The Texas Racing Commission on Wednesday approved out-of-state simulcasting for Sam Houston Race Park, according to its executive director, ending a blackout of the track’s signal due to the commission’s unwillingness to fall under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.
Blazing Sevens, who appears to be trainer Chad Brown’s lone Kentucky Derby hope at this point, will make his 3-year-old debut in either the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 18 or the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park on March 4, Brown said Tuesday. Both races are Grade 2s with a purse of $400,000. The Fountain of Youth is run at 1 1/16 miles, a sixteenth shorter than the Risen Star.
Banishing, the fastest 2- or 3-year-old maiden winner at the ongoing Fair Grounds meet, has resumed galloping after missing a period of training due to a cut on his leg.
Banishing was injured during the night of Jan. 20, forcing his connections, Godolphin and trainer Brendan Walsh, to scratch the colt from an intended Fair Grounds allowance-race start the following day. Walsh said Banishing became cast in his stall and opened a wound on a hind leg that required suturing.
“He started galloping again four or five days ago,” Walsh said Tuesday.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Charge It, unraced since getting a 111 Beyer Speed Figure in winning the Dwyer by 23 lengths last July at Belmont Park, figures as a huge favorite when returning to action in the eighth race Sunday at Gulfstream Park.
Charge It missed the balance of his 3-year-old season because of a nagging foot injury.
“We had complications with it, but that’s all behind us now,” said his trainer, Todd Pletcher.
Charge It is one of seven older horses in the $87,000, second-level allowance going 1 1/16 miles.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Owner Bruce Lunsford confirmed early this week that Art Collector, a 4 1/2-length winner of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, definitely will remain in training this year, assuming the 6-year-old horse remains healthy.
Art Collector, based at Payson Park with trainer Bill Mott, will go to stud at Claiborne Farm when his racing days are over, but the huge Pegasus effort led Lunsford to his decision to delay stud duty by a year.
“It’s pretty clear to us that he’s still got a lot of run in him,” Lunsford said.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Robert Falcone Jr. said he’s “cautiously optimistic” that he can proceed down the Kentucky Derby trail with Mr Bob after the colt runs Saturday in the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
“I’ve never been in this position,” said Falcone, who began training in 2014 at age 21. “So, yeah, I’m excited.”
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Private Creed, who was a closing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in November, could get a shot at a Kentucky Derby points race. Trainer Steve Asmussen said Sunday that he plans to move the horse to dirt following his runner-up finish in the $100,000 Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile on Saturday at Sam Houston Race Park.
Private Creed raced with the pace over soft ground at Sam Houston and was just edged by Andthewinneris. Private Creed earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 85.
Time may have run out for Cave Rock to make his targeted comeback race, initially planned to be the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on Feb. 25 at Oaklawn Park.
“It’s getting tight,” trainer Bob Baffert acknowledged last weekend. “I leave the door open; it’s not closed completely.”
Plans for Pauline’s Pearl, who won the Grade 3, $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic for the second year in a row Saturday at Sam Houston Race Park, are to be determined, trainer Steve Asmussen said Sunday.
The race for fillies and mares was the richest offering during the Houston Racing Festival program of five stakes worth a total of $800,000.
Scarlet Fusion has some upcoming stakes options at Gulfstream Park after his career performance Saturday in the Grade 3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston Race Park.
Scarlet Fusion won over 1 1/2 miles in the Connally, which was part of the Houston Racing Festival. He rallied for a three-quarter-length victory and earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 96.
