Mike Maker

Gaslight Dancer Burns Bright In Palisades S.

Taking to the Haggin Turf Course once again, 6-1 shot Gaslight Dancer recorded his first stakes victory of his career with a solid performance in the Palisades S. on Sunday afternoon. Winning on the grass at Kentucky Downs Sept. 3 in his second career start, Gaslight Dancer was the favorite Oct. 9 in the GIII Futurity S. during the BAQ meet, only to lose by a neck to Nagirroc (Lea). With a tough test Nov. 4 in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, he drew the fourteenth hole, but still...

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Bramble Bay Named NJ-Bred Horse of the Year

Bramble Bay (Bullet Train) has been named the 2022 New Jersey-bred Horse of the Year, as well as champion turf runner and champion older female, by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey. The bay mare won last summer's Jersey Girl H. at Monmouth Park for breeder/owner Ballybrit Stable, LLC and trainer Mike Dini. Claimed for $62,500 by trainer Mike Maker and owner Michael Dubb, the then-6-year-old added the Pinot Grigio H. She won three of 10 starts in 2022 and earned $160,170. To date, the mare has won eight...

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Turfway Park to Remain Open for Year-Round Training

Following the close of the Winter/Spring Meet at Turfway Park Apr. 1, the barn area and racetrack will remain open for year-round training and stabling, it was announced Tuesday.  Trainers wishing to fill out a stall application can visit www.TurfwayPark.com or contact Peggy Pate at [email protected]. Stall applications are due by Mar. 24. This year, Turfway Park finished construction on a new dormitory for backstretch workers and five new barns. The track can stable approximately 1,000 horses.      Local trainers expected to remain stabled at Turfway Park and race on the Kentucky circuit...

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Art Collector in Fine Shape After Pegasus Win

Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector (Bernardini) exited his win in Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational in fine shape, according to trainer Bill Mott. "He's happy. He was bright and alert and seemed to be feeling pretty good about himself," Mott reported from Payson Park Sunday morning. Art Collector, winner of the 2021 GI Woodward S., had been a solid stakes performer before his emphatic 4 1/2-length victory in the Pegasus Saturday. "It's strange. I knew he was doing well going into the race. I felt like he was training well,...

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More Maker in Pegasus World Cup Turf

Trainer Mike Maker had already saddled the first three finishers in the GIII William L. McKnight as well as the winner of the GIII Fred W. Hooper S. earlier on Gulfstream Park's card, and he added his second $1-million GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S. trophy Saturday as well-backed Atone (Into Mischief) kicked home impressively from midpack to best GISW Ivar (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) by 3/4 of a length. Speaking Scout (Mr Speaker), a last-out winner of the GI Hollywood Derby, was third. The winner, bet down to...

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GISW Fire At Will to Sequel New York for 2023

Breeders' Cup winner and recent Fasig-Tipton Digital sales stallion prospect Fire At Will (Declaration of War--Flirt, by Kitten's Joy) has officially been retired and will stand at Sequel New York near Hudson for the 2023 season. The Three Diamonds Farm runner broke his maiden at second asking in Saratoga's With Anticipation S. at two while on the main track and quickly made it three in a row, taking the GII Pilgrim S. on Belmont's lawn prior to his victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland. He won...

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GISW Proxy Heads Pegasus Workers

Godolphin's Proxy (Tapit) had his last major workout at the Fair Grounds Saturday in preparation for the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Jan. 28. The 5-year-old official time for the six-furlong move to the seven-eighths pole was 1:13.20, the fastest of two works at the distance Saturday morning. Working in tandem with stablemate Global Sensation (Into Mischief), the pair covered five-eighths in 1:00.40, with Proxy working an additional eighth-mile past the wire. With a crush of horses working right after the track's renovation break, exercise rider Arturo Aparicio...

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Corrales, Lobo, Oxo Equine Sweep Titles at Turfway Holiday Meet

At the close of 2022, Turfway Park's Holiday Meet concluded with jockey Gerardo Corrales, trainer Paulo Lobo and Larry Best's OXO Equine winning their respective titles. Corrales tabbed 30 wins from 104 mounts--a stout 29% win clip. His mounts tallied $1,115,484 in purse earnings. Corrales' meet was highlighted by a victory in the $125,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes aboard the Lobo-trained In Love (BRZ) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}). The 26-year-old rider also won the $125,000 Holiday Inaugural Stakes aboard Ready to Venture (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Corrales finished eight wins in front of...

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Racehorses Lead the Way at Fasig-Tipton December Sale

The top six sellers at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December Mixed and Horses of Racing Age Sale Tuesday were all racehorses, led by the 3-year-old gelding Radical Right (First Samurai) (Hip 281), who brought $260,000 from Tom Kagele. The Richard Shultz homebred is a three-time winner and entered the sale off a second in the City of Laurel S. Nov. 26 for trainer Dale Capuano. He was consigned by Northview Stallion Station. Trainer Mike Maker was very active, purchasing four racehorses, including the second highest-priced offering Heldish (Great Notion) (Hip 243),...

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Maker, Van Berg Win Two Each on Snow-Tinged Claiming Crown

Trainer Mike Maker racked up his 20th and 21st Claiming Crown victories on Saturday, extending his lifetime lead among conditioners in that annual series by saddling Keystone Field (Candy Ride {Arg}) to a determined half-length win in the featured $175,000 Jewel. But while Maker's familiar presence in the winner's circle underscored his resilience in the event often described as the "blue-collar Breeders' Cup," a trainer taking his first crack at the Claiming Crown, Tom Van Berg, also registered two series victories and added a third on the undercard for a...

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Record $80M Bet on '22 Kentucky Downs Meet

The FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs concluded Wednesday with record wagering topping $80 million for the seven-day run. Purses again set a record, reaching almost $18 million paid out to horse owners. With $12,896,355 bet on Wednesday's closing card, total wagering on the meet reached $80,175,928, clipping Kentucky Downs' previous record of $74,088,532 over six days last year for an increase of 8 percent. A record $21,065,982 was bet on Saturday Sept. 10. The average field size was 10.61 horses, the highest since 2019. The record wagering comes in spite...

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Maker Wins Seventh Kentucky Downs Training Title; Gaffalione Takes Riding Crown

Mike Maker, who has made it a habit of winning the training title at Kentucky Downs, did it again this meet, continuing his dominance with his record seventh training title at the seven-day boutique meet. Tyler Gaffalione held on to win the riding title. The 28-year-old jockey won his second championship at the track with nine wins from 66 starts. He also had 17 seconds (seven of them in the last two days of the meet) and three third-place finishes. Maker won 12 races, a meet record. The old record...

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