Kentucky Cup Recap
September 28, 2009 by Ryan · Leave a Comment
I had a wonderful time at Turfway Park this Saturday watching the Kentucky Cup races. The only way it could’ve been better is if Garrett Gomez hadn’t won all three races, causing the horse I bet to run second in each of his wins. That is racing though; I should’ve realized Gomez wasn’t going to waste a Saturday if those horses weren’t live. Perhaps his best ride of the day came in the Kentucky Cup Classic. He had to shake up the reigns and get at Furthest Land, but was able to get the victory over Dubious Miss. Unfortunately, I don’t think we will see anyone from Turfway at the Breeders Cup later this year.
I wrote several hundred words about the Kentucky Cup Classic on my new blog located at http://www.ntra.com/blog.aspx?blogid=32. I will be blogging there about things pertaining to the Breeders Cup Classic from now until the race takes place. My top pick was the heavy favorite Hold Me Back, but I also gave a big look to runner up Dubious Miss and also ran Your Round. I believe that Hold Me Back and Your Round were victims of the track bias. It has been very to close at Turfway of late. I was surprised that the trifecta and superfecta payouts were so low with 4-5 Hold Me Back out of the money.
I was fortunate enough to meet David Schneck of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Assocation while I was enjoying the races. The KTA was running a program in conjunction with Turfway Park to give scholarships away to local students. The Kentucky Thoroughbred Assocation also provided free food and drinks for college students. They also provided two large TVs so we could keep up with the college football world while betting the horses. While I didn’t win a scholarship, I’m highly appreciative of their efforts. It’s not often that an organization goes out of its way to help people while getting nothing in return.
The KTA is a trade organization dedicated to its members, according to their website located at http://www.kta-ktob.com/.They are responsible for creating a purse development fund that has offered over $134 in purses since 1995. They do excellent work to represent the industry and to improve the sport. To learn more about them, click here. I’m hopeful that they will continue to thrive, and I salute them for all the good work that they do!
Who says only Brett Favre can unretire? Lava Man is back!
Finally I’ve got something worth talking about. One of my favorite all time horses, Lava Man, has returned from a one year retirement. The eight-year-old has undergone stem cell therapy and an injury in his ankle has subsequently healed. The son of Slew City Slew was supposed to retire to Old Friends in Kentucky, but that will be put off into the future. His connections are excited about his future after a zippy three furlong move in :36. It was the fastest of twenty four works.
“Training was part of the study, which we agreed to,” O’Neill said. “He’s been in training for three or months, and they have been raving about him.”
“He was telling us, don’t send me to Kentucky,” Kenly said. “This horse wants to train, probably more so than most horses.”
“We have his best interests in mind,” Kenly said, “and if he tells us anytime he doesn’t want to do this, that’s it.”
“Either he competes at the highest level, or nothing,” Kenly said.
Various Quotes from the Daily Racing Form.
Lava Man has won seven Grade I races in his storied career that includes being claimed for $50,000. He is one of my all time favorite runners. His last Hollywood Gold Cup where he barely held on for the win is one of the best races in recent memory. I hope he can come back and win a Grade 1 and then ride off into the sunset. I’ll fully understand if the old boy just doesnt have it anymore, but I’ll be rooting for him each and every time he races.
Horse Racing Resources
September 21, 2009 by Ryan · Leave a Comment
The internet is a wonderful thing. So many times in the past I have found myself wondering things like “Who won the 1996 Hollywood Gold Cup?” or “Who was the sire of Bellamy Road?”. If not for the internet I would have to resort to the sometimes fuzzy memories of my elders. There are numerous horse racing resources on the ‘net. Let’s take a look at a couple of the most useful ones!
Just like its name would suggest, Pedigree Query is the ultimate source for all things pedigree related. I believe they have ever horse that has ever raced in their database, but I don’t know that for sure. They also offer information on careers of most horses. The typical search returns 5 generations, but for a small subscription fee up to 9 generations are included. Pedigree Query also offers progeny reports, photos, hypomating, line breeding, and female family reports. I recommend bookmarking this site.
