House, who Christophe Clement co-bred, won his career debut by 5 1 /4 lengths Sunday at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Six of trainer Christophe Clement’s meet-leading 10 victories at the Aqueduct fall meet have come with 2-year-olds, giving him much to look forward to in 2021.

Perhaps Clement’s most impressive juvenile victory came Sunday when Brattle House, a filly he co-bred with Richard Leahy and who was purchased for $775,000 at auction by Larry Best’s OXO Equine, won a one-mile New York-bred maiden race by 5 1/4 lengths under Joel Rosario. Brattle House was assigned a 65 Beyer Speed Figure for her win.

Mon, 11/23/2020 - 14:10

Hernandez edges Stein for 2020 Woodbine jockey title

Coady Photography
Rafael Hernandez won 129 races at the 2020 Woodbine meet.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Rafael Hernandez won the hotly contested Woodbine rider title by a 129-126 margin over Justin Stein, who had led the standings heading into last week.

The 2019 Eclipse Award-winning apprentice Kazushi Kimura went on a tear on the weekend and finished third with 83 wins. After notching two stakes wins on Saturday, he won three of Sunday’s six races.

Rounding out the top five were Emma-Jayne Wilson with 79 wins and Luis Contreras with 76 victories.

Mon, 11/23/2020 - 14:00

Hollywood Turf Cup, Hollywood Derby draw big fields

Coady Photography
Arklow wins the Kentucky Cup Turf in his first start wearing blinkers.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Large fields were the norm for the stakes drawn for Friday and Saturday at Del Mar, with 14 – including two also-eligibles – in the Grade 2, $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles on Friday, and 13 in all three stakes Saturday.

Shippers Arklow and Laccario are among those in the Turf Cup.

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Mon, 11/23/2020 - 13:46

Smith, Life Is Good send Baffert's old saddle out a winner

Benoit Photo
Life Is Good earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure in winning his racing debut.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Mike Smith rode Life Is Good to his debut victory on Sunday with an old, small sheepskin-covered saddle owned by trainer Bob Baffert, who said it was the saddle he used during his brief stint as a jockey in Arizona 50 years ago.

The saddle was recently found by Baffert’s brother Bill, who was clearing out the family’s old home on a ranch near Nogales in advance of selling it following the passing of their parents in the past decade.

Mon, 11/23/2020 - 13:40

Astute, Life Is Good give Smith much to look forward to

Benoit Photo
Astute earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 87 winning the Desi Arnaz Stakes on Saturday.

DEL MAR, Calif. – At the midpoint of the year, Midnight Bisou had finished second in the Saudi Cup and then returned to the United States to win the Fleur de Lis. McKinzie had won the Triple Bend and was being pointed to the Met Mile. Honor A. P. had won the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby and was a top contender for the Kentucky Derby.

Mon, 11/23/2020 - 13:26

Jockeys have road trips planned for Thanksgiving week

Justin N. Lane
John Velazquez (above) takes over for Manny Franco as the rider of Tiz the Law for at least one race.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jockeys John Velazquez, Joel Rosario, Irad Ortiz Jr., and Manny Franco will all be riding out of town this holiday week. Provided they ace all their COVID-19 tests upon returning, all should be able to ride the final week of the Aqueduct fall meet.

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Velazquez will be at Churchill Downs to ride Friday and Saturday. His primary reason for going is to ride Code of Honor in Friday’s Grade 1 Clark Stakes.

Mon, 11/23/2020 - 13:26

Mind Control looking for a little luck in Cigar Mile

Barbara D. Livingston
If he wins the Alfred G. Vanderbilt on Saturday, Mind Control would become the first horse to win a Grade 1 stakes in three consecutive years at Saratoga.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Gregg Sacco believes circumstances more than anything else have contributed to Mind Control losing his last five races. He caught sloppy tracks twice, and had a troubled trip in the Mr. Prospector at Monmouth and the Lafayette at Keeneland in his two most recent starts.

In his other defeat, he was beaten just 1 3/4 lengths by Volatile in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga.

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Mon, 11/23/2020 - 13:20

North Dakota has found his niche as a marathoner

Susie Raisher

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – North Dakota, winner of Saturday’s Grade 3 Red Smith Stakes at Aqueduct, was one of seven horses trainer Shug McGaughey on Sunday shipped from New York to Florida, where they will get time off or be pointed to races early in the Gulfstream Park meet.

McGaughey hasn’t exactly decided in which category falls North Dakota. McGaughey does know he wants to keep North Dakota running at marathon distances, though the two-mile H. Allen Jerkens at Gulfstream on Dec. 26 isn’t what he has in mind.

Mon, 11/23/2020 - 12:50

Wednesday feature brings together some heavy hitters on turf

Barbara D. Livingston
Hay Dakota lowered the Gulfstream Park 7 1/2-furlong turf course record in race 10 on Sunday.

MIAMI – Wednesday’s 10-race card features three allowance races, the best of which is carded at 1 1/16 miles on the turf and brings together a stellar field led by Noble Indy, Hay Dakota, and Monarchs Glen.

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Mon, 11/23/2020 - 12:50

Thissmytime sets track mark that might last forever

Ryan Thompson / Coglianese Photo

MIAMI – Late Sunday afternoon, in relative anonymity competing in front of only a handful of onlookers over a sloppy racetrack, a 3-year-old filly called Thissmytime ran seven furlongs faster than any horse had ever covered the distance since the track formerly known as Calder Race Course opened nearly 50 years ago.