Friday, March 15, 2024
Service has returned . . .

    OLDSMAR - The tote shutdown following Saturday’s 10th race at Tampa Bay Downs, the Grade III Florida Oaks, occurred because of a communications outage between AmTote International and Roberts Communication Network (RCN), according to officials with both companies.

    AmTote, which is owned by 1/ST Racing, is a technology and services provider to numerous tracks, while RCN provides the communication link between AmTote and the racetracks.

    1/ST Racing president Aidan Butler said that while AmTote remained operative late Saturday afternoon, both the primary and secondary links to the affected tracks went down. The crash led to wagering disruptions at numerous tracks and guest locations (simulcast facilities) through AmTote’s mid-Atlantic hub, which includes Tampa Bay Downs.

    Service was returned to normal Sunday. An investigation is ongoing.

    The outage led to a half-hour delay before the 11th race, the Grade III Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, and resulted in it being declared a non-wagering race. The scheduled 12th and final race, an allowance for fillies and mares, was cancelled by Tampa Bay Downs track management due to approaching darkness.

    “The loss of our tote system resulted from circumstances entirely out of our control,” said Peter Berube, the Oldsmar oval’s Vice President & General Manager. “During the delay, we remained hopeful that service could be restored, and the horses for the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby were taken to the paddock to prepare to go on the racetrack.

    “As the delay grew in length, the skies turned overcast, leading to concerns about running the 12th race in near-darkness. For the safety of those horses and jockeys, we knew the only prudent decision was to cancel the race.”

    Berube said the conditions surrounding the delay of the track’s showcase race and the subsequent race cancellation were unprecedented in his experience.

    “Customer satisfaction and trust are at the foundation of our business, and anything that erodes that needs to be addressed,” Berube said. “We knew Saturday that most of our patrons were totally unaware of the circumstances that led to our decisions – they wanted to know why they couldn’t cash their tickets from the 10th and why they couldn’t bet on the last two races.

    “The situation was surreal, to say the least, and for it to happen on our biggest racing day of the meet was nightmarish. Fortunately, we had a fair and exciting running of the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, producing a deserving winner in Domestic Product.”

    Many bettors have questioned why winning tickets purchased earlier Saturday on the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby could not be cashed by establishing pools based on monies already wagered, rather than having their wagers refunded. Berube replied that despite the early wagering that went on, the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby did not have anywhere near a full set of mutuel pools and wagers. Further, patrons could not wager on the race after the Florida Oaks had been run, nor could they cancel wagers made earlier.

    “Basically, the integrity of those pools would have been nonexistent,” he said.

    With hundreds of sites not being able to transmit wagers, calculate and receive updated odds information or stop betting, the decision to issue refunds on those wagers already made was deemed fairest for all involved.

     “When the shutdown took place, the pools for the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby became compromised,” Berube said. “We sympathize with those bettors who would have won, but it’s conceivable the payoffs based on much-reduced pools could have caused bad feelings, also.”

    He added that the decision to pay off on multi-race wagers, such as Pick 3s, Pick 4s and Daily Doubles, by stipulating “ALL” winners of the 11th and 12th races was made in accordance with Florida parimutuel statutes, which are similar to nationwide standard rules whereby “no contest” or “no race” designations dictate awarding “ALL” runners as the “winners” for such legs.

    Berube said he hopes transparency in dealing with the questions posed by Saturday’s incredible events will placate the majority of patrons who may have left Tampa Bay Downs with a sour taste in their mouths. Even though the track was not responsible for the tote shutdown, he will continue to push officials to determine the cause.

    “For us as a racetrack, the timing could not have been any worse,” he said. “But we want our customers to know we value their business and their input, and we plan to work even harder to satisfy them moving forward.

Thursday, March 14, 2024
Consigned by Hartley/DeRenzo . . .

Hip No. 533, a son of Not This Time consigned by Hartley / DeRenzo Thoroughbreds, Agent was sold to Pro Racing Stable LLC, Agent, for $1.5-million to top the second session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 2024 March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training. The bay colt, who breezed an Under Tack eighth in :9 4/5, is a half brother to stakes placed Pammy’s Ready out of Pammy Whammy, by War Front, from the family of stakes winner My Mogul.

