Angel At War turned in another brave performance at Laurel Park on Monday to remain perfect in six career starts. She has developed into a very nice claim for trainer Michael Gorham, who took her for $40,000 at Delaware Park in August.
Abel Castellano trained Angel At War for her first two races. She won a $20,000 maiden-claiming race in her debut by 11 lengths, then came back to win a $40,000 non-winners-of-two by five lengths.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Live racing Wednesday at Aqueduct was canceled due to high winds.
The forecast called for temperatures in the low 30s with winds from 25 to 35 mph with gusts above 40 mph.
Racing is scheduled to resume Thursday with an eight-race card beginning at 12:50 p.m.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Charles “Scooter” Dickey has been wanting to get Flatlined back on dirt for quite a while. He’ll finally get that opportunity here Saturday when he sends the Grade 2-winning turf specialist postward over the main track in the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes.
Delta Downs has increased overnight purses about 15 percent, according to Chris Warren, director of racing. The new purse schedule was to go into effect with the Wednesday-night card.
Delta has a slots casino that is outperforming projections, Warren said. This comes despite the significant damage Hurricane Harvey inflicted on the key Texas markets that have long patronized the operation.
Jockey Edwin Maldonado plans to ride at the Oaklawn Park meet, which opens in January, according to Bill Castle, an agent who will represent the rider at the Hot Springs, Ark., track.
Castle also will have the book for David Cohen.
Maldonado has won graded stakes with Comma to the Top, Ethnic Dance, and San Onofre.
A full house is expected for the $400,000 Springboard Mile on Sunday’s closing-day card at Remington Park. The stakes winners Greyvitos, A Different Style, Analyze This Jet, Direct Dial, and Redatory are part of a long list of potential starters for the 2-year-old stakes, which offers Kentucky Derby eligibility points for the first time.
The starting gate will be capped at 12.
“We’re looking at a full field for sure,” said Don Thompson, the Remington stakes coordinator who had a working list of 14 on Monday.
Joe Rocco Jr. is among a host of new jockeys trying to make it in New York this winter. Rocco got off to a good start when he guided Quezon to victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Garland of Roses Stakes at Aqueduct.
Rocco has spent the last three winters riding at Oaklawn Park. He decided to try New York this winter, citing good purses and the opportunity to work with agent Jason Beides.
“I’ve been friends with Jason and wanted to hook up, and it looks like a good opportunity to put a lot money in the bank,” Rocco said.
Trainer James Bond has enjoyed a fabulous Aqueduct meet thus far and said he plans to have more of a presence this winter than in past years.
Through Sunday, Bond has won with nine of 29 starters at the meet, with two seconds and four thirds. As the winter approaches, Bond will have a sizeable stable in south Florida, but does plan to leave about 20 in New York before increasing that to 30 around Feb. 1.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – All-sources handle for the first month of the Aqueduct fall meet was up 10.1 percent compared to 2016, according to figures provided by the New York Racing Association.
Ontrack handle during that same period was up 3.9 percent.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Miss Mo Mentum’s super-impressive victory in the opening race on Saturday’s Clasico Internacional program might have been at least temporarily forgotten by the time Jala Jala crossed the finish line first in front of a packed and enthusiastic house in the main event, the Clasico del Caribe, six hours later.
But few have witnessed any horse win a race, let alone a stakes, any easier than Miss Mo Mentum did when cruising to the Gulfstream finish line, under wraps, 8 3/4 lengths in front of her nearest rival, to win the $75,000 Hut Hut.
