Mon, 04/24/2023 - 12:25

With racing at a standstill, Maryland commission calls Tuesday meeting

Barbara D. Livingston

Racing has not been held at Laurel Park since last Thursday when two horses were euthanized.

The Maryland Racing Commission has scheduled a meeting for Tuesday morning to discuss the elements of a wide-ranging disagreement between the state’s horsemen’s groups and the operator of its Thoroughbred tracks, with the potential of forcing live racing to be moved from Laurel Park to Pimlico Race Course.

Live racing has been put on hold in Maryland since Friday, when a large number of horsemen refused to enter their horses in races at Laurel after two horses were euthanized following injuries suffered during races on the Thursday card.

Mon, 04/24/2023 - 11:40

Verstappen's Elkhorn score a big moment for Declan Cannon

By Marty McGee

Declan Cannon-Verstappen after Elkhorn at KEE April 22 2023

Coady Photography

The Elkhorn was jockey Declan Cannon's first Keeneland stakes win.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Jockey Declan Cannon said he received more than 100 text and voicemail messages following his breakthrough ride on Verstappen in winning the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland.

“It was great to get a Saturday horse like that,” said Cannon, a 35-year-old native of Ireland. “I was really confident going a mile and a half with him. He relaxed lovely for me. It just couldn’t have worked out better.”

The Elkhorn marked the first stakes win for Cannon at Keeneland.

Mon, 04/24/2023 - 11:25

Ben Ali winner Rattle N Roll will target Blame Stakes

By Marty McGee

Rattle N Roll wins Ben Ali at KEE April 22 2023

Coady Photography

Rattle N Roll earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure for his rallying 1 1/4-length victory in the Ben Ali, his fifth career stakes win.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Trainer Kenny McPeek said Rattle N Roll will make his next start in the $225,000 Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs after the colt earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure in winning the Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland.

Rattle N Roll, owned by the Lucky Seven Stables of the Mackin family, now has won five stakes and more than $1.2 million from 16 overall starts. His Ben Ali score came with the stretch kick he developed early in his career, one that carried him to victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland in October 2021.

Mon, 04/24/2023 - 11:20

Loved starts living up to pedigree in maiden romp

By Marty McGee

Coady Photography

Loved, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Maxfield, airs in a maiden race last Friday at Keeneland.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – One of the more impressive maiden victories of the Keeneland meet was posted last Friday by a 4-year-old filly named Loved, who toyed with the opposition when earning an 86 Beyer Speed Figure in an 11 1/2-length romp going 1 1/16 miles.

Brendan Walsh trains Loved, a Godolphin homebred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro out of Velvety, a pedigree that makes her a half-sister to Maxfield, the most accomplished horse Walsh has trained and another Godolphin homebred.

Mon, 04/24/2023 - 11:15

Personal Best runs into an unexpected ‘Goddess' in Bewitch

By Marty McGee

Barbara Livingston

Personal Best wins the Jan. 28 La Prevoyante at Gulfstream. She runs Friday in the Bewitch at Keeneland, which also has attracted War Like Goddess, looking to three-peat in the race.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Recency will be on the side of Personal Best when the gray Tapit filly runs Friday in the closing-day Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland – and she’ll need every edge she can get.

“I didn’t think War Like Goddess would be in there,” said Shug McGaughey, who trains Personal Best for owner-breeder Joe Allen. “No doubt she’s a top filly. But we’ve been running lately and she hasn’t. Maybe that’ll help us.”

Sat, 04/22/2023 - 13:59

Shidabhuti breezes, possible for Kentucky Oaks; Blazing Sevens decision still pending

By David Grening

Shidabhuti wins the Busher at AQU March 4 2023

Barbara Livingston

Shidabhuti has the qualifying points to get into the Kentucky Oaks but Chad Brown wants to speak with owner Peter Brant before making a final decision on the race.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The 3-year-old filly Shidabhuti, who had her three-race winning streak snapped when finishing third in the Grade 3 Gazelle at Aqueduct on April 8, returned to the worktab Saturday morning, breezing a half-mile in 49.94 seconds over Belmont Park’s main track.

Fri, 04/21/2023 - 15:15

Unbridled Bomber awaiting stakes return after solid allowance win

By David Grening

Debra A. Roma

White Abarrio worked a half-mile Thursday in preparation for the Westchester May 5 at Belmont.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. -- Now that he has gone through his allowance conditions, Unbridled Bomber will be returning to stakes company for his next start. When and where that will be has yet to be determined.

Unbridled Bomber rebounded from a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Queens County Stakes on Jan. 7 to win a third-level allowance by nine lengths on April 16, earning a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure in the process. In that win, going a one-turn mile, Unbridled Bomber showed speed heretofore unseen in any of his previous races.

Fri, 04/21/2023 - 15:09

Evvie Jets might be cooling her jets before next start

By David Grening

Chelsea Durand

Evvie Jets could run in the Beaugay on May 7 or wait for the Grade 1 Just a Game on June 9.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. -- The connections of Evvie Jets, winner of last Sunday’s Plenty of Grace Stakes at Aqueduct, are not in a hurry to run their mare back, but if the Grade 3, $175,000 Beaugay Stakes at Belmont Park on May 7 comes up a small field that race could become an option.

If not, then Evvie Jets could be considered for the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game on June 9 at Belmont Park, “if it’s not going to be crazy-tough,” trainer Mertkan Kantarmaci said.

Fri, 04/21/2023 - 13:49

124 nominated to Canadian Triple Crown

By Ron Gierkink

Moira wins Queen's Plate at WO Aug 21 2022

Michael Burns

Moira romped in both the 2022 Queen's Plate and Woodbine Oaks. The Queen's Plate has been renamed the King's Plate this year.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine has released the nominations for the 2023 Canadian Triple Crown, 124 Canadian-bred 3-year-olds in total, along with the 63 nominees for Woodbine Oaks for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Fri, 04/21/2023 - 11:50

Talamo sanctioned for whip violation

By Marty McGee

Barbara D. Livingston

Joe Talamo was cited for his ride on Time for Trouble in the eighth race at Keeneland on Thursday.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Time for Trouble posted a $37.50 upset of the featured eighth race Thursday at Keeneland, but the victory will come at a cost for his jockey, Joe Talamo, who struck the Irish-bred with his whip eight times, two over the limit imposed by new crop rules mandated by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.

Talamo will forfeit 10 percent of his share of the purse, or $7,347, and will have to sit out one day of racing, which the 33-year-old rider said will be one of the last three cards of the Keeneland spring meet this coming week.

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