Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans will host 63 stakes worth almost $6.7 million during its 2010-2011 race meet, a schedule topped by the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 26, the Churchill Downs Inc.-owned property announced Tuesday. Fair Grounds raised the purse of the Louisiana Derby $250,000 for next year's running.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – After this weekend, there will be just 21 days of racing left at the current meet and most of, if not all, divisional championships are still up for grabs. The trainer and jockey races are still close enough that it is just a bit too early to award Troy Taylor his fourth straight trainer’s title, and Fernando Perez still has some work to do in order to repeat as leading rider.
The trainer and jockey races could be decided over the next few weeks, but not much will be decided regarding divisional honors for horses.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The Usual Q.T. was a few strides from reaching the wire in a six-furlong workout on the Polytrack surface at Del Mar when trainer Jim Cassidy rose from a seat in the grandstand and began walking toward the parking lot.
“There’s no doubt where I’m running,” he said.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Roan Inish, who was pointing for Saratoga’s Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga on Aug. 21, has been injured and is through for at least the season.
“It’s very unfortunate, but there are worse things that can happen,” said Carolyn Costigan, who trains the homebred Roan Inish for her father, Bob Costigan.
On Tuesday morning, Roan Inish was found to have come up with a small tear in one of her tendons.
“We caught it very quickly,” said Costigan.
AUBURN, Wash. – At first blush, Sunday’s Emerald Derby looks like a two-horse race between Newfound Man and Posse Power, who finished heads apart in the Seattle Slew Handicap three weeks ago. But a closer reading points to California shipper Slew the Man as a legitimate contender.
Greg Foley won the biggest race of the Ellis Park meet three years ago when he sent out Pleasant Hill to win the Gardenia, and the veteran trainer will be hoping for something very similar Saturday when he runs Midway Holiday as a major contender in the Grade 3 showcase.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Charterhill surprised both the betting public and his trainer, Craig MacPherson, when he scored a front-running win at over 14-1 in a $50,000 optional race for 3-year-olds at Hastings July 24. Charterhill won’t be nearly the same price when he returns in a similar race that will serve as Friday’s feature.
In fact, Charterhill has been installed as the 8-5 favorite in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint, which drew nine horses and goes as race 7 on the eight-race card that begins at 7:15 p.m. Pacific.
OCEANPORT, N.J. – Very few New Jersey-breds debut at Keeneland.
But then, trainer John Terranova always thought Developing Story was something special.
Developing Story steps up to face winners Friday at Monmouth Park in the $80,000 first-level allowance feature for New Jersey-bred fillies and mares going one mile, 70 yards.
This will be the fourth start for Developing Story, a 3-year-old on a steady progression that began at Keeneland in April with a third-place finish on the synthetic track.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Waveline looked like she was developing into a significant runner last year when her career was interrupted by a fracture to a hind cannon bone. But she’s back now, and perhaps better than ever.
Waveline returned from a 13-month layoff with an eye-catching victory at Del Mar on July 22, and meets many of the same rivals, under the same conditions, but for a bit more money, when she competes on Friday’s twilight card in the $75,000 Daisycutter Handicap.
ALTOONA, IOWA – Prairie Meadows will begin its inaugural Quarter Horse meet Friday. The meet, which ends Sept. 25, is scheduled to pay out more than $3 million in purses over the 26-day meet, about $120,000 per day.
The recently concluded Thoroughbred meet was 67 days long and paid out more than $10 million, about $160,000 per day. The separate meets are a departure from last year, when the track ran a 50-day Thoroughbred meet followed by a 32-day mixed meet.