I love this website. It is developed and maintained by the Blood Horse. Stallion Register is a MUST visit for any breeder. It has reports on just about every stallion in the United States, including stud fees and progeny reports. When searching a horse such as Big Brown links to other Three Chimneys stallions are included at the bottom. This goes for sires at other farms. Information on top progeny and auction results are provided. Race records are available along with current Users are also able to compare sires head to head.
DRF is a must visit for any horse racing fan. They have entries, results, charts, and horse racing news. The writers are top notch, and the information provided is invaluable. Visitors are able to take advantage of their “Race of the Day” page, which provides free PPs for one race daily. DRF also has books and videos that could help a new gambler or even a seasoned veteran.
Wikipedia provides information about literally everything; horse racing or not. I find the information to be accurate about 90% of the time, but there are errors from time to time. Many famous horses have detailed pages on Wikipedia, along with famous races. There is an abundance of horse racing information that can be gained by surfing Wikipedia.
I’m sure I’m forgetting something important, but I’ll add more later. Do you have any horse racing website you would like to share with the visitors of this website? Leave a comment and educate us.
Horseracingpark.com is the best horse racing game on the net
September 13, 2009 by Ryan · 2 Comments
I’ve been racing horses at HorseRacingPark for over 2.5 years now. I’m a small time owner. I race mostly in claimers and allowances. My horses find their way into stakes company rarely, but they have a big shot when they do. My winning percentage of 15.4% at pay tracks is pretty good by most standards. I’d willing to say that Horseracingpark.com is the best horse racing game on the internet, and if you haven’t checked it out yet you are truly missing out.
HorseRacingPark, or HRP for short, has everything related to horse racing that you can imagine. Horses can be purchased through claimers, auctions, breeding, and can be automatically generated. Full pedigree analysis is listed for every horse, along with conformation statistics. Players have full control over every aspect of their horses career. They get to train the horse, decide if he needs something like blinkers or lasix, and are left to decide in which race their horse will compete.
Players can race for free at Mountaineer, or try their hand at the pay tracks. The pay tracks include nearly every track in the United States such as Del Mar, Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, Keeneland, and many more. There are also U.S. jockeys in the game like Rafael Bejarano and Garrett Gomez. Just about any jockey you will find in real life is also in virtual form at HRP.
Nearly every stakes race that happens in reality also happens at HRP, but on a 1:1000 scale. The $5,000,000 Breeders Cup Classic is the $5,000 Breeders Cup Classic at HorseRacingPark. The Triple Crown hasn’t been won yet, and the first trainer to take all three races will get $30,000. Purses go as low at $1, and horses can be claimed at prices ranging from $1 to $120.
Other features at HRP include the weekly handicapping contest, in which players can wager on the races being contested each day. The top two finishers get to compete in the end of year contest for $500, and free horse vouchers. They also have Pick ‘Em contests from time to time where the winner is awarded free horse vouchers.
Breeding is one of the best parts of HRP. There is no feeling like winning a race with a homebred. There are plenty of options for breeding. You can use your own sire and mare, or you can pay a stud fee and use your own mare or lease a mare from someone else. Sires can be found in the price range of $1-50 in most cases, and the best mares go from anywhere to $50-100 per foal. Breeding at HRP is just like in real life. Breed the best to the best and hope for the best.
When players breed horses they have the option of starting the horse as a yearling or a two-year-old. There are many owners who are in the game strictly for breeding. They breed horses for the sake of selling them in the auctions. This can be very profitable if you are able to get a horse that is quick early on or has a great pedigree and conformation. Above is a picture of two “HRP” sires. These are two sires you could potentially get if you auto generate a horse in which case the sire and mare are randomly picked.
