Zero Sugar, who was a close second to Brotha Keny in the $300,000 Zia Park Derby last month in New Mexico, will likely make his next start at Oaklawn Park, according to co-owner Staton Flurry.
Flurry said trainer Cippy Contreras has options for Zero Sugar, who is eligible for a conditioned allowance as well as the $135,000 The Coach, which is a new overnight stakes for 4-year-olds on Jan. 2. The 1 1/16-mile race is named for the late Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
The Tom Amoss trainees Oscar’s Hope and Actis both positioned themselves for opportunities on the 3-year-old trail next season after winning separate two-turn stakes last month at Delta Downs.
In the $100,000 Jean Lafitte for 2-year-olds, Oscar’s Hope was always prominent while nailing down the third win of his young career. He entered the race off a first-level allowance sprint win at Churchill Downs. For his 2 3/4-length win in the Jean Lafitte, Oscar’s Hope equaled his best Beyer Speed Figure, an 82.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – There will be live racing Wednesday, Dec. 10, at Aqueduct, the New York Racing Association announced Wednesday afternoon. That card was added to the schedule to make up for the cancellation of the final eight races on Sunday’s card, when the jockeys refused to ride, citing differences with management.
Following this four-day week, NYRA will race Dec. 10-14 before going on holiday break from Dec. 15-25. Racing will then resume Dec. 26.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer John Ortiz will keep a string of 10 to 15 horses in New York this winter as he tries to establish a year-round presence here. The early returns are quite good.
Ortiz has won three races from six starts at Aqueduct’s fall meet. The wins have come with New York-breds Doc Sullivan, Moe Eighty Eight, and Braverthanubelieve, all owned by Glenn Lostritto’s Tristar Farm.
Gokhan Kocakaya, a Turkish jockey who spent the summer in his home nation, is back in the United States and looking for mounts at Laurel Park. On Sunday, he earned his first victory since returning to Maryland, his fifth in 34 starts in the U.S. this year.
Racing at Aqueduct is expected to resume Thursday after a meeting Monday between the Jockeys’ Guild and New York Racing Association management was deemed “productive,” according to representatives from both organizations.
Despite wet weather that led to the cancellation of a day of racing in recent weeks, average daily handle increased at the Del Mar autumn meeting that ended Sunday, according to figures compiled by Daily Racing Form.
Average handle on races run at Del Mar was $18,413,084, a gain of 3.7 percent from the 2024 figure of $17,741,712. The Breeders’ Cup races were conducted over two days at the start of both meetings and were held in fine weather both years.
It’s too soon to say what the first part of 2026 holds for Magnitude, but whatever race comes into focus for the 3-year-old colt, preparations for it will happen in New Orleans.
Magnitude heads to Fair Grounds after beating the Dubai World Cup-winning 5-year-old Hit Show in the Grade 2, $600,000 Clark Stakes on Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs. Magnitude earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure – raised from an initial 100 – after running 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.69 and beating Hit Show by a half-length.
Jockey Antonio Fresu said Sunday that he plans to ride at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, beginning Friday, and will return to California in advance of opening day at Santa Anita.
Fresu, 34, moved from Dubai to California in spring 2023. In the 2022-23 season in Dubai, Fresu finished second in the jockey standings.
There is one minor stakes on Friday’s program at Meydan, while the Dec. 19 program at Meydan has five stakes for Thoroughbreds, including two Group 2 races.
