HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – All systems are still go for Stellar Wind to make the final start of her career in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup here Jan. 27.
Stellar Wind worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 at Palm Meadows on Sunday in company with stablemate Shagaf. It was her fifth work since joining trainer Chad Brown’s barn at Palm Meadows after being purchased by Coolmore as a broodmare prospect at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale.
Betting handle in Maryland grew for the third consecutive year in 2017 when a total of $627.3 million was wagered. That is an increase of 12 percent from the 2016 figure of $560.1 million.
Handle at the Maryland Jockey Club tracks has improved each year since 2014. Beginning in 2015, The Stronach Group, which owns Laurel and Pimlico, began a major capital improvement program, especially at Laurel, which held 150 of the 162 live programs last year.
Several interestingly bred 3-year-old fillies are entered in race 4 at Laurel Park on Friday.
The Florida-based Jacks or Better Farm of Fred Brei has first-time starter Country Linedancer in the one-mile maiden race. A homebred daughter of the obscure Florida stallion Brooks ‘n Down, Country Linedancer is out of the mare Dame Sylvieguilhem, making her a half-sister to Ballet Diva and Redneck Humor. She is trained by Kenneth Decker.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Leavem in Malibu, who was under consideration for the $16 million Pegasus World Cup, had to be euthanized following a Monday workout at the Palm Meadows training center after suffering a catastrophic injury to a hind ankle.
Leavem in Malibu was galloping out following a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.40 when he broke down on the backstretch, said trainer Mark Casse. Efforts to save the 5-year-old horse were futile.
“I’m still in shock about it,” Casse said Wednesday. “It’s extremely sad and unfortunate.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine reported gains in all-sources handle for the third consecutive year after their 132-day meet ended on Dec. 10.
Woodbine recorded all-sources handle of $500,713,839 during the 2017 Thoroughbred meet, up 7.3 percent over 2016 with one fewer racing date. Woodbine also recorded a 1.7 percent increase in Standardbred handle over the 2017 calendar year.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Firenze Fire, the Grade 1 Champagne winner, was one of 18 horses credited with a timed workout Monday morning over the Belmont training track, the first time in four days the track was open.
Firenze Fire went a half-mile in 50.88 seconds in company with the 3-year-old maiden Daring Ego. Firenze Fire is expected to be a strong favorite in Saturday’s $150,000 Jerome Stakes for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct. Firenze Fire had basically jogged in the shed for the last four days.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Life slowly returned to normal Monday morning on the Belmont Park backstretch after a winter storm and brutally cold temperatures canceled racing and training for four consecutive days. The weather knocked out power and created broken water pipes, which in turn displaced dozens of backstretch workers and some horses.
NEW ORLEANS – Steve Asmussen has no qualms about breezing horses, even really good horses, over a wet track surface at Fair Grounds.
Just 20 horses recorded timed workouts Monday morning at sloppy Fair Grounds, where the rain ranged from steady to torrential, and more than half are trained by Asmussen. Among the trainer’s workers were all three of his entrants in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Lecomte Stakes, including 5-2 morning-line favorite Principe Guilherme.
There are 15 entered in the Lecomte, but six horses come from just two barns, with Larry Jones as well as Steve Asmussen three-handed for the race.
Jones entered Believe in Royalty, Kowboy Karma, and Prince Lucky, all of whom put in their final Lecomte works Sunday. All three went five furlongs with Prince Lucky going a bullet 1:00.20.
“That was with an exercise rider up, too,” said Jones. “He worked very well.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The second running of the $16 million Pegasus World Cup suddenly got a little more interesting with the announcement that Cigar Mile winner and Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile runner-up Sharp Azteca will join a field that was already expected to include Horse of the Year favorite Gun Runner, Collected, and West Coast.
