OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Mike Maker and his owners have certainly gotten with the program.
In a span of 24 hours, at Aqueduct, Maker won a trio of races with New York-bred 3-year-old colts, capped by Barese’s 1 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s Gander Stakes. On Friday, Maker won statebred races with Rotknee and Pineapple Man.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine has announced its 2022 stakes schedule that includes the usual major races, with the exception of the Grade 1 Canadian International.
The International was scrapped in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned last year while moved up to the Woodbine Mile undercard, with the hope of luring more European runners, but has gone on hiatus again.
Senor Buscador, a past winner of the Springboard Mile at Remington Park, had been training forwardly for a return to the races, but that will now be delayed, trainer Todd Fincher said.
Senor Buscador has not raced since finishing fifth in last year’s Risen Star at Fair Grounds.
“We had him back going great,” Fincher said last week from Sunland Park. “He had a stall incident. He got infection in his hock. He’s been out.
“I couldn’t wait for him to come back. He’s probably the most talented horse I’ve ever trained. He’s just amazing.”
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn Park made a significant schedule change this season by opening its meet in December, and after discussions with multiple parties track president Lou Cella said Oaklawn plans to ask for December race dates for 2022.
“We’re for sure committed to do it another year, and we’ll just see where it takes us,” Cella said Wednesday.
Oaklawn opened Dec. 4 and will race through May 8. The opening was its earliest in history, and Cella collected feedback from a host of industry stakeholders to judge fan participation and horse participation.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – When jockey Aisla Morrison won for the fifth time here last Sunday, she was supposed to go from being a 10-pound apprentice to a seven-pound apprentice. However, she is now listed as a five-pound apprentice due to an interpretation of the rules by the New York stewards.
Braulio Baeza Jr., the New York Gaming Commission steward, said that since Morrison received her jockey’s certificate at Woodbine in 2019, New York will follow Canada’s rules. Baeza said in Canada jockeys go from being a 10-pound apprentice to a five-pound apprentice.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Empty Tomb was scheduled to return to trainer Robert Falcone’s barn Friday following his last-place finish in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 29.
Though Empty Tomb was an 88-1 longshot in the Pegasus, it didn’t help that he exited the race with a foot issue.
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainers starting out are always looking for a horse that will get them noticed. Natalia Lynch seemed to have found that horse in Eloquent Speaker.
Lynch claimed Eloquent Speaker for $45,000 on Dec. 11. Six days later Eloquent Speaker won a first-level allowance. Sixteen days after that, Eloquent Speaker finished second, beaten just a neck, in the La Verdad Stakes.
Tulane Tryst showed talent from his first start last spring at Fair Grounds. He hit a flat spot through the middle of his 3-year-old season in 2021 but looked the part of a future stakes horse Thursday.
Racing for the first time since he captured a first-level allowance race Nov. 20 at Churchill Downs, Tulane Tryst rated and rallied to a 7 1/4-length score in a second-level dirt-sprint allowance race. He clocked 1:09.77 for six furlongs on a surface that didn’t seem especially quick, and, when the figure becomes available, is sure to have earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure.
California-based trainer Doug O’Neill’s last trip to Fair Grounds was so satisfying he’s coming back for more fun.
Hot Rod Charlie won the Louisiana Derby last March, O’Neill’s first Fair Grounds runner in three years, and three days before Mardi Gras, O’Neill has live horses for the Risen Star and the Rachel Alexandra stakes.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Multiple graded stakes winning stablemates Envoutante and Crazy Beautiful took another step closer to their much anticipated 2022 debuts when they worked four furlongs in company in 48.75 here Friday morning for trainer Kenny McPeek. Both horses finished well within themselves while noses apart at the wire before galloping out in tandem in 1:02.18.
