Junior Coffey, a retired football star and one of the state’s most successful Thoroughbred trainers, died of congestive heart failure Monday at age 79. Coffey died at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, Wash., according to his wife Kathy Coffey. Source
Month: August 2021
Philly Eagles, Mystic Eyes Lead P.G. Johnson
Philly Eagles, a debut winner in Britain, now looks to notch a victory on the opposite side of the Atlantic when she faces a field headed by Mystic Eyes and Expand the Map in the $120,000 P.G. Johnson at Saratoga Race Course Sept. 2 Source
Breeders’ Cup Live! Road to the Longines Classic — Jockey Club Gold Cup — September 4.
The road to the Breeders' Cup goes through Saratoga Race Course this Saturday with two "Win and You're In" races scheduled: The Flower Bowl and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Watch live-streaming coverage hosted by America's Best Racing's Dan Tordjman, Breeders' Cup Future Stars Forecast host Ren Carothers and ESPN Radio's Bram Weinstein. The team will also be joined by racing analyst and Colonial Downs TV host Jessica Paquette. Tune in and join in on the conversation, along with live guests that'll appear throughout the show. Post your comments and questions below. Set a reminder to watch and you'll be notified once the show is live. Start time is TBD. This week's featured races on Breeders' Cup Live! are the Flower Bowl, a "Win and You're In" race for the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup which will provide automatic entry for the Longines Classic. Several horses have won the Flower Bowl before going on to capture the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, including the inaugural Filly & Mare Turf winner Soaring Softly (1999). Other horses to pull off the feat were Lahudood (2007) and Stephanie's Kitten (2015). Who's your pick to win this year's Flower Bowl? This Saturday's feature, the Jockey Club Gold Cup, is a pivotal opportunity for contenders to emerge as favorites for the 2021 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Headliners in the race include 2020 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Happy Saver, recent Suburban Stakes victor Max Player, and four-time graded stakes winner By My Standards. Got thoughts on who will take this year's running of the Jockey Club Gold Cup? Drop it in the comments! For everything you need to know about the contenders in this year's runnings of the Flower Bowl and Jockey Club Gold Cup, visit americasbestracing.net. ABR has race previews, analysis and feature stories on all of the big players who are primed to make a splash this Saturday at Saratoga. Then remember to tune in here on Saturday to catch the action live on Breeders' Cup Live! Source
Limited Liability Steps Up for With Anticipation
While the surface, surroundings, and distance will be the same, the stakes will be much higher as Limited Liability makes the step up from a debut maiden score to graded company in the $150,000 With Anticipation Stakes (G3T) Sept. 1 at Saratoga. Source
Alfieri Reappointed to California Horse Racing Board
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Aug. 30 seven appointments, among them a reappointment to the California Horse Racing Board. Dennis Alfieri, 62, of Pasadena, Calif., has served on the CHRB since 2018. Source
Hurricane Ida Damages Fair Grounds Barns, Tote Board
Hurricane Ida, which battered New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast Aug. 29, damaged portions of Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, though no on-site injuries were reported. Source
Horseplayers’ Happy Hour – September 2, 2021
PTF and Matt Bernier are back covering races 3-10 at Saratoga racecourse. All proceeds benefit Thoroughbred aftercare. Two $10,000 seats added to the Tour prize pool at no cost to players Source
The Valley Track Gallops – Tuesday 31 August
Texas Summer Yearling Sale Sees Solid Gains
The Aug. 30 Texas Summer Yearling and Horses of Racing Age Sale at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie recorded sizable increases in gross sales, average and median with a Texas-bred colt by Too Much Bling topping the auction. Source
Hay Jude, Dam of BC Turf Winner Little Mike, Dies at 26
Hay Jude, the dam of Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) winner Little Mike, died peacefully from an apparent heart attacked, Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm announced Aug. 30. The 26-year-old mare resided at Old Friends’ annex farm in Georgetown, Ky. Source