ELMONT, N.Y. – In the age of modern technology, information is never more than a tap or a click away. So, as he sat in a corner of the clocker’s stand at the Belmont Park training track Thursday morning, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin was receiving timely updates from his brother Neal about the goings on at the Palm Meadows training center in South Florida.

That’s where McLaughlin’s 3-year-olds Enticed and Take Charge Paula put in their final workouts Thursday morning for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, respectively.

If the horse had been named Fish Cakes or Jabbering Jack, everything might be different.

“The curse of Fish Cakes” or “the curse of Jabbering Jack” – no one is saying that.

But no, his name was Apollo, and “the curse of Apollo,” well, that’s got a ring to it, and for decades now it’s been ringing through every Kentucky Derby that includes a starter who didn’t race at age 2.

Apollo, an unheralded underdog in the Derby of 1882, remains the only Derby winner who didn’t race as a 2-year-old. That is the factual part. “Curse” is just a matter of branding.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Robertino Diodoro’s first year on the New York Racing Association circuit was a success.

Diodoro, who first stabled in New York with the beginning of last year’s Belmont spring-summer meet, won 32 races from 150 starters in the last 12 months.

Diodoro is hoping for even more success in year two. Lured by a NYRA incentive designed to attract Oaklawn shippers, Diodoro plans to have 40 head at Belmont this meet, which begins Friday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association released its list of nominees for the Mike Venezia Memorial Award, which recognizes jockeys who display extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship. Venezia died as the result of injuries he suffered in a spill at Belmont Park in 1988.

This year’s nominees include Joe Bravo, Javier Castellano, Manny Franco, Irad Ortiz Jr., and Jose Ortiz.

Fans may vote online at NYRA.com/Venezia beginning Friday through May 15. The winner will be announced May 16 with the award to be presented on May 28 (Memorial Day) at Belmont.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Pleased with his success during the winter and spring meets at Aqueduct, jockey Trevor McCarthy plans to stay in New York for the remainder of the year.

McCarthy, who missed seven months in 2017 due to injury, won 42 races at Aqueduct between the winter and spring meets. He won six stakes, including one each this past Saturday and Sunday.

CHURCHILL DOWNS
Wednesday, April 25
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 55
Track: Muddy

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The weather remains the main story this week at Churchill Downs, where rain has put a damper on training hours since Sunday. The main track was listed as sloppy on Tuesday and muddy on Wednesday for the special Oaks/Derby training sessions, with no workers either morning.

ELMONT, N.Y. – While there has been a lot of talk about the future of Belmont Park, horsemen, horseplayers, and fans will be unable to distinguish the present from the past when the track opens its 54-day spring-summer meeting on Friday.

The Kentucky Derby will be run for the 144th time on May 5, yet in the prior 143 runnings, only once have the same jockey, trainer, and owner teamed to score consecutive victories.

WHO’S HOT

Combatant and Instilled Regard moved into the Derby Watch top 20 owing to defections that vaulted them up the points list. Both are 30-1 on the Kentucky Derby line set by Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper.

WHO’S NOT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After getting short fields for its first three runnings, which came at six furlongs over dirt, the $100,000 William Walker Stakes should be a far more attractive race for bettors when it helps open the Churchill spring meet Saturday night. The Walker now goes at five furlongs on turf.

Masked, in off a pair of wins down the hillside turf course at Santa Anita for Bob Baffert, figures among the favorites, along with Salmanazar, who was a two-back winner of the Texas Glitter at Gulfstream Park for Todd Pletcher. A field of 10 3-year-olds has been entered.