Fri, 11/25/2016 - 15:26

Family Tree weighing options after winning Zia Park Oaks

Coady Photography
Family Tree, with Florent Geroux aboard, wins the Zia Park Oaks by 8 1/2 lengths Wednesday.

The direction Family Tree will take following her career-best performance Wednesday in the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks is undetermined, according to trainer Wayne Catalano.

The Zia Park Oaks anchored a card of nine stakes worth $1.2 million on the fourth annual Land of Enchantment program in Hobbs, N.M. The meet’s most prestigious card is traditionally run the day before Thanksgiving.

Catalano said the path Family Tree takes will be decided after discussions with owners Gary and Mary West and their racing manager, Benny Glass.

Fri, 11/25/2016 - 14:30

Bar of Gold targets Go for Wand

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Bar of Gold romped to an 18-length victory in the Empire Distaff at Belmont Park.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Bar of Gold, the 18-length winner of the Empire Distaff Handicap on the New York Showcase Day program at Belmont Park, is targeting next Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Go for Wand Handicap at Aqueduct.

Bar of Gold worked a slow half-mile in 52 seconds over the Belmont Park training track Friday, but trainer John Kimmel noted that she had worked a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.50 on Nov. 17.

Fri, 11/25/2016 - 14:26

Royal Posse seeks Claiming Crown repeat

Debra A. Roma
Royal Posse and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. win the Evan Shipman Stakes by 5 1/4 lengths Friday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The mass exodus from New York to south Florida will pick up in earnest for many of the top outfits on this circuit following this weekend’s races.

That includes Rudy Rodriguez, who, in addition to keeping the bulk of his horses in New York, will have a string of 10 to 15 at Palm Meadows. One will be Royal Posse, the stakes-winning New York-bred who will leave Monday for Florida and a repeat bid in next Saturday’s Claiming Crown Jewel at Gulfstream Park.

Fri, 11/25/2016 - 14:20

Heaven's Runway owner has better luck in Fall Highweight

Susie Raisher/NYRA
Heaven's Runway won the Fall Highweight at 32-1 on Thursday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The 32-1 upset victory by Heaven’s Runway in Thursday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Fall Highweight Handicap at Aqueduct was an emotional one for co-owner Michael Imperio and his wife, Elizabeth Loftus.

The win came five years to the day after their homebred General Maximus suffered a fatal breakdown in the same race. Loftus, who goes by the nickname Libby, did not want to run a horse in that race again. According to Imperio, Loftus didn’t know Heaven’s Runway was running Thursday until she heard Imperio scream as he watched the race on television.

Fri, 11/25/2016 - 13:46

Brown putting three each in Hollywood Derby and Matriarch

Barbara D. Livingston
Camelot Kitten (left) and Beach Patrol, who finished one-two in the Hill Prince Stakes, will face off again the Hollywood Derby.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Chad Brown, who leads the nation’s trainers in purse earnings heading into the final month of the year, will aim at the closing-weekend Grade 1 races at Del Mar next week, sending out three 3-year-olds for the Hollywood Derby on Saturday and three older females for the Matriarch on Sunday.

Both the Hollywood Derby, at 1 1/8 miles, and the Matriarch, at one mile, are $300,000 races; they are two of the final three Grade 1 races on turf this year. The only other Grade 1 grass race is the American Oaks on Dec. 31 at Santa Anita.

Fri, 11/25/2016 - 12:56

Stakes winners Lost Bus, My Fiona retired

Benoit & Associates
Lost Bus (right) upset the Grade 2 Santa Monica at 64-1.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Stakes winners Lost Bus and My Fiona have been retired and will be bred to Kentucky-based stallions in 2017, trainer Gary Sherlock said Friday.

Lost Bus and My Fiona were recently shipped to owner Terry Lovingier’s farm in California, where they will remain until sent to Kentucky. Sherlock said stallion plans have not been finalized, but American Pharoah and Will Take Charge are under consideration.

Fri, 11/25/2016 - 12:50

Champagne Room eyes Las Virgenes Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Champagne Room wins the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 5.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Champagne Room, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita on Nov. 5, is near a return to serious training and could have her 2017 debut in the $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes on Feb. 5.

Trainer Peter Eurton said Friday that Champagne Room is in light training, which will intensify in the coming days.

“She’ll start galloping in a week,” he said. “She’ll have her first breeze in the middle of December.”

Fri, 11/25/2016 - 12:13

Racing rarity on Churchill card

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A racing rarity occurred here Wednesday when two races resulted in dead heats for win.

Express Yourself and Lady Oak finished on even terms in the second race, just as the photo-finish camera couldn’t separate Crown Royal Queen and Cheatin Heart in the 10th race.

Comprehensive records are not kept so as to determine when, if ever, a similar event has occurred here.

Fri, 11/25/2016 - 12:05

Nafzger to fill in for Wilkes during vacation

Coady Photography
Thatcher Street, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., wins the River City Handicap by half a length Thursday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ian Wilkes gave himself quite the send-off before he and his wife, Tracey, return to their native Australia for a few weeks. Wilkes saddled three winners on the Thanksgiving Day card at Churchill Downs, capped by Thatcher Street posting a hard-fought victory in the Grade 3 River City Handicap.

“It’ll put us in a good mood for the long plane ride Tuesday,” said Wilkes, who also won Thursday allowances with War Stroll and Bird Song. “We haven’t been home in six or seven years. We’re going to see family and enjoy some downtime.”

Thu, 11/24/2016 - 10:50

Meet opens with wide-open jockey race, new pick five

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Overnight purses at the 2016-17 Tampa Bay Downs meet are projected to be unchanged from the prior meet at about $142,000 a day. Most of the jockeys who ride here, however, can expect a pay raise when the 90-day meet begins Saturday with an 11-race card.