Wed, 05/05/2021 - 13:56

Baffert pointing Du Jour to Belmont Derby

Debra A. Roma
Bob Baffert is pointing American Turf winner Du Jour to the Belmont Derby. Baffert's wife, Jill, is a part-owner of Du Jour.

The 3-year-old colt is trained by Bob Baffert, ran the best race of his career on the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs, and was overlooked in the betting.

The description fits Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit, and stablemate Du Jour, the 5-1 winner of the Grade 2 American Turf Classic at 1 1/16 miles in his stakes debut last weekend.

Du Jour has returned to Baffert’s Santa Anita stable, but could be traveling again soon. Baffert said on Wednesday that the Grade 1 Belmont Derby, a $1 million race at 1 1/4 miles on turf on July 10, is an early summer goal.

Wed, 05/05/2021 - 13:56

Jockey Trevor McCarthy headed to California

Chelsea Durand/NYRA
Trevor McCarthy wins the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay on May 1 with Magic Attitude. The prior day, he won the Flat Out Stakes.

Jockey Trevor McCarthy, fourth in the standings at the Belmont Park spring-summer meeting through Sunday, is relocating to Southern California this month.

McCarthy, 26, plans to make the move after the weekend of May 15-16 and begin riding at Santa Anita on Memorial Day weekend, May 29-31. McCarthy will be represented by Derek Lawson, who booked mounts on behalf of top California jockey Flavien Prat until late February.

Wed, 05/05/2021 - 13:10

Preakness 2021: Medina Spirit gallops; Unbridled Honor in; Brown may run two

Barbara D. Livingston
Medina Spirit (right) defeats Mandaloun in the Kentucky Derby. He had his first gallop since that race on Wednesday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Medina Spirit returned to the racetrack for the first time since his half-length victory Saturday in the Kentucky Derby when jogging an easy mile Wednesday as dawn was breaking at Churchill Downs.

“He was moving very good,” said Jimmy Barnes, longtime assistant to trainer Bob Baffert. “He’s happy, we’re all happy.”

Wed, 05/05/2021 - 13:07

Brown will run Crowded Trade in Preakness, and possibly Risk Taking

Barbara D. Livingston
Crowded Trade finished second by a nose in the Gotham and was third in the Wood Memorial.

ELMONT, N.Y. - While trainer Chad Brown is definitely planning to run Crowded Trade in the Preakness Stakes, he hasn’t ruled out also running Risk Taking in the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

Brown said he entered Risk Taking in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes but he could change his mind before race day and elect to add him to his Preakness lineup. Risk Taking won the Grade 3 Withers in February but was a disappointing seventh as the favorite in the Wood Memorial.

Wed, 05/05/2021 - 12:47

Pletcher confirms Unbridled Honor will run in Preakness

Barbara D. Livingston
Unbridled Honor finished second in the Grade 3 Lexington and fourth in the Tampa Bay Derby.

ELMONT, N.Y. - On the day it was announced he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, trainer Todd Pletcher confirmed that he will take a shot in one of the few major races he has yet to win, as Unbridled Honor will run in the Preakness Stakes.

Unbridled Honor, a son of Honor Code owned and bred by Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm, has one win from five starts. He finished fourth in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby in March and, most recently, was second to King Fury in the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland.

Wed, 05/05/2021 - 12:20

Whiteley winner Laki pointing to Maryland Sprint

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Laki broke a four-race losing streak by winning the Frank Y. Whiteley on April 24.

The popular 8-year-old gelding Laki, an 11-time winner with earnings of more than $800,000, is preparing to start in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint on Preakness Saturday. Last month, Laki rebounded from four consecutive losses to grab the $100,000 Frank Y. Whiteley. In his prior start at Pimlico, Laki won the De Francis Dash last October.

“He’s come out of the race pretty well,” trainer Damon Dilodovico said Wednesday morning. “I’m planning on shipping him to Pimlico this weekend. I might give him a light breeze or I might just take him straight into the race.”

Wed, 05/05/2021 - 12:10

McMahon hoping to make Sir Barton with Excellorator

Jim Duley/Maryland Jockey Club
Excellorator (right) beat The Reds by a head in the Federico Tesio on April 24 but was disqualified for drifitng outward.

Trainer Hugh McMahon is hopeful that Excellorator, disqualified from first and placed second in last month’s Federico Tesio, will compete in the $100,000 Sir Barton for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the Preakness undercard May 15.

Excellorator lost a shoe in the paddock prior to his third-place finish in the Private Terms on March 13 at Laurel.

“He ran that race without front shoes and was really foot-sore for a couple of weeks,” McMahon said.

Wed, 05/05/2021 - 09:48

Buff Bradley to retire from training after Churchill meet

Barbara D. Livingston
Buff Bradley poses with Groupie Doll, the champion female sprinter in 2012 and 2013.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – William “Buff” Bradley, whose exploits with Brass Hat and Groupie Doll warmed the hearts of untold thousands of racing fans, has announced his retirement from training, effective shortly after the Churchill Downs spring meet ends June 26.

Bradley, 57, said early Wednesday at his Churchill barn that “a multitude of factors” entered into his decision to disband a stable that typically housed 30 or more active runners.

Tue, 05/04/2021 - 13:55

Tickets for Belmont Stakes Racing Festival go on sale Thursday

Barbara D. Livingston
There will be no general admission on Belmont Stakes Day. Approximately 11,000 ticketed spectators will be allowed on the grounds.

A limited number of tickets for the June 5 Belmont Stakes will go on sale to the public beginning Thursday at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.com, the New York Racing Association announced in a press release Tuesday.

Tue, 05/04/2021 - 11:24

Arlington Heights Board of Trustees vote signals intent to play role in future track land use

Coady Photography
The Arlington Heights Board of Trustees voted Monday night to not allow Churchill Downs Inc. to put restrictions on the Arlington Park property if it is sold.

The Arlington Heights Board of Trustees on Monday night passed resolutions signaling that local government will attempt to play a role in determining what uses will be allowed for the Arlington Park property if and when it is sold by Churchill Downs Inc.

By unanimous vote, the board passed an ordinance that will prevent Churchill Downs from attaching any restrictions on the use of the Arlington Park property as a condition of its sale, such as prohibiting a buyer from operating a casino or racetrack on the 326-acre site.