ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Richard Migliore described the newly renovated Santa Anita synthetic main track as a "work in progress" after galloping a horse on the surface Friday, but gave the surface a generally favorable review.
Migliore was aboard one of three horses that were exercised on the track late Friday morning as a four-day renovation process neared its conclusion. The surface was scheduled to be used for the first time in races Saturday.
ARCADIA, Calif. - A return to a normal racing schedule cannot happen soon enough for many stables based in Southern California.
Santa Anita lost 11 of the first 33 days of its winter-spring meeting after the synthetic surface failed to drain following two major rainstorms in January and a four-day renovation project that began last Sunday and was expected to be completed late Friday.
Racing was scheduled to resume Saturday, with full main-track training scheduled for Saturday morning.
NEW ORLEANS - Ketchikan, one of the more exciting 3-year-old prospects at this time last year, has returned to trainer Al Stall's Fair Grounds barn following a long layoff, and is training toward his first start since the Louisiana Derby on March 10 last year.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Anybody thinking about wagering on Tale of Ekati in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager be forewarned. There's a good chance that Tale of Ekati, winner of the Grade 2 Belmont Futurity last fall, might have only two preps under his belt if he makes the field for this year's Kentucky Derby.
Tale of Ekati worked five furlongs in 1:01 at Palm Meadows on Friday. Shortly thereafter, trainer Barclay Tagg said "I still don't have him right back where I want him yet."
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Turf War, who in his last start won the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Jackpot in a dead heat with Z Humor, is scheduled to make his season debut at Oaklawn on Feb. 18 in the Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest, according to trainer Mark Casse.
Casse said Friday that Turf War was being vanned to Hot Springs from his Ocala, Fla., base and was to arrive at Oaklawn on Saturday morning. The horse is scheduled to work here Wednesday. Calvin Borel has the mount in the Southwest. He teamed with Turf War in the Jackpot, which was run at Delta Downs on Dec. 7.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Churchill Downs on Thursday released the stakes schedules for the 2008 spring and fall meets with slightly lower total purses due partly to two races being eliminated from the schedule.
In all, 45 stakes will be run this year at the Louisville track, with the 134th Kentucky Derby on May 3 being the highlight. Total stakes purses are expected to be $11 million, down from the record $11.3 million offered last year.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Divine Park, winner of the Grade 3 Withers here last April, returned to New York from Florida on Wednesday to prepare for a start in the Grade 2, $300,000 General George Handicap at Laurel Park on Feb. 18.
Divine Park, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, has won 3 of 4 career starts, with his only loss coming in the Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita on Dec. 26. That was his first start since the Withers. In the interim, Divine Park was hindered by a bruised left hind cannon bone that prompted his connections to give him 60 days off last summer.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Kent Desormeaux got off to a slow start during the opening weeks of the Gulfstream Park meet but received the best confidence booster any rider could want to hear under the circumstances. It came from trainer Bill Mott.
"Bill told me not to worry, to just be patient," Desormeaux said. "And boy was he ever right."
ARCADIA, Calif. - Monashee, the winner of 18 of 24 starts, including 11 consecutive stakes in western Canada, has been retired and sent to Kentucky to be bred, according to her trainer, Tracy McCarthy.
Owned by Ole Nielsen, Monashee, 6, made her final start in the Paseana Handicap at Santa Anita last month, her only start outside of Canada. She was a candidate for the $250,000 Santa Maria Handicap on Saturday until she pulled a muscle in a shoulder while training, McCarthy said.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Santa Anita officials on Thursday canceled Friday's nine-race program, saying that the ongoing renovation project to improve drainage on the Cushion Track needed an additional 24 hours to complete. Track president Ron Charles said racing would resume on Saturday, with an 11-race program, and that Friday's program would be made up next Wednesday, normally a dark day.