A number of Ohio’s leading horses, and one of the state’s mainstay riders, will be honored at Belterra Park, which has a number of fan-friendly initiatives on tap as its season begins Thursday.
After three Thursday-through-Saturday race weeks to open the season, racing will continue on a Wednesday-through-Saturday schedule. The meet runs through Oct. 5.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Keeneland kicks off the final three days of its spring meet Wednesday with an eight-race card and a $56,441 carryover in the pick six that begins in the third race.
Part of that sequence is the nominal feature, as the day’s seventh race is a $120,000 allowance/optional-claiming race at six furlongs for fillies and mares who have never won twice other-than, or who have never won three races. Several horses in this field are well-bred fillies for major programs with stakes experience.
The spring and summer racing circuit moves ahead in Ohio this week, as Thistledown, which hosts some of the biggest open races in the Buckeye State, begins its meet.
Thistledown, in North Randall, Ohio, outside Cleveland, opens on Monday, April 22, with the meet running through Oct. 10. The track will mainly race Monday through Thursday, with special Saturday programs, along with simulcasts, on Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes days.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – It has been more than a decade since Jesus Castanon had his first, and thus far only, Kentucky Derby mount. The veteran rider is preparing to take a leg up in the classic again as he is set to ride West Saratoga for first-time Derby trainer Larry Demeritte.
“You know what, you have to just never give up in this business,” Castanon said after piloting West Saratoga through what will be his penultimate breeze for the Kentucky Derby, going six furlongs in 1:16.20 on Friday morning at Keeneland. “You’ve got to keep trying.”
Grade 1 winner Fev Rover was crowned 2023 Canadian Horse of the Year and her conditioner, Mark Casse, won for outstanding trainer for the 16th time during the 49th annual Sovereign Awards ceremony Thursday at the Paramount Eventspace in the Toronto suburb of Woodbridge.
Owned by Tracy Farmer, Fev Rover had a brilliant 2023 campaign, highlighted by victories in two Grade 1 fixtures, the E.P. Taylor and Beverly D. She received 90 points in the Horse of the Year voting, putting her well ahead of other finalists Paramount Prince (44) and Elysian Field (32).
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Be on the lookout for some new Bond sequels.
Kevin and Ryan Bond, the sons of trainer H. James Bond, are both going out on their own this spring. Kevin Bond, 36, already has his license and was scheduled to have his first starter Friday at Aqueduct. Ryan Bond, 33, is in the midst of completing the licensing process. Both have worked as assistants for their father for several years.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Blazing Sevens, beaten a head by National Treasure in last year’s Preakness, will make his 4-year-old debut in a second-level allowance going a mile on Saturday.
Blazing Sevens hasn’t run since July 21, when he finished third as the 3-5 favorite in the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga.
“In hindsight, when he got to Saratoga, he really wasn’t moving great, or as well as he could have been going and actually in the race he was even worse,” trainer Chad Brown said.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn leading rider Cristian Torres has the mount on Common Defense for the Kentucky Derby if the horse, who was sitting on the points bubble Wednesday, gets into the 20-horse field, according to his agent, Cody Autrey.
Common Defense ranks 23rd in points, with 37, according to the latest leaderboard issued by Churchill Downs. He is coming off a close fifth in the Louisiana Derby and prior to that race was second in the Rebel.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Plans for Adare Manor, Flying Connection, and Free Like a Girl, who finished a respective first, second, and third in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Apple Blossom last Saturday at Oaklawn, are to be determined, their respective trainers said Monday.
Adare Manor was a 5 1/2-length winner of the race with a Beyer Speed Figure of 100. She shipped in from Southern California.
“She’s back home, looks good,” said trainer Bob Baffert. “I have no immediate plans for her yet. We’ll let her tell us when she’s ready.”
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Skelly has some unfinished business this meet at Oaklawn Park.
The winner of the Grade 3, $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap for the second year in a row last Saturday could make one more local appearance, according to his trainer, Steve Asmussen.
“I’m probably going to run him back in the Lake Hamilton,” Asmussen said Tuesday. “I want to keep him at three-quarters of a mile and we know he loves Oaklawn.”
