OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Joseph Appelbaum has been elected as president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, it was announced Tuesday.
Appelbaum, who operates Off The Hook, a breeding, racing, and sales company with a farm and training center in Ocala, Fla., ran unopposed as previous president Rick Violette withdrew his name from the ballot last month.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jockey Jose Ortiz is expected to return to the saddle sooner than originally thought following surgery on his left knee Tuesday.
According to his agent, Jim Riccio Jr., doctors only had to remove some scar tissue from the knee rather than do a more extensive procedure. Originally expected to be out six to eight weeks, Ortiz is now likely to miss just three weeks and is hoping to return the first week in January. He will be riding at Gulfstream Park for the winter.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jimmy Jerkens only trained Shaman Ghost for half of his racing career, but he did win four graded stakes with him, including the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap earlier this year. It was announced earlier this week that Shaman Ghost, owned by Frank Stronach, would be retired and will stand at stud in California.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Absatootly is cross-entered in two stakes with similar conditions Saturday, but trainer Charlton Baker said the New York-bred filly will run in the $100,000 Garland of Roses at Aqueduct.
Absatootly also was entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Willa On the Move Stakes at Laurel, where the filly is undefeated in three starts. Ms Locust Point is another who was cross-entered in both spots, but trainer John Servis has yet to decide where his filly will run. Both the Garland of Roses and Willa On the Move are for fillies and mares and run at six furlongs.
CYPRESS, Calif. – Alluring Star, second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 4 at Del Mar, will miss the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes on Saturday at Los Alamitos.
“I’m not going to run her,” trainer Bob Baffert said Wednesday. “She came up with a temperature.”
Alluring Star would have been favored in the $300,000 Starlet Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. She won her debut at Del Mar in a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs Sept. 3 and was second in her stakes debut in the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes on Sept. 30 at Santa Anita.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Looking at past performances alone, it would be far from a miracle for Justiciero to win Saturday’s $300,000 Clasico del Caribe at Gulfstream Park. After all, the son of Kentucky-bred Coach Billy G. has won seven of his eight starts at 3, including all three legs of the Puerto Rican Triple Crown.
For the third consecutive year, Breakin the Fever has been named horse of the meet at Finger Lakes, which concluded its 2017 season Nov. 28.
Breakin the Fever went 5 for 7 this year for Ronnie and Debra Breed, who bred, own, and train the 5-year-old Roaring Fever gelding. Breakin the Fever’s victories included his third consecutive edition of the Leon Reed Memorial and his second straight running of the George W. Baker.
Twenty for 32 in his career, with earnings of $564,000, Breakin the Fever is being given the winter off.
Of the four stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday, the 2-year-old races have come up especially interesting.
Clever Mind and Limited View were the most dramatic winners on Maryland Million Day at Laurel. Clever Mind came from the clouds to win his career debut in the Nursery for trainer Graham Motion, and Limited View came from even farther back to take the Lassie for John Salzman Jr.
Tony Black didn’t ride from September 2015 until this past July, but he never said he was retired. Last summer, he began accepting a few mounts, and last Saturday at Parx Racing, he won his first race in more than three years.
Black, who rode his first winner in 1970 at Liberty Bell Racetrack in Philadelphia, is 66 and now has 5,209 wins, ranking 28th among jockeys in North American racing history.
When she last raced at Fair Grounds, Valadorna was thought to be a candidate for the 2017 Kentucky Oaks. Valadorna didn’t make that race, and in fact, after a third-place finish Feb. 25 in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes, Valadorna didn’t start again until Nov. 1.
Valadorna is back racing at Fair Grounds, but she’s just one of the candidates to win the featured fourth race Friday, a second-level dirt-route allowance also open to $40,000 claimers. Valadorna is one of just six entrants and is the 6-5 morning-line favorite.
