Aqueduct

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week. California Track: Santa Anita Date: 02/10/2023 Licensee: Lorenzo Ruiz, trainer Penalty:...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 3rd-AQU, $70k, Msw, 4yo/up, (S), 1m, post time: 2:20 p.m. ET A $300,000 Keeneland September purchase by Peter Brant back in 2020, SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS (Medaglia d'Oro) makes a belated first trip to the races. Bred by the Bromans, the dark bay is a gelded son of GIII Herecomesthebride S. winner Khancord Kid (Lemon Drop Kid), whose daughter Bar of Gold (Medaglia d'Oro) caused one of the bigger upsets in the history of the Breeders' Cup when taking out the GI Filly & Mare...

The betting public got it right in Saturday's GIII Withers S. at Aqueduct, rescheduled from Feb. 4 due to extreme cold, as Gary and Mary West's Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) sat a golden trip beneath Manny Franco and shot clear from 8-5 second-elect Arctic Arrogance (Frosted) to take the Triple Crown prep by about four lengths. Looking to build on a strong 3 1/2-length allowance victory going Oaklawn's short-stretch mile Dec. 17, the homebred gray was quietly ridden and was content to save ground after a clean break, as...

A debut winner at Churchill Downs in May 2022, Drew's Gold went to the sidelines for the next eight months before making a winning return to the races at Laurel Park Jan. 28. Favored at 8-5 for his first try against stakes company in New York, the colt pressed the pace, keeping things tight up front for early leader Kool Kathmandu (Frosted). Outside with plenty of run left, he drew alongside a new leader in Clubhouse and went right on by past the quarter pole, stretching his lead down the...

5th-Aqueduct, $80,000, Msw, 1-29, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:19.42, ft, 8 lengths. ASSET PURCHASE (f, 3, Dialed In--Quick Hit Fever, by Dublin), just a $75,000 yearling purchase for this leading owner/trainer combo and Sunday's 3-1 third choice on debut, broke greenly but kept pace with the field, tracking from third just off pacesetter Now Showing (Mendelssohn) through a :22.65 opening quarter. Set down from the four path to engage the frontrunners, she easily took over command as the field swung off of the far turn and gave the others no...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week. New York Track: Aqueduct Date: 01/18/2023 Licensee: Manuel Franco Penalty: Three-day...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-FG, $65k, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:30 p.m. ET EVERGRANDE (Uncle Mo) cost Don Adam's Courtlandt Farms $1.1 million at Keeneland September in 2021, the priciest of the operation's 12 purchases (for $7.55 million) over the course of the opening week of the sale. Produced by a winning Forestry mare, the Apr. 6 foal is bred on the exact cross as champion and GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist and hails from the deeper female family of Grade I-winning juvenile Greenwood Lake (Meadowlake). A then-yearling full-brother...

Picked up for $625,000 by Alpha Delta Stables LLC out of the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Occult missed out in fourth on her debut at Belmont's Aqueduct meeting Sept. 17 but returned at one mile to break her maiden in style by 4 1/4 lengths to finish her juvenile season Dec. 18. The 7-5 choice for her first try against stakes company, Occult had a sharp beginning but was outrun into the first turn by Sweetest Princess (Cairo Prince) to her outside. Patiently handled by jockey Dylan Davis in...

2nd-Aqueduct, $70,000, (S), Msw, 1-7, 3yo, 6f, 1:11.75, my, 10 1/4 lengths. PLEASE BE NICE (c, 3, Violence--Oenophile, by Pulpit), an RNA as a yearling for $45,000, he sold for $210,000 EASMAY before starting his training regime over the summer at Saratoga. Going off at odds of 3-1, the chestnut colt broke alertly and dueled for the lead up front as the field went down the backstretch with a time of :22.77 after a quarter-mile. Please Be Nice rode the rail at a controlling :47.24 for the half, and at...

Despite the layers of cold water and powder coating her from head to toe, nothing could mask apprentice jockey Madison Olver's bright smile following her first career victory aboard Curbstone (Street Sense) in the sixth race at Aqueduct on Dec. 9, 2022. It was a surreal moment for the 23-year-old, who just five and a half years prior had never even witnessed a horse race, let alone set foot on the backside of a racetrack or exercised a racehorse. A native of Fort Collins, Colo., Olver was bit by the...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) generated all-sources handle of $2,321,863,828 during its 2022 race meets conducted at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. The year was highlighted by the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course where all-sources wagering rose to a record $878,211,963 in 2022, eclipsing the previous high-water mark by nearly 8%. In addition, the 2022 summer meet generated average daily handle of $21,955,299, which is the highest such figure in the history of Saratoga. On-track handle in 2022, which includes New York residents wagering...

According to figures released Thursday by Equibase, a robust $1,309,837,841 in purse money was paid out during the year in the U.S., an increase of 10.92% and an all-time record for the sport. Total handle on U.S. racing in 2022 was $12,108,807,335, a decrease of 0.87% when compared to 2021 numbers. The total bet in 2021 was $12,215,598,838. "Thoroughbred racing purses and pari-mutuel handle continued to exhibit strength in 2022," NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney said in a statement. "Purses were up double-digits year-over year and reached an all-time...