All-sources average daily handle on Hawthorne races this winter-spring meet dropped by 11 percent compared to the same meet last year, continuing a steady decline in business at the Chicago-area track over the last few years.
I settled down on Saturday night and watched with a blank stare as the images flashed across the TV screen. The chyron at the bottom of the screen posted updates on the big fight in Las Vegas between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao – a boxing match sure to end in a decision, unlike the knockout I experienced during the day at Churchill Downs.
One week after winning his fourth Kentucky Derby, trainer Bob Baffert will try for the biggest race run for 3-year-olds this week when he starts Wolf Man Rocket in the Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes.
Hardest Core, upset winner of last year’s Grade 1 Arlington Million, will make his seasonal debut in Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park.
Firing Line merely jogged Wednesday morning, and he was scheduled to jog again Thursday after doing nothing more strenuous than walking Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. The routine coming out of a race will feel normal for Firing Line. But things are about to change.
Gary Stevens says he knows how to beat American Pharoah in the Preakness with Firing Line. He does not say he is going to beat American Pharoah in the Preakness with Firing Line, but he knows what he needs to do to make it happen.
Trainer Allen Milligan is on the move. He won the first graded race of his career last week at Lone Star Park with Texas Air. He has Haveyougoneaway on deck for an opening weekend stakes at Ruidoso Downs. And he’s looking at sending a small division of horses to Del Mar.
Trainer Chad Brown appears to have a solid one-two punch in Friday’s $85,000 third-level allowance feature at Belmont Park.
Less than a week after their runners swept the top three positions in the Kentucky Derby, trainers Bob Baffert and Simon Callaghan have prominent runners in consecutive optional claimers at Santa Anita on Friday.
Golden Triumph is taking a big step up in class after winning an $8,000 claiming race on Oct. 23 at Santa Anita. Nonetheless, he looks like the one they will have to catch and beat in a $35,000 optional-claiming race on Friday night at Northlands Park.
