2011 Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship Online Kickoff Challenge

New in 2011: Mandatory Tour Membership
$45 makes you eligible for a shot at $2 million.
Join the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship Tour today.

All Tour members receive:
• Tour membership card containing NHC Tour account information
• Eligibility to compete for a seat at the January 2012 NHC in Las Vegas
• Twice monthly e-newsletter featuring photos and recaps of previously held tourneys, schedules and links to upcoming tournaments, tourney tips from previous NHC Champions and qualifiers, etc.
• Special offers from Daily Racing Form, including:
• 10% discount on the purchase of any DRF.com past performance plan - good for new and existing DRF.com members
• 20% discount on a single DRF Press order at check-out
• Season-ending, online tourney for top 100 Tour points leaders, offering 15 seats to the 2013 NHC
• Mentoring program, whereby veteran NHC Tour players and past Champions will provide tips and insights on tournament play to other Tour members
• Eligibility to receive benefits and discounts from NTRA Advantage partners
• Are eligible for NTRA Advantage discounts & benefits• Membership in the Horseplayers' Coalition, addressing player-centric issues in Washington, D.C.
• Exclusive offers and discounts on Thoroughbred racing memorabilia and collectibles
• Exclusive offers, including access to tickets to key events, at NTRA member facilities
• For more information on the NHC, click here.

The top five finishers in the January 2 tournament earn an automatic berth to the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, to be held January 2012, at Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Before you can enter the 2011 Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship Online Kickoff Challenge, you'll need to be signed up as a 2011 NHC Tour member.

Below are the tentative tracks that will be used for this contest. Please note free past performances will not be available and the contest will not be open to make selections until Friday, December 31. Please check back then.

Aqueduct
Fair Grounds
Santa Anita

Thanks for playing!

PLEASE NOTE YOU MUST BE A 2011 NHC TOUR MEMBER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CONTEST.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN-UP FOR A 2011 NHC TOUR MEMBERSHIP.

NTRA Thoroughbred Notebook

News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by NTRA Communications.



ZENYATTA RUNNER UP AGAIN IN AP FEMALE ATHLETE OF YEAR VOTING
Zenyatta finished second this week to Olympic gold medal-winning American skier Lindsey Vonn as the Associated Press's 2010 Female Athlete of the Year. It was the second consecutive year that Zenyatta was the runner-up for the award.

Breaking the modern-day mark for consecutive wins held by Citation and Cigar, Zenyatta won the first 19 races of her career before losing by a head to Blame in the final start of her career, the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic on November 6 at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Vonn, the first skier to win an AP Athlete of the Year honor since the Award's inception in 1931, received 77 votes to Zenyatta's 32 among the 150 cast.

The 6-year-old mare retired a North American earnings record for female horses of more than $7.3 million.

Zenyatta finished second to tennis star Serena Williams in the 2009 voting.

FAIR GROUNDS TO HOST CLAIMING CROWN FOR FIRST TIME IN 2011
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans will host the 13th running of the Claiming Crown on Saturday, December 3, 2011. Patterned after the Breeders' Cup, Claiming Crown is designed to reward Thoroughbred racing's "blue-collar" horses and will offer races at varying distances on both dirt and turf.

"Fair Grounds is proud to bring the Claiming Crown to New Orleans," said Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing for Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. "One of our stated goals has been to host top end national events at our racetrack, and the Claiming Crown certainly fits very well. We look forward to teaming with TOBA, the National HBPA and our local HBPA as we try to make the 2011 Claiming Crown a record-setting event."

"The Louisiana HBPA is happy the National HBPA and TOBA are bringing the Claiming Crown to Louisiana. We feel the Fair Grounds is a great choice to host this prestigious event. Claiming Crown rewards the horses that are the backbone of racing," stated Louisiana HBPA President Larry Robideaux.

This will mark the first time Fair Grounds has hosted the event, which debuted at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn., in 1999. Canterbury has hosted 10 of the first 12 renewals of the event. The Claiming Crown was held at Philadelphia Park (now Parx Racing) in Bensalem, Pa., in 2002 and at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., in 2007.

Further details on the event's race lineup, purse structure, nomination and entry deadline schedule, and eligibility dates will be released soon.

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FREE NHC "ONLINE KICKOFF CHALLENGE" ON JANUARY 2
Signups are now being accepted at NTRA.com for the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship "Online Kickoff Challenge" - a free, online handicapping tournament on Sunday, January 2. The five highest finishers among registered Daily Racing Form NHC Tour members will receive guaranteed berths in the $2 million (estimated) Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC) in January 2012 in Las Vegas. The five qualifiers will also receive roundtrip air travel and hotel accommodations for their trip to the 2012 NHC.

The Online Kickoff Challenge requires contestants to place hypothetical $2 win and place wagers on 10 designated contest races on Sunday, January 2. The 10 contest races will be chosen by tournament officials on Friday, December 31, and are scheduled to be selected from the January 2 cards at Aqueduct, Fair Grounds and Santa Anita Park (contest tracks subject to change). Free DRF past performances for the tournament races will be available at the contest site. All selections must be made no later than one minute prior to the scheduled post time of each mandatory race. The five players amassing the highest number of points based on the players' earnings (i.e. the highest final bankroll) from all $2 win and place wagers at the end of the competition will receive berths in the January 2012 NHC in Las Vegas, provided that they have registered for the 2011 NHC Tour prior to the start of the tournament.

To sign up for the 2011 Daily Racing Form NHC Tour, visit www.ntra.com/nhctour. The Daily Racing Form NHC Tour is a yearlong bonus series offering additional prize money and qualifying berths to the DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship to be held in January 2012 in Las Vegas. Membership in the 2011 Daily Racing Form NHC Tour is open to adults 21 years of age or older and requires a one-time membership fee of $45. Membership in the 2011 Daily Racing Form NHC Tour is mandatory in order for top finishers of sanctioned NHC qualifying events to be eligible to compete in the January 2012 NHC Finals in Las Vegas. The NHC Tour membership must be in place prior to the start of any given qualifying tournament in order for one to qualify for the NHC Finals at that qualifying tournament.

Among the many benefits of 2011 Daily Racing Form NHC Tour membership are free, online qualifying tournaments that are restricted to NHC Tour members. The first of these free, online qualifying tournaments will take place on January 2, 2011 at NTRA.com, where qualifying berths to the January 2012 NHC Finals will be offered to the five top finishers. Additional free, online qualifying events - offering a total of 15 additional berths to the NHC Finals - will be held later in 2011.

‘LUCK' PILOT, FIRST TWO EPISODES COMPLETE, DEBUT SET FOR FALL 2011
Production on the pilot and first two episodes of HBO's upcoming series, "Luck," is close to completion, and production and shooting for the series's third episode will resume at Santa Anita Park on January 10.

"Luck," which stars Dustin Hoffman, is the brainchild of renowned writer/producer David Milch, who has also created such hits as "Hill Street Blues," "NYPD Blue," and "Deadwood." Among the other notable actors involved in the first two episodes are Nick Nolte, Dennis Farina and John Ortiz, plus retired jockey Gary Stevens and active jockey Chantal Sutherland.

"Their production crew completed two weeks of work on and around the racetrack last week," said Santa Anita Community and Special Events Coordinator Pete Siberell.

Siberell noted that Milch is "excited" about the recently shot content.

"David said that everything went extremely well, and he was particularly happy with the racing action they were able to simulate," said Siberell.

Fair Grounds to host Claiming Crown in 2011

Lexington, KY, Monday, December 20, 2010 – Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans, Louisiana will host the 13th running of the Claiming Crown on Saturday, December 3, 2011. Patterned after the Breeders’ Cup, Claiming Crown was designed to reward Thoroughbred racing’s “blue-collar” horses and will offer races at varying distances on both dirt and turf.

“Fair Grounds is proud to bring the Claiming Crown to New Orleans,” said Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing for Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. “One of our stated goals has been to host top end national events at our racetrack, and the Claiming Crown certainly fits very well.  We look forward to teaming with TOBA, the National HBPA and our local HBPA as we try to make the 2011 Claiming Crown a record-setting event.”

“The Louisiana HBPA is happy the National HBPA and TOBA are bringing the Claiming Crown to Louisiana.  We feel the Fair Grounds is a great choice to host this prestigious event.  Claiming Crown rewards the horses that are the backbone of racing,” stated Louisiana HBPA President Larry Robideaux.

This will mark the first time Fair Grounds has hosted the event, which debuted at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota in 1999. Canterbury has hosted 10 of the first 12 renewals of the event. The Claiming Crown was held at Philadelphia Park (now Parx Racing) in Bensalem, Pennsylvania in 2002 and at Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky in 2007.

Further details on the event’s race lineup, purse structure, nomination and entry deadline schedule, and eligibility dates will be released soon.

The Claiming Crown is a partnership between the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and the ThoroughbredOwners and Breeders Association. The Claiming Crown was created to be the claiming horse owner’s Breeders’ Cup; a special racing event, created for the "average owner," and featuring some of the most competitive horses in the country. The Claiming Crown has been held annually since 1999. For more information about Claiming Crown please visit www.claimingcrown.com.

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the nation’s third-oldest racetrack, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN); it also operates a slot-machine gamingfacility and 10 off-track betting parlors throughout southeast Louisiana. The 139th Thoroughbred Racing Season runs through March 27, 2011, highlighted by the 98th running of the Grade II, $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 26. Information about Fair Grounds can be found online at www.FairGroundsRaceCourse.com.

TOBA, based in Lexington, Kentucky, was formed in 1961 and is a national trade organization of Thoroughbred owners and breeders. TOBA's mission is to "improve the economics, integrity and pleasure of the sport on behalf of Thoroughbred owners and breeders." Projects managed by TOBA include the American Graded Stakes Committee, The Racing Game, Sales Integrity Program and Claiming Crown. TOBA is the owner of The Blood-Horse Inc., and is represented on the Board of Directors of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association as a founding member.

The National HBPA, based inLexington, Kentucky, is the largest racing horsemen’s representative association in North America, with 30 affiliate organizations and over 30,000 member horsemen.  Big Dee’s Tack & Vet Supplies, Equineline.com, and Horseman Labor Solutions are proud corporate partners of the National HBPA, and TVG is the official television partner of the National HBPA

Lake becomes sixth trainer in history to win 5,000 races

History was made at Laurel Park Wednesday afternoon when Scott Lake became the sixth trainer in North American history to win 5,000 races when Communicator wired the field in the first race at the Laurel, Md., racetrack.

Only Dale Baird (9,445), Jack Van Berg (6,405), King Leatherbury (6,313), Jerry Hollendorfer (5,830) and Steve Asmussen (5,684) have more first place finishes.

"We are really proud of what the barn has accomplished," said Lake after reaching the milestone. "We owe it to all the owners, horses and my help. What is really cool is that we did our 3,000th at Philly (Philadelphia Park), the 4000th at Penn National and the 5,000th here. Those are the three places we did most of the winning."

The 45-year-old then saddled Flight to Eden to victory in the second race for his 5,001st career victory. Malcolm Franklin was aboard both winners.

From 2000-2009, Lake finished first or second nationally in wins each year, leading in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006. He ranks ninth this year with 191 trips to the winners’ circle after downsizing his barn from 287 horses at eight different tracks to 70 runners at two locations.

"We had an unbelievable run," added Lake, who won his first race at Penn National with Niminy Piminy in June 1987. "It will just take us a lot longer to get to 6,000, but I am a lot happier. Seventy horses is a good number for us."

Hafner Wins HPWS satellite contest

The Horse Player World Series satellite handicapping contest went as scheduled despite Saturday’s snowstorm. Ron Hafner braved the elements and set the tournament pace with a score in Calder’s third when a 44-1 speedball went gate to wire. Dave Langhoff challenged in the late stages after accumulating $100. He had two bullets remaining but missed the mark allowing Hafner’s final bankroll of $138.80 to stand at the best of 26 entries.

