Thanksgiving weekend traditionally has meant lots of stakes races from tracks around the country to watch and wager, and this year is no exception plus, you can bet the 2017 Kentucky  months in advance! And to top it off, the new Off Track Betting (OTB) Center in Richmond is now open and accepts wagers every day including the Thanksgiving holiday itself.

Here’s your lineup to an exciting week:

Wednesday Nov. 23 – Zia Park has 6 stakes races on their afternoon program including the $300,000 Oaks, $200,000 Derby and $150,000 Championship Stakes. Penn National has a trio of stakes including the $200,000 Fabulous Strike Stakes, $100,000 Blue Mountain Stakes & $100,000 Swatara Stakes. A pair of Virginia-breds will be competing in these stakes — Code West, bred by Edward Evans, is in the $150,000 Zia Park Championship while Sir Rockport, bred by Legacy Farm & Larry Johnson, is in Penn National’s $200,000 Fabulous Strike.

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. Photo by Jim McCue.

Thursday Nov. 24, Thanksgiving Day – The Richmond OTB will open at 11 AM for pre-turkey festivities with 6 tracks on the wagering menu including Aqueduct, Churchill, Laurel, Fair Grounds, Del Mar & Golden Gate.  Graded stakes include the $200,000 Fall Highweight Handicap at Aqueduct, the $200,000 Falls City Handicap and $100,000 River City Handicap at Churchill, and the $100,000 Red Carpet Stakes at Del Mar. Commonwealth Derby winner One Go All Go (shown here), bred by Albert Coppola, is in Churchill’s River City Handicap.

Friday Nov. 25 – Ready to escape the family? Churchill hosts the $500,000 Clark Handicap (Gr. I) and $200,000 Mrs. Revere Stakes (Gr. 2) while Del Mar chips in with the $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup (Gr. 2).

Saturday Nov. 26 – Not interested in a Virginia Tech vs. UVA football game? There are 9 graded stakes including a four- pack at Aqueduct highlighted by the $500,000 Cigar Handicap (Gr. I). Their stellar under card includes the $250,000 Comely, $300,000 Demoiselle and $300,000 Remsen Stakes. Churchill complements action with the $200,000 Golden Rod Stakes and $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. Del Mar hosts the $200,000 Seabiscuit Stakes while Gulfstream  has a pair of $100,000 stakes — the My Charmer and Tropical Turf Handicap.

A giant video wall at Breakers displays signals from 10 different tracks around the country in the afternoon and another 10 in the evening.

Sunday Nov. 27 – Since the Redskins played Thanksgiving Day, ponies win out over pigskin to cap off the weekend. Del Mar presents a pair of Grade 3 events — the Cecil B. DeMille Stakes and Native Diver Handicap.

Pool #1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager is available to bet Thursday November 24th – 27th. Take a shot this weekend and who knows, your early prognostication could pay handsomely come the first Saturday in May. And note that Laurel Park has added a race day on Monday, November 28th at 12:35 PM.

Bet all the holiday week action at the new OTB at Breakers Sports Grille in Richmond at 9127 W. Broad Street in the TJ Maxx Plaza, or on line via TVG.com, XPressBet.com or TwinSpires.com. Have a safe and great Thanksgiving holiday!

William Backer Commonwealth-bred horses have been a roll in the past several weeks, having earned victories at five different tracks around North America. Chorus Line scored in a $58,000 starter race at Aqueduct, Fur Lined won a claimer at Mountaineer, Alone Again was triumphant in a Mahoning Valley claimer, Rare Art connected at Keeneland, and Rock River earned a maiden claiming win at Woodbine.

Chorus Line dominated in an upset win November 4th at Aqueduct. She has won 2 straight at the NYRA circuit in 2 weeks. Photo by Adam Coglianese.

Chorus Line was an upset winner in dominant fashion. The 3 year old Parading filly won her second straight in the New York circuit with an eight length win November 4th. Out of the Lion Hearted mare, Brief Encounter, Chorus Line broke her maiden October 21st at Belmont then turned around two weeks later for the big win. She is co-owned by Frank Giammarino and Edward DeLauro.

10 year old Fur Lined scored her first triumph of 2016 with a 2 3/4 length claiming win November 13th at Mountaineer. The daughter of Trust N Luck got the best of six others, carrying a six length lead into the top of the stretch. She tired slightly but still held on in the one mile event. Trained and owned by Amailia Cox, Fur Lined has remained a model of  consistency this year. In 11 starts, she has four seconds and four thirds to go with the recent win.

Fur Lined’s win at Mountaineer November 13th got owner Amailia Cox a 25% bonus courtesy of the VTA/HBPA Mid-Atlantic incentive program. Photo by Coady Photography.

Alone Again won convincingly by seven lengths in a large ten horse field November 5th at Mahoning. The 6 year old daughter of Bandini earned her fifth straight “in the money” finish in the six furlong sprint. Out of the Apalachee mare, Stony Lonesome, Alone Again collected her 24th “top three” career finish.

