Wed, 07/15/2020 - 15:19

Canterbury puts restrictions on jockey colony

Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn., will close off its jockey colony to outside riders beginning with Wednesday’s card, the track announced Wednesday, and will consolidate its Quarter Horse racing schedule to three live racing dates, under measures it has adopted to mitigate the risk of coronavirus spreading at the track.

Wed, 07/15/2020 - 14:22

Louisiana Downs puts jockey safety protocols into place

Louisiana Downs in Bossier City has put in place a policy that will require any outside jockey who wants to ride at the track to self-quarantine for 14 days and test negative for the coronavirus, effective with today’s card, the track announced on Wednesday.

The measure, which is identical to a policy put in place at Indiana Grand last week, will also apply to any rider currently at the track who leaves to ride at another track. The measures “will be in effect until further notice,” the track said in a release.

Wed, 07/15/2020 - 14:20

Haskell a critical race for Authentic, the 4-5 favorite in a field of seven

Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
Authentic trains at Monmouth Park on Wednesday. He suffered his first career defeat last out in the Santa Anita Derby.

Bob Baffert has won the Kentucky Derby five times, and the Haskell Invitational a record eight times. American Pharoah, the 2015 Triple Crown winner, and War Emblem are the only two of his who have won both. Authentic will be the latest to give it a try, but the first to do so in reverse order from the norm, which is becoming the norm in this abnormal year.

Wed, 07/15/2020 - 14:16

Rispoli gets off to quick start at Del Mar

Benoit Photo
Hit the Road, with jockey Umberto Rispoli riding, wins the Runhappy Oceanside Stakes on opening day at Del Mar.

Jockey Umberto Rispoli’s three-day introduction to Del Mar last weekend included repeated trips to a makeshift winner’s circle, twice after stakes, and the satisfaction of holding an early lead in the jockey standings.

The start of his second week did not begin well.

Wednesday, Rispoli wrote on Twitter that he had tested positive for coronavirus and was asymptomatic.

“I have tested positive for COVID-19,” he said, referring to the coronavirus.

Wed, 07/15/2020 - 14:10

Handle strong first week at Del Mar

Benoit Photo
Del Mar averaged more than $17 million per day in all-sources handle during its opening weekend.

Del Mar had an 18 percent increase in all-sources handle on opening weekend when compared to similar days on the corresponding weekend of the 2019 summer meeting, track president Josh Rubinstein said Tuesday.

“We averaged over $17 million a day,” Rubinstein said. “We were pleased with the results. It was competitive racing.”

Fields averaged 8.17 runners for each of the 30 races over the three days compared to 7.86 runners in 43 races over five days on opening week in 2019.

Wed, 07/15/2020 - 12:46

Pool 6 of Kentucky Derby Future Wager opens Friday; Oaks wagering also offered

Barbara D. Livingston
Tiz the Law (above) is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in pool 6 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Art Collector is second choice at 9-2.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Seven new names are among the 22 separately listed interests in Pool 6 of the 2020 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens Friday at noon Eastern.

Pool 6 coincides with a second futures pool toward the 2020 Kentucky Oaks, with an Oaks-Derby double future wager also being offered again.

Tiz the Law, winner of the June 20 Belmont Stakes, is listed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in Pool 6, followed by Art Collector at 9-2 and Honor A. P. at 5-1. Tiz the Law closed as the 2-1 favorite in Pool 5, which ran June 26-28.

Wed, 07/15/2020 - 12:26

Kentucky Derby: Who's hot, who's not for July 15, 2020

WHO’S HOT

There are five newcomers to the Derby Watch top 20, but the most significant move was made by Art Collector, whose Blue Grass victory last Saturday propelled him to the third choice, at 5-1, on the Kentucky Derby line of Marty McGee of Daily Racing Form. Art Collector was 30-1 a week ago. New to the list are Rushie, who is 30-1, and a quartet of 50-1 shots – Dean Martini, Major Fed, Mystic Guide, and Shared Sense – not all of whom are certain to even run in the Derby, raising the possibility that there might not be a full field of 20 this year.

Wed, 07/15/2020 - 11:36

Ohio Derby upsetter Dean Martini headed to Ellis Park Derby

JJ Zamaiko Photography
Dean Martini was claimed for $50,000 out of a maiden win two starts before winning the Ohio Derby.

Nearly three weeks after the June 27 Ohio Derby became his first meaningful victory, Dean Martini has cracked both Daily Racing Form’s Derby Watch Top 20 and the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 6 roster of 22 individual betting interests.

Don’t read too deep into that, said trainer Tom Amoss. “He’s going to have to run extremely well in his next race for us to consider moving on to the Derby.”

Tue, 07/14/2020 - 17:31

Max Player forced to avoid fatally injured horse during drill

Chelsea Durand/NYRA
Max Player wins the 1 1/8-mile Withers at Aqueduct on Feb. 1.

ELMONT, N.Y. – A horse suffered a fatal breakdown while working Tuesday morning over the Belmont Park training track, the third training-related fatality in three days and ninth over the training track since May 6.

Bourbon High, a 5-year-old New York-bred mare trained by David Adel, was approaching the eighth pole when she suffered an injury to her right front ankle. She had to be euthanized on track.

Tue, 07/14/2020 - 16:50

Silent Poet stakes claim as Woodbine's top sprinter

Michael Burns
Silent Poet, with Justin Stein riding, wins the Grade 2 Connaught Cup at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Who’s the best sprinter at Woodbine? For the first time in four years, one could argue that it’s not perennial champion Pink Lloyd but the turf expert Silent Poet, who is now 2 for 2 at the meet after capturing Saturday’s Grade 2 Connaught Cup.