Hi All,
We are looking forward to a big day today with three runners at two different tracks all within 30 minutes later this afternoon as well as another entry on Saturday at Monmouth Park. Also, Sunday August 24th will be our Annual Picnic and those who have confirmed attendance will receive final details tomorrow. The weather looks to be cooperating, and we are looking forward to seeing everyone that day.
Cadet Corps after a blazing work on Sunday 8/10 (see below) and One Time Willard are entered today in back-to-back races 10 & 11 today at Colonial Downs in New Kent Virginia. Paco Lopez made the trip to ride both of our Group 97 ARC25 runners in qualifying races for the Claiming Crown which will be held at Churchill Downs in November. Finishing first or second gets a fully paid entry into the Claiming Crown races and a first-place finish also earns a $2000 shipping stipend. (See pp’s attached above and details below). See link to press release from Colonial Downs about race 10 and Cadet Corps.
A large group of Kenwood partners, group members and friends are meeting at Monmouth Park in the Great Hall to watch the races today. Good luck to all Group 97 ARC25 Members and Trainer – partner Kelly Breen. Scott’s pre-race comments are below.
An exciting day ahead down at Colonial Downs for Claiming Crown Preview Day, as CADET CORPS and ONE TIME WILLARD run back-to-back in Races 10 and 11: competing for a total purse value of $187,500, and an automatic bid to the Claiming Crown at Churchill Downs on November 15th! Cadet Corps runs first in Race 10 at 3:26 pm, The Jewel Qualifier, and breaks from Post Position #3, in a shortened field of six runner after two early scratches of a couple longshots, #5-Mowins and #6-Murray. The speed of the race and ML favorite, #7-Certified Loverboy, should see some company on the front end with #8-Bernin Hot being a ‘need-the-lead’ type of horse as well. With #1-Love Me Not also flashing early speed last out in a dirt sprint, we should see an honest pace on the frontend. CC is coming into the race ready to go, and Paco will look to have him saving ground from his inside post position while sitting off the early speed. If the pace isn’t fast up front, we know Cadet Corps can stalk the pace and still have run late, so we’ll let Paco read and react out of the gate with the early pace. It is a one turn race, so positioning up the long backstretch is going to be key, and the inside post position should be advantageous with a clean break! Fingers crossed!
Next up, Race 11 is schedule to go at 3:56 PM, and there were quite a few scratches in this race, as it went from an oversubscribed field of 16 down to just 7 runners after the early scratches. Mainly longshot contenders that scratched, we did see #5-Lorenz get scratched, who was the third choice on the ML at 9-2 odds. Not much early speed left after the scratches, but #3-Kake’s Arrow looks to be the speed of the race on paper, and he is still running. With that said, he may not have much company up front, and we could see a slower pace develop because of that. Willard drew Post Position #7, which ends up in the middle of the pack in this depleted field, and his best races have been stalking the early pace while still have his late kick, and with the early speed to his inside, things could setup nicely for him. It’s still a tough race after the scratches, but Willard has been improving every race for us, Paco knows him well, and we’re looking for another big effort from him today! Good luck to all Partners and ARC25 members; let’s get lucky!
