Racing Archives - Page 25 of 25

March 6, 2015March 6, 2015

Cabin Fever

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My staycation began with the fallout of over 17 inches of snow. Winter has not been kind in The Horse Capital of the World. Being stuck in the house gave me plenty of time to scour over the horses in contention for The Run For The Roses. While I warmed myself ,with my mother’s homemade potato soup, in my grandmother’s tea cup, I related my Irish pedigree with those hoping to make their mark in the 141st running of The Kentucky Derby.

Ireland is so important to Thoroughbred racing. They have a climate, lush grass, and limestone rich soil much like Kentucky. The Byerley Turk who used to race and battle in Ireland was one of the three stallions from which all Thoroughbreds descended. Horse racing can be traced to Ireland as far back as the 3rd century. At the time, the sport was chariot racing. The horses were raced in the area of Cuireach, an Irish Gaelic word for “place of the running horse”. The horses still run there, now called Curragh Racecourse , in County Kildare. It is the headquarters of flat racing in Ireland. Ancient Kings raced there in the early 18th century. This property includes over 1, 500 acres of facilities for training and is considered one of the finest places to train worldwide. Over 26% of all Thoroughbreds in Ireland train there. Ireland is the largest producer of Thoroughbreds in Europe and the 4th largest producer in the world. This track is run by The Turf Club founded in 1790. Like The Jockey Club, in the United States, this body governs the rules of racing and works for the well being and improvement of the industry. There are 26 racecourses in Ireland. They have their own Triple Crown made up of the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the Irish Derby, and the Irish St. Leger. They are preparing for the 150th Irish Derby now. It is a three day event that kicks off on my birthday, June 26th. In addition to a winning horse they pick the most stylish lady and award her as well!

We are just eleven days away from my favorite holiday, St. Patrick’s Day, and only fifty seven days from The Kentucky Derby! Warmer weather is just a wee bit away. Twenty horses will run in the Kentucky Derby. Currently, we are tracking 46 contenders. The last of the final fourteen, of the original thirty-five, qualifying races begin tomorrow. The final races end on April 11 with Oaklawn Park Arlington Derby and Keeneland’s Lexington race. I have my eye on a few horses and I see some luck of the Irish in them.

Donegal Racing has 3 horses in contention, Keen Ice, Rock Shandy, and Danny Boy. They are ranked 12th, 24th, and 38th. Donegal Racing is a partnership that started in 2008 and managed by Jerry Crawford. The name Donegal is both a family name and of the Irish County of their origin. They chose their silks to show their heritage and they like to give their horses Irish names. This groups’ Paddy O’ Prado was third in the 2010 Kentucky Derby as was their Dullahan in 2012.

Lucky Player is ranked 10th. Nothing says Irish like that name, and that is all that appears to have any Emerald Isle connection. He is trained by Steve Asmussen. Formerly, he trained the greats Curlin and Rachel Alexandra.

Finally, there are the offspring of Giant’s Causeway. This horse is an international famed sire. He was born in Kentucky but raced and began his life as a stud in Ireland. He is now back in Kentucky at Coolmore Stud. There is a natural wonder in Ireland named Giant’s Causeway, formed by a volcanic eruption. In 14th place for a chance at the Kentucky Derby is Carpe Diem. That is Latin for “seize the day”, the title of one of my favorite Avenged Sevenfold songs. He won 1st place in the Breeders’ Futurity, at Keeneland, this past October and 2nd place at San Anita Park’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile the next month. He is my favorite so far. #41 ranked Tough Customer is also a colt of Giant’s Causeway.

If you are trapped indoors, like me, please enjoy The Road to the Kentucky Derby and my mom’s potato soup recipe:

http://www.kentuckyderby.com/road

Potato Soup

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March 3, 2015March 3, 2015

Racing Renaissance

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The Breeders’ Cup trophy was delivered to the grounds of Keeneland race course in Lexington, KY today. On October 30th and 31st the Breeders’ Cup races will be held at Keeneland for the first time ever. Tickets go on sale at noon, Eastern Standard Time, tomorrow. Follow Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Facebook or @BreedersCup on Twitter for this picture and more up to date information. For now, let’s talk about this statue!

