Fri, 05/22/2020 - 17:38

Status of Arlington meet remains in limbo following Illinois Racing Board meeting

Coady Photography
At Friday's meeting, Arlington president Tony Petrillo said it would not be cost effective to hold a spectator-free meet.

The status of a 2020 racing season at Arlington remained uncertain after a regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Illinois Racing Board on Friday.

Arlington was supposed to open its race meet on May 1 but remains shuttered, with empty stables, because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Fri, 05/22/2020 - 17:32

Canterbury to offer $200,000 in daily purses at meet to begin June 10

Canterbury Park will offer about $200,000 in daily purses during a 52-day race meet expected to commence June 10, the Minnesota track announced Friday.

A news release from the track said the stakes schedule had been altered, with some races eliminated and others taking purse cuts. Canterbury submitted a proposed schedule to the Minnesota Racing Commission, which is expected to approve the meet conditions at a June 8 meeting.

Fri, 05/22/2020 - 16:16

Mind Control works for the Carter Handicap

Barbara D. Livingston
Mind Control has breezed nine times since winning the Grade 3 Tom Fool on March 7.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Gregg Sacco was pleasantly surprised that the New York Racing Association rescheduled the Grade 1 Carter Handicap for June 6, even if the purse had to be cut by $150,000. The race was originally scheduled for April 4 but was one of 19 cards scrapped at Aqueduct due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Fri, 05/22/2020 - 16:16

Brown's cannon fully loaded for Belmont meet

Barbara D. Livingston
Rushing Fall is being pointed to the Grade 3 Beaugay on June 3, opening day of the Belmont meet.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Chad Brown will be well armed when Belmont Park kicks off its spring-summer meet on June 3.

After having many races in which he was looking to run taken away when Keeneland canceled its spring meet and with Churchill Downs delaying many of its major stakes to September due to the coronavirus pandemic, Brown will have many of his stars make their seasonal debuts at Belmont.

Fri, 05/22/2020 - 15:30

Thistledown to request revised dates with a June 4 opening

Thistledown racetrack near Cleveland, Ohio, will submit a revised racing schedule to state regulators for a meet starting on June 4 and ending on Oct. 21, according to the state’s horsemen’s group.

The starting date is the same opening date for Belterra Park in Cincinnati, which on Tuesday received approval from the Ohio State Racing Commission to run a 75-day meet, spectator-free. Both Belterra and Thistledown will run on a four-day-a-week schedule, Monday through Thursday.

Fri, 05/22/2020 - 14:26

Fast Pass faster than ever at age 7

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Fast Pass comes up along the inside to defeat Mucho in an allowance race at Gulfstream on Thursday.

Trainer Peter Walder wasn’t surprised that Fast Pass won Thursday’s allowance feature at Gulfstream Park. It was the manner in which he won that impressed Walder.

:: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Fri, 05/22/2020 - 12:40

Prado passes Cordero with win No. 7,058

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Edgar Prado, 52, is eight victories behind Perry Ouzts for seventh on the all-time list of jockeys by wins.

Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado achieved another milestone in his riding career when he surpassed Angel Cordero Jr. to take over sole possession of eighth place in the all-time jockey standings by guiding 2-year-old first-time starter Flying Aletha to an easy victory for trainer Wesley Ward in Thursday’s second race.

Thu, 05/21/2020 - 14:43

Herpesvirus cases appear to be contained to a single barn

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson said in a Thursday industry update that the equine herpesvirus outbreak on the Woodbine backstretch appears to be contained to Barn 12. All horses in the neighboring Barn 10 tested negative.

Thu, 05/21/2020 - 11:57

Hall of Fame induction ceremony canceled

Barbara D. Livingston
Mark Casse and the other 2020 Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at next year's ceremony.

This year’s Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this year’s inductees will instead be honored during next year’s ceremony, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame said on Thursday.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is held every August in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., concurrent with the immensely popular live racing meet at Saratoga Race Course. This year’s event was scheduled for Aug. 7. The Hall of Fame has also canceled the Museum Ball, which was scheduled this year for Aug. 14.

Thu, 05/21/2020 - 09:28

Belterra Park to open 2020 season on June 4

Coady Photography
Belterra Park plans to reopen without spectators on June 4.

Belterra Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, plans to re-open June 4 with spectator-free racing, the track has announced.

Belterra, which was scheduled to open its 2020 meet in April but delayed those plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has plans to run 75 total race dates this year, on a Tuesday-through-Friday schedule, with a first post of 12:35 p.m., the track said. The amended racing schedule was approved Tuesday by the Ohio Racing Commission.