ELKTON, Md. – The question didn’t have to be asked. Just listening to Michael Matz talk about the seventh-place finish by Union Rags in the Kentucky Derby it was easy to tell the trainer hasn’t gotten over the disappointment yet.
Tuesday morning, with showers alternating between heavy and heavier at the Fair Hill Training Center where he is based, Matz discussed the frustrations over having a horse primed and ready for the biggest race of his life only to have it lost two jumps out of the gate.
Five new names will join the New England horse racing Hall of Fame later this summer with the New England Turf Writers Association inducting star sprinter Concorde Bound, jockey Joe Hampshire, trainer Maurice “Junie” Bresnahan, owner Frank Bertollino, and executive Bob O’Malley.
After dominating the trainer standings during the 2011 Calder meet and following up by also taking the Tropical at Calder title in just his second full season locally, Antonio Sano is off to a slow start thus far this spring. Five weeks into the new session, Sano, 49, a native of Venezuela, is tied for sixth in the standings with just 6 wins from 61 starters but still remains within easy striking distance of the leader, Giuseppe Iadisernia (11 winners), with obviously plenty of time left to defend his crown with the meet not ending until Aug. 31.
Jockey Luis Quinonez, who won five races Saturday at Lone Star Park, including both $75,000 divisions of the Texas Stallion Stakes, is riding at Pimlico on Thursday and Friday, said his agent, Monty Penney. Quinonez was in Maryland on Tuesday to breeze Alternation, his mount in Friday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Pimlico Special. Quinonez is to resume riding at Lone Star on Saturday.
◗ The stakes winners Southern Vintage, Gold Coyote, and Deliverer meet Thursday night at Lone Star in an optional $30,000 claiming sprint for horses bred in Texas.
Jockey Alex Beitia, who went down in the seventh race Saturday at Louisiana Downs, sustained two broken bones in his left arm and had surgery on Sunday, said his agent, Rob Roberson. Beitia, 44, was thrown when his mount, who was dueling between rivals, clipped heels. An oncoming rival hit Beitia.
Beitia was recovering at a local hospital on Tuesday, and was hopeful doctors would release him later in the day, said Roberson.
“It will be about three months before he comes back,” said Roberson. “He’s going to be fine. It will just take a little while.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bottom line is, Derby Day just wasn’t their day.
For a not-insignificant number of Preakness winners, the disappointment of their efforts two weeks beforehand in the Kentucky Derby sometimes has been difficult to rationalize. Some, such as Snow Chief (1986), Point Given (2001), and Lookin At Lucky (2010), were victimized by pace or trip. Others, such as Hansel (1991) and Tabasco Cat (1994), supposedly didn’t care for the Churchill Downs surface. Still others, such as Tank’s Prospect (1985) and Shackleford (2011), just plain weren’t good enough.
Jockey Kevin Krigger is a man of his word, as trainer John Sadler found out Saturday when Krigger put Stoney Fleece’s nose on the finish line just before pacesetting favorite Chips All In’s nose hit the wire in the $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.
Although Stoney Fleece, a 3-year-old son of Decarchy, won the Grade 3 Generous on the turf last year, he had lost two straight Southern California turf stakes to Chips All In.
Ducky Drake was scheduled to retire to Old Friends in Kentucky after winning the final start of his career last month at Sunland Park in New Mexico. But that was before he spent time with Lyndee Pinkerton, the 7-year-old daughter of one of his co-owners, John Pinkerton.
“She’s in love with the horse,” said Chris Hartman, who trained Ducky Drake for Pinkerton and Bryan Mundell. “When he came to their house, she grabbed the horse by the mane and said, ‘I love Ducky.’ So I don’t anticipate the horse going anywhere. I think he’ll live out his days at Pinkerton’s house.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine will be tweaking its live Thoroughbred wagering menu, with several changes taking effect on Friday’s program.
Pick 4 pools have thrived since the introduction of the 20-cent wagering option and 20-cent wagers on the rolling Pick 3s now will be available.
Minimums for all wagers have been lowered with $1 win, place, or show and $1 straight daily double, exactor, and triactors now offered.
Two fillies who were considered potential major players in the Kentucky Oaks – Mamma Kimbo and In Lingerie – but instead bypassed the race will be the favorites in the Black-Eyed Susan on the Friday undercard. Last year, the 1 1/8-mile race was won by the eventual 3-year-old filly champion, Royal Delta.
In Lingerie is one of two fillies in the nine-horse field trained by Todd Pletcher, with Disposablepleasure the other. In Lingerie was an impressive winner of the Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park last out.
