Mon, 07/28/2014 - 15:47

Tornado touches down near Suffolk

EAST BOSTON, Mass. – A tornado ripped through the city of Revere, where the stable area of Suffolk Downs is located, on Monday morning, but no humans at the track or horses suffered any injuries and there was no damage to any structures. The afternoon card went on as scheduled.

The tornado, which was confirmed by the National Weather Service, ravaged the city, resulting in multiple building collapses, power outages, downed power lines, uprooted trees, and widespread damage. Major highways were closed following the storm, and police re-routed vehicles through Suffolk Downs.

Mon, 07/28/2014 - 15:16

Catalano still in ICU but improving

Trainer Wayne Catalano remained in the intensive-care unit of St. Alexius Hospital in northwest suburban Chicago as of Monday, but Catalano has made steady progress recovering from a severe illness that hospitalized him July 22.

Catalano has been in an induced coma since late last week and has been receiving oxygen to assist his breathing. The medication to induce the coma has been withdrawn, however, and Catalano’s level of oxygen has been reduced, according to his wife, Ren é e Catalano.

Mon, 07/28/2014 - 15:08

Willet finds soft spot to kick season into gear

Barbara D. Livingston
Willet has won four restricted stakes, but never a graded race.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Willet has already earned owner-trainer Jimmy Iselin and his partners more than a half-million dollars in her patiently managed career. But Willet, 6, has yet to win a graded stakes, and that will be Iselin’s major goal this season for his talented New York-bred, who returns to Saratoga as the likely favorite in a statebred allowance race for fillies and mares Wednesday.

Mon, 07/28/2014 - 15:05

Bayern runs his way into Travers picture

Tom Keyser
Bayern earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 109 for this victory in the Haskell.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Travers really wasn’t on trainer Bob Baffert’s mind for his 3-year-old Bayern when he decided late last week to ship him across the country for Sunday’s $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

It is now.

Mon, 07/28/2014 - 14:58

Larry Jones still on road to recovery

Barbara D. Livingston
Larry Jones hopes to be at Saratoga to watch Coup de Grace run in the Grade 1 King's Bishop next month.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Larry Jones had a big weekend, winning two graded stakes, including the Amsterdam here Saturday with Coup de Grace, and sending out Albano to finish second in the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth. But Jones, who suffered two broken ribs, a bruised lung, and a serious head injury in a training mishap at Delaware Park on April 19, was not in attendance at either Saratoga or Monmouth to see his horses run.

Mon, 07/28/2014 - 14:41

Garcia looking to stay hot in Clement Hirsch

Tom Keyser
Fiftyshadesofhay overcame a rough trip Sunday to win the Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The adrenaline of winning a $1 million race, the anticipation of an upcoming Grade 1 race, and the wonder of youth all served jockey Martin Garcia quite well Sunday night into Monday.

Mon, 07/28/2014 - 14:27

Bahamian Squall gets second shot at Vanderbilt

Barbara D. Livingston
Bahamian Squall returns from a seven-month layoff in the 6 1/2-furlong Housebuster.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With a better post position and a little racing luck, Bahamian Squall may well have won the 2013 Alfred G. Vanderbilt and become a Grade 1 winner. Instead, he had to settle for second behind Justin Phillip after breaking from the rail and getting jammed up in traffic along the inside around the turn.

Mon, 07/28/2014 - 14:23

Candy Boy, Tapiture meet in West Virginia Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Candy Boy, most recently second in the Los Alamitos Derby, will point to the Aug. 2 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer.

The Grade 2, $750,000 West Virginia Derby, the headliner on a nine-stakes card Saturday at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort near Chester, has drawn a field of nine, including Candy Boy, who will ship in from Southern California for trainer John Sadler, and Tapiture, who is based at Saratoga with Steve Asmussen.

West Virginia Derby Day is the highlight of the racing year at Mountaineer and has a special 2 p.m. Eastern first post, rather than the usual 7 p.m. start time.

Mon, 07/28/2014 - 14:00

Weekend stakes looking strong

Nine 3-year-olds, headed by the stakes winner G. G. Ryder, were nominated for Saturday’s Roger Dupret Derby at Santa Rosa. Fourteen runners, headed by Pepper Crown, Summer Hit, and Hudson Landing – the top three finishers in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields – were nominated to the Joseph T. Grace on Sunday.

Both $50,000-added stakes cover 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Sacramento business

Mon, 07/28/2014 - 13:57

Cedillo in right place at right time

Jockey Abel Cedillo found himself in the right place at the right time – at the wire aboard Amnesia in Saturday’s Wine Country Stakes at Santa Rosa and again on Sing and Tell in the Luther Burbank Handicap on Sunday.

But Cedillo and his mount weren’t where they expected to be early in the Wine Country, for 3-year-old fillies.