Above is a picture of a couple of the horses in the auction at the moment. The auction is one of the best parts of the game. It runs four times each year, and allows owners to buy/sell horses for small and big money. I’ve seen horses sell for under $10 that went to be a Grade 1 winners, and horses that sold for over $1,000 only to bust.
I have had a lot of success with the auctions, with total sales in excess of $1,000 (my investment was much smaller). The horses I’ve sold haven’t really gone on to do much (knock on wood) so I don’t really regret selling any of them. Perhaps the worst was Daiwa Major, who won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth after I sold him. I didn’t really mind that though because a friend owned him and I got a decent price at $250.
Some of the biggest sales in recent memory at HorseRacingPark are $1,000 Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby winner Whats Up. He sold for around $1,500 after burning up the track in an allowance en route to a track record breaking win. The owner that sold him claimed Whats Up for just $7. Not a bad return on investment! Another big sale was Breeders Cup Turf winner Siberian Rhythm. He sold for $2,555 after his big Breeders Cup win.
I’ve had a couple of good horses in my time at HRP. The best was a two-year-old colt named Entourage. He broke his maiden first time out at Golden Gate, and then ran respectably in an allowance. He was training very well and I had a feeling he was sitting on a big race, so I entered him in the $122.50 Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Juvenile at Turfway Park. He was a longshot, but he got up to win the race by a neck. Always one to make a profit, I sold him in the next auction for a hefty sum of $351. He didn’t really pan out on the track as a three-year-old, but is currently standing at stud in California. He has a great conformation and pedigree so he may see some success as a sire.
Other horses I’ve had include a four-year-old named Angry Again. He ran very well for me, winning two races in a row by a combined 10 lengths before losing by a nose to eventual Arlington Million victor Eviction Notice. I ended up selling Angry Again for $301. He didn’t do much on the track after I sold him, but he looks to be a future star at stud. He has sired a Grade 2 winning filly in his first crop. My best horse at the moment is a filly named Chopped N Screwed. She broke her maiden against maiden claimers at Golden Gate by 11 lengths and has quickly progressed. She won an allowance at Del Mar in her last start. I think with a bit of luck she could become a stakes winner.
I highly recommend giving HRP a chance. You won’t find a better or more realistic horse racing game anywhere on the internet. It is great for those of us who have always dreamed of owning horses but cant really afford the real thing. It is the best alternative you will find. Gradedstakes.com visitors will get a special offer of 5 free horses by signing up through one of the many links on this page, or by clicking the banner below. Good luck and I’ll see you at the races!
Sign up through this website and get an exclusive offer
of 5 free horses!
Seventh Street holds big hand in Grade 1 Ruffian Handicap
September 11, 2009 by Ryan · 2 Comments
Bin Suror Saeed’s four-year-old daughter of Street Cry is turning out to be worth every bit of her $1,000,000 price tag. Seventh Street met a tough foe in the Go For Wand last out, but even Miss Isella was no match for this girl. It seems she has scared off most of the competition, because only four other females are going to try and beat her.
I love the front running style of this . She can tuck in second and still win, so she isn’t a “need the lead” type of filly. Seventh Street is a Grade 1 winner at this distance, taking the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park earlier this year. Regular jockey Rajiv Maragh has been doing an excellent job riding her. If things go right she will probably pick up her third Grade 1 win of the year in this race. I don’t really see anything capable of beating her. If you can get the ML odds of 1-1, I’d recommend bet her.
Swift Temper may stand a chance of beating my top pick, but I wouldn’t count on it. This daughter of Giant’s Causeway won the Delaware Handicap two races ago, but was left in Icon Project’s dust last out in the Personal Ensign Handicap. Jockey Alan Garcia can place her just about anywhere he wants, so I expect him to get in the race early to prevent the favorite from getting an easy lead. I need a better price than 2-1, but I’m still giving her a shot.
