It was not as if John Sadler burst onto the scene as a new face when he won the first training title of his career at the Hollywood Park fall meeting in 2007. He had been training since 1978.
He just needed to pass one of life's milestones - Sadler had turned 50.
"I'm a middle-aged guy now," he said. "You're supposed to have your best years between the ages of 50 and 60."
Sadler, 53, is living that belief.
The Oklahoma Racing Commission on Tuesday afternoon unanimously approved Global Gaming's license application as the new owner of Remington Park. The company, which is owned by the Chickasaw Nation, had reached an agreement in August to purchase the Oklahoma City track from Magna Entertainment for $80.25 million. Magna filed for bankruptcy in March.
Global Gaming RP LLC is to take over as the new operator of Remington on Jan. 1, 2010.
Jockey Glenn Corbett notched career Thoroughbred victory 3,000 at Turf Paradise Tuesday when he guided home Souvenir Winner in the fourth race.
Corbett, 44, rode his first winner at Penn National in 1985. He splits his season primarily between Turf Paradise and Prairie Meadows.
"It's a milestone to be sure, and it feels that way," he said.
Corbett, Turf Paradise's leading rider in 2007, has won four stakes this meet. He is also the regular rider of 2010 Kentucky Derby prospect Uh Oh Bango.
Remington Park in Oklahoma City will offer 28 stakes worth an estimated $4.4 million during its 50-date Quarter Horse meet that opens on March 5, 2010. The season will run through May 31.
During the meet there will be three major stakes for 2-year-olds, led by the Grade 1, $1 million-estimated Heritage Place Futurity on May 29. Leading up to that race is the Grade 2, $350,000-estimated Oklahoma Futurity on March 20, and the Grade 1, $750,000-estimated Remington Park Futurity on April 17.
The Heritage Place is the richest race in Oklahoma.
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Safety and Integrity Alliance has accredited Aqueduct racetrack in Queens, N.Y., the alliance and track announced Tuesday.
Aqueduct, which is operated by the New York Racing Association, is the 14th track to be accredited in a program that was launched earlier this year. The two other tracks operated by NYRA, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course, were already accredited.
Mike Ziegler, executive director of the alliance, said in a statement that NYRA had "exceeded benchmarks on a wide variety of fronts."
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - If Joey P. can regain his best form and win Saturday's $65,000 Gravesend Handicap at Aqueduct, he will become a millionaire. To call his beginnings humble would be an understatement.
Joey P. is a New Jersey-bred son of Close Up out of the mare Luckey Lipco. He is owned by his breeder, John Petrini, who was basically given the mare for free and received a free breeding right to the stallion Close Up in a somewhat unorthodox manner.
Race by race, War Echo is beginning to resemble the filly who was gearing up for the Fair Grounds Oaks this past spring. Back then, trainer Steve Asmussen was preparing to challenge Rachel Alexandra, who was trained at the time by Hal Wiggins. Now, both horses reside in the Asmussen barn, and, if War Echo continues to improve, Asmussen will be more focused on keeping them apart than bringing them together in 2010.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Many of the trainers expected to be major players in the run-up to the Santa Anita Derby - Bob Baffert, Eoin Harty, and Jerry Hollendorfer - have maidens entered in the final race on opening-day Saturday at Santa Anita, but there will be several others trying to crash their party, including Bob Hess Jr., who sends out the promising Imperial Pride in the 6 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-olds.
Imperial Pride, by Limehouse, worked five furlongs from the gate in 59.20 seconds Monday, the best time among 26 at the distance.
It took him six tries to capture so much as a maiden race. But since winning for the first time in August, it seems that The Usual Q.T. has forgotten how to lose.
With five straight victories to match those career-opening five losses, The Usual Q.T. will be a solid favorite to notch his sixth in a row when he goes postward Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Sir Beaufort Stakes on opening day at Santa Anita.
Trainer Jim Cassidy said he is not surprised to see The Usual Q.T. become a rising star among North American turf horses.
