Month: March 2020

NET A BEAR SCORES SECOND STAKES WIN OF THE FAIR GROUNDS MEET IN RED CAMELIA

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Red Camelia Stakes
Fair Grounds, 3-14-20, @ 8 furlongs (turf)
Four-year-olds and upwards, Accredited Louisiana Bred, Fillies and Mares, $60,000

NetA Bear_F_3-14-2020
Net A Bear, with Timothy Thornton aboard, wins the Red Camelia Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, LA. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges Jr

NET A BEAR
Awesome Bet–Edacious Reality
Breeder: Lora Pitre & Elaine Carroll
Owner: Maximo Lamarche and Federico Deltoro
Trainer: Allen Landry
Jockey: Timothy Thornton

2nd
Is Too
Midshipman–Tensas Salt
Breeder: J. Adcock & Montgomery Equine Center
Owner: Baronne Farms, LLC
Trainer: Edward J. Johnston
Jockey: Miguel Mena

3rd
Tap Dance Star
Star Guitar–Dance by Em
Breeder: Virginia Lazenby
Owner: Virginia Lazenby Racing Stable LLC
Trainer: Oscar Modica
Jockey: Mitchell Murrill

 

 

Now a three-time stakes winner, Net A Bear takes the shortest way around to victory

Saving ground about five lengths behind the early pacesetters through moderate fractions of :25.35 and 50.06 for the about one mile turf distance, Maximo Lamarche and Federico Deltoro’s Net A Bear cut the corner turning for home and powered away down the stretch to score her second stakes win of the meet in the $60,000 Red Camelia Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Sent off at odds of 6-1, the lone 4-year-old filly in the field of older Louisiana-bred mares finished 2 1/2 lengths in front of the pacesetter Is Too, stopping the clock in 1:39.68 over firm going. It was another length back to Tap Dance Star in third. The even-money favorite Room to Finish failed to fire and crossed the line sixth of seven.

It was on December 15, 2019 in the Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Turf that Net A Bear made her first career start over the Fair Grounds’ turf course, a race in which she closed while wide to win at odds of 12-1. Following that stakes score, the daughter of Awesome Bet finished third and fourth respectively in a pair of allowance races, the first of which was run in the mud. Now a three-time stakes winner, Net A Bear boosted her career record to 16-4-3-4 with earnings of $195,270.

“A lot of speed scratched so we were a little concerned about the pace up front,” winning rider Tim Thornton. “We knew we couldn’t take her out of her game so I just let her relax back there and we saved some ground. The rail opened up turning for home and when I asked her to go through, she did.”

“She’s more mature now,” Thornton continued. “She tends to be a bit of a nervous filly but she’s starting to settle down before the races. I think that’s helping her as she continues to progress.”

“It looks like she’s just getting better and better with each start,” trainer Allen Landry said. “When the rail opened up I knew she would come through that gap. She sometimes gets caught wide but as soon as the rail opened up today Tim (Thornton, jockey) took advantage of it.”

Is Too, the winner of the Louisiana Cup Distaff in August at Louisiana Downs, held on gamely to finish second.

“She made the lead and that’s what we were looking to do,” jockey Miguel Mena said. “She ran a wining race she just got outrun by a nice horse today. It looks like she’s back on her game.”

2020 Annual Membership Meeting at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots New Orleans Set for March 22 Postponed

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2020 Annual Membership Meeting at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots 
New Orleans Set for March 22 Postponed

New Orleans, La. – The 2020 Annual Membership Meeting that was scheduled at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, in New Orleans, La. on Sunday March 22, 2020 has been postponed due to COVID-19. The Board of Directors will determine how the awards will be presented in another manner or on another date.
The annual meeting was designed to bring members together to celebrate the breeders and owners of outstanding accredited 2019 Louisiana bred thoroughbreds. This year the awards winners will be announced at the event for the owners of the Leading Stallion, Broodmare of the Year, as well as the Leading Breeder by Percentage of Stake Winners of 2019, High Percentage Breeder of the Year and Horse of the Year.
Other awards will go to Two Year Old Filly. Two Year Old Colt or Gelding, Three Year Old Filly, Three Year Old Colt or Gelding, Four Year Old and Up Filly or Mare, and Four Year Old and Up Male. Past winners included Louisiana superstars Star Guitar, Mobile Bay, Minit Towinit, Half Ours, Big World, Monte Man, Superior Storm, and Designer Legs to name a few.
The champions are chosen by a vote of the membership and it is a way for the members to honor their own. The top candidates are based on performance and breeding records for the 2019 year.
For more information about Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association visit louisianabred.com or call (504) 947-4676.

What’s Going On Here: Keep Calm and Bet to Win

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Commentary from BloodHorse Magazine

 

 

COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, is for real. So, for a minute, let’s deal with it.

