Jockey Sheldon Russell, injured in a spill on the Pimlico turf course on April 25, was released from Sinai Hospital on Monday and is resting at home.
Russell fractured several ribs and a punctured lung when he was thrown from his mount, Political Farce. He underwent surgery last Thursday to repair his lung and will likely be out until at least the start of the Laurel meet in August, said Russell’s agent, Marty Leonard.
“Sheldon will take as much times as he needs,” Leonard said.
Jockey Gustavo Larrosa, injured in a spill in the fifth race at Pimlico on Sunday, has had surgery at nearby Sinai Hospital for a punctured lung, and is expected to remain in the hospital for about a week, according to his agent, Sunny Martinez.
Larrosa, 48, has ridden at Charles Town since 2003. In addition to riding, he also breeds and owns Thoroughbreds, according to Martinez.
Larossa was at Pimlico to ride 5-2 second choice Available for trainer Suzanne Dempsey in the $25,000 claiming sprint at five furlongs on turf.
Not counting the Preakness, 14 stakes, seven of which are graded, will be run at Pimlico next Friday and Saturday.
The Friday card will be drawn this Sunday, five days ahead of time. The Preakness card will be drawn next Wednesday. Purses for non-stakes races both days have been bumped up, with allowance and optional-claiming races worth between $52,000 and $55,000 and maiden races offering purses of $50,000.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Tonalist, a convincing winner of the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park, and Honor Code, fifth in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes on Friday at Churchill Downs, are both being pointed to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap on Belmont Stakes Day, their connections said Monday.
Jockey Sheldon Russell, injured in a spill on the Pimlico turf course on April 25, was released from Sinai Hospital on Monday and is resting at home.
Russell fractured several ribs and punctured a lung when he was thrown from his mount, Political Farce. He underwent surgery last Thursday to repair his lung.
Russell’s agent Marty Leonard said there was no timetable for Russell’s return to the saddle but that he would definitely be out for the remainder of the Pimlico meet.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Palace Malice, last year’s Met Mile winner who was scratched from Saturday’s Westchester due to a foot issue, was back on the track Monday morning at Belmont Park and could have a workout Tuesday morning, trainer Todd Pletcher said.
“Galloped perfectly this morning,” Pletcher said. “Might breeze him tomorrow and come up with a game plan.”
Pletcher said he would prefer not to have to train Palace Malice up to the Met Mile, a stated early-season objective of his owner, Cot Campbell.
El Kabeir, the three-time graded stakes winner who was scratched from Saturday’s Kentucky Derby due to a foot issue, will be freshened and pointed to a summer campaign, trainer John Terranova said Monday.
El Kabeir left Churchill Downs on Sunday and vanned to the Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center in Versailles, Ky., where he will stay for several weeks, Terranova said.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Mark Casse plans to invade New York full throttle later this summer. Perhaps he’ll get a line on how things will go when he brings horses to Belmont Park for two of Saturday’s four graded stakes.
Casse, who ran fifth in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby with Danzig Moon, plans to run Dynamic Sky in the Grade 1 Man o’ War for older horses and Conquest Curlinate in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes for 3-year-olds.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Keeneland Racecourse has asked the state racing commission for permission to transfer its year-round simulcasting operations to the Red Mile harness track near downtown Lexington, according to records made available by the commission on Monday.
Finnegans Wake will be considered for the $1 million Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park on June 6 after his thrilling win in Saturday’s $500,000 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs.
Finnegans Wake closed from last of nine in the final three-eighths of a mile to win by a head as the 7-2 favorite in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve, the most prestigious victory of his 29-race career.
“That was the only stride he was in front,” trainer Peter Miller said. “He’s a professional racehorse.”
