Tue, 06/02/2015 - 12:46

Churchill notes: Borel recovering from sprain

Barbara D. Livingston
Mr. Z (left), trained by D. Wayne Lukas (aboard pony on right), will not start in the Matt Winn Stakes on June 13 at Churchill.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel was hoping to fulfill his mounts this week after taking off Sunday with a badly sprained ankle that resulted from a training accident earlier that morning.

Borel was thrown from a filly he was breezing for trainer Buff Bradley when narrowly averting a collision. After initially saying he was okay, Borel eventually went to a nearby hospital for an MRI, which confirmed the sprain.

Borel is named to ride one race Thursday and two Friday.

Mr. Z to bypass Matt Winn

Tue, 06/02/2015 - 12:40

Private Zone looking good for Met Mile

Barbara D. Livingston
Private Zone wins the seven-furlong Churchill Downs Stakes. He will try to stretch his speed another furlong in the Met Mile on Saturday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Jorge Navarro was at Parx on Monday showing pictures of Private Zone to horsemen friends of his who are familiar with the horse.

“They said, ‘Wow, couldn’t believe it,’ ” said Navarro, who is based at Monmouth Park. “Different horse. He looks really good.”

Private Zone had been based at Parx for a couple of months last summer with Alfredo Velazquez. He won the Grade 1 Vosburgh off his training there before moving back to California for the Breeders’ Cup.

Tue, 06/02/2015 - 12:36

Chilean champ Il Campione to bypass Manhattan

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Big Blue Kitten is one of three Chad Brown trainees expected to run Saturday in the Manhattan.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown has shuffled his lineup for Saturday’s Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont Park, subtracting one major player and adding two lower-profile contenders.

Already set to run Big Blue Kitten in the Grade 1 race at 1 1/4 miles on turf, Brown was strongly considering making the Manhattan the North American debut of the Chilean champion Il Campione. However, Brown has decided to hold Il Campione out of the Manhattan and point him to the Grade 3, $300,000 Poker Stakes on June 13. Meanwhile, he has decided to add Hyper and Slumber to the Manhattan mix.

Tue, 06/02/2015 - 12:30

Commissioner among 34 nominated for Stephen Foster Handicap

Barbara D. Livingston
Commissioner will start in the Stephen Foster Handicap on June 13 at Churchill Downs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs racing officials said Tuesday they have been informed by trainer Todd Pletcher that Commissioner and Protonico will represent his stable a week from Saturday in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap.

Meanwhile, trainer Bob Baffert left behind Hoppertunity and Cat Burglar at Churchill Downs as his likely starters for the $500,000 Foster, which will anchor a Downs After Dark card here June 13. Baffert had considered Bayern for the 1 1/8-mile Foster but opted instead for the Met Mile on the Belmont Stakes undercard this Saturday.

Tue, 06/02/2015 - 11:56

Parx Dash could rematch Amelia’s Wild Ride, Ben’s Cat

B & D Photography
Amelia's Wild Ride gets his nose down along the rail to edge Ben's Cat in the Pennsylvania Governor's Cup at Penn National on Saturday.

Amelia’s Wild Ride, who defeated Ben’s Cat by a nose in the $150,000 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup at Penn National on Saturday night, will now likely be pointed to the Grade 3, $200,000 Parx Dash on July 11, according to trainer Ramon Preciado.

Preciado pointed out that the 4-year-old Amelia’s Wild Ride had been invited to the $300,000 Jaipur Invitational at Belmont Park this Saturday, but he was not inclined to bring him back that quickly.

Tue, 06/02/2015 - 11:46

Penn National sets handle marks

Penn Gaming’s strategy of putting on huge stakes days at its Mid-Atlantic tracks of Penn National and Charles Town is paying off, as Penn National set two handle records last Saturday on Penn Mile Night.

The Penn National racetrack side of the racino was very crowded that evening, and the casino side also appeared to be doing brisk business.

Tue, 06/02/2015 - 11:41

Bodhisattva targets Ohio Derby

Nikki Sherman
Bodhisattva finished last in the Preakness but came out of the race in good shape.

Trainer Jose Corrales said Bodhisattva, whom he owns and trains, came out of his last-place finish in the Preakness Stakes none the worse for wear and is being pointed to the $500,000 Ohio Derby, a 1 1/16-mile race at ThistleDown on June 20.

Corrales, a 55-year-old native of Panama, was based at Beulah Park in Ohio in 2010-11 before owner Frank Stronach sent him to Maryland with a string of horses to train.

Tue, 06/02/2015 - 11:41

Rainbow 6 gaining steam with mandatory payout looming

The Rainbow 6 carryover at Pimlico Race Course has reached $244,804, and a closing-day mandatory payout on Saturday is looking more and more possible with only three days left in the meet.

Pimlico races Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before Maryland racing takes a summer hiatus until Laurel Park reopens Aug. 1.

The 10-cent Rainbow 6 has carried over for 12 straight cards at Pimlico. It was last hit May 9.

Mon, 06/01/2015 - 16:40

Evangeline to run 3 postponed stakes on Saturday

OPELOUSAS, La. - Three of the five stakes that were lost last Saturday when heavy rains washed out the Evangeline Turf Sprint program have been rescheduled for this Saturday, according to Evangeline director of racing Chris Warren.

Entries for the $100,000 Evangeline Mile, the $70,000 Lafayette for 3-year-old Louisiana-breds, and the Acadiana for 3-year-old Louisiana-bred fillies will be taken Tuesday. All three races are scheduled for the main track.

Warren that all those who nominated are eligible to enter the stakes.

Mon, 06/01/2015 - 14:20

No tickets to be sold ontrack Belmont Stakes Day

ELMONT, N.Y. – As of noon Monday, there were still just more than 19,000 general admission tickets available for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. But even if they are not all sold by Saturday, no tickets will be sold at the track on that day, the New York Racing Association announced over the weekend.

Tickets may still be purchased through Ticketmaster on Saturday, provided the event has not sold out.

“If you don’t have a ticket, don’t come to Belmont Park on June 6,” said NYRA spokesman John Durso Jr., who encouraged fans to buy their tickets beforehand.