Sun, 10/06/2024 - 20:07

Abreu points Scottish Lassie to Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

Walter Wlodarczyk/NYRA
Scottish Lassie earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure for Saturday's Frizette win at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Jorge Abreu sent out the runner-up in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with 17-1 shot Jody’s Pride. He hopes to be able to go one better in next month’s $2 million Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar with Scottish Lassie, the upset winner of Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette at Aqueduct.

Jody’s Pride went to the Breeders’ Cup off of two sprint victories and Abreu had a belief she would actually be better on the turf. Still, Jody’s Pride finished second, beaten a neck by Just F Y I.

Sun, 10/06/2024 - 19:26

Baffert still rules Santa Anita's early autumn graded stakes for juveniles

Benoit photo
Trainer Bob Baffert won the American Pharoah Stakes for the 13th time with Citizen Bull on Saturday..

ARCADIA, Calif. - The names of the races have changed from time to time. The results are often the same.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert continues to dominate Santa Anita’s early autumn graded stakes for juveniles.

On Saturday, Baffert won the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes for the 13th time with Citizen Bull. Earlier in the day, Non Compliant won the Grade 2 Oak Leaf Stakes for fillies, also a 13th win in the race for the stable.

Sun, 10/06/2024 - 15:07

Cozmic One's resume goes from racing, to jumping, and now ambassador

Barbara D. Livingston
Cozmic One retired from racing in 2017 and began a show-jumping career.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Cozmic One was bred for Thoroughbred racing success, as the son of champion and prominent sire Bernardini was the first foal produced by Hall of Fame racemare Zenyatta. But his calling, instead, was ambassadorship for the breed away from the racetrack.

Cozmic One is a graduate of the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover – and, after his successful jumping career, those in town for this week’s edition of the Makeover can now visit him in his third career of sorts, in his retirement at Old Friends in Georgetown, Ky.

Sun, 10/06/2024 - 14:56

Carmelita's Man retired after five seasons

Benoit photo
Carmelita's Man wins the California Dreamin' Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 5, 2023.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Carmelita’s Man, a durable gelding who campaigned through five seasons and won eight races, including three stakes for California-breds, has run his final race.

Owner Larry Jett and trainer Dean Pederson retired the 7-year-old after his fourth-place finish at Del Mar in the California Dreamin,’ a summer-season turf mile he won in 2022 and 2023.

Sun, 10/06/2024 - 14:46

Cal-bred sprinters take center stage at Santa Anita Oct. 12-13

Benoit photo
Connie Swingle is expected to start in the California Distaff on Oct. 12 at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. – California-bred sprinters on the Santa Anita hillside will be in the spotlight Oct. 12-13. The $100,000 California Distaff Handicap is Saturday; the $100,000 California Flag Handicap is Sunday.

While the California Distaff could include stakes winners Big Summer, Connie Swingle, Sassy Nature, and Stay and Scam, the California Flag open to both genders will not include the top three Cal-bred males currently racing or training toward a comeback.

Sun, 10/06/2024 - 13:36

Mystik Dan 'has a lot more racing in front of him,' trainer McPeek says

Barbara D. Livingston
Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan spent the summer at Magdalena Farm.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A horse who won’t be competing here this October is nevertheless one of the most famous horses currently stabled at Keeneland. 

Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan has been galloping daily at Keeneland since Oct. 3, after arriving the day prior from a vacation at trainer Ken McPeek’s Magdalena Farm in Lexington. The break from racetrack life of just shy of three months clearly agreed with the colt. He has put on weight – McPeek said about 150 pounds – and his coat has a healthy shine.

Sun, 10/06/2024 - 12:22

Sweet Azteca, after Chillingworth misfire, in wait-and-see mode for BC Filly and Mare Sprint

Benoit photo
Sweet Azteca went into Saturday's race riding a four-race winning streak.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Sweet Azteca’s puzzling misfire Saturday at Santa Anita did not knock her out of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint yet, but trainer Michael McCarthy will take a wait-and-see approach before planning her next start.

Sat, 10/05/2024 - 15:42

O'Brien: Hall of Fame racemare Tepin has died

Debra A. Roma
Hall of Famer Tepin won 13 of 23 starts over a four-season career.

The globe-trotting Hall of Fame racemare Tepin has died, according to Aidan O’Brien, the European-based trainer for her owner, Coolmore.

O’Brien spoke to the European press after saddling Tepin’s daughter Grateful to win the Group 1 Prix de Royallieu on Saturday at Longchamp.

“Tepin has unfortunately died, and I imagine that her daughter will eventually pick up the baton at stud sooner or later,” O’Brien said.

Fri, 10/04/2024 - 15:34

Stanley, former head of Kentucky equine drug-testing lab, denies allegations

Dr. Scott Stanley, the former director of a drug-testing laboratory at the University of Kentucky, has denied several allegations that underpinned the loss of the lab’s accreditation and his own removal as head of the facility.

Cristina Keith, Dr. Stanley’s attorney, said in a letter distributed to media on Friday that claims Stanley falsified results at the lab and improperly billed the Horseracing Integrity and Wagering Unit were unsupported by evidence. She also said that the accusations had inflicted “irreparable” harm on Stanley’s personal and professional reputation.

Fri, 10/04/2024 - 14:58

Six Heath Taylor-trained Quarter Horses euthanized at Lone Star, bringing total to 13

The Marksman V, winner of the $832,707 Ruidoso Derby in New Mexico in June, and 12 other Quarter Horses, all trained by Heath Taylor, have been euthanized in the last 10 days in California and Texas after being diagnosed with equine infectious anemia, Taylor and the California Horse Racing Board said on Thursday and Friday.

Taylor said on Friday that six of his horses at Lone Star Park have been euthanized after being diagnosed with equine infectious anemia. He did not name the individual runners, citing advice from Texas officials.