It was cold and windy with a touch of snow covering the ground on a recent morning at Laurel Park, not much greenery to be found – that is, until you step into the hydroponic growing shed trainer Phil Schoenthal has built into the side of his barn.
Schoenthal has been tinkering with growing his own feed the last three years. He’s invested a lot of time and money refining the process, and this past year he believes his horses have begun to benefit from his efforts.
Effective with the entries for March 5, the New York Racing Association will rescind a rule that prohibited horses from running back in 14 days or less from their previous start, it was announced Tuesday.
The rule was one of four enacted last month in the wake of 14 equine fatalities during the first 27 days of the inner track meet, which began on Dec. 3. Four of the 14 horses who died ran back in 11 days or less from their previous start. There has not been a fatality since Jan. 22, a period of 14 racing days.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A stellar field is lining up for the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap on March 7. Trainers Shug McGaughey and Jimmy Jerkens confirmed last weekend that both Honor Code and Wicked Strong are pointing for the one-mile fixture. So too is Private Zone, a five-length winner of the Cigar Mile in his last start, and Valid, the game winner of the Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper Stakes at a mile here earlier this month.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Far Right has now won both of his Oaklawn Park matchups with Mr. Z – Sunday’s Southwest Stakes and last month’s Smarty Jones Stakes. But the rivalry, which has highlighted the local 3-year-old series, is unlikely to be renewed in next month’s Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel Stakes here.
Far Right and Mr. Z have different agendas coming out of the Southwest, and as a result, the 1 1/16-mile Rebel will have a new look when it is run March 14.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. –Sunday’s 10th race at Gulfstream Park featured the return of Top Billing, who was making his first start since finishing third in the 2014 Fountain of Youth. But in the end, it was Encryption who stole the show, the 4-year-old son of Exchange Rate coming back from a four-month layoff of his own to register an eight-length triumph over longshot I’m Steppin’ It Up, with Top Billing finishing a distant fourth as the 8-5 favorite. Encryption received a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure for his performance.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Bill Mott said that Mean Season “looked good and jogged sound” Monday at Payson Park, less than 48 hours after being vanned off following his last-place finish in Saturday’s Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint. The loss was the first in four starts for the speedster and the second time in as many starts that he received a ride back to the barn after the race. He also was vanned off due to a leg injury following his optional-claiming win at Aqueduct last March.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – All-sources handle on Saturday’s Fountain of Youth program at Gulfstream Park was $20,746,939, up slightly from 2014. There was significant growth in ontrack handle, which was $1.867 million, up 100 percent from the previous year.
“We’re extremely happy with our total handle and ontrack numbers on Fountain of Youth Day,” said Gulfstream Park’s vice president of racing and general manager, P.J. Campo. “We continue building our fan base with strong fields and great racing. We want to thank the horsemen for supporting our program as well as our great fans.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jockey Junior Alvarado rode North Slope to victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Evening Attire Stakes, part of a four-win afternoon and a seven-win weekend for him at Aqueduct.
Alvarado went 4 for 5 on Sunday’s card, also winning aboard Net Gain, Igotthediscoinme, and Bass River Road.
On Saturday, Alvarado went 3 for 7, including a victory in the Busher Stakes aboard Condo Commando.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Far From Over and El Kabeir, the top two finishers in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes on Feb. 7, both returned to the work tab Sunday as they train toward a possible rematch in the Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on March 7.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – North Slope earned a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Evening Attire Stakes and will remain on the dirt for the foreseeable future, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. He will be kept under consideration for the $100,000 Stymie Stakes at Aqueduct on March 22.