The Breeders’ Cup is a 2 day race that began in 1984 to showcase the best in Thoroughbred racing worldwide. This event marks the end of the racing season. Various race tracks in the United States, and once in Canada, have hosted the annual races. To run in the Breeders’ Cup, a Thoroughbred must win a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Qualifying race or, earn enough points in qualifying graded races or, be selected by a panel of experts. Each of the races has a maximum of 14 horses, except only 12 for the Dirt Mile. Seven horses come from the panel and 7 from those winners or, high point scoring horses from the qualifying races. Countries including the United States, France, Australia, England, Argentina, South Africa, Japan, Ireland, Canada and Germany have all had entries. Such a world renown event deserves a special trophy.

The trophy is an ecorche horse. Ecorche is a term, from the French, to describe a figure depicted without its skin to show the appearance of the muscles. This particular ecorche horse is a reproduction of the bronze statue made by Giovanni de Bologna during the Renaissance era, in the late 1580s. It is thought that it may have been created as a study for the Duke Cosimo statue that was made and displayed in 1591 in Florence Italy at the Piazza della Signoria, where it remains even today. When the Breeders’ Cup began they asked Irene French, of Dorset, England, to sculpt an 11 inch replica statue, to be cast in bronze by Morris Singer Bronze Foundry in Basingstoke, England. These trophies are presented to the owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys of the winners in each race. The larger statue pictured above is circulated to each venue that is hosting the current year’s races. The original Statue is at The Museum of Fine Arts at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. They received the statue, with a large art collection, from Sir James Erskine of Torrie in 1836. Sometimes it is referred to as the Torrie Horse. He obtained the statue from Villa Mattei in Rome in 1803 where it had been since the 17th and 18th centuries. The trophies were made in bronze from the very start until 2008 when they made them in silver for just one year. After the return to bronze they switched to Lalique crystal, made in France, in 2012 and that continues even in 2015.

In addition to the statue, the winning horses get blanketed in yellow and purple flowers. The blanket includes asters, cremons, orchids and chrysanthemums. Since 1988 Kroger’s has made the 96 inch long blankets at their Floral Design Center in Louisville, KY.

I’m hoping for some warm weather soon. I have to get out and see this statue myself!

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February 24, 2015February 24, 2015

My Racing Pedigree

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Horse racing is truly in my blood. Although, we have only met on a few occasions, my great-uncle owned and bred Thoroughbreds. I have at-least one more relative in the business too. I got these 2 winner’s circle photos from my family. This particular horse was owned by my great-uncle and named for my grandfather.

C. Russell Run was bred in Illinois and born in 2001. He was a chestnut colored gelding, a sterile male horse. I do not know of his current whereabouts, or if he is alive, but naturally his pedigree stopped with him. He had a very nice breeding that included his great sire, Mr. Prospector. He was one of the best studs of all time, siring several big name winners and offspring that have run in all legs of the triple crown. When he died, in 1999, he was buried next to the great Secretariat at Claiborne Farm in Paris, KY. During his racing life, C. Russell Run, had 41 starts, 5 wins, 7 placing races, and showed 9 times. The breeder was my great-uncle.

C. Russell Run had at-least two owners, two jockeys and one or more trainers. Originally owned by my relative, by 2007, or before, he was owned by Patrick A. Blanchard. Blanchard has no top winnings in the past 12 months but has had several since 1991 or prior. Before he bought this horse, Eddie M. Essenpreis was the trainer. He still had horses running at Fairmount Park as late as September 2014. He has had 6 winners in the past 12 months and several since 1991. Many of those were stakes winners, some earning 6 figures. In the first photo, the jockey was Cynthia Medina. That win occurred in October of 2003. She had over a thousand wins before her retirement. That is a large number of wins for a female jockey. The second photo shows the horse winning with jockey Argelio “Gino” Velazquez. He worked for Essenpreis for 5 years as an exercise trainer before he was approved to be an apprentice jockey. At age 25, in July 2001, he road his first race at Fairmount. He rode for Essenpries. The partnership was still winning together at late as May of 2008. Essenpries still had horses run at Fairmount as late as this past September. This picture shows a win in May of 2004.

