Jockey Forest Boyce, who made a last-minute decision to ride this season at Fair Grounds instead of staying home in Maryland to ride at Laurel, said she’s enjoying the track and the city.
“It’s real nice,” Boyce said. “Everyone’s been really helpful. … It was nice to be able to go somewhere, try something new.”
Forever Unbridled, who defeated 2-year-old maiden fillies at a mile and 70 yards by 2 1/4 lengths Dec. 12 in her second start, will race next in the Silverbulletday, trainer Dallas Stewart said.
“It looks good,” Stewart said. “Hopefully, we’ll take the same path as her sister.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs Inc. announced Friday that Travis Stone has been hired as the new race-caller at its flagship track, replacing Larry Collmus, who resigned after just one year to work primarily at the New York Racing Association.
Stone, 30, becomes the eighth caller in track history. A native of Schroon Lake, N.Y., Stone began calling races full time at Louisiana Downs in 2006, and moved this summer to call at Monmouth Park before most recently moving into a part-time position with NYRA.
Trainer Shug McGaughey has decided to tweak the original itinerary he set out for Honor Code when the horse first arrived in south Florida. Instead of launching his 2015 campaign in the one-mile Hal’s Hope on Jan. 10 as a prep for the Grade 1 Donn Handicap, Honor Code will now start just once at the meet, in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap on March 7.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The Kentucky Derby dreams of Mr. Jordan and his connections were dashed earlier this week after the undefeated 2-year-old injured a check ligament during a workout at Gulfstream Park West.
Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. said Mr. Jordan likely sustained the injury while pulling up after breezing an easy half-mile in 48 seconds on Tuesday. The work was the first for Mr. Jordan since his impressive 4 1/2-length victory going a mile in the Smooth Air Stakes on Nov. 29.
NEW ORLEANS – Trainer Wayne Catalano was all smiles after watching the undefeated 2-year-old filly West Coast Belle work a half-mile Wednesday morning at Fair Grounds.
“She went 48 and 2 like nothing,” Catalano said.
A petite gray daughter of Tapit, West Coast Belle was working for the first time since coming to New Orleans from Churchill Downs, where she won the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes on Nov. 27 in her third start.
A specific racing schedule hasn’t been made, Catalano said. Getting her to the Kentucky Oaks in as good a shape as possible is his general plan.
Strathnaver, the winner of two stakes including the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland in 2013, has been retired and will be bred in 2015, trainer Graham Motion said.
Earlier this week, the 5-year-old Strathnaver was sent from Motion’s California stable to Kentucky. The mare ended her career with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 30. She was second in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.
Owned by Andrew Stone, Strathnaver won 5 of 23 starts and earned $463,070.
Trainer Peter Miller has the likely favorite in Saturday’s fifth race at Los Alamitos in El Nino Terrible, a 3-year-old colt who won an optional claimer over 1 1/16 miles Nov. 23 at Del Mar. The race Saturday is for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles.
The field of six includes the sparingly raced Setsuko, who was second in the Santa Anita Handicap in 2011 and 2012 but has made just three starts in the last two years, and Big Kick, the winner of the San Juan Capistrano Handicap over about 1 3/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita in June.
Shared Belief, who was beaten for the first time in his eight-race career when he finished a troubled fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 1, will be favored in the $300,000 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Dec. 26. He is not the only 3-year-old on that card who will try to get back to the winner’s circle after having a long win streak that ended recently.
Red Outlaw, who lost for the first time in his seventh start when fourth in the Cary Grant Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 23, is likely to start that day in the $200,000 Mathis Brothers Mile for 3-year-olds on turf.
Eagle, who finished a close, closing third in the Nov. 29 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill, had his first work since shipping to New Orleans when he went an easy half-mile last Friday. Trainer Neil Howard said he is pointing Eagle to the Grade 3, $200,000 Lecomte Stakes here at Fair Grounds on Jan. 17.
“He’s been on a little bit of a busman’s holiday, because once we get rolling in January there won’t be much time for rest,” Howard said. “Right now we’re pointing for the Lecomte. That should give us some direction about how to proceed.”
