Monthly Archives: November 2015

Virginia-Breds Score a Hat Trick of Wins at Penn National Over 2-Day Period Last Week

A trio of Virginia-bred horses scored victories at Penn National this past week including a pair of five year olds — Anybodyreallyknow and Maid To Run —and a three year old — Turks and Chaos.

Anybodyreallyknow connected in a $21,900 six furlong claiming sprint on Saturday over seven other foes. The Holy Bull gelding sat off the pace for most of the way, stayed close to the rail on the turn and took control in the stretch. The Larry Johnson bred horse crossed 1 1/2 lengths in front of runner-up Cold Facts in 1:11.22. Anybodyreallyknow, trained by Scott Lake, is out of What Do I Do by Two Smart.

Anybodyreallyknow, bred by Larry Johnson, scores at Penn National November 21, 2015 in a six furlong sprint for trainer Scott Lake

Maid To Run won on the same program, also in a sprint race, but at a half furlong less. The $10,500 filly/mare race featured a large 11 horse field and was contested at 5 1/2 furlongs. The 5 year old Lion Hearted mare came from off the pace, had a quick response at the 1/8th pole when rider Emilio Flores asked, and edged front running Natal by a nose at the wire. The second place finisher carried a three length lead into the stretch but Maid To Run came on strong and crossed in 1:05.99. Anne Tucker bred the winner, who is out of Boltin’ Bride by Runaway Groom.

Maid To Run, bred by Anne Tucker, wins a tight 5 1/2 furlong sprint over Natal November 21, 2015 at Penn National. A nose separated the duo at the finish.

Turks and Chaos was victorious last Friday in a $17,100 fillies/mares claiming race where she held off fast closing Miss Mandalay to win by a three-quarter length margin. Bred by Mary Iselin, the 3 year old daughter of Oratory came three wide in the final turn of the one mile, 70 yard race, drew out by 3 1/2 lengths at the top of the stretch and crossed in 1:45.63 after holding off the hard charging runner-up. Turks and Chaos is trained by Martin Miller and was ridden by William Otero. She is out of the Citidancer mare, Hat Dancer.

Turks and Chaos wins a $17,100 claiming race at Penn National by 3/4’s of a length over Miss Mandalay November 20. The 3 year old Oratory filly was bred by Mary Iselin

Money Tree kicked off the week with a western score at Turf Paradise last Wednesday in a six furlong allowance race. The 5 year old son of Lawyer Ron prevailed in 1:10.21 after rallying from fifth early in the stretch. The winner was bred by Morgan’s Ford Farm, and is out of So Generous by Fly So Free. Rider Jake Barton directed the triumph up top for trainer Carl O’Callaghan. Money Tree, who earned the winner’s share of a $15,000 purse, was sent off at 6-1 in the six horse field.

Andy Pick Me, bred by the Lazy Lane Farms, wins a $22,000 sprint at Laurel on November 22, 2015.

Andy Picked Me closed out the week on Sunday with a solid three length win in a $22,000 starter optional claiming sprint at Laurel. The 3 year old Sky Mesa gelding was third halfway thru the turn of the six furlong test, angled out and took control with a furlong to go. He crossed in 1:11.84 with Julian Pimentel at the helm. Bred by the Lazy Lane Farms and trained by Benjamin Perkins, Andy Picked Me is out of Night Breeze by Two Punch. The victor, best in a large field of 11, paid $11.60.

Letter to Virginia Horsemen – Update from Equine Alliance Moving Forward

Dear Virginia Horsemen:

As most of you may know, the Virginia Racing Commission unanimously denied Colonial Downs’ request of 2016 race dates at their monthly meeting this past Tuesday. I’d like to address a question that’s been asked many times since the decision was rendered — What does this mean for the both the immediate and long term future of racing in the Commonwealth?

