Racing

Laurel closes down again while Virginia Korrell rides a race in Ireland

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January 9, 2022

By Staff Writers

LAUREL, Md.--Laurel racetrack had to close down its track yet again after an unusually long period of freezing weather.

While there is no racing at Laurel, young steeplechase jockey Virginia Korrell will ride in a bumper race at Fairyhouse in Ireland on Sunday, Jan. 9.

A bumper race is a flat race for steeplechase horses ridden by steeplechase jockeys.

Korrell, who had been riding out for trainer Leslie Young and rode in a few races for Young over the summer, went to Ireland to ride out for trainer Andrew Slattery to gain experience.

Riding Plains Indian for Slattery, Korrell  is listed on the morning line as third favorite at 6 to 1 along with three others,

But at Laurel, the track has been closed to training and racing since Jan. 2, and the earliest training may begin again is Jan. 12, with racing hopefully scheduled for Jan. 14.

Meanwhile, horses have to just jog around in the barns, and it is feared some of the trainers with smaller barns may not survive the loss of income.

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NYRA's Best of 2021, Keri Brion

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January 1, 2022

By SARA CAVANAGH

Steeplechase owners, trainers and officials are always worried that steeplechase racing at Saratoga and Belmont will become a thing of the past due to light entries, races not filling and falls that disturb the fans and upset the betters.

The Mean Queen in the Winners Circle of the Jonathan Sheppard , Keri Brion on the right (Photo courtesy of NYRA)So it is remarkable, and hopefully a good omen, that the first personality chosen by the  New York Racing Association for her reflections on a memorable year was a steeplechase trainer - Keri Brion.

Because it is such a hopeful sign that NYRA considered this its most interesting story, perhaps racing will live to compete another day at Saratoga and Belmont, and therefore the entire interview is posted here.

Best of 2021: Keri Brion

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Just two live race days remain in 2021 to complete a remarkable year of racing action on the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit. The NYRA Press Office checked in with a selection of New York-based racing personalities to get their reflections on the memorable year.

Though steeplechase trainer Keri Brion is based in Virginia when in the U.S. and is currently scouting new racing prospects in Ireland, the 30-year-old conditioner enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2021, sweeping all three of NYRA’s Grade 1 jump races and winning all but one of America’s Grade 1 steeplechase events.

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Rodney Jenkins saddled Cordmaker to win the Manfuso Stakes and the overall MATCH series championship

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December 28, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

LAUREL, Md.--Cordmaker, trained by Rodney Jenkins, won the $100,000, 1 1/16 mile Robert T. Manfuso Stakes at Laurel on Dec. 26 in a commanding fashion to win both his division of the MATCH series and the overall championship.

Cordmaker winning the Manfuso Stakes (Photo by James McCue)It was a remarkably appropriate win, as he was bred by Manfuso and his partner Katherine M. Voss, having been born in Maryland in 2016.

Robert Tyree “Bob” Manfuso, 82, who helped revitalize Maryland thoroughbred racing and who was a past co-owner of the Pimlico and Laurel Park racecourses, died in March of 2020 at his West Friendship home in Howard County.

"I bought Cordmaker as a yearling for Mrs. Charles," said Jenkins. Ellen Charles owns Hillwood Stables, under which name Cordmaker runs.

"My son Patrick broke him," said Jenkins. "Patrick breaks yearlings int Montpelier in Virginia. He was too laid back as a 2-year-old. He wasn't concerned with racing. We let him take his time, and as a 3-year-old he started to get it together, Now that he's an older horse, he's really come around."

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Rodney Jenkins will saddle Cordmaker in the Manfuso Stakes, which will decide the final division of the MATCH series

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December 24, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

LAUREL, Md.--Rodney Jenkins, a top grand prix jumper rider who turned to training, has one of the two in contention for the top spot in the Robert T. Manfuso Stakes at Laurel racetrack on Dec. 26, which will determine the winner of the 3YO and Up Long—Dirt.

Cordmaker The overall 2021 Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships (MATCH) Series title will hinge on the performances of a pair of Maryland-bred runners at Laurel Park, which will host the final round of four $100,000 divisional stakes.

Though the winners of three of the four divisions already have been determined, the top spot is up for grabs.

