Tue, 03/21/2023 - 13:50

Rich Strike not entered in Kentucky Cup Classic, has 'non-serious issue'

By Nicole Russo
Rich Strike Kentucky Derby May 7 2023
Barbara Livingston
Owner Rick Dawson said on social media that Rich Strike is now likely to make his 2023 debut on April 22 at either Oaklawn Park or Keeneland.

Rich Strike was conspicuously absent when entries were drawn Tuesday for Saturday’s marquee card at Turfway Park. The Kentucky Derby winner is now targeting an April start to his season after what owner Rick Dawson termed a “non-serious issue.” 

Dawson said Rich Strike, who had been targeting the Kentucky Cup Classic on Saturday at Turfway Park, trained Tuesday morning at trainer Eric Reed’s Mercury Equine Center base. This followed a few days off for the 4-year-old Keen Ice colt, who most recently breezed March 15 at Turfway. 

Tue, 03/21/2023 - 11:10

Retired trainer Vella to work for Woodbine

By Ron Gierkink
Michael Burns
Dan Vella (right) celebrates in the winner's circle with owner Wally Leong and jockey Justin Stein after winning the 2012 Queen's Plate with Strait of Dover.

Woodbine Entertainment has announced the addition of Sovereign Award-winning trainer Dan Vella as a horsepeople liaison.

Vella joins Woodbine after retiring from a training career that spanned several decades, during which he compiled over 800 wins and $39 million in earnings.

Tue, 03/21/2023 - 10:54

Gulfstream to host a pair of Royal Ascot qualifying races for 2-year-olds

By Mike Welsch
Ryan Thompson/Coglianese Photos
The winners of the Royal Palm Juvenile and Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies will receive automatic entry into one of six 2-year-old stakes at Royal Ascot, plus a $25,000 travel stipend.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Gulfstream Park will host the first ever United States qualifying races for Royal Ascot on May 13, the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile and $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, both to be decided at five furlongs on the turf.

The winners of which will receive a $25,000 travel stipend and automatic entry into one of the six 2-year-old stakes offered during the 2023 Royal Ascot meet that runs from June 20-24.

Mon, 03/20/2023 - 13:45

Dubai World Cup: Crisford back in spotlight, but not with Godolphin

By Marcus Hersh
Dubai Racing Club
Algiers wins Round 2 of the Maktoum Challenge for trainer Simon Crisford.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Simon Crisford’s last Dubai World Cup came in 2013. For 20 years, Crisford had served as an adviser, spokesman, and racing manager for Godolphin. Godolphin’s architect was Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum. Crisford and trainer Saeed bin Suroor for most of those two decades were the operation’s public faces. Crisford stood front and center for five Godolphin World Cup wins, starting with the great Dubai Millennium in 2000.

Mon, 03/20/2023 - 13:00

Bishops Bay, First Mission the latest Cox-trained standouts

By Marcus Hersh
Bishops Bay wins a maiden race over stablemate First Mission on Feb. 18 at Fair Grounds.
Hodges Photography
Bishops Bay wins a maiden race over stablemate First Mission on Feb. 18 at Fair Grounds.

Trainer Brad Cox already has five horses ranked among the 20 3-year-olds included in the latest edition of Daily Racing Form’s Derby Watch. And the hits keep on coming.

Mon, 03/20/2023 - 12:45

Franco, Rice on verge of winter meet titles

By David Grening
Manny Franco..2-12-23.BL.jpg
Barbara Livingston
Manny Franco has won 27 races from his last 97 mounts and leads the Aqueduct winter meet jockey standings by eight.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – With 27 winners from 97 mounts over the last 15 cards, Manny Franco has taken control of the jockey standings for Aqueduct’s winter meet. Going into the final three days of the session, Franco has a 61-53 lead over Dylan Davis, who has gone 19 for 102 over the same 15-day period.

Jose Lezcano, who has won 17 races from 61 mounts over the last 15 cards, is entrenched in third with 42 wins.

Mon, 03/20/2023 - 12:45

New York-breds have been putting on a show this winter

By David Grening
Barbara Livingston
The New York-bred Grade 1 winner Americanrevolution is in training at WinStar Farm in Kentucky and will race this year at age 5.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – There’s been a lot of streaking going on at Aqueduct this winter.

Aside from the seven- and six-race win streaks put together recently by trainers Linda Rice and Rob Atras, respectively, several horses this winter have put together some impressive runs of their own.

The New York-bred stakes ranks, which have thinned out some, looks to have received an influx of talented runners this winter in the form of Today’s Flavor, Dr Ardito, Ouster, and Overstep, who have combined to win 15 of their last 16 starts.

Mon, 03/20/2023 - 12:35

Castellano receives George Woolf Award

By Steve Andersen
Benoit Photo
Javier Castellano (right) receives the George Woolf Award from Santa Anita executive Nate Newby.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Accompanied by his family, Javier Castellano was honored with the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in a brief ceremony between races at Santa Anita on Sunday.

A member of racing’s Hall of Fame and a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding rider, from 2013 to 2016, Castellano was recognized with an award first introduced in 1950 to recognize career achievement and personal character. The award is based on a nationwide vote of jockeys.

“It’s truly an honor to be here,” Castellano said. “It’s an amazing award.”

Mon, 03/20/2023 - 12:30

Princess Bettina gets Eurton back in stakes winner's circle

By Steve Andersen
Benoit Photo
Princess Bettina finishes off her wire-to-wire score in the China Doll Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Princess Bettina’s stakes win at Santa Anita on Saturday came at a good time for veteran California trainer Peter Eurton.

A 3-year-old filly who races for owner and breeder Don Dizney, Princess Bettina led throughout the China Doll Stakes to give Eurton his first stakes win since last March at Sunland Park and his first stakes win at Santa Anita since Storm the Court won the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

“The stakes have been avoiding us,” Eurton said on Sunday. “We didn’t have the right horses.”

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