Average daily all-sources handle for the 29-day spring meet at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore jumped 14 percent, largely because of substantial gains in wagering on the track’s signal at out-of-state sites, according to figures provided by Pimlico on Wednesday.
Average handle, which includes figures from Pimlico’s closing-day Preakness Stakes card on Saturday, was $4.90 million, compared with $4.30 million last year. Both meets had 29 live racing days.
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – Owning Blackberry Czech, winner of the $268,200 Kindergarten Futurity at Los Alamitos last Sunday, was the last thing on owner Salvador Pimienta’s mind when he bought the filly’s dam several years ago.
Ra Noble was purchased with the intent of sending her to Mexico to race – until a mishap occurred the day she was scheduled to depart. Ra Noble injured her leg when she was being loaded onto a van, canceling the sale. She never left Pimienta’s home in Marana, Ariz.
With a little luck, Elana Mar would have had consecutive wins at Santa Anita over the winter.
A victory in a maiden race in January was followed by a troubled fifth in an optional claimer over a mile on turf on Feb. 23. She was beaten three-quarters of a length after bumping with a rival at the eighth pole.
The intentions of the bettor or bettors who targeted Monday's fifth race on Thistledown in Cleveland for $90,000 in late win bets remained unknown on Wednesday, according to officials who are familiar with the investigation into the wagers.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The training track turf course opened for its first official session Wednesday, and Roger Attfield, as usual, was the best customer.
Attfield sent out 12 of the 27 turf workers, with several prepping for upcoming stakes races including both offerings here this weekened.
Check Your Soul, with Alex Solis in the irons, was clocked in 59 seconds while going in company with two stablemates and has been entered in Saturday’s Eclipse.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The trainer-jockey combo of Paul Buttigieg and Justin Stein has been among the best at the Woodbine meet, with a record of 6-5-3 from 22 starters. They teamed up to capture Monday’s New Providence Stakes with Gypsy Ring, and will be represented by Is It Cool in Friday’s second race, an Ontario-sired allowance sprint for 3-year-old fillies.
Is It Cool graduated second time out at 2 in a relatively slow maiden special over six furlongs Nov 5. She got the winter off after ending up fifth in an Ontario-sired allowance Nov. 24.
There’s a cloud hanging over Saskatchewan racing as the 2012 Thoroughbred meet opens at Marquis Downs on Friday.
The provincial government has proposed the removal of a 10 percent pari-mutuel tax rebate, which has been used for purses and would cost the Thoroughbred and Standardbred coffers some $600,000.
But both Mark Regier, chief executive officer of Marquis Downs operator Prairieland Park, and Rick Fior, manager of racing for the Saskatoon oval, believe that the situation will be readdressed by the government and the storm will be weathered.
Trainer Rick Hedge is looking forward to running Embellished in a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares at Northlands Park Friday night. The $40,000 optional race drew eight horses and goes as the eighth race. Post time for the first of nine races is 6 p.m. Mountain.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – One week after the disqualification of Chilled for biting, or at least attempting to bite Zimmer, the wound still runs deep – not for Zimmer, but rather in a metaphoric sense for trainer Paul McGee and his owners, Deerfield Farm Racing and Carl Pascarella.
The stewards disqualified Chilled and placed him second for the incident, a decision McGee called the “wrong call,” pointing to Zimmer seemingly initiating the incident by coming into the path of his horse. Instead of taking the first prize of $34,800, Chilled earned a third of that, $11,600, for second.
INGLEWOOD, Calif - Unzip Me's 2012 campaign remains on pause. Trainer Marty Jones confirmed Tuesday that the 6-year-old mare will skip the $70,000 Great Lady M. Stakes, a six-furlong turf race Sunday at Hollywood that could have pushed her closer to the million-dollar mark in earnings.
"I'm having some trouble with her," Jones said without elaborating.