    Hip No. 494, a son of Flatter consigned by Sequel Bloodstock, Agent, went to Marquee Bloodstock for $1.3-million. The dark bay or brown colt, who breezed an eighth in :9 4/5, is out of Napier, by OBS champion graduate Midnight Lute, a half sister to grade one stakes winner Obligatory.

    Hip No. 304, a daughter of Nyquist consigned by Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent, who turned in an Under Tack eighth in :9 4/5, went to Justin Casse, Agent, for $750,000. The chestnut filly is out of High Heeled Girl, by Malibu Moon, a daughter of grade one stakes placed stakes winner High Heeled Hope.

    Joey Platts paid $750,000 for Hip No. 529, a son of Tiz the Law also consigned by Hartley / DeRenzo Thoroughbreds. The bay colt, whose eighth in :9 3/5 was the day’s co-fastest, is out of graded stakes placed Our Majesty, by OBS graduate Majesticperfection, a half sister to stakes winner Overvalued.

    Hip No. 445, a son of champion OBS graduate Mitole consigned Eddie Woods, Agent, went to Speedway Stables, LLC for $725,000. The dark bay or brown colt, who worked an eighth in :9 4/5, is a half brother to graded stakes wining OBS graduate Midnight Stroll out of Midnight Magic, by champion OBS graduate Midnight Lute.  

    Hip 526, a son of Gun Runner consigned by Niall Brennan Stables, Agent, was sold to Spendthrift Farm LLC & Frank Fletcher Racing for $725,000. The dark bay or brown colt, who breezed an eighth in :10 flat, is a half brother to graded stakes winner Sister OToole out of O’Toole, by Distorted Humor.

    Hip No. 539, a son of Justify consigned by Pick View LLC, Agent, went to Donato Lanni, Agent for Zedan Racing for $700,000. The bay colt, whose quarter in :20 2/5 was the day’s co-fastest, is out of graded stakes placed stakes winner Pauseforthecause, by Giant’s Causeway, a daughter of graded stakes placed stakes winner Sprightly.

    Hip No. 421, a son of graded stakes winning OBS graduate Shancelot, consigned by Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent, was purchased by Bill Childs for $650,000. The dark bay or brown colt, whose eighth in :9 4/5 was the session’s co-fastest, is out of Magnolias in Bloom, by Flatter, a half sister to stakes winner Quinoa Tifah.

     Mitsu Nakauchida went to $600,000 for Hip No. 378, a son of Tapit consigned by S G V Thoroughbreds LLC (Steven Venosa), Agent. The chestnut colt, who breezed an eighth in :10 flat, is out of L’ Age d’Or, by Medaglia d’Oro, a daughter of grade one stakes winner Mona de Momma, dam of grade one stakes winner Vekoma.

    Jet Horse LLC, Peter Miller, Agent, went to $600,000 for Hip No. 499, a daughter of Twirling Candy consigned by Eddie Woods, Agent. The bay filly, who breezed an eighth in :10 flat, is a half sister to Thanks Mr. Eidson out of Nest Egg, by Eskendereya.

    Hip No. 482, a daughter of Twirling Candy also consigned by Wavertree, was purchased for $575,000 by Saints or Sinners LLC. The bay filly, who breezed an eighth in :9 4/5, is out of My Day, by Uncle Mo, from the family of graded stakes winner Declaration of War.

    Hip No. 348, a son of Twirling Candy consigned by Eddie Woods, Agent, was sold for $550,000 to Case Clay Thoroughbred Management. The bay colt, who worked an Under Tack eighth in :10 flat, is out of Jotown, by Speightstown, a daughter of graded stakes winner Jojo Warrior.

    Hip No. 370, a daughter of American Pharoah who breezed an Under Tack eighth in :10 flat, was sold to Resolute Bloodstock for $525,000. The bay filly is a half sister to graded stakes winner Bellavais out of graded stakes winner La Cloche, by Ghostzapper.

    Hip No. 554, a son of Laoban, who worked an eighth in :9 4/5, was purchased by  Arthur Hoyeau, Agent, for $525,000 . The bay colt, consigned by Top Line Sales LLC, Agent , is out of Princess Aspen, by Birdstone, a half sister to grade ones stakes winner Zazu.

