It didn't take Victor Lebron long to return to the winner's circle. The 24-year-old jockey suffered fractures and tissue damage in his right ankle during a spill at Turfway Park in March. On Tuesday, in his third mount back after his layoff, Lebron won aboard Prime Choice ($5.20) in the sixth race at Indiana Downs for trainer Chuck Peery.
When the spill first occurred, doctors said he would be out six months.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Sixteen winning tickets were sold on Wednesday's pick six at Belmont Park, with each correct ticket returning $33,705.
There was a two-day carryover of $154,891 entering the day and an additional $692,654 was wagered into the pool on Wednesday, which was a dark day for both Churchill Downs and Hollywood Park.
The winning sequence of 5-13-1-5-12-3 consisted of Saint Midas ($8.90), Quonata ($3.40), Quiet on the Tee ($12.80), Crazy Thing ($7.20), Crazy Catlady ($27.40), and Carmen's Kiss ($7.90).
MIAMI - Steve Standridge has been training horses for 23 years, the majority of them in south Florida. During that period, Standridge recorded 573 victories, 25 in stakes races, and won purses totaling more than $10.6 million.
But now Standridge is, at least temporarily, out of business, not of his own volition but as a result of a problem that continues to trouble horsemen throughout the country: workers' compensation.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - At the least, the entries for Saturday's $300,000 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park show seven fillies and mares willing to challenge reigning champion older female Zenyatta.
How many will actually start in the Grade 1 race over 1 1/8 miles will not be known until race day.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - With the weather finally drying out a bit on the Jersey Shore, Musket Man got back to work Wednesday morning at Monmouth Park.
In his first drill since finishing third in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, Musket Man was clocked in 47.80 seconds for the half-mile with jockey Daniel Centeno aboard. The Illinois Derby and Tampa Bay Derby winner worked in company with Ponzi Scheme, an unraced 2-year-old in trainer Derek Ryan's barn.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Roger Attfield had green on his mind here Wednesday morning, sending out 10 horses to work over the turf training course while planning his stakes engagements both at home and on the road.
Leading the way was Spice Route, who breezed five furlongs in 59.40 seconds under jockey Jim McAleney. The move was the quickest at the distance by almost a full second.
"He worked a little faster than I wanted him to, but he was just cruising, so I guess I should be happy," Attfield said. "He's doing very, very well."
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Dino Condilenios should have a few important questions answered when he runs a couple of his top horses in two of the four stakes races scheduled for Wednesday, July 1. Almost Time will be one of the favorites in the Chris Loseth Stakes for 3-year-olds. Teide will be trying for his first stakes win when he tackles a tough field of older horses in the $100,000 Lieutenant Governors.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Lone Star Park leading rider Cliff Berry will be missing from the entries here Friday and Saturday because he has mounts in five major stakes during the two-day Iowa Racing Festival at Prairie Meadows. Some of the best horses Berry rides will be running, including Jonesboro, the second highweight in the Grade 2, $300,000 Cornhusker, and Euphony, the favorite for the $125,000 Iowa Distaff.
The dead heat for first between LD Fire and Streakin Laquinta in the $1 million Ed Burke Million Futurity at Los Alamitos on Saturday may be their only encounter of the year.
The two Quarter Horses appear headed in different directions this summer, with Streakin Laquinta not nominated to the next seven-figure futurity at Los Alamitos, the Golden State Million in November, and more likely to be sent to Ruidoso Downs for the All American Futurity trials later this summer. LD Fire is expected to have a summertime break because of concern over a sore shin.
AUBURN, Wash. - Assessment and Wasserman, the top two finishers Sunday in the one-mile Budweiser Emerald Handicap, will return on two weeks' rest to run in the 6 1/2-furlong, $50,000 Governor's Handicap on July 5, trainer Howard Belvoir said Wednesday.
