JC / Railbird

Suffolk Downs Archive

Lapensee in Critical Condition

Suffolk Downs jockey Michel Lapensee is in a coma. The 58-year-old rider sustained serious injuries when his mount in Monday’s ninth race, Mecke’s Money, broke down on the far turn. He was immediately transported to Massachusetts General Hospital for surgery and is listed in critical condition with head and spinal cord injuries. Mecke’s Money, a six-year-old gelding, suffered a compound fracture of his left cannon bone and was euthanized. This is the second time this meet Lapensee has had the misfortune of an accident. In a similar incident in May, Lapensee’s mount Explorationist also broke down on the far turn, throwing the rider, who escaped injury then.

Posted in Suffolk Downs on October 25, 2005

Wednesday Notes

Suffolk Downs has added four stakes races to the schedule for the remainder of the meet. The Louise Kimball will be run on October 8, followed by the John Kirby on October 22, and the Amelia Peabody on November 5. The Norman Hall is scheduled for the meet’s final Saturday, November 19. The added races will each have a $40,000 purse and are restricted to Massachusetts-bred thoroughbreds.
—
NYRA president Charles Hayward told a state oversight committee that the organization would “go bust” in November unless it was allowed to sell property near Aqueduct (Newsday).
—
No surprise here: “Rep. Ed Whitfield of Kentucky, whose subcommittee is investigating the Jockeys’ Guild, said on Monday night that he doubts the guild has fully complied with a subpoena issued two weeks ago that asks the guild to provide financial documents by Oct. 3″ (Daily Racing Form).

Posted in Suffolk Downs on October 5, 2005

Suffolk Cancels Wednesday

Suffolk Downs has cancelled Wednesday’s card so that horsemen and track employees can attend a hearing on legislation that could significantly affect racing in the state. In an all-or-nothing move, slots supporters have asked legislators to include language approving slot machines in a simulcasting bill that must be passed this year for the state’s racetracks to remain open, daring governor Mitt Romney to follow through on his threat to veto any legislation that expands gaming and kill off an entire industry.
The hearing is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. in the Gardner Auditorium at the State House.
“The future of thoroughbred racing in New England and specifically at Suffolk Downs is at stake,” said Mario DeStefano, New England HBPA president. “This legislation is so important to us that we really feel the need to be significantly represented at the State House for Wednesday’s hearing.” In addition to the horsemen planning to attend, the union representing mutuel tellers and other track employees will bus hundreds of workers to the hearing to show support.
Desperation? Calculation? I’m not entirely sure which is driving this longshot push for slots. I’ll be at the hearing tomorrow, though, trying to sort it out.

Posted in Suffolk Downs on September 27, 2005

Suffolk Saturday

Trainer Reynaldo Abreu brought his career record to six wins on Saturday when Bird Charm easily overwhelmed his competition in race one, a maiden special weight. Since the former Nick Zito assistant took charge of Marylou Whitney’s stable in June, he’s earned five wins at Suffolk Downs. The stable is based in Saratoga. “It’s just as easy to go to Suffolk as Belmont,” Abreu explained last week after winning his fourth race at the Downs with another maiden, Bird Harbor. And the races are easier too (Daily Racing Form).

Posted in Suffolk Downs on September 25, 2005

Monday at Suffolk

Janine Savoie earned her first win as a licensed trainer in race seven, with longshot Freda Z. In race nine, Cahill Mango, formerly of Jeff Mullins’ Santa Anita stable and shipping in from Belmont for Bruce Levine, ran the fastest six furlongs at Suffolk Downs so far this year, winning in 1:09.9.

Posted in Suffolk Downs on July 12, 2005

Suffolk Notes

It was a good day at the Downs, with fine weather and two stakes races on the card. I had the great pleasure of hanging out with Bud from Thoroughbred Racing Fans of New England for the second half of the afternoon. Bud’s the photographer for the group, which meets at Suffolk occasionally and takes trips to Saratoga and such events as the Breeders’ Cup.

Bud told me that he didn’t handicap, but proved he knew horses — especially New England horses — when he spotted Spectacular Orage in the African Prince, a stakes race for state-breds, and struck up a conversation with the owner about Spectacular Orage’s grandsire, 1994 New England turf champion, Eternal Orage. Photos from today are already up — check out the nice shot of Winston Thompson winning the Old Ironsides on Miesque’s Approval.