Local and state governments are trying their best to “flatten the curve” by stopping all gatherings of more than a few hundred people. The president just declared a national emergency. That means all major, and most minor, sporting events have been canceled for the foreseeable future—with the exception of spectator-less Thoroughbred racing. We get that.

What we don’t get is the panic across the country that seems to be gaining traction. By now, most everyone understands that toilet paper is currently one the most precious commodities on the planet. Who knew? Now, “dry goods” such as pastas, breads, and rice are flying off the shelves here in the Bluegrass, and there are plenty of videos online of long lines at grocery stores in much larger municipalities than Lexington.

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Fair Grounds Race Course to Run Races Spectator-Free Effective Immediately

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Louisiana Derby to Run as Scheduled on March 21

NEW ORLEANS, LA., (March 13, 2020) – Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”) (Nasdaq: CHDN) announced today amid public health concerns regarding COVID-19, all live races beginning immediately through the remainder of the racing meet ending March 29 will be conducted spectator-free with only essential staff, credentialed horsemen and media in attendance. The Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds Race Course will run as scheduled on Saturday, March 21 under the same spectator restrictions. Pari-mutuel wagering will also be closed to the public at Fair Grounds through the remainder of the meet. The on-site slot facility and off-site OTB and video poker operations will remain open to patrons as usual.

The safety and health of guests, employees and participants remain of primary concern and the team at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots will continue to take every precaution to ensure the comfort and safety of those in attendance. We continue to work very closely with Governor Edwards and Lieutenant Governor Nungesser, Mayor Cantrell and the Louisiana Racing Commission in order to comply with all public health orders regarding COVID-19 and make the most responsible decision for everyone involved.

Preparations to host Kentucky Derby 146 on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs are currently still moving forward. With the event still seven weeks away, a decision will be made closer to that date, with respect to postponing the event until later in the year, using the most recent information while working with and seeking guidance from public health experts and authorities.

Fair Grounds Remains Open. Taking Precautions to Avoid Coronavirus

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The Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots has posted the following message on FaceBook

“We’re committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for our guests, employees and participants. At this time, we remain open to the public but are taking precautionary measures with the guidance of health experts and federal authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of those visiting our property.”

Record Low in 2019 for Equine Fatalities in Racing

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Despite problems at Santa Anita Park, racing in U.S. and Canada enjoys safest year.

 

Despite a rash of breakdowns at Santa Anita Park, the overall number of catastrophic injuries during racing fell 8.9% in 2019 compared with 2018.

The equine fatality rate of 1.53 per 1,000 starts is the safest year on record in the 11 years The Jockey Club Equine Injury Database has tracked such incidents in the United States and Canada. The EID tracks equine fatalities during racing, which allows wide participation and facilitates comparison from year to year.

Based on the 2019 data, 99.84% of flat racing starts at the racetracks participating in the EID were completed without a fatality. The overall drop in the risk of fatal injury from 2009-19 was 23.5%.

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OVERFLOW FIELD EXPECTED FOR TWINSPIRES.COM LOUISIANA DERBY

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Risen Star division two winner Modernist &
Lecomte victor Enforceable likely to headline field of 14

 

 

New Orleans (March 12, 2020) – According to Fair Grounds’ racing secretary Scott Jones, with the draw just two days away, at least 19 horses have designs on competing in the $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2), to be run as part of an eight-stakes extravaganza on Saturday, March 21. The field will be limited to 14 starters, with two horses listed as “also eligibles”, First preference will be given to graded or group winners in order (grade I, II, III), and then to horses that have accumulated the highest lifetime earnings.

Previously run over nine furlongs on dirt, the distance of Louisiana Derby will be run at 1 3/16ths miles for the first time. The third and final local prep for the Run for the Roses, the Louisiana Derby is worth 100-40-20-10 points to the top four finishers on the Road to the $3 million Kentucky Derby (G1) presented by Woodford Reserve. Run at 1 1/16 miles, the 52nd running of the $400,000 Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) for 3-year-old fillies offers the same number of points en route to the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Headlining the list of expected Louisiana Derby runners is Pam and Martin Wygod’s Modernist, winner of the second division of the Risen Star (G2) presented by Lamarque Ford-Lincoln, and John Oxley’s Enforceable, who won the Lecomte (G3) in advance of a second place run behind the recently sidelined Mr. Monomoy in the first division of the Risen Star.

Off five consecutive victories, including a recent score in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) presented by Fasig-Tipton, Winchell Thoroughbreds and J. R. Thomas’ Finite is expected to be the defined favorite in the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2).