First, a brief history. At the 2014 October meeting of the Racing Commission, Colonial Downs’ owner, Jeff Jacobs, turned in the track’s unlimited license which allowed them to conduct live thoroughbred & standardbred racing, and operate up to ten Off Track Betting (OTB) Centers in the state. The OTB facilities closed shortly after the announcement and the New Kent facility has gone unused since. Thoroughbred racing was last held at Colonial Downs in summer of 2013 and harness racing was last held there in fall of 2014. Not only did he give up the right to run OTB’s but because there was no longer an unlimited licensee, the industry lost 3 to 4 million dollars Colonial was receiving from the out of state on line betting companies (ADW’s) that helped fund the costs of live racing in Virginia.

Shortly after Mr. Jacobs’ actions of last October, the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) was born so live racing could continue in Virginia. To do that, it was necessary to recapture the funds lost to live racing when he turned in his license. The VEA is comprised of four member groups — the Virginia Thoroughbred Association (VTA), Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association (VAHBPA), Virginia Harness Horsemen’s Association (VHHA) and the Virginia Gold Cup. The purpose of the Alliance is to promote, sustain and expand the horse breeding and horse racing industries in the state.

The new law took effect in July and since then, the VEA has unsuccessfully attempted to lease Colonial Downs from Mr. Jacobs. The Alliance was however, able to put on seven successful events in Virginia this year and relocate eight key stakes races at Maryland’s Laurel Park as well — five Virginia-bred events and three graded stakes. The Gold Cup held flat races as part of their annual spring and fall steeplechase event days at Great Meadow in The Plains. A new event, Virginia Downs, was also held at Great Meadow in September and featured an afternoon of flat races with combined purses of $150,000. Harness racing returned to the Oak Ridge Estate in Nelson County on back-to-back weekends in October. Closing day at Oak Ridge showcased Virginia-bred and sired horses that competed in eight championship races worth a combined $350,000.

We’re proud of everything that was accomplished in 2015 despite financial obstacles faced by Colonial’s closing, and turnaround times to get first time event logistics and promotion in place. Now, we need to look to the future and address the two most underserved aspects affected by this transition — the horsemen, who require more racing opportunities to sustain their business, and the horseplayers, whose betting options both on and off track have been limited.

The key takeaway from Tuesday’s VRC meeting is that the impediment to moving the industry forward has been removed. Mr. Jacobs’ vision of racing didn’t include expanding racing opportunities. Here are the VEA’s immediate goals:

*To begin seeking a new “permanent” home for thoroughbred races – Meetings are currently taking place with management of Morven Park in Leesburg about the prospects of running thoroughbred races there on a regular basis in the future. Work will need to be done on the turf surface to ensure the safety of both horses and riders. Dates will need to be secured around many other events Morven hosts during the year. A number of additional issues will have to be addressed so realistically, we’d be looking at 2017 dates there at the earliest, assuming we clear all hurdles. The Alliance will investigate additional days at Great Meadow as well as other racing opportunities out of state for the short term.

*To seek long term permanent track(s) for standardbred races – The Oak Ridge Estate in Nelson County has already been established as a viable site to host harness races and possibly even add thoroughbred races at some point in the future. Several annual non-betting harness racing events also currently take place at the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds in Woodstock, Virginia, and meetings have already taken place with track officials there to discuss an upgrade to the track that could position it as another option for pari-mutuel races moving forward.

*To open Off Track Betting Centers in the state – As far as Off Track Betting is concerned, we are in the process of talking to three national companies that specialize in OTB development and operation. Our hope is to get the first outlet up and operating in 2016. The VEA also wants to work with local ownership scenarios in smaller communities like Nelson County (where Oak Ridge is based) where connections and contacts have already been established through years of being part of that business community. The OTBs are critical to the long term viability of racing in Virginia as they will generate additional purse and operational funds.

*To plan a schedule of both flat and standardbred races in 2016 based on several different budget scenarios –.The VEA is also working on several different scenarios for live racing events next year. Since we hosted seven different race days in 2015, we know the hard costs associated with conducting these events and now, it’s a matter of plugging in the revenue numbers received from the account wagering services (TVG, Twin Spires & XPressBet) and seeing how many live days we can afford. Right now, proceeds from on line betting handle is the sole handle generator until we get another revenue stream from OTBs in the near future.