Hafner earned an entry to the 2011 Coast Casinos’ Horse Player World Series along with airfare and accommodations. Langhoff finished second with $102.80 and received $600 in prize money.
Hafner’s victory also gave him three Canterbury Handicapper of the Year points, jumping him over Ray Hassan, and, with just two contests remaining, makes Hafner the odds-on choice for the 2010 Canterbury Handicapper of the Year title and $2,000 in prize money.
jm

Lake Nears 5,000 Wins

Trainer Scott A. Lake is approaching a personal milestone of 5,000 all time wins. Through racing yesterday, December 14, Lake was at 4,999 wins. He has five scheduled starts for today; one at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races and Slots and four at Laurel Park.

Hawthorne adds Holiday Contest

If you plan to be in Chicago-land for the holidays you may want to consider Hawthorne's $10,000 Holiday Handicapping Contest on December 26.
The format is live money with no entry fee...... they do it right at Hawthorne!!!

NTRA Thoroughbred Notebook

News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by NTRA Communications.

REGISTRATION FOR 2011 NHC TOUR MEMBERSHIPS NOW UNDERWAY
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced yesterday that signups for the 2011 Daily Racing Form NHC Tour are now being accepted at www.ntra.com/nhctour. The Daily Racing Form NHC Tour is a yearlong bonus series offering additional prize money and qualifying berths to the DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship to be held in January 2012 in Las Vegas with a total estimated prize pool of $2 million, including $1 million to the Grand Prize winner.


Membership in the 2011 Daily Racing Form NHC Tour is open to adults 21 years of age or older and requires a one-time membership fee of $45. Membership in the 2011 Daily Racing Form NHC Tour is mandatory in order for top finishers of sanctioned NHC qualifying events to be eligible to compete in the January 2012 NHC Finals in Las Vegas. The NHC Tour membership must be in place prior to the start of any given qualifying tournament in order for one to qualify for the NHC Finals at that qualifying tournament.


Among the many benefits of 2011 Daily Racing Form NHC Tour membership are free, online qualifying tournaments that are restricted to NHC Tour members. The first of these free, online qualifying tournaments will take place on January 2, 2011 at NTRA.com, where qualifying berths to the January 2012 NHC Finals will be offered to the five top finishers. Additional free, online qualifying events—offering a total of 10 additional berths to the NHC Finals—will be held later in 2011.


In just its 12th year, the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship is the most important tournament of the year for horseplayers and is the culmination of a year-long series of NTRA-sanctioned local tournaments conducted by racetracks, casino race books, off-track betting facilities and horse racing and handicapping Web sites, each of which sends its top qualifiers to the national finals.


FANS AGAIN VOTING ON RACING’S “MOMENT OF THE YEAR”
Voting is underway at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Web site, www.ntra.com, for the 12th annual "NTRA Moment of the Year." Voters can choose from among 12 images, drawn from the year's events. The winning Moment will be recognized on January 17, 2011 at the Eclipse Awards ceremony in Miami Beach, and those selecting the winning image automatically will be entered in a random drawing for a $100 gift certificate to the NTRA.com Online Memorabilia Store.


The Moments were selected to illustrate a wide range of human emotions and achievements as well as outstanding displays of equine athleticism. Listed chronologically, the images and events that fans can choose from are: Rachel Alexandra is upset in her 2010 debut at Fair Grounds by Zardana; Eskendereya rolls home in Aqueduct’s Wood Memorial by nearly 10 lengths; Blind Luck catches Evening Jewel at the wire in the Kentucky Oaks; Borel works his Derby magic again as Super Saver captures the Run for the Roses; Lookin at Lucky avenges Derby loss in taking the Preakness stakes; Zenyatta registers win #17, nailing St. Trinians in the final yards of the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood; Lookin at Lucky demolishes the field in the Izod Haskell Invitational at Monmouth; Blame runs down Quality Road in the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga; Calvin Borel and Javier Castellano fight in the winner’s circle following the Breeders’ Cup Marathon; Uncle Mo stays undefeated with convincing triumph in Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile; Goldikova unleashes powerful turn of foot to win her third straight TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile; Blame wins Breeders’ Cup Classic, denying Zenyatta’s attempt for a 20th consecutive victory.


The first-ever “NTRA Moment of the Year” was the touching scene involving Charismatic and jockey Chris Antley following the 1999 Belmont Stakes. The following year’s winner was the stretch run of the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic, which saw Tiznow hold on for a dramatic victory against Giant’s Causeway. Tiznow won again the following year as fans selected his stirring repeat victory in the Classic over Sakhee. In 2002, fans cited the passing of the last living Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew. In 2003, the popular Kentucky Derby win by Funny Cide was selected. Birdstone’s upset win in the Belmont Stakes over Smarty Jones took down top honors for 2004. In 2005, fans selected Afleet Alex’s spectacular victory in the 2005 Preakness Stakes. Voters in 2006 chose Barbaro’s gallant struggle to recover from his Preakness injury while at the New Bolton Center. The 2007 Moment of the Year was Rags to Riches’ historic victory over Curlin in the Belmont Stakes. In 2008, it was Zenyatta’s win in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic. Last year, Zenyatta “repeated” as fans selected her triumph in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.


"The NTRA Moment of the Year gives fans a voice and sense of ownership at the Eclipse Awards," said Keith Chamblin, NTRA senior vice president of communications and industry relations. "It allows them to salute the people, horses and memories that make our sport so appealing. We look forward to seeing which one of the many outstanding moments from 2010 they select as this year’s winner."


Fans 18 years and older can register to vote online at www.ntra.com. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday, January 3, 2010. Void where prohibited. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. A complete set of rules is available at www.ntra.com.


TURBULENT DESCENT TRIES MORE YARDAGE IN HOLLYWOOD STARLET
Extremely impressive in the first two races of her career, Turbulent Descent will try something new in the Grade I $300,000-guaranteed Hollywood Starlet Saturday at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif.


At 1 1/16 miles over Cushion Track, the Starlet attracted seven other 2-year-old fillies.


Owned by a partnership that includes Blinkers On Racing Stable and Bill Strauss and trained by Mike Puype, Turbulent Descent defeated maidens in her Oct. 3 debut during the Oak Tree/Hollywood Park meet.


Returned seven weeks later, the Congrats filly out of the Forestry mare Roger’s Sue won the Moccasin Stakes Nov. 21. She prevailed by 1 ¼ lengths under a hand ride when the 7-10 favorite.


With earnings of $82,800, Turbulent Descent will be making her initial appearance beyond seven furlongs. If successful, the Florida bred will become the first Moccasin winner to capture the Starlet, which will be run for the 30th time Saturday.


David Flores has a return call on Turbulent Descent. The jockey won this race in 2006 aboard Romance Is Diane.


May Day Rose and Big Tiz are the only members of the field with a win at the Starlet distance.


Trained by Bob Baffert for Kaleem Shah, May Day Rose led throughout to take the Sharp Cat Stakes by 4 ¼ lengths Nov. 7. The stretch to 1 1/16 miles came in her first start since a Sept. 4 maiden victory at Del Mar.


A daughter of Rockport Harbor and the Pine Bluff mare May Day Bluff, May Day Rose has won two of three, banking $100,000. A win would be the third in the race for Baffert. The Hall of Fame trainer has won previously with Excellent Meeting (1998) and Habibti (2001).


Third as the favorite in the Sharp Cat, Big Tiz earned her win at 8 ½ furlongs Oct. 10. The Tiznow filly out of the Carson City mare Squall City won by a head versus maidens for owners Allen and Susan Branch and Cory Wagner.


Big Tiz, who is trained by Mark Glatt, has one win in five starts with earnings of $47,860.


Tell a Kelly, who was dominant in the Darley Debutan on Sept. 4 at Del Mar, will try to rebound after a subpar try in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.


Owned by Ike and Dawn Thrash and trained by John Sadler, Tell a Kelly finished seventh Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs, 13 lengths behind winner Awesome Feather.


The loss was the second in as many tries at 1 1/16 miles for Tell a Kelly, who is by Tapit and out of the Tabasco Cat mare Evrobi. She had finished second as the 1-2 favorite in the Oak Leaf Stakes Oct. 3.


From inside out, the field for the Hollywood Starlet with horses, jockeys and weights is as follows: True Way of Grace (Paul Atkinson rides, 120 pounds); Nina Fever (Garrett Gomez, 120); May Day Rose (Rafael Bejarano, 120); Luna Grande (Victor Espinoza, 120); Turbulent Descent (David Flores, 120); Big Tiz (Patrick Valenzuela, 120); Zazu (Mike Smith, 120); and Tell a Kelly (Joel Rosario, 120).

ARSON SQUAD LOOKS TO REMAIN HOT IN QUEENS COUNTY
Arson Squad will attempt to close his 7-year-old season with his eighth career stakes victory when he competes in Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Queens County Handicap at 1 3/16 miles on the Aqueduct Racetrack inner track, located in Ozone Park, N.Y.


Victorious in the Skip Away at Gulfstream Park and Alysheba at Churchill Downs in April, Arson Squad was sixth in the Stephen Foster, won by Blame, at Churchill in June and fifth as the favorite in the Majestic Light at Monmouth Park in August.


“I think the Foster a little too tough for him, and speed just doesn’t come back at Monmouth,” said owner Samantha Siegel, managing partner for Jay Em Ess Stable.


Back in New York for his most recent start, Arson Squad returned to form by closing into a blistering pace to post a 1 ½-length triumph in the Mighty Forum at Belmont Park on October 24.


“He’s been a very sound horse who goes easy on himself and enjoys racing,” said Siegel of the gelding, who has won nine races from 30 starts and has earned over $1.1 million. “With the exception of his races on synthetic tracks, he’s been very consistent. We’re going to see how he handles the inner track, and after that we’ll see where we’ll go with him. We haven’t done much planning beyond this race.”


Trained by Rick Dutrow, Jr., Arson Squad will leave from the rail under Ramon Dominguez and 123 pounds as the 8-5 morning-line favorite.


Stormy’s Majesty, trained by Dominic Galluscio, seeks his second graded stakes victory this season at Aqueduct, having taken the Discovery Handicap for 3-year-olds on the Aqueduct main track on November 20. Earlier this year, the Majesty Stud homebred won the Albany against New York-breds at Saratoga Race Course in August before finishing second in the Star of Cozzene and eighth versus older statebreds in the Empire Classic at Belmont in October.


Hall of Famer Edgar Prado will ride Stormy’s Majesty, assigned 122 pounds and made the 2-1 morning-line second choice, from post position 2.


Modern Cowboy, owned by Green Hills Farm, returns to New York for the first time since finishing a distant fourth in the Pleasant Colony at Saratoga on August 27. In the interim, the sophomore won two straight optional claimers in Kentucky, making wide rallies to prevail at Turfway Park on October 1 and at Churchill Downs on November 4.


Modern Cowboy, 5-2 on the morning line and set to carry 116 pounds, will leave from post 6 under John Velazquez.


Jill Pecoraro’s Seniors Pride, a veteran of the optional claiming and starter allowance ranks, will try to earn another stakes score after out-battling Understatement to take the Mad Hatter by a head on the Big A’s main track on Discovery Handicap day.


“He excels going around two turns, and last year he did very well here, which is his home,” said Seniors Pride’s trainer, Michael Tannuzzo.


“In his two races before the stakes, he chased some good horses,” said Tannuzzo. “In his last race we changed his tactics. We told the jockey to not chase Understatement but to go right after him. The one thing you know about this horse is that he’ll always give 100 percent.”


Seniors Pride, 8-1 on the morning line, will leave from post 4 under 119 pounds, including jockey David Cohen.


Jeff Runco, who trained Researcher to a Queens County triumph in 2008 and a runner-up effort in 2009, will be represented by Pedrolino in the 2010 renewal. Since being transferred to Runco’s barn, the Distorted Humor gelding has won three of four starts and enters Saturday’s event off easy allowance victories at Charles Town on September 30 and Parx Racing on November 6.


