ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The 2020 stakes schedule at Woodbine will include 87 stakes worth more than $16.5 million in purses.
The schedule, released Thursday, is highlighted by three $1 million stakes, the Queen’s Plate on June 27, the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on Sept. 19, and the Grade 1 Canadian International on Oct. 18. The purse of the Canadian International was $800,000 this year.
NEW ORLEANS – Midnight Bisou had her first post-Breeders’ Cup timed workout on Thursday morning at Fair Grounds, if only barely.
Trainer Steve Asmussen gave Midnight Bisou the lightest of half-mile drills, the star 4-year-old filly clocking 53.60 seconds, barely quick enough to make the published work tab.
“Just let her stretch her legs a little,” Asmussen said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Storm the Court’s comeback planned for February at Santa Anita is likely to be postponed, and the forecast of rain Dec. 23-27 could push the 2020 debut for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner into March.
Trainer Peter Eurton initially planned for Storm the Court to resume workouts in the middle of December, but weather and temporary closure of the Santa Anita track for renovation produced unexpected challenges.
The imposing presence of multiple Grade 1 winner Imperial Hint and reigning Dubal Golden Shaheen winner X Y Jet will keep the starting lineup to a classy but compact six horses in Saturday’s $100,000 Mr. Prospector. The Mr. Prospector will be decided at seven furlongs.
Imperial Hint enters the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector off Grade 1 victories in the Alfred Vanderbilt and Vosburgh but was scratched by track veterinarians due to a minor foot issue the morning of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Javier Castellano again has the mount.
Serengeti Empress, who won the 2019 Kentucky Oaks and was third last month in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, is back under tack at Woodford Farm in Ocala, Fla., and could return to trainer Tom Amoss’s Fair Grounds barn in a week or so, Amoss said Wednesday.
That is a slightly accelerated schedule compared to what was anticipated a few weeks ago and could lead to an earlier start to Serengeti Empress’s 2020 campaign than had initially been envisioned.
NEW ORLEANS – Big sister had her first post-Breeders’ Cup work Wednesday at Fair Grounds, while little sister is set for her second career start here on Saturday.
Street Band, who sits near the top of the 3-year-old filly class of 2019, worked three furlongs Wednesday at Fair Grounds, her first timed workout since a disappointing, if somewhat troubled, eighth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Street Band is capable of much better than that, as evidenced through wins in the Grade 1 Cotillion, Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks, and Grade 3 Indiana Oaks earlier this year.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Kelly Breen had a strong 2018-19 winter meet at Aqueduct, winning nine races from 29 starters.
This winter, Breen has 16 head stabled in New York, led by Han Sense, a recent claim who will seek stakes success in Saturday’s $125,000 Queens County at 1 1/8 miles. Han Sense was one of seven entered Wednesday for the Queens County.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Independence Hall, dominant winner of the Grade 3 Nashua Stakes on Nov. 3, worked five furlongs in 1:01 Wednesday morning over the Tapeta training track at Fair Hill in Maryland. He is preparing for a start in the $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct on Jan. 1.
Trainer Michael Trombetta said Independence Hall worked over the synthetic surface because the main dirt track still was wet from rain earlier in the week. Independence Hall has had all three of his breezes over Fair Hill’s synthetic surface since winning the Nashua by 12 1/4 lengths.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Wagering on the 2019 Woodbine Thoroughbred meet produced all-sources handle of $516,189,880, which is the second-largest handle in track history and the third straight year that it exceeded a half-billion dollars.
The 131-day meet had 1,212 races, 45 fewer than last year, which contributed to the all-sources handle being down 3.2 percent compared to 2018. The average field size per race was 8.2 horses, compared to 8.3 last year. There were two canceled cards.
International wagering on Woodbine Thoroughbred racing generated a handle of $402,370,379.
