BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Looking remarkably fresh, wearing a wide smile, and obviously eager to get back to what he does best, jockey John Velazquez was at the Palm Meadows training center on Sunday morning to work a pair of horses, including Coup de Grace, whom Velazquez will be aboard when he returns to action Saturday in the Grade 2, $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
“I’m doing really well,” Velazquez said. “All I need now is the doctor’s release.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – For Wise Dan, winning Eclipse Awards is as easy as one, two, three.
Wise Dan completed an unprecedented trifecta Saturday night, becoming the first horse to win three Eclipse Awards in consecutive years by making off with titles as 2013 Horse of the Year, champion older male, and champion male turf horse – the same categories he swept in 2012 – at the 43rd annual Eclipse Awards dinner at Gulfstream Park.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - John Velazquez, who has not ridden since sustaining serious injuries when thrown from his mount Secret Compass during the running of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, will return to the saddle next Saturday, according to his agent Angel Cordero Jr.
Velazquez had to have his spleen removed while also sustaining other internal injuries as a result of the mishap in the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita. He began working horses for the first time last weekend at Palm Meadows.
HALLENDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Eddie Kenneally had to sweat out a close photo and then a stewards’ inquiry before putting the exclamation mark on a big day with Star Channel’s narrow victory over Old Time Hockey in Saturday’s $150,000 Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream Park. Kenneally also won the Sunshine Filly and Mare Sprint earlier in the afternoon with Ullapool.
It was also the third straight stakes win on the card for jockey Jose Lezcano.
Legendary Maryland-based trainer King Leatherbury moved into fourth place on Thoroughbred racing’s all-time win list by saddling two winners Saturday afternoon at Laurel Park.
Leathebury, 80, now stands at 6,418 victories, one ahead of Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg. Only the late Dale Baird (9,445), Steve Asmussen (6,644), and Jerry Hollendorfer (6,569) have more career victories. Scott Lake ranks sixth with 5,242 wins, nearly 1,000 behind Leatherbury and Van Berg.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Parranda may finally begin to receive the respect she deserves after posting her third stakes victory in the last four starts, and doing so impressively, when she rallied to a three-length triumph over the 24-1 E B Ryder in Saturday’s $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park.
Penn National late Friday lifted a quarantine on a barn it had imposed earlier in the day after an ailing horse in the barn tested negative for the highly contagious disease equine herpesvirus, officials said.
Penn placed the quarantine on barn 17 early Friday morning when the horse, Taste of Punch, began displaying neurologic symptoms consistent with the disease. Tests on blood pulled from the horse tested negative Friday afternoon, said Chris McErlean, vice president of racing for Penn National’s parent company.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Two horses based at Santa Anita with trainer Tim Yakteen have tested positive for equine herpesvirus, the California Horse Racing Board and the trainer confirmed on Friday.
Yakteen identified the horses as Santa Fe Belle and Easy Ten. They have not raced.
The health of the horses is not considered to be in danger, according to Yakteen.
A little more than a year and a half after running 10th behind I’ll Have Another in the 2012 Kentucky Derby, DADDY NOSE BEST has developed into the top turf horse in this region. A winner of four of his last five, including the Diliberto in dominant fashion Dec. 21, he could not be in better form. Over that stretch he has rallied successfully from behind fast and slow paces – only faltering on wet ground.
