Let’s cut right to the chase in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s Preakness Stakes: Completing a sweep of the Triple Crown is going to be difficult for Justify.
Not that sweeping the Triple Crown is ever easy. It never is. Ever. I hope that’s clear.
BALTIMORE – Mother Nature finally won out at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday, forcing five of the day’s six turf races to the main track.
According to Georganne Hale, the director of racing for the Maryland Jockey Club, seven inches of rain has fallen at Pimlico since Tuesday.
On Friday, Black-Eyed Susan Day, management was able to keep three of the seven scheduled turf races on a soft course that was resulting in exceedingly slow times.
Joe Bravo won the Mike Venezia Memorial Award, presented annually to the jockey who best exemplifies extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship.
Bravo, 46, won the award following an online vote of racing fans. He beat out fellow nominees Javier Castellano, Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose Ortiz, and Manny Franco.
BALTIMORE – Goodonehoney overcame adversity to win her career debut. She stretched out from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles to take a stakes next time out. On Friday at Pimlico, Goodonehoney will try to stay perfect when she takes a major class jump in the Grade 2, $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan, the featured race on a strong 14-race program.
Goodonehoney’s victory in the $125,000 Weber City Miss at Laurel Park in April gave trainer Jason Egan his first stakes win. But when she joined his stable last November, she didn’t immediately stand out.
Tensions are escalating between the Jockeys’ Guild and the New York Racing Association over a number of health and safety issues and the fact the two parties have been operating without a contract since the beginning of the year.
On Saturday, about an hour before first post of Belmont’s 11-race card, the jockeys requested a meeting with NYRA management that resulted in a 37-minute delay to the start of the card.
NYRA, in a press release issued Tuesday afternoon, said the jockeys wanted to discuss things that weren’t part of the contract negotiations.
Edgar Prado won the 7,000th race of his career Tuesday at Parx when he guided Thefundsarelow to victory in race 6. Thefundsarelow, who is trained by Phil Aristone, won the $12,500 claiming race by a half-length.
The Parx riding colony gathered in the winner’s circle after the race to congratulate Prado on his milestone win.
Jack Sisterson, who has worked as an assistant to trainer Doug O’Neill twice since 2010, is going out on his own and will be a private trainer for the legendary Calumet Farm.
Sisterson, 33, will be based at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., with approximately 48 horses in a new barn that Calumet recently built near Rice Road. Calumet Farm is located 1 1/2 miles from Keeneland.
Sisterson completed his latest stint with O’Neill on Sunday, one day after he saddled Blended Citizen to win the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park for O’Neill.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Some great trainer-jockey friendships have been forged while teaming together on America’s racetracks. Charlie Whittingham and Bill Shoemaker. Bill Mott and Jerry Bailey. Woody Stephens and Eddie Maple. Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez.
Bolt d'Oro, 12th in the Kentucky Derby, will not run in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico and will instead be pointed to the $1.2 million Met Mile on the Belmont Stakes card June 9, owner-trainer Mick Ruis said Sunday morning.
Ruis said he wants to do "the best for Bolt, as much as I would love to run in the Preakness."
He said Bolt d'Oro is "doing great and looks fantastic." He has been training at Keeneland the past week with Ruis's Kentucky-based assistant, Austin Trites.
ELMONT, N.Y. – The start of Saturday’s stakes-filled 11-race card at Belmont Park was delayed more than 30 minutes when the jockeys called for a meeting with track management over a number of health and safety issues about a half-hour before scheduled first post.
The first race went off at 2:07 p.m., 37 minutes later than scheduled. Post for the Grade 1 Man o’ War - the last of 11 races on the card - originally scheduled for 6:50, was rescheduled for 7:22 p.m.
