ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine has joined forces with its industry partners to launch a trial for new techniques on urging horses with the whip. The trial begins Oct. 18 and goes through the end of the meet on Dec. 15.
The new Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario rule limits urging in Thoroughbred racing to underhand use of the crop only. It also does not allow contact with the crop in the cocked position and prohibits any hits to the horse’s belly or surrounding area.
Trainer Peter Miller ended all speculation when telling Daily Racing Form on Monday that Roy H will not be back to defend the Breeders' Cup Sprint title he won in 2017 and 2018 in November at Santa Anita.
Roy H has been fighting foot issues since he was scratched from the Dubai Golden Shaheen earlier this spring. The 7-year-old son of More Than Ready had his first work back on September 21, going three furlongs in 38.40 at San Luis Rey Downs, at which time Miller said all would have to go perfectly from that point on for Roy H to make it back to the Breeders' Cup.
Remington Park handled $3,086,572 from all sources on its 13-race Oklahoma Derby Day program, an all-time live handle record for the track, said track spokesman Dale Day. The card was increased to 13 races this year after being at 12 since 2016, according to Day.
There were eight stakes Sunday. Remington offered an all-stakes pick four on races 10-13 that had a minimum guaranteed pool of $75,000. The final pool was $254,167. The winning numbers were 9-10-11-3 and the 50-cent bet returned $578.35.
Asmussen, Santana set records
Owendale may have put himself in the Breeders’ Cup.
The winner of the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Sunday night at Remington Park, Owendale could make his next start in one of two Breeders’ Cup races, trainer Brad Cox said Monday. The horse is under consideration for either the $6 million Classic or the $1 million Dirt Mile, both Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.
Owendale was scheduled to fly home to his Churchill Downs base Tuesday.
“First and foremost, we want to see how he comes out of the race,” said Cox, who trains Owendale for Rupp Racing.
The first four finishers from the Awesome Again Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita all could run back in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2.
Mongolian Groom won the race in a 25-1 upset, and though the race is a Win and You’re In for the Classic, Mongolian Groom isn’t technically in just yet since, unlike the five horses he beat on Saturday, he is not nominated to the Breeders’ Cup. His connections would have to put up $200,000 by pre-entry day Oct. 21 to nominate him to the Breeders’ Cup.
Keeneland racetrack in Lexington has hired Dr. George Mundy as its equine safety director, a new position at the track, and promoted its longtime racetrack surface advisor Jim Pendergest to the new position of director of racing surfaces.
The two appointments were announced on Monday, five days prior to opening day of Keeneland’s fall meet, at a time when racing is under criticism from some groups because of growing concern over racetrack deaths.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Rain has been in very short supply in Kentucky for more than a month, just as racing fans in the Bluegrass region have been lacking live action since late April. Hard to say what will be more welcome this week: the start of the Keeneland fall meet on Friday, or a forecasted end to the drought with Sunday rain.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Donna Veloce, the easy winner of a maiden special weight race for 2-year-old fillies on Saturday, may start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.
By Uncle Mo, Donna Veloce led throughout the maiden race and pulled clear in the stretch under jockey Flavien Prat to win by 9 1/4 lengths as a heavy favorite. She ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.22 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 91.
“I was very confident,” trainer Simon Callaghan said on Sunday. “We’ll see how she comes out of it, but we’ll look at the Breeders’ Cup.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Three graded stakes wins in a little more than 24 hours gave trainer Phil D’Amato a brilliant start to the Santa Anita autumn meeting on Friday and Saturday. At least two of those winners – and one runner-up from his stable – are being considered for Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 2.
Pee Wee Reese won Friday’s Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes at five furlongs on turf and will be pointed for the BC Turf Sprint at the same distance on Nov. 2. Mirth, the upset winner of Saturday’s Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes on turf, earned an automatic berth to the BC Filly and Mare Turf.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Performer made it three straight wins and proved he can handle a distance of ground when he won a second-level allowance at Belmont on Sunday.
Put on the lead by Joel Rosario, Performer set fractions of 24.09, 47.69, 1:11.42, 1:35.23 and covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.55 while winning by 1 3/4 lengths. He earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.
“New dimension going to the lead like that,” trainer Shug McGaughey said. “Joel got off him and said you can do whatever you want with him. The internal fractions were all 23 and change.”
