Richard “Richie” Scherer died early Saturday after living gallantly with cancer for several years.
Richie’s brother, Gary, confirmed the death Saturday morning. No arrangements had yet been made as of Saturday afternoon, Gary Scherer said.
The two Scherer brothers are among the six children of Merrill Scherer. Merrill, Gary, and Richie all are trainers, and for several years have stabled at Fair Grounds in New Orleans over the winter.
BALTIMORE – Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan card at Pimlico Race Course set a handle record when $19.89 million was wagered on the 14-race card.
Handle was up 6 percent over the record for a Black-Eyed Susan Day of $18.66 million set last year. The Friday card included seven stakes, topped by the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan and Grade 3 Pimlico Special.
An additional $750,000 was bet on the two-day Black-Eyed Susan-Preakness daily double, bringing total wagering Friday to more than $20 million.
The Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission has rescinded the 15-day suspension handed to trainer John Servis by the Parx Racing board of stewards after three of his horses tested positive for clenbuterol between April 4 and May 7, 2016.
The commission ruling, which was made Friday, cites "articulated mitigating circumstances." The first two rulings were upheld by the commission, but the third was amended, and Servis will be fined rather than suspended.
BALTIMORE – As of 6:15 p.m. Eastern on Friday, and with $217,355 in the win pool in advance wagering, Always Dreaming was a 4-5 favorite for the 142nd Preakness on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course.
Here’s the complete oddsboard:
(No., Horse, Odds)
1. Multiplier, 23-1
2. Cloud Computing, 19-1
3. Hence, 30-1
4. Always Dreaming, 4-5
5. Classic Empire, 5-2
6. Gunnevera, 10-1
7. Term of Art, 60-1
8. Senior Investment, 45-1
9. Lookin At Lee, 10-1
10. Conquest Mo Money, 12-1
BALTIMORE – Always Dreaming accounts for the lowest will-pay in the daily double linking the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. A $2 wager with the Black-Eyed Susan winner, Actress, with Always Dreaming will return $68.80. All-sources handle on the two-day wager was $777,599, up 4 percent from last year.
A tree fell on a barn at Saratoga Thursday night, causing some damage to the barn and destroying a truck parked nearby, but fortunately no horses or humans were hurt.
The tree, which may have beens struck by lightning from severe storms in the area, caused damage to Barn 49 near the kitchen on the Oklahoma side of the Saratoga barn area. There were three horses for trainer Michael Mareina stabled at the far end of the barn, but they were not injured and have been subsequently moved to another barn, according to Rick Wickman, the stall manager for the New York Racing Association.
Kendrick Carmouche, a leading rider at Parx for years who has endeared himself to New York racing fans with his aggressive riding style, has been voted the Mike Venezia Award, the New York Racing Association announced Thursday.
The Venezia Award is given to the jockey who exemplifies the extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship displayed by Venezia, who died from injuries suffered in a spill at Belmont in 1988.
The award is voted on by fans. Carmouche was selected over a group that included Joe Bravo, Javier Castellano, Rajiv Maragh, and Cornelio Velasquez.
BALTIMORE – Always Dreaming, the Kentucky Derby winner, drew post 4 and his main rival, Classic Empire, will start right alongside side him in post 5, those two among a field of 10 set on Wednesday to go in the 142nd Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico.
The post draw sets up a potential early battle between Always Dreaming, who was near the front throughout in the Derby, and Classic Empire, who was wiped out at the start of the Derby and was shuffled back early.
Don Munger, who bred, owned, and trained horses in Washington state for more than seven decades, died of congestive heart failure Monday. He was 93. His assistant trainer, Niccolo Troiani,will take over the training of his stable.
Munger, a World War II veteran who was injured in the battle of Iwo Jima, was off to a strong start at the meet, winning three races from 21 starts.
“Don Munger was a humble gentleman who made numerous contributions to Washington racing,” Emerald Downs president Phil Ziegler said Monday. “Thoroughbred racing lost an icon.”
BALTIMORE – For a guy who hasn’t spent much time here over the years, Todd Pletcher sure is making up for it as he approaches the Preakness Stakes on Saturday with Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming.
Pletcher has been at Pimlico for a week now, and his dinner choice has been as consistent and exacting as the way he approaches training every morning.