*To plan a new industry website & promotional strategies – Work is currently in progress to create a new all-encompassing website where the entire Virginia horse racing community can access information on upcoming events, get industry news, and learn how to make wagers on local and national races. The site will appeal to both horsemen, bettors and potential live race event attendees.

There is a lot of work to be done to grow and sustain Virginia racing, but the biggest positive aspect right now is that everyone is on the same page, at last. We want to move forward quickly but we will not be able to rebuild racing overnight — it will take time and we need to count on your patience. The next Racing Commission meeting is December 16th and we’ll provide updates on these issues I’ve addressed here to the Commissioners, who through their vote on Tuesday, reinforced a great desire to work with us and help Virginia racing get back on track and prosper.

Virginia-bred Horses Win at 5 Different Tracks from November 11-15

The Lael Stables’ Exaggerated got back on the winning track, and Virginia-bred horses scored wins at 5 different venues from November 11 – 17. Here’s the latest recap.

Exaggerated, who won the $60,000 Oakley Stakes at Laurel Park September 26 on Virginia-bred Stakes Day, made it three wins in four career starts by winning a 5 1/2 furlong, $42,000 allowance sprint race November 11 at Laurel. A 3 year old daughter of Blame who sold for $250,000 at auction, Exaggerated has now bankrolled $85,560 in Maryland, all under the services of jockey Forest Boyce. She faced ten other horses in last week’s allowance, took control in the final 1/16th, and crossed a length ahead of runner-up Dreaming of Bella in 1:05.18. The filly who did not race as a two year old, was bred by the Hart Farm, is trained by Arnaud Delacour, and is owned by Roy & Gretchen Jackson of the Lael Stables. Exaggerated is out of Miz United States by Valid Appeal.

Lael Stables’ Exaggerated made it 3-for-4 when she captured an allowance race at Laurel Nov. 11, 2015

Another pair of horses, Jubilation and Officer’s Oath, scored respective come from behind wins in seven furlong, $25,000 maiden special weight races at Charles Town on the same day. The former, a 3 year old Hold Me Back filly, faced nine other ladies while the latter, a 2 year old Luftikus gelding, squared off against nine other males. Jubilation, bred by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin, angled four wide turning for home, closed on the outside and won by a 3/4 length margin in 1:29.63. Officer’s Oath, bred by the Daybreak Stables, Inc., came from 8th at the half, passed five frontrunners going outside in the turn and crossed 1 1/4 lengths in front in 1:30.00. The filly, trained by Jeff Runco, is out of Hawaiian Love by Not For Love while the gelding, conditioned by Ollie Figgins III, is out of Officer Pepper by Officer.

Another Figgins trainee, Secret Or Not, was best of 11 four days later in a $40,000 maiden special weight clash over Laurel’s turf course. The 3 year old Orientate filly was fourth in the final turn of the 1 1/16ths mile race, went between horses and gained the lead at the head of the stretch. She held off late challenges to win by 3/4ths of a length in 1:46.35 under jockey Xavier Perez. Secret Or Not, bred by Charles Wilson, is out of the Secret Hello mare, Leed Me Home.

Secret Or Not, bred by Charles Wilson, wins a maiden special weight race at Laurel on November 15, 2015

Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin completed a “breeding double” of sorts last week when American Dubai captured a $55,000 six furlong maiden sprint at Churchill Downs. The victory came just two days after Jubilation’s triumph at Charles Town. The Rodney Richards trainee overcame a rocky start where he was bumped and bothered, but rebounded nicely to win by 2 3/4 lengths in 1:10.77. The 2 year colt is by E Dubai out of Smash Review by Bates Motel.

A pair of fillies, ages two and four respectively, won events at opposite ends of the east coast in very different fashion. The freshman, Sweet Victory, went to gate to wire at Gulfstream for trainer Todd Pletcher in a field of ten maidens. The Blame filly crossed 6 1/4 lengths in front of favored Fired Up Sensation and earned the winner’s share of a $50,000 purse. Bred by the William M. Backer Revocable Trust, Sweet Victory dueled with Thanks To Life down the backstretch of the 7 1/2 furlong race and through the turn before shaking free. The winner, guided by jockey Eddie Castro in a finishing time of 1:32.83, is out of My Mammy by Came Home.