Be Fair ran a bad race, then won a graded stakes, and then ran another bad race. Does that mean she is due to run another good one? I don’t know about that, but with Garrett Gomez in the irons I would certainly use her underneath. Trainer D Wayne Lukas might want to find easier company for this filly, although she did run fourth in the Ashland earlier this year in what was her second try at the distance.
Steve Asmussen and Shaun Bridgmahon’s Luna Vega ran a huge race to win the Molly Pitcher last out, but can she repeat that form? I’d like to see her run two big races in a row before I get on her band wagon. It worries me that all of her big wins have come at Monmouth Park. I’d like to see her repeat that form at another track before I bet her away from there. I could see her getting in the exacta with a bit of luck.
Who do you like in the Grade 1 Ruffian Handicap? Leave a comment and let your voice be heard!
Rail Trip headlines big day at Del Mar in the Pacific Classic
September 5, 2009 by Ryan · Leave a Comment
I love the place where the surf meets the turf. Del Mar is easily one of the best places on this planet, and Sunday will be its best day of racing. Some of the events include the Grade 1 Pat O’Brien Stakes, Grade 2 Del Mar Derby, and the Grade 1 Pacific Classic. It doesn’t get much better than that. The winners of each of these races will almost undoubtedly find a place in the upcoming Breeders Cup.
Battle of Hastings looks like the best horse in the Del Mar Derby. He is returning to California after a successful campaign on the east coast that included victories in the Colonial Turf Cup and the Virginia Derby. The son of a British sire named Royal Applause, he has a great turn of foot and doesn’t win by big margins. He got up by a head in each of his last two wins. Tyler Baze has done very well on him thus far. I really like his chances to win this.
Papa Clem also looks interesting in the Del Mar Derby. The Arkansas Derby winner has yet to make a start over the turf, and has been running poorly since peaking to run fourth in the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Gary Stute has given the mount to Garrett Gomez for the first time. Perhaps that can help the son of Smart Strike get out the current rut he is in. I really like his works of late, especially the four furlong move around the dogs in :45 4/5 H.
The Pat O’Brien Stakes produced last years Breeders Cup Sprint winner in Midnight Lute. It is likely to do the same again this year, but the horse is a three-year-old named Zensational. Trained by Bob Baffert, he is getting better with each start. He has already defeated older horses and jockey Victor Espinoza fits him very well. I highly doubt he loses this race. Bigbadleroybrown has been running better every time he races. I’ll look for him underneath.
I really like Rail Trip in the Pacific Classic at odds of 4-1. He ran exceptionally well to win the Hollywood Gold Cup last out by about 3 lengths. He proved his doubters wrong in that race after losing two races in a row. The son of Jump Start proved that distance wouldn’t be a problem last out going 10 furlongs. He will be going the same distance in today’s event. If Rail Trip is able to get a win here then he will be the early favorite for the Breeders Cup Classic.
Colonel John will hold a strong hand after winning his first start of the year over the turf in the Wicker Stakes. He won the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at this distance last year. Parading was the favorite in the Hollywood Gold Cup, but couldn’t get it done. Will he run better here? I think not. I didn’t like him at all last out, but I would probably include him on exotic tickets at a bigger price this time around.
Who do you like in the Pat O’Brien Stakes, Del Mar Derby, and the Pacific Classic? Leave a comment and let your voice be heard!
Free Saratoga Picks 9/5/09
September 5, 2009 by Ryan · Leave a Comment
The Woodward Stakes is finally here! Rachel Alexandra will make history with a win at Saratoga over older males today. There is also a nice field for the Forego Stakes. Below are some select plays I like. Good luck, and enjoy watching Rachel Alexandra do what she does best; run really fast!
Race 1) #2 Kaper Lake 3-1
Trifecta: 2,9/2,6,7,9/2,6,7,9
Should get a perfect pace setup under jockey Ramon Dominguez.
Race 3) #7 Gold D’oro 5/2
Trifecta: 1,7/ALL/1,7
I love the Bill Mott/Kent Desormeaux combination. Desormeaux does particularly well on the turf, and this girl has been knocking on the door.