Both races pictured were from Fairmount Park in Collinsville, IL. It is one of just 3 Thoroughbred flat racing tracks in Illinois. Located close to St. Louis this race track opened in 1925. It is a dirt track made of sand and clay. Up until 1999 Standardbred harness racing took place there as well. The track has seen some rough times. They closed during the Great Depression, burnt in 1974, and now suffer competition with the casino riverboats. They have a live racing schedule for March through September 2015, but only 3 days per week. The track is open year-round for simulcasting too. The style was patterned after Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. That makes this track a great practice course for horses planning to run there. Fairmount is oval in shape and about a mile in length. Two chutes provide options for races of 6 furlongs or one and a fourth mile. The property has over a thousand stalls and the grandstands can accommodate two thousand fans. There are restaurants there as well. The Fairmount Derby used to run there as did the St. Louis Derby, but not after 2006. Several important horses have run there including Kentucky Derby winner, Whiskery.

The two other Illinois race tracks are Arlington Park and Hawthorne Race Course. Both are located near Chicago. Arlington, of Arlington Heights, was created in 1927. Hawthorne, in Cicero, opened in 1891. I would love to see any and all of the three tracks in Illinois. I have been to both St. Louis and Chicago, and had a great time in each city.

Great racers come from great breeding. I could bet that my love for Thoroughbreds came through my ancestry. Hopefully, I can make my mark in the industry and share that experience with you all.

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February 16, 2015February 22, 2015

President’s Day

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No sight of any grass in the Bluegrass today. I spent my day snowed in, thus I did not make it to the field trip I had in mind. A shoveling neighbor declared we had 10 inches of the nasty white stuff as we dug deep. Well then, Happy President’s Day! So, what do our nation’s leaders have to do with horses? More than I would have thought. 12 United States Presidents owned horses and 10 more rode.

Our very first American President, George Washington, was considered the best horseman of his era. He owned horses and was involved with breeding. He attended races in Virginia regularly. The first White House stable was built in 1800. Another was built in 1806 and then burnt in 1814. John Adams had a horse too. Thomas Jefferson was a breeder and attended most races at the National Race Course in Washington, D.C., located just 2 miles from the White House. James Madison, James Monroe and John Quincy Adams enjoyed riding horses. In 1834 Andrew Jackson, who owned many horses, had another White House stable built. Martin Van Buren and William Henry Harrison enjoyed horse back riding. John Tyler, James Knox Polk and Zachary Taylor owned their own horses. Franklin Pierce was a rider. James Buchanan was a fan of racing. Abraham Lincoln had several horses die at a White House stable fire in 1864. That stable was replaced in 1871 by Ulysses S Grant. He had many horses and may be the greatest Equestrian in U.S. History. He replaced the White House stables. His favorite horse was Cincinnati, of sire Lexington. Lexington was named for Lexington. Kentucky. He set a record for the fastest in four mile Thoroughbred racing and many records as a lead sire fathering winners of the Kentucky Oaks, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. This horse was dedicated after his death to the Smithsonian Institution and his bones travel to many museums, including time spent from 2010 to 2013 in Lexington, Kentucky for the World Equestrian Games. He was in the first group of horses inducted to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and is the image used on top the trophy vase for the Preakness. His son, Cincinnati, was also memorialized artistically in many ways, including a large bronze figure at the Ulysses S Grant memorial in D.C. Rutherford B Hayes, James Garfield and Ben Harrison owned horses as well. Harrison added on to the White House stable in 1891. Theodore Roosevelt owned horses too. When he was President, he was offered a car, but declined saying, “the Roosevelts are horse people.” Unfortunately, his predecessor, William Howard Taft, had a poor history with horses and he had the stables torn down in 1911 for an automobile garage. John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson owned hoses too. Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton were known to be horse riders.

I think, for the 2016 Presidential election, we need a candidate who wants to bring back the horses and the stable. After all, Reagan put it best when he noted, “I’ve often said there is nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.”

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February 2, 2015June 22, 2015

Like Super Bowl For Thoroughbreds

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Super Bowl 2015 is now just a fading memory. All of those weeks spent cheering on the best teams in professional football came to an end last night. It was the most-watched American television program of all time, with 114.4 million viewers. Thank goodness, our four legged 3 year old athletes are hard at it now, preparing for what we can only hope for, a Triple Crown victory.

