Mon, 04/08/2024 - 14:05

Big decrease in Wood Memorial Day handle

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – All-sources handle on Saturday’s 11-race Wood Memorial program was $15,318,421, down 23.3 percent from last year’s figure of $19,984,716.

Those figures include handle in both years on multi-race wagers linking races from other tracks. When wagering only on Aqueduct’s card is considered, handle was down 25 percent.

There were 11 races with 90 betting interests on Saturday’s card, the exact same as a year ago. However, last year, there were four turf races run whereas Saturday there were none.

Mon, 04/08/2024 - 12:30

Ralph Todd, owner of The Tin Man, dies at 90

By Steve Andersen

Benoit Photo

Ralph Todd (second from left), who owned four-time Grade 1 winner The Tin Man, died in March.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Ralph Todd, who owned the multiple Grade 1 winner The Tin Man as well as the California stakes winners Mama Simba and Oraibi, died in March, his daughter Stacey Nance said Sunday.

A memorial service was held recently in Santa Ynez, Calif. Todd was 90.

Todd, who owned a pipe and supply company based in Buellton, Calif., owned and bred Thoroughbreds for more than 40 years. He also owned a stone import business.

Mon, 04/08/2024 - 12:05

Santa Anita on recess; spring season opens April 19

By Steve Andersen

Barbara D. Livingston

Santa Anita will begin its spring meet on April 19.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita concluded the winter-spring portion of its marathon meeting on Sunday, and will start its spring season on April 19.

The spring season runs through June 16 and includes two Grade 1 races on turf May 27 worth $300,000 – the Shoemaker Mile and the Gamely Stakes at 1 1/8 miles for fillies and mares – as well as the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup, a $200,000 race on dirt at 1 1/4 miles.

Mon, 04/08/2024 - 12:05

Kentucky Oaks won't feature Santa Anita Oaks runners

By Steve Andersen

Benoit Photo

Trained by Bob Baffert, Nothing Like You was an upset winner of last Saturday's Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on Saturday did not produce any expected starters for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 3.

Race winner Nothing Like You, who paid $16.40, and runner-up Kinza, the 1-2 favorite, are trained by Bob Baffert, who is currently banned from having runners at Churchill Downs by that track’s management.

Corposo, who finished third by eight lengths in her stakes debut, earned 25 qualifying points, and ranks 26th on the list of eligible fillies for the Kentucky Oaks. Only 14 will start in the Kentucky Oaks.

Mon, 04/08/2024 - 10:52

Tom Albertrani retires; trained champion Bernardini

By David Grening

Barbara D. Livingston

Sadler's Joy, who raced for Tom Albertrani between 2016 and 2021, won the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga and earned more than $2.6 million.

Tom Albertrani, a former jockey-turned-trainer who worked with champions such as Cigar and Bernardini, has retired from training horses.

Albertrani, 66, started his last horse on Saturday at Keeneland when Sterling Silver finished fourth in the Grade 1 Madison. Albertrani had been thinking of retiring since last fall. His stable was down to about a dozen horses. He won three races from 18 starters at Tampa Bay Downs this winter.

Fri, 04/05/2024 - 12:04

Eclipse winner Pretty Mischievous pointed at La Troienne for her return

By Nicole Russo

Debra A. Roma

Pretty Mischievous hasn't raced since finishing second in the Cotillion Stakes at Parx in September.

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Pretty Mischievous, who won the 2023 Kentucky Oaks during an Eclipse Award championship campaign, is expected to be back beneath the twin spires on the first Friday in May. The filly is targeting the Grade 1, $1 million La Troienne Stakes, on the Oaks undercard May 3 at Churchill Downs, for her 4-year-old debut.

Fri, 04/05/2024 - 11:45

Johannes will step into Grade 1 company for Shoemaker Mile

By Steve Andersen

Benoit Photo

In his 2024 debut, Johannes rallied to win the Grade 3 American Stakes at Santa Anita on Thursday.

A sharp win by Johannes in his 2024 debut in Thursday’s Grade 3 American Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita will lead to the 4-year-old colt’s Grade 1 debut in the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile on May 27.

Johannes chased a fast pace in the $102,500 American Stakes, closing from third in a field of 10 to win his first start in 11 months. Johannes was timed in a quick 1:32.08.

On Friday morning, trainer Tim Yakteen said the colt emerged from the race in ideal condition.

Thu, 04/04/2024 - 17:59

Rice, Lezcano team up for five wins on Thursday card at Aqueduct

By David Grening

Adam Coglianese/NYRA

Jockey Jose Lezcano was aboard all five of trainer Linda Rice's winners Thursday at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Linda Rice won the Aqueduct winter meet trainer’s title by one after David Jacobson won five races on last Saturday’s final card of the season.

On Thursday, the first day of Aqueduct’s spring meet, Rice won five races herself, teaming with Jose Lezcano in all of them on an eight-race card.

It is believed to be the first time a trainer and jockey teamed up to win five races on one New York Racing Association card since Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez did it Aug. 30, 2004 at Saratoga.

Thu, 04/04/2024 - 17:49

Race 2 declared no contest after rider unseated at the start

By Steve Andersen

Barbara D. Livingston

The second race at Santa Anita on Thursday was declared a no contest as the field was approaching the end of the backstretch of the one-mile race.

The second race at Santa Anita on Thursday was abandoned and declared a no contest after jockey Geovanni Franco was unseated at the start of a one-mile race on the main track, on a section of the track the remaining runners would have traversed in the final yards before the finish.

Flatterwithjewels stumbled and unseated Franco shortly after the start.

The runners were near the end of the backstretch when riders were instructed to pull up their mounts. Track stewards made the decision to abandon the race out of concern over Franco’s condition.

Thu, 04/04/2024 - 14:07

Imbriale retires; Griffin to take over as downstate announcer

By David Grening

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - John Imbriale, who cut back on his announcing duties at the New York Racing Association in the fall of 2022, has now gone into full-blown retirement.

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