“We’ve added blinkers and that seems to have helped a lot,” said Runco, who trains the 4-year-old for Mrs. Rebecca Hillen. “We stepped him up in class for a tough allowance race last time, and he handled it well. We’ll see if he can step up again. It looks like the Queen’s County will be a competitive race, but if we’re going to try a stakes, we think this is the time. I think he’ll definitely handle the added distance, which is one of the main reasons why we’ve wanted to run him in this race.”


Michael Luzzi has the call aboard Pedrolino, assigned 117 pounds and tabbed at 15-1 on the morning line.


More Than a Reason, fourth in the Mad Hatter, completes the field breaking from post position 4 at 15-1 morning line with Eddie Castro in the irons.

SUNLAND PARK RECEIVES FULL ACCREDITATION BY NTRA SAFETY AND INTEGRITY ALLIANCE
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that Sunland Park in Sunland Park, N.M., has received full accreditation by the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance following a complete review of all racing operations at the facility.


Last May, Sunland Park was granted provisional accreditation by the Alliance after the New Mexico racetrack was found to be in compliance with the majority of standards set forth in the Alliance code, but in need of upgrades in the specific areas of pre-race veterinary inspections; uniform medication regulations; safety equipment and cushioned riding crops; testing for alkalinizing substances; and independent security assessment and training. Since then, all areas previously deemed deficient have been improved to either meet or exceed parameters set forth in the Alliance Code of Standards.


“Sunland Park should be commended for the sustained effort it made to satisfy the standards necessary for Alliance accreditation,” said Mike Ziegler, Executive Director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance. “Many of the areas in question were addressed very quickly, while others took longer due to necessary regulatory changes.”


“The Sunland Park model is a good illustration of the Alliance operating to its fullest effect,” said Alex Waldrop, President and CEO of the NTRA. “The Alliance’s Code of Standards was an essential agent for change during the time that Sunland Park was working diligently with the State of New Mexico to bring its racing regulations into greater uniformity with those in other states.”


Sunland Park is now the 19th racing facility to receive full accreditation, joining Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Belmont Park, Delaware Park, Hollywood Park, Monmouth Park, Arlington Park, Saratoga Race Course, Calder Race Course, Turfway Park, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Oak Tree at Santa Anita/Santa Anita Park, Fair Grounds, Aqueduct Racetrack, Golden Gate Fields, Woodbine, Pimlico and, most recently, Canterbury Park.


The Alliance, formed in October 2008 with the goal of establishing national uniform standards in the areas of safety and integrity, includes 55 racetracks in North America and every major national horsemen’s organization. Alliance certification standards cover six broad areas: injury reporting and prevention; creating a safer racing environment; aftercare and transition of retired racehorses; uniform medication, testing and penalties; safety research; and wagering security.


Along with the announcement of Sunland Park’s full accreditation approval, the NTRA has announced it has created a co-op pricing program whereby racetracks accredited by the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance would receive a credit against its following-year NTRA membership dues for any Alliance accreditation fee (less inspection expenses) paid during the current calendar year. In addition, future Alliance accreditation fees will also be tiered for both NTRA-member and non-member tracks based on a formula derived from annual purse monies offered.


“The goal here is to create an additional incentive for tracks to avail themselves of the accreditation process,” said Mike Ziegler, Executive Director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance. “Complying with the Alliance’s Code of Standards can be labor-intensive and costly for some facilities. But we feel it is an investment well worth making on behalf of the sport’s human and equine athletes, and we want to make it as economical as possible for tracks large and small to get accredited.”

SANTA ANITA REOPENS FOR TRAINING TO ALL-NATURAL DIRT SURFACE
Santa Anita Park, located in Arcadia, Calif., which had been closed to training since this past July, unveiled its all-new, natural dirt surface Monday morning as several hundred Thoroughbreds went through their early morning paces in advance of Santa Anita’s winter/spring opener on Dec. 26.


Santa Anita’s main track had been comprised of synthetic material from September of 2007 through Oct. 11, when construction began on the new surface.


“We’re very happy with how the project went and with how the horses seemed to handle the surface the past two mornings,” said Project Manager Ted Malloy. “I’m really happy with the mixture of the soil we have in place and I think the horsemen are as well.


“I think every facet of the project went according to plan and the result is we’ve got a good, kind, consistent surface that horses are going to be able to get a hold of and run well on. We’ll keep a close eye on everything and if the past two mornings are any indication, we’re in very good shape.”

Robert 'Bun' Colvin passes away

Longtime Canterbury Park Trainer and Horseman, Robert (Bun) Colvin passed away on Saturday. 

Funeral to be held at Wills Funeral Chapel,210 East Green Drive.,Mitchell, S.D. Visitation and prayer service Tues. 6 P.M. to 8 P.M.
Services will start at 1 P.M. on Wednesday with lunch following service Then Military rites at the gravesite at Alexandria, Greenhill Cemetery.Alexandria, S.D.

Condolences may be sent to 
Marlene Colvin
41611261st St.
Ethan, SD 57334

Stachys Wins Zia Park Derby

Al and Bill Ulwelling of Elk River, MN won the $150,000 Zia Park Derby with their 3-year-old Kentucky-bred thoroughbred Stachys on Saturday at Zia Park in Hobbs, New Mexico.

Stachys is trained by Mike Biehler and was ridden by Eddie Martin Jr.

As the betting favorite, he returned $4.00 for a $2.00 win wager.

The colt won the Dean Kutz Stakes at Canterbury Park this summer as well as the Manitoba Derby in Winnipeg. The Ulwellings were leading owners at the 2010 Canterbury race meet.

Read the Bloodhorse.com story here

NTRA Thoroughbred Notebook

News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by NTRA Communications.

Trainer Bob Baffert is approaching a personal milestone of 2,000 all time wins. Through racing yesterday, December 2, Baffert was at 1,999 wins. He has one scheduled start for today at Hollywood Park.

GRADED STAKES COMMITTEE UNVEILS 2011 RACE LIST
The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association today presented its listing of U.S. Graded Stakes for 2011, the results of its annual grading session conducted December 1 in Lexington, Ky.
The Committee reviewed 689 unrestricted U.S. stakes races with a purse of at least $75,000, and assigned graded status to 474 of them, 13 fewer than were graded in 2010. A total of five graded races were upgraded, including one new Grade I race and four new Grade II races; five new Grade III races were identified. Eight races which carried graded status in 2010 are no longer eligible for grading.
One race was upgraded to Grade I status for 2011: the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
One race was downgraded from Grade I to Grade II for 2011: the Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship S. at Oak Tree at Hollywood Park. The Pimlico Special at Pimlico was not eligible for grading in 2011.
Four races were upgraded to Grade II status for 2011: the With Anticipation S. at Saratoga, Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs, Breeders’ Cup Marathon and Presque Isle Downs Masters S. at Presque Isle Downs.
Five races were downgraded from Grade II to Grade III in 2011: the Lane’s End S. at Turfway Park, Coolmore Lexington S. at Keeneland, Prairie Meadows Cornhusker H. at Prairie Meadows, San Francisco Mile S. at Golden Gate Fields and Allaire DuPont Distaff H. at Pimlico. The Frank J. De Francis Memorial S. at Laurel Park and Dahlia H. at Hollywood Park were not eligible for grading in 2011.
Five races were upgraded to Grade III status for 2011: the Charles Town Classic S. at Charles Town, Tampa Bay S. at Tampa Bay Downs, Turf Monster H. at Parx Racing, JP Morgan Chase Jessamine S. at Keeneland and Marshua’s River S. at Gulfstream Park.
Ten races were downgraded from Grade III to Ungraded status for 2011: the Lone Star Derby at Lone Star Park, Tropical Park Derby at Calder Race Course, Chick Lang S. at Pimlico, Memorial Day H. at Calder Race Course, Queens County H. at Aqueduct, Robert F. Carey Memorial H. at Hawthorne Race Course, Kenny Noe Jr. H. at Calder Race Course, Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs, Santa Paula S. at Santa Anita and Stage Door Betty H. at Calder Race Course.
The Massachusetts H. at Suffolk Downs, Carleton F. Burke H. at Oak Tree at Hollywood Park, Sport Page H. at Belmont Park, Hollywood Turf Express H. at Hollywood Park and Hawthorne H. at Hollywood Park were not eligible for grading in 2011.

BC DIRT MILE WINNER DAKOTA PHONE SET FOR NATIVE DIVER AT HOLLYWOOD
Dakota Phone, who scored the biggest win of his career in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile November 6 at Churchill Downs, heads a field of seven in Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Native Diver Handicap, to be run at 1 1/8 miles at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif.
Owned by a partnership that includes John Carver, Halo Farms, George Todaro and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, Dakota Phone rallied from last in the Dirt Mile, prevailing by a head at 37-1. The win was the sixth in 32 starts for the 5-year-old gelded son of Zavata. He basically doubled his career earnings with the shocker, pushing his bankroll to $1,273,810.
If successful, he would be the first Breeders’ Cup winner to return and capture the Native Diver. Alphabet Soup won the race in 1995, some 11 months before he upset Cigar in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Woodbine.
Trainer Paddy Gallagher entered both Soul Candy and Aggie Engineer.
Owned by E Z Eight Racing Stable and Madera Thoroughbreds, Soul Candy comes off a win in the California Cup Classic at the Native Diver distance. The 4-year-old Birdonthewire gelding had raced exclusively on turf prior to that 1 ¼ length win. He’s won four of 10 and earned $205,300.
Aggie Engineer also enters with a win in his last start, scoring as the favorite in an optional claimer Oct. 22. The 5-year-old gelded son of E Dubai has won five of 15 and earned $208,280 for owner-breeders Ward and Roberta Williford.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will seek his second Native Diver win - General Challenge provided the first in 1999 - with Spurrier. Owned by Arnold Zetcher, the 5-year-old Dixieland Band horse has won five of 24, banking $256,947. A winner of three of five over the Hollywood Park main track, Spurrier has been idle since finishing fourth as part of an odds-on entry in the Ralph M. Hinds Handicap Sept. 26 at Fairplex Park.
Philatelist will try to give Humberto Ascanio a second win in a row in the Native Diver. Ascanio, who won in 2009 with Mast Track, would be the first trainer to repeat since Richard Mandella won three in succession starting in 1996.
From the rail out, the field for the Native Diver Handicap is: Philatelist (jockey: Garrett Gomez, weight: 114 pounds); Romp (Mike Smith, 114); Soul Candy (Rafael Bejarano, 117); Aggie Engineer (Joe Talamo, 116); Dakota Phone (Joel Rosario, 123); Achak (Alonso Quinonez, 114); and Spurrier (Victor Espinoza, 115).

SEVEN DISTAFFERS VIE FOR GARLAND OF ROSES

Saturday’s $65,000 Garland of Roses Handicap, the first of seven stakes scheduled for the inner track this year at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., has drawn a contentious field of seven fillies and mares headed by graded stakes winner Tar Heel Mom.
The 5-year-old mare, winner of the Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct in April, comes into the six-furlong race off a lengthy layoff since suffering a leg injury during her third-place finish in the Vagrancy at Belmont Park in May. Returned to trainer Stanley Hough in October, the daughter of Flatter has been breezing steadily over Belmont’s training track towards her return, including a trio of five-furlong works, most recently an easy 1:01.16 move on Sunday.
“The Garland of Roses is a good place to start,“ said Hough, who trains Tar Heel Mom for Alex Rankin. “She’s been doing very well. And the timing is right. Her owners would be delighted to race her next year if she does well.“
Alan Garcia retains the mount and toting high weight of 123 pounds, Tar Heel Mom drew post position 3 as the 5-2 favorite.
Another consistent performer drawing into the Garland of Roses is Henry, Joseph, and Jamie Terranova’s Meese Rocks, a New York bred who has been first, second, or third in all but two of her last 15 starts. The 5-year-old daughter of Rock and Roll has won three New York-bred stakes this year and will be making her first stakes start against open company in the Garland of Roses.
“I’m so blessed to have a horse like her – she’s a joy to be around, always tries hard, and does everything you ask her to do,“ said trainer Edward Barker. “We gave her some time off this spring, because she had run awfully hard, but since she’s been back, she seems to be coming out of each race a little better.“
Junior Alvarado rides Meese Rocks, 4-1 on the morning line, from post position 5.
Nicole H, a 3-year-old Mr. Greeley filly who began her career in California, impressed in her New York debut, drawing off to an effortless 10 ¾-length allowance win at Belmont Park on September 22. Second over a sloppy track at Monmouth in her first start on the East coast in August, Nicole H was most recently seventh as the favorite in the Dream Supreme at Churchill Downs on November 6.
Trained by Mike Hushion, Nicole H will leave from post position 2 as the 3-1 second choice. Ramon Dominguez rides.
McVictory, who was 1-2-1 in optional claimers at the Big A earlier this year, exits a solid second-place finish in the Justakiss at Delaware Park behind Spacy Tracy, next-out winner of the Grade II Top Flight Stakes at Aqueduct. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old Victory Gallop filly has been no worse than third in her last 10 starts. David Cohen rides the WinStar Farm colorbearer, 7-2 on the morning line, from post 7.
Rounding out the field are Love That Dance, Dontgetsuspicious, and Ocean Goddess.

