eric reed

Kentucky Derby winning trainer Eric Reed will once again join the show. He’ll tell us about the challenges that Rich Strike has taken on since his triumphant Run for the Roses. “Richie” has left the comfortable confines of Reed’s Mercury Training Center and is bedded down at Churchill Downs to take his game up a notch facing older horses for the first time. Eric will talk about the progress “Richie” has taken since his return to Louisville and the deep field he will be meeting in the Grade 2 Lukas Classic on Saturday that includes the extremely talented Hot Rod Charlie and Happy Saver after their solid efforts in the Whitney. Eric Wing is not only the Communications Director for HorseTourneys.com, but a man who has been known to cash in on a few tourneys himself. We’ll be putting him to the test in our handicapping segment. It looks like a great weekend for tourneys and an excellent time to go for the “Big ‘Uns using the WinningPonies E-Z Win Forms.

Look who just came in town! Just after 2 p.m. on Aug. 14, the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) winner arrived at Saratoga Race Course Rich Strike , the late-running 80-1 winner of the Run for the Roses was quietly taken to his home for the next two weeks, at the barn of trainer Dale Romans. Rich Strike will be running in the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) on Aug. 27. Rich Strike started his trip to the Spa from trainer Eric Reed's Mercury Equine Center in Lexington, Ky., at 12:30 a.m. Aug. 14. He's a good shipper, said Reed, who drove separately and beat Rich Strike to Saratoga by a few hours. He sleeps right in the box stall. Eric has been gracious with his time with Winningponies, before and after the historic Kentucky Derby win, and he will join us again this week. With that Derby on his career resume, “Richie” hopes to add the “Mid-Summer Derby” to his list of accomplishments. Eric will discuss the horse’s training regimen up to this revered jewel and what his plans are for the next 9 days in bringing him up to the premier race of the summer in the U.S. Speaking of outstanding races with a long and storied history. North of the border they will hold the legendary Queen’s Plate. Moira has been tabbed as the 5-2 favorite by linemaker Ernie Perri for the 163rd running of the $1 million stake on Sunday at Woodbine. She was an easy winner of the Woodbine Oaks on July 24, got post 8 in the 11-horse field and will be ridden by Rafael Hernandez in her quest to become the 38th filly to win the 1 1/4-mile event for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds. Who better to discuss thoroughbred racing at Woodbine than the “Dean of Canadian Racing” – Sandy Hawley. He was revered as a national racing treasure there. His career started in 1966 as a 17-year-old boy, hot walking horses at a Toronto racetrack. Two years later, he became a regular rider at racetracks in Ontario. He learned how to ride under the tutelage of Duke Campbell a trainer Sandy still credits today as one of his greatest sporting influences. Hawley went on to become North America's top apprentice jockey in 1969 and then led in victories for the years 1970, 1972, 1973 and 1976. In 1970 he was the continent's leading race-winning jockey with 452 wins. In 1972 he tallied another North American title with 367 wins, and in the 1973 season, he became the first jockey to ever win 500 races in one year breaking Bill Shoemaker’s record. Sandy Hawley was inducted into the Canadian Racing Hall of Fame 1986 , the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1992, and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. Sandy has moved his home to Lexington, Kentucky with his wife, former rider Kaoru Tsuchiya. He is very active in supporting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund with personal appearances throughout the country.

It is a stellar Saturday at Belmont Park. There will be eight Grade 1 races with “The Test of the Champion,” the 1 ½ mile Belmont Stakes, serving as the headliner. Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike is becoming the Rodney Dangerfield of the 3-year-olds. He’s getting no respect from the majority of the East Coast media and was installed at odds of 7-2 morning line and may go higher at post time. We are bringing on an integral part of the story and the observations of a national handicapper to weigh in on the $1.5 million Classic. Eric Reed, trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, was on “The Regular Guy Radio Show” on winningponies.com before and after the Kentucky Derby. A man of his word, Eric has returned to tell us about the rapid development of his muscular chestnut colt. After Eric’s post-Derby decision to rest his classic winner and point to the Belmont, Rich Strike has returned to training with vigor. We’ll get an up-to-the-minute report - straight from the horse trainer's mouth. We’ve engaged the handicapping talents of Byron King, Associate Editor of the Blood-Horse, who has been tracking the 3-year-olds through his “Derby Dozen” column. He’ll need only come up with a “Belmont Eight” on Saturday, but an interesting eight it is, with theories of the race pace scenario dominating press box conversation. We’ve engaged the handicapping talents of Byron King,Associate Editor of the Blood-Horse, who has been tracking the 3-year-oldsthrough his “Derby Dozen” column. He’ll need only come up with a “Belmont Eight” on Saturday, but an interesting eight it is, with theories of the race pace scenario dominating press box conversation. While the Belmont is “The Race of the Champion,” Byron will weigh in on several the championship match-ups that will take place leading up to the Belmont. We’ll see the multi-million-dollar earning mare Letruska take on the newly-turned 4-year-old Malathaatin the Ogden Phipps. Champion Echo Zulu faded to fourth in the Kentucky Oaks and will be shortening up to a mile in the Acorn, while 3-year-old sensation Matareya stretches out to the distance. Flightline will fly in for a rare appearance. The $1 million dollar baby has shown brilliance in every start, though he has only made three in his career. His speed figures have been through the roof, but the well-seasoned Speaker’s Corner comes into the race off three straight graded stakes wins while recoding 102+ Beyer Speed Figures.

