Tue, 05/12/2015 - 11:57

Churchill notes: Wilkes eyes Foster undercard for Tiz Windy, Island Town

Barbara D. Livingston
Tiz Windy will target the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis on June 13 at Churchill Downs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ian Wilkes is zeroing in on the June 13 Stephen Foster undercard with at least a couple of his horses – Tiz Windy for the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis and Island Town for the Grade 3 Matt Winn.

Tiz Windy was a good fourth in the Grade 1 La Troienne on the Kentucky Oaks undercard, and Island Town was up in the last jumps to win a first-level optional claimer on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

Wilkes said he is unsure of the next start for Gorgeous Bird, who has resumed a steady work pattern since finishing sixth in the April 4 Blue Grass.

Tue, 05/12/2015 - 11:41

Brueggemann shifts stable base away from Chicago

Nikki Sherman
Champion Work All Week is targeting the Grade 3 Aristides on May 30 at Churchill.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Roger Brueggemann is like everybody else who has trained in Chicago for many years: He wishes the purses were better than they are.

But Brueggemann, a regular on the Chicago circuit since he began training in 1991, is different from most: He has shifted his summer base of operations elsewhere for the first time, with most of his 50-horse stable split between Indiana Grand in suburban Indianapolis and the Trackside training center near Churchill Downs.

Tue, 05/12/2015 - 11:37

Krebs filling in well

As of Tuesday morning, Steve Krebs had won nine races from 57 starters since taking over trainer Scott Lake’s horses April 16.

Lake is serving a 120-day suspension for two positive tests at Laurel Park in December for the anabolic steroid stanozolol.

Lake was suspended 60 days for each offense. The penalties are running concurrently because he was not notified about the first positive until the second had been detected. Lake was suspended an additional 60 days because he had another stanozolol positive at Penn National last June.

Tue, 05/12/2015 - 11:35

Monmouth off to good start

Monmouth Park had a successful opening weekend, which started of with thick fog early in the opening-day card Saturday that made it difficult to view the races.

Saturday’s attendance was 11,138, a 9.5 percent increase over the 10,168 fans who turned out on opening day a year ago. All-sources handle Saturday was $3,776,955, a decrease of 6.2 percent from 2014. The ontrack handle of $655,007 was up 12.3 percent from a year ago.

Tue, 05/12/2015 - 11:34

Guerrero reinstated at Parx

Barbara D. Livingston
Juan Carlos Guerrero, shown with Golden Mystery in 2011 when he was the leading trainer at Parx, now serves in a low-profile role as an assistant to his wife, Lisa.

Juan Carlos Guerrero has been reinstated as a trainer at Parx Racing and last Tuesday won his first race at the track since Dec. 26, 2011.

Guerrero, the leading trainer by wins at Parx in 2011, was banned from the track for 10 years after he allegedly inappropriately touched a female employee of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association at Parx on Nov. 16, 2011.

Guerrero raced his horses in New York in 2012 before his wife, Lisa, became the trainer of record in early 2013 and they resumed racing at Parx. Guerrero assisted his wife at the barn each day.

Tue, 05/12/2015 - 11:31

Imperative transferred to Baltas barn

Barbara D. Livingston
This year's Charles Town Classic runner-up, Imperative, will be trained by Richard Baltas when he resumes training in the coming weeks.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Imperative, second in the $1.45 million Charles Town Classic in his most recent start April 18, is being rested on a local farm and will be trained by Richard Baltas when he resumes racetrack activity in the coming weeks, owner Kenji Morinaga said.

Morinaga said Baltas will replace George Papaprodromou as trainer. Papaprodromou claimed Imperative for Morinaga for $50,000 in December 2013. In 2014, Imperative had one win in 11 starts – the Charles Town Classic – and earned $1,265,700. Imperative is winless in three starts this year, earning $304,250.

Tue, 05/12/2015 - 11:31

Bolo resumes training for Belmont Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Bolo will start next in the $1.25 million Belmont Derby on July 4 at Belmont Park.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bolo, who finished 12th in the Kentucky Derby on May 2, has resumed training in Southern California for a potential start in the $1.25 million Belmont Derby at Belmont Park on July 4.

Trainer Carla Gaines said it is unlikely that Bolo will have a prep race before the Grade 1 Belmont Derby, which is run at 1 1/4 miles on turf.

Tue, 05/12/2015 - 11:26

McCarthy’s birthday gift: a Preakness mount

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Jockey Trevor McCarthy has been sidelined since being thrown following the finish of a race at Laurel Park on Dec. 20.

Preakness Day is going to be like Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day all rolled into one for jockey Trevor McCarthy, who not only will ride in his first Triple Crown race but also celebrate his 21st birthday.

McCarthy will ride Bodhisattva in the Preakness for owner and trainer Jose Corrales. Bodhisattva, based at Laurel Park, improved over the winter and in his last start scored a front-running win for McCarthy in the Federico Tesio Stakes going 1 1/16 miles at Pimlico.

Tue, 05/12/2015 - 06:47

Golden Gate post times adjusted

Golden Gate Fields has revised its post times for the remainder of the meeting.

Thursday and Friday race days will begin with a 1:15 p.m. Pacific first post. Weekend and holiday racing on Memorial Day will start at 12:45 p.m. First post will be 11:45 a.m. on Triple Crown dates, Saturday for the Preakness and June 6 for the Belmont.

Mon, 05/11/2015 - 15:05

Palace Malice still on track for Met Mile

Barbara D. Livingston
Palace Malice is still slated for a start in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on June 6.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Though he finished third, beaten 3 1/2 lengths in Sunday’s $98,000 Diablo Stakes, Palace Malice remains on course for a repeat bid in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on June 6, trainer Todd Pletcher said Monday.

In his first start since a sixth-place finish in last August’s Grade 1 Whitney Stakes, Palace Malice broke a step slowly, raced three to four wide throughout, and made a mild bid under John Velazquez in the six-furlong Diablo, finishing behind Stallwalkin’ Dude and Clearly Now.