It was only back in December that legendary trainer Blane Schvaneveldt won the richest race of his career with Tres Passes in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity.
The win was part of an autumn of milestones for the 74-year-old trainer, the all-time leader at Los Alamitos with more than 4,000 victories. He won the first seven-figure race of his career last November when Tres Passes won the Golden State Million Futurity.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Rachel Alexandra has won four races in a row and is being touted as the second coming.
Justwhistledixie has won five straight races and is nothing better than a distant second choice to Rachel Alexandra for the Kentucky Oaks.
This disparity in the perceived abilities of the top Oaks contenders might well come to fruition when the filly classic is run Friday for the 135th time at Churchill Downs - but the connections of Justwhistledixie aren't conceding a thing just yet.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Indian Blessing, a two-time champion, will not compete in the Grade 1, $300,000 Humana Distaff on Saturday at Churchill Downs, trainer Bob Baffert said Tuesday morning.
Indian Blessing worked a half-mile in 48.20 seconds at Churchill on Tuesday. Afterwards, Baffert said she "didn't have the energy."
"She worked fine, but I don't think she's ready for it," Baffert said. "I don't think the energy is there."
Indian Blessing ran just five weeks ago in the United Arab Emirates, finishing second in the Dubai Golden Shaheen.
In line with the downward trends being registered throughout the North American racing industry, daily all-sources wagering was down substantially at the 15-day Keeneland spring meet that ran April 3 through Friday, according to figures released Monday by the Lexington, Ky., track.
The average all-sources handle was $8,074,957, down 14.2 percent from the 2008 spring meet, when 16 programs were offered. Gross wagering for the 2009 meet was $121.1 million, down 15 percent from the $143 million bet at the 2008 meet.
Fair Grounds in New Orleans will have its earliest start ever this coming meet, when it opens on Nov. 6 in a 2009-2010 schedule that was approved by the Louisiana Racing Commission on Monday. The 85-date season will run through March 28, 2010.
The start is one week earlier than this past season, when Fair Grounds made changes to its traditional Thanksgiving Day start. The even earlier opening for 2009-2010 was made for a couple of reasons, according to Eric Halstrom, vice president and general manager of racing for Fair Grounds.
Trainer Wayne Bearden won 4 of the 8 races at River Downs on Sunday, the only four races in which he saddled a horse.
Bearden won the third race with Ryan's Wish ($3.40), the fourth race with Witches Fuhry ($4.40), the fifth with The Spanish Hope ($3.20), and the eighth with Chile Tequila (4.60).
Three of the four were ridden by leading rider Perry Ouzts, while Witches Fuhry was ridden by Julio Felix.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Hello Broadway won't be running in this Saturday's Kentucky Derby, but trainer Barclay Tagg has mapped out a plan he hopes lands the talented 3-year-old in the Belmont Stakes here on June 6.
After watching Hello Broadway work a strong six furlongs in 1:11.09 Monday morning over Belmont's main track, Tagg said that Hello Broadway would make his next start in the Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes here on May 9.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Bear's Rocket was a hot item but finished second as the 4-5 favorite here in last Saturday's $100,000 Wando Stakes.
Bear It's True was cold on the board and finished last of six as the 14-1 outsider in Sunday's $150,400 Woodstock.
But, Bearcatt was just right, capturing the six-furlong Woodstock at just under 6-1 to give trainer Reade Baker and the Bear Stable of Danny Dion their first stakes win of the meeting.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A gruesome accident involving two unraced horses Monday morning at Churchill Downs resulted in the death of one of the horses, delayed workouts for several runners in the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby, and prompted discussion over whether too many horses are being allowed on the track immediately after the mid-morning renovation break.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - An acute shortage of race-ready Thoroughbreds in Southern California delayed the draw of Thursday's entries at Hollywood Park over the weekend, and has increased concern among racing officials that the issue will be a frequent problem through the spring-summer meeting.
Entries for Thursday were supposed to be taken on Sunday, but the draw was postponed until Tuesday, according to track president Eual Wyatt Jr. He said six races were able to be filled, "with a couple of short fields in the mix."