Only one podcast featured trainer Eric Reed BEFORE the Kentucky Derby – Winninponies. After the Run for the Roses, Eric stopped his State Trooper escort to come over to our host John Engelhardt. Giving each other a big bearhug, Eric said, “My Man! I’ll be on your show this week too.” A man of his word, no matter how swamped he is with the media camped out along the entrance to his Mercury Training Facility, he will be our first guest. It's only a short time before movie producers are wrestling over the rights to “The Rich Strike Story.” We’ll let Eric describe his early years with his wife Kay and the building blocks to their success at blue-collar tracks to the creation of their Mercury Training Facility, the tragic fire where they lost 23 horses, and the shot in the arm they got from horsemen around to country to rebuild their facility. Oh yes, there’s a great story about winning the Kentucky Derby Eric needs to tell us about too! This year’s Kentucky Derby was a point in time for the spotlight to shine on many of “the little guys” that make the racing game a great one. Our second guest will be making a return appearance, Jeff Perrin is the agent for Derby winning jockey Sonny Leon. Relatively an unknown until Saturday, Leon, 32, is a native of Venezuela and rides regularly in Ohio at Belterra Park and Mahoning Valley where he has earned multiple riding titles. The Kentucky Derby was Leon’s first graded stakes win. Since coming to the United States in 2015, Leon has won 770 races from 5,176 mounts with purse earnings of more than $15 million. Jeff Perrin is an interesting story in himself. A native of Australia, we’ll learn how he became involved in the sport and his years long relationship with Sonny.

?Eric Reed is a lifetime horseman from a family of horsemen. His father Herbert trained for over 40 years apprenticing under the guidance of Mack Miller. Eric has trained since 1983 and has grown up with horses his entire life. The racing game has provided Eric and his wife Kay with unique, potentially career changing situations – none like the one they face in the days ahead. Like a kid waiting to get picked for a spot on the school yard baseball team, Eric is on the outside looking in, hoping to get in the Kentucky Derby game with his 3-year-old colt Rich Strike who sits three horses deep on the also-eligible list. What’s most amazing is not the fact that he has a Derby hopeful, it’s the fact that he is still in the racing game at all. In 2016, a devastating fire swept through one of the main barns at their Mercury Training Center and the Reed’s lost 23 thoroughbreds in the tragedy. Facing a mound of financial and emotional challenges after the gut-wrenching event, the Reeds had to give thought to changing careers paths. Horsemen from all parts of the country came to the aid of the Reeds in an overwhelming display of support. Mercury Training Center has literally “risen from the ashes.” Through the on-going backing of his loyal owners, Mercury is back in business. We will talk to Eric about the rebuilding that took place at Mercury and his hopes for his graded stakes-placed Rich Strike to work into a spot in the gate for the Kentucky Derby. Rich Eng is the author of 'Betting on Horse Racing for Dummies' and can be found almost daily on Race Day Las Vegas with handicapper Ralph Siraco, their programs are broadcast live on 1400 KSHPAM and streamed live on the internet. While Rich specializes in the west coast action, come Derby time he has an international view on cashing tickets. Rich will join us on the show not only to discuss this year’s Kentucky Derby and Oaks, but to talk about the project he has in re-issuing 'Betting on Horse Racing for Dummies' with an updated look at the new basic tools one has to start at the betting window. For 20 years, he was Turf Editor and Handicapper for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. You can follow him on Twitter @RichEng4ProPick and on Facebook.

'Half a Chance,' about a down-on-his luck jockey agent who finds himself entangled in a web of deceit and larceny, follows John Perrotta’s racing memoir 'Racetracker: Life with Grifters and Gamblers' and his novel 'If Wishes Were Horses.' John Perrotta will share his racetrack experience and delve into his latest novel. In the spirit of the Holiday Season, former Kentucky Derby winning jockey and current racing official Mike Manganello has set up a Go Fund Me page to help trainer Eric Reed and his wife Kay after the devastating fire at their Mercury Training Center this week. Eric will discuss his plans for re-grouping his training. Penelope Miller is the Senior Manager of Digital Media for America's Best Racing. Miller has been involved with the racing industry for most of her life, having grown up on a farm near Ocala, FL. After graduating from Georgetown University in 2003, Miller worked in several areas of the racing industry at Tampa Bay Downs prior to her latest position.

Eric Reed, a lifetime horseman from a family of horsemen with his wife Kay also from a family steep in the horse racing industry, run the Mercury Equine Center in Lexington, Ky. Eric's father Herbert trained for over 40 years apprenticing under the guidance of Mack Miller. Eric has trained since 1983. Kay Reed’s mother and father were horse trainers as was her great uncle, Charlie Kurtsinger. She was working as an exercise rider before meeting Eric. Eric will give us a feel for what the Mercury Equine Center offers to breaking yearlings and to horses recuperating from injury. With the action moving to Arlington Park, self-proclaimed horse racing ambassador Joe Kristufek will re-cap the Churchill Downs highlights and set the table for Chicago racing at Arlington Park. He will join John in 'capping the main stakes races for this Saturday: - the $100,000 G3 American Derby, the $100,000 G3 Arlington Handicap, the $100,000 G3 Modesty Handicap and the G3 Stars & Stripes.