OCEANPORT, N.Y. - Stakes-winning 3-year-old Uptowncharlybrown has been transferred to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and will be pointed to the Belmont Stakes on June 5, the head of the colt's ownership group said Thursday.
Uptowncharlybrown was trained by Alan Seewald, who died unexpectedly April 12 at age 62. Seewald's assistant, Linda White, was the trainer of record when Uptowncharlybrown finished third in the Grade 2 Lexington on April 17.
WHO'S HOT
Mark Casse vaulted to the top of the trainer standings during the seven days of racing from April 23 to May 2. He won with 7 of 30 starters, a 23 percent win rate, which is better than it appears when you consider he ran two horses in several races.
Casse, who led the Woodbine trainer standings in 2002 and from 2007 to 2009, had 10 wins from 59 starters at the meet. Bob Tiller and Steve Asmussen were tied for second with seven scores apiece.
WHO'S HOT
Jockey Tyler Baze is on a roll, and so are the maidens he rides. Baze went 15 of 50 the first two weeks of the spring meet, more than double the seven-win total of Rafael Bejarano and Joel Rosario. Five of the 10 winners Baze rode in Week 2 were maidens; overall, six of his 15 winners were maidens. It matches the racing program - 26 of the 71 races the first two weeks at Hollywood were for maidens.
WHO'S HOT
Allen Jerkens
Score another upset for the Hall of Fame trainer, who turned 81 on April 21 and celebrated by saddling Le Grand Cru ($56.50) to win the Grade 3 Westchester on opening day. It was the sixth Westchester win for Jerkens.
Le Grand Cru, a potential "I Love New York" poster child, was out of the money in four starts at Gulfstream Park during the winter, but has won his last three starts on this circuit, having won the Kelso and Bold Ruler last October, the Bold Ruler at nearly 8-1.
Go Ask Alex got a rail-skimming ride under jockey Jon Court and drew off to win the $100,000 Indiana Downs Distaff at Indiana Downs in track record time on Wednesday.
Trained by John Glenney, Go Ask Alex led from start to finish in the one-mile turf event and drew off to win by 7 1/4 lengths. Helen Belen, under Sal Gonzalez Jr., chased the winner from the outside to no avail and tired to finish third, while Prima Donna Pirate inherited the place position.
Go Ask Alex ran the mile in 1:34.55 over the firm turf course and returned $5.20 to win.
ELMONT, N.Y. - If things go as well the next two Saturdays for WinStar Farm as they went last Saturday, its management team could have an interesting decision to make come Belmont Stakes time.
WinStar owns Super Saver, who last Saturday won the Kentucky Derby by 2 1/2 lengths and who on May 15 will attempt to win the Preakness and then come to Belmont Park for the June 5 Belmont Stakes with a chance to become Thoroughbred racing's first Triple Crown winner since 1978.
Head to Toe, Ohio-bred champion 2-year-old male in 2006 after winning the Cleveland Kindergarten Stakes and the Best of Ohio Juvenile Stakes, is currently the winningest horse in North America after romping to a 13-length victory in a starter allowance race last Saturday at Beulah Park, notching his seventh win from nine starts in 2010.
Bred by 2006 champion Ohio owner Elisabeth H. Alexander, Head to Toe has earned $175,160 while posting a record of 13 wins, 4 seconds, and 5 thirds from 37 lifetime starts.
Remington Park will run 18 trial races for the $1 million Heritage Place Quarter Horse Futurity on Friday and Saturday night, with the five fastest qualifiers from each program advancing to the May 29 finale. Each trial will be run over 350 yards, and each has a purse of $11,000.