A pair of geldings triggered the string of recent successes in late October. Rare Art and Rock River each won by three-plus lengths. The former was best in a seven furlong claimer over Keeneland’s grass course while the latter connected in a $16,000, 6 1/2 furlong maiden claimer north of the border at Woodbine. Rare Art is a 4 year old Speightstown gelding out of Art Show by Out of Place, while Rock River is a 3 year old Bob and John gelding out of Dolittle by Polish Numbers.

(Reprinted from bloodhorse.com on November 12th).

Sticksstatelydude has raced at seven different racetracks and in four different states, but does his best in one—the Empire State.

It’s not that the 3-year-old First Dude   colt runs poorly other places—he finished second in the Oklahoma Derby (gr. III) Sept. 25 at Remington Park—but he pushed his record to a perfect three-for-three in New York Nov. 12 in the $150,000 Discovery Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct Racetrack. Watch Video

Sticksstatelydude took the lead early and never relented in the 1 1/8-mile dirt test. He set fractions of :24.29, :49.21, and 1:13.87, maintaining a length to a half-length advantage. Longshot Neolithic provided the only challenge and moved alongside in the stretch, but could not go by as the favorites toiled behind.

Sticksstatelydude won his second race of 2016 in the $150,000 Discovery Stakes. Photo by Adam Coglianese.

The Kiaran McLaughlin trainee hit the wire in 1:50.58 under jockey Joel Rosario to secure his first stakes win.

“He was going pretty easy and I just let him do his thing,” Rosario said. “It’s exactly how he likes to go. We stayed up front and it looked like easy fractions and it left him with something in the end.”

Sticksstatelydude broke his maiden at Saratoga Race Course in August of 2015 and won an allowance race at Belmont Park July 15 to complete his New York Racing Association trifecta.

“It was a great race. Greg (Burchell) has trained him most of the time, and sends him up here and we switch back and forth, but he’s done a great job,” McLaughlin said. “We talked and thought there wasn’t much pace after (Hot Seat) scratched, so we told Joel, ‘If they let you go to the lead, do your thing’ and he said he’d be first or second.

“So when he broke well and went on with him, it was a great effort. The fractions weren’t too fast and everything went well, and this was a nice group of horses. We’re proud of him.”

My Man Sam closed from last in the field of nine to win a photo for third with Adulator. Favored Gift Box, Sunny Ridge, Governor Malibu, Wild About Deb, and Vulcan’s Forge completed the order of finish.

Off at 6-1, the winner paid $14.40, $6.80, and $4.80 across the board. Neolithic delivered $17.20 and $10.80, and My Man Sam brought $4.70.

Bred in Kentucky by Canyon Lake Thoroughbreds out of the Gilded Time mare Placerita, Sticksstatelydude now has a 3-3-0 record from eight starts for owners Ferris Haynes, Pack Pride Racing, M. Haynes, and B. Ward.

It’s time at last — Thoroughbred racing’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be held this Friday & Saturday, November 4th & 5th at Santa Anita!

Virginia interests again are well represented in races both Friday & Saturday including Virginia-bred Stellar Wind, who will face Beholder for the third straight race along with powerful 6-5 early favorite Songbird in the $2 million Distaff. The clash takes place Friday at 7:35 PM.

Stellar Wind and Victor Espinoza, left, hold off Beholder and Gary Stevens to win the Grade I $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016 at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, CA.
©Benoit Photo

Stellar Wind, bred by the Keswick Stables & Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings Inc., has gotten the best of Beholder in her last two outings. She was one half length better in the Clement Hirsch Stakes and a neck better most recently in the Zenyatta Stakes. The 4 year old daughter of Curlin has 7 wins from 11 lifetime starts and purse earnings of $1,353,200. Songbird is a 3 year old Kentucky-bred who is 11-for-11 with earnings of $3,372,000.

Also on Friday, Virginia owner/breeder David Ross has entered Scuba in the Marathon Stakes, part of that day’s “Cup” under card. Jockey Kendrick Carmouche will direct the 5/2 second early pick for trainer Brendan Walsh. Dortmund, owned by Kaleem Shaw of Reston, Virginia, is 6/5 early choice in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, slated for 6:05 PM on Friday. Martin Garcia will guide for trainer Bob Baffert.

On Saturday, Kaleem Shaw has another horse — Klimt — in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, which is scheduled as the 8th race. The Baffert trainee is 6/1 early and will be ridden by Rafael Bejarno. Drefong, set to compete in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, was co-bred by Middleburg native Anthony Warrender. This Baffert conditioned horse will have Martin Garcia up too. Finally, a pair of entrants in Saturday’s under card kickoff race — Con Te Partiro and Red Lodge — are part owned by Sheri Greenburg of Keswick. She is a partner in the Hat Trick Racing ownership group and Wesley Ward trains the duo. Con Te Partiro could participate in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf if she draws into the field; she currently is the #15 horse.