Race 4) #4 Our Golden Dream 7/2
Looks tough based on her race two back.
Race 5) #5 King Kitten 3-1
Kitten’s Joy progeny have been doing extremely well over the turf.
Race 9) #1 Pyro 4-1
Pick 4: 1,2,11/3/1,6,9,10/1,4,9
Dime Superfecta: 1,2,11/1,2,3,6,11/1,2,3,6,10,11
Ran well in his first race of the year after breaking poorly. He will like the distance.
Race 10) #3 Rachel Alexandra 1-2
Superfecta: 3/1,6,7/1,6,7/1,2,6,7
Obviously not the greatest bet at 1-2, but this girl can run. Make a point to watch this race because history will be made if she wins.
Mi Sueno headlines Darley Debutante
Things are looking good for the folks at Southern Equine Stables. House trainer Eric Guillot has saddled four winners from 11 starters at the Del Mar meet. He won the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes with Mi Sueno a few weeks ago. That was the filly’s first win and she took the race by a whopping six lengths.
The daughter of Pulpit is working well and should only get better from here. With a little luck she could become the first Breeders Cup winner for Southern Equine. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Nick Hines of TVG and Southern Equine. I wish him and the rest of that operation the best of luck in this event. They are certainly holding a strong hand with this filly.
Blind Luck looks tough for Rafeal Bejarano and Jerry Hollendorfer. She broke her maiden and was claimed first out at Calder Race Course. The daughter of Pollard’s Vision earned a huge BRIS figure of 101 for that race. She completed the 4.5 furlongs in :53 1/5.
After breaking her maiden she won a $40k starter allowance at Del Mar. She enters the race with a nice six furlong move. Rafeal Bejarano is just getting back in the saddle after a bad injury so this would be a nice way to rebuild the confidence. He is one of my favorite riders and I wish him luck.
I have a hard time seeing Necessary Evil winning this one after Mi Sueno crushed her last out. Necessary Evil beat the boys in the Grade 2 Hollywood Juvenile Championship two back and beat Mi Sueno in her debut, but it appears Mi Sueno has surpassed her and then some. You might want to include the daughter of Harlan’s Holiday underneath on exacta, trifecta, and superfecta tickets, but I wouldn’t use her on top at odds of 7/2
I think they are going to have a hard time beating Mi Sueno here at 9/5. Who is your pick?
All Star field gathers for Grade 1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
September 4, 2009 by Ryan · Leave a Comment
It’s hard to believe a year has passed since last years Forego Stakes. Last years running seems like yesterday and is still fresh in my mind. My top selection, First Defence, won the race easily. He paid somewhere around $17 to win, but I can’t remember the exact price. He never really did much after that, and I haven’t heard much about him this year. This years field is much stronger. Let’s take a look.
Everyone remembers Pyro, right? The former Kentucky Derby contender won the Louisiana Derby and looked like he would keep powering home to the winners circle until things started to fall apart in the Bluegrass Stakes. He has won just one time since losing in that prep. He looked really sharp in his first race of the year after breaking poorly. I’ve always believed Pyro was a late running sprinter. Changing jockeys from Shaun Bridgmahon to John Velazquez will help him. I like the son of Pulpit’s chances to win this race.
Kodiak Kowboy is the favorite at odds of 5/2. He finished third behind Fabulous Strike last out in the Vanderbilt Handicap. That race was loaded with talented sprinters so running third wasn’t too bad. The Larry Jones trainee does his best work at seven furlongs and is a Grade 1 winner at this distance. I think it will take his best race, but it will come as no surprise to find this warrior in the winners circle.
After entering the meet on a very big hot streak, Calvin Borel has won just a single time from thirty seven mounts. Could Ready’s Echo be the second win? His perfect two for two record at the seven furlongs distance tells me he could be. Todd Pletcher will throw on blinkers for the first time after this guy finished third in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup at Woodbine. The son of More Than Ready would benefit from a quick early pace.
