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Nov 20, 2017

On June 25^th at the Hipodromo de Monterrico race track in Lima, Peru, Birdie Gold, a five-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Birdstone, won the Grade I Classico Pamplona.

Thereby setting off a chain of events that has led to Birdie Gold being set to run in Thursday’s Grade III $100,000 Red Carpet Handicap, the first of eight graded stakes, with purses totaling $1.4 million, over the final four days of the Bing Crosby Fall meeting.

The Classico Pamplona was a “Win and You’re In” event for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar on November 3. And owner Bernardo Alvarez Calderon knew exactly what to do with a horse that had earned an expenses-paid opportunity to compete in a world championship race.

“Mr. Calderon had sent me a horse for the 2014 Breeders’ Cup named Valient Emilia in a similar situation,” trainer Gary Mandella said Sunday morning. “She had won the qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup in Peru. So we had established a business relationship. He uses Michael Matz on the East Coast and me when the Breeders’ Cup is on the West Coast.”

Birdie Gold was never a factor in the 1 1/8-mile Filly & Mare Turf, finishing 12^thof 14 under Mike Smith in a race won by Wuheida.

“We took a shot and it didn’t work out quite as well as we’d hoped for, but I thought she ran well considering the depth and talent of the field,” Mandella said. “And I also think we learned a bit about this mare. I think she needs further than a mile and an eighth and I think the distance ( 1 3/8 miles) of the Red Carpet is going to be better for her. Eleven furlongs, instead of nine, I think is going to help her.”

Birdie Gold, a winner of four of five starts in Peru before being sent to North America, came out of the race in good order.

“What I was really pleased about was the way she bounced out of the Breeders’ Cup race,” Mandella said. “She won her...

Batavia, NY—Blustery winds driving a hard rain made the track conditions at Batavia Downs less than desirable on Saturday night (Nov. 18), but In Runaway Bay embraced the mailman’s philosophy to win the $10,000 Open Handicap pacing feature at the venerable Genesee County oval.

In Runaway Bay (Kevin Cummings) took the lead from post five as soon as the gate released the field and when everyone else went to the pylons, single file was the pacing order through splits of :29, :58.3 and 1:28. Just before that last station, Focus Power (Drew Monti) who had gotten away last, swung three-deep around mid-pack stalling horses and powered up into the mix before the race entered the last turn.

From there In Runaway Bay held off Focus Power and Show Stopping (John Cummings Jr.) who had been in the pocket the entire trip, around the fourth bend and into the stretch; neither could gain any ground on him. And the same held true all the way to the wire. In Runaway Bay was strong under urging and paced home sharply to win by a length in 1:57.

It was the eighth win of the year for In Runaway Bay ($4.00) who has now made $44,360 for owner Super Mile LLC and trainer Angelo Nappo.

In the $9,000 Open II pace, Littlebitaclass (Drew Monti) got away sixth before coming third-over in the outer flow and eventually found himself back at the rail third at the seven-eighths pole where he then shot up the passing lane and ran-down the leading Hardts Or Bettor (Ray Fisher Jr.) to win by a length in 1:57.

We thought our IdaBet players would want to know that on 11/27 & 11/28 Finger Lakes will have a 1^st race post time of 11:55am EST.

Thanks for your continued support of Finger Lakes and IdaBet!

A lone ticket holder was – in racetrack parlance – “kissed in” to a Pick Six score of $254,441 Sunday afternoon at Del Mar when Lord Admiral, who had finished second in the 9th and final race, was moved up to first after Bold Papa was disqualified from an apparent win for interference with several other runners in the deep stretch.

Lord Admiral, ridden by Brice Blanc, returned $18.60 for the victory in the nightcap and triggered a 2-4-3-6-7-11 Pick Six payoff that consisted of $112,283 in Sunday carryover money and $142,158 in Jackpot carryover monies from the previous five racing day.

The single ticket was sold for $288.

The Pick Six winners were: 4th Race #2 Streak of Luck ($35.20); 5th Race #4 Black Tie ‘n Tails ($3.40); 6th Race #3 Marley’s Freedom ($5.40); 7th Race #6 Dominating Woman ($5.80); 8th Race #7 Edwards Going Left ($6.60), and #11 Lord Admiral.

There were 79 tickets with five out of six winners and they were each paid $304.40.

Happy Wagering and thank you for choosing  IdaBet!

 Draw schedule changes for Thanksgiving week at Batavia Downs for our IdaBet players is as follows:

A double draw will take place on Tuesday (Nov. 21) for race cards to be held on Friday (Nov. 24) and Saturday (Nov. 25). The entry box will close at the normal time of 9 a.m.

All program information, including driver changes for Friday’s card, must be submitted to the judges by 1 p.m. on Tuesday (Nov. 21).

Saturday’s program changes must be received by the Judges no later than 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday (