Sun, 05/15/2022 - 15:24

Prat to serve 3-day suspension, will miss Preakness

Barbara D. Livingston
Flavien Prat finished second in the 2019 Derby on Country House, then was promoted to first when the winner, Maximum Security, was disqualified for interference.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Flavien Prat, who won three races including two graded stakes Saturday at Belmont Park, will serve a three-day suspension beginning Saturday - Preakness Day - for careless riding with his first mount at the Belmont meet.

Sun, 05/15/2022 - 15:17

We the People looks strong for Belmont distance, Brisset says

Coglianese Photo
We the People solo hacia la meta en el Peter Pan G3

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Rodolphe Brisset was a man on the move Sunday. Such is life for a trainer of a Belmont Stakes contender.

Brisset on Sunday afternoon was flying back to Kentucky, where on Monday and Tuesday he would check on his string of horses at Keeneland and Churchill Downs. Sometime on Tuesday, Brisset will jump in his car and drive back to New York, where he’ll spend the majority of his time over the next three weeks at Belmont Park preparing We the People and, potentially, Western River, for the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on June 11.

Sun, 05/15/2022 - 11:11

Shake Em Loose opts for Murphy Stakes over Preakness

Jim Duley/Maryland Jockey Club
Shake Em Loose beats Joe in the Private Terms. He is 3 for 4 since being claimed for $16,000 out of a November maiden win.

Shake Em Loose will run this weekend at Pimlico.

Only not in the Preakness.

Following a turf workout Sunday morning at Laurel Park, trainer Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon confirmed that Shake Em Loose will instead start in Saturday's $100,000 James W. Murphy Stakes for 3-year-olds on grass. The gelding also was cross-entered in Wednesday’s $150,000 Caesars Stakes on turf at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Sat, 05/14/2022 - 14:59

Baltas horses being transferred to a number of different trainers

Coady Photography
Richard Baltas must complete an anger management program within 90 days.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Six Santa Anita-based trainers said on Saturday that horses previously trained by Richard Baltas have been transferred to their stables, or will be moved in coming days, the aftermath of a recent decision by track management to ban Baltas from working or entering horses after a horse in his care was euthanized and another was a late scratch for an alleged medication violation on the weekend of May 7-8.

Sat, 05/14/2022 - 13:43

Multiple stakes winner Barraza euthanized following training injury

Benoit photo

ARCADIA, Calif. - Barraza, the winner of two sprint stakes on turf earlier this year, was euthanized on Saturday as a result of a sesamoid injury sustained during morning exercise at Santa Anita, trainer Vladimir Cerin said.

Barraza, a 4-year-old colt by Into Mischief, won 5 of 14 starts and earned $262,075.

At his stable office, Cerin said he had hoped Barraza could be saved as a stallion prospect, but that he was told by veterinarians that the injury was too severe.

“He was a really cool horse,” Cerin said.

Fri, 05/13/2022 - 15:00

Pizza Bianca to prep for Royal Ascot in Hilltop Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Pizza Bianca gave highly respected trainer Christophe Clement his first Breeders' Cup win.

ELMONT, N.Y. – With the goal of getting to Royal Ascot next month, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca will run in next Friday’s $100,000 Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico.

Fri, 05/13/2022 - 14:08

Capps's win at the bottom rung as sweet as the Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Steve Capps did a fine job of mimicking the underdog tale of a fellow Lexington-based trainer when racing resumed Thursday evening at Churchill Downs following a five-day break in action.

Fri, 05/13/2022 - 13:14

Graded stakes winner Acclimate retires to become event horse

Barbara D. Livingston
Acclimate, 8, won the San Luis Rey in March at Santa Anita in his final race.

Acclimate, a former maiden claimer who won four graded stakes on turf and was unplaced in two runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Turf, has been retired and will be retrained for a second career as an event horse.

“He had a little issue,” trainer Phil D’Amato said on Friday. “He’s long in the tooth and he’s done a lot for us.

“At this stage, we’d have to give him a couple of months. It’s not worth doing that age-wise.”

Fri, 05/13/2022 - 12:50

Preakness 2022: Early Voting gets final work; Zandon unlikely to enter

Barbara D. Livingston
Early Voting (right), finishing second in the Wood Memorial, could possibly be held out of Derby consideration in favor of running two weeks later in the Preakness.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The comparisons between Early Voting and Cloud Computing are natural and meaningful and are among the main storylines heading into next Saturday’s $1.5 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.

Trainer Chad Brown and owner Seth Klarman hope the comparisons are equally as natural and meaningful coming out of Preakness 147.

Thu, 05/12/2022 - 17:58

Baltas entries not being accepted at 1/ST Racing tracks

Emily Shields
In the last week, trainer Richard Baltas had a horse euthanized after being injured in a race and another scratched after being treated with a substance within 24 hours of a race.

Trainer Richard Baltas, who operates one of the leading stables in Southern California, faces an uncertain short-term future after a horse in his care was euthanized after suffering an injury last weekend at Santa Anita and another horse was a late scratch after being administered a substance not allowed within 24 hours of a race, according to people familiar with the matter.

Baltas did not return a phone call or a text message on Thursday.