Wed, 06/06/2012 - 12:03

Assiniboia: Balooga Bull risks perfect mark in Golden Boy

Balooga Bull, who remained undefeated in five starts in an open allowance race on May 21, will be looking for his fourth stakes win in Friday’s $30,000 Golden Boy at Assiniboia Downs.

The six-furlong Golden Boy, the first open stakes of the meeting, attracted a field of five and will go as the third of eight races on the evening program.

Wed, 06/06/2012 - 11:21

Belmont Stakes 2012: I'll Have Another starts from post 11 in 12-horse field

Barbara D. Livingston
I'll Have Another will start from post 11 as he seeks a Triple Crown sweep in Saturday's Belmont Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. – I’ll Have Another drew post 11 from which he’ll begin his quest to win the Belmont Stakes and become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. A field of a dozen 3-year-olds was entered for the 1 1/2-mile Belmont, with the late addition of My Adonis.

Tue, 06/05/2012 - 18:08

Belmont Park: Alpha sent to Saratoga

Tom Keyser
Alpha, winner of the Withers and second in the Wood Memorial, may now be pointed for the Jim Dandy or possibly a turf race.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Alpha, who was withdrawn from consideration for the Belmont Stakes because of a temperature, was shipped to Saratoga over the weekend, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.
Alpha, the 12th-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, took up residence in Shiekh Mohammed’s Greentree training center.

“We’ll let him enjoy some grass,” McLaughlin said. “We haven’t trained him since all this happened. He’ll go back in training soon.”

Tue, 06/05/2012 - 18:02

Fort Erie to close permanently at end of this year

Michael Burns
According to the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium, the track will be closing Dec. 31 after 115 years in operation

FORT ERIE, Ontario – Following its annual board meeting on Tuesday, an official from the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium said that Fort Erie Race Track would close permanently on Dec. 31.

The Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium board includes representation from the Ontario Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, Fort Erie Race Track management, unions involved with racetrack operations, the town of Fort Erie, and the Fort Erie Economic Development and Tourist Corporation.

Tue, 06/05/2012 - 17:59

Belmont Stakes 2012: Cuomo encourages NYRA, union to settle dispute

Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on the New York Racing Association and the union which represents the track’s maintenance and starting gate crew to settle their differences before Saturday’s Belmont Stakes in which I’ll Have Another will attempt to become the sport’s 12th Triple Crown winner.

Tue, 06/05/2012 - 17:52

Belmont Park: Lukas taken to hospital after being kicked in head by horse

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer D. Wayne Lukas was kicked by his stakes-winning sprinter Hamazing Destiny at Belmont Park on Tuesday afternoon and was taken to a local hospital with a laceration to his head, according to a press release from the New York Racing Association.

Lukas, 74, a Hall of Fame trainer, will "need stitches," according to jockey agent Ron Anderson, who was with Lukas at the hospital.

Lukas has Optimizer in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Corey Nakatani, represented by Anderson, has the mount.

Tue, 06/05/2012 - 17:44

Belmont 2012: I'll Have Another's camp calm

Barbara D. Livingston
Benjamin Perez, foreman for trainer Doug O’Neill, walks I’ll Have Another on Tuesday.

ELMONT, N.Y. - A little more than an hour after I'll Have Another completed his usual morning gallop Tuesday at Belmont Park, he was safely tucked away in his stall in Barn 9, groom Inosencio Diaz standing alongside him. Doug O'Neill, the trainer of I'll Have Another, had earlier that morning decided to delay by 24 hours I'll Have Another's relocation to the detention barn in which all the horses in Saturday's Belmont Stakes needed to be moved by Wednesday. As someone who is closer to I'll Have Another than anyone else, Diaz thought I'll Have Another would be just fine.

Tue, 06/05/2012 - 16:55

Belmont Stakes 2012: Romans wouldn't mind role of villain

NEW YORK – The Belmont Stakes came to New York City on Tuesday with I’ll Have Another and his quest to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978 the obvious center of attention in a special reception at Rockefeller Center. But it was trainer Dale Romans who stole the show.

Tue, 06/05/2012 - 16:33

Belmont Park notes: Awesome Feather back in training

Barbara D. Livingston
Awesome Feather was hampered by injury most of her 3-year-old year.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Awesome Feather, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2010 who is undefeated in nine career starts, has recently resumed training and will be pointed toward a late summer/fall campaign, trainer Chad Brown said Tuesday.

Awesome Feather was sidelined with an unspecified setback in March and resumed jogging at Saratoga only this week. The setback was not related to the tendon issue that sidelined Awesome Feather most of her 3-year-old season.

Tue, 06/05/2012 - 16:07

Hollywood Park: Two logical singles for pick six players chasing $107,000 carryover

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Before sporting interest turns to a particular win streak by a colt racing Saturday at Belmont Park, the wagering challenge Thursday is to win six straight races at Betfair Hollywood Park.

A one-day pick six carryover of $107,825 is up for grabs on races 3-8, and bettors are expected to add at least $500,000 while chasing the first Sunday-to-Thursday carryover of the spring meet.