In the African Prince, Reprized Strike was the even money favorite for obvious reasons. The three-year-old colt won the Norman Hall Stakes last fall and came back this year with a fourth in the Rise Jim. I picked 5-1 Stylish Sultana, who finished a respectable fourth against tough competition in the Isadorable Stakes last month. She made a late move in the stretch, coming from sixth to win by a neck on the outside. Reprized Strike finished third, Spectacular Orage second.

I didn’t do as well in the Old Ironsides, picking One Nice Cat, who finished fifth. Miesque’s Approval, a New York shipper trained by Bill Mott, won easily. Canyon’s Way ran second and Tom the River Rat third. This race was the high point of the day for me, for the simple reason that Bud and I stood at the rail on the turf course and watched the horses come by at the first turn and again at the finish. It was a beautiful sight — the horses so near, the turf so lush.

The Old Ironsides was a high point for jockey Winston Thompson as well: The race was his sixth win of the afternoon. It was Thompson’s first career six-win day; he is the seventh rider to accomplish the feat at Suffolk.

Posted in Suffolk Downs on June 18, 2005

NETWA Elects Inaugural HOF Class

The New England Turf Writers Association will honor the inaugural class of the New England Racing Hall of Fame at their awards dinner this July 7. The inductees are jockey Rudy Baez, who won 24 riding titles at Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park; thoroughbred owner and breeder Peter Fuller; the late James Moseley, who was chairman of Suffolk Downs and instrumental in the track’s 1992 reopening; the late Sam McCracken, a noted Boston Globe turf writer for 30 years; and Waquoit, the 1987 Massachusetts Handicap winner. A plaque bearing the inductees’ names will be hung in the Sports Museum of New England. Tickets to the dinner, which will be held at the Danversport Yacht Club, are $55 apiece. Call 617-568-3220 for more information.
Lowell Sun racing writer Paul Daley wonders if the New England Turf Writers “may have missed the boat” with their selections this year:

Posted in Suffolk Downs on June 17, 2005

Suffolk Notes

Trainer LeRoy Jolley pops up at Suffolk Tuesday, with a horse named Louie Na’ssal in the ninth race, a six furlong allowance event that’s attracted a pretty good field for a weekday card. Ten are entered, including Lucky Sherman, who ran third at Churchill Downs on May 1 in a claiming $30,000 race, and Symbolic Times, a former California runner who’s returning from a layoff of more than year.
—
Sunday’s Hot Dog Safari was a success for the Joey Fund, an organization founded to fund cystic fibrosis research. More than 30,000 people braved the chilly weather to eat more than 150,000 hot dogs, meet local sports stars and politicians, and watch nine live races specially carded for the day. (Boston Herald)

Posted in Suffolk Downs on May 23, 2005

Winning Bets I Didn’t Make

Sometimes I think that the winning bets I don’t make hurt worse than the losing bets I do.

I went to Suffolk on Saturday planning to place one wager in race seven and another on the Preakness, and arrived in time to watch the fifth race horses leave the paddock for the track. Horse #6 caught my eye, as he was sans pony in the post parade and had a bouncy jog. “That horse will win,” I thought, and looked at the tote board expecting to see that he was favorite. He wasn’t; his odds were 5-1. I agonized — should I make the bet? I decided not to, because I was all about discipline on Saturday. A review of my wagering since the meet opened on April 30 had revealed that I was doing well, but frittering away my profit with $2 flyers like the one I was contemplating.

Horse #6 won and paid $12.20.

Race six came up and horse #7 intrigued. He was making his first start at Suffolk since racing at Laurel, a profitable angle during the meet’s first couple of weeks (although one that’s become rarer now that most of the horses entered in races have started at Suffolk at least once this spring). But he was stretching out to a mile for the first time, and the favorite looked legitimate, so I passed, even though his odds were 8-1. “Discipline,” I told myself.

Horse #7 won and paid $18.40.

Finally, it was time for the race I came to bet. Race seven, horse #6, odds 5-1. I put my money down.

Horse #6 finished sixth.

Posted in Suffolk Downs on May 22, 2005

Suffolk Notes

Jockey Michel Lapensee was thrown from his mount, Explorationist, in the eighth race today when the six-year-old gelding broke down on the far turn. Lapensee was uninjured and will ride on Tuesday; Explorationist was euthanized on the track … Rider Joe Hampshire returns to Suffolk Downs on Wednesday … This Sunday, May 22, is Eddie Andelman’s 16th annual Hot Dog Safari. A fundraiser for the Joey Fund, tickets are $10 in advance/$15 at the door. Last year, more than 40,000 people (or, about 20 times the average weekday crowd) showed up for all the hot dogs they could eat and nine live races.

Posted in Suffolk Downs on May 16, 2005