Paul Nolan. Now wins route races.
by George
So much for Paul Nolan not being able to win a route race.
Nolan won both halves of the early Daily Double at ASD on Wednesday night, and both races were around two turns. He took the first race at a mile aboard Sorry ($4.70) for trainer Ardell Sayler and the second race aboard Sunny Commander ($5.70) for trainer Wade Rarick. Nolan also took the seventh race aboard Dailydblnotrouble ($8.10) for Rarick to complete a hat trick and move back into a tie atop the rider standings with Rohan Singh, who went winless on the evening.
The Insider Newsletter did some homework this week and found out that Nolan won route races at a 22% clip in Sam Houston in 2010. It was just a matter of time before the multiple-champion rider started winning the longer races. Nolan looked like his usual capable self winning two route races on Wednesday, even if he was aboard favourites. He’s not a magician, he just give his horses their best chance to win, which is all you can ask of a rider.
The Insider also reported that Robert Reeves Jr. won his appeal of a $500 fine for “abusive” whipping. We never thought it was abusive whipping to start with, but you can read why Reeves won his appeal here.
Not only did Nolan win a few route races and move back into a tie for the lead in the rider standings, he also won the final leg off the 15% Pick-4, which paid $3,542.90 for $2.
There weren’t too many tickets alive after Trevor Simpson won the first leg of the Pick-4, the fourth race, aboard Aubree Etta Breeze ($40.90) for trainer Ardell Sayler. Simpson had to survive both a trainer (Chad Torevell) and a rider (Tyrone Nelson) claim of foul when it appeared he had shut off second choice Just Add Salt in early stretch. A closer look showed Simpson was sufficiently clear of Just Add Salt however, and the result was allowed to stand. To his credit, Just Add Salt kept coming to take the place and might have won the race with a clean trip.
Aubree Etta Breeze also topped the most lucrative Superfecta of the evening when she won the fourth. The $2 Superfecta paid $3,989.80 and the Triactor paid $1,147.60. And if most Pick-4 players were knocked out after the first leg of the Pick-4, almost all the remaining live ticket holders were knocked out in the second leg when trainer Grace Gulewich saddled George’s Gal ($12.60) to win the fifth race.
Fresh Ice ($2.70) romped as the lone speed in the sixth race for trainer Chad Torevell, which brings us back to Nolan, who won a stretch duel in the seventh race and final leg of the Pick-4 aboard the aforementioned Dailydblnotrouble ($8.10).
Trevor Simpson’s two wins moved him into sixth place in the jockey standings with 19 wins and he quietly continues to climb the ladder as expected. Trainer Ardell Sayler’s two wins gave him 21 on the year and moved him to within two victories of Blair Miller and Shelley Brown, who are tied at the top of the standings with 23 wins each.
New arrival Wade Rarick continues to impress. Currently operating at a 28% win clip, his two wins on Wednesday gave him 17 on the year and moved him into fifth place in the trainer standings. He’s been a force ever since the season started, as has Nolan.
Who now wins route races too!
Next Post Time for Live Racing: 7 p.m. Friday, July 27, 2012