Life in Shambles targets Gravesend

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Life in Shambles won a stakes for the first time in his career when he took Thursday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Fall Highweight Handicap by three-quarters of a length. Now, he may try for his second stakes in the $100,000 Gravesend here on Dec. 23.

Life in Shambles finished second in the Gravesend last year, one of several good performances for the horse over Aqueduct’s main track.

Trainer Jason Servis said it was Life in Shambles’s fondness for Aqueduct that made him decide to run the 7-year-old gelding in the Fall Highweight rather than Wednesday’s Fabulous Strike Handicap at Penn National, for which he was also entered.

Life in Shambles, ridden to victory by Irad Ortiz Jr., ran six furlongs in 1:12.07 under 127 pounds and earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure. He had been winless in his 12 previous stakes attempts.

Five Star General to winter at Tampa

Five Star General, who won Thursday’s off-the-turf Central Park Stakes, will be based at Tampa Bay Downs for the winter and could make his next start in the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam. F. Davis Stakes on Feb. 9.

Trainer Arnaud Delacour has been wanting to get Five Star General on turf, but the son of Distorted Humor has now won two straight off-the-turf races in good fashion. On Oct. 27, he won a one-mile race in the slop at Laurel. On Thursday, he won over a fast track at Aqueduct. Five Star General earned a 74 Beyer for both of those wins.

“If everything goes well, we’ll breeze on dirt at Tampa and see if we should run him back in the Sam Davis or if we should go to the turf right away,” Delacour said.

Delacour said he was happy to see Five Star General be just as effective on a fast track as over a sealed, wet surface.

“There were some questions to be answered, including a fast track,” Delacour said. “At least we know. It’s always nice to have a baseline on the ability on the dirt.”

Five Star General is owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Racing, the same group that owned 2017 Triple Crown winner Justify.

Violette memorial on Monday

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association will host a celebration of trainer Rick Violette’s life on Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Belmont café.

Violette, a former president of NYTHA, died on Oct. 21 after a battle with cancer. He was 65.

Donations in Violette’s memory can be made to the Backstretch Employee Service Team (BEST) or the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program.

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