Thu, 09/10/2020 - 12:06

Stakes triple on Sunday part of handicapping contest

Coady Photography
Kimari defeated Frank's Rockette in the Purple Martin at Oaklawn earlier this year.

A trio of stakes will round out the Sunday Kentucky Downs card as the last three of 11 races. They’re the $500,000 TVG, the $400,000 Untapable, and the $400,000 Music City. They’ll all be part of an online handicapping contest spanning the last two days of the short Runhappy Kentucky Downs meet, which closes on Wednesday. Full contest details are available at kentuckydowns.com.

Thu, 09/10/2020 - 11:36

Battery problem behind premature opening of starting gate

Coady Photography
Royal Prince crosses the finish line first in the fifth race Monday at Kentucky Downs, but the race was declared no contest because of a starting gate malfunction.

The snafu that led to a “no contest” declaration of the fifth race on the Monday opening-day card at Kentucky Downs was due to faulty batteries supplying power to the starting gate, according to Kentucky chief steward Barbara Borden.

Kentucky Downs officials on Wednesday issued a release from Borden explaining what occurred. In a separate conversation, she said a test conducted afterward showed the batteries “were new but had somehow run down.” Starter Scott Jordan and his crew were absolved of blame.

Wed, 09/09/2020 - 11:56

Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Madone will likely run once more before Breeders' Cup

Benoit Photo
Madone wins the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf last Sunday in her stakes debut.

The undefeated filly Madone won her stakes debut in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf on Sunday and may earn a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 6 at Keeneland pending a stakes appearance on Oct. 4 at Santa Anita.

Trainer Simon Callaghan said earlier this week that the $100,000 Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita is planned for Madone.

“Most likely, that is what we’re going to do,” he said.

A successful race in the Surfer Girl would lead to a start in the Breeders’ Cup.

Wed, 09/09/2020 - 11:50

Del Mar Derby winner Pixelate has California return on agenda

Benoit Photo
The Maryland-based Pixelate (No. 4), ridden by Umberto Rispoli, wins the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sunday.

The well-traveled colt Pixelate won his first stakes as a 3-year-old in Sunday’s Grade 2 Del Mar Derby in his sixth appearance in such a race this year. He may be sent back to California from trainer Mike Stidham’s base in Maryland later this year for another lucrative prize.

Tuesday, Stidham said he will consider Pixelate for the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf, a $250,000 race on Nov. 28 at Del Mar. The next objective, however, is likely to be the Grade 1 Belmont Derby, a $500,000 race at 1 1/4 miles on turf on Oct. 3.

Wed, 09/09/2020 - 11:46

The filly Curlin's Voyage will start from post 10 in 14-horse Queen's Plate

Michael Burns
Woodbine Oaks winner Curlin's Voyage (left) will get a three-pound weight concession from her male rivals in the Queen's Plate.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine Oaks winner Curlin’s Voyage got post 10 and was pegged as the 5-2 second favorite among 14 Canadian-bred 3-year-olds in the 161st running of the $1 million Queen’s Plate at Woodbine on Saturday.

Curlin’s Voyage, last year’s Canadian champion 2-year-old filly, captured the seven-furlong Fury Stakes and the nine-furlong Oaks, after ending up second in her season opener in the six-furlong Star Shoot Stakes. She earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure in the Oaks after rallying inside from well off a fast pace to prevail by 1 3/4 lengths.

Wed, 09/09/2020 - 11:06

Arrossa has another huge weekend

Jake Rogers/Ruidoso Downs
Trainer Monty Arrossa won the seven-figure All American Derby with Gold Heart Eagle V.

From Remington Park in the spring to Los Alamitos in early summer and Ruidoso Downs on Labor Day weekend, Monty Arrossa has won major stakes to secure his position among the nation’s leading Quarter Horse trainers this year.

What happens over the next three months, largely at Los Alamitos, will determine whether the 47-year-old Arrossa secures his first national training championship and whether his top runners earn division titles.

Tue, 09/08/2020 - 15:30

Dr. Schivel may go from Del Mar Futurity straight to BC Juvenile

Benoit Photo
Dr. Schivel ganando el Del Mar Futurity

DEL MAR, Calif. – Dr. Schivel on Tuesday made the walk from the barn of his original trainer, Luis Mendez, over to the far northeast corner of the stable area at Del Mar, where Mark Glatt is based. Glatt now takes over as the trainer of the newly minted Grade 1 winner of the Runhappy Del Mar Futurity on Monday, and in coming weeks will map out a plan to get him to his main goal this fall, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

It's not impossible that the Juvenile will be the first start for Glatt.

Tue, 09/08/2020 - 13:53

Kevin Greely out at Indiana Grand

Indiana Grand Racecourse and Casino and director of racing Kevin Greely parted ways last week. Indiana Grand’s vice president and general manager racing Eric Halstrom confirmed the end of Greely’s tenure on Tuesday while declining to provide details on the departure. Halstrom said Indiana Grand actively is seeking a replacement for Greely.

Greely came to Indiana Grand, called Indiana Downs at the time, in 2013. He had previously worked in similar capacities at Arlington and in the United Arab Emirates.

Tue, 09/08/2020 - 12:56

Stein chasing Woodbine jockey's title

Michael Burns
Justin Stein celebrates aboard Strait of Dover in the 2012 Queen's Plate.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – At the halfway point of 109-day Woodbine meet, Justin Stein is battling for leading rider honors with Rafael Hernandez, who many regarded as the heir apparent to the now-retired perennial leader Eurico Da Silva. Through Sunday, they were tied with 74 wins apiece.

Stein’s success is something that even he was surprised by, because it was only last year when he came out of a three-year retirement and moved back to Toronto from his native British Columbia.

Tue, 09/08/2020 - 12:46

Del Mar shows sizable handle increase for meet despite racing fewer days and with no fans

Benoit Photo
Maximum Security (left) was full out to beat Midcourt by a nose in the San Diego Handicap. Maximum Security carried 127 pounds, five more than Midcourt.

Del Mar completed a 27-day summer meeting on Monday, the first without paying spectators, with a gain in all-sources handle boosted by account wagering, according to data released by the track.

The coronavirus pandemic left Del Mar without its typical large enthusiastic audience and with a revamped schedule of racing largely on a Friday-through-Sunday basis over a nine-week season that began on July 10. The track lost the weekend of July 17-19 because of a coronavirus outbreak in the jockeys' room, but later added two days of racing on Mondays as compensation.