Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky., plans to transfer a total of $1.5 million in purse money to three other tracks on the Kentucky circuit, the tracks and the state’s horsemen’s group announced on Thursday.

Ellis Park, Keeneland, and Churchill Downs will each receive $500,000 from Kentucky Downs, according to the announcement. The transfer will need the approval of the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, but the organization’s executive director, Marty Maline, was part of the team that negotiated the transfers, and approval is considered to be highly likely.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A single perfect ticket worth $549,775 emptied the Single 6 jackpot Thursday at Churchill, marking the first time that has happened since the May 5 Kentucky Derby.

Ron Paolucci, the well-known horse owner who campaigns as Loooch Racing, said Friday he purchased the winner at the Northfield Park harness facility in his hometown of Cleveland. Paolucci said he spent a total of about $3,500 to hit it and produced a photo of the winning ticket, which cost $1,764.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The trainers of the third- and sixth-place finishers in the Met Mile, Limousine Liberal and McCraken, both said they’re mulling their horse’s next start. Each horse has returned to his Kentucky base.

Trainer Ben Colebrook said from Keeneland that he will probably look at the seven-furlong Belmont Sprint on July 7 for Limousine Liberal.

“He ran a big race and it looks like he’ll stay the mile,” Colebrook said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bee Jersey returned to Churchill Downs following his victory in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile last Saturday at Belmont Park but has no definite next race on his agenda, trainer Steve Asmussen said Friday.

“We’ll see how he trains and won’t be in any hurry with him,” Asmussen said.

Likewise, Tenfold, the fifth-place finisher behind Justify in the Belmont Stakes, is back at Churchill with no particular race on his schedule, said Asmussen.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Chiefswood Stable earned its first Sovereign Award for outstanding owner in Canada in 2017 after a campaign that saw its horses record 28 wins from 170 starts, including eight stakes triumphs and one graded stakes victory.

Victor Carrasco, a top rider on the Maryland circuit since 2013, when he won the Eclipse Award as the leading apprentice in North America, will accept his first mounts since last September at Laurel Park on Sunday.

Carrasco is named to ride Mythos in race 5, a $7,500 claiming sprint, for trainer Jonathan Maldonado and Another Broad for trainer Mike Trombetta in race 6, a $40,000 waiver maiden claimer. Another Broad is a Maryland-bred 3-year-old filly first-time starter. She is not entered for a claiming price.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Sower, the 4 3/4-length winner of Sunday’s $150,000 Jersey Girl Stakes, will be pointed to the Grade 3, $150,000 Victory Ride Stakes at Belmont on July 8, trainer Linda Rice said.

Sower remained unbeaten in three starts with her front-running victory in the Jersey Girl. That was a step up for her following two victories in Maryland.

“I was really very pleased and very impressed the way she handled the competition in the Jersey Girl,” Rice said. “We’ll move on to the next one, which is a Grade 3, which is significant for a filly, and the timing’s good.”

ELMONT, N.Y. – The Belmont Park stewards on Thursday talked to jockey Florent Geroux regarding his ride on Restoring Hope in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.

New York State Gaming Commission steward Steve Lewandowski would only confirm that he, Jockey Club steward Jimmy Edwards, and backup NYRA steward Juan Dominguez spoke to Geroux. He referred all other inquiries to the gaming commission office.

The gaming commission, via email, declined to comment on the matter. 

ELMONT, N.Y. – It’s later than perhaps planned, but Oscar Performance, a three-time Grade 1-winning turf male, will make his 4-year-old debut in Sunday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Poker Stakes at Belmont Park.

The one-mile turf race will be the first for Oscar Performance since he finished ninth in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar.

Trainer Brian Lynch said Oscar Performance had a little bit of a colic issue in May that forced him to miss a potential allowance prep for the Poker.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Kanthaka, a winner of two stakes for 3-year-old sprinters this year, may have his first start against older horses in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on July 28.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said on Thursday that Kanthaka has returned to his California stable after being withdrawn from the Grade 2 Woody Stephens Stakes at Belmont Park last Saturday because of a foot ailment.