Michael J. Marten, an award-winning photographer whose specialty was Thoroughbred horse racing, died Monday night near his home in Del Mar, Calif. He was 54.
Joanne Nor, his longtime companion, said Tuesday that Marten had been in hospice care and had been suffering from cancer, which was diagnosed last fall.
Jonny Garcia, the regular exercise rider of I’ll Have Another, was expected to reunite with his Triple Crown candidate on Tuesday morning after resolving some paperwork issues that prevented him from being permitted to ride in New York.
As is the case with most things in racing, there are different requirements to get licensed in different jurisdictions. Garcia did not have the sufficient paperwork to be granted a New York license.
Age: 25, born Sept. 19, 1986, in Veracruz, Mexico
Family status: Single
• Started out with Quarter Horses raised and trained by his father
• Leading apprentice at Hipodromo de las Americas in Mexico City in 2005
• Began riding at Hastings in 2006 on the advice of Canadian trainer Terry Jordan and was the meet’s leading apprentice
• Leading rider at Hastings in 2007 and 2008, second in standings in 2009 and 2011
ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Doug O’Neill arrived in New York early Sunday morning following the red-eye flight from Southern California. Any jet-lag he may have felt from the cross-country trip dissipated after laying eyes on his Triple Crown hopeful I’ll Have Another.
“I thought he looked great; just going in the stall and seeing him, his legs were ice cold and he had cleaned up his feed tub,” said O’Neill, who arrived at Belmont around 6:15 a.m., 45 minutes after his plane landed. “He continues to amaze me the way he’s handled all this and continues to thrive.”
ELMONT, N.Y. - While Bob Baffert sent Kentucky Derby and Preakness runner-up Bodemeister home to California, the Hall of Fame trainer will still have a wild card to play in the June 9 Belmont Stakes with Paynter, who on Sunday worked a solid five furlongs over the Belmont Park training track.
[BELMONT STAKES: Video updates, expected field, early odds]
MIAMI - Shortly after Ravelo’s Boy worked seven furlongs in 1:28.29 at Calder on Sunday with jockey Alex Solis aboard, trainer Manny Azpurua confirmed that his horse will run in the Belmont Stakes on June 9.
[BELMONT STAKES: Video updates, expected field, early odds]
Rapid Redux, who set a North American record by winning 22 straight races, is being retired this week to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement center operated by Michael Blowen in Georgetown, Ky.
Owner Robert Cole said Saturday that he “probably misspoke” about the 6-year-old gelding being retired to the Kentucky Horse Park when he announced May 17 at the Alibi Breakfast at Pimlico that Rapid Redux was officially retired. Trained by David Wells, Rapid Redux made his final career start on Jan. 4 at Laurel Park when winning for the 22nd straight time.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Dale Romans might have felt a little disappointed when owner Jerry Crawford told him they were bypassing the Preakness with Dullahan. Romans felt the colt belonged in the Pimlico classic off his rousing third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, but Crawford wanted to take a more prudent route, saving Dullahan for the Belmont Stakes after his chance to win the Triple Crown was gone.
