DEL MAR, Calif. - The 20-cent Rainbow pick six has a mandatory payout on Sunday’s closing day of the Del Mar summer meeting, and begins with a carryover of $166,281 from Saturday.
The pool of new money on Sunday may exceed $2 million.
The pick six covers the sixth through 11th races on a program that begins at 1 p.m., Pacific.
Godolphin swept honors as both National Owner of the Year and National Breeder of the Year as the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) held its annual awards presentations on Sept. 9 and 10 in Lexington, Ky.
Godolphin, who also swept Eclipse Award honors for 2021, was chosen as Owner of the Year over fellow finalists Klaravich Stables, Juddmonte, Hronis Racing, and the partnership of China Horse Club and WinStar Farm. National Breeder of the Year finalists included Stonestreet Farm and Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding.
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Lisa Giannelli, one of more than 30 people connected to horse racing who were indicted in 2020 on drug-related charges, was sentenced on Thursday to 3 1/2 years in prison.
In a jury trial in May, Giannelli, 56, was found guilty of a single charge of conspiracy to misbrand and adulterate drugs and faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Her lawyers appealed for a no-jail sentence of probation.
British monarch Queen Elizabeth II, who died Thursday at 96 in Scotland after reigning for seven decades, was, throughout her long life, a Thoroughbred owner and breeder and racing enthusiast who visited Kentucky many times.
Dr. Jeff Blea, who was placed on administrative leave from his position of equine medical director of the California Horse Racing Board early in 2022, will be reinstated to that position on Sept. 21 after reaching a settlement of a complaint from the California Veterinary Medical Board, according to his attorney.
Michael Casey, a Lexington, Ky., attorney, said Wednesday night that the settlement will require Blea to attend continuing-education classes on proper record-keeping and that Blea will be placed under a three-year probationary period.
Flightline, the undefeated 4-year-old colt who posted a generations-best 126 Beyer Speed Figure in his win in Saturday’s Pacific Classic, closed as the 4-5 favorite in last weekend’s Breeders’ Cup Classic pool, according to the Breeders’ Cup.
Flightline, who will train up to the Classic, closed at less than half his price in the first Breeders’ Cup Classic pool, held Aug. 5-8, when he was nearly 5-2 (a $2 win wager will return $6. 98). Flightline was favored in both pools over 22 other individual betting interests, along with an all-others entry.
DEL MAR, Calif. - All-sources handle at Del Mar reached $27.8 million on Saturday’s 11-race Pacific Classic program, the second-highest handle on a non-Breeders’ Cup Day in track history.
The figure, which includes ontrack, simulcasting and account-wagering sources, was down substantially from the figure of $36.02 million on Pacific Classic day in 2021, the fifth-highest handle in track history.
The four best days of handle in track history were Breeders’ Cup programs in 2017 and 2021.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Chad Brown will be the first to admit his Virginia Joy got away with an extremely soft pace as a steppingstone to her upsetting the prohibitive favorite War Like Goddess in Saturday’s Grade 2 Flower Bowl. But Brown was quick to add that it shouldn’t diminish the fact the hard-knocking mare still had to dig down deep to earn her third and most important graded stakes win of the year, one which came at the direct expense of the undisputed leader of the filly and mare turf division.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Stablemates Echo Again, arguably the most impressive debut-winning 2-year-old colt at this meet, and Grand Love, a debut-winning 2-year-old filly, returned to the Saratoga worktab Sunday morning, breezing five furlongs together in 1:00.64 over the Oklahoma training track.
The two Steve Asmussen-trained progeny of Gun Runner went their first quarter in 24.96 seconds and their final three furlongs in 35.68 while galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.46.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Justique, one of the most impressive maiden special winners among 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar this summer, will miss Saturday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante because of missed training time in August.
Trainer John Shirreffs said Sunday that Justique will be pointed to the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes, a $200,000 race at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Oct. 8.
