WHO’S HOT
Farmington Road, who most recently finished second in the Oaklawn Stakes on April 11 and is in the second division of the Arkansas Derby on Saturday, is the newest member of the Derby Watch top 20. He is 50-1 on the future line set by Marty McGee of Daily Racing Form for the Kentucky Derby, now on Sept. 5. Tiz the Law remains McGee’s favorite, at 3-1.
:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2020: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more
The migratory patterns are well-known. Every winter the gray whales make their way to Baja California. The swallows return to the mission at San Juan Capistrano every April. And the first weekend in May, trainer Todd Pletcher is in Louisville.
Lone Star Park near Dallas will open its stable area on Monday, according to a notice issued by the track's racing department. It did not give a new start date for the meet, which will be for Thoroughbreds.
Scott Wells, president of Lone Star, said Tuesday there is not yet a date set for the return of racing at Lone Star.
“We’re just going to have to react to direction from state and local officials,” he said. “We will be operating under strict compliance with the Department of Homeland Security guidelines as well as CDC guidelines.”
Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico is planning to open its 2020 meeting on May 22 as planned and will begin accepting horses on its backside beginning Friday, the track announced Tuesday.
Although a handful of tracks have remained open during the disruption brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic by holding races behind closed doors, Ruidoso would be the first racetrack to open its doors since mid-March, when the potential spread of the virus led to nearly every major sporting event being canceled.
Fast Enough, who drew into the second division of the Arkansas Derby on Saturday at Oaklawn Park, will miss the race after reaggravating a shin injury that kept him sidelined last year, too, trainer Rafael Becerra said Tuesday.
In addition, trainer Peter Eurton on Tuesday said that Shooters Shoot, who was scheduled to run in the first division of the Arkansas Derby, had come up with a fever and would be scratched.
Fast Enough was scheduled to fly to Arkansas on Tuesday, but was pulled from the flight after emerging from his final work on Sunday with an injury.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Jockey Luca Panici will be sidelined for at least the next several weeks after his mount, Mrs. Miniver, collapsed from an apparent heart attack and crashed into the inner rail shortly after the start of Friday’s fourth race. Panici suffered two broken ribs as a result of the incident, according to his agent, Kevin Meyocks.
“He had no warning,” Meyocks said. “The horse had a heart attack. He’s really lucky he wasn’t hurt a lot worse, all things considered.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Stanley Hough knew from Day 1 that Global Campaign was a special talent. But keeping his latest star sound enough to realize that potential has been a project Hough has labored over for the better part of the last year.
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn Park will put an exclamation point on an unprecedented meet Saturday when it closes its season with two $500,000 divisions of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.
There were 22 horses entered in the 1 1/8-mile race Sunday, at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has led to the cancellation of the spring meet at Keeneland, the suspension of racing at Santa Anita, and the postponement of the Kentucky Derby to Sept. 5.
Game Winner, the champion 2-year-old male of 2018 who has not raced since July, continues to progress toward his 4-year-old debut. Trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday that he hopes Game Winner will be ready to race by late spring.
Saturday, Game Winner worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 at Santa Anita. A winner of 5 of 8 starts and $2,027,500, Game Winner has had a steady pattern of workouts since late March.
Arkansas Derby hopefuls Charlatan, Fast Enough, and Nadal recorded quick workouts Sunday at Santa Anita before their scheduled departures early Tuesday for Oaklawn Park.
Charlatan worked six furlongs in 1:12.40, the fastest of six recorded works at the distance. Fast Enough went a half-mile in 47 seconds, the quickest of 61 works. Nadal worked five furlongs in 59.20, which equaled the fastest of 59 recorded times at the distance.
They are intended runners in Saturday’s Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.