RACING TO HISTORY

Dec. 2, 1936: Fair Grounds, New Orleans, La., licensed its first female trainer, Miss Meryl Eckhardt of Flint, Mich.

Dec. 3, 1997: Jockey Russell Baze became the 12th rider in Thoroughbred racing history to win 6,000 races when he won the fourth race at Golden Gate Fields aboard Clover Hunter.

Dec. 6, 2001: Jockey Russell Baze gained his 400th victory of the year aboard Golden Peace at Golden Gate Fields, marking the ninth time in his career he had reached the 400-win plateau in a single year. No other rider has recorded 400 victories in a year more than three times. Baze, whose best total was 448 in 1995, won 400 races for seven straight years from 1992-98. A broken bone in his back limited his victory count to 373 in 1999. Baze then bounced back with 412 victories in 2000.

Dec. 6, 2003: Legendary Daily Racing Form writer Joe Hirsch retired after 55 years of covering horse racing.

Dec. 6, 2009: Trainer Steve Asmussen established a new North American, single-season record for wins by a trainer, when Poppin won the 13th race at Woodbine. The victory by Poppin gave Asmussen his 623rd tally of the year, one more than he registered in 2008.

Dec. 7, 1957: A two-year-old colt named Silky Sullivan won the one-mile Golden Gate Futurity after making up 27 lengths, establishing a running style that became legendary. Horsemen still invoke the name of Silky Sullivan when referring to a horse that runs from far off the pace.

Dec. 8, 1989: Power to Geaux paid a record $2,922 for a $2 wager made at AK-sar-ben on the simulcast of the 11th race from Fair Grounds. The previous record for a payoff on a $2 wager was set June 17, 1912, when Wishing Ring paid $1,885.50.

Dec. 9, 1999: Jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr., tied Bill Shoemaker's all-time record by registering his 8,833rd lifetime win aboard I Be Casual in the 4th race at Hollywood Park.

Would You Support An Expansion Of Gambling In The Twin Cities?

Today's QUESTION from MPR News:

Would you support an expansion of gambling in the Twin Cities?
Tight state finances appear likely to prompt efforts to build a new casino or create other gambling options for the Twin Cities area. Today's Question: Would you support an expansion of gambling in the Twin Cities?
GO HERE to make your comment

Come on now......

I received an email invitation this morning to complete an online poll for Thoroughbred Times. It was a 'best of' poll. All was well until I came across Question 20 about best simulcast analyst. I have included the list below...... NO Kevin Gorg???? come on man. I realize we are a small time track but looking at this list, without naming names, how many would you rate as better than Gorg? I'm not talking only handicapping, but the total presentation. He is an entertainer. I may be biased, but I have tried doing that job so I have a strong inkling of what good actually is (which I am not)..... In the big picture, no one really cares but I sometimes wonder if anyone is watching in this industry...... Gorg should have at least made the list of options......... jm

20. Who is your favorite simulcast analyst?
Mike Battaglia
Jason Blewitt
Elissa Blowe
Jill Byrne
Frank Carulli
John Englehardt
Margo Flynn
Kurt Hoover
John Lies
Katie Mikolay
Ron Nicoletti
Jessica Pacheco
Jessica Paquette
Rich Ruda
Andy Serling
Brad Thomas
Terry Wallace
Maggie Wolfendale

NTRA Thoroughbred Notebook

News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by NTRA Communications.

GODOLPHIN RAMPING UP FOR CIGAR MILE DAY AT AQUEDUCT SATURDAY
Breezing for the first time following disappointing efforts in the Breeders' Cup, Girolamo and Vineyard Haven put in their final workouts in separate five-furlong drills over the Belmont Park training track Sunday as the two Godolphin Racing charges gear up for this Saturday's Grade I, $250,000 Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile Handicap, one of four graded stakes to be offered that day at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Girolamo covered the five-furlong distance in :59.67, while Vineyard Haven covered the same ground in :59.40.

Rick Mettee, assistant to Godolphin Racing's trainer Saeed bin Suroor, is hopeful both horses will have better fortune in the Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile than in the Breeders' Cup, where Girolamo was 11th in the Sprint and Vineyard Haven was sixth in the Dirt Mile.

"Girolamo got an inside draw in a big field, and I don't think he is the kind of horse who is sharp enough to stalk a 44-and-change pace," said Mettee. "I think he has 45-and-change speed. Hopefully the mile will suit him a little better.

"Vineyard Haven was drawn outside and stalked a very fast pace. It looked like for a brief second he'd be there turning for home, but then he faded a little bit. Zito's horse [Morning Line] was able to hang in there and finish second, but everybody else faltered in the last furlong. It looks like, on paper, that there isn't a tremendous amount of speed going in the Cigar Mile, and he's another one who should pull a better trip."

Multiple graded-stakes winner Bribon breezed a half-mile on Sunday morning over Belmont Park's training track in :49.06 for his anticipated start in the Cigar Mile, which will be the 37th start of his career and third in the Cigar Mile. Now seven years old, the Mark of Esteem gelding heads into Saturday's affair off a late-running victory in the Bold Ruler on October 30 at Belmont Park.

"He's an interesting horse," said Todd Pletcher, who this year took over Bribon's training for owner Derrick Smith. "He's bred to be a turf route horse, but is at his best sprinting on the dirt. He's a really cool horse to be around, with a great personality. He's got a big heart, loves the game, tries hard, and is talented to go along with it."

Bribon was second by a head in last year's Hill ‘n' Dale Cigar Mile and third in the 2008 edition.
An important race on the Cigar Mile undercard is one of the final major juvenile graded stakes remaining on the calendar, the Grade II, $200,000 Remsen Stakes. To Honor and Serve, an easy winner of the Grade II Nashua around one turn at Aqueduct on November 6, will almost certainly go off as the favorite in the Remsen, whose winner will ascend the rankings of 2011 Kentucky Derby contenders.

"We can't complain about his win in the Nashua, and we hope two turns won't be an issue in the Remsen. We have to experiment with it and see how he does," said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who conditions To Honor and Serve.

MATRIARCH KICKS OFF AUTUMN TURF FESTIVAL AT HOLLYWOOD PARK
Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms, which has won The Matriarch Stakes a record six times, will try for another such tally on Friday when the Grade I grass event for older fillies and mares is run for the 29th time at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif.

Juddmonte, which won a year ago with favored Ventura, will be represented this year by homebred Special Duty in the $250,000, one-mile race.

Trained by Criquette Head-Maarek, Special Duty is a 3-year-old set to make her U.S. debut in the Matriarch. While competing in Group I or Group II races in all but one of her nine starts, Special Duty has won four times with her most significant win coming 11 months ago in the Group I Electrolux Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket in England.

Besides Ventura, Juddmonte's other Matriarch wins have come with Wandesta (1996), Ryafan (1997), Heat Haze (2003), Intercontinental (2004) and Price Tag (2006). All except Ventura were trained by the late Bobby Frankel, who has a record eight victories in a race first run in 1981.

A South African bred, Gypsy's Warning will shorten up a bit for her second start in California. Third as the favorite in the Yellow Ribbon Stakes at 1 ¼ miles Oct. 2 during the Oak Tree/Hollywood Park meet, Gypsy's Warning will be seeking her third win in five tries at the Matriarch distance for trainer Graham Motion.

Wasted Tears, a winner of 11 out of 17 career starts, had a seven-race win streak snapped when she was fifth in the Abu Dhabi First Lady October 9 at Keeneland. She is hoping to get back on track in the Matriarch.

The complete Matriarch field, in post position order, is: Gypsy's Warning (jockey: Joel Rosario, weight: 123 lbs.); Lilly Fa Pootz (Joe Talamo, 123); Camille C (Victor Espinoza, 120); Westwood Pride (Patrick Valenzuela, 120); Go Forth North (David Flores, 120); Special Duty, (Rafael Bejarano, 120) and Wasted Tears (Rajiv Maragh, 123).

The Matriarch commences Hollywood Park's three-day Autumn Turf Festival. The Festival also includes the Grade III, $100,000 Generous Stakes and the Grade II, $250,000 Citation Handicap on Saturday, November 27. On Sunday, November 28, the Festival concludes with the Grade III, $100,000 Miesque Stakes and the Grade I, $250,000 Hollywood Derby for three-year-olds.

UNCLE MO TO DONATE $50,000 TO THOROUGHBRED RETIREMENT CHARITIES
Uncle Mo, winner of the recent Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile, is "donating" a portion of his earnings from that $2 million race to support his fellow equine athletes.

The highly-acclaimed two-year old colt, who is owned by Mike Repole and conditioned by Todd Pletcher, will donate a total of $50,000 to five Thoroughbred retirement organizations. The charities benefiting from the donations are Old Friends, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Turning For Home, Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue, and The Exceller Fund.

"There are several charities that are dedicated to the retirement of racehorses," said Uncle Mo through spokesperson Repole. "I've always been taught to respect my elders and help others less fortunate than me and am very grateful that I've been afforded the opportunity to give back to our equine friends and family."

"We cannot thank Uncle Mo and Repole Stable enough for supporting the more than 1,200 retired thoroughbred racehorses in our care," said Diana Pikulski, Executive Director of Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. "Mike Repole is one of those conscientious, outgoing, compassionate owners who always puts what is in the best interest of the horse first and foremost."

"This money will be used for continued care of more than 100 Thoroughbreds we have retired in three states," said Old Friends President and Founder Michael Blowen. "Uncle Mo's generosity is helping to assure the safe retirement of runners less fortunate than himself."
"There are so many wonderful charities throughout our industry and so many dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly for the welfare of our equine friends and I commend them all," Repole said. "It is my hope that other Breeders' Cup winners and top stakes winners follow suit and continue to donate to their favorite horse charities."

Prior to defeating a stellar field in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on November 6, Uncle Mo captured the Grade I, $300,000 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park last month. That victory was preceded by a resounding 14-length maiden win at Saratoga Race Course in August.

NINE SPRINTERS TO VIE IN FALL HIGHWEIGHT HANDICAP
Nine sprinters will be among those packing a few extra pounds on Thanksgiving Day when they go postward for tomorrow's 97th renewal of the Grade III, $100,000 Fall Highweight Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Sharing top weight for the six-furlong race is a trio of faces familiar to New York racing fans - Wall Street Wonder, Go Go Shoot, and Endless Circle, all of whom will tote 129 pounds for the traditional Thanksgiving Day feature.

Wall Street Wonder, a 4-year-old son of City Place, last visited the winner's circle in the spring, when he capped a three-race win streak over the Big A's inner track with a victory in the Toboggan. Given the summer off, he returned to action in September in the Icecapade at Monmouth Park, finishing fourth, and then was eighth after vying for the early lead in the Vosburgh at Belmont Park on October 2.

