Category: 2021

Breeders’ Cup Diaries: Leonard Looks Back At His Racing Start In Louisiana Backcountry

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Leonard and California Angel

 

 

This is our third edition in a daily diary series following trainer George Leonard’s first trip to the Breeders’ Cup with California Angel. Find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

It may be the first time George Leonard has brought a horse to Del Mar, but he managed to find a familiar face on the West Coast. Leonard left his regular exercise riders back home with his Indiana Grand string, and picked up the services of jockey Chester Bonnet to help him work California Angel ahead of her run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Bonnet and Leonard go way back, to the days when both were still in their home state of Louisiana. Leonard transferred to Indiana and Kentucky, and Bonnet came to California to be nearer to his son.

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LANGS DAY RALLIES FOR UPSET WIN IN THE $100,000 GOLD CUP AT DELTA DOWNS

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LEE M. THOMAS TRAINEE STORMS HOME TO VICTORY UNDER TY KENNEDY

 

Langs Day wins the 19th running of the Gold Cup at Delta Downs. Coady Photography

VINTON, LA. – Delta Downs hosted the $100,000 Gold Cup Stakes on Saturday afternoon and the winner was Keith Plaisance’s Langs Day with jockey Ty Kennedy in the saddle.

 

The heavy 1-2 wagering favorite in the Gold Cup was No Parole, who had a Grade I win on his resume and was undefeated at Delta Downs entering Saturday’s showdown. But the speedster was confronted early on by Scarlettsblackjack and the pair dueled each other into submission as they set fractional times of 22.79 seconds for the opening quarter mile and 47.32 for the half before both were overtaken by closers entering the second turn of the seven-furlong affair.

 

Turning for home it was Speaktomeoflove who gained a short lead, but it didn’t last long as Langs Day and Underpressure swung into the stretch with momentum and blew by the leader. At the finish line Langs Day was 3-1/4 lengths in front of Underpressure who finished second while Grand Luwegee picked up the pieces to be third, another 1-1/2 lengths behind the top pair. Langs Day covered the distance over a fast track in a final time of 1:26.94.

 

The win by Langs Day was the fifth of his 15-race career. He earned $60,000 for the effort and now boasts a lifetime bankroll of $177,840.

 

Bred in Louisiana by J. Adcock & Adcock’s Red River Farm LLC, Langs Day is a 4-year-old chestnut gelding by New Year’s Day, out of the Langfuhr mare Langsyne.

 

Distpatched at odd of 14-1, Langs Day paid $32.80 to win, $32.80 to win, $14.20 to place and $7.80 to show. Underpressure was worth $8.40 to place and $6 to show. Grand Luwegee returned $6.60 to show.

 

Jockey Miguel Mena Killed In Vehicular Accident

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Jockey Miguel Mena

 

 

Miguel Mena, one of the winningest jockeys in Churchill Downs history and a two-time winner of the prestigious Stephen Foster Stakes, was killed in a pedestrian accident on westbound I-64 between Blakenbaker Parkway and Hurstbourne Lane in Louisville on Sunday night. He was 34, just days shy of his 35th birthday on Saturday.

 

“This news is absolutely shocking, terrible and heartbreaking,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Mike Anderson. “Our team is devastated to learn of Miguel’s passing. He was such a courageous rider who fought to overcome several challenges and adversity. We’ll miss his bright smile. Our deepest condolences are extended to his many friends, fellow riders and family, and our immediate thoughts are with his wife April and his daughters Naelah and Montserrat.”

 

 

Mena won 2,079 races in North America and his mounts in 16,234 races earned $72,483,396 in prize money. He recorded 136 career stakes wins, including 37 against graded stakes company led by the 2010 Test (Grade 1) aboard Champagne d’Oro and 2011 Stephen Foster (G1) on Pool Play.

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Desormeaux Brothers Team Up with Oviatt Class

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Son of Bernardini starts Nov. 5 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Del Mar.

 

Racing fans don’t need the overnight to learn the jockey on the Keith Desormeaux-trained Oviatt Class  in the $2 million TVG Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) Nov. 5 at Del Mar. It’s Keith’s brother, Kent.

“As I told you and I tell everybody else, I’ve got no choice while my mother’s still living,” quipped Keith.

One liners aside, Keith wouldn’t want it differently. Ask him to comment on Kent, and he is quick to praise his younger sibling, who resumed riding over the winter after addressing repeat alcohol abuse. Last summer in the Del Mar area, he was involved in a physical altercation after drinking and was also accused of using a racial epithet—actions that led the track to bar him from riding for the rest of its summer meet.

