INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Jockey Garrett Gomez resumed riding at Betfair Hollywood Park on Thursday, a month after he took a sabbatical from racing to spend time with his family.
Though winless with two mounts on Thursday’s eight-race program, Gomez said he was encouraged by the way he felt and is ready to resume riding on a full-time basis when the Del Mar meeting begins Wednesday.
“I’m glad to be back in action and doing what I do,” he said.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Owner Rick Porter thought he had come up with a good plan for Normandy Invasion.
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After Normandy Invasion finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby, Porter and trainer Chad Brown elected to skip the remainder of the Triple Crown series in order to have a fresh horse for the summer, with the goal being the $1 million Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 24.
But there’s an old axiom in racing that goes “If you want to make God laugh, make a plan.”
AUBURN, Wash. – Stopshoppingdebbie, a budding superstar in the Pacific Northwest, will shoot for her fourth victory in as many starts Sunday in the $50,000 Kent Handicap at Emerald Downs. First post for the 11-race card is 2 p.m. Pacific.
The Kent, for fillies, is the first half of a Sunday stakes doubleheader for 3-year-olds, and with only three other starters in the field, Stopshoppingdebbie is likely to be a prohibitive favorite as she attempts to carry her speed over 1 1/16 miles.
After losing his first six starts in stakes finals, Last to Fire finally had a breakthrough performance in the $167,900 Vessels Maturity at Los Alamitos on July 7.
The result changes his career. With the win, Last to Fire earned an automatic berth to the $750,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos on Dec. 14, a race that plays a pivotal role in year-end championship voting.
“After a long time of trying to win one, this feels great,” co-owner Jesus Avila said after leaving the winner’s circle.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The past five years, trainer Greg Tracy has won with 29 percent of his 2-year-olds running in stakes races and last year he won every stakes race for 2-year-old fillies at Northlands Park. It makes a lot of sense to take a close look at the Tracy trainee Western Heritage when he runs in the $50,000 New Westminster Stakes for 2-year-old colts at geldings at Hastings on Sunday.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Sunday is getaway day, but trainer Linda Rice will be too busy saddling horses at Belmont Park to think about the move to Saratoga.
Rice has six horses entered in four races on Belmont’s 10-race card, which brings to a conclusion the 56-day spring/summer meet. Following four dark days, racing moves to Saratoga beginning July 19.
Rice has two horses entered in each of Sunday’s co-featured allowance races scheduled for the turf.
OCEANPORT, N.J. – Trainer Eddie Plesa. Jr. calls Slew’s Exchange “an overachiever.”
He would also like to call her a stakes winner.
That goal might be accomplished on Sunday at Monmouth Park in the $60,000 Klassy Briefcase for fillies and mares at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf.
The grass dash drew a field of a nine, with most of the runners in pursuit of the same elusive goal: the black-type designation conferred on a stakes winner.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Owner-trainer John Ross had to be at least mildly disappointed last Sunday after watching his Go Greeley get nosed out for the win in the $150,000 Clarendon.
Ross will be seeking redemption here at Woodbine on Sunday with Lexie Lou, who will be looking for her second win in as many starts in the $150,000 Shady Well.
The Shady Well, a 5 1/2-furlong race for Ontario-foaled 2-year-old fillies, attracted a field of 10, including Skylander Girl, who will be returning on short notice off an impressive score in last Saturday’s My Dear Stakes.
Mucho Macho Man worked a mile in 1:44.83 over the main track at Saratoga on Friday morning, and trainer Kathy Ritvo confirmed his next start would come in the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap on Aug. 3.
With regular exercise rider Nick Petro Jr. aboard, Mucho Macho Man broke off at the mile pole on the clubhouse turn, went a very leisurely opening quarter-mile in 28.45 seconds and half-mile in 54.95, and then picked up the pace under some mild encouragement through the stretch, completing his final half-mile in 49.88 before galloping out 1 1/8 miles in 1:58.21.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Hey Didjanotis looks like the one they will have to run down in Sunday’s $50,000 Boulevard Casino for 2-year-old fillies at Hastings. The 6 1/2-furlong sprint drew seven horses, goes as the fourth race, and will share the spotlight with the $50,000 New Westminster for 2-year-old colts and geldings, which goes as the sixth race.
