First post today is 11:25 a.m., with last race going off 3:10 p.m. Traditional Thanksgiving Day feature, $100,000 Fall Highweight Handicap at six furlongs, drew field of seven, highweighted by Park Avenue Ball at 134 pounds.
Alan Garcia rode three winners yesterday to take lead in standings, 18-17, over Javier Castellano; Edgar Prado also had three-bagger. Track was muddy, sealed; no turf racing. Today, first race stays on lawn; fifth comes off.
FIFTH RACE: Teddy Roosevelt would have loved this off-turf maiden claimer because there were so many rough riders. Mighty Thor set pace under Herb McCauley, pressed by 9-5 favorite Secret Design, Eibar Coa up. Turning for home, 15-1 Frank’s Friend, rallying up rail under apprentice Jermaine Bridgmohan, tried to come through hole inside Mighty Thor, but McCauley angled in to shut door, forcing Bridgmohan to check. Meanwhile, to their outside, Elias Peltroche tried to split horses aboard 23-1 Fly the North Wind, but Coa kept him pinned in despite Peltroche’s efforts to force his way through. While this rodeo was going on inside, Sigmondo, 4-1 under Alan Garcia, came rolling outside, in the clear, to blow by them all.
EIGHTH RACE: NY-bred filly Stolen Star, 8-5 favorite under Castellano despite losing 11 straight, set pace along rail under heavy pressure from 1-for-11 Inda, 2-1 with John Velazquez up. Inda made her bid turning for home, clawed clear mid-stretch, but NY-bred mare Morning Gallop, 9-2, came with relentless run under Prado to get up late. Inda finished second for fifth time in last six starts.
PICK SIX
Winning numbers: 5-14-2-9-2-14
2 winners (6 of 6) each paid $17,354
44 consolation (5 of 6) paid $262.50
No carryover