The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved motions Thursday for findings of probable cause to charge jockey John Velazquez and chief state steward John Veitch with violations of racing rules in connection with the Life At Ten incident in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic.
Velazquez was cited for three possible violations while Veitch was cited for five. Both face hearings to determine if the commission will seek penalties.
Life At Ten, working for the first time since she was eased to the wire in the Breeders' Cup Ladies; Classic, breezed an easy three furlongs in 38.50 seconds for trainer Todd Pletcher on Sunday at Palm Meadows.
“She came back to us here around Christmas time,” said Pletcher. “After what happened in the Breeders’ Cup, the owners decided they’d like to try her again this year. Right now, I really have no plans for her."
Pletcher did say it was doubtful Life At Ten would be pointed to the Gradse 3, $150,000 Rampart at Gulfstream Park on April 2.
When trainer Todd Pletcher was seeking a ready-made horse for owner Candy DeBartolo in fall 2007, he contacted Gary Young, a respected clocker and bloodstock agent in Southern California, and asked him to find a horse who was ready to win next time out.
Young suggested a 2-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon who had raced just once, finishing second in that debut.
That horse was Life At Ten, and, as Young predicted, she won her next start. But over the course of the next two seasons, the oversized filly could not break through to the next level.
LEXINGTON, Ky., - At a Monday meeting of the the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission here, the panel's chairman, Robert Beck, said that the commission's staff is conducting a review into the performance of Life At Ten during the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission is continuing to review the circumstances surrounding the poor performance of the filly Life At Ten in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at Churchill Downs last Friday, the chief steward of the commission said on Thursday.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When you have a horse who has won six consecutive races in distances from six furlongs to 1 1/4 miles, one would figure to be quite confident entering the next race.
But when the field for that next race includes the reigning Horse of the Year, it’s a little difficult to be too confident. Such is the case for trainer Todd Pletcher, who will send out Life At Ten against Rachel Alexandra in Sunday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga.
The Personal Ensign will go as race 10 on an 11-race card that begins at 1 p.m. Eastern.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Despite a power outage that left him unable to bring his horses to the main track early, and heavy rains that left the Oklahoma training track sloppy, trainer Todd Pletcher still worked a handful of his major stakes horses Sunday morning.
Life At Ten, who is targeting next Sunday’s Grade 1 Personal Ensign Invitational here and a meeting with Rachel Alexandra, worked five furlongs in 1:02.82 in company with the 2-year-old Stopspendingmaria over the Oklahoma training track.
