The California Horse Racing Board passed a motion on Thursday stating that Oak Tree Racing Association holds racing dates for five weeks this fall, and can race at any Thoroughbred track in Southern California if a lease agreement with its longtime landlord Santa Anita Park is not reached.
Oak Tree, a not-for-profit company, was scheduled to race at Santa Anita from Sept. 29 to Oct. 31, but its lease with Magna International Developments, the owner of Santa Anita, was voided by Magna last week.
ARCADIA, Calif. -- The transitory label of "interim" Santa Anita president will be stabilized in the next six weeks, when the board of directors of MI Developments names George Haines the formal successor to Ron Charles, Haines said on Friday.
Charles resigned early this week as Santa Anita president, after which track owner MID named Haines interim president. Haines said Friday that his track-president role will be certified after procedural formalities are addressed by the MID board.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Mine That Bird pulled into the Churchill Downs stable gate Thursday evening and was soon bedded down in Barn 44, where four other Kentucky Derby winners have been stabled through the years with his new trainer, D. Wayne Lukas.
Lukas has signs posted at his stable entrance that list his Kentucky Oaks and Derby winners but joked that he won't be adding on the name of Mine That Bird, who won the 2009 Derby when trained by Chip Woolley.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - While the spotlight will be on the La Lorgnette Stakes here Sunday, there will be plenty of interest in an open first-level allowance run later on the program.
The field of nine for the 1 1/16-mile race includes Queen's Plate nominees Mobilizer, Artic Fern, and Who We Gunna Call and will serve as an important test on the road to the 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate here July 4.
Mobilizer, trained by Roger Attfield, has attracted plenty of attention in his two starts.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Forever Together, the champion turf female of 2008, will start in the $250,000 Gamely Stakes at Hollywood Park next Saturday, her first race in Southern California since a third in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita last November.
The Grade 1 Gamely, run over 1 1/8 miles on turf, will be a showdown between Forever Together and the outstanding Tuscan Evening, winner of four graded stakes on turf at Santa Anita earlier this year.
ELMONT, N.Y. − Much of the focus going into Wednesday's first-level turf allowance race at Belmont Park centered on New Madrid, who was trying to use the race as a springboard to the Belmont Stakes.
But at the conclusion of the race, most of the talk was about Kindergarden Kid, who made a powerful four-wide rally turning for home to record a three-quarter-length victory in the $53,000 race. The win was the second straight for Kindergarden Kid, a son of Dynaformer owned by Roy and Gretchen Jackson's Lael Stable and trained by Barclay Tagg.
FORT ERIE, Ontario − Louis Capi has sent only three runners to post, but he is fourth in the Fort Erie trainer standings. That's because all three of his runners have won.
Small barns with few horses often get overlooked in the trainer standings, but Capi, 60, has taken his share of plaudits this spring. One of his runners, Impressive Cat, returned from a five-month layoff and won his season debut in a maiden race May 10. The other two, Sometime Anytime and Chief No Tell, scored after flopping in their first starts off five-month layoffs.
MIAMI - After being rewarded with four graded stakes placings as well as a respectable performance in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, owner-trainer Barry Rose will try a new dimension with his durable 3-year-old filly Joanie's Catch when he turns her back to five furlongs and puts her on the grass in Sunday's $29,000 allowance feature at Calder.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Randy Meier rode his 33,238th race on Dec. 3 at Hawthorne Race Course. Whether that ride was the last in a long career, Meier still hasn't fully decided. But for now, the only riding in Meier's life comes during trips from the Arlington stables to the racetrack on the back of trainer Monique Cameron's pony.
A pall was cast over Thursday night's trials for the fillies division of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity at Lone Star when Gold Belle, one of the most promising 2-year-olds on the grounds, was euthanized after an accident prior to the fourth race.