Tue, 09/06/2016 - 11:03

Jockey Beaucamp critical but stable after Monmouth spill

Jockey Laurent Beaucamp was in critical but stable condition Tuesday morning in the intensive care unit at Saint Barnabas/Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, N.J., following a Monday riding accident at Monmouth Park.

Beaucamp, 41, was aboard Irresistible Me in the sixth race at Monmouth. He was attempting to come through along the inner rail in upper stretch of the first-level optional-claiming sprint on turf when his horse appeared to hit and then jump the temporary rail. Beaucamp was thrown hard to the ground and Irresistible Me then tripped over the rail and fell.

Mon, 09/05/2016 - 19:45

Saratoga meet ends with second-highest handle in track history

Barbara D. Livingston
Chad Brown (above) leads Todd Pletcher 24-22 in the trainer standings.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.  – It was another sensational Saratoga summer for the New York Racing Association as all-sources handle was the second-highest in track history.

All-sources handle for the 40-day meet was $647,322,503, a less than 1 percent decline from last year’s figure of $648,272,805. (These figures do not include international handle, which for 2016 has not yet been calculated).

Mon, 09/05/2016 - 15:46

Cajun Delta Dawn shows she's money in the bank

Leslie Martin/Coglianese Photos
Cajun Delta Dawn, under Juan Leyva, is now 4 for 4 after winning the Susan's Girl by five lengths.

Three Rules isn’t the only Florida-based 2-year-old unbeaten in four starts. The filly Cajun Delta Dawn also has yet to lose after a quartet of races, and after scoring three narrow wins, she dominated her rivals Saturday in the $300,000 Susan’s Girl division of the Florida Sire Stakes.

The winner’s share of the purse gave her and owner Curtis Mikkelsen $381,105 in earnings, about $500 more than Affirmed winner Three Rules has earned and the biggest 2-year-old bankroll in North America this year.

Mon, 09/05/2016 - 15:36

Best might be yet to come for Three Rules

Leslie Martin/Coglianese Photos
Three Rules improves to 4 for 4 with a 5 1/2-length victory under Cornelio Velasquez in the Affirmed.

Three Rules didn’t break the clock this time, but his win Saturday at Gulfstream in the $300,000 Affirmed division of the Florida Sire Stakes was dominant, and if Three Rules holds his form, he is in for an even richer payday Oct. 1 in the $500,000 In Reality division of the Florida Sire Stakes.

Mon, 09/05/2016 - 15:26

Sharp Azteca pulled from Super Derby

Lou Hodges Jr./Hodges Photography
Sharp Azteca (right) finished second to Texas Chrome by a half-length in the Prelude.

Sharp Azteca, who had been pointed to the Grade 3, $400,000 Super Derby on Saturday at Louisiana Downs, will miss the race, trainer Jorge Navarro said Monday. Navarro said Sharp Azteca sustained a physical setback Saturday morning at Monmouth Park.

“He was training good, reared up coming off the track, and grabbed his quarter,” Navarro said. “We’re going to give him some time. He’s going to have some rest, and we’ll look for something else sometime next month. The main thing is to let him heal.”

Mon, 09/05/2016 - 14:46

Tepin cruises through work for Woodbine Mile

Barbara D. Livingston
Tepin, with Florent Geroux aboard, works five furlongs in 58.40 over the Oklahoma turf course on Monday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Tepin, the champion female turf horse of 2015, continued her strong preparation for the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile with a five-furlong move in 1:00.11 over the Oklahoma turf course on Monday.

Tepin, under Florent Geroux, worked in company with the 2-year-old maiden Enstone, who began the breeze two lengths in front. Tepin tracked Enstone through splits of 12.96 seconds, 24.79, and 36.94. It wasn’t until inside the last sixteenth that Tepin accelerated past Enstone, who rejoined Tepin on the gallop-out.

Mon, 09/05/2016 - 14:30

Gun Runner still going strong

Barbara D. Livingston
Gun Runner, with Florent Geroux up, heads to the track Monday at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Gun Runner, third to Arrogate in the Travers Stakes, worked four furlongs in 50.56 seconds on Monday over an Oklahoma training track that was moments away from being enveloped in fog.

Gun Runner went his opening quarter in 25.35 seconds and his second quarter in 25.21 as he prepares for the Grade 2, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx on Sept. 24.

Mon, 09/05/2016 - 14:26

Ortiz brothers start Belmont meet in penalty box

Barbara D. Livingston
Jose Ortiz leads his brother Irad in the jockey standings heading into the final weekend of the Saratoga meet.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Brothers Jose and Irad Ortiz Jr. finished first and second in the Saratoga jockey standings, winning a combined 118 races through Sunday.

They will begin the Belmont fall meet on the sidelines, as both are serving suspensions incurred at Saratoga for careless-riding incidents.

Jose, who won his first Saratoga riding title, will miss the first three days of the Belmont meet for his ride aboard Paz the Wine, who finished fourth in the third race on Aug. 25. Paz the Wine bumped with Lem Me Dance, who won the race.

Mon, 09/05/2016 - 14:26

Brown goes from strength to strength at Belmont

Kim Pratt
Ava's Kitten, part of an uncoupled entry for trainer Chad Brown, brings a 2-for-2 record on Belmont's turf in the Wild Applause.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Coming off his first Saratoga training title, Chad Brown will look to get started on his fifth consecutive Belmont Park fall-meet title when he runs Ava’s Kitten in Friday’s $100,000 Christiecat Stakes.

The Christiecat, for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs on turf, is the first of 42 stakes to be run during the 38-day Belmont fall stand, which runs from Friday through Oct. 30.

Mon, 09/05/2016 - 13:56

Enola Gray sparkles in work

Benoit & Associates
Enola Gray is likely to make her open company debut in the Beverly Lewis.

CYPRESS, Calif. – Enola Gray zoomed through a five-furlong workout in 59.20 seconds at Los Alamitos on Monday, indicating to trainer Phil D’Amato that she has recovered from an illness that prevented her from starting at Del Mar in August.

D’Amato timed Enola Gray in 58.80 seconds for the workout under jockey Tyler Baze. He said she is on schedule for Saturday’s $75,000 Beverly Lewis Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs at Los Alamitos.