Love and Marriage on the other hand, won by a slim neck margin over Sea Coast in a one mile, $69,000 allowance race at Aqueduct. Bred by the Morgan’s Ford Farm and trained by Chad Brown, the 4 year old daughter of Arch stayed mid-pack until the final quarter when she battled with the runner up and third place finisher, Fresh Felline. Jockey Javier Castellano directed the 1:36.57 winning effort. Love and Marriage is out of the Lion Cavern mare, Go Baby Go (Irish-bred).

Account Betting Figures in Virginia Show Nice Increase in October

Thanks in part to the two-day Breeders’ Cup Championships, account wagering handle in Virginia for October was solid, and turned out to be the fourth best month of 2015. All three partner providers — TVG, Twin Spires and XPressBet — saw handle improve dramatically from September, which traditionally is one of the slowest months of the year.

TVG, which has been the biggest handle generator in the state since EZ Horseplay went out of business in early April, handled $2,976,157 last month, up from $2,385,567 in September. Twin Spires, which took in $2,397,731 in bets, saw business jump from $1,923,633 the month prior while XPressBet handled $1,041,255 compared with $865,359 in September. Combined, the three took in $6,415,144 in wagers versus $5,174,860 the previous month.

The Breeders’ Cup Championships were held at Keeneland October 30 & 31

For the year, TVG is up 27.34%, with $28,564,228 in betting handle. Twin Spires is next with a 25.77% increase from $22,774.555 in wagers, and XPressbet is third, up 10.22%, with a $10,101,693 handle. The entire 2015 total is off 11.93% from last year — $69,827,328 versus $79,283,272 from 2014 — due to the absence of EZ Horseplay since early spring, which had been the top handle producer of the four.

The three most prolific months this year have been May (when the Derby & Preakness took place), August (Saratoga & Del Mar meets, plus American Pharoah ran twice) and June (when American Pharoah won the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes).

7 Virginia-Breds Score Wins from November 4-9

Seven Virginia-breds got to the winners circle last week including three steeplechase horses, a 34-1 upset bomb, and an eight length winner at Churchill Downs that got claimed out of the race.

Dream Voyage, Monstaleur and Class Cherokee all won jump events in varying fashion. The first pair scored impressive romps at Charleston and the Pine Mountain Callaway Garden respectively while the latter connected in a stalking come from behind trip at Montpelier to win by a close half length margin.

A day after collecting four riding wins at Montpelier, Darren Nagle guided Dream Voyage to a 10 1/4 length wire-to-wire triumph Sunday in a $15,000 maiden claimer at 2 1/4 miles. The 4 year old Mizzen Mast gelding was best in a five horse field and crossed in 5:02.00 for trainer Michael Berryman. Bred by Mr. & Mrs. Bertram Firestone, Dream Voyage is out of the Theatrical mare, Stage Dream.

Monstaleur competed at the 3 1/8 miles distance against seven others, was second at the two mile mark, took control of the field by five heading into the stretch and crossed nine lengths over the closest foe. Forrest Kelly directed the 8 year old Meadow Monster gelding in the $15,000 maiden special weight marathon. Bred by Dr. James Bryant and Linda Davis, Monstaleur finished in 6:54.60 for trainer Blythe Davies. He is out of the Stalwars mare, Taleur.

Class Cherokee (R), winner of the maiden hurdle. Photo courtesy Douglas Lees.

Class Cherokee was solid at Montpelier again, making it back to back years in Orange, Virginia that the 5 year old has scored November victories at the estate of James Madison. This was the first of Nagle’s four wins, and he chose a stalking type journey after breaking well in the large ten horse field. Class Cherokee came outside from fifth in the second circuit and steadily advanced to edge Powerofone by one half length at the wire. The Richard Valentine trainee was bred by the Mede Cahaba Stable and is a Cherokee Boy’s gelding out Class Excells, by Class Secret. The victor finished the 2 3/8th miles route in 4:44.60.