    Boardshorts Stables, LLC, paid $510,000 for Hip No. 386, a daughter of Candy Ride (ARG) who worked an eighth in :10 1/5. Consigned by de Meric Sales, Agent, the dark bay or brown filly is a half sister to graded stakes winner Three Witches, recent winner of the Santa Monica Stakes (G2), out of Layreebelle, by Tale of the Cat.

    Hip No. 453, Racing Withthemoon, a daughter of Munnings consigned by Tom McCrocklin, Agent for Peter J. Mirabelli, was sold to Resolute Bloodstock for $500,000. The dark bay or brown filly, whose quarter in :20 2/5 was the session’s co-fastest at the distance, is out of Miss Majestic, by Majestic Warrior, a daughter of graded stakes winner Cassidy.

    Hip No. 325, a son of Improbable consigned by Majestic, Agent, went to James Divito, Agent for $475,000. The bay colt, who breezed an Under Tack eighth in a co-fastest :9 4/5, is out of stakes placed Inaugurate, by Empire Maker, from the family of graded stakes winner Top Rung.

    Hip No. 290, a daughter of City of Light consigned by Top Line Sales LLC, Agent, was sold to Patricia’s Hope LLC for $435,000. The bay filly, whose Under Tack eighth in :9 4/5 was the session’s co-fastest, is out of Hassler (IRE), by War Front, a daughter of grade one stakes winning millionaire OBS graduate Turbulent Descent.

Thursday, March 14, 2024
Colt is consigned by Tom McCrocklin . . .

    Hip No. 173, a son of Tapit consigned by Tom McCrocklin, Agent for the Complete Dispersal for Lothenbach Stables, Inc., went to West Point Thoroughbreds /D J Stable /C J, LEB Agent, for $1,200,000 to top the first session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 2024 March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training. The gray or roan colt, who galloped at the Under Tack Show, is a half-brother to graded stakes-winner She Can’t Sing out of Distorted Music, by Distorted Humor.

    Katsumi Yoshida went to $850,000 for Hip No. 183, consigned by Hartley / DeRenzo Thoroughbreds, Agent, a son of Not This Time who breezed an Under Tack eighth in :10 flat. The dark bay or brown colt is out of Dos Vinos, by Twirling Candy, a half-sister to stakes-winner China Grove. 

    Hip No. 89, a son of McKinzie consigned by Wavertree Stables (Ciaran Dunne), Agent, was sold to Bill Childs for $750,000. The bay colt, whose Under Tack eighth in :9 4/5 was the session’s co-fastest at the distance, is a half-brother to graded stakes-placed stakes-winner Merveilleux out of Breech Inlet, by Holy Bull.

    Hip No. 106, a son of Uncle Mo consigned by Pick View, Agent, was purchased for $750,00 by B S W / Crow Colts Group & Spendthrift Farm. The bay colt, who breezed an Under Tack eighth in :10 2/5 is out of Canteen, by Candy Ride (ARG), from the family of graded stakes-placed stakes-winner Lady Melisi.

    Woodford Thoroughbreds went to $700,000 for Hip No. 26, a daughter of Munnings consigned by Niall Brennan Stables, Agent. The bay filly, whose eighth in :9 4/5 was the day’s co-fastest, is a half-sister to Gr. I stakes-winner Denman’s Call, out of Ansaam by Bernardini.

    Hip No. 202, a son of OBS graduate Into Mischief consigned by Old South Farm, Agent, was sold to Muir Hut Stables for $700,000. The bay colt, who turned in an Under Tack eighth in :10 flat, is out of graded stakes-winner Electric Forest, by Curlin, a daughter of graded stakes-winner Forest Music.

    Hip No. 267, a son of Curlin consigned by Pick View, Agent, went to On The Run Racing for $500,000. The bay colt, who turned in an Under Tack quarter in :21 2/5, is a half-brother to Gr. I stakes-winning OBS March graduate My Conquestadory out of stakes-placed Golden Artemis, by Malibu Moon.

    Hip No. 17 a son of McKinzie consigned by Kings Equine, Agent, was sold for $450,000 to Jones / Everett, for Belmar Racing, RA Hill & Gargan Racing. The dark bay or brown colt, who turned in a co-fastest Under Tack eighth in :9 4/5, is out of stakes-winner Altamura, by Artie Schiller, from the family of graded stakes-winner Private Creed.

