Wed, 02/18/2015 - 12:06

Arapahoe Park to give bonuses for large fields

Arapahoe Park plans to offer a purse bonus for races with large fields and a purse penalty for races with small fields, the Colorado track announced Wednesday.

Claiming races with field sizes of 10 or more will have a purse increase of 10 percent, while claiming races with field sizes of seven or fewer will have a 10 percent purse reduction, according to a release. Allowance and maiden special weight fields of eight or more horses will have a pure increase of 10 percent, while allowances and maiden special weights with six or fewer horses will have a 10 percent purse reduction.

Wed, 02/18/2015 - 11:11

Mahoning Valley overnight purses get 5 percent boost

Overnight purses at Mahoning Valley Race Course will rise by about 5 percent beginning March 2.

According to Mark Loewe, vice president of Ohio Racing for Penn National Gaming, overnight daily purses will now average $76,000, with individual race purses ranging from $5,300 to $16,000.

Maiden special weight horses currently running for a $12,000 purse will now compete for $13,200. First-level allowance purses will rise from $13,500 to $14,200. The top non-stakes purse for Ohio-breds, formerly $25,000, will rise to $25,800.

Wed, 02/18/2015 - 11:10

TVG acquires lone television competitor HRTV

Television Games Network, the most widely distributed live-racing broadcast channel in the U.S., has acquired its only television broadcast competitor, HRTV, and will gain the exclusive broadcast rights for the racetracks owned by the Stronach Group for seven years, the companies announced Wednesday.

Tue, 02/17/2015 - 14:58

Training delay for Moonshine Mullin

Tom Keyser
Moonshine Mullin has earned $644,000 since being claimed for $40,000 last November by trainer Randy Morse.

Moonshine Mullin, a Grade 1 winner who has been in training at Oaklawn, recently had a splint bone removed, trainer Randy Morse said on Saturday.

There is an outside chance that the horse could be ready for the Grade 2, $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap on April 11, but Morse said he will not rush Moonshine Mullin.

“It’s a long year,” said Morse.

Tue, 02/17/2015 - 09:35

Southwest Stakes rescheduled for Sunday

The Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest Stakes, a major prep for the Arkansas Derby, has been rescheduled for Sunday, said David Longinotti, director of racing for Oaklawn Park. The Southwest was to have been run Monday but was canceled due to a winter storm system that landed in Arkansas.

Oaklawn was unable to train Tuesday due to a second overnight freeze. The loss of two consecutive dates of training led officials to push the Southwest from a potential Saturday date to Sunday.

Mon, 02/16/2015 - 17:01

Former trainer Dorfman dies at 92

ARCADIA, Calif. – Leonard Dorfman, who trained such well-known California-based stakes winners as Biggs, Joni U. Bar, McCann’s Mojave, and Travel Orb in a 46-year training career, died Sunday, according to a statement released Monday by Santa Anita’s publicity department.

Dorfman was 92. He had been living with family in Round Rock, Texas, in recent years following his retirement from training in 2005.

Mon, 02/16/2015 - 09:24

Golden Gate Fields race declared a 'no contest'

Sunday’s first race at Golden Gate Fields was declared a “no contest” when the starting gate in the one-mile race could not be removed from the track due to an equipment malfunction.

Jockeys were able to pull up their horses with no injuries after outriders and assistant starters ran up the track to the far turn to warn them.

All wagers, with the exceptions of the pick five and pick three, were refunded. In those two races, all bettors were credited with a win in the first leg.

Sun, 02/15/2015 - 11:16

Aqueduct cancels Monday card

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – With the Northeast in the grip of a prolonged cold spell, New York Racing Association officials have canceled Monday’s Presidents Day card at Aqueduct, the third card lost to weather in the last four days and the 11th full program lost this winter.

Sat, 02/14/2015 - 15:10

All American Futurity receives record number of nominations

Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico has received a record 1,434 nominations for the 2016 running of the All American Futurity, the track announced late Friday. The number of Quarter Horses nominated is up 10 percent from a year ago, with their payments also making them eligible for the 2016 runnings of the Ruidoso and Rainbow futurities at Ruidoso.

The nominations to the three-race series called the Triple Crown closed in January.

Sat, 02/14/2015 - 13:05

Aqueduct cancels Sunday card due to bad weather

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – With an impending storm that will bring not only snow but frigid temperatures to the metropolitan area, New York Racing Association officials announced that Sunday’s nine-race Aqueduct card has been canceled.

It is the 10th full card lost to weather this year. An 11th program lost the final seven races.

Aqueduct joined Laurel Park and Parx Racing as Northeast tracks that announced Saturday that they would be canceling Sunday’s programs due to the storm.