 

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NET A BEAR RALLIES LATE TO WIN THE $100,000 MAGNOLIA STAKES AT DELTA DOWNS

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Net A Bear edges Quikfast N Ahurry to win the 2021 Magnolia Stakes at Delta Downs. Coady Photography.

 

 

VINTON, LA. – Delta Downs hosted the $100,000 Magnolia Stakes on Friday afternoon. The race featured a field of six Louisiana-bred fillies and mares competing at seven furlongs and it was Maximo Lamarche and Federico Deltoro’s Net a Bear who came away with the win under jockey Tim Thornton.

 

Breaking from the inside post position, Net a Bear was reserved early and dropped back to trail the field while Carondelet set the early fractions of 23.30 seconds for the quarter mile and 47.76 for the half. As the field entered the second turn, Thornton began a rally with Net a Bear that resulted in a come-from-behind victory by a half-length over Quikfast N Ahurry while Inawic settled for third, another neck behind the top pair.

 

Net a Bear covered the distance over a fast track in a time of 1:26.88.

 

The win by Net a Bear, who is trained by Allen Landy, was the eighth of her 27-race career. She garnered another $60,000 for the effort which raised her overall bankroll to $412,070.

 

Bred in Louisiana by Lora Pitre & Elaine Carroll, Net a Bear is a 5-year-old bay mare by Awesome Bet, out of the Eddington mare Edacious Reality.

 

Sent to the gate even money, Net a Bear paid $4.20 to win, $2.60 to place and $2.10 to show. Quikfast N Ahurry returned $2.60 to place and $2.40 to show. Inawic was worth $3.80 to show.

 

The win by jockey Tim Thornton also marked his second straight tally in a $100,000 stakes event. He won the $100,000 Louisiana Legacy aboard Unified Report last Saturday. On that program he also set a track record for jockeys with seven wins in one day. Thornton is attempting to take his fourth consecutive leading rider title at Delta Downs this year.

November Calendar of Events from the LTBA

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 Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association would like to share the following list of dates of interest to Louisiana horsemen and women.

Brought to you by Whispering Oaks Farm,  and  Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association. Click images to link to more information

Nov 1

  • All Saints Day

Nov 7

  • Daylight Savings Time Ends

Nov 11

  • Veterans Day

Nov 12

  • Treasure Chest S., Delta Downs, Vinton, Louisiana

Nov 13

  • Delta Mile S., Delta Downs, Vinton, Louisiana

Nov 17
·       Fair Grounds, final day to enter papers for zero date

Nov 19

  • My Trusty Cat S., Delta Downs, Vinton, Louisiana

Nov 20

  • Jean Lafitte S., Delta Downs, Vinton, Louisiana

Nov 25

  • Thanksgiving
  • Fair Grounds 150th Season Opens
  • Thanksgiving Handicap, Fair Grounds, New Orleans
  • Joseph R. Peluso Mem. S., Fair Grounds, New Orleans

Nov 27

  • Bob F. Wright Mem. S., Fair Grounds, New Orleans
  • Final Louisiana Champions Day Nominations Deadline

Nov 30

  • Louisiana Futurity Nomination Forms to mail from LTBA office
  • Stallion Registration Forms (covered in ‘21 for foals of ‘22) to mail from LTBA office

Would you like to sponsor a newsletter? Reach @ 2,500 readers.Please contact Linda 985-386-0360, linda@louisianabred.com or Roger 504-947-4676, roger@louisianabred.com for cost and availability.

Do you have a date pertaining to Louisiana-breds that you would like included in an upcoming calendar? Please contact Linda 985-386-0360, linda@louisianabred.com or Roger 504-947-4676, roger@louisianabred.comfor consideration.

 

Any questions or need more info call

Roger A. Heitzmann III, Secretary/Treasurer

Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association

504-947-4676

The Jockey Club Releases 2021 Report of Mares Bred Statistics

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The Jockey Club has released Report of Mares Bred (RMB) statistics for the 2021 breeding season. Based on RMBs received through October 18, 2021, The Jockey Club reports that 1,016 stallions covered 27,829 mares in North America during 2021.

The Jockey Club estimates an additional 2,500 to 3,500 mares will be reported as bred during the 2021 breeding season.

RMB statistics for all reported stallions in 2021 are available through the Fact Book section of The Jockey Club’s website at jockeyclub.com.

Kentucky traditionally leads North America in Thoroughbred breeding activity. During 2021, Kentucky’s 200 reported stallions covered 16,727 mares, or 60.1% of all of the mares reported bred in North America. The number of mares bred to Kentucky stallions increased 2.0% percent compared with the 16,391 reported at this time last year.

