INGLEWOOD, Calif. Shakis, who won the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga in 2007 and 2008, was euthanized on Friday after suffering a leg injury following a workout at Hollywood Park, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.
The injury occurred after Shakis worked a half-mile in 49.20 seconds on the main track.
"They had to put him down," McLaughlin said. "Its a real shame. He was a neat horse. Its tough."
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Churchill Downs Inc. officials announced Friday at a media briefing that prices for the vast majority of tickets to the 135th Kentucky Derby and Oaks next May will be frozen while also announcing a more immediate variation to the raffle-style Derby ticket sales that have been conducted the last two years.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. The absence of any winning favorites in Thursday's pick six races has led to a two-day carryover of $251,712 for Friday evening's program at Hollywood Park.
The program begins at 7:05 p.m. Pacific. The carryover is the largest of the fall meeting, which began on Oct. 29.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - It's a long way from Oklahoma to Hong Kong, the destination Monday for Kip Deville.
The 2007 Breeders' Cup Mile winner, Kip Deville will be heading halfway around the world to compete in the Hong King Mile on Dec. 14. He will be accompanied by exercise rider Michelle Nevin.
"I don't expect him to be any different because he is such a relaxed, easygoing horse," Nevin said. "Things don't bother him. I sure he'll adapt to whatever we put in front of him."
STICKNEY, Ill. - In south central Illinois, pure farm country, between the hamlets of Bluford, Crisp, Piopolis, and Golden Gate, sits the town of Wayne City, population 1,063 at the last census. One resident's naturally poetic name is Owen Rainwater, a farmer of corn, soybeans, and "a little wheat," by Mr. Rainwater's own account. Rainwater has turned most of the farming duty over to his son. There are 11 Thoroughbreds about five hours north at Hawthorne Race Course that require training.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Richard Rosales ducked out of Hollywood Park at 7:15 a.m. on Thursday morning. For most people, the start of the workday was still an hour or two away. Rosales was already between jobs.
He arrived at Hollywood Park before dawn, oversaw the early training of his 15-horse stable, and then left. Rosales teaches a class of second-graders in nearby Gardena, Calif. His wife, Elena Reilly, directed the stable for the rest of the day.
Rosales, 46, admits it is an unconventional mom-and-pop team.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson had a tough act to follow this year, and it was her own accomplishments that set the bar so high.
Beginning her career with a brief stint in the fall of 2004, Wilson won back-to-back Sovereign Awards as outstanding apprentice jockey in 2005 in 2006 while topping the Woodbine meeting in races won in both those years. She also was honored with an Eclipse Award in 2005.
Last year, she ended second in both races won and money won and experienced a career highlight when she rode Mike Fox to victory in the Queen's Plate.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It has been 20 years since Alysheba, owned by the family of Clarence Scharbauer Jr., capped his sensational racing career by winning the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.
Scharbauer hasn't come close to catching that sort of lightning in a bottle a second time. But when a 2-year-old colt named Indygo Mountain ran off to a huge triumph for Scharbauer and trainer Bret Calhoun in the last race Wednesday at Churchill, it was difficult not to think back to Alysheba, whose other historic victory under the Twin Spires came in the 1987 Kentucky Derby.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.-There are carryovers in the pick six and super high five at Hollywood Park on Thursday.
The pick six carryover is $67,117 from Wednesday, while the super high five has a $36,951 carryover.
The $2 pick six covers the third through eighth races on an eight-race program that begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific. There are two scratches in the third race. Cause and Fantasy Free will not start in a $25,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds over 1 1/16 miles.
Trainer Larry Jones on Wednesday said he has a pair of 2-year-olds he would like to send to Delta Downs for next month's Grade 3, $750,000 Delta Jackpot and Grade 3, $500,000 Delta Princess. Pre-entries for the races, which will be run Dec. 5, will be taken on Friday.