All the action from Santa Anita can be seen on NBC Sports Network late Friday afternoon and all day & early evening . The s $6 million Classic will be aired on NBC itself Saturday from 8-9 PM. Race fans can wager at the new Off Track Betting Center at Breakers Sports Grille in Richmond (9127 W. Broad St.) and via on line wagering partners TVG.com, XPressBet.com and TwinSpires.com.

What a great opening day at the first Virginia Equine Alliance Off Track Betting Center in Richmond!

A giant video wall at Breakers displays signals from 10 different tracks around the country in the afternoon and another 10 in the evening.

Horseplayers can wager from 12 Noon until 11 PM seven days a week at Breakers Sports Grille at 9127 W. Broad St. in the TJ Maxx Shopping Center.

Virginia Bets is the name of the Virginia Equine Alliance’s network of Off Track Betting Centers.

We’re ready for lots of racing fans this weekend for the Breeders’ Cup races on Frfday & Saturday. We have advance “Cup” programs for both days on sale now (as of Wednesday afternoon).

The Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) will soon open its first Off Track Betting (OTB) Center in Richmond inside Breakers Sports Grill at 9127 W. Broad Street. The OTB is located in the TJ Maxx Shopping Center between Parham and Gaskins Road.

A soft opening is being planned for Wednesday November 2nd and everything should be geared up in time for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Friday November 4th and Saturday November 5th from Santa Anita.

The OTB at Breakers will feature a manned and several self betting terminals in a non-smoking side room area that will be shared with pool players, and four self serve betting terminals in the main area where a giant TV wall will feature action from ten different tracks around the country at any one time. The OTB will be open 7 days per week beginning at 12 Noon. Breakers is also a sports bar, so you can enjoy your favorite ball games on many of the other TVs. They also have a full restaurant menu with daily food and drink specials.

Greg Burton of Richmond’s ESPN 950-AM and 100.5-FM will broadcast his show daily talk show live from Breakers on Tuesday November 1st from 4-6 PM. He will have the up to minute details to announce for racing fans in the listening audience.

A November simulcast schedule is available at www.virginiahorseracing.com along with the most current updates. Be sure to visit Facebook.com/Virginia Horse Racing for the most current updates too.

A pair of Virginia-breds scored wins October 22nd at Great Meadow during the 10 race International Gold Cup card. Six steeplechase races were conducted followed by four flat events.

Cryptos’ Holiday (#5) edged past Hooping in deep stretch to win the $35,000 Old Dominion Turf Championship. The flat race, restricted to Virginia-bred or sires horses, was the final event of the Gold Cup program.

Virginia-bred Cryptos’ Holiday won the $35,000 Old Dominion Turf Championship at Great Meadow October 22nd. Photo by Douglas Lees

The 3 year old Doug Fout trainee earned his first lifetime win in his sixth start. Cryptos’ Holiday’s first start was a runner-up finish in the 2015 Jamestown Stakes and he followed that with another second at Laurel in a maiden special weight race. After being put away for the winter and beyond, he returned to action June 11th and has made three additional starts since. The winner, bred by the Lazy Lane Farms LLC, is by Harlan’s Holiday out of Cryptos’ Best by Cryptoclearance.

Virginia-bred Zanclus captured the three mile, $40,000 Steeplethon earlier in the card. The lightly raced 6 year old Xenodon gelding pushed his ’16 bankroll to the $52,000 mark with the triumph.

Zanclus won his 4th straight race October 22nd at Great Meadow in the $40,000 Steeplethon. Photo by Douglas Lees.

Locally owned and bred by Sara Collette, the 6 year old Neil Morris trainee is a different horse now than when he began racing in the fall of 2014. After struggling in his first two starts at Foxfield and Great Meadow, Zanclus was idle for 1 1/2 years until this spring, when he made a triumphant return to the turf April 30th at Foxfield. After back-to-back seconds, he wired the field in the day’s third race and was never really challenged, crossing 15 lengths in front.

Trainer Neil Morris, who won 4 races at the International Gold Cup card, is shown here after a victory by Zanclus. Photo by Douglas Lees.

Trainer Morris and rider Kieran Norris stole the show at The Plains. Morris had four wins including three straight steeplechase race scores, while Norris had five wins up top — three in jump races including Zanclus’s, and two in flat events.

In other post-steeplechase race action, Irish-bred Hoppala (inside) won the $30,000 VHBPA Allowance Flat. The 3 year old son of Acclamation beat 10 others including Virginia-bred Free Union, who finished third.

Rider Paddy Young guides Hoppala to victory in the $30,000 VHBPA Allowance Flat over 10 competitors at Great Meadow. Photo by Douglas Lees.