Wed, 01/23/2019 - 12:06

Lukas book signing Friday at Gulfstream

Barbara D. Livingston
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas (right) will sign copies of his book Friday at Gulfstream.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The day before sending out Grade 1-placed millionaire Bravazo in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas will sign copies of a book about his life and career Friday at Gulfstream Park.

Lukas will be available starting at 2 p.m. Eastern in the breezeway to sign “Sermon on the Mount: The Wisdom and Life Experiences of Hall of Fame Trainer D. Wayne Lukas,” written and compiled by Lukas and Christina Bossinakis, with a foreword by Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and longtime Thoroughbred owner Bill Parcells.

Wed, 01/23/2019 - 11:16

Stormy Liberal, World of Trouble get rematch in Gulfstream Turf Sprint

Barbara D. Livingston
Stormy Liberal (left), under Drayden Van Dyke, beats World of Trouble to win the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in November.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – One of the more highly anticipated undercard stakes on Saturday’s Pegasus World Cup card is the first one, as the one-two finishers in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Stormy Liberal and World of Trouble, will square off again in the Gulfstream Turf Sprint at five furlongs.

Their rematch is made all the more noteworthy when considering the Beyer Speed Figures they were assigned in the Breeders’ Cup: Stormy Liberal got a 119, and World of Trouble got a 118.

Wed, 01/23/2019 - 11:10

Shamrock Rose fresh for Hurricane Bertie Stakes

Debra A. Roma
Shamrock Rose (right), under Irad Ortiz Jr., wins the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in November.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mark Casse is doing it his way, as usual, bringing Shamrock Rose back to the races on his own terms.

“We could have sent her to California for the La Brea, but I honestly thought the filly had done enough to win the Eclipse Award” for top filly-mare sprinter of 2018, said Casse. “Win or lose, I’m satisfied that we did the right thing. No regrets.”

Wed, 01/23/2019 - 10:08

Creel named racing secretary at Delaware Park

Tom Creel has been named racing secretary at Delaware Park, replacing Jed Doro, who left the position to become director of racing at Oaklawn Park.

Creel, 61, has worked as the assistant racing secretary at Parx Racing the past three years and oversaw the racing department there from last April to October after director of racing Sam Elliott accepted a position elsewhere.

Tue, 01/22/2019 - 16:36

Oaklawn opens with adjusted schedule, higher purses

Oaklawn Park opens its 2019 meet on Friday with a new winner's circle enclosure and three new barns. An expansion that includes a hotel (above) and event center is scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2021 meet.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn Park will move into a new era when it launches its 115th season of racing on Friday.

The track has reconfigured its dates, opening two weeks later than usual and running three weeks after its traditional closing card, Arkansas Derby Day, to May 4. It also has added a winner’s circle enclosure, built three new barns with five more on the way, and is introducing two new six-figure stakes races.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Tue, 01/22/2019 - 13:30

City of Light dodges bullet in Pegasus World Cup draw

Barbara D. Livingston
City of Light, with Javier Castellano up, goes through his final workout before the Pegasus World Cup.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – One couldn’t have blamed trainer Michael McCarthy if his heart was in his throat in the final moments of Tuesday’s post position draw for Saturday’s $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational – not with dreaded post 12 one of only two options left in the box for his Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner City of Light.

Tue, 01/22/2019 - 13:26

Our Braintrust sold, transferred to Mark Casse

Emily Shields
Our Braintrust, under Javier Castellano, wins the Tremont Stakes at Belmont Park. He has been sold and transferred to trainer Mark Casse.

Gary Barber has purchased Our Braintrust, runner-up in the $150,000 Jerome at Aqueduct on New Year's Day, from Maryland horseman Cal Lynch and the 3-year-old is now based in Ocala, Fla., with trainer Mark Casse.

On Tuesday, Casse breezed Our Braintrust a half-mile in 49 seconds at the Casse Racing Training Center.

"He went very well, I was pleased with him," Casse said. "I feel ready to run him."

Tue, 01/22/2019 - 12:50

Yoshida will break from post 2 in the Pegasus World Cup Turf

Barbara D. Livingston
In his last two starts, Yoshida has won the Grade 1 Woodward (above) and finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic. He is also a Grade 1 winner on turf.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Yoshida drew post 2 as the morning-line favorite in the inaugural running of the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf, to be run Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

A winner of Grade 1 races on both turf and dirt, Yoshida was listed as the 5-2 favorite in a field of 10 older horses drawn Tuesday at Gulfstream for the Pegasus Turf, which will be run at 1 3/16 miles.

Mon, 01/21/2019 - 15:36

Asmussen has tough act (himself) to follow at Oaklawn

Coady Photography
Steve Asmussen seeks his 10th Oaklawn training title and a fourth win in the Arkansas Derby.

From Gun Runner’s win in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup, to reaching a milestone of 8,000 wins, to being named an Eclipse Award finalist for outstanding trainer, 2018 will be a tough year to top for Steve Asmussen.

But that doesn’t mean he won’t try.

Mon, 01/21/2019 - 15:26

Collmus to call Big A for two weeks

Jerry Dzierwinski/Maryland Jockey Club
Larry Collmus

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Well before he hopped onto the national scene as the voice of the Breeders’ Cup and Triple Crown, and nearly a decade before he became the voice of the New York Racing Association’s premier meets, Larry Collmus spent two winters calling races at Aqueduct’s winter session.

Beginning Thursday, and for a limited engagement through Feb. 3, Collmus will bundle up and take his place high atop the Big A to call the races for eight programs. Collmus will be filling in for John Imbriale, who is taking the next two weeks off.