Wed, 01/11/2017 - 14:15

French filly Kenriya eyes Megahertz

Kenriya, second in a Group 3 in France last April, is scheduled to make her American debut at Santa Anita in Monday’s $100,000 Megahertz Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf.

Trainer Richard Baltas said on Wednesday that Kenriya is scheduled to join his stable after the Grade 3 Megahertz. Monday, Kenriya will have her final start for French trainer Christophe Ferland.

Kenriya has won 3 of 6 starts. She was second in the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte last April and was 11th in the Group 1 French 1000 Guineas in May.

Wed, 01/11/2017 - 14:12

Looch Racing acquires Imperative

Benoit & Associates
Imperative could make his first start for his new connections in the Poseidon Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28.

Imperative, a two-time stakes winner who has earned more than $2 million, was bought by Ron Paolucci’s Loooch Racing earlier this week and is a candidate for the $400,000 Poseidon Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28, according to new trainer Bob Hess Jr.

Imperative was previously owned by J K Racing and trained by Richard Baltas. Hess said Imperative, a 7-year-old gelding, arrived at his Santa Anita stable on Tuesday.

“It was done in 24 hours,” Hess said of the transaction. “It will be fun to get a race in Florida for him.”

Wed, 01/11/2017 - 13:56

Fort Lauderdale, Hal's Hope attract big fields

Barbara D. Livingston
Divisidero (left) will make his first start in seven months in Saturday's Fort Lauderdale.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Both the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale and Grade 3 Hal’s Hope attracted full and highly competitive fields for Saturday aty Gulfstream Park.

The Fort Lauderdale, to be decided at 1 1/16 miles on turf, features the 2017 debut of Grade 1 winner Divisidero, who starts for the first time since his fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Manhattan seven months ago. Divisidero won the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on the Kentucky Derby undercard last spring at Churchill Downs.

Wed, 01/11/2017 - 11:29

Deal reached to run Breaking Lucky in Pegasus World Cup

Michael Burns
Breaking Lucky wins last year's Seagram Cup Stakes.

Breaking Lucky, a 5-year-old colt who was most recently second in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs, will be pointed to the $12 million Pegasus World Cup as the result of a deal reached between Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and the colt’s owner, Gunpowder Farms, according to an announcement by the groups.

Tue, 01/10/2017 - 20:08

Delta Downs reschedules Azalea and Pelican again

Delta Downs in Vinton, La., was scheduled to run the $100,000 Azalea on Friday night and $100,000 Pelican on Saturday night, but will recard the Azalea for Jan. 20 and the Pelican for Jan. 21, said Chris Warren, the track's director of racing.

Both races are two turn stakes for 3-year-olds bred in Louisiana. 

Mon, 01/09/2017 - 16:05

Commission approves 120-day meet for Indiana Grand

The Indiana Racing Commission has approved Indiana Grand’s request to run a 2017 race meet from April 18 through Oct. 28.

The 120-day schedule is nearly identical to the one Indiana Grand raced in 2016, when its meet ran from April 19 through Oct. 29.

Indiana Grand races Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday every week during its season, and adds Thursday racing between July 6 and Aug. 24.

Weekday cards begin in the afternoon, while Saturday racing is in the evening.

Mon, 01/09/2017 - 15:20

Delta reschedules Azalea, Pelican

Delta Downs in Vinton, La., has rescheduled a pair of 3-year-old stakes for Friday and Saturday night after canceling the races last weekend due to the cases of the equine herpesvirus at neighboring Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

The $100,000 Azalea will go Friday night, and the $100,000 Pelican is set for Saturday night. Both races are to be run over seven furlongs and are restricted to 3-year-olds bred in Louisiana.

Mon, 01/09/2017 - 15:16

Sunland closes gates to Louisiana horses during herpes outbreak

Sunland Park in New Mexico announced that it will not receive horses who have been in Louisiana in the last 30 days due to the recent cases of the equine herpesvirus at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. The ban on Louisiana horses is until further notice, according to a press release from Sunland.

Last year, about 70 horses tested positive for the equine herpesvirus at Sunland in an outbreak that cost the track race dates and the running of its premier race, the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby.

Mon, 01/09/2017 - 15:16

Smack Smack, Code West face off in opening-day Fifth Season

Coady Photography
Smack Smack, winning The Downs at Albuquerque Handicap, is among a field of 10 for the Fifth Season on Friday at Oaklawn.

Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., drew entries for its Friday opener on Monday, and Smack Smack and Code West will lead a field of 10 for the featured $125,000 Fifth Season. The race will go as the eighth on a nine-race card that starts at 12:35 p.m. Central.

Oaklawn drew large fields despite the fact that freezing temperatures forced the cancellation of training on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. The track averaged more than 10 horses a race for Friday.

Mon, 01/09/2017 - 15:10

Lone Star moves Grade 3 races to Sundays

Lone Star Park near Dallas has moved its two richest races at its Thoroughbred meet to Sundays. Lone Star will race 50 days from April 20 through July 30.

The Grade 3, $200,000 Texas Mile last year was run on a Friday night card and will now be held on Sunday, May 7. The Grade 3, $200,000 Lone Star Park Handicap last year was run on the traditional Memorial Day card and will instead go on Sunday, May 28.

Post time for Sunday cards during the meet will be 2:35 p.m. Central.