Tommy Roberts, a radio and television pioneer who packaged the first full-card simulcast signals to be sold to Las Vegas casinos, ushering in the first modern age of racing, died on Aug. 14 at his home in Banner Elk, N.C., after a recurrence of cancer, according to family members. Roberts was 96.
Gerald Butler, a trainer based in Illinois for most of his 33-year career, has been provisionally suspended by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit on charges of possession of levothyroxine, a banned substance that stimulates thyroid function, according to a HIWU ruling.
Santa Anita plans to use its synthetic track infield surface for racing as early as the 2024-25 winter-spring meeting, track officials told the California Horse Racing Board at its monthly meeting on Thursday.
Santa Anita general manager Nate Newby said the course would be used in the event inclement weather forces races off the turf.
“We would look at that to maintain field sizes and still be able to operate,” Newby said.
The infield course has a circumference of about six furlongs.
The Chosen Vron, California’s top sprinter, will have his final prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 2 at Del Mar in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs over the same track Aug. 24.
The Chosen Vron won for the 19th time in his 24-race career with an impressive victory by 2 1/4 lengths in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs on July 27 at Del Mar.
After the Bing Crosby, trainer and co-owner Eric Kruljac said The Chosen Vron would be considered for the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Sept. 29 as a prep for the BC Sprint.
Touchuponstar, who is the reigning Louisiana-bred of the Year, is back in training after a freshening and is gearing up for a fall-winter campaign, according to owner Jake Delhomme.
The horse last raced in May and was second by a neck in the Grade 3, $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park near Dallas. Earlier this year, Touchuponastar ran second in the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds and won both the Premier Night Championship at Delta Downs and the Evangeline Downs Classic.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Seven-figure Nooni won the six-figure, Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar on Saturday in the manner of a promising filly expected to be at the top of the national division over the next 90 days.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Nooni led throughout the race for 2-year-old fillies to win by 1 1/2 lengths as the 1-2 favorite, remaining unbeaten after two starts. Nooni won her debut by 9 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita on June 13.
DEL MAR, Calif. - The three-race winning streak Anisette has amassed since last December will be more difficult to maintain in coming months.
On Saturday at Del Mar, Anisette won her second start of 2024 in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on turf, closing from fifth in the final sixteenth.
The win moved Anisette closer to an intended start in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 2. How she will be prepared for that race is undetermined.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Sierra Leone, most recently second to Fierceness in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes on July 27, worked a half-mile in 48.88 seconds Sunday morning over the Oklahoma training track as he continues preparations for a start in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 24.
Daily Racing Form caught Sierra Leon in splits of 13.11 seconds, 24.93, and he got his last quarter in 23.95 while galloping out in 1:02.12. He continued out six furlongs in 1:15.15 and seven in 1:29.18.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The last time - actually the only time - that California-based trainer Mark Glatt ran a horse at Saratoga it was not a pleasant experience. It was 2004, and the filly Elusive Diva finished sixth in the Grade 1 Test Stakes.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Enter Sandman into the fray of impressive Saratoga maiden winners who will be looking for stakes company next time out. Sandman, a seven-figure purchase earlier this year, won his second career start in the Saturday opener at Saratoga, handily tackling the seven-furlong distance.
