EAST BOSTON, Mass. – When the e-mail from internationally prominent owner and breeder Charles Fipke arrived, Kevin McCarthy thought perhaps he may have, too.
“It was addressed to Roger Attfield, Neil Drysdale, Dallas Stewart, and me. I thought, ‘Wow. This is incredible,’ and I felt very proud to be included in their company,” said McCarthy, the recent recipient of a special achievement award from the New England Turf Writers Association for being a trainer on the rise.
DEL MAR, Calif. – An aversion to favorites was key to winning the pick six at Del Mar on Wednesday.
The bet paid $199,296 on a day in which no favorites were successful in pick six races. Consolation tickets were worth $1,371.
The bet began with a carryover of $195,206 from Sunday. Bettors added $1,126,837 on Wednesday.
The winners of Wednesday’s pick six races were Myrna Lou ($13), Magic Number ($8.40), Tuff Storm ($29), Lucky S.J. ($17.80), Sunset Glow ($8.60) and Spirit of Ten ($13.40).
DEL MAR, Calif. – A fast-thinking Del Mar employee was widely credited Wednesday with saving a 7-year-old boy from a burning travel trailer on racetrack property shortly after dawn.
David Martinez, a labor foreman, was driving past a row of trailers and recreational vehicles when he saw flames coming from a trailer. Martinez began banging on the door and alerted the boy, whom he helped to escape, according to Del Mar vice president of operations Tim Read.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A trainer autograph-signing session will be held here Sunday to benefit the Lustgarten Foundation in memory of the late Dominic Galluscio, who died earlier this year from pancreatic cancer. Most of the local trainer colony will be on hand to sign autographs at the Jockey Silks Porch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
The Lustgarten Foundation raises funds for pancreatic cancer research.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Artemis Agrotera showed she continues to thrive coming off her one-sided allowance win earlier this week by working five furlongs in 1:01.12 here Wednesday. Artemis Agrotera completed her final quarter-mile in 24.25 second under just mild urging before galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.69.
“The work was pretty perfect,” trainer Mike Hushion said. “It was exactly what I wanted. She finished up well, galloped out strong, and is showing all signs that she’s still on her game.”
The Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks has drawn a deep field of 10, headed by the one-two finishers of the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks and second- through fourth-place finishers from the Grade 2 Delaware Oaks.
Ria Antonia, runner-up to Size in the Iowa Oaks, was scheduled to ship from Kentucky to New Jersey on Wednesday afternoon, according to trainer Tom Amoss. She will start from post 1.
Although the Oaks purse of $100,000 is the lowest Ria Antonia will have raced for since winning her maiden at Woodbine in July 2013, Amoss is not taking the race lightly.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Even though two-time defending champion Wise Dan is not in the lineup, only six horses were entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Grade 2 Fourstardave.
Silver Max and Seek Again top the lineup. Trainer Bryan Lynch has entered his pair of Dorsett and Grand Arch, while Jack Milton and Sayaad complete the field.
OPELOUSAS, La. – Union Builder, the winner of the males’ division of the D.S. "Shine" Young Futurity, looked well on his way to a Shine-Louisiana Cup double of his own Saturday after opening up a commanding lead in midstretch of the Louisiana Cup Juvenile only to be mowed down in the final strides by a hard-charging Four Leaf Chief. Both juveniles are based at Evangeline.
“He had to overcome a lot the other afternoon,” said Four Leaf Chief’s winning rider, Gerard Melancon. “He got pounded at the start and still came running. He is a nice colt.”
OPELOUSAS, La. – Last Wednesday marked the long-awaited return of jockey C.J. McMahon. After serving a lengthy suspension for being the aggressor in an altercation at Delta this year, McMahon wasted little time in returning to the winner’s circle, taking the evening’s eighth race at Evangeline Downs with longshot Eyejaykay ($69.80).
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Big Trouble, winner of the Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga on July 19, will be sidelined for at least the remainder of the year due to a torn suspensory ligament in his right foreleg, trainer Tony Dutrow said.
Dutrow said the injury was diagnosed following Big Trouble’s five-furlong workout at the Fair Hill training center in Maryland on Aug. 1. Big Trouble, unbeaten in two starts, was being pointed to the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga on Sept. 1.
