Sun, 07/07/2019 - 14:04

Jim Dandy likely next for Code of Honor

Barbara D. Livingston
Code of Honor's ultimate summer goal is the Grade 1 Travers on Aug. 24.

ELMONT, N.Y. – With his primary summer target the Grade 1 Travers on Aug. 24, trainer Shug McGaughey said Sunday that if all goes well, Code of Honor would make his next start in the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on July 27.

McGaughey said Code of Honor came out of his 3 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes fine and he was shipped early Sunday morning to Saratoga. In rallying from last to win the Dwyer, Code of Honor ran a mile in 1:35.81 and earned a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure.

Sun, 07/07/2019 - 10:47

Kevin Patterson breaks record for consecutive wins with 15th straight score

Trainer Kevin Patterson broke the late Frank Passero’s record of 14 straight wins Saturday night when he sent out Flashy Dragon Girl to win the seventh race at Charles Town. Flashy Dragon Girl won the first-level allowance by 4 1/2 lengths.

Patterson has now won with 15 consecutive starters dating back to May 31. All of the wins during his streak have come at either Charles Town or Mountaineer Park.

Passero won 14 straight races at Gulfstream Park in 1996.

Sat, 07/06/2019 - 17:27

Insufficient entries force Los Alamitos to drop Thursday card

Los Alamitos Race Course
The Los Alamitos summer meeting runs from June 27 through July 14.

CYPRESS, Calif. – Los Alamitos will not race on Thursday after the track failed to draw sufficient horses when entries were compiled on Saturday.

Track officials said nine-race programs are tentatively scheduled for Friday through Sunday, the final three days of the summer meeting that began on June 29.

Because of the cancellation, Los Alamitos will run a maximum of nine of the 12 scheduled days for the summer meeting. Programs on June 27-28, a Thursday and Friday, were scrapped in early June due to concern over a shortage of available horses, officials said at the time.

Sat, 07/06/2019 - 15:32

Ward has runners in both Saratoga opening-day stakes

Chelsea Durand/NYRA
Abyssinian got a 71 Beyer Speed Figure with his maiden-race triumph.

Though he couldn’t conquer Royal Ascot this year, trainer Wesley Ward now turns his attention to Saratoga, where he will be represented in both of Thursday’s opening-day stakes on the 10-race card.

Ward will send out debut winner Aurelia Garland in the Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville Stakes for 2-year-old fillies and the 3-year-old filly Abyssinian against the boys in the Grade 3, $100,000 Quick Call Stakes, scheduled for 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf.

Sat, 07/06/2019 - 13:28

Trainer Kevin Patterson records 14th straight win

Trainer Kevin Patterson’s amazing win streak continued Friday night at Charles Town when C. D. Jammin won the third race.

Patterson has now won with 14 consecutive starters dating back to May 31. All of the wins during his streak have come at either Charles Town or Mountaineer Park.

C.D. Jammin’s victory equaled the late Frank Passero’s 14 straight wins at Gulfstream Park in 1996. Patterson will aim for his 15th winner in the seventh race Saturday night at Charles Town with Flashy Dragon Girl.

Fri, 07/05/2019 - 13:56

Migliore to book mounts for Chris Landeros

Barbara D. Livingston
Richard Migliore (above) will act as agent for Chris Landeros.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The former jockey and current television analyst Richard Migliore will begin working as an agent for jockey Chris Landeros at the upcoming Saratoga meet. It will be Migliore’s first foray into being an agent.

Migliore said he rode with Landeros in California after Landeros lost his apprentice status.

“I always likes him as a rider and I thought he was a very good person,” Migliore said.

Migliore’s brother, Michael, is the agent for jockey Dylan Davis.

Fri, 07/05/2019 - 13:56

Green Light Go impresses in debut win

Chelsea Durand/NYRA
Green Light Go earned an 84 Beyer Speed Figure for his maiden win on July 4 at Belmont.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Before Jimmy Jerkens sent out a bevy of older horses in stakes over closing weekend at Belmont, he unleashed a good-looking 2-year-old colt on Thursday in Green Light Go, who sped off to a 3 1/4-length victory in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race. Under Junior Alvarado, Green Light Go covered the distance in 1:03.75 seconds and earned an 84 Beyer Speed Figure.

Fri, 07/05/2019 - 13:56

O'Neill targeting first juvenile stakes at Spa

Emily Shields
The Doug O'Neill trained Comical is a candidate for the Grade 3 Schuylerville on opening day at Saratoga.

ELMONT, N.Y. – After winning the Tremont with Fore Left last month at Belmont Park. trainer Doug O’Neill will set his sights on the opening week stakes for 2-year-olds at Saratoga.

O’Neill is expected to run the fillies Comical and Shippy in Thursday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville Stakes, the co-feature on Saratoga’s opening-day card. O’Neill is also expected to run Raging Whiskey in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Sanford Stakes for juvenile males.

Fri, 07/05/2019 - 12:16

Walcott getting ready to ride after brain surgery

Rico Walcott, the dominant jockey in Alberta the past nine years, was back working horses at Century Mile on Friday morning. It was a big moment for the 30-year-old journeyman who underwent surgery April 5.

According to his agent Bob Fowlis, Walcott may be ready to ride in a race as soon as Thursday.

“He has a lot of horses lined up to work the next couple of days,” said Fowlis. We’ll see how he’s doing after that.”

Fri, 07/05/2019 - 09:20

Kentucky Downs offers $1 million bonus for three-race turf sprint sweep

Kentucky Downs officials announced Friday that the winner of the Sept. 7 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint will receive a $1 million bonus if the horse proceeds to sweep the Oct. 5 Woodford at Keeneland and the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.

The offer comes on the heels of the Grade 3, $700,000 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint having been listed as the first-ever Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In event at the turf-only track in south-central Kentucky.