Hillwood Stable’s Cordmaker currently leads the overall standings with 36 points, followed by Hello Beautiful—owned by Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables and Magic City Stables—with 27 points.

Cordmaker, a 6-year-old Curlin gelding trained by Rodney Jenkins, has started in all five legs of the 3-Year-Olds and Up Long—Dirt division and has two victories, one at Colonial Downs and the other at Laurel, where he has won eight times in his career.

A sixth series start in the 1 1/8-mile Robert T. Manfuso Stakes will earn him another 3 bonus points to go along with points earned by finish position.

The maximum number of points Cordmaker can end the series with is 49, with a minimum of 40.

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New York Aims to Become a Global Leader in The Horse Racing Industry

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December 18, 2021

By Staff Writers

ALBANY, N.Y.--Last week, New York State lawmakers gathered for a public hearing to discuss the horse racing industry and which measures could be approached to evolve the sector into new heights.

At the hearing, testimonials highlighted a continued success and rapid recovery in 2021 after the pandemic-halted 2020, now looking towards the future benefits from online sports betting.

The chamber’s Racing and Wagering Committee chairman, J. Gary Pretlow, was the assemblyman.

He began the meeting in agreement with a recently presented bill that will ban the slaughter of racehorses in New York starting in 2022.

“That was something that really gave us in the racing industry a bad name, and that’s one thing that’s gone away,” Pretlow said.

The Pretlow sponsored bill received support from prominent industry representatives, including the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association.

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Santa Anita Park News, Odds, and Picks: The Final Horse Racing Showcase of 2021

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December 18, 2021

By Staff Writers

ARCADIA, Calif.--Another year of American horse racing has nearly concluded.

However, there's still time to enjoy your favorite thoroughbreds and place some high reward wagers as the Santa Anita 85th Winter/Spring opening is fast approaching.

On Dec. 26, fans will be treated to a blockbuster opening day card.

Three Grade 1 stakes, the $300,000 La Brea Stakes, the $300,000 Runhappy Malibu, the $300,000 American Oaks, as well as the Grade 2 $200,000 San Antonio, the Grade 2 $200,000 Mathis Mile and the Grade 2 $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes, will showcase what is guaranteed to be an unmissable day.

Early Santa Anita Open Day Bets and Forecast Odds.

 Although a complete set of odds and competing horses isn't yet complete, we possess a list of confirmed horses and their potential odds for three races at Santa Anita's Winter/Spring opener. Sports bettors looking to place early wagers can utilize a sports handicapping forum to remain updated with the latest tips and picks.

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Who Won The Pegasus World Cup This Year?

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December 16, 2021

By Staff Writers

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.--The 2021 Pegasus World Cup Invitation Stakes continued to be the premier horse racing event, requiring equine athletes to compete free of any medications. It was held at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, last Jan. 23.

If you’ve missed this year’s event, worry not.

Outlined below are the 2021 Pegasus World Cup entries and results.

Contenders

Only 12 runners were allowed in the field.

These racehorses are some of the most celebrated names in the industry. Take a close look at the 2021 contenders.

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Laurel Park will remain closed for racing

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December 9, 2021

By Staff Writers

LAUREL, Md.--The Maryland Jockey Club has announced that Laurel Park will remain closed for racing as work continues to complete renovation to the track.

Live racing at Laurel Park was suspended on December 3rd.

Racing was suspended because seven Laurel Park horses died since Nov. 6, and eight horses in total have had to have been put down during the fall racing season after sustaining fractures while racing or training over the newly installed main dirt track there.

The most recent death occurred in Laurel's eighth race Nov. 28, and training was curtailed in the three days since then.

A portion of the surface has been dug up in mid-stretch to allow an influx of track maintenance consultants to try and discover if there is an underlying problem that needs to be addressed.

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McLane Hendriks saddles his first winner, Stakes winner Witty, Motion and Houghton also have winners

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December 9, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

BENSALEM, Pa.--McLane Hendriks just got his trainer's license one month ago, but he wasted no time in saddling his first winner.

Witty winnint eh Nursery Stakes (Photo by Equi-photo)Not only did he have a first winner in such a short time, his first win was in the $200,000 Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes with his mother, Elizabeth M. Merryman's Witty.

