Buoyed by unseasonably dry, warm, and sunny fall conditions, the Keeneland fall meet in Lexington, Ky., hit record highs for total handle, total purses, and other critical financial metrics.
Total handle during the 17-day meet was $210.4 million, according to an analysis conducted by Daily Racing Form, a 0.6 percent increase over the record set in 2022. Both meets had 161 total races, so average wagering per race also was up 0.6 percent compared to 2022 and a record, at $1.31 million.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson reportedly underwent surgery for a broken pelvis early Sunday after going down in a spill Friday at Woodbine.
Wilson was unseated aboard Ready Shakespeare along the rail on the backstretch in the second race. The Roger Attfield-trained Ready Shakespeare died of an apparent cardiac episode.
East Avenue, the potential favorite for next Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and Jonathan’s Way, one of his main threats, both put in their final workouts Friday morning at Churchill Downs.
East Avenue, impressive winner of the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland last out, was timed in 1:00.20 for five furlongs. Tyler Gaffalione was aboard for the work, which was done in company with the 3-year-old San Silo, recent winner of a first-level allowance at Churchill.
Prince of Monaco, a Grade 1-winning 2-year-old of 2023, has been retired from racing due to minor bone bruising that would force him to miss the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita later in the year, according to his connections.
Prince of Monaco, a son of Speightstown trained by Bob Baffert for a group that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, and Stonestreet Stables, will stand stud at Claiborne Farm.
Veteran jockey Joe Talamo is taking a brief hiatus from riding while spending time with his family in Louisville, Ky., he said on Thursday afternoon.
Talamo last rode at Santa Anita on Oct. 4 and said he has no definite plans to return to riding in the short-term.
“I’m enjoying time off,” he said. “I’ve been laying low, enjoying hanging out with the family.”
Talamo, 33, has won 2,343 races in a career that began in 2006, when he was 16. Talamo won the Eclipse Award as the outstanding apprentice jockey of 2007.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien said on Friday that he plans to send 11 horses to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 1-2, and that eight of his pre-entered runners will remain in Ireland.
O’Brien’s team is led by the outstanding 3-year-old City of Troy, who will start on dirt for the first time in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at 1 1/4 miles, the showcase race of the two-day series.
Idiomatic, the champion older dirt female of 2023, was retired on Friday after being diagnosed with lameness in her left knee, an injury that will prevent her from starting in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar on Nov. 2.
Idiomatic was expected to be favored in the BC Distaff. With her absence, a field of 11 is expected, with the brilliant 3-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna now listed as the 7-5 early line favorite by Daily Racing Form.
Idiomatic, 5, won nine stakes for Juddmonte Farm and trainer Brad Cox.
The 40-day Fort Erie meet concluded Tuesday with wagering down from last year’s record handle, according to a press release from the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium.
A total of $42.5 million was wagered, the second-highest handle in the track’s history, but down nearly 8 percent from the $46 million wagered last year. Offtrack betting dipped slightly, while ontrack wagering held steady at $1.93 million.
Golden State Racing and a simulcast-marketing company controlled by 1/ST Gaming have reached an agreement that will end a blackout on Golden State’s races at Monarch’s simulcasting sites as of the track’s next live racing day on Friday, according to officials.
