Tue, 08/05/2014 - 13:50

Social Inclusion sent to Rood & Riddle for evaluation

Tom Keyser
Social Inclusion was sent to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., on Monday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Social Inclusion has been sent to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., for further evaluation, his new trainer, Chad Brown, said on Tuesday.

Owner Ron Sanchez transferred Social Inclusion from trainer Manny Azpurua to Brown several days after his seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Haskell.

“Unfortunately this horse didn’t come out of the Haskell as well as we’d have liked,” said Brown. “So I sent the horse to Kentucky to Rood & Riddle on Monday to be examined by Dr. Larry Bramlage sometime next week.”

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 13:42

Florida Sire Stakes fields take shape

Gulfstream is hosting the $1.4 million Florida Sire Stakes for the first time this year, and the leadoff races in each division are set for Saturday, with the $100,000 Desert Vixen for fillies and the $100,000 Dr. Fager for colts and geldings.

Sing Praises, a 20-1 winner July 12 of the Birdonthewire Stakes, is among those expected for the Dr. Fager, along with Of Course and Fierce Tide.

[Florida Sire Stakes: Get PPs, watch Saturday’s card live]

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 13:40

Proctor has contender in both weekend turf stakes

Benoit & Associates
Enterprising wins the Oceanside on Thursday's opening-day card at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. – After a suspension of grass racing for the past week, Del Mar is scheduled to conduct racing on the turf this weekend when a pair of grass stakes are slated, and trainer Tom Proctor is eager to run in both.

Proctor has three-time stakes winner Enterprising set to go in the Grade 3, $150,000 La Jolla Handicap for 3-year-olds on Saturday, and the filly Wishing Gate in the Grade 2, $250,000 John C. Mabee Stakes for older females on Sunday.

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 13:39

Italian jockey Murgia makes his mark

If you hadn’t heard of Antioco Murgia, the Italian jockey who won the fifth race Saturday aboard Kutuzov for trainer Gennadi Dorochenko, well, you might hear more of him in the future.

“He is very honest, hard-working, and tries hard,” said Dorochenko, who has more than 75 horses in training and has been known to give mounts to a wide variety of lesser-known jockeys. “If he keeps winning for me, sure, he will ride more.”

Murgia’s record this year is 12 for 129, with a positive ROI of $2.03.

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 13:36

Apprentice rider Ritvo's four-win day 'like a dream'

Coglianese Photos
Apprentice celebrates his first career win as a jockey aboard Little Daniella in Sunday's second race at Gulfstream.

Michael Ritvo has been around racing his entire life, and he always marveled at the top jockeys, who would win three or four races a day with regularity.

So when the 20-year-old apprentice rider rode four winners Saturday at Gulfstream Park in South Florida, he was thrilled to know the feeling himself.

“It was something. It really was,” said Ritvo, whose first career mount was March 19. “I’d seen those guys do it and could only imagine it myself. It was almost like a dream.”

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 13:19

Saratoga business picks up

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – All-sources handle bounced back from last week but still remains down, while ontrack handle remains flat through the first 16 days, or 40 percent, of the Saratoga meet when compared to last year.

After 16 days, all-sources handle is $218,599,782, down 6.5 percent compared to $233,837,982 through the same period last year. After the first 10 days of the meet, all-sources handle had been down 9.5 percent.

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 13:01

Barajas new Keeneland track superintendent

Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., has hired Javier Barajas to be in charge of the maintenance of its three racing surfaces. Barajas is the former track superintendent at the Dubai Racing Club and at Arlington Park in Illinois.

Mon, 08/04/2014 - 17:07

Hashtag Bourbon impresses in Mountaineer Juvenile

Coady Photography
Hashtag Bourbon wins the Mountaineer Juvenile by 4 1/2 lengths.

The 2-year-old Hashtag Bourbon came into Saturday’s $100,000 Mountaineer Juvenile a maiden and left town a stakes winner.

In one of the better performances of West Virginia Derby Day, Hashtag Bourbon stormed from off the pace to win the six-furlong Juvenile by an expanding 4 1/2 lengths. He was timed in 1:11.45 (the fillies division went in 1:11.79) and received a Beyer Speed Figure of 78.

The Juvenile was Hashtag Bourbon’s second start. In his debut at Churchill Downs on June 28, he broke slowly, dropped far back, and then closed well to finish third.

Mon, 08/04/2014 - 16:25

Filimbi likely for Noble Damsel

Barbara D. Livingston
Filimbi wins the De La Rose on Saturday at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Filimbi, who defeated the Grade 1-winning New York-bred Dayatthespa in Saturday’s De La Rose Stakes at Saratoga, likely will move up into graded company for her next start. One possibility is the Grade 3, $200,000 Noble Damsel Stakes on Sept. 13 at Belmont Park.

Filimbi, a product of Grade 1 winners Mizzen Mast and Flute, earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure in the De La Rose, her second win from three starts in the United States.

Mon, 08/04/2014 - 15:06

I Spent It works sharply for Saratoga Special

Barbara D. Livingston
Nonna's Boy is owned by Mike Repole and trained by Todd Pletcher.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – I Spent It, a sharp debut winner at Belmont on July 2, worked a strong five furlongs in 1:00.10 over Saratoga’s main track Monday in preparation for Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special at 6 1/2 furlongs.

With jockey Javier Castellano in the irons, I Spent It broke off at the half-mile pole and went a bit quickly early but still came home in 24.07 seconds and then galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.90.