Turfway Park has canceled its Saturday evening race card in anticipation of cold, snow, and high winds that were expected to generate subzero wind-chill temperatures.
The $75,000 Cincinnati Trophy Stakes, which had been the planned centerpiece Saturday evening, has been rescheduled for Sunday, Feb. 22. The race serves as a prep for the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks, the supporting stakes race on the Spiral Stakes card March 21 at Turfway.
Laurel Park canceled its Sunday card on Saturday morning as dangerously low temperatures, high winds, and snow were forecast for Saturday evening.
Temperatures in the single digits were predicted for Sunday morning, and winds were expected to be in the 20 mph range, with gusts up to 50 mph possible.
This is winter carnival weekend at Laurel, with three stakes carded for both Saturday and Monday. There were no stakes on the Sunday card.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Gary Stevens rode his 5,000th winner in North America in Friday’s fourth race at Santa Anita aboard Catch a Flight, a 5-year-old who may be on his way to important stakes in the coming weeks.
Catch a Flight ($3.60) won an optional claimer at 1 1/8 miles on dirt in 1:49.09, holding off a late rally from 8-1 Sammy Mandeville. Stevens, who has won at least 139 races in six countries outside of North America, downplayed the milestone to an extent.
Trainer David Jacobson called an audible Friday morning and decided not to enter Salutos Amigos in the $250,000 General George Handicap on Monday at Laurel Park.
Salutos Amigos would have been favored in the Grade 3 General George off his impressive come-from-behind victory last Saturday in the Toboggan Stakes at Aqueduct. Salutos Amigos made up four lengths in the final furlong of the Toboggan to overpower the front-running Dads Caps in deep stretch and win by 1 3/4 lengths. He earned a 108 Beyer Speed Figure.
California Chrome continues to collect Horse of the Year titles.
In January, the popular colt was honored with Eclipse Awards as the 2014 Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male.
On Monday, California Chrome was honored as the 2014 California-bred Horse of the Year, champion 3-year-old and champion turf horse. The ceremony was held at the California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s awards dinner in Pasadena, Calif.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Irving Orozco was sentenced to 90 days in jail this week after two warrants were issued for his arrest. The jockey had violated terms stemming from misdemeanor charges in the last two years, according to California Horse Racing Board officials and public records.
Orozco is believed to have not complied with terms stemming from a charge of driving under the influence issued in 2014. The terms of that penalty included community service and counseling.
Arapahoe Park plans to put on the richest day of racing in the history of Colorado at its upcoming meet by packaging its most prestigious Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse stakes into a single program Aug. 16. The closing-day card will be worth more than $385,000, with the four stakes on the program to include a pair of Thoroughbred offerings, the $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity and $100,000 Arapahoe Park Classic.
Arapahoe opens its 39-date mixed meet on May 22.
Evangeline Downs in Opelousas, La., has announced a 21-race, $1.9 million stakes schedule for its Thoroughbred meet that opens on April 8. The highlight is the $300,000 Evangeline Downs Turf Sprint on May 30. The 84-date meet will run through Aug. 29.
The Evangeline Downs Turf Sprint, a five-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up, will be showcased on a special afternoon card of five stakes worth $640,000. The program’s date has been positioned about three weeks earlier than last season, when the inaugural Turf Sprint won by Heitai was held in the latter part of June.
With bitterly cold temperatures in the forecast, Aqueduct’s Friday card has been canceled, the New York Racing Association announced Thursday.
It is the ninth full card to be canceled and 10th cancellation overall of the winter meet.
According to Weather.com, temperatures Friday are not expected to reach 20 degrees, and with winds blowing in at 20 to 30 miles per hour, wind chill is expected to be in the low single digits.
Dortmund
Big Brown – Our Josephina, by Tale of the Cat
(Bred in Kentucky by Emilie Gerlinde Fojan; $140,000 purchase by Donato Lanni, agent, at 2014 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale)
