Horse Racing News

Headache & Where’s Sterling aiming for Breeders Cup after 1-2 finish in Hawthorne Gold Cup

October 11, 2011 By Ryan Patterson Leave a Comment

Mike Maker’s former claimer Headache forged to the front in the late stages of the Grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup to narrowly defeat Nick Canani’s colt Where’s Sterling by about ¾ of a length. Now the Bluegrass Stakes winning trainer says the gelding will take on the best the world has to offer in the Breeders Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.

Crazy?

Maybe, but let’s consider that the horse will never get to run for anywhere near $5 million ever again. He has improved vastly this year and dispatched a good field in the Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows over the summer. Headache loves the track at Churchill Downs too so he’s got that going for him. It wouldn’t shock or surprise to see him pick up third or fourth in America’s richest race.

Mike Maker had this to say to Marcus Hersh of the Daily Racing Form:

“He’s always had a few quirks – making the lead too early, being in front of horses, stringing together a bunch of second-place finishes,” said Maker, who trains Headache for Ken and Sarah Ramsey. “He’s always trained like we were underachieving with him. We feel like we’re getting the best out of his abilities now.”

Where’s Sterling is also considering a trip to Churchill Downs, albeit in a much lesser race; the Breeders Cup Marathon. The colt is getting better all the time and he did win the Grade 3 Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park two races back. He will be in with a shot if he makes it to that race.

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Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: breeders cup betting, breeders cup classic, breeders cup marathon, headache, where's sterling

Gio Ponti bound for the 2011 Breeders Cup Mile

October 11, 2011 By Ryan Patterson 1 Comment

It took some time, but the hard knocking six year old Gio Ponti finally found the winners circle this past weekend in the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland. There was a point in the race where I wasn’t sure he would get up, but he accelerated tremendously in the final furlong. Now the 7 time Grade 1 winning son of Tale of the Cat will prep for a rematch with Goldikova in the Breeders Cup Mile.

I tried my best to not get down on Gio Ponti this year. He lost his first three North American races in 2011, but had excuses in all of them.

In the first, the Manhattan, he chased a dawdling pace and was forced to race on a yielding course which he clearly does not appreciate.

After that he twice ran into a monster named Cape Blanco in the Man O’ War and Arlington Million. Just like the Manhattan, those races were over a wet track. The champ still performed well despite facing conditions that werent to his liking, but it took a firm course at Keeneland for him to show his best stuff.

Facing three time Breeders Cup Mile winner Goldikova one more time will not be an easy challenge for Gio Ponti. Nothing has been easy for him so far though, so why would it get easy now?

Christophe Clement would love to send his star off to the shed by taking what would be the biggest victory of his career in the Breeders Cup Mile. He just might do it too.

Be sure to check out our Horse Racing Games page to learn how you can race for real money in the virtual edition of the Breeders Cup Mile. It’s got a purse of $2,000 and you can start playing for free!

Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: 2011 breeders cup mile, Breeders Cup, gio ponti

Best Horse Racing contest betting site? Look no further than DerbyWars.

October 5, 2011 By Ryan Patterson 1 Comment

My good friend Mark Midland from HorseRacingNation recently encouraged me to check out his latest venture, DerbyWars. The site is a horse racing game that caters to horse betting tournaments similar to those you might have seen at your local track. Players have a chance to qualify for the $2 million National Handicapping Championship for as little as $25 as well as play in a $15k cash tournament on a regular basis. The tournaments are fun and easy to play!

I’ve never been much of a tournament player, but that is mostly because I never qualified due to my age. Well, I recently turned 21 and decided that with DerbyWars hitting the scene now was a better time than ever to try and get in the mix.

My first tournament was very exciting and I nearly won after selecting a horse at Arlington that paid huge hit and hit the cap of $42 to win. Unfortunately, most of my other picks were bad that day and I ended up in fourth. Not bad though, right?! The sad thing about this tournament was that I played 2 entries and on one I used Caleb’s Posse in the King’s Bishop and Uncle Mo on the other. Had I used Caleb’s Posse on the entry with the Arlington bomber I would have won.

The next tournament I played was for media members and professional handicappers. I hit the first two winners and led the pack which included names like 2009 Handicapper of the Year, John Conte. I led until the last couple of races, but due to a couple of bad breaks I ended up losing. Despite that it was a cool experience and something I hope to do again.

One of the things I like about DerbyWars is that is has free tournaments. Needless to say, we all like a free shot at some big money. The pay to play tournaments offer a great chance to grab a big score. I’m playing in one this Sunday that has a pool of $15k.

The game also provides great social interaction. You can create your own profile and interact with friends through the live chat as the tournament progresses.

