Jockey Joel Dominguez has found the key to the quarter pole at Louisiana Downs.
The 28-year-old won six of the seven races run at the Bossier City, La., track Saturday – the success coming just a month after he lost his “bug,” or apprentice allowance. Dominguez took the first five races on the card, finished third in the sixth race, and came back and won the nightcap.
“Everything just came together,” he said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita concluded its six-month marathon meeting Sunday with growth in all-sources handle over the corresponding period in 2017. It was a successful season that led to a purse increase in the final month.
Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer of The Stronach Group, the track’s parent company, said Sunday evening that he hopes the momentum can be sustained during the six-week fall meeting that begins on the final weekend of September and into 2019 when the track hopes to host the Breeders’ Cup for the first time since 2016.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Using an accelerated draw schedule to more easily facilitate the move to Ellis Park for racing-office staff this week, fields are already set for the three stakes on the 12-race closing-day card Saturday at Churchill Downs. Here is a quick rundown:
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Funeral arrangements for Shantel Lanerie are being handled by Melancon Funeral Home on North University Avenue in Carencro, La., where her body was being transported Monday following her death last week at a Louisville hospital.
Shantel Lanerie, 42, died Friday of sepsis following her treatment for Stage 1 breast cancer. She was married to Corey Lanerie, the perennial leading jockey at Churchill Downs, and her death has deeply affected many members of the racing community at Churchill and beyond.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Several Queen’s Plate contenders put in their final works over the weekend ahead of the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, to be run over 1 1/4 miles Saturday on Woodbine’s Tapeta.
As of Sunday, a bulky field of 16 was expected for the $1 million Queen’s Plate, led by Plate Trial Stakes winner Telekinesis. Telekinesis will be one of three horses in the field trained by Mark Casse. Casse also will send out Woodbine Oaks runner-up Wonder Gadot and Neepawa in search of his second career Queen’s Plate victory.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The champion Unique Bella, who is likely to start in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar next month, was among several notable workouts at Santa Anita over the weekend.
Unique Bella won the Grade 1 Beholder Mile on June 2 in her last start. On Saturday she breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80. In the last five weeks, Unique Bella has been given a breezing designation in three of her four workouts instead of the more strenuous description of handily.
ARCADIA, Calif. - American Anthem has been a seven-furlong specialist in his first 10 starts, and has won three graded stakes at the distance.
After a victory in Sunday’s Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert said he may try something new with the 4-year-old.
“I think I want to stretch him out,” Baffert said.
On Sunday, Baffert mentioned two options for American Anthem – the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on July 21, or the Grade 1 Forego Stakes at seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 25.
Mo Diddley tried New York-bred company for the first time on June 3 - and he liked it. But how will he feel about a longer distance and tougher competition in the featured eighth race Wednesday at Belmont?
Mo Diddley is one of seven entered in a 1 1/16-mile statebred-restricted second-level allowance race also open to $40,000 claimers. Macagone and Cloontia were entered under the claiming option, and Macagone particularly stands a solid chance.
Opening day at Saratoga, or opening Saturday at Del Mar?
Those are the options before the connections of Got Stormy, who followed her win in the $200,000 Penn Oaks with a victory Saturday at Belmont in the Wild Applause Stakes. Both races were turf miles, and trainer Mark Casse and owner Gary Barber had initially planned to make that Got Stormy’s maximum distance.
But there is reason, Casse said, to think the filly might get a little farther, and thus she is being considered for $150,000 Lake George Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on July 20 at Saratoga.
The Mother Goose Stakes has lost some luster in recent years, but it's likely to feature a marquee matchup Saturday at Belmont Park.
Trainer Steve Asmussen on Sunday confirmed that Midnight Bisou, pending a Monday workout at Churchill Downs, will run in the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose. So, too, will Road to Victory, the only horse to have defeated Monomoy Girl, the easy leader of the 3-year-old filly division after wins in the Ashland, the Kentucky Oaks, and the Acorn - all Grade 1s.
