General News

  • Congratulations to all the connections of Kentucky Derby winner Authentic, and to the connections of favorite Tiz The Law, who ran a game second. If you want to know just how much this is a game of ups and downs, consider the connections of the Derby winner experienced the incredible low just minutes earlier of seeing their other Derby entrant, Thousand Words, flip in the paddock, break the assistant trainer’s hand, and have to be scratched. Fifteen minutes later, they were standing in the winner’s circle. That’s why people say there’s one way to win a race and a hundred ways to lose a race, and why we say no horse IS running until the moment the gates open (even then shit can happen, we’ve seen horses refuse to come out of the gate!).
  • If you didn’t see our Letter to the Editor in the TDN, you can read it here, Letter to the Editor: The Good People in the Game

Horse by Horse News

A big Labor Day at Monmouth Park with three entries and more good results….

  • First up Fire's Finale had been doing so well out of a hard-trying 4th (beaten a nose for 3rd) at Laurel Park last week that we entered him off short rest and he ran an absolutely huge race in race 3 at Monmouth Park, losing by the closest possible nostril at the wire in a long photo (if you look at the photo, he lost by less than ¼ of an inch, any less and it was a dead heat). No excuses for him at all; broke well, got a good ride and a good trip and ran absolutely lights out. In fairness, the winner was a first time starter who acted up at the gate, refused to load, broke last, came with a huge run and probably deserved the win but it was a heartbreaking way for us to lose. That said, it was by far the best race of Fire’s Finale’s young career. He’s never run an off race, with a 4th (beaten a nose for 3rd), a 3rd, a well beaten but solid 2nd, and missing by less than an eyelash today, all while earning over $17,000 already in the maiden condition. This is a nice horse who figures to improve as he matures. If we can get a race for him in Pennsylvania against state breds, he’ll be tough to beat for a big purse but he’s run well at three different tracks now and is sitting on a win wherever he lands next time.
  • Next up, we had Highwaytwentyseven with a tough inside post position and the post cost him, as he was forced into a horrendous head to head speed duel from the get go but showed tremendous heart, refusing to quit despite a blindingly fast opening ¼, to finish a very game 2nd in race 5 at Monmouth Park. He was beaten less than half a length for the win while just holding off the 3rd runner by an equal margin. It was a blanket finish, with less than 3 lengths separating the top 5 horses. Turning for home he had lost the lead and looked like he was going to finish off the board, but this horse has shown tremendous heart in every race for us and he re-broke to get back in front in mid-stretch and fall just short of the win. As trainer Kelly Breen put it “the post beat us, if he’d been able to sit 2nd from the outside he was a winner”.  This excellent runner has a win and two seconds in three starts for us, all at significantly higher levels than we claimed him for.
  • Finally Itsgottabemyway made her Kenwood Racing debut in an overflow and very competitive 12 horse field (as usual on the turf) in race 6 at Monmouth Park. Races like this usually come down to who gets the best trip and she didn’t. The pace was very slow and she found herself far closer to the lead than how she usually runs. All that said, she tried hard, took over the lead briefly approaching the turn, but tired late to finish 6th. She was beaten just under 4 lengths for the win while beating more than half the field. This was a particularly tough spot for the level and the trip was not ideal, she’s a solid filly and with a little better set up next time will be tough to beat.

Overall another very solid day-weekend for us, congratulations to all the owners on our continued success as Kenwood Racing remains on the leading owners list at Monmouth for the entire meet with 4 wins and 7 seconds from twelve starts, along with Kelly Breen at the top of the leading trainers list in no small part due to his fantastic work with Kenwood runners. We hope to add to these totals before the main meet ends September 27th and to continue our success during the ‘Meadowlands at Monmouth’ meet in October!

Two Monmouth Park works Saturday…

  • Adhwaa had another excellent work, fast without being asked for speed. She’s done everything right since her purchase and is on target to make her Kenwood Racing debut around the end of next month.

Horse Workout Notification
September 5, 2020
Adhwaa (3-Year-Old Filly)
Date: September 5, 2020
Track: MONMOUTH PARK
Distance: Three Furlongs
Time: 37:00 Breezing
Track Condition: Fast
Surface: Dirt
Rank: 3/20

  • Seven Seven had a nice maintenance workout, came back excellent off a very solid 3rd at Saratoga. Pointing for one of two races coming up at Monmouth Park shortly.

Horse Workout Notification
September 5, 2020
Seven Seven (2-Year-Old Colt)
Date: September 5, 2020
Track: MONMOUTH PARK
Distance: Four Furlongs
Time: 49:40 Breezing
Track Condition: Fast
Surface: Dirt
Rank: 27/54

Other runners…

  • New Found Treasure runs Wednesday at Penn National. The usual full field and a highly competitive group but she’s doing really well. Ready for another good effort; a similar field to the ones where she’s been 3rd, 1st and 2nd in her last 3 starts.
  • Good news with Blu Candy, who shipped into Monmouth Park from Sunset Meadow Farm on Sunday. Kelly Breen sent this photo of her back in her stall and ready to resume training this week and noted “hard to believe, but I think she’s grown in the last 4 weeks. The R&R did her good, she looks great”. This lovely filly is obviously the picture of health and clearly enjoyed her brief time at Sunset Meadow Farm. Nice to have her back at Monmouth Park. If all goes well, she’ll make her debut later this fall.

We have three entries coming up this week at Penn National, all of these horses have been running great and are doing really well….

  • Rapstorerocks very sharp. There’s a grass race for him to enter in this week at Penn National. Here’s a photo of him in the shedrow this morning from trainer Mark Salvaggio.
  • Pango well and will be entered this week at Penn National. Comes off a flying 2nd, beaten a head for the win. Here’s a photo of him enjoying the sunrise outside on the walker from trainer Mark Salvaggio.
  • Giuliana Vee comes off 2 wins and a photo finish 2nd in her last three starts and will be entered this week also at Penn National. Trainer Mark Salvaggio took the photo of her looking out of her stall at Penn National this weekend, happy and healthy.
  • No Good Deed is at Penn National and being evaluated by our vet team. Doing well, see photo of her on walker Sunday morning (“ice cold legs”, Mark Salvaggio).
  • Life on the Edge is our leading runner at Monmouth Park, with 2 wins and 2 seconds in her 4 starts this season at our home base, earning about $40,000 and running great every time. What a nice filly! Congratulations to our historic group #50, this filly has lived up to her billing throughout her fine career and hopefully the best is yet to come. Look for her to try to add to her totals shortly at Monmouth Park.
  • Tracy Ann’s Legacy excellent out of a blowout win, went right to the front in a speed laden race and never looked back, widening with every step to win by seven lengths under a great ride by Jose Ferrer for his 4500th career win at Monmouth Park. We claimed this filly for just $22,000 last month on July 19th and less than 6 weeks later she had a win and a 2nd in two allowance events, earning $40,000 for our active racing group. We are looking at spots for her later this month or early in October at Monmouth Park.
  • Lisa Limon & her Liam’s Map foal excellent at Hidden Brook Farm in Kentucky. Some great news with Liam’s Map, as his 3 year old Rushie won the Grade II Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs on Derby day to stamp himself as one of the top three year olds in the country. This following a very game 2nd Thursday at Churchill by Crazy Beautiful in the Grade III Pocahontas Stakes despite a horrible trip. Liam’s Map keeps producing major graded stakes winners and is one of the top young sires in North America.