The Equibase statistics that indicate trainer Bill Mott is closing in on career victory 5,000 show his first win coming in 1973. Mott is fine with that starting date, though he remembers winning races before then at smaller tracks in Nebraska and South Dakota.
“There were winners, but it’s fair enough if they didn’t count that till ’73,” Mott said. “That just gave me a little practice, that’s all.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. -- Trainer Jorge Abreu recently shipped the majority of his stable from Palm Meadows back to New York in anticipation of the opening of the Belmont Park meeting this week. But the up-and-coming young conditioner left four horses behind with his brother Fernando at Gulfstream Park, including the stakes-winning Spanish Point and graded stakes-tested Nettleton.
Interruptions, one minor, then a bigger one beyond control, have been a theme through the brief, promising career of Honor A. P.
He missed a scheduled start in the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita back in January owing to a foot bruise, which meant his 2020 debut in the San Felipe Stakes in March marked his first start in nearly five months. He ran strongly, finishing second to the highly regarded and unbeaten Authentic. It was seemingly an ideal prep for the Santa Anita Derby four weeks later.
Will Rogers Downs near Tulsa, which closed out its Thoroughbred meet in May, announced Wednesday it handled $131 million on its races this season compared to $16.8 million during the corresponding meet in 2019, a staggering increase of almost 700 percent.
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Jockey Mike Luzzi, who spent a brief period riding at Lone Star Park alongside his son Lane Luzzi, has returned to New York, said agent Bradley White, who represented Mike Luzzi in Texas.
White said Luzzi is back at Belmont Park, which opened Wednesday. Luzzi long has been based in New York.
White represents Lane Luzzi, who continues to ride at Lone Star.
Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., has promoted Jason Milligan to vice president of racing, the track announced Monday.
Milligan has been with Oaklawn for 25 years, starting in customer service in 1994. He takes over the racing position from Jed Doro. Milligan has been director of operations for Oaklawn the past 11 years. He is a native of Hot Springs.
The Texas Racing Commission on Tuesday approved amended dates requests for 2020 meets at Lone Star Park near Dallas and Retama Park near San Antonio.
Lone Star has received approval for a 36-date meet through Aug. 2. The track opened May 22, about five weeks later than scheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Fair Meadows in Tulsa, Okla., will roll out a new racing format when it opens its mixed meet Friday night. The track will have straight Thoroughbred cards every Monday and Tuesday and feature Quarter Horses on Fridays, Saturdays, and two Sundays.
“This is the first time splitting the breeds up,” said Kelly Cathey, executive director of the Oklahoma Racing Commission.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Whitmore, the most accomplished sprinter on the grounds, isn’t among the older horses entered in the Aristides, which will share the Saturday spotlight at Churchill with another $100,000 race, the Grade 3 Dogwood. Trainer Ron Moquett said he intends to race Whitmore, an earner of more than $3.1 million, at the brief Keeneland meet next month, “then probably once in New York” in preparing for the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland.
