MIAMI - Rosemary Homeister Jr., one of the winningest female jockeys in the country for the past decade, has decided to hang up her tack.
Homeister, 32, has not ridden for a month. She made her retirement official on Friday, although said she has been contemplating the decision for nearly two years. Homeister ends her career with 1,726 victories.
STICKNEY, Ill. - Hawthorne will reduce its racing week to four days during December, declining the option to extend the current five-day racing week through the end of the year.
The track's decision comes despite an excellent average number of starters per race at this meet, which began in late September. Through this week, Hawthorne was averaging 8.92 runners in each race.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The race for juvenile champion remains wide open, so it's only fitting that the same thing can be said about Sunday's $75,000-added Huntington Stakes at Aqueduct.
The six-furlong Huntington drew a field of nine 2-year-old sprinters, and it should come as no surprise that two of the leading contenders are emerging from last-out maiden victories for Todd Pletcher and Nick Zito.
ANDERSON, Ind. - Hoosier Park canceled its 12-race program Friday night after some members of the jockey colony refused to ride just prior to the first race. According to track steward Gary Wilfert, the jockeys refused to ride in protest of what they believe is inadequate accident insurance and the lack of a safety rail.
Fourteen riders were banned from Churchill Downs this week after they threatened to boycott over the insurance issue. Churchill Downs Inc. is majority owner of Hoosier Park.
Jockey Cindy Noll might have a future as a political handicapper. Before tracks in Oklahoma secured electronic gaming in the general election earlier this month, Noll and partners had already purchased a 160-acre training center near Remington Park. Her investment now looks golden with gaming expected to produce an additional $30 million a year for purses in Oklahoma.
"It was a gamble," Noll, 42, said of buying the property. "We were up all night watching the votes and hoping it would come in our favor, and it did."
Trainer Steve Asmussen, who has won with six of his last eight starters at Sunland Park, can pick up his second stakes win of this young meet on Sunday with Two Down Automatic.
Two Down Automatic is one of seven 3-year-olds in the $53,100 Sunland Park Fall Thoroughbred Derby. Others in the 6 1/2-furlong race include Go Kitty Go, winner of the $105,000 Borderland Derby in February, and Skip and Go, a 12 1/4-length winner of the Colorado Derby.
Multiple stakes winner Fierce Cat looms as a short-priced favorite when he faces seven other Ohio-bred 2-year-olds in the $40,000 Ohio Freshman Stakes at Beulah Park.
Fierce Cat made a strong middle move and went on to score a half-length win in the 1 1/16-mile Best of Ohio Juvenile at Thistledown on Oct. 9 in his most recent start.
Fierce Cat was an easy winner of the Loyalty Stakes at six furlongs in September. Overall, Fierce Cat sports a record of 3-2-0 from 8 starts, good for $79,200 in earnings for owner-breeder Tim Napier and trainer Bill Napier.
A dozen of the top Indiana-breds in training are set to face off in the $40,000 To Much Coffee Stakes at Hoosier Park, the last stakes offering of the season for older runners.
Mr. Mink, the defending champion and still unbeaten in eight starts at Hoosier, was also entered in Saturday's $100,000 Schaefer Mile Stakes. Should trainer Mike Nance opt for this spot at 1 1/16 miles, Mr. Mink will be a deserving favorite. Jeff Johnston is named to ride from post 5.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Jim Brown considered sending Country Kat home for the winter after her win in the Fantasy Stakes on Oct. 23, but when he saw an allowance race for 2-year-old fillies in the new condition book, he changed his mind. The race filled when six horses were entered Thursday morning, and it will go as the first race.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A razor-sharp Financingavailable will be favored to win her first stakes Sunday at Woodbine in the $160,350 Jammed Lovely, a seven-furlong race which attracted six Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.
Financingavailable was second in the Ontario Damsel here July 10, and was bought privately by owner K. K. Sangara from owner-trainer Mark Casse later this summer.
