Brothers gets fine, 15 days
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer Frank Brothers has been suspended 15 days and fined $2,500 after one of his starters at the Keeneland meet tested positive for the banned raceday substance acepromazine.
Chief steward Mickey Sample said Brothers will begin serving his penalty next Monday, July 11. That will allow Brothers to run his stable star, Madcap Escapade, on Saturday in the $500,000 Princess Rooney Stakes on the Summit of Speed program at Calder.
The horse who tested positive, Landmark, finished third in the sixth race on April 8, opening day of the Keeneland spring meet. The purse has been redistributed accordingly.
Acepromazine, a tranquilizer, is a Class 3 drug commonly used to calm high-strung horses.
Madcap Escapade, meanwhile, had her final prerace work Saturday, sizzling five furlongs in 58.20 seconds over a fast Churchill surface.
Fantasticat set for comeback race
Fantasticat, winner of the Grade 2 Super Derby last September, will make his first start in more than six months in the ninth race Monday, a $57,000 allowance route with a three-other-than restriction.
Fantasticat, a 4-year-old Storm Cat colt trained by Bobby Barnett, finished off the board in his three starts following his 14-1 upset in the Super Derby, but Barnett believes the colt finally has gotten over the chronic
quarter crack problems that have plagued him through much of his career.
Pitts off to good start
A few more like that, and Helen Pitts might start thinking this is an easy game.
Pitts, who assumed the training of the Ken McPeek stable this week when McPeek resigned to become a bloodstock agent, was represented by a 12-length winner when her first starter, Cat Quatorze, romped to victory in the ninth race Friday at Churchill Downs.
"Maybe I should just retire now with a perfect record," Pitts said jokingly.
Pitts, 31, has about 36 horses in her care at Churchill. A Maryland native, she is the daughter of racing official Clinton P. Pitts Jr.
Cat Quatorze, ridden by Gary Stevens, returned $4.80 as the slight favorite in defeating four other 3-year-old fillies.
Final stakes shaping up
Fields are taking shape for the twin 2-year-old stakes that close out the Churchill meet next weekend.
Possible starters for the $150,000 Bashford Manor Stakes, the closing-day feature on Sunday, include Brilliant Son, Deputy G, Federer, Fly Me Now, Honor Due, Key West Breeze, Music School, and What a Song.
The Bashford Manor's sister race, the $100,000 Debutante Stakes, will be run Saturday with these fillies as prospective starters: Artemus Runner, Dance Daily, Effectual, Enth, She Says It Best, and Swept Gold
- Perfect Drift sharpened for the Hollywood Gold Cup by breezing a half-mile Saturday in 48.20 seconds at Louisville Trackside. Perfect Drift is scheduled to leave Wednesday for the Gold Cup.