Sunday’s opening-day card at Century Mile was canceled due to unforeseen protocols imposed by Alberta Health Services.
“Unfortunately, we had some strict stipulations added to our exemption at the eleventh hour that made it impossible to race on Sunday,” said Matt Jukich, racing manager for Century Mile. “We are confident we will be able to work with these new guidelines and plan on being ready for our next scheduled race day on Friday, May 21.”
Total handle on the 14-race card at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Friday was up 29.6 percent over the record total handle on the card in 2019, the track announced.
Total handle was $27.68 million, Pimlico said, a $6.33 million increase over the 2019 record of $21.35 million, also set on a 14-race card.
The Friday card included four graded stakes, including the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, and two additional stakes. Pimlico’s owner, 1/ST, has been building up the Friday card over the past decade as a prelude to Saturday’s Preakness card.
Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit, the 9-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday's Preakness Stakes, was the 3-1 second choice in early wagering as of 6:15 p.m. Eastern on Friday.
Midnight Bourbon, sixth in the Derby, is the 5-2 favorite and also the chalk in the Black-Eyed Susan/Preakness Double will-pays. The double combining Black-Eyed Susan winner Army Wife (#1) and Midnight Bourbon (#5) would return $46.80 for a $2 wager.
Jockeys Deshawn Parker and Luis Quinones will be honored between the fifth and sixth races on Sunday at Santa Anita as recent recipients of the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.
Quinones, who has not ridden since June, was the 2020 honoree, but a ceremony was not held last year because of the pandemic. Quinones, 42, was second in the nation in races won in 2019 with 314.
Rock Your World, the Santa Anita Derby winner who was 17th in the Kentucky Derby on May 1, worked five furlongs in 1:01 on Friday at Santa Anita for a potential start in the Belmont Stakes on June 5 at Belmont Park.
The workout was the first for Rock Your World since the colt was the 9-2 second choice in a field of 19 in the Kentucky Derby, but encountered trouble early in the race and was beaten 24 1/2 lengths by Medina Spirit.
Rock Your World races for Hronis Racing and Michael Talla and trainer John Sadler.
Rightandjust, who was an allowance winner last Sunday at Lone Star Park, is being pointed to the $300,000 Texas Derby at Lone Star, trainer Shane Wilson said Thursday.
The new 1 1/16-mile race will be part of the Lone Star Million Day program on May 31.
Rightandjust, who invaded from Louisiana Downs, sat off the pace in the allowance and went on to a 3 1/2-length win. He covered the mile in 1:38.35 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 79.
Empire of Gold’s path back to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint will swing through Kentucky.
Trainer Terry Eoff said Friday that the Lone Star Park-based runner is being pointed to the $125,000 Aristides on May 29 at Churchill Downs.
The race will be run at six furlongs, the same distance over which Empire of Gold won an Oaklawn allowance in his most recent start April 30. He set a quick pace and won by 1 1/2 lengths, covering the distance in 1:09.13 and earning a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 96.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Edwin Gonzalez, a major force since joining the local jockey colony at the start of the spring-summer meet, had his best day here yet, winning five races on Thursday, including the third event aboard K’s Running Free. The five-bagger moved him into third place in the standings entering Friday’s action, just two victories behind co-leaders Edgard Zayas and Paco Lopez.
Gonzalez rode K’s Running Free for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla – Chance It, whose promising career was sidetracked while he was prepping for the 2020 Kentucky Derby, is finally ready to return to the races after zipping five furlongs from the gate in 58.69 here on Friday.
Chance It, who stumbled and lost his rider attempting to work from the gate last Sunday, broke cleanly inside two others Friday and dominated the work. He posted early splits of 22.60 and 34.94 for three-eighths, was urged to complete a half in 46.12 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.41 with jockey Luca Panici aboard.
Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano has retained Steve Rushing to be his new agent starting next week, the rider confirmed Friday morning.
Castellano, a four-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey, has been represented the last two years by John Panagot.
Rushing also is the agent for Irad Ortiz Jr., the reigning three-time Eclipse Award-winning rider who leads the nation in wins and purse money won in 2021.