    C H P Racing paid $450,000 for Hip No. 222, a daughter of Practical Joke consigned by Niall Brennan Stables, Agent. The bay filly, who breezed an Under Tack eighth in :10 1/5, is out of Fierce Scarlett, by Scat Daddy, a half-sister to graded stakes-placed stakes-winner Thank U Philippe.

    Hip No. 30, a daughter of Bernardini consigned by Top Line Sales, Agent, who breezed an Under Tack eighth in :10 flat, was sold to Simon Callaghan, Agent, for $400,000. The bay filly is out of Arbanne, by Midshipman, from the family of Gr. I stakes-winner Condo Commando.

    Hip No. 45, a son of Nyquist consigned by de Meric Sales, Agent, was purchased for $380,000 by Bradley Thoroughbreds for Rodeo Creek Racing. The chestnut colt, who breezed an Under Tack eighth in :10 1/5, is out of Bashful, by Orb, a half- sister to graded stakes-placed stakes-winner Left a Message.

    Hip No. 14, a son of Omaha Beach consigned by de Meric Sales, Agent, was sold to Case Clay Thoroughbred Management for $350,000, The bay colt, who worked an eighth in :10 flat at the Under Tack Show, is out of All Dressed Up, by Super Saver, a daughter of stakes-winner Dress the Part.

    Whitehorse Stables went to $350,000 for Hip No. 191, a son of Global Campaign consigned by Eddie Woods, Agent. The dark bay or brown colt, who breezed an Under Tack eighth in :10 1/5, is a half-brother to stakes-winner The Absolute One out of Driving Rain, by Storm Cat.

    For the session, 153 horses sold for $20,844,000, compared with 149 horses grossing $21,110,500 at last year’s first session. The average price was $136,235, compared with $141,681 a year ago, while the median price was $72,000 compared with $70,000 last year. The buyback percentage was 26.4 %; it was 22.8% in 2023.

 

 

Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Meeting will have fewer race days per week . . .

    HALLANDALE BEACH - The overnight purses during Gulfstream Park’s upcoming Spring/Summer Meet will receive significant increases from top to bottom over a season ago. Come April, upon the conclusion of the 2023-2024 Championship Meet, purses will be boosted in all categories from open handicaps to $6,250 claiming races with conditions.

    Gulfstream will race four days a week in April, May and June and three days from July through November. There will be turf racing throughout the spring and summer.


    The new and historic workers compensation plan will offer significant savings. The workers compensation program provides all state coverage with the exception of New York, California, Ohio, North Dakota, Washington and Wyoming.


    “We expect the increase in purses, the new workers compensation program, and year-round turf racing will continue to strengthen Gulfstream’s overall program,” said Bill Badgett, Executive Director of Florida Racing Operations for Gulfstream Park.  

“With the increased purses, grass racing and our workers compensation program, Gulfstream is now the summer place to be,” said FTHA President Joe Orseno. “We are able to offer better purses and we hope this will encourage trainers and owners to keep horses at Gulfstream Park through the non-championship meet. A big thank you to 1/ST management and the FTHA purse committee for negotiating this competitive purse structure.”

     Open handicaps, which were contested for $60,000 last season, will offer purses worth $74,000. The purse for a $6,250 claiming race with conditions will be increased from $17,000 to $20,000.

    Open allowance races will offer purses $10,000 higher than 2023 levels, ranging from $61,000 to $63,000. Entry-level allowance races for Florida-breds will see a $5,000 increase from $43,000 to $48,000.

    Starter allowance purses will be increased from3,000 to $9,000, ranging from $25,000 to $49,000. Maiden special weight races will also be increased by $10,000 to $60,000. Maiden special weight races for Florida-breds will see increases from $40,000 to $48,000. A maiden race for $12,500 claiming horses will get a boost of $6,000 to $25,000. The purse for a $50,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds will be increased by $9,000 to $44,000. 

Saturday, March 9, 2024
Pletcher has won Derby 6 times . . .
    OLDSMAR - Thoroughbred trainers Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown will seek to extend their dominance of two of the premier stakes races on the Tampa Bay Downs calendar today.

