Racing News

Taking a racing day off is a rare thing for Joe Talamo. Then again, it's not every day a man gets married.

So Talamo's name will not be found on the programs for the card at Del Mar. It will, instead, be prominent on the programs passed out late this Friday afternoon at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in the Little Italy community of San Diego where Talamo will wed Elizabeth Ellis.

Talamo, 25, and Ellis, eldest daughter of trainer Ron Ellis and his wife Amy, have known each other for eight years. They met in the spring of 2007, soon after Talamo, a 17-year-old apprentice, moved to the Southern California circuit fresh from being the first “bug boy” to win the riding title at New Orleans' Fair Grounds, recording 119 victories.

Ben's Cat, the formidable iron horse who keeps on campaigning for Hall of Fame trainer King Leatherbury, could take home his fourth consecutive edition of the $200,000 Fabulous Strike Handicap Nov. 25 at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.

The 9-year-old son of Parker's Storm Cathas won every running of the six-furlong Fabulous Strike, a race inagurated in 2012, but has some tough competition this time. He comes off a tough beat by a nose in the Oct. 17 Maryland Million Sprint Handicap at Laurel Park to Jack's in the Deck, also entered here, and looks back to Aug. 22 in the Mister Diz Stakes at Laurel for his last win.

In 2004, then 3-year-old My Fella made his first lifetime start in a $4,000 claiming race for maiden pacers. Eleven years later, he’s come full circle, ending his lengthy career as a $4,000 claimer.

The only difference?

The 63 wins and more than $666,000 in earnings he racked up in between.

The classy veteran goes to post in what might be his last race this Saturday (Nov. 21) at Vernon Downs as he faces mandatory retirement Jan. 1 when he turns 15. My Fella will start from the rail for regular driver Fern Paquet Jr. in the third race on Vernon’s closing night.

The Autumn Series for 2-year-olds wrapped up Thursday night (Nov. 19) at Woodbine Racetrack with the finals for the colts and geldings.

The $30,000 two-year-old trot and $31,400 two-year-old pace both featured a field of 10.
 
In the trotting final, Gonna Fly was able to knock off the heavy favorite Matza Man in 1:59.3.

This year, more than ever before, the proliferation of amateur driving clubs has played a significant role in supplying horses to help fill betting races, especially at some racetracks on the east coast. And better yet, the public has come to feel as secure in wagering on the amateurs as they would on professional drivers.

And what now has become a new normal, the participating amateurs are members of multiple clubs which among others include; the Billings series, The NAADA series, and at Monticello Raceway, the Catskill Club series.

So it wasn’t unusual that Tony Verruso, the president of Billings, also participated this season in the NAADA races as well as the Catskill offerings.

Oblivious to a lawsuit and controversy between his connections and former trainer, James McIngvale's Runhappy is on track for the Dec. 26 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

In his first workout since an impressive Oct. 31 victory in the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint, the Super Saver colt breezed Nov. 15 at The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington, going four furlongs in :48 1/5 seconds, fastest among 17 horses working the distance. Regular exercise rider Omar Torres was aboard for the work.

Officials at Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel didn't know what to expect when in 2002 they added a $500,000 stakes for 2-year-olds scheduled about a month after the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The first Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes, run a one mile, was won by Al Eisman's Outta Here, who was trained by the late Bill Currin and ridden by Kent Desormeaux. Since then it has been run 12 more times—the race was scrapped in 2005 because of Hurricane Rita, which caused about $50 million in damage to Delta Downs—and two of its winners have gone on to win Breeders' Cup events: Big Drama won the 2008 Jackpot and the 2010 Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I), while Goldencents  , the 2012 winner, captured the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) in 2013 and 2014.

After more than a five-month break from racing, Al Shaqab Racing's Sandiva will look to add more South Florida success to her record in the $100,000 My Charmer Handicap (gr. IIIT) Nov. 21 on the Gulfstream Park West turf.

After running behind eventual Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I) winner Tepin this spring in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (gr. IIT) and the Longines Just a Game Stakes (gr. IT), Sandiva received a break from racing that trainer Todd Pletcher said has helped the 4-year-old Footstepsinthesand filly.

Eight freshmen pacers race for $100,000 in the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) Final on Thursday, Nov. 19 at Dover Downs.