"He struggled with the heat this summer, and it took him a while to round back into form," said John Terranova, who trains Wall Street Wonder for Stetson Stables. "He's been doing well since his last race, and I can't wait to get him back over to Aqueduct. Last year it was like flipping a switch, and I hope he responds the same way."

Go Go Shoot, seventh in last year's Fall Highweight, comes into the race off a front-running optional claimer victory at Belmont Park, his first in four starts this year. Third in the West Virginia Legislature Chairman's Cup at Mountaineer and third in the Decathlon at Monmouth Park, the 5-year-old's only poor performance of 2010 came when 11th in the Smile Sprint Handicap at Calder Race Course in July.

"For whatever reason, few of the shippers did well that day," said Jonathan Thomas, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, of the Repole Stable color-bearer. "His last race was a nice effort and a reflection of the horse's true ability."

Endless Circle has fashioned a solid record as a 6-year-old, winning seven of his 12 starts including three of his last four appearances at the Big A. Trained by Rudy Rodriguez will be making his first graded stakes appearance in the Fall Highweight.

The complete field for the Fall Highweight Handicap, in post position order, is: Wildcat Frankie (jockey: Javier Castellano, weight: 126 lbs., morning line odds: 4-1); Mesa Sunrise (Ramon Dominguez, 127, 3-1); Mitigation (Alex Solis, 125, 10-1); Endless Circle (Edgar Prado, 129, 4-1); Wall Street Wonder (Channing Hill, 129, 8-1); Jack On the Rocks (Eddie Castro, 126, 10-1); Go Go Shoot (John Velazquez, 129, 7-2); Emma's Posse (Cornelio Velasquez, 126, 8-1); and Todd Got Even (Jose Lezcano, 128, 15-1).

PA on KARE 11

62-Day Race Meet Approved For Canterbury Park In 2011

Canterbury Park received approval from the Minnesota Racing Commission on Thursday, November 18 to conduct a 62-day thoroughbred and quarter horse race meet in 2011. The meet will begin Friday, May 20 and run through Monday, September 5 with Thursday and Friday post times of 7:00 p.m. and weekend and holiday post times of 1:30 p.m.


Highlights of the meet include the 18th renewal of the Minnesota Festival of Champions, a day dedicated to the best race horses bred in the state. In the planning stages is Fillies Race For Hope, a breast cancer awareness fundraising event. Dates for those events will be announced when the stakes schedule is released in January.

“We will run the same number of days in 2011 as we did this past season,” Canterbury Park President Randy Sampson said. The daily purse structure is expected to remain similar to the 2010 season when an average of $120,000 was paid to horsemen. “We remain optimistic about the future of horseracing in Minnesota and want to make sure there are opportunities for horsemen to run their horses. Keeping a 62-day meet does that,” Sampson said.

Attendance in 2010 averaged 5,859, a record since the suburban Minneapolis facility reopened in 1995. “The fans continue to support racing. I expect them to fill the stands again next summer,” Sampson said.
###

Longshot!! Lord of Misrule wins National Book Award

Novel based at racetrack is longshot winner of National Book Award for Fiction

by Rachel Syme NPR

The National Book Awards are like the Oscars of literature, without the national telecast, the security guards to watch over the Harry Winston jewels or the glowing Hollywood tans (most of the nominees bear the wan, indoors-y look of the writer's life). But, like the Academy Awards, there are fancy dresses, cummerbunds and cater waiters passing around Bellinis and caviar bites — trust us, book people can party. And, much like the Oscars, the NBAs are a particular industry's biggest night, in which a career can be made (or at least pushed heartily along) with the opening of an envelope.

This year, that career belongs to Jaimy Gordon, a mid-career novelist from Baltimore living and teaching in Kalamazoo, Mich. Her fourth novel, Lord of Misrule, won the NBA for fiction on Wednesday evening, a victory that came as a surprise to many — including Gordon herself.

read the entire story

listen to the author read an excerpt

Scott Stevens Returns To Winners' Circle With First Mount Since Injury At Canterbury

The end of one story is the beginning of another.

Canterbury Park Hall of Fame jockey Scott Stevens, seriously injured in a spill at Canterbury on the evening of July 2, returned to the saddle for the first time in yesterday’s 8th race at Turf Paradise. It took Stevens one mount to return to the winners’ circle as he guided favorite Bye Bye Ladies through traffic on the far turn in a one-mile turf claimer before pulling away to a 2 ¾ length victory for trainer Miguel Silva.

“You saw whose horse it was didn’t you?” Stevens asked. Silva trained the horse Scott rode in the spill. “It felt good riding again. I had a root canal Monday and there’s a little infection so I have a tooth that hurts but my body feels good.”

Stevens still lacks feeling in his little finger. Doctors don’t know if that will change. “Luckily it’s the pinky. I use it to hold the whip but the other three fingers hold the reins. It isn’t crucial,” Stevens said.

He is thankful for all the support he has received during the recovery period. “I had a phone full of voicemails last night.” Stevens has one mount today and will certainly pick up more as the Turf Paradise meet unfolds. His courage and determination should be admired. Stevens wants to decide when his riding career will conclude. He looks forward to his return to Shakopee in the spring.

NTRA Thoroughbred Notebook

News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by NTRA Communications.

INTEREST, WAGERING, RATINGS, ATTENDANCE ALL UP FOR BREEDERS' CUP
Riding a wave of interest powered by the story of Zenyatta and her near victory in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic, Breeders' Cup officials are reporting record levels of business results and across-the-board increases from the 2009 Championships for their two-day World Championships held this past weekend at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
Both attendance and wagering handle for the 2010 Breeders’ Cup World Championships increased by double digits over the 2009 event at Santa Anita Park, Breeders' Cup officials announced after the conclusion of Saturday’s races. The last hour of the ESPN broadcast of the Classic, from 6:15 p.m. Eastern until 7:15, garnered a 3.1 rating, up 182 percent compared to a 1.1 preliminary rating for the broadcast last year, and ratings were up in Canada and Europe as well.
"The Breeders' Cup was created to showcase performances like those we witnessed from Zenyatta, Blame, Goldikova and Uncle Mo," said Breeders' Cup President and CEO Greg Avioli. "We experienced unprecedented levels of media coverage and are looking at record levels of revenue and our highest television rating in nearly 15 years thanks in large part to the phenomenon that is Zenyatta. We are grateful that we could provide the platform to help bring the amazing stories of some of the greatest horses in the world to a global audience of racing fans."
The two-day handle on the Breeders' Cup World Championships, including separate pools in other countries and exchange wagering in the UK, was $196,354,072. The two-day total, excluding exchange wagering, was $173,339,131, an increase of 13% over the $153, 271,776 wagered in 2009. The strong interest outside the U.S. was bolstered by a record number of 172 entries in the 14 Breeders' Cup races, including European champions Goldikova (IRE), Midday (GB) and Japanese stars Espoir City (JPN) and Red Desire (JPN). While total international entries declined from a record 35 to 25, the two-day Championships attracted a record 143 horses from North America. In total, there were 163 starters in the 14 Championships races, which is also a Breeders’ Cup record.
Wagering on the 14 Championships races rose over $21 million (16%) to $157,878,232.Total attendance for the two days increased 18.5% from 96,496 in 2009 to 114,353 in 2010.
Meanwhile, the Breeders' Cup iPhone and iPad apps, launched weeks before the event, were the fourth most downloaded free sports applications in the iTunes App Store on Saturday. The apps were downloaded by users in 86 countries.

FOUR HALL OF FAME TRAINERS COLLIDE IN HOLLYWOOD TURF CUP
Trainer Bill Mott, a member of racing’s Hall of Fame since 1998, will be seeking his second win in the $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup when the Grade I event is run for the 28th time Saturday at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif.
Mott, who won with Fraise for owner Madeleine Paulson in 1993, will be represented in the 1 ½ mile race by Treat Gently, who is owned by breeder Juddmonte Farms. A 5-year-old Cape Cross mare out of the In the Wings mare Kid Gloves, Treat Gently is hoping to become the second female to win the Turf Cup. The English bred would join Miss Alleged, who prevailed in 1991 en route to an Eclipse Award as the female turf champion. Treat Gently has won two of seven in 2010, earning a pair of Grade II wins in the Sheepshead Bay May 22 at Belmont Park and the Robert G. Dick Memorial July 17 at Delaware Park. The Hollywood Turf Cup will be her first start since her fourth place against males in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Oct. 2 at Belmont Park. Her owner, Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms is aiming for a third Hollywood Turf Cup win and second in a row. Champs Elysees won as the favorite when the race was last run in 2008. Juddmonte’s other victory came with Alphabatim in 1984.
Another Hall of Fame trainer, Neil Drysdale, will be looking for his initial victory in the Turf Cup when he saddles Marlang. Drysdale was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000. A 5-year-old Langfuhr horse and the Conquistador Cielo mare Marienburg, Marlang has a win over the Hollywood Park grass at the Turf Cup distance. The Canadian bred won the Sunset Handicap July 18 for owner-breeder Gustav Schickedanz.
Ron McAnally, a member of the Hall of Fame since 1990 and a winner of this event in 1983 with John Henry, will send out Buenos Dias. An Irish bred owned by Charles Cella, the 5-year-old Peinte Celebre horse and the Rainbow Quest mare Buenos Aires has won three of 22 and has banked $265,412.
Worth Repeating will try to give trainer Richard Mandella, who has been in the Hall of Fame since 2001, his fourth Turf Cup victory. The Giant’s Causeway colt, who has yet to win a graded stakes, has two wins in 15 attempts for Spendthrift Farm LLC. The 4-year-old is out of the A.P. Indy mare Lady Nichola. Mandella’s Turf Cup successes came with The Hague (1982), Lazy Lode (1999) and Boboman (2006).
From the rail out, the complete field for the Hollywood Turf Cup is as follows: Worth Repeating (jockey: Rafael Bejarano, weight: 126 pounds); Treat Gently (Patrick Valenzuela, 123); Unusual Suspect (Corey Nakatani, 126); Buenos Dias (Brice Blanc, 126); Where’s the Remote (Mike Smith, 126); Marlang (Joel Rosario, 126); Temple City (Joe Talamo, 126) and Big Shot Syd (David Flores, 126).

TVG POSTS RECORD BREEDERS’ CUP WAGERING
TVG processed $7,814,169 in wagers on Saturday, November 6, the second day of the 2010 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs. The figure represented a 28 percent increase over the corresponding 2009 second-day figure of $6,110,995. Saturday also was the second highest day of wagering in the company’s history behind Kentucky Derby Day 2010.
For the two days of the Breeders’ Cup, the TV network and advance deposit wagering company processed $12,383,722 for the two days of the Breeders’’ Cup World Championships, a 25 percent increase over 2009’s two-day total of $9,875,316.
“The total wagering is evidence of the high levels of interest in Zenyatta and this year’s Breeders’ Cup and the enthusiastic response of our customers to the full competitive fields in these races,” said Stephen Burn, president of Betfair TVG.

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR SATURDAY’S FREE “TVG ONLINE CHALLENGE”
Signups are being accepted for the “TVG Online Challenge,” a free, online handicapping tournament that will take place this Saturday, November 13. The top three finishers will receive a guaranteed berth in the $1.1 million (estimated) Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC) on January 28-29, 2011 in Las Vegas. The three winners will also receive roundtrip air travel and hotel accommodations at the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, site of the NHC. Prospective competitors do not need to be TVG account holders in order to register.
The TVG Online Challenge requires contestants to place hypothetical $2 win and place wagers on 10 designated contest races on Saturday. The 10 contest races will be chosen by tournament officials on Thursday, November 11, and are scheduled to be selected from the November 13 cards at Monmouth Park, Woodbine, Hawthorne and Hollywood Park (contest tracks subject to change). Free DRF past performances for the Challenge races will be available at the contest site. All selections must be made no later than one minute prior to the scheduled post time of each mandatory race. The three players amassing the highest number of points based on the Players' earnings (i.e. the highest final bankroll) from all $2 win and place wagers at the end of the Challenge will be declared the "Grand Prize Winners" and receive berths in the NHC in January in Las Vegas.
To register for this Saturday’s TVG Online Challenge, or to learn more about it, visit http://games.ntra.com/.
For more information about the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship, visit www.ntra.com. For questions about this weekend’s tournament, contact Michele Ravencraft at (859) 422-2657.