    Pletcher is gunning for his seventh victory in the Gr. III, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby for 3-year-olds with Heartened, who broke his maiden here in his fourth career start on the Sam F. Davis Stakes undercard on Feb. 10. Heartened’s 94 speed figure for the mile-and-40-yard distance matched the number earned later that day in the mile-and-a-sixteenth Sam F. Davis by winner No More Time, the 7-5 morning-line favorite. 

    The Tampa Bay Derby is the 11th race on a 12-race Festival Day 44 program beginning at 11:55 a.m. Admission is $15, and each patron receives a “Mystery Mutuel Voucher” worth between $5-$1,000.

    Pletcher’s previous winners in the mile-and-a-sixteenth Oldsmar showcase include Limehouse (2004), Verrazano (2013), Carpe Diem (2015), Destin (2016), Tapwrit (2017) and Tapit Trice (2023). No other trainer has won the race more than twice.

    Heartened will break from the No. 1 post in the 10-horse field under jockey Jose Ortiz, who rode him in last month’s victory.

    While Pletcher’s record in the Tampa Bay Derby is staggering, Brown’s preeminence in the Gr. II, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes for fillies and mares 4-years-old-and-upward is otherworldly. He has sent out the winner in six of the last 12 runnings of the mile-and-an-eighth turf event: Zagora (2012), Stephanie’s Kitten (2015), Fourstar Crook (2018), Rymska (2019), Bleecker Street (2022) and Shantisara (2023).

    Pletcher, with four victories, is the only other trainer to win the Hillsborough more than twice, most recently in 2013 with Old Tune.

    Today, Brown will send out two horses in the eight-horse field: Fluffy Socks and Marketsegmentation, who will break from the Nos. 1 and 2 posts under brothers Irad Ortiz, Jr., and Jose Ortiz, respectively. Marketsegmentation is the 5-2 morning-line favorite, followed by Fluffy Socks at 3-1. The Hillsborough is the ninth race.

    Pletcher does not have a horse in the Hillsborough. His only other stakes entrant on the card is Dynamic One, a 6-year-old who will compete in the Gr. III, $100,000 Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes, scheduled as the sixth race.

    Brown, by contrast, trains seven of today’s 46 stakes entrants. In addition to Fluffy Socks and Marketsegmentation, he has two horses in the Tampa Bay Derby, two in the Gr. III, $200,000 Florida Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf and one in the $75,000, 1-mile Columbia Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf.

    Brown has had only three previous starters in the Tampa Bay Derby, with none finishing better than sixth. Both of his horses in this year’s race – Good Money, who will break from the No. 4 post under Irad Ortiz Jr., and Domestic Product, who will start from the No. 5 post under Tyler Gaffalione – appear to be heading in the right direction with even bigger 3-year-old races on the near horizon.

     Good Money broke his maiden here on Jan. 26 going 7 furlongs in his lone career start. Domestic Product, who is the 8-5 second choice on the morning line, is the more highly regarded of the Brown runners, having finished a solid second with blinkers off in the Gr. III, mile-and-a-sixteenth Holy Bull Stakes on Feb. 3 at Gulfstream Park to unbeaten Hades.

    Domestic Product broke his maiden as a 2-year-old on Oct. 27 at the Belmont At Aqueduct meet going a mile-and-an-eighth.

    Brown has two horses in the Florida Oaks, a race he has won three times – with Dolce Zel in 2022, Domain Expertise in 2021 and Testa Rossi in 2014. Brown is tied with Bill Mott and Neil J. Howard for the most winners in race history.

    Brown’s Weigh the Risks will break from the No. 10 post in a 12-horse field under Irad Ortiz, directly inside 7-2 morning-line favorite Dynamic Pricing and Jose Ortiz.

    Weigh the Risks will make her first start since breaking her maiden on Sept. 3 at Saratoga in a mile-and-a-sixteenth turf race, also with Irad aboard. Dynamic Pricing is also 1-for-2 and finished third on Feb. 3 in the Gr. III Sweetest Chant Stakes at Gulfstream, a neck behind runner-up Style Points, another Florida Oaks contender trained by Christophe Clement.

    Brown’s remaining stakes entry on the card (he has four others entered) is Move to Gold, a stakes-winner who will be ridden by Irad in the Columbia. Move to Gold is the 5-2 morning-line favorite.