Los Alamitos has increased overnight purses in some categories for its upcoming summer meeting, which runs from June 25 to July 5. The increase was made possible because of gains in all-sources handle at the track’s December meeting, according to racing secretary Bob Moreno.
A maiden special weight race at the upcoming meeting will be worth $45,000, compared to $40,000 at the 2020 summer meeting and $42,000 last December.
Rock Your World, 17th in the Kentucky Derby on May 1 and sixth in the Belmont Stakes on June 5, has returned to California with an uncertain race schedule this summer.
Trainer John Sadler said Thursday that the colt’s next race “is to be determined” and that races on turf and dirt will be considered. Rock Your World was scheduled to resume training on Friday at Santa Anita.
“We’ll get him on the track to dust him off,” Sadler said.
Jockey Gerard Melancon reached a milestone of 5,000 career Thoroughbred wins on Thursday night, when he captured the eighth race at Evangeline Downs aboard Reposado.
Reposado, at 4-5, broke on top in the maiden-claiming sprint and set fractions of 22.40 seconds for the opening quarter and 47 seconds for the half-mile, before completing the 6 1/2 furlongs on a fast track in 1:19.63.
Reposado was a 5 3/4-length winner under Melancon, who was aboard for owner Charles Carlton and trainer Glenn Delahoussaye.
ELMONT, N.Y. – There will be a pick six carryover of $260,473 into Friday’s card at Belmont Park after the wager went unhit for a second consecutive program.
The carryover was triggered when Chulainn ($19.60) got up in the last two jumps to nail Voliero in the nightcap. There were two live pick six tickets, each worth $130,236.50, to Voliero.
The other winners in Thursday’s pick six sequence were Dancingwthdaffodls ($36.80), Ninth Hour ($9.20), The Last Zip ($12.20), Higher Truth ($8.30), and Jalen Journey ($5.30). The consolation payout (5 of 6) was $1,479.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Maracuja, seventh in the Kentucky Oaks, is pointing to the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose Stakes on June 26, trainer Rob Atras said Thursday.
Maracuja came off a maiden win to run second to Search Results in the Grade 3 Gazelle on April 3 to earn a spot in the Kentucky Oaks.
In the Oaks, Maracuja got off a little slow, was well off the pace, and wound up splitting the field.
ELMONT, N.Y. – The 2-year-old colt Wit made quite the auspicious career debut on Belmont Stakes Day, overcoming a slow start to win a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race by six lengths.
Wit is a son of Practical Joke and a half-brother to the Grade 3 winner Barkley owned by Mike Repole, Vinnie Viola’s St. Elias Stable, and Gainesway Stable. He is trained by Todd Pletcher, who also sent out that race’s runner-up Keepcalmcarryon.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Malathaat, the undefeated winner of the Kentucky Oaks, returned to the work tab for the first time in almost a month Thursday, breezing a half-mile in 50.58 seconds over the Belmont Park training track.
Malathaat worked in company with Dynamic One, the Wood Memorial runner-up who finished 18th in the Kentucky Derby. It was Dynamic One’s first workout since the Derby.
Malathaat, who is 5 for 5, is training toward an expected start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 24 at Saratoga.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine managed to squeeze in a successful 96-day meet between lockdowns in 2020. This year’s meet, which also was delayed from mid-April due to government restrictions from the ongoing pandemic, gets under way Saturday in unison with Stage 1 of Ontario’s reopening, with closing day scheduled for Dec. 5.
Los Alamitos will run three 1,000-yard races worth $30,000 to $50,000 on Nov. 27 for Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds that earn points in 870- and 1,000-yard races during the track’s year-round evening meeting.
The 1,000-yard races are essentially run at 4 1/2 furlongs. The field for the $50,000 race will be determined by purse earnings in races at 870- and 1,000-yard distances from March 12 to Nov. 21.
The 2-year-old filly Mainstay won her career debut June 4 at Monmouth like a future stakes horse, and trainer Butch Reid said she could wind up in the Grade 3 Schuylerville on July 15 at Saratoga.
Racing over a sloppy track, Mainstay made the lead before the turn and drew smartly away, showing excellent speed, to post a 7 3/4-length victory in a five-furlong maiden race. She earned a 72 Beyer Speed Figure while winning without being asked.
“More than likely heads to Saratoga,” said Reid. “Probably the Schuylerville.”