With an early first post of 11 a.m. CDT, the 13-race Louisiana Derby Day card will feature eight stakes worth a total of $2.425 million.  A pair of nine furlong, high-impact events for older horses are also scheduled on the program – the $400,000 New Orleans Classic (G2) and the $300,000 Muniz Memorial Stakes (G2), to be run over the Stall-Wilson Turf Course. In addition, four undercard stakes are slated for the lucrative card, including the $100,000 Tom Benson Memorial for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on grass and a trio of Louisiana-bred events – the $75,000 Costa Rising Stakes, a 5½-furlong turf sprint, the $75,000 Crescent City Derby for 3-year-old males at 1 1/16 miles and the $75,000 Crescent City Oaks for females at 1 mile and 70 yards.

Among those pointed for the New Orleans Classic are the Bret Calhoun-trained pair of 2019 Louisiana Derby champ By My Standards for Allied Racing and multiple graded stakes winner Silver Dust for Tom Durant. China Horse Club International Ltd and WinStar Farm LLC’s Fearless, who is undefeated from two starts, is expected to make his stakes debut in the New Orleans for trainer Todd Pletcher. The 4-year-old son of Ghostzapper recently won a first-level allowance over 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream by 8 ½ lengths while under wraps, earning a 107 Bris speed figure in the process.

Trainer Chad Brown, who won last year’s Muniz with eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar, has a trio of lawnmowers pointed to this year’s renewal: Oxo Equine LLC’s Instilled Regard, a recent winner of the Ft. Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream, Sanford J. Goldfarb and Samuel Abraham’s Devamani (FR), who just missed in the Tampa Bay (G3) last out, and Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael E. Kisberr and Bethlehem Stable LLC’s Euro import Rockemperor (IRE), who will be making his third U. S. start in what will be his 4-year-old debut. Gaining Ground Racing LLC’s Factor This and Pin Oak Stable’s Synchrony, one-two in the Fair Grounds (G3) last month, are also expected for the Muniz.

 

The official Louisiana Derby post-position draw will take place on Saturday, March 14 at 11 a.m. CDT on the fourth floor of the Fair Grounds clubhouse.

The draw will be hosted by track announcer John G. Dooley with commentary from racing analyst Joe Kristufek and Mike Diliberto’s Louisiana Derby morning line will be revealed.

The event is open to the public and there will be photo and interview opportunities for the media. It will also be broadcast on “Facebook Live” via the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Facebook page.

Any media questions, please contact Grant.LaGrange@fgno.com.

 

As the first leg of their “Road to the Kentucky Derby” coverage, NBCSN will broadcast both the Fair Grounds Oaks and Louisiana Derby LIVE from 5 to 6 p.m. EDT. Ahmed Fareed, Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss will anchor the coverage.

 

Possible runners for the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, according to Fair Grounds racing secretary Scott Jones.

 

 

Rank Horse Trainer Likely Jockey Career Earnings Derby points
           
1 Modernist Mott J. Alvarado $288,800 50
2 Enforceable Casse Leparoux $343,550 33
3 Wells Bayou Cox Geroux $254,293 4
4 Ajaaweed McLaughlin   $139,850 7
5 NY Traffic Joseph L. Saez $136,970 10
6 Silver State Asmussen Santana $136,106 14
7 Major Fed Foley Rosario $116,500 20
8 Lynns Map Casse Gaffalione $100,012 0
9 Mailman Money Calhoun G. Saez $95,012 5
10 Portos Pletcher I. Ortiz $93,900 2
11 Social Afleet Stewart   $64,068 0
12 Shake Some Action Cox   $62,700 0
13 Chestertown Asmussen Velazquez $61,540 0
14 Sharecropper Stall Mena $58,469 0
15 Royal Act Eurton Cedillo $52,844 0
16 Mr. Big News Calhoun   $47,053 0
17 Farmington Road Pletcher   $45,000 0
18 Winning Impression Stewart   $41,900 0
19 Fort Knox Desormeaux   $36,422 0

 

ROOM TO FINISH INSTALLED AS SLIGHT FAVORITE IN RED CAMELIA STAKES

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5-year-old mare is in form, looking for her first stakes win

 

New Orleans (March 11, 2020) – West Point Thoroughbreds, Forge Ahead Stables LLC, and Jerry Caroom’sRoom to Finish is a five-time winner, but on Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, she’ll aim for her first career stakes triumph as Mike Diliberto’s 7-2 morning line favorite in the $60,000 Red Camelia Stakes. Restricted to older Louisiana-bred fillies & mares, the Red Camelia is scheduled to be run over about one mile of turf. It is carded as race seven of ten with a scheduled post time of 3:24 p.m. CDT.

 

An impressive first-level allowance winner in late November, Room to Finish followed up with a game second in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Turf on December 15. Following a head-scratching fifth place finish in a second-level, open company allowance on the Fair Grounds’ turf on January 25, Room to Finish bounced back with a decisive victory last out, closing from just off the pace to win a conditioned state-bred allowance against many of same turf foes she will meet again on Saturday. 

