Not as much action this time of year, but the big news for Kenwood Racing was at Laurel Park on November 14th, as Titanium Jo got a good trip and was simply outclassed by a very, very contentious group of horses, finishing 7th in the Safely Kept Stakes at Laurel. Jockey Tyler Connor said she tried every step of the way. The track was speed-favoring all day, which didn’t help, but he had her in an excellent, ground-saving position, grabbed the rail turning for home, and she simply was outrun to the wire. This couldn't have been a tougher group, they ran faster than the males ran in a stake a few races earlier. Note: Jo went off at over 100 to 1 odds coming off two wins and a third in her last three starts, so you can see she was facing a salty bunch indeed.
A few hours later at Penn National, Fuego Mi Amor ran much better than her last couple of races, coming on strong to finish 4th, in a lower level 6 furlong claiming race. This filly simply has not turned out to be a quality racehorse, despite her fine pedigree, a lesson in how uncertain the breeding game is. You breed the best to the best and hope for the best, as the old saying goes.
On November 18th at Penn National, there was little good to report from Three Arch Bay, as she finished 7th of 9 horses, with no excuse. She improved modestly over her debut, (7th beaten 9 lengths this evening, compared to 8th beaten over 20 lengths in her debut), but make no mistake about it, this is not a good racehorse. Since young horses do improve, she merits one more try, to see if she moves forward a little more. If not, she’ll be retired to a safe home.
On November 19th at Gulfstream Park West, Title Fight got a terrific ride from hall of fame rider Edgar Prado. He was in ideal stalking position, moved up to challenge for the lead turning for home, and then flattened out to finish 4th. While he looked like a winner on the turn and we hated to see him lose ground in the stretch, it was a huge step forward from his poor last race over this surface, especially as this was a somewhat more competitive group. Recall last time, he really didn’t care for this sandy surface. Racing returns to the real Gulfstream next month and we think off this race, he should run very well there next time. He looks super and trains like a good horse at Gulfstream, so we think we are heading in the right direction here.
A few minutes after Title Fight’s race, Proven Warrior broke a few steps slow, rushed up to grab the lead, ran hard and well, but tired late to finish 3rd at Churchill Downs. He clearly didn’t want to stretch out to 7 furlongs, however this was the only spot available and he gave it his best. The good news is, as planned, he was claimed from us out of the race. With the claim price just $1,000 less than what we paid for him, plus the 3rd money today and his win last month, we came out pretty well here. This horse is a runner, but he has some issues and he was properly managed to get maximum value here, while of course treating the horse right in the process.
Finally, we close with a re-print from a recent article from The Blood-Horse on the growth of Maryland racing and the progress that is starting to unfold at Laurel Park. The Stronach Group is to be commended for making a serious commitment to revitalizing racing in Maryland and the results are starting to show. Attendance, field size and purses are all up, and it looks like it’s just the beginning. It’s an open secret that Pimlico will be closed and racing will be conducted at Laurel Park year round, which makes total sense from any perspective. Laurel has the best location, the best facility to work with, and if the work done in 2015 is any indication, it’s going to be a beautiful facility and the future is very bright
Maryland's Growth Potential Focus of Meeting
By Tom LaMarra
Maryland racing stakeholders the evening of Nov. 20 received a status report on the state of the industry, and they were told there is great potential for growth in the state.
The Maryland Jockey Club reported that almost 400 people—horsemen, industry representatives, government officials, and racing fans—attended the town hall meeting at Laurel Park, which has undergone millions of dollars in renovations this year. Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer of The Stronach Group, which owns the MJC, said pari-mutuel handle is up almost $60 million this year.
"Over the past 10 months we've invested nearly $20 million into our facilities," Ritvo said. "The support from horsemen has been wonderful. Mr. Stronach believes there is great potential in Maryland racing, but we must continue to improve our business. We must have a high level of integrity, have a safe environment for our customers, take care of our retired horses, widen our network of fans, and continue to grow the business."
LaMarra: Maryland Continues Rebuild of Racing Program
Though the Laurel grandstand and clubhouse have been the focus of this year's upgrades, Ritvo reiterated the 2016 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) will be held at Pimlico Race Course. The MJC earlier this year publicly discussed the possibility of eventually moving the second leg of the Triple Crown to Laurel.
"This place is going to be world-class," said Bruce Quade, a member of the Maryland Racing Commission. "Believe me—The Stronach Group is walking the walk. Maryland racing's best days are yet to come."
Ritvo again mentioned that the MJC is interested a future bid to host the Breeders' Cup World Championships.