HANSAN WINS BREEDERS’ CUP TWO-DAY BETTING HANDICAPPING CHALLENGE
Robert Hansan, a 46-year-old entrepreneur from Reston, Va., made the winning moves in capturing the second annual Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge last Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Hansan collected $137,000 for first place prize money, along with another $44,863 in winnings from his live betting bankroll -– for a total of $181,863.
Hansan defeated a field of 95 of the country’s best horseplayers in the Betting Challenge that was conducted over the two days of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. James Henry of Torrance, Calif., finished second with $78,000 in prize money and cash winnings. Dennis Decauwer of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., finished third and collected over $48,000 in winnings.
“It was quite thrilling to be part of this, and I’m ecstatic about winning the event, which has become the most prestigious live-money tournament in the country,” said Hansan. “It’s wonderful to be able to take in the atmosphere surrounding the Breeders’ Cup and witness the Championships in person.”
Hansan went “all-in” on the Classic when he bet his entire remaining bankroll of $7,236 to win on Blame. That bet paid $44,863 in cash and earned him another $135,000 as a first place prize.
The second annual Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge required a $10,000 buy-in, of which $7,500 was each player’s betting bankroll for the two days. Players could bet Win, Place, Show, Exacta and Trifecta bets on any of the 21 races at Churchill Downs during the World Championships. Hansan turned his initial $7,500 bankroll into $44,863 in winning the title. Henry finished with $30,010 and Decauwer at $24,893. All players keep their cash winnings from the event.
A total of $267,000 in prize money was awarded to the top ten finishers. The 95 players in 2010 was a sizable increase from last year’s inaugural event at Santa Anita, which featured 75 players and $225,000 in prize money.
In addition to the prize money at stake, six players also qualified for the $1.1 million (estimated) Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship to be held January 29-30, 2011, at Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas.
Twenty-one of the 95 participants won their $10,000 entry fee from online qualifying events, including second place finisher James Henry who won his seat in a $100 qualifier at bcqualify.com. “After winning a seat for $100, this became the ultimate free roll for me and it turned out to be a tremendously successful weekend,” Henry stated.

NTRA Thoroughbred Notebook

News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by NTRA Communications.

ZENYATTA, GOLDIKOVA TOP HISTORIC BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Continuing her incredible quest for a 20th consecutive victory in Saturday’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, the undefeated Zenyatta has been installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite for the race to be run at 1 ¼ miles on the dirt at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Under regular jockey Mike Smith, Zenyatta will break from post 8 in the field of 12.

A total of 14 Breeders’ Cup races will be run on Friday and Saturday, with aggregate purses of $26 million. Six events will take place on Friday, topped by the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic. Eight will be run on Sunday, including the $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile, the $3 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf, and the $5 million Classic. ESPN2 will televise Friday’s proceedings live from 4:00-8:00 p.m. (ET), while ABC provide live coverage of Saturday’s races from 1:30-3:30 p.m. (ET) before passing the baton to ESPN for live coverage from 3:30-7:00 p.m. (ET). The portion of the telecast featuring Zenyatta’s race in the Classic (6:15 -7:00 p.m. ET) will be presented by ESPN without commercial interruption.

In perhaps the most dramatic moment in Breeders’ Cup history, Zenyatta came from last to first to win the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic, becoming the first female to capture the race, and the first horse to win two different Breeders’ Cup races. (In 2008, she was the winner of the Ladies’ Classic.) Brought out of a brief retirement by her owners Jerry and Ann Moss, Zenyatta returned as a 6-year-old mare this year and has won all five of her starts to increase her unbeaten streak to 19 consecutive races. Tiznow, in 2000 and 2001, is the only horse to win back-to-back Classics.

“This is a great celebration,” said Zenyatta’s trainer, John Shirreffs. “She’s the love of our lives. She’s the fantasy. She’s everything we ever could have wanted, and to share her with everybody is just incredible. I don’t know how to describe the feeling when you bring her over for a race, you can feel the anticipation and energy.”

If Zenyatta is to repeat and stretch her record to 20-0 on Saturday, she will have to do it against one of the strongest Classic fields ever assembled. Among her opponents are Blame, winner of the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs and the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga; the Bob Baffert-trained Lookin at Lucky, the nation’s top 3-year-old, who won the Preakness Stakes, the Haskell Invitational and the Indiana Derby; and the 4-year-old Quality Road, who has registered sparkling victories in the Donn Handicap, the Metropolitan Handicap and the Woodward Stakes.

Zenyatta is not the only superstar shooting for an unprecedented third consecutive Breeders’ Cup win Saturday. Alain and Gerard Wertheimer’s 5-year-old Goldikova is seeking her third consecutive victory in the $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile on turf, leading the charge of overseas participants in this year’s Breeders’ Cup. Goldikova, trained by Freddie Head, has won four of five starts this year, three of them over males in the Prix d’Ispahan at Longchamp, the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, and most recently, the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp.

Another Saturday highlight is the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf, a mile-and-a-half grass race that is scheduled to feature recent Arc de Triomphe winner Workforce (GB). No horse has ever won the Arc, Europe’s premier grass race, and the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Five previous Arc winners have tried, but to no avail.

On Friday, for the first time, the Breeders’ Cup will finish under the lights, and the focus will be on the female races, headlined by the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at 1 1/8 miles. Leading the field is the fast closing 3-year-old filly Blind Luck, who has won five races this year, including the Kentucky Oaks, the Delaware Oaks and the Alabama Stakes for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

NTRA Thoroughbred Notebook

Breeders' Cup Advance is now available and on sale at Canterbury and all outlets. This BC preview contains past performances for all pre-entered horses for both days of BC.

News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by NTRA Communications.

ZENYATTA, GOLDIKOVA TOP BREEDERS’ CUP PRE-ENTRIES
Continuing her quest for perfection in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, the undefeated Zenyatta leads the list of a record 184 horses pre-entered, 26 from overseas, for the 2010 Breeders’ Cup World Championships Nov. 5-6, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. A total of 14 Cup races will be run over the two days, with aggregate purses of $26 million.
In perhaps the most dramatic moment in Breeders’ Cup history, Zenyatta came from last to first to win the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic, becoming the first female to capture the race, and the first horse to win two different Breeders’ Cup races. (In 2008, she was the winner of the Ladies’ Classic.) Brought out of a brief retirement by her owners Jerry and Ann Moss, Zenyatta returned as a 6-year-old mare this year and has won all five of her starts to increase her unbeaten streak to 19 consecutive races. Under the care of trainer John Shirreffs, Zenyatta captured the Santa Margarita at Santa Anita, the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park, the Vanity at Hollywood Park, the Clement Hirsch at Del Mar and most recently the Lady’s Secret by a half-length at the Oak Tree meeting at Hollywood Park. Tiznow, in 2000 and 2001, is the only horse to win back-to-back Classics.
If Zenyatta is to repeat on Nov. 6, she will have to do it against one of the strongest Classic fields ever assembled. Among the 16 horses pre-entered for the 1 ¼ mile race is Blame, winner of the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs and the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga, before finishing second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup; the Bob Baffert-trained Lookin at Lucky, the nation’s top 3-year-old, who won the Preakness Stakes, the Haskell Invitational and the Indiana Derby; the 4-year-old Quality Road, who had to be scratched at the gate prior to last year’s Classic, but returned this year with sparkling victories in the Donn Handicap, the Metropolitan Handicap and the Woodward Stakes, and the versatile 5-year-old Gio Ponti, who finished second to Zenyatta in last year’s Classic and was both champion older male and champion turf horse of 2009. Trained by Christophe Clement, Gio Ponti has two grade I stakes victories on turf this year in the Man O’ War at Belmont and the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland.
Zenyatta is not the only superstar shooting for an unprecedented third consecutive Breeders’ Cup win on Nov. 6. Alain and Gerard Wertheimer’s 5-year-old Goldikova is seeking her third consecutive $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile on turf, leading the charge of overseas participants in this year’s Breeders’ Cup. In 2009, European horses won six Breeders’ Cup races. Goldikova, trained by Freddie Head, has won four of five starts this year, three of them over males in the Prix d’Ispahan at Longchamp, the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, and most recently, the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp. Challenging Goldikova will be Juddmonte Farms’ 5-year-old mare Proviso, who has won her last four starts on the turf this year for trainer Bill Mott, including the Frank Kilroe Mile over males at Santa Anita Park; Woodbine Mile winner Court Vision, who was fourth in last year’s TVG Mile and Paco Boy, a formidable rival to Goldikova this year, having lost the Prix de la Foret to her by just a half-length. Gio Ponti is also pre-entered in the Mile as a second preference.
The Breeders’ Cup will be televised live on ABC/ESPN and in more than 130 foreign countries.

ZENYATTA GALLOPS INTO “60 MINUTES”, “SPORTS ILLUSTRATED”
Undefeated supermare Zenyatta will be the subject of a segment during this week’s edition of the popular CBS news magazine show “60 Minutes”. Airtime is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. The correspondent for the segment will be 26-time Emmy award winning journalist, Bob Simon, who spent much of the past week at Zenyatta’s barn at Hollywood Park.
Zenyatta is also the subject of a feature in the current, November 1 edition of Sports Illustrated.
Meanwhile, Zenyatta’s trainer, John Shirreffs, has been receiving good luck wishes from fans around the world, including one item that particularly caught his eye.
“It was a campaign medallion from a medic back from Afghanistan,” said Shirreffs. “He said a lot of the soldiers in his unit are Zenyatta fans and will be rooting for her.”

RANDY MOSS TO HOST COMPREHENSIVE BREEDERS’ CUP PREVIEW ON NTRA.COM WEBCAST SATURDAY
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s (NTRA) Website, NTRA.com, will present a special edition of its NTRA Live! Webcast series this Saturday, October 30 at 12:00 noon (ET) when ESPN/ABC analyst and NFL Network host Randy Moss hosts an in-depth preview of all 14 Breeders’ Cup World Championships races to be run at Churchill Downs on November 5-6.
Saturday’s Webcast, which will not conclude until all 14 races are fully covered, will include video analysis of key prep races, an interview with Goldikova’s trainer Freddie Head from his barn in France, and Moss’s top five picks for each race. Moss will be joined on the Webcast by NTRA.com’s Eric Wing, who will discuss each race with Moss and relay questions to him from a concurrent live Web chat on NTRA.com.
“We feel that Randy Moss is one of horse racing’s most insightful and respected observers, and that this Webcast will provide fans with the type of comprehensive analysis unavailable in other media due to time or space constraints,” said Keith Chamblin, Senior Vice President of the NTRA. “Fans have responded very positively this year to our many NTRA Live! Webcasts of important Breeders’ Cup preps, and Saturday’s interactive preview show will get them well prepared for the exciting action on November 5th and 6th.”
The NTRA Live! Webcasts are sponsored by Breeders’ Cup and Daily Racing Form. The series’ Executive Producer is Tim Turrell, who has produced numerous telecasts on horse racing and other sports for ESPN, The Golf Channel and others. Access to the Webcast is free.

Riders On The Mend

It has been 111 days since jockeys Scott Stevens, Paul Nolan and Don Proctor were injured in a multi-horse spill at Canterbury. Proctor returned to riding in August while Nolan and Stevens are still on the sidelines.

Nolan, a Bloomington resident, is undergoing additional therapy but intends to be back riding in the near future and here when our meet opens next May.

Stevens returned to Arizona in August. He too has been undergoing therapy. “There have been a few setbacks,” Stevens said. “I still don’t have any feeling in the little finger on my right hand. My chest is still numb.” Stevens broke several ribs and his sternum as well as puncturing both lungs in the July 2 accident. The Canterbury Hall of Famer is upbeat however. “My goal still is (to be back) the first of November.” Even if that goal is not attained he is certain to be in the saddle again at Canterbury. “I may try to get on a horse tomorrow to see what it feels like.”

