Thu, 09/24/2020 - 14:18

Fresno's October dates moved to Golden Gate

The California Horse Racing Board on Thursday approved the reallocation of two weeks of racing in October from the Big Fresno Fair to Golden Gate Fields following the cancellation of fair activities in Fresno because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Thu, 09/24/2020 - 11:00

Preakness: Asmussen adds Max Player, Excession to his lineup

Barbara D. Livingston
Max Player is one of three Steve Asmussen-trained runners expected for the Oct. 3 Preakness.

A third horse exiting the Kentucky Derby, Max Player, has joined the prospective field for the 145th Preakness.

Trainer Steve Asmussen has confirmed that Max Player, fifth in the Sept. 5 Derby, will be on a Tuesday equine charter flight to Baltimore for the $1 million Preakness, which will be run Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course. Max Player will join the Derby winner, Authentic, and the third-place finisher, Mr. Big News, in traveling from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Wed, 09/23/2020 - 22:25

Dr. Schivel to get break, will return as 3-year-old

Benoit Photo
Dr. Schivel, with Flavien Prat riding, wins the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity by 1 3/4 lengths.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The top juvenile colt in California is done for the year and will be turned out to freshen for a 3-year-old campaign in 2021.

Dr. Schivel, winner of the Grade 1 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity, will ship Thursday from Santa Anita to Rancho Temescal in Ventura County where he will stay until late December or early January.

Wed, 09/23/2020 - 15:30

New whip rules start in California Oct. 1

Jockeys in California will ride under new rules that will greatly restrict the use of whips, beginning on Oct. 1.

Earlier this year, the California Horse Racing Board adopted rules allowing riders to use a whip only in an under-handed motion. Jockeys can use the whip no more than six times in a race and no more than twice in succession before giving the horse a chance to respond.

Wed, 09/23/2020 - 15:26

Gamine will keep to one turn through end of year

Barbara D. Livingston
Gamine won the Test Stakes by seven lengths at Saratoga on Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Gamine, the beaten favorite in the Kentucky Oaks earlier this month, will return to one-turn racing for the remainder of the year, with the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7 her next target, trainer Bob Baffert said Wednesday morning at Santa Anita.

Gamine is back at Santa Anita, where she is galloping daily as part of an easy training schedule exiting the Oaks.

Wed, 09/23/2020 - 15:20

United works right back for John Henry

Emily Shields
United won his first stakes in the Grade 2 San Marcos.

ARCADIA, Calif. – United will seek to make amends for his lone loss this year when he starts as a heavy favorite on Saturday in the Grade 2, $200,000 John Henry Turf Championship, a 1 1/4-mile grass race for which he tuned up on Wednesday morning at Santa Anita with a three-furlong drill in 37.20 seconds under his regular rider, Flavien Prat.

The work came just five days after United worked six furlongs here in 1:14.80,

“Just wanted to sharpen him up,” said his trainer, Richard Mandella. “Just needed to add a little more to his work the other day.”

Wed, 09/23/2020 - 15:20

Oleksandra, back from injury, making a run at Breeders' Cup

Barbara D. Livingston
Oleksandra (left) runs down Kanthaka to win the Jaipur. She may be ready to race again in the fall.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Oleksandra, the Australian-bred mare who beat males in the Grade 1 Jaipur at Belmont in June, is back in training at Belmont Park and could return to the work tab by the end of September, trainer Neil Drysdale said.

Oleksandra came out of the Jaipur with a broken splint bone in a foreleg and was given plenty of time off for the bone to heal. Drysdale believes the injury occurred when Oleksandra got bumped out of the gate.

“We hope to get to the Breeders’ Cup,” Drysdale said.

Wed, 09/23/2020 - 15:20

Sweet Bye and Bye tries for breakthrough in Noble Damsel

Barbara D. Livingston
Sweet Bye and Bye will try to win a non-restricted stakes for the first time in the Noble Damsel on Saturday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Sweet Bye and Bye has won 7 of 16 starts, but she is still in search of her first non-restricted stakes victory. She tries to achieve that in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Noble Damsel Stakes at Belmont.

Sweet Bye and Bye is coming off a neck victory in a stakes-caliber allowance at Saratoga, her second start this year for trainer Tony Dutrow. She has made one other start this year, in January for Steve Klesaris. Sweet Bye and Bye actually made her first career start for Dutrow in 2017, finishing third at Saratoga.

Wed, 09/23/2020 - 15:20

Rispoli ranging up alongside Prat

Benoit Photo
Umberto Rispoli has done well at Santa Anita this winter, including a victory aboard Hariboux in the Feb. 29 Pasadena Stakes.

Nine months into his American career, jockey Umberto Rispoli is positioned to win the riding title at the Santa Anita autumn meeting, which begins on Friday, if he can get past his friend and rival Flavien Prat.

At the Del Mar summer meeting, which ended earlier this month, Prat was leading rider with 50 wins, one more than Rispoli.

“If you had said before the meeting that I would have almost 50 winners, I wouldn’t believe it,” Rispoli said on Wednesday. “I was looking for the big races and a nice meeting.”

Wed, 09/23/2020 - 15:16

With Volatile out of race, Terranova has two entered in Vosburgh

Barbara D. Livingston
John Terranova has entered Funny Guy (above) and Stan the Man for the Vosburgh Stakes on Saturday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – As expected, Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Vosburgh Stakes took on a dramatically different look following the announcement Monday that Volatile, the premier sprinter in the country, was retired due to a hairline fracture of his right front cannon bone.