Two jockeys based at Charles Town Races in West Virginia have been summarily suspended after being named in an indictment that alleged the riders conspired to distribute cocaine, according to the West Virginia Racing Commission’s top official.
Two jockeys based at Charles Town Races in West Virginia have been summarily suspended after being named in an indictment that alleged the riders conspired to distribute cocaine, according to the West Virginia Racing Commission’s top official.
DEL MAR, Calif. – A month ago, Touching Rainbows finished a distant seventh in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita, denting his reputation in California’s sprint division.
The setback came with an excuse.
“He grabbed a quarter at the start and that was it for him,” trainer Phil D’Amato said Wednesday.
The Laurel Park fall stakes schedule will have approximately the same value and number of stakes as a year ago, but there are some notable changes.
With the exception of the brief Preakness meet at Pimlico, the fall meet has the best stakes schedule of the year in Maryland. Excluding Maryland Million Day, which is still being finalized, the fall stand will have 34 stakes worth just over $3.4 million.
Core Beliefs didn’t race at age 2 and has been playing catch-up for much of this season. On Sunday, the California-based son of Quality Road will get to show the progress he has made in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.
The Haskell will be the third consecutive road trip for Core Beliefs, who in his last three races has won the $500,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown, finished second in the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont Park, and been third to Justify in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.
A 2-year-old full sister to 2012 Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can is drawing raves upon returning to her Kentucky roots after beginning her career in the Northwest.
Profound Legacy was a 4 1/2-length winner of an allowance race last Saturday at Ellis Park in western Kentucky. The impressive showing led her new trainer, Ian Wilkes, to plan on running her next in the Aug. 19 Ellis Debutante, followed perhaps by the Pocahontas at the September meet at his main base, Churchill Downs.
DEL MAR, Calif. – With Victor Espinoza sidelined for the remainder of the Del Mar meeting after fracturing his C-3 vertebra last Sunday, trainer John Sadler will need a replacement rider should Accelerate start, as planned, in the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 18.
Sadler said he’s not in a big hurry to make a decision, but that whoever does ride Accelerate would work him before the race.
:: Del Mar All-Access: Choose from three plans, packages include PPs, strategies & more
DEL MAR, Calif. – City of Light, one of the top older horses in the country, is back in serious training and pointing to the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego on Aug. 25 at Saratoga.
City of Light had been a potential candidate for next week’s Whitney at Saratoga, but was removed from consideration for that race after he developed “a stubborn foot bruise,” trainer Michael McCarthy said this week at Del Mar.
The one-day Far Hills Race Meeting scheduled for Oct. 20 in New Jersey is set to go ahead this year with live parimutuel wagering for the first time, the chief official of the meeting said on Tuesday.
Wagering will be offered this year on all seven races, including the Grade 1, $450,000 Grand National, according to Guy Torsilieri, the chairman of Far Hills. While the wagering menu has not yet been set, Tolisieri said the meeting will likely offer straight bets, exactas, trifectas, and a number of daily doubles throughout the day.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Justify, the Triple Crown winner, continues to walk daily at Del Mar, and though no official announcement has yet been made regarding his future, as the calendar creeps toward August the window is closing for him to get back into training and have enough time to make a prep race before the Breeders’ Cup Classic, which was expected to be his final start.
Though Justify will not run at Del Mar, he will be paraded in front of fans at the track on Saturday following the fourth race, according to a release from Del Mar.