LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer Chip Woolley, who won the Kentucky Derby last year with Mine That Bird, was a visitor at Churchill Downs on Friday morning amid speculation that Mine That Bird could soon be transferred to another trainer, perhaps D. Wayne Lukas.
"I've heard the rumors, too, but nobody has said anything to me," Woolley said.
Co-owners Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach, contacted separately this week, both said, "Right now, there's been no change," but did not deny the rumors.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Garrett Gomez, the Eclipse Award-winning jockey two of the last three years, will ride regularly at Monmouth Park beginning next month, his agent, Ron Anderson, said Friday morning at Churchill Downs.
Monmouth will have a boutique meeting, featuring $1 million in purses while racing Friday through Sunday for the first two months of its meet.
"The opportunity to be involved in a historic, high-profile meet like that is exciting," Anderson said.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - To work or not to work? That was the question facing trainers with both Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses after rain began falling early Friday morning, ultimately changing the racetrack from fast to sloppy by the time the special training session began at Churchill Downs after the renovation break at 8:30 a.m.
Apprentice jockey Kris Fox was taken to Methodist Dallas Medical Center for treatment following a one-horse spill Thursday night at Lone Star Park. He was thrown to the ground in the fifth race when his mount, Old Silverhead, broke down and fell while racing on the lead. The incident happened midway on the turn of a claiming sprint. Fox appeared to have avoided serious injuries.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - With Ramon Dominguez away, Edgar Prado will play.
With Dominguez beginning a three-day suspension Thursday, Prado took over the role of dominant jockey, riding five winners from seven mounts on Aqueduct's nine-race card.
Prado won the third aboard Rule by Night ($6.40), the fifth on Vinnies Wild Tale ($6.50), the seventh on Eighttofasttocatch ($29.60) - a horse he picked up on race day - the eighth on Four Shore ($7.10) and the ninth on Budget ($14).
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Churchill Downs has 135 years' worth of archives to prove that life does indeed exist after the Kentucky Derby. Of course, when Churchill opens every year with the Derby Trial on the last Saturday in April, few people have the time or inclination to look beyond the first Saturday in May.
Kevin Flanery, the 13th president of Churchill Downs racetrack, is one of those rare individuals willing to see past the frantic first week of the 42-day spring meet that ends July 4.
Suffolk Downs will open its 2010 meet two weeks later than recent seasons to allow returning horsemen to make their way north for the summer.
Since taking over as the only Thoroughbred track in New England in 2004, Suffolk had opened on Kentucky Derby Day. It will wait two more weeks this year, starting on Preakness day, promising 101 days of racing for its 75th anniversary season.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Lady Shakespeare powered past front-running Changing Skies in the final furlong to post her first graded stakes victory Thursday in the 49th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland.
With John Velazquez riding for trainer Roger Attfield, Lady Shakespeare had good position throughout the 1 1/2-mile turf race before prevailing by 2 1/2 lengths and returning $5.60 as the favorite in a field of seven fillies and mares in the Bewitch. Lady Shakespeare finished in 2:31.42 over a firm course.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Not looking a day over 81 years old - which he turned Wednesday - Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens was back in familiar territory on the Belmont Park backstretch Thursday morning.
Well, somewhat familiar territory.
For after spending a couple of decades in Barn 30 at Belmont, Jerkens has been moved to Barn 32 to accommodate what has become a smaller stable. Barn 32 has 14 stalls, which coincidentally is the number of horses Jerkens will have when all are back from Florida. Allen's son, Jimmy, is now in Barn 30.
Jockeys Jason Eads and Hector Santiago have each been suspended six months by the Delta Downs board of stewards for "giving money to the clerk of scales," in a case that will come before the Louisiana Racing Commission on Monday.
Both riders have appealed their rulings and have had their penalties stayed, according to Larry Munster, the assistant executive director of the Louisiana Racing Commission. The rulings were issued on April 16, and stem from the Thoroughbred meet at Delta that ended in late March.