Fri, 11/08/2019 - 09:50

Beschizza heading early to Fair Grounds

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Adam Beschizza led the Fair Grounds jockey standings entering Thursday's card.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Adam Beschizza is leaving this circuit to arrive early at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, where the 2019-20 meet begins Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28. Beschizza was the leading jockey at the 2018-19 Fair Grounds meet.

Beschizza had hoped to resume riding at Churchill after recovering from a fractured collarbone suffered in an Oct. 9 spill on the Keeneland turf course, but circumstances were such that “it just made more sense for him to get all settled in” at Fair Grounds, said agent Liz Morris.

“He’d really like to be leading rider again,” Morris said.

Fri, 11/08/2019 - 09:46

Dennis' Moment, none worse for Breeders' Cup Juvenile stumble, heads to farm for a break

Barbara D. Livingston
Dennis' Moment (right) was favored in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but stumbled out of the gate and lost all chance.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Dennis’ Moment left the Dale Romans stable at Churchill Downs early Thursday for WinStar Farm, where the star-crossed colt will get about 45 days off before being reunited with his trainer in Florida sometime next month.

Romans said the Albaugh Family Stables colt was examined “really closely” by equine veterinarian John Garrity prior to being sent to WinStar in Versailles, Ky.

Wed, 11/06/2019 - 14:50

Haikal works for return from long layoff

Debra A. Roma
Haikal earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95 for his victory in the Gotham Stakes.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Haikal, who won the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes in the spring, worked four furlongs in 50.90 seconds on Wednesday morning over the Belmont Park training track as he gets closer to a return to the races.

Haikal started five lengths behind a stablemate and made up all but one at the wire. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said the workmate, Qaabil, started too far in front at the beginning of the work.

Wed, 11/06/2019 - 14:50

Tax forgos Kentucky trip for Discovery Stakes

Susie Raisher
Tax works a half-mile over the Belmont training track in 50.40 seconds on Friday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After flirting with the idea of sending Tax to Churchill Downs for Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Commonwealth Turf for 3-year-olds, trainer Danny Gargan said the goal for the Jim Dandy winner will be the Grade 3, $250,000 Discovery on dirt on Nov. 30 at Aqueduct.

Wed, 11/06/2019 - 14:46

Full field for Atlantic Beach Stakes

Coady Photography
Embolden wins the Jamestown Stakes at Colonial Downs by 3 3/4 lengths.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The $100,000 Atlantic Beach for 2-year-olds going a mile on Saturday is a popular race as 14 were entered. Only 12 will be permitted to start in the six-furlong turf stakes.

The field includes Freewheeler, Embolden, and Jack and Noah, the second-, third- and fourth-place finishers behind Four Wheel Drive in the Grade 3 Futurity on Oct. 6 at Belmont. Four Wheel Drive won last week’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.

Wed, 11/06/2019 - 14:40

Purses at Texas tracks, starting with Sam Houston, will increase dramatically in 2020

Sam Houston has announced significant upgrades to its purse structure for the 39-date meet that opens Jan. 10. The track, which is running seven more dates than last year, races through March 28.

Wed, 11/06/2019 - 14:40

Foster has built strong Louisiana operation

Lou Hodges Jr./Hodges Photography
Joey Foster has starters in two of the three allowance races at Delta Downs on Friday.

Trainer Joey Foster has built up a stable to be reckoned with in Louisiana and on Friday night will saddle starters in two of the three allowances carded at Delta Downs.

Foster, 57, won his fourth Louisiana Downs training title at the end of September. He’s since set up divisions of his stable at Delta and Fair Grounds, which opens Nov. 28.

“He’s a really underrated horseman,” said Morris Nicks, the retired trainer who has longstanding ties to Foster. “He can train with anybody.”

Wed, 11/06/2019 - 14:36

Artie Schiller Stakes Plan B for Caribou Club

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Caribou Club wins the Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup under Feargal Lynch.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The $150,000 Artie Schiller Stakes is figuratively and literally a long way from the Breeders’ Cup Mile. But it could end up being an ideal backup plan for Caribou Club, who on Wednesday was one of 10 horse entered in Saturday’s Artie Schiller going one mile at Aqueduct.

Wed, 11/06/2019 - 12:32

All Breeders' Cup drug tests come back clean

All drug tests performed on horses in this year's Breeders' Cup have been cleared, the California Horse Racing Board announced.

According to a press release issued late Tuesday night, all horses who competed in the Breeders' Cup races last Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita were given pre-race tests for TCO2, which is used to flag horses who may have been milkshaked. Post-race tests -- using blood and urine -- for prohibited drugs were conducted on the first four finishers in every Breeders' Cup race, as well as additional random horses selected by stewards, the release said.

Wed, 11/06/2019 - 11:20

Dual allowance features for frigid Friday card

Coady Photography
Jefferson Cup winner Spectacular Gem will face the second- and third-place finishers from that race again in this weekend's Commonwealth Turf.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Back-to-back allowances with purses approaching six figures will serve as highlights of a 10-race Friday card at Churchill – assuming racing will be conducted amid unseasonable cold.

Overnight temperatures in the low 20s were expected to greet horsemen Friday morning, with a daytime high reaching only about 40. The last time Churchill canceled because of a frozen track was at the 2014 fall meet, when two straight days were missed.

If conditions are suitable for racing by the scheduled first post of 1 p.m. Eastern, the co-features should be entertaining.