The Golden Pick 6 jackpot has risen to $998,535 for Friday at Golden Gate Fields.
Multiple bettors picked all six winners on Thursday, with each receiving $312.94.
The Golden Pick 6 has now gone 49 straight days without a payoff, since Feb. 27.
The Golden Pick 6 pays out when only one ticket selects all six winners.
Trainer Steve Asmussen on Thursday confirmed Arkansas Derby winner Creator as a definite starter for the Belmont Stakes on June 11. Creator finished a troubled 13th in the Kentucky Derby after coming rapidly to hand this winter and spring in Arkansas and winning the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park by 1 1/4 lengths over Suddenbreakingnews, another likely Belmont runner.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Leading rider Edgard Zayas fractured a rib in a frightening spill in Wednesday’s finale. Zayas went down when his mount, Shere Khan, was unable to avoid Okeemeister, who broke down suddenly nearing the quarter pole in the six-furlong claiming dash. Jose Caraballo, the rider of Okeemeister, walked away from the incident relatively unscathed.
Okeemeister was euthanized following the race, while Shere Khan appeared to return unharmed.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Sheer Drama got back to serious work here Thursday, breezing five furlongs in 1:01.44 in her first work since finishing third as the 4-5 favorite in the Grade 1 La Troienne at Churchill Downs on May 6.
Sheer Drama broke off at a leisurely pace, barely shading 14 seconds for her opening eighth, before completing a quarter-mile in 26.26. She then came home her final three furlongs in 35.18 while never being asked before galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.62.
Let’s get the elephant out of the room right away: The 2015 meet at Hazel Park Raceway didn’t go quite as planned.
A shortfall in funding led to two purse cuts in a month and ultimately forced the track to end the meet a month ahead of schedule and bump up its signature Michigan Sire Stakes program to the new closing day.
With an offseason to prepare for some of the pitfalls that snuffed the 2015 meeting, both management and horsemen at the Detroit-area track are hoping for a less tumultuous 2016 season, which kicks off its 30-day meet on Friday.
The 6-year-old Trace Creek ran a career-best race in upsetting the Grade 3 Hanshin Cup last Saturday at Arlington at odds of 44-1. The first stakes win of his 26-start career behind him, Trace Creek will be pointed to a stakes on turf or synthetic for his next start.
Tim Glyshaw was elated to get the first graded stakes victory of his 12-year training career last Saturday but conceded that it nearly didn’t happen. Glyshaw, a 47-year-old Indiana native, won the Grade 3 Louisville Handicap on a soggy Churchill turf course with Bullards Alley.
“I was seriously considering scratching because I preferred to run him on the dirt,” said Glyshaw, whose stable currently is split between Churchill and Indiana Grand. “When they didn’t take it off, I said what the heck. He got a great ride [from Francisco Torres] and trip.”
It will be trial mania over the first three dates of the Ruidoso Downs meet that opens Friday. The New Mexico track will run 44 such races for Quarter Horses through Sunday to determine the fields for the $1 million Ruidoso Futurity and the $1 million Ruidoso Derby. The trials include a Sunday rematch of the one-two finishers from last year’s All American Futurity, Jess Good Candy and One Fabulous Eagle.
Dazzling Gem, a creditable third behind American Freedom in the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard, could run next in the $100,000 Matt Winn on the big Stephen Foster Handicap night card June 18 at Churchill Downs, although trainer Brad Cox may want to go elsewhere.
Informed that Gun Runner, third in the Kentucky Derby, likely goes next in the Matt Winn, Cox said: “Ooh. Well, maybe we’ll wait for the Ohio Derby or Iowa Derby. We’ve got plenty of options.”
Ghost Locket was entered in the Prairie Rose Stakes over six furlongs on Thursday night at Prairie Meadows. If she is scratched, she has a good chance to win the $45,000 Jack Bishop Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on Friday night at the same venue.
Friday night’s two-turn race drew six other entrants, with Ghost Locket the likely favorite in the eighth of nine races.
