LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The mutuel field occupied its customary spot as the favorite after the first full day of betting into the fourth and final pool in the 2014 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which began a three-day run Thursday at noon Eastern.
ARCADIA, Calif. - A formful day and a riding double by apprentice jockey Drayden Van Dyke led to a pick six payoff of $8,233 at Santa Anita on Thursday.
There were 58 winning pick six tickets on Thursday, a day that began with a carryover of $115,862 from Sunday. Bettors added $673,626 to the pool on Thursday. Consolation tickets with five winners were worth $101.60.
The winners of the pick six races were Do Some Magic ($4.60), No Ez Money ($7.60), Putahexonher ($9.60), Parliamentarian ($19.60), Christopher Street ($6.40) and Moscato Girl ($4).
“Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been.’ ”
– John Greenleaf Whittier
On March 30, 1957, the sixth running of the Florida Derby brought together two legendary stables, two future Hall of Fame jockeys, and two supremely talented colts for one of the most memorable contests ever staged at Gulfstream Park. In a supreme piece of irony, only the loser was destined for equine immortality.
Late October 1956
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The mutuel field occupied its customary spot as the favorite after the opening hours of betting into the fourth and final pool in the 2014 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which began a three-day run Thursday at noon Eastern.
As of 4:30 p.m., and with $22,660 in the win pool, the field, the 24th or “all others option,” was the 6-1 favorite, followed by California Chrome (9-1), Social Inclusion (9-1), Constitution (10-1), Cairo Prince (13-1), Hoppertunity (16-1), Intense Holiday (16-1), and Samraat (16-1). Another $9,634 had been bet in exactas.
Trainer Christophe Clement will seek a seventh victory in the Grade 2, $150,000 Orchid Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on Saturday at Gulfstream Park with the uncoupled entry of Aigue Marine and Antonia Autumn.
In a seemingly wide-open renewal of the Grade 3, $100,000 Appleton Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, the New York-bred Kharafa could offer value in his first start of the year.
In his last 10 starts, Kharafa has 4 wins and 4 seconds, albeit against mostly New York-breds. He did end his 4-year-old season last year with a victory at Aqueduct in the Three Coins Up, an open-company stakes that included several New York-breds.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Admiral Kitten has won stakes at distance from a mile to 1 1/4 miles. Saturday, he will try to expand his horizons when he runs in the Grade 2, $200,000 Pan American Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Gulfstream Park.
Admiral Kitten was one of 11 horses entered in the Pan Am, but Amira’s Prince will scratch and instead run in Saturday’s Mervin Muniz Stakes at Fair Grounds.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Devil’s Cave’s lone loss in her last three starts came when she was second in the Sunshine Millions Distaff, her only start at 1 1/8 miles.
Marty Wolfson, the trainer of Devil’s Cave, doesn’t believe the distance had anything to do with the defeat.
Though jockey Joel Rosario got her to go six furlongs in a relatively easy 1:14.39, Wolfson said Devil’s Cave is better when she’s allowed to run immediately from the start.
Indian Jones, who in the span of slightly more than three months went from being claimed for $25,000 to within a whisker of winning a Grade 3 stakes, received three major awards, including Pennsylvania’s horse of the year for 2013, during the annual awards dinner of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association on Wednesday night at Parx Racing.
The awards recognize the best achievements by horses and individuals at Parx in suburban Philadelphia.
Racing was set to resume at Turf Paradise on Wednesday after the track bought additional insurance that will cover riders for up to $1 million in medical bills in the event of a catastrophic accident.
Darrell Haire, a representative of the Jockeys’ Guild, said Wednesday morning that jockeys had decided they would ride the Wednesday card because of the additional insurance. On Tuesday, jockeys refused to ride after demanding that Turf Paradise increase its insurance coverage from $500,000 to $1 million.
