Fri, 08/04/2023 - 13:45

Second I D ready for stakes company

The unbeaten Second I D has developed into a 3-year-old of note this summer at Gulfstream Park and will soon move into stakes company, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Thursday.

Second I D has made two starts, both at 6 1/2 furlongs over older rivals. He won a maiden special weight by 7 3/4 lengths June 9, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 90. Second I D came back to take a first-level allowance July 22, dueling on the lead for a 2 1/4-length win. He earned a Beyer of 91.

“He’s going to go in a stakes for his next start,” Joseph said. “We haven’t decided what race yet.”

Fri, 08/04/2023 - 12:50

King's Plate 2023: Kaukokaipuu takes Holder to a place he's never been

By Ron Gierkink

Kaukokaipuu wins Queenston at WO June 11 2023

Michael Burns

A $10,000 yearling purchase, Kaukokaipuu (right) stamped himself a King’s Plate contender by winning the Queenston.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Kaukokaipuu has thrust little-known trainer Tedston Holder into the King’s Plate spotlight, and the 54-year-old lifelong racetracker from Barbados is confident that his oddly named colt will give a good account of himself in the $1 million Canadian classic on Aug. 20.

Thu, 08/03/2023 - 14:55

Blame filly, She Is Romantic, makes debut in turf sprint

By Steve Andersen

She Is Romantic, bought for $525,000 in April, will have her career debut in a maiden race for 2-year-old fillies at five furlongs on turf in the first race at Del Mar on Friday.

An inside post is just fine with trainer Peter Eurton.

“If I drew the one hole on dirt, I’d be really upset,” he said. “On turf, I’m not upset. You don’t get the kickback. You let them run their race.”

Thu, 08/03/2023 - 14:55

Beer Can Man makes return to California turf sprints

By Steve Andersen

Debra A. Roma

Beer Can Man will return to the California turf sprint ranks in an allowance race at Del Mar after tries in Kentucky and Maryland.

Unlike many successful Southern California-based turf sprinters, Beer Can Man is not a fixture in stakes on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course.

Beer Can Man was third in the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the course in February 2022 when ridden by jockey Flavien Prat, his only appearance on the unique course.

“Flavien thought he was better on the flat than the hill,” trainer Phil D’Amato said on Thursday.

Wed, 08/02/2023 - 15:11

McCarthy makes stakes plans

By Steve Andersen

Endlessly, who overcame trouble to win his debut in a maiden race at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Sunday, is likely to have his second start in the Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf at the same distance Sept. 10, closing day of the track’s summer meeting.

“It looks like the right spot,” trainer Michael McCarthy said on Wednesday.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Endlessly raced in traffic in early stretch before rallying between rivals to win by 2 1/4 lengths for Amerman Racing.

Wed, 08/02/2023 - 15:06

Santa Rosa opens seven-day meet

By Steve Andersen

The Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, Calif., begins a two-week race meeting on Thursday, the only venue of the five racing fairs in Northern California with a turf course.

The course will be in action extensively through the seven-day meeting, which runs from Thursday through Sunday this week and from Aug. 11-13.

Wed, 08/02/2023 - 14:05

Former jockey and trainer Griffith dies at 58

By Ron Gierkink

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Ricky Griffith, a former jockey and trainer in Ontario, died Aug. 1 at age 58 after a long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“He went peacefully in his sleep, at home with his family,” said trainer Ted Holder, a life-long friend of Griffith’s.

A native of Barbados, Griffith rode in Ontario from 1985 to 1998 and won 494 races during that time. He won nine stakes, including the 1992 Shady Well on Sermon Time and the 1995 Cup and Saucer aboard Crown Attorney.

Wed, 08/02/2023 - 14:05

Charge It gets another chance to join the elite in Whitney

By David Grening

Barbara D. Livingston

Charge It, training last Saturday at Saratoga, comes off a rebound effort in the Suburban Stakes at Belmont. He is pegged at 5-1 for Saturday’s Whitney Stakes.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When Charge It won the Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes by 23 lengths last summer, there was a belief he could find his way into the mix for divisional honors in the 3-year-old division.

It never happened.

A foot abscess forced him to miss the Travers Stakes and prompted his connections to shut him down for the remainder of the year.

When Charge It won an allowance race at Gulfstream Park to kick off his 4-year-old season, there was a belief it was the start of him becoming a force in the older male dirt division.

It hasn’t happened yet.

Wed, 08/02/2023 - 11:57

Oaklawn total purses increased 20 percent, will average $900K per card

By Mary Rampellini

Coady Photography

Purses for the 2023-2024 Oaklawn Park meet are expected to total $60 million, up from $50 million last season.

Purses are set to average a record $900,000 a card during the Oaklawn Park meet that opens Dec. 8, the Hot Springs, Ark., track announced Wednesday. The 66-date meet will run through May 4.

The new level puts the value of maiden special weight races at $115,000 after being worth $90,000, and first-level allowances at $140,000 after being worth $105,000. The allowance categories will go up in value to $145,000, while the minimum purse will be $30,000.

Tue, 08/01/2023 - 18:30

Turf Paradise unlikely to begin meet in final quarter of 2023

By Matt Hegarty

Coady Photography

Turf Paradise, which is in the process of being sold, traditionally races from early November to early May. Management does not anticipate holding any live racing until at least the end of this year.

Turf Paradise in Phoenix does not anticipate running any live race dates in the final quarter of 2023, according to track officials.

The track announced on Tuesday that Turf would not open on the first weekend of November, as has been traditional over the past several decades, and Vince Francia, the track’s longtime general manager, said in an interview after the release was issued that it was extremely unlikely the track would hold live dates before the end of the year.

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