ARCADIA, Calif. – A victory in an optional claimer on turf Thursday has put Kathleen Rose on course for her graded stakes debut in the $200,000 Royal Heroine Stakes for fillies and mares next month.
Trainer Mike Machowsky said the Grade 2 Royal Heroine over a mile on turf June 28 will provide a class test for Kathleen Rose.
“We’re going to keep going up now” in class, Machowsky said. “We might look at the Royal Heroine. It’s a Grade 2, and that goes a long way for fillies.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Martin Pedroza, who has been out since early February after suffering a shin injury, is targeting a mid-June comeback, according to his agent, Richie Silverstein.
Pedroza suffered a fracture in his left shin here on Feb. 7 when he was unseated from his mount. Silverstein said that Pedroza opted not to go undergo surgery to avoid the inconvenience of having a stabilizing rod inserted in the leg and then having to miss further time to have the rod removed.
ARCADIA, Calif. – A track-record performance by the 2-year-old first-time starter Wake Up Nick on Thursday has co-owner Dennis O’Neill hoping for a stakes appearance in June.
Wake Up Nick, by Cindago, won a maiden race for California-breds by 9 1/4 lengths, finishing 4 1/2 furlongs in 51.22 seconds under jockey Mario Gutierrez. The previous mark of 51.40 seconds – or 51 2/5 – was set in 1972 by Willy Float.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Bob Tiller has gotten off to a fast start at the meet. He topped the trainers’ standings heading into this week with seven wins from 20 starters, one victory more than perennial leader Mark Casse. Last year, Tiller finished a clear second in the standings with 62 wins while scoring at a solid 21 percent clip.
Tiller has a deep bench of 3-year-olds who seem poised to carry the stable for a while before his 2-year-olds make the races.
Live racing returns to Assiniboia Downs on Sunday, which is opening day of a 60-day meet that runs through Sept. 21.
Racing at the Winnipeg track is scheduled for Fridays, Saturdays, four Sundays (May 4, May 11, June 15 and Sept. 21) and on the holidays May 19, July 1, Aug. 4 and Sept. 1. Wednesday racing will be added May 28, but will not be conducted after a holiday.
Post time is 1:30 p.m., Central, for Sundays and holidays. Post time for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday racing is 7 p.m.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Racing has long been known as the Sport of Kings, and at the highest levels, that reputation is not altogether undeserved. When a horse is purchased for millions at a yearling sale or in a private acquisition leading up to the Kentucky Derby, the purchaser can sometimes be royalty – or simply as wealthy as a king.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As he did two days before winning the Wood Memorial, Wicked Strong blew out three furlongs Thursday, this time going in 36.78 seconds over the Churchill Downs main track, two days in advance of the Kentucky Derby.
Under exercise rider Kelvin Pahal, Wicked Strong galloped from the eighth pole all the way around to the quarter pole, where he got into his work. Wicked Strong, looking fluid while reaching out in the stretch, went from the quarter pole to the wire in 24.13 before galloping out an additional furlong around the clubhouse turn in 12.65.
Churchill Downs will attempt to address complaints lodged by two-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Ron Turcotte about his treatment by the company on several Derby Days in the past, a spokesperson for Churchill said, adding there had been “a communication breakdown.”
