Wed, 08/18/2021 - 14:56

Louisiana Downs to pay out pick five on Saturday

Louisiana Downs will have a mandatory payout on its pick five on Saturday’s card, which includes the Louisiana Cup stakes. There will be a carryover of $349,763 in the pick five. The 50-cent bet will run on races 3-7.

Louisiana Downs received approval for the mandatory payout from the Louisiana Racing Commission.

“We approached the racing commission last week when the pick five carryover began to grow,” David Heitzmann, director of racing for Louisiana Downs, said in a press release.

Wed, 08/18/2021 - 14:46

Juarez, injured in gate accident, expected to return at Zia Park

Jockey Alfredo Juarez Jr. sustained a foot fracture in a gate accident last week at Canterbury and is expected to be sidelined for about four to six weeks, said his agent, Mike Kelley. Juarez did not need surgery.

Kelley looks for Juarez to return during the Zia Park meet. Juarez has long been one of the top riders in New Mexico.

Juarez’s wife, Lisa, said her husband has returned home to New Mexico and is wearing a boot on the injury site. They were to see doctors Wednesday.

Wed, 08/18/2021 - 14:46

Kenai Bob likely to run at Remington meet

Kenai Bob, a stakes winner in the best form of his career, will be based at the Remington Park meet, which opens Friday night, according to his trainer, Francisco Bravo.

Kenai Bob won the $75,000 Assault Stakes over fellow Texas-breds Mr Money Bags and Sunlit Song in his last start July 10 at Lone Star Park, and before that won an open-company allowance at the track over multiple stakes winner Hunka Burning Love.

Wed, 08/18/2021 - 14:06

Santa Anita increases purses for fall meeting

Santa Anita has increased overnight purses by approximately 10 percent for its upcoming autumn meeting, the third time in the last year the track has increased prize money.

Last November, the track raised purses for the 2020-21 winter-spring meeting. Earlier this month, Santa Anita announced a purse increase for the 2021-22 winter-spring meeting.

Wed, 08/18/2021 - 14:00

Idol on the comeback trail

Emily Shields
Idol (No. 6) wins the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in his last start before heading to the sidelines.

Idol, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in March, isn’t running in Saturday’s Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar, but could return to racing this fall.

Idol has not raced since the Big Cap, but did have his first workout since early April last Saturday, going three furlongs in 38.60 seconds at the San Luis Rey Downs training center in San Diego County.

Wed, 08/18/2021 - 13:56

Bravo's strong meet just might get better on Saturday

Benoit Photo
Joe Bravo, 49, flashes a grin after winning the Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar aboard Ippodamia’s Girl.

The clearest indication of Joe Bravo’s plans for the rest of the year did not come on the racetrack at Del Mar. It came when Bravo went to Los Angeles last week to secure housing near Santa Anita.

“I got lucky and found a great spot,” he said.

Bravo, who relocated from his longtime summer base in New Jersey to Southern California in June, was fifth in the jockey standings at the Del Mar meeting through Sunday. Bravo had 11 wins, putting him 15 behind leader Flavien Prat.

Wed, 08/18/2021 - 13:16

Wide-open field of 13 entered in $1 million Queen's Plate

Michael Burns
Woodbine Oaks winner Munnyfor Ro is one of four horses trainer Kevin Attard entered in the Queen's Plate.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Grade 3 Marine Stakes runner-up Keep Grinding is the tepid 4-1 favorite for the 162nd running of Sunday’s $1 million Queen’s Plate at Woodbine, North America’s oldest annually run stakes.

Keep Grinding is owned by 17-year-old Joshua Attard and trained by his grandfather Tino. They picked post 8 during the two-tiered draw on Wednesday. Rafael Hernandez has the mount.

“He always tries,” Joshua Attard said. “He never gives up.”

Wed, 08/18/2021 - 09:26

Miss Speedy points to Bison City Stakes

Michael Burns
Gretzky the Great returns from a layoff to win the Greenwood Stakes at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Miss Speedy lived up to her name last Sunday when she put up a 90 Beyer Speed Figure in her four-length Ontario-sired allowance score going 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta. It was the highest Beyer earned by a 3-year-old filly at Woodbine this year.

Wed, 08/18/2021 - 09:16

Trainer Sharon Boland adds to family legacy

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Perfect Silent Cat, trained by Sharon Boland, wins the $60,000 Aventura on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

The results of the $60,000 Aventura on Saturday at Gulfstream Park surely had some racing fans going back a few generations in time.

Perfect Silent Cat gave Sharon Boland her first stakes win in a training career that officially began in February 2020 when driving to a three-length score in the Aventura under Luca Panici. The name Boland might have rung a bell to anyone familiar with racing history, and sure enough, Sharon is the daughter of Bill Boland, who in 1950 won the Kentucky Derby aboard Middleground as a 16-year-old apprentice.

Wed, 08/18/2021 - 09:16

Super Stock headed to Oklahoma Derby

Coady Photography
Super Stock, with Ricardo Santana Jr. up, wins the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby.

Trainer Steve Asmussen said early this week that the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Sept. 26 at Remington Park is the likely next stop for Super Stock, who drew clear late Sunday in winning the signature race of the 31-day Ellis meet, the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby.

The 1 1/8-mile Oklahoma Derby would be the sixth straight derby for Super Stock. Preceding his Ellis win, the Dialed In colt won the Arkansas Derby, ran 16th in the Kentucky Derby, then recorded back-to-back fourths in the Texas Derby and Iowa Derby. He earned a 90 Beyer in the Ellis Derby.