Tue, 07/16/2024 - 10:29

Accel Entertainment has agreement to buy Fairmount Park

Accel Entertainment, a manufacturer and distributor of gambling machines, has reached an agreement to purchase Fairmount Park, which operates as Fan Duel Sportsbook and Horse Racing, in a transaction that will allow a casino to be built on the property, the companies announced on Monday.

Mon, 07/15/2024 - 16:49

Andrew Beyer: Rated by Merit a bolt from the blue

Ryan Thompson/Coglianese Photos
Rated by Merit wins a maiden race by nearly 10 lengths in a time that translated to a 92 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest by a 2-year-old this year.

Members of the team that calculates Beyer Speed Figures occasionally encounter data that defies common sense. If a horse earns a seemingly implausible figure, we may override it and assign a number that does make sense for most of the horses in the field. We don’t do this lightly, but we don’t want to publish figures that undermine our own credibility.

Mon, 07/15/2024 - 13:31

Former trainer Louis Albertrani dead at 67

Barbara D. Livingston
Louis Albertrani's best horse was the champion sprinter Artax.

Louis Albertrani, a retired trainer best known for campaigning 1999 champion sprinter Artax, died Saturday of an apparent heart attack at his home near New Castle, Del., family members said Monday. He was 67.

According to Equibase, Albertrani won 133 races from 1,657 starters during a 30-year career from 1992-2021. In 1999, Albertrani won three Grade 1 stakes, including the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, with Artax, who was voted the Eclipse Award for champion sprinter. His other victories that year included the Carter and Vosburgh as part of a 15-race campaign.

Mon, 07/15/2024 - 08:27

Hong Kong racing excels on the world stage during 2023-24 season

A truly remarkable 2023/24 Hong Kong racing season concluded at Sha Tin on Sunday, 14 July, marking the close of one of the most extraordinary chapters in Hong Kong’s racing history. 

The Club’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges: “We had the best-ever season finale, we want to position racing as a world-class entertainment and sporting event. We couldn’t have planned a better season finale than today when the on-course atmosphere and response from our 30,000 racing fans, which include a record number of over 6,000 Mainland visitors, was amazing.”

Sun, 07/14/2024 - 16:58

Pletcher may stretch out Illuminare in Smarty Jones

Barbara D. Livingston
Illuminare was given an 89 Beyer Speed Figure for Saturday's victory at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The first race from Saratoga on June 7 is the definition of a key race.

Sun, 07/14/2024 - 16:47

White Sands possible for Sorrento Stakes, trainer Ward says

Coady Media
White Sands is coming off an easy victory in the Prairie Gold Juvenile at Prairie Meadows.

White Sands, who has won the first two races of her career by a combined margin of 23 1/4 lengths, could move into graded company for her next start, trainer Wesley Ward said Saturday.

Ward said White Sands is under serious consideration for the Grade 3, $150,000 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar. The six-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies will be run Aug. 10.

Sun, 07/14/2024 - 16:34

Sierra Leone works half-mile for Jim Dandy Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Sierra Leone works Sunday morning on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Sierra Leone, runner-up in the Kentucky Derby and third as the favorite in the Belmont Stakes, continued preparations for the second half of his 3-year-old campaign Sunday by working a sharp half-mile in 48.74 seconds over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga.

Working by himself for the third straight week, Sierra Leone went his opening quarter in 25.31 seconds and his final quarter in 23.43 while continuing out five furlongs in 1:01.92, and six furlongs in 1:14.59.

Sierra Leone is pointing to the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy here on July 27.

Sun, 07/14/2024 - 10:34

Woodbine cancels Sunday program due to extreme heat

Julie Wright
Woodbine has rescheduled the Victoria Stakes for Friday after canceling Sunday's card.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine canceled Sunday’s card due to a forecast of excessive heat in the Toronto area. The decision was made in consultation with the HPBA and commission veterinarian.

The forecasted high for today is 28 degrees Celius or 82 degrees Fahrenheit, with considerable humidity.

The $125,000 Victoria Stakes has been rescheduled as is for Friday.

Live racing is scheduled to resume on Thursday; that card that has already been drawn. Post time is 4:50 p.m.

Wed, 07/10/2024 - 17:29

NYRA/FanDuel contract dispute at impasse on Saratoga eve

Barbara D. Livingston
The NYRA/FanDuel dispute centers on a rate hike on wagers made by New York residents.

The New York Racing Association and FanDuel remained at an impasse over a contract for NYRA’s Saratoga signal on the eve of the popular track’s opening day, according to officials with NYRA.

In a statement, Patrick McKenna, NYRA’s vice president of communications, said that no contract had been signed as of late Wednesday afternoon. A previous contract between the two sides allowing FanDuel and its horse racing account-wagering operation, TVG, to stream and offer wagering on NYRA’s races expired on July 1.

Tue, 07/09/2024 - 09:11

Quarantine forces Assiniboia to alter racing schedule

Assiniboia Downs has announced a temporary change to its racing schedule due to measures taken in response to a recent equine health concern.

Starting the week of July 15, racing will shift to a Monday-Tuesday schedule until Aug. 12, after which the regular Monday-through-Wednesday schedule will resume.