Cornelio Velsquez is having one of the worst years of his career and is winning races at a mere 7% clip. It’s not all bad for the seasoned vet though. Gold Trippi won a minor stakes last out over Pyro. It looks like he is getting better and he can hang with the best in this race. His odds are very juicy at 20-1, considering the horse that he just beat is much lower at 4-1. I would definitely throw Gold Trippi in on exacta, trifecta, superfecta, pick 3 and pick 4 wagers.
My Pal Charlie looks tough at odds of 6-1. He finished second in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap at this distance earlier in the year. He ran fourth in the second running of the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile last year. The son of Indian Charlie has struggled a bit lately, but will do better turning back in distance. Robby Albarado always rides well for trainer Albert Stall. I wouldn’t count this one out.
Who would’ve thought that we would get odds of 15-1 on a horse that beat Fabulous Strike three races ago? Certainly not I. True Quality is a speedster that is going to gun for the lead. Javier Castellano will be riding for the first time. His last race was a seventh place finish in a minor stakes over the turf at Penn National. That race didn’t play to his strengths and he will do better here. Could he go from flag fall to that’s all? It’s worth a shot at 15-1. Keep him on all exacta, trifecta, and superfecta tickets.
Can I hit this race two years in a row? Probably not, but I’ll try. I like Pyro as my top pick even though I’ve been burned by him several times in the past. It looks like he is on the improve and I think he will do well at this distance. Who do you like? Leave a comment and let your voice be heard!
Arlington-Washington Futurity tops big day of racing at Arlington Park
September 2, 2009 by Ryan · Leave a Comment
I’ve been told by several people that Arlington Park is one of the most beautiful tracks in the United States. I haven’t been fortunate enough to visit yet, but from the pictures it looks like a truly wonderful place. They have several big races on the card this Labor Day weekend, and the focus will be on the babies.
Thats right, the Arlington-Washington Futurity and the Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes. The winner of those races will almost undoubtedly show up in the Breeders Cup Juvenile and Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies. The Arlington Washington Handicap is also on the card. Let’s take a look at the fields for those events.
Dixie Band is the likely favorite in the Arlington-Washington Futurity. The gelded son of Dixie Union is a perfect two for two, winning the $50k Spectacular Bid Stakes last out. David Flores will be picking up the mount for trainer Wayne Catalano. He isn’t the flashiest worker. Distance shouldn’t be a problem because he is only racing one furlong further than he did in his last race. He has a nice stalking style. It would come as no surprise if he ran huge to win this race.
Piscitelli is also interesting. He is shipping in from Monmouth Park after breaking his maiden in his second try. The son of Victory Gallop rallied from the back of the back in that win. It will be interesting to see how he handles the synthetic surface. Junior Alvarado will ride for trainer Gregory Sacco.
Wayne Catalano also trains the favorite in the Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes. She Be Wild is a perfect two for two, drawing off to an easy victory in each of those starts. The daughter of Offlee Wild has a nice stalking style, and she will relish the extra ground. She has several nice works since her last race including a :58 2/5 B five furlong move. Junior Alvarado will ride.
I suspect this will be an easy win for her. The rest of the field doesn’t look like much and she seems like a filly that could explode on to the scene in this event. Catalano also trained Dreaming of Anna who capped an undefeated two-year-old campaign with a win in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies. Could this girl be headed in the same direction?
The Washington Park Handicap is also on the card. It is open to three-year-olds and up and is contested over 1 3/16 miles on the main track. Some of the entrants include Grade 1 Lanes End Breeders Futurity winner Wicked Style. He hasn’t been running well lately, but classy horses can rebound. Dubious Miss is a tough allowance horse, but can rumble with the likes of these. A win from him wouldn’t be surprising.
Are you going to Arlington Park to watch these races? What are your thoughts? Leave a comment!
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