FRANKLIN, Ky. – Racing officials and jockeys agreed to cancel the last eight races of a scheduled 10-race Thursday card at Kentucky Downs because of dangerously soft spots on the turf course.
Heavy overnight rain soaked the undulating course in certain spots and left jockeys leery of riding after the first two races were run in very slow times. Track-maintenance crews worked on at least two affected spots on the course when trying to salvage the card, to no avail.
The Consignors and Commercial Breeders Association, a trade group representing the interests of Thoroughbred auction participants, has joined a lobbying group that supports legislation that would give the United States Anti-Doping Agency control over Thoroughbred racing’s medication policies and drug-testing, the lobbying group announced on Tuesday.
Gulfstream Park had a mandatory payout in the Rainbow 6 jackpot on Monday, and tickets with all six winners paid $261,743.60 each. The sequence ran on races 6-11, and the winning numbers were 11-6-9-9-4-13.
Gulfstream had a $662,400 carryover in the Rainbow 6 heading into the card, and the pool Monday exceeded $2 million. The highest-priced winner during the sequence came in the eighth race with Amaluna ($44.40), while ninth-race winner Rancho ($36) was the first career winner for 18-year-old apprentice jockey Christopher McIntosh.
All good things must come to an end, and so it was Monday for two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan, whose connections retired him just a few days short of an intended comeback race in the Woodbine Mile.
Trainer Charlie LoPresti noticed swelling in Wise Dan’s lower leg while he was being bathed after training Monday morning, a scan was performed on the area, and Wise Dan was diagnosed with a torn tendon.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Blessed by beautiful weather, full fields, and the appearance of a Triple Crown winner, Saratoga set records for all-sources and ontrack handle in 2015.
All-sources handle at the 40-day meet that concluded Monday was $648,272,805, a 12.7 percent increase over last year’s total of $575,072,211. This year’s figure broke the previous record of $590,187,876, set in 2012.
Ontrack handle was $157,647,599, a 4.8 percent increase over last year’s figure of $150,387,443. The previous record for ontrack handle was $150,637,998, set in 2012.
There is a $662,400 carryover in the Rainbow 6 jackpot Monday at Gulfstream Park, and there will be a mandatory payout. The jackpot has not been hit for the past 31 programs, dating back to the middle of July.
Gulfstream had guaranteed the pool at $1 million for Sunday. Track officials project the pool could top $2 million Monday.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – There will be a pick six carryover of $448,912 at Saratoga on Monday’s closing-day card, and the entire pool must be paid out.
The carryover was assured when Outtacypresshills, a 20-1 shot, out-finished Madison Blues by 1 3/4 lengths. Had Madison Blues won, there would have been one winner in the pick six.
Gulfstream Park will guarantee the Rainbow 6 jackpot pool at $1 million for Sunday, the track announced. The jackpot has not been hit for the past 29 cards. Gulfstream had guaranteed the jackpot pool at $850,000 for its Florida Sire Stakes card Saturday.
The bet, which has a 20-cent minimum, will run on races 6-11 on Sunday.
The jackpot is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket with all six winners in the sequence.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Secret Circle, the winner of the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Sprint and $2 million Golden Shaheen for sprinters in Dubai in March, has been retired and will stand at stud in 2016, trainer Bob Baffert said on Thursday.
Baffert said a deal with a stallion farm has not been finalized, and that discussions will take place in coming weeks and months.
