All-sources wagering on this year’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Saturday was up 2.5 percent compared to betting on the race last year, according to figures printed on the official charts for the two races.
Including multi-race bets that ended in the Preakness, commingled handle for this year’s race, which had an 11-horse field, was $55,935,707, compared to total commingled betting of $53,385,941 on the 2011 race, which had a full field of 14 horses.
Mark Valeski, who won the Peter Pan Stakes on May 12 and has been considered a top contender for the Belmont Stakes on June 9, is now “doubtful” for the final leg of the Triple Crown, trainer Larry Jones said Monday, citing the colt’s lack of energy since the Peter Pan.
“Mark’s actually doing OK, but he got a little tired after the race,” Jones said Monday from Churchill Downs, where Mark Valeski was sent after the Peter Pan. “He doesn’t have the same energy level. It’s looking like the Belmont is more and more doubtful. He’s not showing a lot of sparkle.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Halo Dolly led throughout Sunday’s $71,750 Fran’s Valentine Stakes for California-bred females, giving trainer Jerry Hollendorfer stakes wins on consecutive days at Betfair Hollywood Park.
Saturday, Hollendorfer won the Grade 3 Railbird Stakes with 10-1 Via Villaggio.
Halo Dolly ($5.40) was the second betting choice in a field of five in the Fran’s Valentine, run over a mile on turf.
The three-time stakes winner Mr. Commons returns from a break of nearly three months in Saturday’s $150,000 American Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park.
Trained by John Shirreffs for Ian Banwell, Mr. Commons has not started since finishing second to Willyconker in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita on March 3. Willyconker is a candidate for the Grade 2 American Handicap, run over a mile on turf.
Earlier at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, Mr. Commons won the Grade 3 Sir Beaufort Stakes for 3-year-olds in December and the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes in February.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Blues Dancing outran the other speed and kept on going to capture the $125,000 Lady Angela Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday.
Blues Dancing ($15.10) set honest fractions under Luis Contreras in the seven-furlong sprint, en route to a 3 ¾-length win over a stalking Miss Scarlet Road. Memories Last Love, another longshot, finished third, and favored Grace Phil was fourth in the eight-horse field of Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Jockey Kent Desormeaux, who failed a Breathalyzer test last Friday which prompted the Belmont Park stewards to remove him from three mounts that day, was cleared to return to the saddle on Sunday.
In his only mount on Sunday’s Belmont program, Desormeaux finished last aboard 3-4 favorite She’s Very Rare in the first race.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.- An ongoing battle with weight will keep Patrick Valenzuela from riding in the near future, the jockey said on Sunday.
Valenzuela took off his lone mount on Sunday and said later in the day that he is struggling to control his weight.
“I can’t get my weight off,” Valenzuela said in a phone interview. “I’m 126 [pounds]. It is tough and it’s tougher than I thought.
“I ran this morning and I got to 126. I was 129. Until I’m get my weight down I’m not going to name on horses. It’s not fair to horsemen.”
ELMONT, N.Y. - After two trouble-free trips winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, I’ll Have Another on Sunday encountered a traffic-filled journey from Pimlico to Belmont Park, where on June 9 he will attempt to win the Belmont Stakes and become Thoroughbred racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner.
Due mainly to an accident on the New Jersey Turnpike, it took I’ll Have Another nearly 5 1/2 hours to van from Pimlico. The trip usually takes around four hours.
Strong favorites Summer Breezing and Opus A got the job done in a pair of overnight stakes on Sunday’s card at Belmont Park.
Summer Breezing ($3.10), back on turf following a 10 1/2-length romp on Keeneland’s Polytrack, overcame a bumping incident which caused him to steady to post a half-length victory in the $90,000 Tiller for 3-year-olds.
Russell Road, shortening up to 4 1/2 furlongs for only the second time in his 34-race career, scored a two-length victory in Saturday night’s $50,900 It’s Only Money Stakes for West Virginia-breds at Charles Town.
Ridden by Luis Perez for owner Mark Russell and trainer James W. Casey, Russell Road ($2.40) took over from Henry the Lover with a sixteenth remaining and drew away under moderate urging. He completed the distance in 51.62 seconds.
Henry the Lover easily held second by 2 1/2 lengths. Mastic Village nosed out Speedy Sammy for third.
