Tue, 11/18/2008 - 00:00

Horses can ship in to Laurel, but not out

Laurel Park in Maryland on Tuesday began allowing horses to ship into the track, but no horses, including the ship-ins, will be allowed to leave the grounds until Maryland agriculture officials lift a hold order on a barn where a filly tested positive for equine herpesvirus, according to track and agriculture officials.

The hold order will likely be in place until Dec. 6, 21 days after the filly first began exhibiting signs of the highly contagious disease. The filly, a 2-year-old named Nin trained by King Leatherbury, was euthanized on Saturday.

Tue, 11/18/2008 - 00:00

Who's Your Next Ex upsets Dodge Memorial

Who’s Your Next Ex ($14.60), looking for room at the quarter pole, swung wide and unleashed a strong closing kick to capture the $19,700 Dennis Dodge Memorial on Sunday at Portland Meadows.

Jockey Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo found room to the outside as the field tightened coming to the quarter pole in the Dodge. With a clear path, Who’s Your Next Ex opened up through the lane, defeating Go Bubba Go by three lengths in 1:11.88 in the six-furlong race for 2-year-olds. Odds-on Chief Jafatica ran seventh.

Mon, 11/17/2008 - 00:00

Exercise rider killed in Golden Gate accident

An exercise rider was killed Sunday morning in an accident in the Golden Gate Fields barn area, the track announced. The rider, Ignacio Ramirez, was 58.

Ramirez was heading to the track aboard a filly for a workout when the filly spooked and flipped over, landing on top of Ramirez, who suffered fatal injuries despite wearing a helmet. The filly was uninjured, according to the San Jose Mercury-News.

The paper reported that paramedics were on the scene within minutes, but Ramirez had died almost instantly.

Mon, 11/17/2008 - 00:00

Infected Laurel filly is euthanized

A 2-year-old filly trained by King Leatherbury at Laurel Park who had tested positive for equine herpesvirus was euthanized on Saturday night, according to Maryland agriculture officials, but no other horses at Laurel are showing signs of the highly contagious disease yet.

The filly, Nin, began displaying symptoms of equine herpesvirus, which attacks a horse's neurological system, on Wednesday. Although she had difficulty standing on Wednesday, she was back on her feet on Thursday. Her condition worsened over the weekend, however, according to the officials.

Mon, 11/17/2008 - 00:00

Hawthorne bid for casino fails

Hawthorne Race Course's bid to acquire an open Illinois casino license has been rejected by the Illinois Gaming Board, which named three other bidders as finalists for the license after a special meeting last Friday.

Mon, 11/17/2008 - 00:00

Radical Fringe to brave the cold

STICKNEY, Ill. – Sure, there were heavy lake-effect snows around the eastern side of Lake Michigan this week, and the mercury is supposed to be stuck in 40-and-under mode, well, indefinitely here in Chicago. But don’t tell that to Hawthorne, which gamely continues carding races on its grass course. In fact, the featured fourth race on Wednesday, a second-level turf-sprint allowance, came up a decent race.

Mon, 11/17/2008 - 00:00

Staten Island handicapper wins contest

Jerry McClenin, a 51-year-old printing press operator from Staten Island, N.Y., won Aqueduct’s Fall Handicapping Challenge, defeating a field of more than 200 rival horseplayers during the Saturday and Sunday event and taking down the top prize of $35,000.

McClenin finished with a mythical bankroll of $1,091, and edged out Thomas Mooney, who earned $10,000 for finishing second as well as a $1,000 bonus for being the leader after the first day of the two-day contest.

Ken Seeman finished in third.

Mon, 11/17/2008 - 00:00

Krazy Koffee gets top honors

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Krazy Koffee was named British Columbia horse of the year at the annual industry awards dinner held Saturday evening.

Krazy Koffee dominated the 3-year-old division at Hastings in 2008. Trained by Cindy Krasner, Krazy Koffee won four straight stakes, including the Grade 3 B.C. Derby.

Krazy Koffee, who was bred by his owner, Butch Goertzen, also earned awards as the B.C.-bred horse of the year, B.C.-bred 3-year-old and open division.

Mon, 11/17/2008 - 00:00

Injury clears the way for Casse's juveniles

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - One week prior to last Sunday's $250,000 Coronation Futurity, trainer Mark Casse was not planning to enter either Active Duty or Gallant in the 1 1/8-mile race for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds.

Both were maidens but had made their most recent appearances in the Cup and Saucer, which was run at 1o1/16 miles of yielding turf, with Active Duty finishing sixth and Gallant fourth in a race that Utterly Cool won by 10 1/4 lengths for trainer Sid Attard.

Mon, 11/17/2008 - 00:00

Cost of Freedom must prove he's fit

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Trainer John Sadler describes Cost of Freedom as a "very unique horse, a different horse." State veterinarians have described Cost of Freedom as unsound and placed the Grade 1 winner on the state's official list of horses unable to race.