"It was very exciting," said Hendriks, who comes by his talent naturally as both his mother, Liz Merryman, and father, Ricky Hendriks, are both very successful trainers. "I've had my trainer's license for a little over a month. Before that, I had a steeplechase trainer's license."

Witty, steadied in tight early in the 10 horse field, angled out on the turn and drew away under moderate urging to win the 7 furlong Nursery Stakes by 5 1/2 lengths.

"Mom bred Witty," said Hendriks. He's a half-brother to Caravel. Mom still has the mare, Zeezee Zoomzoom. I started as assistant trainer to Mom, and then I took the reins on Witty from her at the beginning of September."

Caravel was a multiple stakes winner for Merryman before she sold a majority interest in the filly to Bobby Flay.

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Jenkins and Motion have stakes wins, Houghton, Fisher and Dickinson have winners

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November 29, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

LAUREL, Md.--Rodney Jenkins saddled Hillwood Stable LLC's Cordmaker to win his third stakes this year and sixth stakes overall.

Cordmaker winning the Richard W Small Stakes (Photo by James McCue)Graham Motion also had a stakes winner in Head of the Plains Partners' homebred Sy Dog.

Cordmaker won the $100,000, 1 1/8 mile Richard W. Small Stakes at Laurel on Nov. 27.

Cordmaker, a 6-year-old gelding, settled near the pace, swung four wide entering the stretch, took control in mid stretch and was geared down to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

Cordmaker now has 11 wins, four seconds and seven thirds from 33 starts and $734,640 in earnings.

"He's a nice horse," said Jenkins. "He's easy to get along with and easy to train. I think there's another MATCH race coming up, so we may run him back in the MATCH series."

"Winter's coming, so we're gearing down," said Jenkins. "We have 17 in the barn now."

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Bernie Houghton has four winners while Graham Motion, Ricky Hendriks and Michael Matz also have winners

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November 20, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

GRANTVILLE, Pa.--Bernie Houghton recently had two allowance winners plus a 2-year-old Maiden Special Weight winner while Graham Motion, Ricky Hendriks and Michael Matz also saddled winners.

Bernie HoughtonHoughton had two winners at Penn National on Nov, 19, one in an allowance race and one in a claiming race.

Midnight Hauler, bred by his mother Betsy Houghton and owned by her Sylmar Fsrm, won a $28,000, 1 mile Allowance race by 1 3/4 lengths.

"He's a really nice horse," said Houghton. "I really like him. Last time out, he stumbled coming out of the gate and finished third. This time he had a good trip, and he won like I thought he would. I had confidence in him. There are a couple more allowance races I could run him in this year and then maybe turn him out for the winter. I think he'd like the grass, too."

The same evening, Richard Bosshard's Sinise won a $18,800, 1 1/16 mile Claiming race for fillies and mares.

"He's a long time owner of mine," said Houghton. "That filly has been running at Presque Isle, and she's running on dirt now and seems to like it."

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Jack Fisher and Graham Watters win Leading Trainer and Rider titles

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November 16, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

HOLLYWOOD, S.C.--Jack Fisher and Graham Watters had both been tied for the lead in their respective divisions going into the final race meet, but Fisher saddled two winners, both ridden by Watters, at the Steeplechase At Charleston on Nov. 14 to propel them both into the lead for the win.

Jack Fisher Fisher won the Leading Trainer, Races Won, with 17 wins to Leslie Young's 15 wins, with Keri Brion third with 13 wins, and Watters won Leading Rider, Races Won with 21 wins to Tom Garner's 19 wins with Skylar McKenna third with 12 wins..

Young had had the lead going into the final four race meets, three on the weekend of Nov. 6 and 6 and one on Nov. 14..

Young had said repeatedly that winning that title would be a huge honor and that she had a lot of horses in her barn and would race them all in order to secure the win.

And she was as good as her word, entering at least one, if not two, horses in every one races in the final four meets.

But to win, she raced all those horses, some of which had had almost no experience over jumps, with only one or two schools under their belts.

Her strategy didn't work, as she didn't win a single race in the final four meets, although luckily none of them were apparently hurt over fences.

