Wed, 06/20/2018 - 14:16

Parsimony could add to O'Neill's 2-year-old tally

Shigeki Kikkawa
Parsimony, runner-up in his debut, will make his second start in Friday's fourth race at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The 2-year-old colt Parsimony, who starts in Friday’s fourth race, has six stablemates of his age that won a maiden race at the spring-summer meeting at Santa Anita.

The success of those 2-year-olds is a main reason why Doug O’Neill led all trainers through Sunday with 29 wins at the meeting.

Wed, 06/20/2018 - 14:06

Justify settling back in at Santa Anita

Barbara D. Livingston
Triple Crown winner Justify was paraded at Churchill Downs on Saturday and arrived back at Santa Anita on Sunday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Justify had a quiet morning of being walked at trainer Bob Baffert’s stable at Santa Anita on Wednesday.There may be several days like that in the next few weeks for the Triple Crown winner.

With Justify not expected to start until late July at the earliest, Baffert said on Wednesday that the colt will have a slow training schedule for the rest of this month.

“We’ll go easy for the next two weeks off and on,” Baffert said.

Wed, 06/20/2018 - 13:26

Large field likely for Princess Rooney; small cast for Smile Sprint

Leslie Martin/Coglianese Photos
My Miss Tapit, ridden by Emisael Jaramillo, is now 2 for 2 after scoring by 1 1/4 lengths in the Game Face.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Todd Pletcher has never been a big fan of the Summit of Speed and typically has declined to ship horses from New York to South Florida to compete in the event amid the summer heat.

Wed, 06/20/2018 - 11:40

Steve Hamilton sidelined with back pain

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Steve Hamilton returned to riding in 2016 after a 10-year hiatus.

Laurel Park rider Steve Hamilton is sidelined with lower back pain, according to his agent, Ben Feliciano Sr. Hamilton, who has not ridden since June 10, was scheduled to see a specialist Wednesday.

Hamilton has been having back pain since he went down in a spill at the Laurel Park winter meet, according to Feliciano. The Laurel meet concluded May 6.

“He’s been in a lot of pain,” Feliciano said. “We talked it over and decided to find out exactly what’s going on rather than him just trying to ride through it.”

Wed, 06/20/2018 - 11:36

Monmouth sees notable business increase on Father's Day card

Monmouth Park had a very successful Father’s Day from a business standpoint, with attendance, ontrack betting, and all-sources handle up markedly from last year.

Father’s Day is the second most heavily attended program of the Monmouth season after the Haskell Invitational card. Last year, announced attendance was 18,527 and $830,730 was wagered ontrack on Monmouth’s races. All-sources handle on Monmouth’s card was more than $4.1 million.

Wed, 06/20/2018 - 11:30

Announcer Larry Lederman says he's tumor-free

Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
Announcer Larry Lederman has undergone treatment for a brain tumor this year.

Popular East Coast racing announcer Larry Lederman has had a rough year physically and personally, but the proton therapy he recently completed proved successful and, besides some “collateral damage,” he is doing remarkably well healthwise.

Lederman was diagnosed with a brain tumor in April 2011. The tumor proved manageable until last fall when an MRI revealed it had grown in size. In January, at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, surgeons were able to remove 70 percent of the tumor.

Wed, 06/20/2018 - 11:16

Arnold has two for Roxelana Stakes

Coady Photography
Miss Kentucky paid $9.20 in winning the Winning Colors at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Bret Calhoun has opted to pass on the $75,000 Roxelana here Saturday with Finley’sluckycharm, who surely would have been a heavy favorite in the six-furlong race. Instead, Finley’sluckycharm, who has been working steadily here since June 3, will make her next start July 25 in the Honorable Miss at Saratoga, said Calhoun.

Wed, 06/20/2018 - 10:56

World Approval struggling to regain championship form

Emily Shields
World Approval wins the Breeders' Cup Mile on Nov. 4 at Del Mar.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Only a few lengths separate the best turf milers from the also-rans. World Approval earned a divisional Eclipse Award last fall after winning the Breeders’ Cup Mile, but now the gray 6-year-old gelding is in no man’s land following two subpar starts.

Mon, 06/18/2018 - 15:30

Firenze Fire will cut back to a mile for Dwyer

Susie Raisher
Firenze Fire is expected to make his first start since the Kentucky Derby in the Grade 3 Dwyer on July 7.

ELMONY, N.Y. – It’s been quite the Belmont spring-summer meet for trainer Jason Servis, who has won with 12 of his 24 starters including four stakes wins.

He hopes the good times continue the remaining four weeks, especially on July 7 when he plans to run Firenze Fire in the Grade 3, $300,000 Dwyer Stakes going a mile.

The last time Firenze Fire raced a mile at Belmont, he won the Grade 1 Champagne last fall.

Firenze Fire finished 11th in the Kentucky Derby. Has worked twice since, including a five-furlong move in 1:01.40 on June 11 under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Mon, 06/18/2018 - 15:26

Brown sees promising signs from Rushing Fall

Emily Shields
Rushing Fall (far right) wound up second in the May 4 Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs, her first career defeat.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Had things gone differently last month at Churchill Downs, Rushing Fall might be in England this week preparing for a start in Friday’s Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Instead, following her neck loss to Toinette in the Grade 3 Edgewood, Rushing Fall is home in New York getting ready for a summer campaign. Where that campaign resumes is not yet decided, but on Sunday Rushing Fall gave trainer Chad Brown confidence she is heading in the right direction with a sharp five-furlong workout over the Belmont turf course.