Of the top 10 states and provinces by number of mares reported bred in 2021, stallions in Kentucky, California, Ontario, and Indiana covered more mares in 2021 than in 2020, as reported at this time last year. The following table shows the top 10 states and provinces ranked by number of mares reported bred in 2021:

State/Province 2020 Stallions 2021 Stallions Pct. Change 2020 Mares Bred 2021 Mares Bred Pct. Change
Kentucky 200 200 0% 16,391 16,727 2.0%
California 103 104 1.0% 1,766 1,843 4.4%
Florida 73 62 -15.1% 1,721 1,562 -9.2%
New York 37 38 2.7% 1,002 948 -5.4%
Louisiana 74 64 -13.5% 1,017 890 -12.5%
Maryland 29 25 -13.8% 806 778 -3.5%
Ontario 24 27 12.5% 519 591 13.9%
Pennsylvania 37 29 -21.6% 734 524 -28.6%
Indiana 42 45 7.1% 427 475 11.2%
Oklahoma 40 46 15.0% 476 441 -7.4%

Note: Each incident in which a mare was bred to more than one stallion and appeared on multiple RMBs is counted separately. As such, mares bred totals listed in the table above may differ slightly from counts of distinct mares bred.

In addition, Report of Mares Bred information on stallions that bred mares in North America is available through report 36P or a subscription service at equineline.com/ReportOfMaresBred.

The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. It founded America’s Best Racing (americasbestracing.net), the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing, and in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, operates OwnerView (ownerview.com), the ownership resource. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.

Delta Downs Could Be Back Under Lights By Nov. 12

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By T. D. Thornton

A two-phase fix to the allegedly unsafe new lighting system at Delta Downs is underway that could allow the Louisiana track to switch back from afternoon programs to traditional weekend night cards by Nov. 12.

The recently installed light-emitting diode (LED) system, which was necessitated by the old lights getting wrecked by a hurricane in August 2020, was only operational for three races on the first night program of the season Oct. 15 before a horse fell at the top of the stretch.

Fueled by complaints from some jockeys and trainers that areas on the turns were dangerously dark and shadowy, the remainder of that card and the Oct. 16 program were cancelled. Delta resumed racing during afternoons without lights Oct. 20-23.

 

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Louisiana Commission Backs Broberg in CDI Dispute

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Churchill Downs Inc. banned him after one of his starters returned sore from a race.

 

Questioning the due process afforded owner/trainer Karl Broberg when Churchill Downs Inc. barred him this fall from competition at all of its tracks, the Louisiana State Racing Commission unanimously passed a motion during its Oct. 26 meeting authorizing his participation at CDI-owned Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots as long as he has a valid Louisiana license and is not suspended.

CDI’s ban as a property owner came last month when it revoked his stabling and entry privileges at all its tracks after his $10,000 claiming horse Rockandahardplace returned sore after a sixth-place finish Sept. 18 at Churchill Downs.

A submitted claim by another owner for the 5-year-old gelding was voided after the race when the horse was declared lame by a Kentucky Horse Racing Commission veterinarian at the track’s test barn. The following week, CDI reported in a statement that “the horse was returned to his stall by a paid hot-walker, but a subsequent investigation revealed that there was no responsible representative of the trainer on-site to make veterinary decisions or to take appropriate steps to protect the welfare of the injured horse.”

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Our Secret Agent First Graded Stakes Winner for Secret Circle

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On Saturday, October 23, Our Secret Agent (Secret Circle-Avalos, by Holy Bull) won the $150,000 Grade 3 Hendrie Stakes at Woodbine.  The four-year-old filly trained by Mark Casse for owner Gary Barber, took the 6.5 furlongs in 1:15.68, defeating  her closest competitor, multiple graded stakes winner Amalfi Coast by 3 ½ lengths, earning a 93 Beyer Speed Rating in the process.  To date Our Secret Agent has a record of 14-3-6-4 with $277,364 in earnings. In addition the the G3 Hendrie win, she has placed in an addition six stakes, four or those graded.

Secret Circle, who stands at Elite Thoroughbreds in Folsom, Louisiana, is himself a multiple G1 Stakes Winner of $3,670,790, including the 2013 G1 Breeder’s Cup Sprint and the 2015 G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen Stakes. On the board in 15 of 16 starts, he was undefeated as a two-year-old with two stakes wins including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint. At three he won the G2 Rebel Stakes and G3 Southwest Stakes.

At stud, Secret Circle is the leading third crop sire in Louisiana for 2021 with 10 times the earnings of his nearest competitor.  With 71% winners from starters, and 11.5% black type runners, he has progeny earnings of $2,314,564 to date.

Secret Circle stands at Elite Thoroughbreds in Folsom, Louisiana for a 2022 fee of $3,000 live foal. He is eligible to be bred to both thoroughbred and quarter horse mares.