Fisher sent out just a few horses, but they were ones that were capable of winning, so he continued his long history of winning at least one, if not both, of the trainer titles.

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Goodoldtimes wins the Pa. Hunt Cup over a field of five top timber horses

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November 11, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

UNIONVILLE, Pa.--Goodoltimes (Ire) won the $35,000, 4 mile Pennsylvania Hunt Cup Stakes for his second win after only seven career starts.

Goodoldtimes (Photo by Tod Marks)Owned by Armata Stable, trained by Alicia Murphy and ridden by Colin Smith, Goodoldtimes, never far off the pace set by Renegade River, moved into the lead after the last fence and won by 2 lengths over Mystic Strike, with Renegade Rover. trained by Willy Dowling and ridden by Parker Hendriks, finishing third in the five horse field.

Upland Partners' Mystic Strike, trained by Todd McKenna and ridden by Skylar McKenna, had been going for his third consecutive win in the Hunt Cup.

"We were ecstatic," said Murphy. "We've had Goodoldtimes for about a year. The idea when we got him was for us to fox hunt him and then send him on to another trainer, but luckily we got to keep him."

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Iranistan won the featured Noel Laing at Montpelier

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November 11, 2021

By SARA CAVANAGH

MONTPELIER STATION, Va.--Hudson River Farm's Iranistan, trained by Keri Brion and ridden by Eddie Keating, won the featured $40,000, 2 1/2 mile Noel Laing Hurdle Handicap Stakes at Montpelier Hunt Races on Nov. 6.

Iranistan (file photo by Tod Marks)Iranistan won by 1 1/2 lengths over Amschel, trsined by Cyril Murphy.

"He's a good old boy," said Brion. "He had always been pointed towards this race, We used the race at the Gold Cup as a prep for this, as he hadn't run all year. We knew he'd run big. I was happy with him."

Iranistan had a year off after being hurt.

"Iranistan is 7 turning 8, but he's only eligible for graded races now," said Brion. "He'll get he winter off and then we'll give him a shot at the Iroquois next spring."

Brion also had a winner the same day at Calloway Gsrdens.

Irv Naylor's A Silent Player (Ire), ridden by Parker Hendriks, won the $15,000, 3 1/2 mile Steeplethon by  1 1/2 lengths over Bodes Well, trained by Leslie Young.

"A Silent Player had bad luck this year," said Brion. "We used him to fill races at Saratoga. Parker had the idea to run him in a steeplethon.  We just schooled him over timber once before we ran him at the Gold Cup, so we were conservative with him there. We just wanted to see how he jumped over those fences."

"He's a tough guy," said Brion. "He broke a hind leg at Callaway last year, so he has a plate and some screws in his leg. He's amazing that he could come back from that."

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Maryland-breds Aloha West and Knicks Go win Breeders Cup races

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November 10, 2021

By Staff Writers

WEST FRIENDSHIP, Md.--Sisters, Katharine (Katy) Voss and Elizabeth (Liz) Merryman, both bred horses that raced in the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, Calif., on Nov. 6, and one, Voss, had a winner in Maryland-bred Aloha West, now owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

Aloha West (Photo by Patricia McQueen)Two Maryland-breds, Aloha West and Knicks Go, won Breeders' Cup races, making history as it was the first time two Maryland-breds won on the same Breeders’ Cup card.

With Knicks Go's win in the Classic, he is the favorite to win the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year, and that would mean two horses with Maryland connections, a Maryland-bred and a Fair Hill. Md., based steeplechase mare, The Mean Queen, will probably be Eclipse Award winners - great for Maryland racing.

Aloha West, a 4-year-old son of Hard Spun bred by Robert T. Manfuso and Katharine M. Voss and trained by Wayne Catalano, won the G1 $2,000,000 Sprint by a nose in a photo finish.

Merryman bred and raced Caravel as his trainer before selling a majority interest in him to Bobby Flay, who moved the 4-year-old colt to Graham Motion's barn.

Ironically, it was Merryman who was at  Del Mar to see Caravel finish last in the $1 million, G1 Turf Sprint, while her sister Voss watched Aloha West win from her home, Chanceland Farm in West Friendship.

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