INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Last fall, trainer Mark Glatt wanted to try his 2-year-old filly It Tiz on the turf, even though there were limited options.
The opportunity arrived in Friday's fourth race at Hollywood Park, and it was worth the wait. Making her first start at 3, It Tiz ($15.40) won her turf debut in a one-mile optional claimer, racing near the front throughout and winning by a half-length over Lilly Fa Pootz in 1:34.88.
The quarantine the Texas Animal Health Commission placed Friday on the Lone Star Park stables of three trainers, including meet leader Bret Calhoun, has been lifted, an official with the Texas Racing Commission confirmed Saturday morning. The Texas Animal Health Commission had imposed the lockdown after each trainer had a horse in his care test positive for equine piroplasmosis, but the test results were later found to be in error.
The Lone Star Park stables of three trainers, including meet leader Bret Calhoun, were placed under quarantine indefinitely on Thursday after each had a horse test positive for equine piroplasmosis. The directive came from the Texas Animal Health Commission.
Equine piroplasmosis is a tick-borne disease that can lead to loss of appetite, fever, anemia, labored breathing, colic and in some cases, death.
Other trainers whose stables are under quarantine are those of Kevin Favre and Brian House, whose horse that tested positive has since shipped to New Mexico.
ELMONT, N.Y. - The all-stakes pick six on Saturday's Belmont Stakes Day card that has a guaranteed pool of $1 million will have a jump-start due to a $129,962 carryover following Friday's card.
The carryover was assured well before 9-1 shot Alcomo ($21.40) won the Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap by a nose over longshot Gabriel's Hill. Earlier races in the sequence were won by Shirley She Can ($16.80), Vaughndidit ($8.20), Loyal Shadow ($24.60), Stormy's Majesty ($7.20), and Spiritual Tune ($13.80).
The consolation payout (5 of 6) returned $6,464.
ELMONT, N.Y. - His journey has led from Chicago to New York, Philadelphia to Oklahoma, back to Chicago, over to Dubai, and then back to New York. Another 1 1/2 miles later, the well-traveled Alcomo had earned his first graded stakes win since leaving his native Brazil. He outnodded pacesetter Gabriel's Hill at the end of the Grade 2, $200,000 for older horses on steamy Friday afternoon at Belmont Park.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario − A first-level allowance race at 1 1/8 miles on the turf might seem like a strange spot to prep for the Queen's Plate. But that is trainer Mark Frostad's plan for Dark Cloud Dancer, a Sam-Son Farm homebred who will be making his third start in Sunday's race for 3-year-olds and up.
"The distance was right, and the timing was right, a month out from the Plate," Frostad said. "Did I want to run him on turf before the Plate? I've done it before, with Scatter the Gold, and won."
Trainer Tony Richey has been on a tear at Louisiana Downs, with much of his success coming with 3-year-olds. Over the last few weeks, he has sent out Debris to win the $100,000 Louisiana Cup Oaks, Productive Envoy to finish second in the $100,000 Louisiana Cup Derby, and Arctic Comet to win a maiden special weight. All three horses could be headed next to the Louisiana Showcase card at Evangeline Downs on July 3.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas − Redding Colliery is an emerging player in the nation's handicap ranks, just as his owners, James and Fitriani Hay, are emerging players on the American racing scene. Redding Colliery is the couple's first horse to be based in this country, and last Saturday he gave them their first graded or group win when he dominated the Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap. Redding Colliery romped by more than six lengths and earned a career-high Beyer Figure of 111.
ELMONT, N.Y. − If all goes according to plan, Quality Road will make two more starts before the Breeders' Cup Classic in November, both in Grade 1 races at Saratoga this summer.
Impressive winner of the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap last Monday, Quality Road would make his next start in the $750,000 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 7, trainer Todd Pletcher said. That presumably would be followed by the $750,000 Woodward at the Spa on Sept. 4. Both races are run at 1 1/8 miles.
On Sunday, trainer Ron Ellis has high expectations for Vision in Gold, who starts in the $150,000 Hollywood Oaks against national division leader Blind Luck, winner of the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on April 30.
Owned by Mace and Samantha Siegel, who also own Rail Trip, Vision in Gold broke slowly and finished fifth in her stakes debut in the Grade 3 Railbird Stakes over seven furlongs on May 9.
"She got a race under her belt," Ellis said. "Seven-eighths is not her ball game."