Currently, we are 16 races in on determining who will compete in the Kentucky Derby. The Triple Crown is comprised of the Kentucky Derby, The Preakness Stakes, and The Belmont Stakes. The “Test of the Champion” race will take place on June 6, 2015. The last horse to win the Triple Crown was Affirmed in 1978. There were 10 other prior winners, the first horse won in 1919. 22 other horses have won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, and 29 horse have won 2 of the 3 races. Secretariat won all 3 races in 1973. He holds the world record for the fastest 1 and 1/2 mile dirt race at 2 minutes and 24 seconds, which he earned while winning the Triple Crown. The highest TV rating for The Belmont Stakes was 21.9 million viewers in 2004.

The Kentucky Derby will be run on May 2, 2015. It is a dirt race of 10 furlongs (1 and 1/4 mile). The “Run for the Roses” began in 1875. The winning horse is blanketed in red roses at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Only 20 horses will qualify to run this race. These horses are three year olds that earned the highest point value in the 35 preceding qualified races. The first of theses races was held September 6, 2014. It was the Iroquois Stakes, a Grade 3, race on dirt and 1 and 1/16 miles. That race originated in 1976 and is run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. LuckyPlayer won the race. He is a colt trained by Steven M. Asmussen, riden by Ricardo Santa Jr. and owned by Jerry Durant. His sire was Lookin at Lucky and his dam was Janetstickettocats by Stormcat. My tip: when all else doesn’t work, pick a horse with cat or kitten in its name or the name of its parents. The 19 races of the prep season end on February 16, 2015. That is the Southwest race atOakland Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Then on February 21st the first of the 16 championship series races begin with the Fountain of Youth race at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida and end with the Lexington race in Lexington, Kentucky on April 18th, at Keeneland. The prep races give a score of 10 to the winner, 4 to the horse placing, 2 to the showing horse, and 1 to fourth place. The championship races score’s range from 100 points down to one point depending on the race.

Horses that earned purse money in the Kentucky Derby or otherwise qualify may run in the Preakness Stakes. This is a Grade 1 race, on dirt at 9.5 furlongs (1 and 3/16 miles). This race, for 3 year olds, is at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. “The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans” began in 1873. Black-Eyed Susans are the state’s flower. The winning horse’s blanket is made of yellow flowers that are altered to appear as Maryland’s flower. Just 2 weeks after Derby, on May 16, 2015, fourteen horses will compete in this race. Kentucky Derby purse money winners and horses with the highest lifetime earnings in graded stakes will make up the first 7 entries. The next 4 horses have the highest earnings in all non-restricted stakes. The final 5, which included the also-eligibles, have the highest lifetime earnings in all races. If there are too many qualifying horse then determination is made by lot. If a horse is scratched before the deadline the next most eligible horse takes its place.

Thoroughbreds that earned purse money in the Derby or Preakness as well as other qualified horses will compete in the “Run for the Carnations”. The winning horse will receive a blanket made of white carnations. This is the oldest of the three races beginning in June 1867. This race takes place 5 weeks after the Derby on June 6, 2015. 3 year olds will run on the 12 furlong (1 and 1/2 mile) dirt track. 16 horses will start. The first 8 will be chosen from Derby and Preakness purse money earners and the horses with the highest earnings in graded sweepstakes of a mile or longer in length. The next 5 horses will come from those with the highest earnings in all non-restricted sweepstakes. The final 3 horses are those with the highest earnings in all races. Ties will be settled by lot.

It is time to start following the qualifying horses now. 429 horses have already been selected as early nominations for the Triple Crown. Early nominees were due January 17th for a $600 fee. Waiting until March 23rd will cost $6,000. If the horse is not nominated until the Derby, Preakness or Belmont it costs $200,00 or $150,000 or $75,000 respectively. I hope we see a Triple Crown winner in 2015!

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January 24, 2015January 24, 2015

Wondering about Wagering

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Next weekend is Superbowl XLIX. I watch the game for the commercials and a good time with my friends, but it is generally a day I can make a little dough too. Sporting events lead to some fun betting for sure. Sometimes, I like to gamble at the races.

