Stephen “Hap” DeAngelis, a longtime trainer turned steward, died Saturday in New Jersey, according to friend Pat Devereux. DeAngelis was 82.

“He was just a champion of a guy,” Devereux said.

Devereux, a Louisiana-based trainer who met DeAngelis years ago in Kentucky, said his friend was a leading trainer on the Ohio circuit before becoming a steward and working at tracks in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Devereux said DeAngelis was a highly personable man whose patience was one of his best attributes as a trainer. He had friends throughout the industry.

The fields have been drawn for the six stakes making up the Louisiana Cup program Saturday at Louisiana Downs, and each race has a minimum of 12 entrants.

The Louisiana Cup was not originally scheduled to be run this meet due to the pandemic, but the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association and Louisiana Downs worked together to find a way to hold the races and announced earlier in the meet that the purse for each stakes would be $40,000. However, purses were able to be increased to $50,000 for each raceat .

Jockey Rico Flores, who sustained a cervical spine injury in a Sept. 1 spill at Louisiana Downs, on Friday was transported to a physical therapy facility in New Orleans, according to his longtime girlfriend, Sally Warne.

“He’s going to have therapy every day to get him stronger,” she said.

Flores underwent surgery Sept. 7, Warne said. The objective was to relieve pressure on his spinal cord. He was released from the hospital Friday.

“He’s in good spirits, wanting his ribeye steak,” Warne said.

“He’s grateful for all the prayers and concern.”

Sleepy Eyes Todd was scheduled to fly to Santa Anita on Monday night for an intended start in that track’s Grade 1, $300,000 Awesome Again on Sept. 26, according to trainer Miguel Silva.

The horse is based at Remington Park.

Sleepy Eyes Todd is being pointed for the Awesome Again because of its status as a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Silva said Monday.

“It’s going to be a tough race,” he said.

Red King, winner of the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 22, will have his next start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland and will not start in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship on Sept. 26 at Santa Anita, trainer Phil D’Amato said over the weekend.

Red King earned a fees-paid berth to the BC Turf with his win in the Del Mar Handicap.

“We’re going to train up to the Breeders’ Cup with him,” D’Amato said. “We’ll take him to Keeneland a month early, and he can breeze over that turf course.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After hosting the first five days as Kentucky Derby week, Churchill resumes the balance of its 14-day September meet Thursday with a nine-race program.

In all, nine more cards are scheduled: Thursday through Sunday this week, followed by Wednesday through Sunday (Sept. 23-27) next week. The only stakes remaining is the Grade 3 Ack Ack on Sept. 26.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Authentic has returned to training at Churchill Downs as the 2020 Kentucky Derby winner now sets his sights on the Oct. 3 Preakness at Pimlico in Baltimore.

Authentic and his Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Thousand Words both are stabled in Barn 44 of the Churchill backstretch with D. Wayne Lukas. Both are galloping each morning with Lukas and his longtime assistant, Bas Nicholl, overseeing them.

Betfair, the exchange-wagering platform that became incredibly popular in multiple racing jurisdictions worldwide over the past 20 years, is shutting down its only U.S. operation in New Jersey after handle numbers failed to post any substantial growth since it was launched in 2016, according to New Jersey racing officials.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The much anticipated decision regarding Tiz the Law’s starting status for the Preakness will not be made for at least another several days. It’s a decision, trainer Barclay Tagg and his assistant Robin Smullen agreed, that will basically be made by Tiz the Law himself.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – It looked like a speed-friendly Tapeta surface last Saturday at Woodbine after 8-1 shot Mizzen Beau led all the way in the $250,000 Bison City Stakes. Two races later in the 10th, the $1 million Queen’s Plate, 13-1 shot Mighty Heart broke alertly from post 13 and proceeded to set a lively pace in a 7 1/2-length score under an opportunistic ride from Daisuke Fukumoto in his first Plate mount.