Winter is Officially Here: Racing Moves to the Inner at the Big A

Racing in New York shifts to the inner track on Wednesday, which officially marks the beginning of winter for horseplayers looking to pad their bankroll in the Big Apple.

Many of the top trainers, jockeys, and horses leave town for warmer climates at Gulfstream Park, Tampa Bay Downs, or Fair Grounds, but we may see a few more familiar faces this winter.

The Aqueduct casino opened its doors on Oct. 28, and starting on Jan. 1 horsemen will begin to reap the benefits, with the average daily purse distribution going up to $375,000, an increase of $100,000 over last year.

The added purse money up for grabs will bring in some top out of town horsemen, including Kentucky regulars Ken McPeek and Eddie Kenneally, who both have runners entered on Wednesday, along with Dale Romans, who has a string of horses at Aqueduct.

Racing Secretary P.J. Campo said there will likely be an increase in the horse population at Aqueduct from 1500 to between 1800 and 2000 this winter, and with horses more likely to ship in from New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, we should see fuller fields and more wagering opportunities.

The stakes action gets underway on the inner track on Saturday with the $65,000 Garland of Roses, a six furlong sprint for fillies and mares.

We will not see a graded stake at the Big A until the $100,000 Toboggan (G3) for three-year-olds and upward going six furlongs on January 22.

We should start to see some promising three-year-olds with Triple Crown aspirations compete at the Big A in the $100,000 Whirlaway on Feb. 5, followed by the $250,000 Gotham (G3) on March 5, and the $1 million Wood Memorial (G1) on April 9.

Jockeys Ramon Dominguez and David Cohen dominated the inner track last winter. From Jan.1 until April 25 Dominguez won 120 races and Cohen won 91, with the next jockey in the standings being Channing Hill with 39 winners.

Trainer Gary Contessa was the leading trainer from Jan. 1 through April 25 with 42 winners, a 17% win clip.

Steve Asmussen had a strong 2011 inner track meeting, winning with 35 of 85 starters, an outstanding 42% clip.

Other trainers that won at a high percentage during that period include Mike Hushion (41%), Todd Pletcher (29%), Rick Dutrow (29%), Kiaran McLaughlin (28%), and John Terranova (29%).

Dutrow has been tearing it up on the Big A main track since Nov. 4, winning with 15 of his 30 starters (50%).

Other trainers coming into the inner meeting hot include Christophe Clement (28%), Chris Englehart (33%), Rick Violette (33%), Mike Hushion (33%), and Dale Romans (24%).

Steward John Veitch Fired
John Veitch, the chief steward in Kentucky who was front and center in the Life At Ten debacle at the 2010 Breeders’ Cup was relieved of his duties on Monday.

Veitch received a letter from the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet, which oversees the racing commission.

The letter reported stated that no cause was given for his dismissal, meaning that he would not have a right to appeal the decision.

The firing is a bit of a surprise because the investigation being conducted regarding the Life at Ten situation by Robert Layton, who is the chief hearing officer for the Office of Administrative Hearings within the Energy and Environment Cabinet, asked for an extra thirty days to release his findings.

It would not have taken me over a year to release a report stating that Veitch failed to protect the betting public or Life At Ten at the 2010 Breeders’ Cup.

Firing Veitch is the right move, it just should not have taken so long.

Michael Dempsey provides his full card report for Aqueduct each racing day. Mike’s full card report includes his selections, analysis, fair odds line, and wagering recommendations. Mike’s Best Plays Report is available each weekend, with his strongest plays and selections including the top stakes races.