OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Citing the need to address significant health issues, John Morrison has retired from training after more than two decades on the New York Racing Association circuit.
Morrison, 58, said he needs surgery on his back and hip but must first get his diabetes under control in order to have those procedures done. In the summer, he had two stents put in around his heart.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Rudy Rodriguez won the last stakes run on the New York Racing Association circuit in 2020 when Backsideofthemoon took the Queens County Stakes on Dec. 19. Rodriguez hopes to win the first stakes of 2021 on this circuit when he runs Eagle Orb in Friday’s $150,000 Jerome Stakes for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Todd Pletcher may find himself in need of a bigger mailbox once invitations start going out next week for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, to be decided here on Jan. 23.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Life Is Good, rated as one of trainer Bob Baffert’s top 3-year-old prospects for 2021, worked six furlongs in a quick 1:10.60 at Santa Anita on Sunday for an expected stakes debut that could occur as quickly as next weekend.
Baffert timed Life Is Good in 1:10.80.
Baffert said Saturday’s Grade 3 Sham Stakes at a mile on Saturday, or the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs on Feb. 7, are options for Life Is Good.
Owned by China Horse Club and WinStar Farm, Life Is Good won his debut by 9 1/2 lengths in a race at 6 1/2 furlongs on Nov. 22.
ARCADIA, Calif. - There is likely to be a seven-figure race, or even an eight-figure race, in Charlatan’s short-term future after an impressive win in Saturday’s Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita.
On Sunday, trainer Bob Baffert said he would consider the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational, a $3 million race at 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 23, for Charlatan’s 2021 debut. Another option is the $20 million Saudi Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 21.
“His only option is the Pegasus, unless I take him to Saudi,” Baffert said. “I want to keep him healthy.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – An foot ailment knocked Sharp Samurai out of the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita.
Sharp Samurai, second choice in the San Antonio behind Mucho Gusto, would have been making his first start since a troubled third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.
“He had a bit of a hot foot on him (Saturday) morning, and was a little sensitive with hoof testers,” trainer Mark Glatt said. “He just wasn’t perfect on it, and I was just uncomfortable running him.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The first major 3-year-old stakes of the new year at Gulfstream Park will be the one-mile Mucho Macho Man on Jan. 2, and it could feature a return to dirt for Grade 2 turf winner Mutasaabeq, trainer Todd Pletcher reported.
Mutasaabeq launched his career with an impressive win on the main track before finishing a distant third in the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga, also on the main track. He then switched to grass to win the Grade 2 Bourbon at Keeneland before finishing a troubled 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Breeze On By, the best of the locally based 2-year-olds here in 2020, did just that Wednesday, working an easy half-mile in 48.43 seconds here as he begins to gear up for his much-anticipated 3-year-old campaign.
Working for just the second time since finishing a very troubled second as the 1-5 favorite in the 1 1/16-mile In Reality on Sept. 26, Breeze On By finished strong, completing his final quarter in 23.21 without being urged over a racetrack that was on the cuppy side all morning.
Bob Elliston has resigned his position as vice president of racing at Keeneland. Elliston, a former CEO at Breeders’ Cup Limited, will leave Keeneland before Jan. 1. He came to the powerful sales and racing company in 2016.
Ellitston’s retirement was reported Tuesday on the Bloodhorse website.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The trend the past couple of years with California-based preps for the Kentucky Derby has been for lightly raced, late-developing types to emerge, and that could continue this year during the Santa Anita meeting that begins Saturday.
