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.

Tue, 05/12/2020 - 17:42

Woodbine planning an early June opening without fans

Michael Burns
Woodbine is currently housing 1,100 horses as it awaits a time when busines restrictions will be lifted.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson said in an online question-and-answer session Tuesday that he’s planning for a June 6 or June 13 launch without fans for the Woodbine Thoroughbred meet, which was postponed from a scheduled start of April 18 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Government approval is pending.

Tue, 05/12/2020 - 17:11

Santa Anita draws nine-race card for Friday

Emily Shields
Santa Anita is scheduled to resume racing Friday, pending approval from county officials.

Santa Anita has scheduled a nine-race program on Friday, its first since March 22, if the track receives approval from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to conduct racing amidst the coronavirus outbreak.

Track officials have been in contact with county health officials in recent weeks, but as of midday Tuesday had not received official word that racing can proceed. The track was ordered closed by county health officials March 27, less than an hour before racing was scheduled to start, when deemed a nonessential business because of the pandemic.

Tue, 05/12/2020 - 15:33

Indiana Grand seeks to open for racing June 15

Coady Photography
Indiana Grand will submit a proposal seeking approval for a 90-day meet that would begin June 15.

Indiana Grand racetrack in Shelbyville, Ind., will submit a proposal to the Indiana Horse Racing Commission asking for approval of a 90-day meet beginning June 15, a Monday, the track said Tuesday.