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Cadet Corps is entered on August 21, 2025 at COLONIAL DOWNS. |
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Race: 10 - 3:26 PM $1 Exacta / $.50 Trifecta / $.10 Superfecta / $1 Daily Double $1 Pick 3 (Races 10-11-12) |
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STARTER ALLOWANCE $35,000 |
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Purse: $ 100,000. For Three Year Olds And Upward Which Have Started For A Claiming Price Of $35,000 Or Less In 2024 - 2025. Three Year Olds, 120 Lbs.; Older, 125 Lbs. Non-winners Of A Race Over A Mile Since July 21 Allowed 2 Lbs. (races Where Entered For $30,000 Or Less Not Considered In Allowances) Preference given to graded stakes winners, graded stakes placed, stakes winners in 2024-2025 then by highest earnings in 2024-2025 (1ST AND 2ND PLACE HORSES AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFY FOR CLAIMING CROWN JEWEL AT CHURCHILL DOWNS). One And One Eighth Miles. |
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PP |
Horse |
A/S |
Med |
Jockey |
Wgt |
Trainer |
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3 |
6/G |
L |
123 |
Cadet Corps (6-Year-Old Gelding)
Date: August 10, 2025
Track: MONMOUTH PARK
Distance: Four Furlongs
Time: 47:40 Handily
Track Condition: Fast
Surface: Dirt
Rank: 2/108
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One Time Willard is entered on August 21, 2025 at COLONIAL DOWNS. |
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Race: 11 - 3:56 PM $1 Exacta / $.50 Trifecta / $.10 Superfecta / $1 Daily Double |
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STARTER ALLOWANCE $25,000 |
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Purse: $ 87,500. Outer Turf For Three Year Olds And Upward Which Have Started For A Claiming Price Of $25,000 Or Less In 2024 - 2025. Three Year Olds, 120 Lbs.; Older, 125 Lbs. Non-winners Of A Race At A Mile Or Over On The Turf Since July 21 Allowed 2 Lbs. (races Where Entered For $20,000 Or Less Not Considered In Allowances) Preference given to graded stakes winners, graded stakes placed, stakes winners in 2024-2025 then by highest earnings in 2024-2025 (1ST AND 2ND PLACE HORSES AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFY FOR CLAIMING CROWNEMERALD AT CHURCHILL DOWNS). (Rail at 100 feet). One And One Sixteenth Miles. (Outer turf) |
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Horse |
A/S |
Med |
Jockey |
Wgt |
Trainer |
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7 |
6/G |
L |
123 |
Cali Heat won his last race by 6+ lengths on July 30th and will be gunning for two in a row this afternoon at 3:52 pm at Penn National with David Cora back in the irons (See pp’s above and details below). He has been improving steadily with each race since returning from a deep cut on his knee last year. The race has been called off the turf and the field is now down to five. Good luck to all Group 93 Members and Trainer Mark Salvaggio). Scott’s pre-race comments are below.
Penn National is running a rare card during the day today, and CALI HEAT is scheduled to run at 3:52 PM today in an Allowance Sprint! Originally scheduled for the turf, Penn National has pulled their racing off the grass due to the rain in the Northeast and it will be run at 5-furlongs on the main track. Jockey David Cora is back aboard after their blowout victory against Starter Allowance company last out. A short field of seven runners was made even smaller when the top two choice on the ML scratched with the race coming off the grass - #2-RyeDiggityDog and #5-Pearl Of Acclaim. The pacesetters of #6-Banjo and #7-Moncrief are still running and should provide nice targets for Cali Heat to stalk from his inside post position, with David looking to tip him out at the 1/8th-Pole turning for home. Cali Heats best races have been stalking the early pace within a length or two, and we’ll look to be in a similar position this afternoon heading into the turn. It’s a cutback in distance to 5-furlongs, so he doesn’t have as much distance to run them down and will need to be engaged early, off the early speed. Mark Salvaggio mentioned there could be more scratches coming, but for now, we’ll take a short field of five horses competing for a $35,000 purse! Fingers crossed, and good luck to all Partners and Group Members today! Cali Heat has been on the improve all year, and we’re looking for another big effort from him today with the step up in class.
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Cali Heat is entered on August 21, 2025 at PENN NATIONAL. |
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Race: 5 - 3:52 PM W-P-S/ Exacta / $0.50 Trifecta / $0.10 Superfecta / Daily Double Pick 3 (Races 5-6-7) |
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ALLOWANCE |
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Purse: $ 35,000. (plus Up To 40% Pabf) For Three Year Olds And Upward Which Have Never Won A Race Other Than Maiden, Claiming, Starter, Or Pennsylvania Bred. Three Year Olds, 122 Lbs.; Older, 125 Lbs. Non-winners Of A Race Since July 21 Allowed 2 Lbs. A Race Since June 21Allowed 4 lbs. (Races Where Entered For $16,000 Or Less Not Considered In Allowances) Preference to horses stabled on Penn National grounds after consideration for condition eligibility and PA Breds. (If deemed inadvisable by management to run this raceover the turf course, it will be run on the main track at Five Furlongs.) (Rail at 21 feet). Five Furlongs. (Turf) |
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A/S |
Med |
Jockey |
Wgt |
Trainer |
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1 |
4/G |
L |
125 |
Speed Figures is entered in Race 7 on Saturday August 23rd at Monmouth Park in a field of nine going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf (see pp’s above and details below). Melissa Iorio, who guided our homebred Vino Limone to victory in her debut race last August will take the reins in a bid to get a third win in a row and 2nd in Kenwood colors for Speed Figures. Good luck to all Group 97 ARC25 members and Trainer- Partner Kelly Breen.
