HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - El Prado Rob is considered the fourth- or perhaps even fifth-best 3-year-old in trainer Nick Zito's barn. The scary thought is that he still may be good enough to win Saturday's wide-open Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
The $100,000 is the first major East Coast prep on the road to the Kentucky Derby. The 1 1/16-mile stakes is also a major stepping-stone to this meet's marquee event, the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 14.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The young man nicknamed Kuch was several time zones away in Hawaii when his namesake raced to his first career victory Wednesday at Gulfstream Park.
Kuch (pronounced "kooch"), a 4-year-old Unbridled colt, is named for professional golfer Matt Kuchar, a 25-year-old former U.S. Amateur champion who is competing in the Sony Open in Honolulu this weekend.
NEW YORK - Magna Entertainment Corp., the beleaguered racing giant whose policies have come under fire recently from horseplayers, has negotiated new deals with at least three rebate shops in the hopes of reviving flagging business at its marquee tracks, racing officials said Thursday.
The agreements will effectively lower the rates that the rebate shops pay for the signals from two Magna tracks, Santa Anita and Gulfstream, according to officials of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, which approved the Santa Anita deal. The new rates were expected to take effect Thursday.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - They may be leading him over there kicking and screaming, but the connections of Evening Attire ultimately decided to enter him in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Aqueduct Handicap.
Earlier in the week, trainer Pat Kelly said , a multiple graded-stakes-winning gelding, was unlikely to run because Kelly was unhappy with the 122-pound weight assignment from racing secretary Mike Lakow. Although Evening Attire's six stakes victories include the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, Kelly notes that Evening Attire has not won a stakes in 14 months.
There appears to be little pace in Saturday night's $100,000 Maxxam Gold Cup Handicap at Sam Houston Race Park, and that could impact the running styles of leading contenders Sir Cherokee and Freefourinternet.
Both are closers, but could find themselves in contention early if the fractions are slow. And if the pace does dawdle, Parrott Bay, who appears to be the lone speed, is a threat to go a long way on the lead.
When the Fair Grounds meet began on Thanksgiving, Walk This Way was a maiden. Seven weeks and two wins later, he is the favorite for Saturday's $75,000 Crescent City Derby.
In a short time, Walk This Way has come a long way, but the question now is how far he really wants to run.
The Crescent City Derby, restricted to Louisiana-breds, will be contested at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, but of the 11 horses entered, seven, including Walk This Way, have no experience at a mile or beyond.
Churchill Downs Inc. has met with the Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association to discuss the group's legal claims against the Fair Grounds. The Louisiana horsemen's group won a lawsuit against the track last year, asserting that Fair Grounds owes horsemen millions of dollars in revenue from video poker machines. The negotiations between Churchill Downs and the horsemen suggest Churchill is interested in adding Fair Grounds to its roster of racetracks.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The field for Saturday's rescheduled Affection-ately Handicap remained virtually intact when it was redrawn Thursday, but possible favorite Message Red did land a less favorable post position in the Grade 3, $100,000 race for fillies and mares.
SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Canterbury Park released its stakes schedule for the 2004 racing season, highlighted by the sixth renewal of the Claiming Crown races.
The Claiming Crown, scheduled for July 17, consists of six races worth $550,000 in total purses, three of them with six-figure purses - the $100,000 Claiming Crown Rapid Transit at 6 1/2 furlongs, the $125,000 Claiming Crown Emerald at 1 1/16 mile on the turf, and the $150,000 Claiming Crown Jewel at 1 1/8 miles.