I absolutely love to go to the track for live racing. I can not get enough of the people, the horses, and the food. I like to check out everyone’s fashion, meet new folks, catch up with old friends. The horses are simply amazing to take in, I am in awe with their strength and beauty. They are true athletes. The edibles are delicious and irresistible. Then, there is the gift shop. Oh my, I want just about everything in there. One way to limit my spending, at the track stores, is to try to win the money I use there. It is pretty cool to fund a new piece of equestrian jewelry with the reward of placing the right bet. How does one make a good bet? Well, there is no easy answer for that, bummer. The good news is you do not have to spend a lot or be an expert to take a chance. There are many strategies and superstitions to choosing the winner.

First off, pick a track. In the United States there are Thoroughbred racetracks in 29 states. In Kentucky alone we have 5 tracks. It seems no two organizations agree on the number of tracks currently being utilized. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association reports 55. I enjoy live meets best but off-site betting is hugely popular as well. You can go to the track or drive-thru site or casino, use your smart phone or tablet and other computer devices, befriend a bookie, get an account with Television Games Network or a similar site, or all of the above to get your wagers in.

Next, pick the race number. Simply put, you are just choosing the particular race you wish to wager on. Superstition plays heavily here. You may have a tip to bet $5 on the #5 horse in the 5th race., 5 on the 5 in the 5, etc. Other factors that need looking at are: the purse for that race, the length of the race, how many horses are running that race, is it the feature race, does that race have a special wager type, what surface are the horses running on, what is the condition of the track, etc.

Then choose how much to spend and the type of bet. I am a cheap bettor. Most of my bets are $6 or less. Because, too often I go for a horse with good odds I don’t get a lot of return on my money but I don’t lose much either. I am working on becoming a smarter bettor. I still want to minimize the cost of my bet but I need to work on maximizing my potential payoff. This is where you need to decide if you expect the horse to win (be the 1st to finish), place (the 1st or 2nd horse to cross the finish line) or show (the first thru third horse to finish). You can also choose “across the board” which will allow you to collect if your horse shows at the rate for which it finished. Getting fancier, you can choose to exacta which is to pick the 1st and 2nd winner of any race. Choosing trifecta will let you choose the first 3 horses in correct order. If you pick the 1st four, in the right order, it is a superfecta. Any of these options from exacta to superfecta can be boxed because that allows you to pick the correct horses but not the correct order. There are more options like the daily double, pick three, pick four, or pick 5 that allow you to choose the winners of consecutive races. Occasionally, there are special options too like a super high five (and a box option) that will let you pick the first five horses to finish in one particular race. Wheels and keys are options too. Wheels let you pick more horses. Keys let you pick more orders. Watch the math here, you might start with a inexpensive minimum but the number of horses and different winning combinations actually cause the bet to be multiplied to a higher cost. Be sure to check the program for each venues options.

Finally, pick the number of the horse. Are you picking because you like the name, number, the saddle cloth color assigned to the number, the horse, the jockey, the trainer, the breeder, the location the horse was bred? Arghhhh, so many choices! Do you like the name? Does the name give you a gut feeling of being lucky or speaking to you? Numbers and colors may be a feeling of luck. However, it also determines what position the horse gets at the gate. Considering the horse, color can be a big factor. You will often hear people pulling for a grey. You may be interested in looking at the horses behavior in the paddock or before it reaches the gate. Feeling frisky? Pedigree is an important consideration. Does the horse come from a long line of winners? What medications does the horse take and how or why should you care about that? How much weight is the horse carrying? What is the horse’s age and gender? What are all of the former lifetime records? How about the workout record? What is the jockey’s name and what do we know about him or her? What is their weight and what equipment are they carrying? Who trained the horse and do we know anything about their winning history and other biographical information? What about the breeder, and where did the breeding take place? All of these considerations and more come into play. This is why it is important to learn how to read the program. A good program will have a breakdown of a sample entry with explanations of the information and abbreviations used. However, don’t blow off tips and gut feelings. All the handicapping skills you develop still don’t lead to fail proof betting. Long shots can lead to great payouts.

Now, go have some fun! Remember to gamble responsibly if you choose to gamble at all. If it seems like a problem it probably is. Call 1-800-522-4700 for the National Gamblers Helpline if needed. Have a blast at the gift shop rewarding yourself for your skills and/or luck. Or, go straight to the gift shop and get a return on your money dollar per dollar. If you avoid both, you can go have a great time from free to a minimal entry fee. Love the races. Good luck to you all!

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