Empire of Gold, an earner of more than $500,000, won his first stakes race Jan. 7 in the Sam’s Town at Delta Downs. It was a deserving milestone for the talented horse, who in 2020 ran second in the Grade 2 Phoenix a Keeneland and fourth in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
“Finally,” said co-owner and trainer Terry Eoff. “Everyone always asks, ‘How has he earned that much money?’ A lot of seconds.”
Tyler’s Tribe, who last year at 2 won five of seven starts, is scheduled to return to Oaklawn next week after getting some time off at the farm of his co-owner and trainer, Tim Martin.
Tyler’s Tribe won his first five starts by nearly 60 lengths before bleeding in both the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, in which he finished 12th, and the Advent at Oaklawn, in which he finished third Dec. 9.
“He’s had a month of 'R and R' and therapy,” Martin said. “The therapy is supposed to be helping. I think he’ll be okay.”
The field for the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park is beginning to take shape two weeks out from the main event, with one leading contender putting in a notable work on Saturday at Fair Grounds and another being ruled out of consideration from the race the same morning at Sam Houston Race Park.
The Southwest is a Kentucky Derby points race to be run over 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 28.
Jason Egan has been named director of racing and racing secretary at Santa Anita, effective Jan. 27, the track announced Saturday.
Egan will replace Chris Merz, who has accepted an executive position at Canterbury Park in Minnesota, according to sources. Merz has been director of racing at Santa Anita since February 2020.
The change in leadership comes less than a month after the start of the track’s winter-spring meeting on Dec. 26. The track is hosting the Breeders’ Cup races in November.
Santa Anita has canceled racing on Monday because of concern over a forecast of rain and a low number of entries on what would have been a program consisting entirely of races on the main track.
The track announced the decision Friday afternoon.
The Monday program is the second day of the holiday weekend lost to inclement weather. The track canceled racing on Saturday on Thursday morning. Racing was held on Friday and is scheduled for Sunday.
Santa Anita has lost three days of racing to rain this month. The Jan. 1 program was not held because of rain.
Golden Gate Fields has added three $75,000 stakes for California-breds to the calendar of its current meeting, which runs through June 11.
The Moscow Burning Stakes for fillies and mares will be run at a mile on the synthetic track on Jan. 28. The McCann’s Mojave Stakes for 4-year-olds and older at 1 1/8 miles is scheduled for March 18, while the Dream of Summer Stakes for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and older, will be run on June 11.
All three races are being offered for the first time this year.
This winter at Santa Anita, trainer Leonard Powell has won graded stakes on turf with Air Force Red in a sprint and Dicey Mo Chara in a race at 1 1/8 miles. The two runners will have separate campaigns this year.
Air Force Red, who worked a half-mile in 48.60 seconds on Friday, has the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf on March 4 as a long-range goal, with a possible start in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile on turf on Feb. 4.
“His energy will tell us whether he runs in the Thunder Road or waits for the Kilroe,” Powell said on Friday.
Damon’s Mound, who cruised to a 12 1/2-length debut win last July at Churchill Downs before capturing the Grade 2 Saratoga Special by 3 1/4 lengths over Gulfport, arrived this week at trainer Michelle Lovell’s Fair Grounds barn following a freshening.
Damon’s Mound’s 2-year-old campaign ended on a sour note, the colt dueling and fading to sixth in the Iroquois Stakes, his first try around two turns. Since the race shape worked against Damon’s Mound, Lovell can’t be sure the son of Girvin can’t handle a route of ground.
The near absence of turf racing at this Fair Grounds meeting has caused a severe decline in betting on the track’s product compared to a similar period during the 2021-22 meet.
Through 29 days of racing, total handle has dropped close to 26 percent, from $83,730,100 during the first 29 days last season to $62,285,295 through Jan. 8 this year. Fair Grounds began this meet Nov. 18, a week earlier than last season. The track through Jan. 8 had run 251 races compared to 270 during the same period in 2021-22, with handle per race falling 20 percent, from $310,111 to $248,148.
The 5-year-old horse Proxy displayed early ability, finishing second in a pair of 2021 Fair Grounds 3-year-old stakes, the Lecomte and the Risen Star, but even while racing competitively against good horses like Midnight Bourbon and Mandaloun, Proxy didn’t truly have his mind in the game.
Trainer Michael Stidham added blinkers to the colt’s race-day equipment to no great effect and Proxy finished fourth in the Louisiana Derby and Lexington Stakes two Aprils ago at Keeneland, his last start until February 2022.
