David Grening

Richard Hamilton, a longtime racing official best known as a steward for the New York Racing Association, died Wednesday night in Albany, N.Y. after having a heart attack. He was 76.

A Hall of Fame trainer and a four-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, he is hoping Optimizer can represent him May 5 in this year’s Derby, which is expected to include horses trained by former assistants Todd Pletcher (Gemologist and possibly El Padrino), Mike Maker (Hansen), and Kiaran McLaughlin (Alpha). He was interviewed last weekend at Oaklawn Park.

Birthdate: Sept. 2, 1935, in Antigo, Wisc.

Family: divorced; son, Jeff

I’ll Have Another, the winner of the Santa Anita Derby and one of the top California-based contenders for the Kentucky Derby, breezed six furlongs in 1:13.60 at Hollywood Park on Thursday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Princess Arabella, who won the Sunland Park Oaks in her stakes debut on March 25, has been retired, trainer Bob Baffert said on Thursday.

Unbeaten in three starts, Princess Arabella was considered a leading candidate for the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 4.

“She strained a ligament, so she’ll need some time off,” Baffert said. “They decided to retire her.”

By Any Given Saturday, Princess Arabella is owned by Peachtree Stable.

Penn National Gaming Inc., the owner of 26 casinos and racetracks in 19 North American jurisdictions, had net income of $78.6 million in the first quarter of 2012, a 53-percent increase over net income of $51.5 million in the first quarter of last year, according to financial documents released on Thursday.

To much of the racing world, trainer Michael Matz first gained prominence during the spring of 2006, when he brought the unbeaten colt Barbaro to the Kentucky Derby and made off with the sport’s most coveted prize.

In the weeks leading up to the race, much was made over the fact Barbaro would be attempting to win the Derby without having raced for five weeks, something that had not been accomplished in 50 years. Although Matz had been training Thoroughbred racehorses for less than a decade, he was relying on three decades of experience around elite equine athletes.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Secret Circle, a four-time stakes winner who was a well-beaten second to Bodemeister in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park last weekend, will be given a rest in coming weeks and will not start in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5, trainer Bob Baffert said on Thursday.

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Todd Pletcher has scheduled Gemologist’s first work since his victory in the Grade 1 Wood for Sunday morning at Palm Meadows but could be forced to call an audible and move the drill up at least one day with rain in the forecast for all of south Florida this weekend.

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – For a horse who won the Grade 1 Florida Derby and defeated then division leader Union Rags less than three weeks ago, Take Charge Indy is receiving virtually no respect and hardly a mention in any discussions focusing on the leading contenders for this year’s Kentucky Derby. All of that suits Take Charge Indy’s trainer, Pat Byrne, just fine.

“I like to be flying under the radar,” Byrne said shortly after Take Charge Indy worked five furlongs in 1:01.47 at a very quiet Palm Meadows training center shortly after dawn on Thursday morning.

WHO’S HOT
Bodemeister rocketed to the top of the charts following his overpowering victory in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. He was so impressive that Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper, has made him the 9-2 favorite on his future line for the May 5 Kentucky Derby. Dullahan, who rallied strongly to win the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, is down to 10-1 this week after being 30-1 a week ago.