LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Few people are more closely affiliated with Churchill Downs than Dale Romans. As the leading trainer in track history with 729 wins, his level of success is exceeded only by his desire to win the track’s signature race.
“You never really take your eye off the Kentucky Derby,” said Romans. “It’s always there somewhere in the back of your mind.”
Rotation took care of some unfinished family business last Saturday in the Grade 3, $300,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs.
The horse bred and owned by Ron Winchell and his mother, Joan, captured the meet’s marquee race nearly three decades after the family brought a very high-profile runner to town for the 1991 running of the Super Derby.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Local fan favorite Melmich will be honored with a retirement ceremony on Woodbine Mile Day here Saturday.
Melmich was a $20,000 claim in 2014 by trainer Kevin Attard for owners Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman. The 8-year-old gelding ultimately put together a career record of 17-16-5 from 46 starts, while amassing $1,388,331 in earnings.
Melmich was recently retired to the LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society’s farm in Hillsburgh, Ontario, where he will be assessed for aptitude for a post-racing career and put up for adoption.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – A big weekend of turf racing is ahead at Woodbine, with four graded stakes headlined by Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile.
A field of 10 is expected for the Woodbine Mile, led by Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap winner Got Stormy.
Got Stormy put together two victories in seven days at Saratoga last month. She won the De La Rose Stakes on Aug. 3 and ran back to win the Fourstardave over males with a 108 Beyer Figure Aug. 10. Got Stormy also has experience over the Woodbine surface, having won the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen Stakes here in July 2018.
Remington Park is not accepting main-track-only entries for turf races at its meet, which opened Aug. 23.
The hope is the move will help Remington maintain the large field sizes it is known for, according to racing secretary Tim Williams.
Williams said the decision was made on the theory that horses entered in turf races that end up being moved to the main track will be less likely to scratch if they are not running against main-track specialists.
Alysheba was part of a banner class that entered the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame on Friday night at Retama Park. He was enshrined alongside Streakin Six, John Adger, Keith and Marilyn Asmussen, Johnny Cox, Ted Keefer, and Bob and Janice McNair.
Alysheba’s entrance into the Texas Hall has great meaning to the family of the late Clarence and Dorothy Scharbauer, according to Ken Carson, general manager of Valor Farm in Pilot Point, Texas. Dorothy raced Alysheba with her daughter, Pam.
Deviant, who emerged as one of the top 2-year-olds during the Retama Park meet, which closes Wednesday night, could be headed to Keeneland. Deviant won his second straight stakes race Saturday and will now be considered for the Grade 3, $250,000 Bourbon on Oct. 6, according to his trainer, Danny Pish.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Midnight Bisou and Elate, the 1-2 finishers in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga on Aug. 24, got back to work recently as they prepare for their next engagements.
On Sunday, Midnight Bisou worked five furlongs in 1:02.31 over the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga. Midnight Bisou, the clear leader of the older filly and mare division, is pointing to the Grade 2, $300,000 Beldame Stakes at Belmont on Sept. 28.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Mark Casse sent out his promising 2-year-old Tap It to Win to work four furlongs in 49 seconds over the main track here on Monday. A son of Tapit, Tap It to Win completed his final three furlongs in 35.50, just cruising through the wire before galloping out five-eighths in 1:02.20.
ELMONT, N.Y. – There were seven equine fatalities in an 11-day span at New York Racing Association tracks, three during racing, two during training, and two that, while they occurred during training hours, were the result of unusual circumstances.
The fatalities happened over both the main and training tracks at Belmont and Saratoga from Aug. 28 through Sept. 7.
All of the fatalities will undergo a review process, according to Dr. Scott Palmer, the equine medical director for the New York State Gaming Commission.
