Sunday, June 27, 2010

“Horse Racing Out of the Gate Again in Kalispell” plus 2 more

“Horse Racing Out of the Gate Again in Kalispell” plus 2 more

Horse Racing Out of the Gate Again in Kalispell

Posted: 27 Jun 2010 06:43 AM PDT

Races return during fair, Aug. 21 and Aug. 22

Horse Racing Out of the Gate Again in Kalispell

Horse racing in Kalispell - Photo courtesy of Kalispell Racemeet and All Breeds Turf Club

For the past four years, the sound of horse hooves thundering down the racetrack has been absent during the Northwest Montana Fair.
That changes this year, as horse racing makes its return to Kalispell for the final two days of the fair, Aug. 21 and Aug. 22.
"We are racing in Kalispell live this year," Janis Schoepf, member of the All Breeds Turf Club and assistant race director. "You can't even imagine the hundreds and hundreds of details that need to be attended to."
The All Breeds Turf Club and the Blackfeet Tribe are sponsoring the races without financial help from Flathead County. The Northwest Montana Fair has sponsored past races, but officials cited revenue losses and insurance worries as reason to stop in 2005.
The track has been silent every August since then. But a recent shakeup in fairgrounds management structure gave the equine club an opening to pursue racing once more, Schoepf said.
"I think they're looking for opportunities to revive the fair and the opportunity presented itself," Schoepf said. "It was a great chance for us to bring horse racing back to the valley."
Ryan Sherman, executive secretary for the Montana Board of Horse Racing, said most horse races in smaller venues are the result of the interest and work of private clubs, citing Kalispell and races in Idaho as examples.
This has been the typical model for about 15 years, Sherman said. Counties used to help subsidize the races, but have had to shift focus and money to other areas, he added.
In Kalispell's case, the county is renting the facility to the All Breeds Turf Club, which, in turn, is responsible for the general liability insurance, Schoepf said.
The Turf Club must also pick up the slack on tasks the county managed when it sponsored the event, meaning everything from event security to advertising to making sure the electrical outlets work, Schoepf said.
"We're learning as we go, every single second," Schoepf said. "At no point does any of this cost the county taxpayer."
The races received state board approval on June 17, too late to get any of the state money used to help bolster race purses, Sherman said. State rules mandate that all applications for this money, compiled largely through simulcast racing revenue, must be in by Nov. 1 of the previous year, Sherman said.
"We've already allotted our state money for 2010," Sherman said.
Kalispell will be eligible next year if it decides to allow races again, he added.
This does not mean, however, the Kalispell racers are merely running for bragging rights. The Turf Club has already raised roughly $35,000 in sponsorships and Schoepf said she plans on averaging $1,500 to $2,000 for winners' purses, with some of the better purses around $7,500.
Schoepf hopes to schedule a full card of eight to 10 races a day.
The group will also fall back on help from volunteers throughout the county, Schoepf said, and its members hope more people come out of the woodwork to lend a hand.
Interim Fair Manager Ted Dykstra Jr. said he has been working with the Turf Club for months to get horse racing back to the valley. He noted that the county relinquishes financial risk by not sponsoring the event.
"(The sponsors) take all the risk, but they get all the money from it too," Dysktra said.
Sherman said he viewed horse racing's return to Kalispell as a possible comeback for the sport, which was previously eliminated from Missoula's Western Montana Fair but is also returning this year.
Bringing horse racing back to a town was not easy, Sherman said.
"It takes a dedicated group to do it," Sherman said. "With horsemen doing it themselves shows that they're very dedicated to keeping racing going in their community."
So far this summer, there are six days of racing planned in Great Falls, July 23-25 and July 30-Aug. 1, and two days in Missoula, Aug. 13 and Aug. 14. Billings will have two days of racing at Yellowstone Downs, Aug. 28 and Aug. 29.
To contact the All Breed Turf Club about the races, send an e-mail to or call 406-249-6699.