DerbyWars is great because it has great people behind it. Midland has been involved in racing for decades while working for companies like Churchill Downs, Youbet.com and Harrah’s Entertainment. His engineering of this site is no surprise and I fully expect it to be a big hit. I could ramble for days about all of the great features at DerbyWars, but you’re best off to see it for yourself. Click the link above and check it out today.

Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: derbywars, handicapping tournaments, horse racing betting, horse racing contests, mark midland

Twirling Candy prepares for Pacific Classic

August 22, 2011 By Ryan Patterson Leave a Comment

Twirling Candy is an incredibly fast horse. No sane person would deny that fact. The son of Candy Ride owns 7 wins from 10 starts including triumphs in the Malibu Stakes, Del Mar Derby, Strub Stakes and Californian Stakes.

He has had three chances to break through and prove himself as the top horse in the country. Those three races were the Goodwood Stakes, Santa Anita Handicap and Hollywood Gold Cup. Coincidentally, those races are also his only defeats.

Trainer John Sadler will now try to vindicate the colt he believes to be the best in America with a win in the Pacific Classic. He sent him out for a work Sunday morning in which he covered one mile in 1:37 4/5 and galloped out 1 ⅛ in 1:50.

Bettors are likely to focus attention on the filly Blind Luck after her triumph over Havre de Grace in the Delaware Handicap. She has been dominate against the girls, but asking her to go 10 furlongs against males is a tall order. Combine this with Twirling Candy falling short in the Hollywood Gold Cup and you are likely to get a very square price on a horse that is clearly best when he puts it all together.

I don’t make picks for races without seeing the PPs first, but Twirling Candy is an intriguing option. He is going to figure it out against Grade 1 older horses sooner or later. The Pacific Classic might be his time.

Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: blind luck, del mar betting, pacific classic, twirling candy

2011 Fasig-Tipton July Sale

July 11, 2011 By Ryan Patterson Leave a Comment

I am not just a horse bettor and handicapper. I love all things related to horse racing. That is why when I finish my studies at the University of Cincinnati next year I will seek employment within the thoroughbred racing industry. I’m not sure which part of game I’ll enter and that is why I’m exploring different options.

Sunday led me to beautiful Fasig-Tipton in Lexington, Kentucky where a yearling sale will take place tomorrow. Bloodstock agent Rory Callis showed me a thing or two about evaluating horses. I also got to meet some very cool people like Belmont Stakes winning trainer Ken McPeek and former Kentucky Gov. and Airdrie Stud owner Brereton Jones.

Working as a bloodstock agent isn’t easy. It is a highly competitive profession and people like Rory Callis have to quickly evaluate and make a decision on the worthiness of hundreds of horses in a single day. Callis has a great eye as proved by his past selections of Grade 2 winner Striking Dancer and Grade 1 winners Noble’s Promise and Dream Empress.

I plan to write more about Rory and Ken in the coming weeks, but until then I’d like to show you my favorite horse in the sale. Please excuse my very poor photography!

Hip #171 is a daughter of dual Grade 1 winner Lawyer Ron and out of the Grade 3 winning mare Added Asset (Lord at War). She is a member of the late Lawyer Ron’s second crop. Added Asset has produced nine foals, seven of which have raced and four of which are winners. Among the winners are graded stakes placed The Best Day Ever and stakes winner Timeless Fashion. I was impressed with the conformation of this filly and with some luck she could be a stakes winner someday. It will be fun to follow her career.

If you are seeking to become a horse owner please contact me (ryan @ gradedstakes.com) so I can put you in touch with Rory Callis and Ken McPeek. I know they have several strong prospects at the moment. You can’t be in much better hands than with the guy that picked out Noble’s Promise and Dream Empress and a trainer that has won over 100 stakes races!

Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: added asset, bloodstock, bloodstock agent, brereton jones, fasig-tipton sale, july sale, ken mcpeek, lawyer ron, rory callis, yearlings

2011 Epsom Derby thoughts

June 3, 2011 By Ryan Patterson 2 Comments

Let me start off by saying that my knowledge of British turf racing is minimal compared to American racing. With that said, it looks like the favored Carlton House will be tough to beat. The 2-1 choice is owned by the Queen of England and trained by Sir Michael Stoute. He will be ridden by Ryan Moore.

In his first start Carlton House was second by 4 lengths in a maiden race. After that he won easily by 9 lengths at Newbury Racecourse. His first start of 2011 was a relatively easy score in the Group 2 Dante Stakes against Seville and Pisco Sour, both of whom will be racing here. Carlton House is a son of Street Cry out of the Bustino mare Talented. Street Cry, as you probably know, is a famous Kentucky stallion. His progeny include the likes of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and 2009 Breeders Cup Classic winner Zenyatta.

Carlton House was a gift to the Queen by Sheikh Mohammad of Dubai. He was sent over as a yearling along with three others. A win in the Epsom Derby would mark the first for the Queen who has always been a great supporter of thoroughbred horse racing. While my opinion on international racing isn’t worth much, I believe the colt will be very tough to beat. He is lucky Frankel isn’t here though. That one might have thrashed them all by 10 lengths.