Tad Leggett, four-time leading quarter horse rider at Canterbury, was also injured this summer while riding at Fair Meadows-Tulsa. Leggett suffered a cervical spine injury. He has been in a Colorado rehab center since July but will be released in five days. More information is available at Tad’s CaringBridge page at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tadleggett

NTRA Thoroughbred Notebook

News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by NTRA Communications.

GRADE I WINNER NEGLIGEE TO RUN IN INTRIGUING LEXUS RAVEN RUN
Sovereign Stable’s Negligee, who won Keeneland’s Grade I Darley Alcibiades in 2009 and earned the Sovereign Award last year as Canada’s champion 2-year-old filly, will return to the scene of her greatest triumph Saturday in the 12th running of the Grade II, $250,000 Lexus Raven Run, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.
Trained by John Terranova, Negligee has made her three most recent starts on turf, and is still seeking her first win of the year. Her recent dry spell accounts for her being no lower than 6-1 in the morning line.
The tepid 4-1 morning line favorite in the wide open field of 14 is the Ken McPeek-trained Beautician, who was second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, but only has a Saratoga allowance win to show for her eight starts in 2010.
An intriguing longshot in the Lexus Raven Run field is My Irish Girl who, after losing her debut, has reeled off seven straight sprint victories, including a win against older females in the Claiming Crown Glass Slipper at Canterbury Park in July. The 10-1 morning line proposition, who was offered twice in her career for a $15,000 claiming tag, has made her last five starts in five different states – Arkansas, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and New Jersey – and Saturday’s race in Kentucky would add a sixth state to the streak.

EMPIRE CLASSIC HIGHLIGHTS NEW YORK SHOWCASE DAY AT BELMONT PARK
Eleven accomplished thoroughbreds will vie for the title of “Best of New York” Saturday afternoon when they assemble for the 35th running of the $200,000 Empire Classic, the centerpiece of New York Showcase Day at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
In addition to the Empire Classic, New York Showcase day will feature six other stakes races for New York-breds worth nearly $1 million.
With victories in two of the last four runnings, trainer Dominic Galluscio and Majesty Stud have enjoyed considerable success in the Classic, and they’re hoping that tradition will continue with Stormy’s Majesty, as one of four 3-year-olds in the 1 1/8-mile Empire Classic.
The homebred son of Stormy Atlantic is undefeated in four starts against fellow state-breds, including his neck victory over Classic rival and fellow sophomore Ibboyee in the 1 1/8-mile Albany at Saratoga Race Course in August, his first stakes win.
“One of the breeders passed away in April, so it’s very emotional when we run him,” said Galluscio of Stormy’s Majesty, who in open company finished eighth in the Jim Dandy and second in the Star of Cozzene. “He’s very sharp right now, and we are looking forward to the race.”
The consistent Ibboyee, a multiple stakes winner who has been no worse than third in his last eight starts, enjoyed a brief freshening after the Albany, his first start at the Classic distance.
“He’s done well at a mile and an eighth, and we’re happy with the way he’s training right now,” said trainer Todd Pletcher of Ibboyee, who will run as part of an Anstu Stable entry with the 5-year-old gelding Manteca, beaten favorite in the Salute Me Sir in September. “Manteca’s last race was very disappointing. He found himself on the lead when another horse stumbled, and that probably isn’t his best running style. We’re hoping he’ll settle off the pace a little.”
Also running as an entry will be two of owner Chester and Mary Broman’s top sophomores – Mine Over Matter, who beat older horses in the Salute Me Sir, and Friend Or Foe, most recently sixth after an eventful trip in the Travers.
Winner of his first three starts, including a victory over his elders in an allowance and the Mike Lee, Friend Or Foe stepped up into open company at Saratoga, finishing a credible fourth in the Jim Dandy. In the Travers, the son of Friends Lake was carried five-wide on the first turn and emerged from the race with a cut on his left foreleg that later became infected, forcing him to miss some training.
“It definitely knocked him off schedule,” said Friend Or Foe’s trainer, John Kimmel. “He came back, and he’s worked really well. I think he’s back to where he was at the beginning of the summer.”
The Empire Classic also drew a number of familiar faces, including Classic veterans Ruffino, second last year to Haynesfield, and Naughty New Yorker, winless in four editions, as well as multiple stakes winners Giant Moon, Icabad Crane, and Wishful Tomcat, who will be making their Classic debuts.

HOLLYWOOD PARK FANS TO SIGN GIANT “GOOD LUCK, ZENYATTA!” BANNER
Hollywood Park, in conjunction with Oak Tree Racing Association, Breeders’ Cup, Ltd., and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), announced today that a seven-feet-tall, 40-feet-wide “Good Luck, Zenyatta!” banner will be on display at the Inglewood, Calif., racetrack for fans to sign beginning this Saturday. The banner will then be shipped to Louisville, Ky., in advance of the undefeated Zenyatta’s attempt for a 20th career victory in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 6 at Churchill Downs. Zenyatta’s jockey, Mike Smith, will be the first to sign the banner.
"We think this is an innovative way for fans to show their support of Zenyatta as she goes for a second consecutive win in the Breeders' Cup Classic,” said Sherwood Chillingworth, Director and Executive Vice President of Oak Tree Racing Association. “We encourage everyone to come to Hollywood Park to sign the banner for this outstanding mare who has brought us all so much excitement.''
“Zenyatta’s unforgettable career has thrilled racing fans on every continent,” said Alex Waldrop, President and CEO of the NTRA. “But California is her home, and this banner will give Zenyatta’s hometown fans the opportunity to personally wish her the best of luck as she continues her incredible quest for perfection.”

POST-BREEDERS’ CUP CELEBRATION AT OLD FRIENDS
Old Friends and its 21 retired Breeders' Cup stars invite fans to join them for a special celebration of 2010's new Breeders’ Cup champions on Sunday, November, 7 at 1:00 p.m. at Dream Chase Farm in Georgetown, Ky. Expected guests include Triple Crown winning jockey Jean Cruguet, three-time Kentucky Derby winning rider Calvin Borel, and Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux.
The event will feature live and silent auctions of select stallion halters, fine artwork, collectibles, and racing memorabilia. Big-ticket items include a portrait of Horse of Year and Old Friends retiree Black Tie Affair by painter Elaine Winter. Another highlight of the event will be a live demonstration on the making of Raku/horse hair pottery (weather permitting) by the artists of Pottery Rowe in Louisville.
Old Friends is home to 21 Breeders’ Cup starters, including Awad (Turf, 1995), Marquetry (Breeders’ Cup, 1991), Eclipse champion Sunshine Forever (Turf, 1988), and Gulch, who captured the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in 1988.
"So many of our retirees contributed to the success of the Breeders' Cup, and with the 2010 running at Churchill Downs, it seemed like a great time to celebrate their accomplishments," said Old Friends president and founder Michael Blowen.
Tickets to the Old Friends Breeders' Cup Celebration are $25, with Old Friends members, shareholders and students with IDs admitted for $15. Reservations can be made by calling 502-863-1775.

JIMMY JOHN’S TO SPONSOR HRRN’S BREEDERS’ CUP COUNTDOWN SHOWS
The Horse Racing Radio Network (HRRN) has reached an agreement with Jimmy John’s of Lexington, Ky., to sponsor HRRN’s four Breeders’ Cup Countdown shows during Breeders’ Cup week.
HRRN’s coverage of all 14 Breeders’ Cup races will be hosted live from Churchill Downs on Friday from 4:00-8:00 p.m. (ET) and on Saturday from 1:00-7:00 p.m. (ET). The four Breeders’ Cup Countdown shows begin Tuesday morning November 2 from 8:00-10:00 a.m., and will feature interviews with owners, trainers, jockeys, handicappers and more. The shows will originate live from the Churchill backside.
The HRRN broadcasts can be heard on various affiliates throughout the country, and worldwide with live streaming on the HRRN website, www.horseracingradio.net, as well as www.breederscup.com. A complete Breeders’ Cup week schedule, along with broadcast times and station listings, can also be found on the HRRN site.

NTRA Thoroughbred Notebook

News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by NTRA Communications.

WOODBINE HOSTS CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL, E.P. TAYLOR AND NEARCTIC STAKES SATURDAY
Nine top grass horses from North America and Europe have been entered to contest the 73rd running of the Grade I Pattison Canadian International, a $2 million event for 3-year-olds and up at a distance of 1 1/2 miles on the turf this Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack in Rexdale, Ontario, Canada.
In addition to the Pattison, Canada’s richest horse race, two other turf stakes will highlight the undercard – the Grade I, $1 million E.P. Taylor at one mile and one-quarter for fillies and mares, and the six furlong, $500,000 Grade I Nearctic Stakes, for three-year-olds and upward.
All three events are Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” races. The winners of each race earn berths into their respective Breeders’ Cup contests which will be run Nov. 5-6 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The winner of the Pattison Canadian International gains entry to the $3 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 6.
Marsh Side, the 2008 winner of the Canadian International with earnings of $2,360,458, will try to get back on the winning track after finishing eighth in Woodbine’s Northern Dancer Stakes, a 1 ½-miles turf race on Sept. 19. An international star trained by Neil Drysdale, the seven-year-old has raced in the U.S., Japan and the United Arab Emirates and enters the International with a 1-for-5 record for 2010. His one victory came in the 1 1/4 mile Sky Classic at Woodbine over a soft course.
Redwood, the 2-1 morning line favorite, is a four-year-old British-bred son of two-time Breeders’ Cup Turf winner High Chaparral who will be making his second appearance in Canada. His first appearance was a winning one when he captured the Grade I Northern Dancer by a half-length. Trained by Barry Hills and ridden by his son Michael Hills, Redwood has won four times in 10 career starts when taking the Northern Dancer.
“He’s still lightly-raced. He’s got plenty of talent and a good turn of foot,” said Michael Hills.
Fifty Proof will attempt to be the first Canadian-bred to take the International since Thornfield achieved the feat in 1999. Sent off at 29-1, in the Northern Dancer, the son of Whiskey Wisdom finished a game second, yielding the lead late a half-length back to eventual winner Redwood.
“We were hoping he would run a creditable race, perhaps get a piece,” said Fifty Proof’s trainer Ian Black. “His breeding doesn’t really suggest he’ll get a mile and a half, but he had come into the race in great shape. We didn’t win, but we were absolutely thrilled.”
Justin Stein has the call and will break from post position 9.
The complete field for the Pattison Canadian International from the rail out is: Memorial Maniac (jockey: James Graham, morning line odds: 20-1); Chinchon (Garrett Gomez, 7-2); Mores Wells (Sebastien Maillot, 12-1); Simmard (Javier Castellano, 15-1); Al Khali (Alan Garcia, 6-1); Marsh Side (Edgar Prado, 4-1); Joshua Tree (Colm O’Donoghue, 8-1); Redwood (Michael Hills, 2-1); and Fifty Proof (Justin Stein, 10-1). All horses will carry 126 pounds.
The E.P. Taylor Stakes has drawn a field of 10, headed by Europeans Shalanaya, Contredanse and defending champion Lahaleeb, and locally-based Miss Keller. The winner of the E.P. Taylor will earn an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Nov. 5. The Nearctic Stakes has attracted 12 hopefuls, including 2008 Canadian Horse of the Year Fatal Bullet, defending Nearctic champion Field Commission and multiple stakes winner Grand Adventure. The winner of the Nearctic earns a berth in the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
ESPN2 will provide live coverage of all three stakes events from Woodbine from 4:00–6:00 p.m. (ET). The telecast will also include taped highlights of Saturday’s Group I Emirates Champion Stakes from Newmarket, England.

