Sun, 05/12/2024 - 17:00

Subsanador, Judge Miller work for Gold Cup

Benoit Photo
Judge Miller will wear blinkers for the first time in the Hollywood Gold Cup.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Judge Miller, second as the 3-10 favorite in the Grade 3 Californian Stakes on April 20, and Subsanador, a game second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 3 in his most recent start, worked over the weekend for scheduled appearances in the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita on May 27.

Judge Miller worked six furlongs in 1:13 on Saturday under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith. Judge Miller was fitted with blinkers for the workout, and will wear the equipment for the first time in the $200,000 Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles.

Sun, 05/12/2024 - 16:53

Tamara targets Great Lady M. Stakes in July for next start

Barbara D. Livingston
Tamara is unraced since placing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in November.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Tamara, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante last September, is scheduled to have her 2024 debut in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes against older fillies and mares at Los Alamitos on July 6.

Unraced since a seventh-place finish as the 4-5 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita in November, Tamara has had a steady pattern of workouts in the last month for trainer Richard Mandella.

On Saturday, Tamara, 3, worked a half-mile in 47 seconds, the quickest of 59 works at the distance.

Sun, 05/12/2024 - 16:37

Red Route One leads field for Friday's Pimlico Special

Barbara D. Livingston
Joel Rosario will ride Red Route One in Friday's Pimlico Special at Pimlico.

Red Route One, fourth in last year’s Preakness Stakes, drew post 5 in Friday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Pimlico Special for 3-year-olds and up racing 1 3/16 miles.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Red Route One captured the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic on March 23 at Fair Grounds, then placed third in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap – his most recent start – on April 20.

The late-running colt by Gun Runner, a Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred, will be ridden by Joel Rosario.

Sun, 05/12/2024 - 16:06

Golden Gate Fields cancels two more days of racing due to lack of entries

Barbara D. Livingston
Golden Gate Fields has lost four days of racing this spring because of insufficient entries.

Citing a lack of available runners, Golden Gate Fields has canceled racing this Friday and on May 24, the track’s racing office announced midday on Sunday.

The track has lost four days of racing this spring because of insufficient entries in advance of its permanent closure on June 9. Racing was not held on April 19 or May 1 because of a lack of entries.

Sun, 05/12/2024 - 14:07

Pletcher seeks fifth Belmont triumph with Antiquarian

Barbara D. Livingston
Antiquarian was given an 88 Beyer Speed Figure for Saturday's Peter Pan triumph at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - On Saturday, Antiquarian gave trainer Todd Pletcher his fifth victory in the Peter Pan Stakes. In four weeks, Antiquarian will try to give Pletcher his fifth victory in the Belmont Stakes.

None of Pletcher’s four previous Peter Pan winners was successful in the Belmont. Of the three who ran back in the Belmont, Sunriver in 2004 managed to finish third. In 2014, the Pletcher-trained Commissioner, who finished second in the Peter Pan to Tonalist, came back to run second, beaten a nose, by Tonalist in the Belmont.

Sun, 05/12/2024 - 12:56

Catching Freedom definite for Preakness Stakes, Cox says

Debra A. Roma
Cathching Freedom won the Louisiana Derby in March and the Smarty Jones in January.

Catching Freedom, the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby winner who finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby on May 4, will make his next start in Saturday’s $2 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, trainer Brad Cox said Sunday.

Cox, who typically doesn’t run his Derby starters back in the Preakness, said Catching Freedom came out of the Derby in good shape and that he has been happy with the way the horse has galloped this week at Churchill Downs. The horse will ship to Baltimore by van following training on Monday.

Sat, 05/11/2024 - 12:48

McPeek confirms Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan for Preakness

Barbara D. Livingston
Trainer Ken McPeek has confirmed Kentucky Derby Mystik Dan for next weekend's Preakness at Pimlico.

Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan will run in the $2 million Preakness Stakes next Saturday at Pimlico, trainer Ken McPeek confirmed Saturday.

Mystik Dan was scheduled to arrive at Pimlico by mid-afternoon Sunday after leaving Churchill Downs by van at 5 a.m. Sunday, McPeek said. Mystik Dan will be accompanied on the trip by fellow 3-year-old Gould’s Gold, who is being pointed to the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard.

Fri, 05/10/2024 - 16:52

Gaffalione fined $2,500 by Kentucky stewards for Kentucky Derby ride

Barbara D. Livingston
Jockey Tyler Gaffalione, aboard Sierra Leone (left), was fined $2,500 for touching Forever Young (right) in the stretch of the Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission fined jockey Tyler Gaffalione $2,500 “for touching a rival with his left hand” near the finish of the Kentucky Derby, according to a ruling posted on the KHRC’s website Friday afternoon.

Fri, 05/10/2024 - 14:10

Preakness: Muth, Imagination work in company; ship east on Tuesday

Bob Baffert Oct 27 2023
Barbara D. Livingston
Bob Baffert was happy with Muth and Imagination’s final Preakness drills and feels “good about putting them on a plane.”

Muth and Imagination, potentially the top two betting favorites for the $2 million Preakness Stakes on May 18, put in their final workouts for the race Friday at Santa Anita going six furlongs in company in 1:11.80, according to the Santa Anita clockers.

Bob Baffert, the trainer of both horses, said the two were basically together from the time the work began at the five-furlong pole. The two horses also worked together last Saturday, covering the same distance in 1:11.40.

Thu, 05/09/2024 - 16:59

Horse racing 'gold rush' coming to Wyoming

Emily Shields
Wyoming Downs was recently bought by the owners of Kentucky Downs and the Clairvest Group.

There’s a new gold rush in Wyoming, and it’s centered on the state’s horse racing industry.