Wed, 06/15/2011 - 13:11

Belmont Stakes: Maragh gets 7-day suspension for careless riding

Justin N. Lane
Jockey Rajiv Maragh, the rider of Isn't He Perfect, has been handed a seven-day suspension for careless riding in the Belmont Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Jockey Rajiv Maragh on Sunday will begin serving a seven-day suspension for a careless riding infraction for the incident at the start of last Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. The suspension, handed down by the three New York stewards, was originally 10 days but was reduced to seven after Maragh waived his right of appeal.

The suspension will run through June 25, unless Maragh rides the New York Stakes that day. Under the designated race rule, Maragh could ride the New York but would then have to serve an additional day, June 26.

Wed, 06/15/2011 - 12:48

Woodbine: Brown sends Sovereign Crisis north for turf allowance

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Prominent New York trainer Chad Brown has shipped four horses to Woodbine this year. Two of them finished second in a stakes, most notably Bowman’s Causeway in the Plate Trial, and the other two bombed. He sends out Sovereign Crisis in Friday’s headliner, and it will be interesting to see how she does in the first-level allowance for 3-year-old fillies that is scheduled for nine furlongs on the grass.

Wed, 06/15/2011 - 11:13

Shackleford to spend two weeks at WinStar Farm and then be pointed to Haskell

Barbara D. Livingston
Shackleford is likely to make his next start in the Haskell at Monmouth Park.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Preakness winner Shackleford has been sent to WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., for a two-week break before gearing back up for a run in the $1 million Haskell Invitational on July 31 at Monmouth Park, said trainer Dale Romans.

“He’s just going to get some rest he deserves,” said Romans. “He might go into a round pen on some grass, maybe hand-walk a little bit. I’m really, really happy with him. He gave us a great Triple Crown, and I’d have to think he’s right in the thick of it for champion 3-year-old this year.”

Tue, 06/14/2011 - 21:27

Penn National: Golddigger's Boy romps to fourth straight victory in Docent

Versatile 4-year-old Parx shipper Golddigger's Boy extended his winning streak to four races when he successfully stretched outfrom 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles to capture Tuesday night's $75,000 Docent Stakes for Pennsylvania-breds at Penn NationalRace Course.

Tue, 06/14/2011 - 17:51

Churchill Downs: Try-again time for two Oaks fillies

Barbara D. Livingston
Street Storm ran eighth in the Kentucky Oaks.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - At respective odds of 63-1 and 68-1 in the Kentucky Oaks, Street Storm and Suave Voir Faire ran to expectations, which weren't much. Still, everyone involved had a good time, and more importantly, the fillies survived to fight another day.

Street Storm was eighth and Suave Voir Faire was ninth behind the victorious Plum Pretty in the May 6 Oaks, and they will make their next starts in back-to-back races Thursday at Churchill Downs.

Tue, 06/14/2011 - 17:31

Churchill Downs: Capt. Candyman Can hurt, likely out for year

LOUISVILE, Ky. - Capt. Candyman Can, most recently third in the June 4 Aristides at Churchill Downs, exited the race with what appears to be a shoulder injury and most likely will miss the rest of the year, according to trainer Ian Wilkes.

Capt. Candyman Can, a 5-year-old gelding, has been a model of consistency throughout his career, winning half of his 16 starts and earning more than $760,000.

 

Tue, 06/14/2011 - 16:29

Hollywood Park: Screaming Regal, Lucky Mr. K tune up for future stakes

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – After game second-place finishes in April and May, Screaming Regal and Lucky Mr. K will start favored in optional claiming races at Hollywood Park on Thursday. The outcome of those races could push the two 3-year-olds closer to stakes races later this summer.

Tue, 06/14/2011 - 15:52

Lone Star: Calhoun has options for his recent futurity winners

Shocktime put up the year’s highest Beyer Figure for a 2-year-old filly last Saturday, when she earned an 83 for her 12-length romp in a division of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity at Lone Star Park. It was the second blowout win for the filly, who could run next at either Churchill Downs, Louisiana Downs or Prairie Meadows. “There’s some options,” said Bret Calhoun, who trains Shocktime.

Tue, 06/14/2011 - 15:42

Hollywood Park: Blind Luck seeks to reclaim throne

Barbara D. Livingston
Blind Luck is being pointed for the Delaware Handicap and a meeting with Havre de Grace.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The first few months of 2011 did not go to expectation for Blind Luck, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2010.

There were more losses – three – than wins – one. Along the way, she lost her status as division leader to Havre de Grace, a finalist for the Eclipse Award for 3-year-old filly of 2010. But over the next five weeks, Blind Luck has a chance to regain the top spot.

Tue, 06/14/2011 - 15:12

Calder: Pinhooker performs good deed for equine hitchhiker

MIAMI – W.D. North could have done what most of his colleagues in Ocala, Fla., usually do when preparing a 2-year-old to race at Calder: work them exclusively on one of the training centers or farms in town and not ship to the track until the day of the race.

Instead, North opted to load his promising 2-year-old U.S. Citizen on his trailer last Friday and made the long drive down to Calder, where he worked the speedy youngster three furlongs from the gate in 35 seconds the next morning with jockey Juan Leyva aboard.