Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., is ending its meet with three days left on the racing calendar after the state’s governor urged all non-essential businesses to close due to the coronavirus pandemic, the parent company of the track, Churchill Downs Inc., announced Wednesday night.
Turfway was initially scheduled to close its meet after a card on Saturday, following racing on Thursday and Friday. All three cards will no longer be held.
BH Lisas Boy, one of the leading older Quarter Horses in recent years, has been retired because of a minor knee injury, owner and trainer Bill Hoburg said earlier this week.
The injury will not require surgery. It was detected after BH Lisas Boy worked 220 yards in 12.60 seconds on Saturday, Hoburg said. BH Lisas Boy was sidelined with a knee injury in 2017.
An 8-year-old gelding bred by Hoburg in Idaho, BH Lisas Boy won 23 of 43 starts and earned $963,053.
The 2019-2020 Fair Grounds race meet which was halted early because of coronavirus unsurprisingly showed across-the-board business declines compared to the previous season.
The 2018-2019 meet marked a major rebound from the previous racing season in New Orleans, but those gains were wiped away this season by a meeting that ended six days early after the city was essentially shut down to minimize viral spread. The Louisiana Derby card of March 21 wound up being closing day instead of Sunday, March 29, the last scheduled racing day.
As the managing partner of Sackatoga Stable, Jack Knowlton desperately wants to watch the Florida Derby on-site. Sackatoga owns Florida Derby favorite Tiz the Law.
Florida Derby: News, contenders, and videos
Gulfstream Park is not allowing fans on the grounds, but Knowlton was hoping to be able watch from beyond the outer rail in midstretch to upper stretch.
That Gulfstream Park figures to be extremely quiet on Saturday because there will be no fans or owners in attendance may actually help Independence Hall.
Florida Derby: News, contenders, and videos
Independence Hall has been a handful for his handlers in the paddock, at least in his two races at Aqueduct. A more serene environment may help Independence Hall with his pre-race behavior.
“It should be pretty quiet,” trainer Michael Trombetta said. “That should help me.”
River Boyne, winner of the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf March 7 at Santa Anita, worked a half-mile in 50 seconds Wednesday, but may not race until later in the spring.
Trainer Jeff Mullins said he does not have a race picked for River Boyne’s next start, which could be the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on turf on May 25.
“We’re day-to-day,” he said. “It’s hard to think past tomorrow.”
United, the leading horse in distance turf races in California, may have his next start in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes on May 23 at Santa Anita after the cancellation of the Dubai World Cup program in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday.
Trainer Richard Mandella said United and the 3-year-old Tizamagician, who was scheduled to start in the Group 3 UAE Derby on Saturday, were scheduled to be flown from Dubai to New York early Thursday. They will be put in quarantine before being sent to California.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Grade 1 winner Street Band is on target for a start in the Apple Blossom Handicap, said her trainer, Larry Jones. The Grade 1, $600,000 race for fillies and mares will be run here April 18.
Street Band last raced March 14, finishing fourth in the Grade 2, $350,000 Azeri won wire to wire by Serengeti Empress.
“Street Band, she’s doing good,” Jones said. “We’ll start prepping for the Apple Blossom.”
Serengeti Empress also is on deck for the Apple Blossom, said her trainer, Tom Amoss.
Jockey Florent Geroux on Sunday was about two hours into a drive from New Orleans to his home in Louisville – where he had hoped to spend a couple of days off – when he got a call alerting him that if he wanted to ride in the Florida Derby on Saturday, he needed to be in Florida by that night. As he has all spring, Geroux sped across the finish line with plenty of room to spare.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Southern California transplant Martin Garcia said there’s a lot of things he likes about the small community of Hot Springs. But one perk stands out.
“There is no traffic,” he said. “There is no traffic!”