John’s Dream brings a four race win streak, and Hail To The Master brings a two-race win streaks after prelims into the two-year-old final. Tim Tetrick will drive John’s Dream for owner-trainer Chuck Perry. In fact the colt's wins include two Virginia stakes and a sweep of his two DSBF prelims. Dorothy and Chris Conner’s Hail To The Master has won his two prelims in wire-to-wire style with Art Stafford Jr. in the bike.

The morning after recording the 8,000th win of his driving career, Sylvain Filion of Milton received a special phone call from the man who once led the world in harness racing victories.

"The first phone call I had yesterday morning was my uncle Hervé," Sylvain said Wednesday morning. "He was really proud. He said, 'You make the Filion family really proud.' That was kind of cool."

Monday night at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Sylvain's 8,000th win came when he drove 11-year-old gelded pacer Val America to victory in the eighth race.

Only one night remains in the 50th Anniversary season for the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, and the track in northeast Pennsylvania continues their awards for the standouts of the 2015 season closing night on Saturday (Nov. 21). The Leading Driver; Leading Trainer – Wins; Claimer of the Year; and Three-Year-Old of the Year will accept their awards.

The Claimer of the Year for 2015 is the inimitable R Gauwitz Hanover. Even before he arrived at Pocono in May, he was already a big winner in 2015, racking up six wins in New York. But it was here that the 6-year-old gelding achieved his greatest success, winning nine of his 14 races at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, all while moving up in class from the $10,000 claimers to the $25,000 claiming handicaps. He won several races from outside posts, had victories for seven different trainers at Pocono; and notched a career-best mile of 1:49 as part of his unforgettable 2015 campaign at Pocono. The track will honor this great gelding with his record number of claims by displaying, in the paddock, his custom-designed blanket with rainbow letters to signify all the different stables.

Veteran New England driver Mike Eaton notched his 2,000th career victory Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 18) at Plainridge Park when he guided H-Andnharleythejet to victory in the afternoon's second race.

After a long journey, Coldheartedrevenge has returned to Western Pennsylvania with a new lease on life.

The gelding, now 14 years old, started his racing career in 2003. He achieved quite a bit on the track, earning more than $847,000, some of which came at The Meadows several seasons ago. He raced for many trainers over the years, but in 2012, at the age of 11, his racing career came to a close, more than 200 starts after it began.

Not much is known regarding his whereabouts for the past three years, but in late October he showed up at a horse placement agency in need of a home. That’s when several Meadows-based people stepped in.

The Bank will try to cash in Saturday (Nov. 21) when he faces seven older foes in the $400,000 TVG Free For All Series championship for trotters at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

A 3-year-old colt, The Bank was invited to the TVG final as a Breeders Crown champion. For the year, the Jimmy Takter-trained trotter has won five of 17 races and earned $994,652. He enters the TVG off victories in the Breeders Crown on Oct. 24 at Woodbine and the American-National Stakes on Nov. 7 at Balmoral Park.

According to the U.S. Trotting Association’s Information and Research Department, The Bank is seeking to become the first 3-year-old male trotter in recent history to win against older foes in a series final worth at least $100,000 since Before He Cheats captured the $120,000 Chester Late Closing Series in 2007. The only other instance since 1992 of a 3-year-old trotter winning a race worth at least $100,000 against older horses came on the female side, when filly CR Kay Suzie defeated seven mares in the Breeders Crown at the Delaware County Fairgrounds.

Oblivious to a lawsuit and controversy between his connections and former trainer, James McIngvale's Runhappy is on track for the Dec. 26 Malibu Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park.

In his first workout since an impressive Oct. 31 victory in the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I), the Super Saver   colt breezed Nov. 15 at The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington, going four furlongs in :48 1/5, fastest among 17 horses working the distance. Regular exercise rider Omar Torres was aboard for the work.

Carl F. Pollard's Kiss Moon and Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Emotional Kitten, winners of graded stakes races on the Matt Winn Turf Course at Churchill Downs, face a fleet of invaders led by Canada's Button Down in the $100,000 Cardinal Handicap (gr. IIIT) Nov. 21 at the Louisville track.

Greenwood Lodge Farm's Button Down rallied late to finish a half-length behindStrut the Course over yielding turf in the 1 1/8-mile Canadian Stakes (gr. IIT) at Woodbine Sept 13, and Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia has installed the daughter of Oasis Dream (GB) as the 7-2 morning line favorite over a field of 12 rivals.