The Texas Racing Commission has shut down Retama Park near San Antonio for “unsafe conditions” and violations of state racing regulations, the commission said late Wednesday.
The shut-down order affects the five live racing dates for Retama’s ongoing Quarter Horse meet scheduled through July 14, according to the racing commission. Retama opened its 23-day Quarter Horse meet on June 29, running through Aug. 19.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Arcangelo returned to the work tab for the first time since his victory in the Belmont Stakes on June 10, breezing five furlongs in 58.61 seconds per Daily Racing Form over a fast main track Wednesday at Saratoga.
Warrior‘s Pride showed both his durability and versatility Sunday at Gulfstream Park when rallying to a two-length victory in the Bob Umphrey Sprint. The speedster had captured the 2021 version of the race on grass before coming back to win the summer fixture, part of Gulfstream’s Summit of Speed weekend, over the Tapeta course two years later.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Linda Rice is on the verge of winning her first outright trainer’s title at Belmont Park.
Entering the final three days of the meet, Rice holds a 31-26 lead over Chad Brown, who has won the last seven Belmont spring meet titles. Over the final three days of the meet, Rice has runners entered in 18 of the 31 races carded while Brown has runners in eight.
It would be the fourth consecutive meet title for Rice on the New York Racing Association circuit. She won the 2022 Aqueduct fall meet, and the 2023 Aqueduct winter and spring meets.
One of the most prominent racing statues in the U.S. has been donated to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs.
“Against All Odds,” a life-sized bronze of John Henry and The Bart fighting to the finish in the 1981 Arlington Million, was donated to the museum by Arlington Park’s former owner, Churchill Downs Inc., the company and museum announced on Wednesday. The statue will go on display on July 12, one day prior to the opening of the Saratoga Race Course meet across the street from the museum.
ELMONT, N.Y. - The New York stewards suspended apprentice jockey Jaime Torres 14 calendar days for his ride aboard Wonder Girl in Monday’s second race at Belmont Park.
Torres has appealed the suspension.
Wonder Girl crossed the finish line first, but Torres allowed her to drift out several paths in the stretch, carrying out the runner-up Nightsaber, who, under Irad Ortiz Jr., finished second, beaten one length.
ELMONT, N.Y. -- The Foxes, a multiple Group 2 winner in Great Britain, drew the outside post in a field of 11 3-year-olds entered Monday for Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational scheduled for 1 1/4 miles over Belmont Park’s inner turf course.
Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has been booked to ride recent Santa Anita stakes winner Geaux Rocket Ride in the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes on July 22 at Monmouth Park.
On Monday at Santa Anita, Smith worked Geaux Rocket Ride for the first time, going six furlongs in 1:12.60.
“He did things his own way,” Smith said. “I’m excited to get the opportunity to ride him.
“He’s forward. He’s a little fresh right now.”
Trainer Doug O’Neill may have as many as two runners in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs on July 29 at Del Mar.
Anarchist, second to 2022 champion male sprinter Elite Power in the Grade 2 True North Stakes on June 10 at Belmont Park, may be joined by Kid Corleone, a recent allowance race winner at Santa Anita.
Anarchist, a winner of 2 of 10 starts, won the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes at six furlongs on May 14 at Woodbine, his first stakes win. Anarchist worked a half-mile in 48 seconds on Sunday at Santa Anita.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Albeit for different reasons, jockeys Manny Franco and Eric Cancel will sit out the final three days of the Belmont Park spring/summer meet.
Franco will miss the Friday-through-Sunday programs owing to a careless riding suspension handed him by the stewards for his ride on Chasing the Crown in the second race on June 22. Chasing the Crown finished second, but interfered with third-place finisher Verbal. The stewards disqualified Chasing the Crown and placed him behind Verbal.
Franco’s 28 wins have him third in the Belmont jockey standings.