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Horse Racing Capsules: Way With Words captures Monmouth Park feature

Posted: 27 Jun 2010 04:43 PM PDT

Ridden by Eddie Castro and trained by Mary Eppler, the 6-year-old mare covered the six furlongs over a fast track in 1:10 1-5 and paid $7.20, $3.40 and $2.40. It was her eleventh win in 26 career and boosted her earnings to $521,900.

Saarlight, who led most of the race, returned $3.20 and $2.20, while Rated Fiesty was another three-quarters of a length back in third and paid $2.20.

In the co-feature, Greeley's Rocket took the lead as the field turned for home and drew off to win the $100,000 Crank It Up Stakes, beating Whoopi Kitten by 4¼ lengths.

Trained by W. Bret Calhoun and ridden by Jeremy Rose, the 3-year-old filly ran the 5½ furlongs over a firm turf course in 1:01 4-5 and returned $9.60, $3.80 and $3.

Formulaforsuccess wins at Churchill

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Formulaforsuccess took command early and fended off challengers to win by two lengths in the $53,382 Taylor's Special Purse for three-year-olds and up at Churchill Downs on Sunday.

Owned by Robert Trussell and trained by John Paul Pucek, Formulaforsuccess covered the 1 1-8 miles on a firm turf course in 1:51.85.

Corey Nakatani rode the colt to its second win in eight career starts. Formulaforsuccess, eighth in the Grade 3 Jefferson Cup two weeks ago, now has earned $74,458.

Formulaforsuccess returned $10.80, $4.20 and $3.40. Austons Sure Cure finished second and paid $3.40 and $3. Favored Kabob was third and paid $2.60 to show.

Gold d'Oro wins the Belmont feature

NEW YORK (AP) — Gold d'Oro held off Dance Pass by a half length Sunday in the $53,000 allowance feature for fillies and mares on the turf at Belmont Park.

The front-running victory was the second in 11 races for the 4-year-old trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Kent Desormeaux. The time was 2:01.60 for the 1¼ miles on the firm course.

Gold d'Oro, the 3-1 second choice, paid $8.80, $4.30 and $3.20. Dance Pass, the 9-5 favorite, returned $3.40 and $2.30. Senada paid $3.20 to show.

Cape Blanco wins Irish Derby

DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) — Cape Blanco has won the Irish Derby by a half length, giving trainer Aidan O'Brien his fifth straight victory in the race at The Curragh.

Cape Blanco was ridden by Johnny Murtagh on Sunday and sent off at 7-2 odds in the 11-horse field. Cape Blanco stablemates Midas Touch and Jan Vermeer were second and third in the 1½-mile race.

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Horse racing-O'Brien in record Irish Derby triumph

Posted: 27 Jun 2010 10:10 AM PDT

Trainer Aidan O'Brien landed a record fifth Irish Derby win in succession at The Curragh on Sunday when 7-2 chance Cape Blanco took the spoils.

Ridden by Johnny Murtagh, the colt led home a 1-2-3 for O'Brien, beating Midas Touch (9-2) by half a length with another stable companion, Jan Vermeer (4-1), in third.

English raider Monterosso, the 3-1 favourite after winning at Royal Ascot this month, finished fourth of the 10 runners with Frankie Dettori on board.

Cape Blanco had advertised his classic credentials in May when winning the Dante Stakes at York, where his victims included subsequent Epsom Derby winner Workforce, but he disappointed in the French Derby at Chantilly finishing down the field.

After Sunday's victory, O'Brien told At The Races TV: "Johnny gave him a brilliant ride. The last time out in France was a blip and we couldn't understand it.

"Maybe it was the travel, it was his first day away and in the heat something upset him and he wasn't the horse we know."

Victory was extra sweet for Murtagh who rode with a plaster on his nose after escaping serious injury when his horse in the first race crashed into the rails in a freak incident.

Cape Blanco may now clash again with Workforce in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on July 24.

O'Brien said: "We always thought if everything did go well today then we would look at the King George."

Bookmakers William Hill, in a special bet ignoring other runners, priced up Workforce at 4-9 with Cape Blanco at 13-8.

(Writing by Dave Thompson; Editing by John Mehaffey; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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