It’s not often a horse goes off at 34-1 in a six horse field and prevails, but that’s exactly what True Cost did at Penn National last Thursday in a $20,900 six furlong race for ladies. Bred by Anne Tucker, the 5 year old Aisle mare led by 3 1/2 at the top of the stretch, but had to fend off a fast closing trio at the wire She crossed a neck better than Wild For Love in 1:11.28, and less than a length separated the top four. Out of the Is It True mare, Truly Extravagant, True Cost paid $70.80 for a $2 win bet.

True Cost, bred by Anne Tucker, won November 5th at Penn National after being sent off at 34-1

Unassailable faced the biggest field of this week’s Commonwealth-bred winners and dominated by eight lengths courtesy of a big four wide move in the final turn. The $24,000, 1 1/16 miles test came at Churchill and featured a dozen maiden claiming competitors. The 3 year old Warrior’s Reward gelding made his move before the three-quarters mark and powered by the frontrunners early in the stretch to win going away. Bred by Carolyn Nicewonder Beverly, Unassailable was one of three horses claimed from the race. Out of the Private Account mare, Gone Private, he was claimed for $30,000 by the Midwest Thoroughbreds.

Joe Tess captured a 5 furlong claiming race at Penn National November 5th. The 5 year old Macho Uno gelding was bred by Edward Evans.

Money Tree and Joe Tess, a pair of 5 year old geldings, each won respective six furlong sprints this past week at Turf Paradise and Penn National. The former, by Lawyer Ron out of So Generous by Fly So Free, scored a dominant 7 1/2 length triumph in 1:10.14. Bred by the Morgan’s Ford Farm and trained by Carl O’Callaghan, Money Tree earned the winner’s share of a $8,300 purse courtesy of a five wide move in the turn. The latter, by Macho Uno out of the Gold Fever mare, Forty Moves, went gate-to-wire in his $19,000 race. Bred by Edward Evans, Joe Tess won by three lengths in.1:10.45.

Penn National photos are courtesy of B & D Photography.

10 Virginia-breds To Compete in Montpelier Hunt races This Saturday

The Montpelier Hunt Races are this Saturday November 7th in Orange, Virginia and two of the races are training flat events while the other five are steeplechase races.

The kickoff race, at 12:30 PM, features a field of five Virginia-breds including Pride of the Fleet, a 9 year old son of Parker’s Storm Cat that was bred by the Run Aweigh Stable. He has career earnings of $140,581 and despite 8th and 9th place finishes at Great Meadow this year, did win a fall race there during the 2014 International Gold Cup program. Also in the field are Malibu Dreamer (James Carter), Ritual Way (Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III), Leith Lane (Mr. & Mrs. Bertram Firestone) and Marvey Marley (James Walters & Teresa Myers), who is a 7 year old daughter of Victory Gallop. The group of five will compete one mile and vie for a $5,000 award, to be spread among the top three finishers in varying percentages.

The Montpelier Hunt Races are always held the first Saturday in November.

Virginia-breds Hooping and Class Cherokee will be among a field of 12 in the $15,000 Madison Plate Hurdle Handicap at 2 3/8ths miles. The former, bred by the Hickory Tree Farms, has a pair of seconds at recent Virginia Equine Alliance events at Great Meadow— Virginia Downs (September 20) and at the Gold Cup card (October 24). The latter, bred by the Mede Cahaba Stable, won at Montpelier last November.

The $15,000 Battleship is a maiden claiming hurdle race featuring Virginia-bred Prima Facie (James Faulk Sr.) and the $25,000 Montpelier Cup, a filly/mare allowance hurdle, includes Ivy Mills (Lazy Lane Farms) in the six horse field. The $20,000 Constitution Hurdle (maiden) and $40,000 Noel Laing Hurdle Handicap round out the steeplechase portion at 2 3/8ths and 2 1/2 miles respectively.