We have decided to enter SPEED FIGURES in a second level Allowance at Monmouth Park on Saturday! Another turf sprint, coming back on two weeks rest again, Speed Figures has been doing too good out his back-to-back wins to pass up this turf sprint entry, at the Allowance level. Paco Lopez is not riding at Monmouth Park on Saturday, so we have given the mount to a young, hardworking rider, Melissa Iorio, to take the reins on Saturday! Carded as Race 7 on the nine-race card, with a Post Time scheduled for 3:42 PM, Speed Figures drew the middle, #4 Post Position, against of full field of nine runners. While there is some early speed signed on for yet another step up in class, he does appear to be the speed-of-the-speed on paper, and we’ll look for Melissa to get him out of the gate cleanly and right into his smooth rhythm on the lead. There are bound to be some pursuers though, most notably #2-Makeit To Cheyenne, #6-Gold Trust, #7-Uncle Dar, and maybe even #9-Atta Boy from the outside post position (who Speed Figures beat handily, two back, in the race we claimed SF out of). Additionally, we’re likely to see #3-Big Z OG and #8-Pealing Lad coming late down the stretch! It will be a real class test for Speed Figures, and while the team briefly discussed the quick turnaround – this will be his third race in 4 weeks – he has been doing too well in the AM, with too much good energy, to pass on this entry! As they often say in this game, when your horse is ready to run, you run them! And Speed Figures is showing every indication that he’s ready to roll again. The Equibase Early Entry Notification is below, and I have attached the early PP’s to kickstart you’re handicapping for the weekend!
Speed Figures is entered to run on August 23, 2025, at MONMOUTH PARK.
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Race: 7 - 3:42 PM
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ALLOWANCE OPTIONAL CLAIMING $40,000 |
Purse: $ 52,500. (plus Up To 40% Njb) For Three Year Olds And Upward Which Have Never Won Two Races Other Than Maiden, Claiming, Starter, Or State Bred Allowance Or Which Have Never Won Three Races Or Claiming Price $40,000. Three Year Olds, 120 Lbs.; Older, 124 Lbs. Non-winners Of A Race Since July 23 Allowed 2 lbs. A Race Since June 23 Allowed 3 lbs. Claiming Price $40,000 (Races Where Entered For $22,000 Or Less Not Considered In Allowances). (Rail at 24 feet). Five And One Half Furlongs. (Turf)
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A/S |
Med |
Claim $ |
Jockey |
Wgt |
Trainer |
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4 |
4/G |
L |
$ 0 |
124 |
Outlaw Country is well out of his last race, and we are looking to get him back in the starting gate as soon as a race comes up as Trainer Kelly Breen says that he is ready to go.
Red Head Italian has returned to Kelly Breen’s barn and resumed training after a short break at Sunset Meadow Farm. We are hoping to get her in a race before the meet closes on September 14th
Lisa Connects continues to train forwardly for her racetrack debut. See Scott’s report below.
Hello Group 98,
Another nice week for homebred, 2YO filly, Lisa Connects with her morning training! She registered another breeze Sunday, clocking 3-furlongs in company in 37.4 seconds, while keeping pace with a 2YO that has already raced once for Kelly! The Equibase Workout Notification is below. As Kelly said after the breeze, “She did everything we asked, and has progressed nicely to this point. We have her on a bit of a ‘fast-track’, just because of where most of the other babies are with their training right now, and she is handling it all really well.” We still don’t have a target for a debut race, but she is already working through the Starting Gate, and below is a video of her on Saturday, starting a workout from a hand-drawn starting gate (LC is on the outside, furthest from the camera). As you can see, she hopped the first step, but quickly recovered to catch up with the other pair, before eventually settling into a gallop for the rest of her workout. It was an impressive first try out of the Starting Gate, and she should only build off of that this week when she returns for more practice. Fingers always crossed! If you are having trouble viewing the video in the email below (trying something new), please use the following link: Lisa Connects - MTH Starting Gate (Outside).mp4. If the video is showing below in a small window, click in the bottom-right corner of the video, to expand to full screen.