Thu, 05/14/2020 - 14:20

Hartman among new trainers stabled at Lone Star

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Trainer Chris Hartman won three races at Keeneland on Wednesday.

Trainer Chris Hartman will be among a number of new faces at the upcoming Lone Star Park meet near Dallas.

The start date of the season, which has been postponed by coronavirus pandemic, had not been set as of Friday morning. However, updates from the state’s tracks on 2020 meets is on the agenda for the Texas Racing Commission meeting on Tuesday.

Hartman has 19 horses at Lone Star, many for owner Joe Davis. Hartman, who also has a stable at Churchill Downs, last raced regularly at Lone Star in 2009.

Thu, 05/14/2020 - 11:46

Spring meet opens with very different look, but racing will be strong

Debra A. Roma
Next Saturday's Matt Winn Stakes will offer 85 qualifying points for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Opening day at Churchill Downs is what would have been Preakness Day. Fans who normally would be champing at the party bit are homebound or social distancing instead. Roses are in full bloom, and yet the Kentucky Derby is still more than three months away, as if this were mid-January or something.

Need further proof the racing world has been turned upside down by the coronavirus crisis? The surreal scenario being played out the next six weeks at Churchill should do.

Wed, 05/13/2020 - 16:00

Bellera shortens up, takes on statebreds in Musical Romance Stakes

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Bellera will return from a 3 1/2-month layoff in the seven-furlong Musical Romance.

Bellera, a multiple stakes winner at 1 1/8 miles, will shorten to seven furlongs for her first start in 3 1/2 months in Saturday’s $100,000 Musical Romance Stakes for Florida-bred fillies and mares.

Bellera, a daughter of Bernardini trained by Todd Pletcher, won the Grade 3 Comely last November to end her 3-year-old campaign, then came back to win the Ladies, also at Aqueduct, to kick off her 4-year-old season.

Bellera did begin her career finishing second in a Florida-bred maiden race going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park.

Wed, 05/13/2020 - 15:50

Healthy Green Light Go returns in Roar Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Green Light Go became ill after his third-place finish in the Swale, per trainer Jimmy Jerkens.

Grade 2 winner Green Light Go will make his second start of 2020 when he meets five 3-year-olds in Saturday’s $75,000 Roar Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Green Light Go, winner of the Saratoga Special last summer, ended his 2-year-old campaign with a runner-up finish to Tiz the Law in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont. In his lone start this year, he finished third behind Mischevious Alex in the Grade 3 Swale on Feb. 1. Mischevious Alex did come back to win the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct, while Shivaree, second in the Swale, came back to run second in the Florida Derby.

Wed, 05/13/2020 - 15:50

Got Stormy entered in Powder Break; Casse monitoring weather

Emily Shields
Got Stormy does her best running on a firm turf course, according to trainer Mark Casse.

Got Stormy is ready to run. Moreover, she needs a win. Saturday’s $75,000 Powder Break Stakes at Gulfstream Park looks like it could provide Got Stormy the opportunity to accomplish both.

Weather permitting.

Got Stormy prefers firm turf. A tropical system off the east coast of Florida could bring an undetermined amount of rain to the area Friday and Saturday. Mark Casse, the trainer of Got Stormy, will monitor the, ahem, potential storm.

Wed, 05/13/2020 - 14:40

New protocols in place as Santa Anita is approved to resume racing

Emily Shields
Santa Anita is planning to resume racing on Friday with a nine-race card.

Racing is back at Santa Anita.

The track received approval from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Wednesday afternoon to resume racing Friday under strict protocols necessitated by the coronavirus outbreak.

The same government agency told Santa Anita to cease racing on March 27 when the track was deemed a nonessential business during the pandemic.

Wed, 05/13/2020 - 12:42

Canterbury requests 52-day season that would start June 10

Coady Photography
Canterbury Park may race Mondays through Thursdays this summer.

Canterbury Park moved toward conducting a 2020 race meet, filing a request for a 52-day season with the Minnesota Racing Commission on Wednesday.

Canterbury applied for an amended racing season that would run June 10 through Sept. 9 with racing Monday through Thursday. The Shakopee, Minnesota track said in a news release that it would work with the commission and the Minnesota Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association – which also has to approve the track’s racing dates request – to establish post times.

Wed, 05/13/2020 - 11:06

Monomoy Girl's long-awaited return highlight of opening day

Barbara D. Livingston
Monomoy Girl has not started since winning the 2018 Breeders' Cup Distaff as a 3-year-old.

LOUISVILLE, KY. – Monomoy Girl is foremost among the opening-day entries for Saturday at Churchill Downs as the heavy favorite in race 4, one of four allowances on a terrific program. Winner of the Kentucky Oaks and an Eclipse Award as outstanding 3-year-old filly in 2018, the now 5-year-old mare will be making her first start since she won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Churchill on Nov. 3, 2018, a span of more than 18 months.

Wed, 05/13/2020 - 11:00

Matt Winn-bound Major Fed first on the track as training resumes

Amanda Hodges Weir/Hodges Photography
Major Fed is being pointed to the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes on May 23 at Churchill Downs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Major Fed was among the first horses vanned through the Churchill Downs stable gate early Monday, and he was the very first on the racetrack when 2020 training opened before dawn Wednesday.

“Naw, I wasn’t trying to tell anybody anything,” Greg Foley said with a laugh, “but come to think of it, I hope it does mean something.”

Wed, 05/13/2020 - 10:19

Dr. Dorr retired from racing

Shigeki Kikkawa
Dr. Dorr, winner of the Grade 2 Californian Stakes, is being pointed for the Gold Cup on May 26.

Age finally caught up to 7-year-old gelding Dr. Dorr, the Baffert family’s Grade 2 winner who has been retired from racing. Bob Baffert trained Dr. Dorr, a gelding owned by his wife, Jill Baffert, and named after their friend and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lawrence Dorr.

Dr. Dorr won five races and $526,077 from 20 starts. For a brief period in spring 2018, the son of Lookin At Lucky ranked among the top handicap horses in Southern California. He won the Grade 2 Californian Stakes by more than seven lengths with a 108 Beyer Speed Figure and finished second in the Grade 1 Gold Cup.