Alex Trebek, who died Sunday at age 80 in Los Angeles after a lengthy illness, was famous throughout the world as the host of the popular quiz show “Jeopardy!”
But aside from television, Trebek’s sporting interest included a decade-long ownership of Creston Farm in central California in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and a small stable of racehorses. Creston Farms owned Reba’s Gold, a three-time stakes winner who earned $717,422 racing mostly in Southern California.
All-sources handle at Del Mar on Breeders’ Cup programs Friday and Saturday were well above expectations, a leading track official said Sunday.
Handle on Breeders’ Cup simulcasts generated by Southern California fans through inter-track wagering at satellite and mini-satellite locations, account wagering sources, and a limited audience ontrack at Del Mar was “a little bit under $14 million in two days,” according to Del Mar chief financial officer Mike Ernst.
“We had projected under $9 million,” Ernst said.
There was quite a commotion in the bar area of a Lexington, Ky., restaurant Friday evening. California trainer Peter Miller was with a group of friends watching September Secret rally from fourth in the final furlong to record a head win in the $151,500 Golden State Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.
“We were hooting and hollering,” Miller said. “We disturbed a few of the patrons.”
It was worth shouting about. September Secret won the race for 2-year-old California-bred fillies thanks to a crafty ride from jockey Ricardo Gonzalez.
Nashville, who set a track record in winning the $125,000 Perryville Stakes on the Breeders' Cup undercard Saturday at Keeneland, will step up to Grade 1 company for his next outing, with the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita the most likely target.
LEXINGTON, KY. - Less than 24 hours after his impressive and heart-warming Breeders’ Cup Sprint victory under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. Saturday at Keeneland, life was back to normal for the amazing, 7-year-old gelding Whitmore.
“He’s a very happy horse this morning,” trainer Ron Moquett said early Sunday. “He ate all his food and went for his spa session and terrorized the girls. Just like normal. Everything is good.”
We should have seen it coming from the start. The first Breeders’ Cup race of 2020 was the Juvenile Turf Sprint on Friday. Last year at Santa Anita the six participating Europeans looked so hapless in that race that only three ran in it this season.
But Ubettabelieveit was a good third at 29-1 and Lipizzaner was right behind him at 14-1, and later Friday European shippers finished second, fourth, and fifth in the Juvenile Turf and second and third, both at long prices, in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - When Grade 1 Summer winner Gretzky the Great came up empty in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, it left the door wide open for 2020 Canadian Horse of the Year honors, which could be decided on “Super Saturday” Nov. 21, when four stakes will be run at Woodbine.
Bob Baffert left for Kentucky last week with three top Breeders’ Cup Classic contenders. He’s coming back to California with plenty of hardware, but with some pretty significant holes to fill.
Authentic beat stablemate Improbable by 2 1/4 lengths in the Classic at Keeneland on Saturday, which should secure champion 3-year-old male, as well as Horse of the Year, for Authentic, and the older dirt male title for Improbable.
Gulfstream Park West in Miami announced Sunday's program has been canceled ahead of the anticipated arrival of Tropical Storm Eta.
A storm warning was issued by the National Weather Service on Saturday morning, according to a press release from Gulfstream Park West.
The track also announced that entries for Friday's program will be taken on Sunday. The track expects to resume racing Wednesday.
LEXINGTON, KY. – Trainer Brad Cox has nothing etched in stone for Aunt Pearl’s 2021 campaign, although he did say the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot is definitely one of the objectives next season for Friday’s impressive Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner.
