Thu, 09/22/2022 - 15:29

Rattle N Roll brings Grade 1 credentials to Oklahoma Derby

Coady Photography
Rattle N Roll wins the American Derby on July 2 at Churchill Downs.

Grade 1 winner Rattle N Roll will be looking for his second straight stakes win Sunday when he takes on seven others in the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park.

The 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds was drawn Thursday. It anchors a card of eight stakes that has a special first post of 3 p.m. Central. The program includes the Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, which also drew a Grade 1 winner in Juju’s Map.

Wed, 09/21/2022 - 14:27

Epicenter, Jackie's Warrior awaiting green light to train over Breeders' Cup track

Debra A. Roma
Epicenter, ridden by Joel Rosario, wins the Grade 1 Travers Stakes on Aug. 27 at Saratoga.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Epicenter and Jackie’s Warrior, the two brightest stars in the Steve Asmussen barn, are scheduled to ship from Saratoga to Keeneland the middle of next week, or “whenever they’ll let us in,” said the Hall of Fame trainer.

Epicenter, clearly the leading 3-year-old in North America following his 5 1/4-length victory in the Aug. 27 Travers, had his latest work Saturday at Saratoga, going five furlongs in 1:02.40 over the Oklahoma training track. Jackie’s Warrior worked Tuesday, going a half-mile in 49.80 seconds.

Wed, 09/21/2022 - 14:18

Evin Roman suspended seven days for whip violations

Coady Photography
Evin Roman, here after winning the Arizona Juvenile fillies aboard Rock the Belles in December at Turf Paradise, has been suspended for the final four racing days of the Golden Gate meet and the first three at the Big Fresno Fair.

Jockey Evin Roman, who led the standings at the Golden Gate Fields winter-spring meeting earlier this year, has been suspended seven racing days beginning Sunday for repeated whip violations.

Leo Rodriguez, Roman’s agent, said the jockey is attempting to appeal the decision, which covers the final four racing days of the Golden Gate meeting, which ends on Oct. 2, and the first three days of the Big Fresno Fair, Oct. 7-9.

Wed, 09/21/2022 - 14:09

Medication violation results in Worse Read Sanchez being disqualified from Silky Sullivan Stakes

Part of the purse of the $75,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes for California-bred 3-year-olds at Golden Gate Fields on May 1 has been ordered redistributed after third-place finisher Worse Read Sanchez tested positive for the painkiller lidocaine.

According to a ruling published by stewards at Golden Gate Fields on Sept. 9, Worse Read Sanchez has been disqualified from purse earnings and is officially listed as unplaced. The stewards ordered that $9,000 in purses and incentive awards earned by owners Paul and Zillah Reddam, trainer Doug O’Neill and jockey Armando Ayuso be returned.

Wed, 09/21/2022 - 14:05

Count Again sidelined for rest of year

Benoit Photo
Count Again wins the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on May 30 at Santa Anita.

Count Again, the winner of the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita in May, has been taken out of training and will miss the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland on Nov. 5.

Trainer Phil D’Amato said on Wednesday that he was unsatisfied with the way Count Again has trained in the last month. The 7-year-old gelding will be rested for a 2023 campaign.

“We’re going to back off on him,” D’Amato said.

D’Amato said Count Again did not have a specific injury, but cited “a bunch of little that things that always culminate at the same time.”

Wed, 09/21/2022 - 13:04

Power outage cancels Delaware Wednesday card

Delaware Park in Wilmington canceled its live Wednesday race card roughly one hour before first post after a power outage disrupted operations in the stable area, the track said.

Delaware had an eight-race card scheduled for Wednesday, with a first post of 12:30 p.m. Eastern. The track said that live racing is expected to resume on Thursday.

Delaware races on a Wednesday-Saturday schedule. The track’s 2022 meet is scheduled to run through Nov. 5.

Wed, 09/21/2022 - 09:41

Handle rises 4 percent at 2022 Emerald Downs meet

The total handle of $67,686,501 at the recently concluded Emerald Downs meet was up 4 percent compared to last year. The average daily handle of $1,301,663 was down 2 percent from the previous year but was up 15 percent from pre-COVID in 2019. Part of the reason for the increase in total handle was a 32 percent rise in ontrack wagering at the Auburn, Wash., track.

“We are pretty happy with how the meet went,” said Phil Ziegler, Emerald’s president. “A big positive is that we gave out more than $7 million in purses, which was an increase of 26.5 percent over last year.”

Wed, 09/21/2022 - 08:03

Rich Strike gets in final work for Lukas Classic

Barbara Livingston
Rich Strike works a half-mile for the Travers on Friday in 46.38 seconds. He galloped out strongly in 59.87 and 1:13.31.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike had his final pre-race breeze toward the Oct. 1 Lukas Classic, shipping in for a five-furlong workout well before dawn Wednesday under the Churchill Downs lights.

With regular exercise rider Gabriel Lagunes aboard, Rich Strike went in 1:01.40 over a fast track.

“Gabriel said it was like he was just galloping,” trainer Eric Reed said afterward.

Tue, 09/20/2022 - 09:27

Assiniboia extends meet to Sept. 28

The Assiniboia Downs meet has been extended an extra day following a recent cancellation, and closing day will now be Wednesday, Sept. 28.

The Winnipeg, Manitoba, track had an unexpected malfunction with a small section of the track lighting following the first race on Sept. 14. As a result, the remainder of the race card was canceled. The issue has since been rectified.

Mon, 09/19/2022 - 15:14

Taiba takes another shot at Cyberknife in Pennsylvania Derby; Cotillion draws nine

Emily Shields
Cyberknife, with Florent Geroux up, rallies past Taiba to win the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes by a head.

Cyberknife and Taiba, separated by a head in the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park, head a field of 11 3-year-olds entered Monday for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx.

In addition to Cyberknife and Taiba, the field includes two additional Grade 1 winners - Zandon and White Abarrio.