Carreno on an incredible run

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This article was published 15/09/2022 (734 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Leading rider Jorge Carreno has a chance to sweep the final three open stakes of the live race meeting at Assiniboia Downs in the 93rd running of the $50,000 Winnipeg Futurity on Monday, and he’ll also have an extra day to increase his overall win total, which currently stands at 59.

An additional day was added to the 2022 live racing season to make up for a few unforeseen cancellations and the final night of live racing will now take place on Wednesday, Sept. 28.

Two eight-race cards are already in place for Monday, Sept. 19 and Tuesday, Sept. 20, and they’ll be followed by three more cards of live racing on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 26-28. There will be a mandatory payout of the Jackpot Hi-5 on Tuesday, Sept. 27 and a mandatory payout on the Jackpot Pick 5 on Wed. Sept. 28, assuming no one has a single winning ticket on those wagers before then. The Jackpot Hi-5 pool is currently $14,465, while the Jackpot Pick 5 pool has grown to $412,194.

Carreno won seven of the 15 races carded last week including the $40,000 Manitoba Matron on Monday aboard Spun Line for trainer Jared Brown and owners Ira Donald and Kane Kachur, and the $40,000 Gold Cup aboard Myopic for trainer Robertino Diodoro and a large group of that trainer’s long-time owners including Arnold Bennewith, Randy Howg, R6 Stables, Gary Kropp, Norman Tremblay and Rick, Clayton and Lana Wiest.

Local fans will remember Myopic from his second-place finish in the 2021 Manitoba Derby. After that he went on to finish second in the Canadian Derby (G3) and then headed south to face tough competition at Churchill Downs, Oaklawn Park, Keeneland and Canterbury.

The Gold Cup was Myopic’s first win since breaking his maiden at Horseshoe Indianapolis in June of 2021.

“I think that win is going to do the horse a lot of good,” said Diodoro, who is always among the top trainers in North America and currently sits 11th in the standings with 130 victories. “That race should be a heart builder. He’s run against some good horses and run some good races and just couldn’t win. He trains like a good horse in the morning and he was meant to be a good horse. He’s only four, so hopefully he’ll keep moving forward, and there’s nothing better than getting a win into a horse to build their heart up.”

Myopic received an absolutely perfect ride from Carreno in the Gold Cup, securing the lead from his outside post and forcing his inside speed rival to think twice about taking him on. Carreno maintained a lead long enough to avoid dueling and was able to give Myopic a breather into the final turn.

That 150-yard break turned out to be just enough to hold off the duelling charge of Canterbury Mile shipper Quinto Sol, which came in mid-turn and lasted until the late stretch, when Myopic found more to turn back that rival for good. If you want to know what a great ride looks like, watch the Gold Cup replay.

The team of Carreno and Diodoro have won close to 400 races at a 25 per cent clip over the past 10 years and they’ve been on a good roll lately.

“We’ve done very well together in the past,” said Diodoro. “And now recently. So hopefully we can get some more things accomplished in the near future here.”

Carreno will be aboard Brandyn for Diodoro in the Winnipeg Futurity on Monday and is listed at 6-1 on the morning-line. The two-year-old gelding by Lotsa Mischief has run only once, romping by five lengths in a Maiden Special Weight race at Century Mile in Alberta.

Brandyn will face five rivals in the Futurity including Manitoba-bred filly Lady Cop, who is undefeated in three starts including wins in the Debutante and Osiris Stakes. The Vengeful Wildcat filly was very game in her two stakes wins and faces a tougher test in the Futurity, as does Brandyn.

“I think he’s as good as anyone in there,” said Diodoro, who has also secured the services of Carreno to ride in two big stakes south of the border next weekend.

Carreno will ride recent claim Offshore Affair for Diodoro in the $200,000 “Downs at Albuquerque” on Saturday, Sept. 24, and then travel to Remington Park to ride this year’s Manitoba Derby winner Red Knobs in the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (G3) at Remington Park on Sunday. Sept. 25. He’ll then be back at the Downs.

To win his second straight riding title.