The afternoon concludes with a training flat called the Liberty Cup Allowance at 1 1/2 miles. Virginia-bred Curve Of Stones, bred by the Audley farm, is among a field of ten. Interestingly, 2014 Eclipse Award winner Demonstrative will compete as well. He won as top steeplechase horse last year after rolling to three consecutive Grade I scores. Demonstrative, who races for Virginian Jacqueline Ohrstrom, has amassed over $952,000 in purse earnings. Also in the field are Bob le Beau and Alajmal, who have earned $523,000 and $185,000 respectively.

Demonstrative is the 2014 Eclipse Award winning Steeplechase Horse of the Year – photo courtesy of Twin Spires

The last day to purchase on line tickets to the races is on Friday November 6. More details are at www.montpelierraces.org.

Virginia-Bred Wins for the Week of October 28-November 3

Not to be overshadowed by the Breeders’ Cup Championships last weekend, a pair of Virginia-breds scored impressive wins at Belmont — Just Call Kenny on Halloween Day in an $85,000 allowance race, and Invite in a $75,000 maiden special weight score on October 29th.

The former was bred by Althea Richards and is a 4 year old Jump Start colt out of the Green Dancer mare, Green Jeans. Just Call Kenny rallied from fifth at the half to beat a handful of foes in the 1 1/16 miles race and crossed in 1:41.87, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Day of Fury. Abel Castellano rode for conditioner Patrick McBurney.

Bred by Robin Richards, Just Call Kenny was the Grand Champion of the 2012 Virginia-bred Yearling Futurity.

The latter, a 2 year old Include filly, came four wide from fourth with one quarter to go, got to the front then held off Majesticconfection at the wire by a half length. Invite, who was bred by The Morgan’s Ford Farm and is trained by Bill Mott, finished in 1:42.34 and collected $45,000 for the upset victory. She is out of the Tobasco Cat mare, Cat Alert.

The Morgan’s Ford Farm collected another win the day prior, when 2 year old filly Occasionally was victorious in a one mile, $28,500 maiden special weight race at Penn National. Bred in partnership with the Tiznow Syndicate, Occasionally raced second in the five horse field and surged down the stretch to just edge Miss Coco by one-half length in 1:42.72. The Michael Trombetta trainee is by Tiznow out of the Kris S mare, Never a No Hitter.

Two horses bred by the Lazy Lane Farms had scores this past week. Hunterwood connected in a $10,000 claiming race at Zia Park on Tuesday while Born to Serve won a $17,000 maiden claimer at Del Mar’s fall meet last Thursday. Hunterwood completed the one mile and 70 yard race in 1:43.80, winning by two lengths as betting choice in a large ten horse field. The 4 year old gelding is by Hansel out of Rixa, by Polish Navy. Born to Serve went gate to wire, and after leading by only a head at the top of the stretch, fought back to win by 1 1/4 lengths lover a stubborn Dirt in Your Face. The 4 year old Colonel John gelding is out of the Two Punch mare, Night Breeze.

Other Virginia-breds to reach the winners circle were Dancing Wish in a $14,000 seven furlong claimer at Charles Town (bred by Darlene Bowlin), Just Funnin’ Ya in a $10,000, 4 1/2 furlong filly/mare claimer at Charles Town (bred by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin) and an aptly named 4 year old colt named Voter Turnout that won during “Election Day” week in a $14,000, 5 1/2 furlong sprint at Gulfstream Park West (bred by Carlos S.E. Moore & Gillian Gordon-Moore.

Stellar Wind (outside) duels with Stopchargingmaria in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The Virginia-bred was a neck shy at the wire.

Besides Virginia-breds Stellar Wind (2nd in the $2,000,000 Distaff) and Valid (5th in the $1,000,000 Dirt Mile) that ran in last weekend’s Breeders’ Cup Championships, honorable mentions go to a pair that ran at Keeneland on “Cup” weekend — Code West, who was 8th in the Grade II Hagyard Fayette Stakes, and One Go All Go, who finished 4th in a $100,000 under card stakes.

Bred by Albert Coppola, One Go All Go returns to the winners circle at Laurel September 19th after winning the 2015 Grade II, Commonwealth Derby. Jockey Ron Higsby directed the effort.