EVENING JEWEL TOPS FIELD OF EIGHT FOR SATURDAY’S QUEEN ELIZABETH II CHALLENGE CUP AT KEENELAND
Evening Jewel headlines a stellar field of eight 3-year-old fillies entered for Saturday’s 27th running of the Grade I, $400,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup to be run at 1 1/8 miles on the turf course at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.
Trained by Jim Cassidy, Evening Jewel is undefeated in three starts since moving to the turf after a nose defeat to Blind Luck in the Kentucky Oaks on April 30. The victories have all been in stakes, with her most recent triumph coming in the Grade I Del Mar Oaks on August 21.
Cassidy will be seeking his second QE II victory, having taken the 2004 running with Ticker Tape. Victor Espinoza, who has been aboard for Evening Jewel’s three grass wins, has the call. Evening Jewel, the 5-2 morning line favorite, will break from post position 3.
Two other Grade I winners are in the field: Check the Label and Harmonious.
Check the Label, trained by Graham Motion, who won this race in 2003 with Film Maker, has won her past four starts in a streak that began in the Grade III Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland this spring. In her most recent start, Check the Label won the Grade I Garden City Stakes at Belmont Park on September 18. Ramon Dominguez has the call on Check the Label, who will break from post position 4.
Trained by John Shirreffs, Harmonious won the Grade I American Oaks at Hollywood Park in July before running second to Evening Jewel in the Del Mar Oaks in her most recent start. Joel Rosario will ride Harmonious, who will break from post position 6.

BREEDERS’ CUP LAUNCHES ZENYATTA MICROSITE
The Breeders’ Cup this week announced the launch of www.Zenyatta2010.com, a Zenyatta-focused website built in advance of the 27th Breeders’ Cup World Championships to be held Nov. 5-6 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. In the weekend’s featured event, the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, Zenyatta will attempt to become the first American Thoroughbred to ever go 20-0 when she takes on the boys as the Classic’s defending champion.
The site, which will be cross-sharing content with Zenyatta’s official website www.Zenyatta.com, will serve as an information resource on all things Zenyatta as it relates to the Breeders’ Cup. Features of the site include: daily updates from Zenyatta’s barn, including video and images exclusive to the site; bio and pedigree information; Photos, video and interesting facts about Zenyatta; bios and information on “Team Zenyatta,” including owners Jerry and Ann Moss, jockey Mike Smith, and trainer John Shirreffs; and streams from Zenyatta’s Facebook and Twitter (@2010Zenyatta) feeds.
“She is the star of the show,” said Peter Rotondo, Vice President of Media and Entertainment for the Breeders’ Cup. We wanted to create an environment where people could interactively engage and share in the Zenyatta phenomenon and where we could help educate a broader audience that may be new to Zenyatta, working with her team to provide some behind-the-scenes access.”

BREEDERS’ CUP LAUNCHES FREE iPHONE APP
The Breeders’ Cup, in conjunction with iPhone App developer Rock Software, announced this week that it has launched the Official Breeders’ Cup iPhone App in advance of the 2010 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs on November 5-6. The Official Breeders’ Cup app will allow iPhone users to watch all 14 Breeders’ Cup World Championship races live and for free on November 5-6, as the world’s top Thoroughbreds compete for $26 million in purses. The Breeders’ Cup also plans to release an iPad App, including all the same features, in advance of the World Championships.
Prior to November 5, the App will include stories and news leading up to the Breeders’ Cup; biographical and statistical information about the 14 Breeders’ Cup races, powered by Equibase; a guide to the simulcast site closest to the user’s location; a wagering guide; weather and seating information; and video of every Breeders’ Cup race ever run (1984-2009).
“Now horse racing fans will be able to watch the Breeders’ Cup World Championships wherever they are and have instant access to valuable information regarding all 14 Breeders’ Cup World Championships races,” said Peter Rotondo, Vice President of Broadcasting and Entertainment.

KID EDWARD, SEVEN OTHERS SET FOR $150,000 OAK TREE DERBY SATURDAY
Kid Edward will try to help trainer Jim Cassidy achieve a first in the Grade III, $150,000 Oak Tree Derby at 1 1/8 miles on the turf for 3-year-olds Saturday at the Oak Tree at Hollywood Park meeting in Inglewood, Calif.
No trainer has ever won the race – which had its first running in 1969 and was called the Volante Handicap prior to 1997 - two times in a row. Cassidy can accomplish the feat in the 41st running after winning with The Usual Q.T. in 2009.
Kid Edward, a son of Singspiel, has won two of five – all on grass – and earned $99,360. In two previous appearances in Grade II events, the Irish bred was second behind Sidney’s Candy’s record setting performance in the La Jolla Handicap on Aug. 14 at Del Mar, and then was fifth in a controversial Del Mar Derby won by Twirling Candy.
David Flores, who won the Oak Tree Derby two years ago aboard Muny, retains the mount on Kid Edward.
A three-time winner on the turf in his native France, Blue Pans will make his United States debut Saturday for owner G. Normand Augustin and trainer Fabrice Chappel. Blue Panis has earned $174,666 in 14 starts. The Derby will be his initial try beyond a mile.
The only two members of the field coming off a win are Haimish Hy and Sebastian Flyte.
Trained by Art Sherman, Haimish Hy is two-for-two on grass, but his last win came over the Polytrack at Del Mar. Dismissed at 31-1 in the El Cajon Stakes on Sept. 3, Haimish Hy prevailed by a neck. Overall, the son of Ecton Park has won four of eight, banking $134,980.
An English bred son of Observatory, Sebastian Flyte won at 2-1 in his first start in this country on Sept. 4 at Del Mar. Trained by Ben Cecil, Sebastian Flyte has won two of nine and earned $86,003.
Make Music for Me will make his first appearance since finishing 10th in the Belmont Stakes on June 5. Trained by Alexis Barba, the Bernstein colt won his only other race on turf, capturing the Pasadena Stakes as a maiden on March 6 at Santa Anita. The one length victory over Macias remains Make Music for Me’s lone win in 10 starts, but he has hit the board on three occasions in graded stakes. He has earned $362,260.
Jairzinho will be seeking to end a 14-race losing streak. His victory came against five opponents at Leicester in his native England on June 25, 2009. Jairzinho’s nine most recent defeats have occurred since coming to California early in 2010.
Completing the field is Royal F J. A Royal Academy gelding, Royal F J has won once in 12 starts, earning $137,760 for La Canada Stables LLC and trainer Jack Carava.
He was third in the Del Mar Derby on Sept. 5 in his graded stakes debut. He has been second or third in 10 of his 11 defeats.
From the inside out, the field for the Oak Tree Derby is: Haimish Hy, (Alonso Quinonez rides, 120 pounds); Sebastian Flyte (Martin Garcia, 118); Kid Edward (David Flores, 118); Jairzinho (Patrick Valenzuela, 118); Fantastic Pick (Corey Nakatani, 118); Blue Panis, (Joe Talamo, 118); Royal F J (Rafael Bejarano, 118); and Make Music For Me (Brice Blanc, 118).

MARY’S FOLLIES RETURNS IN BELMONT’S ATHENIA STAKES
Mary’s Follies, off for the past 11 months, will return to the races Saturday in the Grade III, $100,000 Athenia Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the turf at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
Purchased by Paul Pompa, Jr. and transferred to the barn of Rick Dutrow, Jr. off a victory in the 2009 Boiling Springs at Monmouth Park, Mary’s Follies finished second in an off-the-turf running of the Lake George at Saratoga and sixth on the dirt in the Fitz Dixon Cotillion at Philadelphia Park in her first two starts for her new connections. Back on grass for the Mrs. Revere at Churchill Downs in November, the bay daughter of More Than Ready kicked away to a 1 ½-length victory before being sent to the sidelines.
Mary’s Follies has been working steadily since mid-August in preparation for her comeback start.
“I never was targeting this race,” said Dutrow. “I thought she was ready and I looked in the condition book and saw this race, and it seemed like a good spot. She’s been ready for a while.”
Mary’s Follies, the 9-2 third choice on the morning line, will be ridden by Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux from post position 2.
Julien H. Richmond-Watson’s Tottie rallied from last of four to take an optional claimer on June 17 in her first and so far only start at Belmont. In the interim the British import was third in the Matchmaker at Monmouth on August 1 before returning to prevail by a neck in the Omnibus at that venue on August 21.
“We’re very happy with her so far,” said trainer Chad Brown. “She’s won four of six starts here and has adjusted well.”
Brown said he was originally considering the Scoot Stakes at Belmont on October 20 for Tottie, but made a late decision to enter her in the Athenia instead.
“At the last second I decided to send her because she was training so well,” said Brown.
In the Athenia, Tottie will be cutting back from 1 3/8 miles, but Brown is confident Tottie is just as formidable at 1 1/16 miles. Tabbed as the 7-2 second choice on the morning line, Tottie will leave from post 5 with Jose Lezcano aboard.
Strike the Bell seeks her second stakes victory of the fall championship meet, having won the Noble Damsel on September 19. Earlier in the year, the 4-year-old was second by a head in the Miss Liberty at Monmouth on July 4 and sixth in the Ballston Spa Handicap at Saratoga on August 28.
“She’s doing well and obviously she runs well here,” said David Donk, who trains Strike the Bell for Rising Star Stables. “The mile and a sixteenth here is still a semi one-turn race and some pace would obviously help. She’ll run on any kind of course and she’s done well out of her last race.”
Alex Solis has the call aboard Strike the Bell, the 3-1 morning-line favorite, from post 11.
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is hopeful that Eye of Taurus will take to Belmont’s inner turf course as she enters Saturday’s race off four starts at Monmouth, including a victory in the Revidere on September 11 most recently.
“She had some troubled trips before she won the stakes last time,” said McLaughlin. “It should be better here with the wider turns.”
Eddie Castro retains the mount aboard Eye of Taurus, 6-1 on the morning Rline and leaving from post 7.
Giant Mover, Miss Catalyst, Darjeeling, Trix in the City, Missit, Exquisite, Way With Words and McVictory round out the field, though McVictory will only take part if the Athenia is moved off the turf and onto the main track.

USPRECH, DAVIS, FOUR OTHERS THE LATEST TO QUALIFY FOR NHC
Sheldon Usprech of Thornwall, Ontario, Canada, and Charlie Davis of Seattle, Wash., bested their respective fields of NHC Tour members in last weekend’s free NHC Tour online handicapping tournaments. Usprech and Davis will now receive guaranteed berths in the $1.1 million (estimated) Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC) on January 28-29, 2011 in Las Vegas, where the grand prize will be $500,000.
Usprech, a veteran NHC Tour member, who competed in the NHC in 2007, amassed a winning total of $127.10 in the October 9 contest that required competitors to make mythical $2.00 win and place wagers on 10 mandatory races that took place at Belmont Park, Keeneland, Monmouth Park and Woodbine. Davis, an NHC Tour rookie who will be making his first appearance in the NHC Finals, racked up a total of $105.50.
Last weekend’s tournament was split into two divisions based on whether contestants were Level 1 NHC Tour members or Level 2 members, with three contestants from each division qualifying for the NHC. Joining Usprech as NHC qualifiers from the 608-person Level 1 division were Bradley Cressy ($126.60) of Fountain Hills, Ariz., and Lance Williams ($119.50) of Bellevue, Wash. Both Cressy and Williams are first-year NHC Tour members, who will be making their initial appearances at the NHC in January.
Qualifying from the 120-contestant Level 2 competition in addition to Davis were Dave Picarello of Baltimore, Md., and Tommy Massis of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Picarello and Massis are also NHC Tour rookies who will be competing in their first NHC next January. All six of this weekend’s qualifiers will receive roundtrip air travel and hotel accommodations at the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, site of the NHC.
The October 9 tournament was the last of five free events this year restricted to NHC Tour members. The annual registration fee for the NHC Tour is $100 for Level 1 members who compete solely for NHC berths, and $500 for Level 2 members, who also compete during the year for at least $75,000 in additional prize money. NHC Tour scoring is based on a contestant’s five best scores at qualifying tournaments held around the country or online. At the end of the year, the highest scoring NHC Tour member can also win a $2 million bonus if he or she wins the NHC finals in Las Vegas.