Santa Anita is enhancing a bonus program paid to out-of-state shippers at its autumn meeting later this year in an effort to increase field sizes.
Horses that have not raced in California in the preceding 12 months will be guaranteed a $5,000 bonus in their first start of the meeting, and will receive a 35 percent bonus on purse earnings for first- through fifth-place finishes in overnight races. Last year, a similar plan paid $3,000 and 35 percent bonuses.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Robin Sparkles, the New York-bred mare who won the off-the-turf Politely Stakes at Monmouth Park last Saturday, is under consideration for two races as her next start, trainer Bruce Brown said Wednesday.
She could run in the Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental Stakes at six furlongs on turf at Belmont on June 10 or await the $100,000 Dancin Renee Stakes at six furlongs for New York-breds on dirt on June 26.
Robin Sparkles is 8 for 14, with six of those wins coming on the turf. Her two stakes wins have come on dirt in races originally scheduled for the turf.
Classic Causeway, winner of the Sam F. Davis and Tampa Bay Derby this winter, was transferred into the Churchill barn of trainer Kenny McPeek on Tuesday.
Classic Causeway, owned by Patrick O’Keefe and Clarke Cooper, was trained by Brian Lynch for all seven of his starts. The Giant’s Causeway colt was last of 11 in the Florida Derby and 11th of 20 in the Kentucky Derby in his last two races.
McPeek said early Wednesday that he had no prior relationship with the owners and that getting Classic Causeway into his barn came as a surprise.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Even as he prepares to send some of his top talent to England for next month’s Royal Ascot meeting, trainer Wesley Ward still has plenty of quality horses for upcoming races in the U.S., including a pair of 3-year-olds for turf sprint stakes this weekend at Belmont Park.
In Saturday’s $100,000 Soaring Softly Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs, Ward will send out the good-looking debut winner Chardy Party. Sunday, Ward will send out European import Asymmetric in the $100,000 Paradise Creek for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs.
Elector did not make the trip from Southern California for the Grade 3, $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile on Monday at Lone Star Park and will be scratched from the race, trainer John Sadler said Wednesday.
“Elector didn’t get on the plane - he’s going to stay over here,” he said.
Sadler’s other entrants on the Lone Star Million Day card, Got Thunder in the $300,000 Texas Derby and Park Avenue in the $200,000 Ouija Board, did travel to town and were to have arrived midday, said Sadler.
Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Sonny Leon will attempt to add the Texas Derby to his list of 3-year-old stakes victories this month. He has been named to ride Fowler Blue in the $300,000 race that will be run next Monday at Lone Star Park.
Leon has two other mounts on the card, which is called Lone Star Million Day. It consists of six stakes and is a Memorial Day fixture at Lone Star. Entries were taken Monday.
Leon also has been named on Tesoro in the Grade 3, $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile and Bob’s Bad Boy in the $100,000 Chamberlain Bridge Stakes.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Big Invasion, who won the William Walker Stakes going 5 1/2 furlongs on May 4 at Churchill Downs, could attempt to stretch out to seven furlongs in Sunday’s $100,000 Paradise Creek Stakes at Belmont Park, trainer Christophe Clement said Monday.
Big Invasion has won three consecutive races, including two at five furlongs. On Sunday, Big Invasion worked a half-mile in 49.41 seconds over the Belmont turf course.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Venti Valentine, the multiple stakes-winning filly who finished last in the Kentucky Oaks, worked a half-mile in 48.91 seconds Monday morning over the Belmont Park main track. She is preparing for a start in the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose on June 26, trainer Jorge Abreu said.
It was Venti Valentine’s first move since the Oaks.
She was racing in third early in the Oaks before having check hard on the far turn.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Charge It, the Florida Derby runner-up who finished 17th in the Kentucky Derby, arrived at trainer Todd Pletcher’s Belmont Park barn Monday morning from Churchill Downs. Charge It underwent a minor throat procedure following the Kentucky Derby, Pletcher said.
“We’re pretty confident he displaced his soft palate, so hopefully we’ve done something to correct that,” Pletcher said. “We have no firm plans at the moment.”
The New York Gaming Commission suspended New York Racing Association clocker Richie Gazer for 30 calendar days and fined him $2,500 for altering a published work of a horse to make the horse eligible to race, according a ruling on the commission website.
Gazer has appealed the penalty and a stay has been granted, meaning Gazer may continue to work until a hearing is held.