Pisco Sour looks like an interesting long shot in the Epsom Derby. He is listed in the book as 99-1, but I can’t imagine the son of Lemon Drop Kid going off at such a hefty price. His first start of 2011 was a third place finish behind Carlton House and Seville. If he moves forward he could have something to say.

I’ll be sure to discuss the results of the race this weekend. What do you think of the Epsom Derby?

Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: carlton house, epsom derby, pisco sour, queen horse racing, seville

2011 Plate Trial Stakes betting preview

June 3, 2011 By Ryan Patterson Leave a Comment

I’ve always said I will cover more international racing. Admittedly, I have been slower than molasses in January in terms of actually doing so. That ends this month though as I will be talking about Canadian Triple Crown, Epsom Derby, Royal Ascot as well as several other top European events. Let’s not forget Japanese racing too. I wont stray far from the American border this time as this post is about the 2011 Plate Trial Stakes. This race serves as a prep for the Queen’s Plate.

Speed Ring (AP Indy x Catch the Ring by Seeking the Gold) Failed as the prohibitive favorite in his last race at debut which was against maidens. He obviously has some talent and is well bred, but it would take a huge effort to break his maiden in this spot. Mark Frostad trains and Emma Jayne Wilson will ride.

Bear’s Chill (Artie Schiller x Silver Nithi by Numerous) Winner of three starts from five races. Early speed will be his weapon, but the distance could pose a problem. It appears he could have thinks his own way up front so if he takes to the 9 furlong trip then watch out. Ramsammy rides for trainer Reade Baker.

Bowman’s Causeway (Giant’s Causeway x Victory Encounter by Victory Speech) Not sure what happened last out in the Florida Derby where was eased out of the race. Since then he has switched to the barn of Chad Brown. We know he will love the distance as he broke his maiden going 9 furlongs. The surface is a question, but I think he will respond to it well. The company he has been holding is much better than anyone else in this field and he could be sitting in the perfect spot. Eurico Da Silva will ride. Very dangerous.

Strike Oil (Forest Wildcat x Acadia by Silver Deputy) This colt broke his maiden against stakes company over the Woodbine surface and at the same distance as the Plate Trial. He is a closer, but just cant seem to get a fast pace. I don’t know if that will change this time. Will take a huge effort for him to win. Mark Casse trains and Luis Contreras will ride.

Sensational Slam (Grand Slam x Roman Romance by San Romano) Todd Pletcher trainee stepped big time in the Bluegrass Stakes last out, but failed to fire. Before that he won a six furlong minor stakes event at Aqueduct. His two tries around two turns were very lacking, but he catches a soft spot here. If he is ever going to route this is the spot for him to do it.

Imhotep (Giant’s Causeway x Enchanted Woods by Woodman) I bet this one in his initial start where he finished second at odds of nearly 14-1 at Gulfstream Park in a grass maiden race. Todd Pletcher first time out at 14-1? I’ll jump on that every time. After that race fifth at Keeneland after racing much closer to the pace. This spot is a little much to ask for a maiden, but if anybody could do it then it’s Todd Pletcher. JJ Castellano has the mount.

Check Your Soul (Perfect Soul x Unchecked by Unbridled) Winner of the Wando Stakes last out gets some extra ground here. He was ridden out in that win despite a poor break and chasing a glacially slow pace. He could be very dangerous here in the fourth start of his career. Patrick Husbands rides for Roger Attfield.

Sandy Gully (The Cliff’s Edge x Signs of Glory by Southern Halo) It looks like the Cary Brooks trainee really found his calling last out going two turns. He made the front there and ended up second beaten just a head. The fact that he will be close means he could get a piece at the pace doesn’t seem to be very fast. Jono Jones will be in the irons.

Hippolytus (Philanthropist x Danzatara by Ascot Knight) Mark Casse trains this colt that will be ridden by Tyler Pizarro. He won his 2011 debut against statebred allowance horses closing into relatively slow fractions. His two-year-old form was strong capped by a second place finish in a $125k statebred stakes race. He could be any kind.

I’ll go with Bowman’s Causeway as my top pick. He should outclass this field and figures to be sitting in a great spot. Bear’s Chili is a good one to use in the exacta spot as his speed will be dangerous. Who do you like in the Plate’s Trial? Check out our horse betting page for information on how to bet the race!

Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: bears chill, bowman's causeway, check your soul, hippolytus, imhotep, plate trial, sandy gully, sensational slam, speed ring, strike oil, woodbine betting, woodbine picks

History says Nehro will have a big shot in Belmont Stakes

June 2, 2011 By Ryan Patterson Leave a Comment

The Belmont Stakes next week could have a match-up of the Derby winner and the Preakness winner in Animal Kingdom and Shackleford. One horse who split the two in the Derby is Nehro. The son of Mineshaft finished 2^nd to Animal Kingdom, then skipped the Preakness to point to the Belmont Stakes. This decision by owner Ahmed Zayat and trainer Steve Asmussen was somewhat decried in certain pockets of the internet, since Nehro was on a roll of seconds in his last three starts. However, recent history could tells us they probably made a good decision.

With this year’s Belmont, not only Nehro, but Master of Hounds (5^th), Santiva (6^th), Brilliant Speed (7^th) and Stay Thirsty (12^th) will be trying to win the Belmont after skipping the Preakness. None of these would match the dramatic switch of 2000, when Commendable came off a 17^th place finish in the Derby to win the Belmont. 30 horses have done this in the last 11 years, and they made up thirteen of the thirty-three on the board finishers. Four of the thirteen were horses who had hit the board (which make up eight of the 30).

In the past 11 years, the connections of five second-place finishers in the Derby have chosen to skip the Preakness and wait for the Derby for a variety of reasons. Three have hit the board in the Belmont, with all three finishing at least second, with only Empire Maker improving on his second to win in 2003. The other two, who finished off the board, were Invisible Ink in 2001 (5^th) and Ice Box (9^th) last year. Nehro will hope that he continues the positive trend with a place-or-better finish.

So there are few stats to help you decide whether or not to use Nehro or any of the other horses taking the direct route from the Twin Spire to the Big Sandy.

Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: animal kingdom, belmont betting, belmont stakes, nehro, shackleford

Tizway cruises to easy Met Mile win as we nail $378 exacta!

May 31, 2011 By Ryan Patterson 1 Comment

The Memorial Day card at Belmont Park was very good to us here at Gradedstakes.com. Our top selection in the Met Mile, Tizway, cruised to an easy 2 3/4 length win while returning $8.20 for a $2 win bet.

Our second choice in the race, Rodman, finished second at a massive price of 36-1 to set off an exacta that paid $358. I had that one a few times along with a dime superfecta. I’m more happy for our reader, Nick Cantarella, who chimed in to let me know that he used my picks to hit the superfecta for a whopping $7,561.50! Several others also let me know they had it on my advice. Way to go, guys and gals.

Tizway made a ton of sense for me. He clearly loves the Belmont surface as all of his best races have been there and he was third against an arguably better field in the Met Mile last year. Not only that, but his running style suited the pace set up perfectly. I’ve always thought the son of Tiznow had a ton of potential and he finally lived up to it. He scorched the clock with a final time of 1:32.90 which was very close to the stakes record and faster than Quality Road who did it in 1:33.11 last year.

Tizway wasn’t the hard horse to have though. 36-1 shot Rodman was. I’ve watched this horse for most of his career and I have always thought he had a ton of talent. When he won by 5 under a mild hand ride last out I was impressed and the connections showed a ton of confidence by bringing him to the Met. In my mind he was closer to a 12-1 shot, so I was very happy when I saw his odds as they loaded in the gate.

I have always thrived on graded stakes racing. That is where my best horse betting takes place. Give me a 5k beaten claimer and I’m terrible, but if its a Grade 1 race I believe I’m as good as anyone out there. Stay tuned to Gradedstakes.com for more tips on the best racing that horse racing has to offer. Also, consider checking out our Facebook page, Twitter feed and Youtube page by clicking the links on the side of this page.

Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: horse racing picks, met mile, rodman, tizway

Santiva prepares for Belmont Stakes

May 28, 2011 By Ryan Patterson Leave a Comment

Santiva, the son of Giant’s Causeway that finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby, worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 at Churchill Downs on Saturday. The colt is trained by Eddie Kenneally who indicted his star pupil will be headed to Belmont for his next start in the Belmont Stakes.

The lightly raced colt has only a single win and it came in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. He figures to fly under the radar and could provide a good betting opportunities for his backers.

I have always thought Santiva had loads of talent. Not only that, but his breeding is top notch. He has improved with every race this year, minus the Bluegrass, and he has the right to run a peak effort in the Belmont Stakes

One of the best things about Santiva is his breeding. His sire, the aforementioned Giant’s Causeway, is the best in the world. He has plenty of stamina so we know he will stay the trip in the third leg of the Triple Crown. Santiva sort of reminds me of 2006 Belmont Stakes winner Jazil. That one entered the race with just a single win like Santiva, but exited it a classic winner. Both are closers.

Others likely for the Belmont Stakes include Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, Kentucky Derby runner up Nehro, Preakness winner Shackleford, Mucho Macho Man, Brilliant Speed, Stay Thirsty, Alternation and Master of Hounds.

Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: 2011 belmont stakes, santiva, santiva belmont stakes