Daniel J. Doocy has been named the successor to Pat Pope as racing secretary at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa. Doocy, 39, will serve as assistant racing secretary to Pope during the track's 52-day Thoroughbred season, then take over as racing secretary for the Thoroughbred-Quarter Horse mixed meet, which runs from July 4 through Sept. 13.
Doocy has held various positions at tracks in Florida and Illinois and most recently was racing secretary at Finger Lakes in New York.
ARCADIA, Calif. - As far as Buddy Gil is concerned, talk is cheap. Sent off the fourth choice in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby despite two consecutive stakes wins, including a San Felipe victory over Atswhatimtalknbout, the plucky Buddy Gil outfinished longshot Indian Express and favored Atswhatimtalknbout in Saturday's Santa Anita Derby, the final major West Coast prep race for the Kentucky Derby.
In doing so, Buddy Gil provided jockey Gary Stevens with his record ninth Santa Anita Derby victory. Stevens had been tied at eight with Bill Shoemaker.
GROVE CITY, Ohio - Heavenly Jet rallied through the final furlong under jockey Ivan Gonzalez and wore down 22-1 shot Ask Linda at the wire to score a head victory in Sunday's $40,000 Royal North Stakes at Beulah Park.
Heavenly Jet ($9.60) clocked the six furlongs in 1:11.18 in the Royal North, which was restricted to Ohio-bred 3-year-old fillies. Albert Palacios trains Heavenly Jet, a daughter of Lord Avie, for owner-breeder Dr. Paul Gutheil. The victory was Heavenly Jet's first career stakes score and her third win from four lifetime starts.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Second-place finishes in major races are getting old for 20-year-old jockey Tyler Baze.
On March 29 in Dubai, Baze rode Avanzado to a runner-up finish in the $2 million Golden Shaheen.
On Saturday, Baze nearly guided 35-1 Indian Express to an upset in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, losing by a head to Buddy Gil.
"I need to win one of these big races," Baze said on Sunday.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Mike Puhich could only laugh while recalling his frustration of having one win from 24 starters at the Santa Anita meeting.
The bright spot has been Monsieur Boulanger, a European import who won a $62,500 claimer on March 28.
"He's overcome a terrible meeting," Puhich said, laughing.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Something happened to Colorful Tour on this way to the Grade 2, $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap. And that something is named Medaglia d'Oro.
"I didn't much feel like going up against Medaglia d'Oro," said Noel Hickey, who owns, bred, and trains Colorful Tour. "He's one of the best horses in the country."
Hickey had initially planned to run Colorful Tour, a winner of his last five starts, in the Oaklawn 'Cap, but eventually decided to await Wednesday's Grade 3, $100,000 Fifth Season at Oaklawn Park.
HALLADALE BEACH, Fla. - Jockeys rarely give up a live mount in a Grade 1 race to ride another horse in an ungraded race worth half the money. But that's exactly the choice Edgar Prado made when he kept his regular seat Saturday aboard Dynever, who won the $250,000 Aventura Stakes at Gulfstream Park, instead of sticking with Take Charge Lady, who ended up second by a head behind Azeri in the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn later that afternoon.
"This is the time of year we're all looking for 3-year-olds," Prado said when asked about his choice of mounts on Saturday.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Three local horses, Mr. Technique, Souvenir's Lad, and Winning Stripes, are being pointed for Saturday's $100,000 California Derby at Bay Meadows.
Mr. Technique and Souvenir's Lad are trained by Jeff Bonde and Winning Stripes is trained by William J. Morey Jr.
Tribe, from the Clifford Sise Jr. barn in Southern California, is the only other runner considered likely as of Monday for the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds.
Californian, trained by Kristin Mulhall, and Excessive Barb, trained by Craig Lewis, remain possibilities.