 

“She’s a really honest mare,” trainer Wayne Catalano said. “She’s been in form lately and we’re really happy with how she’s doing.”

 

“She doesn’t want to be too close to the pace,” Catalano continued. “She just wants to be left alone and make her own run when she feels like it. She sometimes will get herself closer to the pace but that’s all on her own, she doesn’t like to be asked to do that early on. She didn’t run too well in that race two back where she finished fifth. She was kind of forced to be up there with the first flight and she didn’t like that. She doesn’t like to be rushed. There is some speed in the race (on Saturday) but we’re just going to let her put herself wherever she wants to be and hope she shows that closing kick.”

 

Colby Hernandez, who currently sits second in the Fair Grounds jockey standings, will be back aboard on Saturday, as the pair break from post nine.

 

Maximo Lamarche and Federico Deltoro’s Net A Bear will look to score her third career stakes victory in the Red Camelia. Following a win in the Elge Rasberry Stakes at Louisiana Downs in early September, the 4-year-old daughter of Awesome Bet put in a solid third place finish in an allowance race at Delta Downs in October. She then shipped to Fair Grounds to score a 12-1 upset in the Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Turf, 1 1/4th lengths ahead of Room to Finish. Since then, Net A Bear has put in both a third and fourth place finish respectively in her last two starts.

 

Net A Bear will break from the rail with jockey Tim Thornton aboard, and is listed as the 5-1 second choice on the morning line.

 

Completing the field for the Red Camelia Stakes (with post, jockey/trainer and morning line odds) are: Mariah’s Galaxy (post two, K. Smith/Arceneaux at 8-1), Tenpins Tempo (post three, Broussard/L. Thomas at 12-1), Eskenformore (post four, Graham/Hodges at 6-1), Marywood (post five, G. Saez/L. Thomas at 20-1), Mi Copa Rebosa (post six, Albarado/ Gelner at 20-1), Tap Dance Star (post 7, Murrill/Modica at 12-1), Hyper Piper (post eight, B.J Hernandez, Jr./David, Jr. at 8-1), Thegrayspider (post ten, Taylor/Shamsie at 20-1), Is Too (post 11, Mena/Johnston at 6-1), and Bermuda Star (post 12, Beschizza/Camejo at 6-1).

2020 Annual Membership Meeting at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots New Orleans Set for March 22

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New Orleans, La. – The 2020 Annual Membership Meeting is set at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, in New Orleans, La. on Sunday March 22, 2020.  The annual meeting brings members together to celebrate the breeders and owners of outstanding accredited 2019 Louisiana bred thoroughbreds. This year the awards winners will be announced at the event for the owners of the Leading Stallion, Broodmare of the Year, as well as the Leading Breeder by Percentage of Stake Winners of 2019, High Percentage Breeder of the Year and Horse of the Year.
Other awards will go to Two Year Old Filly. Two Year Old Colt or Gelding, Three Year Old Filly, Three Year Old Colt or Gelding, Four Year Old and Up Filly or Mare, and Four Year Old and Up Male. Past winners included Louisiana superstars Star Guitar, Mobile Bay, Minit Towinit, Half Ours, Big World, Monte Man, Superior Storm, and Designer Legs to name a few.
The champions are chosen by a vote of the membership and it is a way for the members to honor their own. The top candidates are based on performance and breeding records for the 2019 year.
“The process of producing and training a champion race horse takes considerable resources,” said Roger Heitzmann, secretary treasurer for the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association. “Breeding a champion takes research and the right team to start, train and race the horse. We recognize the breeders, owners and businesses that are the lifeblood not only of our organization, but the Louisiana racing industry as well.”
“Our successful incentive program set the standard for racing and breeding in America,” said Heitzmann. Three races per day are offered for accredited Louisiana breds at each track each day in Louisiana. 18% breeders’ awards are paid to accredited Louisiana breds finishing first, second or third in any race in Louisiana (purse capped at $200,000). 18% breeders’ awards paid to accredited Louisiana breds finishing first, second or third in any stakes race outside of Louisiana (purse capped at $200,000). Worldwide breeders’ awards paid to accredited Louisiana breds finishing first, second or third in any race outside of Louisiana. The breeders incentive awards increases to 20% for Louisiana breds sired by a Louisiana stallion.
Members will enjoy a day at the historic Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots with live racing as the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association crowns their best. Lunch will be served, and seating will be available on a limited basis to members of the association. Doors will open at 11:00am. The Louisiana Derby will be run on Saturday March 21 and it gives members an opportunity to make a weekend of it in New Orleans.
For more information about Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association visit louisianabred.com or call (504) 947-4676.