ELMONT, N.Y. – Javier Castellano, Florent Geroux, Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose Ortiz, and Ricardo Santana Jr. are the finalists for the 2019 Mike Venezia Memorial Award, the New York Racing Association announced Monday.
The Venezia Award is given to a jockey who displays extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship. The award is named after Venezia, who died as the result of injuries suffered in a spill here in 1988.
The award is determined by fans, who can vote online at NYRA.com/Venezia.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Hawkish, a narrow winner over Projected in Saturday’s Cliff Hanger Stakes at Monmouth Park, will be pointed to the Grade 3, $300,000 Poker Stakes at Belmont on June 16, trainer Jimmy Toner said Monday.
Hawkish won the Cliff Hanger after finishing second in the Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream Park to begin his campaign.
“He got tied up in traffic, he was in tight all the way,” Toner said. “It opened up a bit when they straightened away for home. He was able to split horses and get up. It was a good first effort and he came back and got the job done Saturday.”
ELMONT, N.Y. – Come Dancing, the 6 3/4-length victress in Sunday’s Grade 2 Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park, will most likely make her next start in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps here June 8.
“You got to consider it the way she’s training, the way she’s running – $700,000, a Grade 1 in your own backyard,” said trainer Carlos Martin. “That would be a hard one to pass on if she’s doing well.”
Come Dancing earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure for the Ruffian, following a 114 figure she earned winning the Grade 3 Distaff at Aqueduct by 7 3/4 lengths April 5.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Saturday’s Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park lost one potential starter with the news that Bourbon War was heading to the Preakness. It picked up another runner when Global Campaign failed to get into last Saturday’s Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Stanley Hough confirmed Monday that Global Campaign will run in the Grade 3, $300,000 Peter Pan, a one-turn 1 1/8-mile race that will be one of five stakes on Saturday’s card at Belmont Park.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – They were slogging back around the clubhouse turn headed home with their muddy, untacked longshot, already thrilled with his gallant runner-up effort in the Kentucky Derby, when Churchill Downs track announcer Travis Stone’s voice came over the public address system: “Hold all tickets. There’s a rider’s objection in this race, and it concerns the top two finishers.”
And so they turned back around to wait near the finish wire. Just in case.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The post-Derby portion of the Churchill spring meet begins with an eight-race Thursday card that follows four dark days. First post is 5 p.m. Eastern.
Entries for the Thursday card were not to be drawn until Tuesday, meaning past performances will not be available in Daily Racing Form print editions because Monday is the deadline for Thursday racing. The Churchill past performances still will be available online at DRF.com.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Steve Asmussen had a raspy voice Monday at Churchill Downs, the result of all the hooting and hollering he did on Kentucky Derby weekend.
“I’ve told everybody I cracked it on Friday and broke it on Saturday,” said the 53-year-old Hall of Fame trainer.
ARCADIA, Calif. -- At lunchtime Saturday, a horse who finished second in a stakes was promoted to first after the winner was disqualified for causing interference. The incident gave the promoted winner a first career stakes win.
The scenario occurred in the $85,300 Angels Flight Stakes at Santa Anita when Miss My Rose was promoted from second to first after Sneaking Out was disqualified from first. The Angels Flight Stakes had a post time of 12:32 p.m.
ARCADIA, Calif. -- Bellafina, fifth as the 9-5 favorite in Friday’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, will be rested this spring and is likely to start in races around one-turn in the second half of the year, trainer Simon Callaghan said on Sunday.
The Grade 1 Test Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 3 is a long-range goal.
“Most likely, we’ll give her a little bit of a break and concentrate on one-turn races,” Callaghan said. “We’ll look at the Test.”
Callaghan won the 2017 Test Stakes with American Gal, his first starter at the historic track.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Gary West, the owner of Maximum Security, said Sunday he wants to appeal the stewards’ decision to disqualify his horse from first in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, but based on Kentucky regulations, he may have to take it to federal court for it to be heard.
