The Texas Thoroughbred Association on Thursday issued a statement supporting historical racing in advance of a Texas Racing Commission meeting at which the panel will consider repealing rules passed last year that provide for the electronic parimutuel game. The commission meeting is Tuesday in Austin.
Jockey Weldon Cloninger Jr., who rode regularly in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and the Southwest, died Sunday of cancer at Cleveland Clinic Hospital. He was 46.
A native of Dallas, Texas, Cloninger began galloping Quarter Horses at age 16, and started his professional riding career at 18, taking his first mounts at Louisiana Downs in 1991. He earned his first stakes win that year in the Southern Belle Stakes aboard Read Mix.
Angel Suarez Medero, the jockey who was charged with burglary by Bucks County, Pa., police in December, was sentenced to four to 23 months in the county prison after pleading no-contest to the charge, according to Pennsylvania news sources.
Russell Baze, winner of 12,631 races, will represent the United States in the World All-Star Jockeys competition on Aug. 29-30 at Sapporo Racecourse in Japan.
The 57-year-old Baze last rode in Japan when he finished fifth aboard Hawkster in the Japan Cup in 1989.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The presence of two-time champion Beholder has made the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic on Saturday far more interesting than it would be if it instead was a rerun of the same group of older male runners out here, and she appears to be coming into the race in excellent form, based on her final workout Monday at Del Mar.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The connections of Secret Gesture plan to appeal her disqualification from first to third Saturday in the Grade 1, $700,000 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington, according to an official for the International Racing Bureau, which coordinates and facilitates the shipping of European horses.
Secret Gesture, ridden by Jamie Spencer for owners Qatar Racing and Newsells Park Stud and trainer Ralph Becket, finished first in the Beverly D. by 1 1/4 lengths over Watsdachances, with Stephanie’s Kitten third by a neck.
The Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $350,000 on Saturday, Gulfstream Park announced. The jackpot has not been hit for 16 race dates, since July 16, when it paid $164,483.
The Rainbow 6 sequence will run on races 6-11 on Saturday. It opens with an optional $62,500 claimer for older sprinters and closes with a Lasix-free sprint for 2-year-old fillies that drew 12.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux had Breathalyzer readings of 0.047 and 0.041 between races at Del Mar on July 29, the day he was taken off his final two mounts and later cited by California Horse Racing Board investigators for being under the influence of alcohol.
