Arlington International Racecourse and the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association were expected to sign a two-year contract by Thursday morning that would bring a short 2020 race meeting to Arlington.
The suburban Chicago track hasn’t yet opened its stables to horses following the coronavirus pandemic, and because of Arlington’s initial reluctance to conduct spectator-free racing and an ongoing contract dispute with the ITHA, it was feared Arlington might not host a race meet this year.
When it comes to the Triple Crown, trainer Todd Pletcher usually saves the best for last. For this year’s Belmont Stakes on Saturday, he’ll try to break on top.
Pletcher has won the Belmont three times, in each case with a horse who followed the same plan – a gap of five weeks into the 1 1/2-mile race after competing the first weekend of May at Churchill Downs.
Ollie’s Candy, third in Saturday’s Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park after leading by 2 1/2 lengths in the stretch, will be pointed for the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 2, a race the mare won in 2019.
Trainer John Sadler said on Wednesday that Ollie’s Candy will remain in New York until this weekend when she will be flown to Southern California.
Overnight purses at Del Mar have been reduced by approximately 20 percent for the summer meeting, which begins on July 10, a decline comparable to other major tracks across the nation this year.
The Del Mar summer meeting will begin without ontrack spectators because of the coronavirus outbreak. Handle will be generated from satellite and account-wagering sources. Tracks derive a higher percentage of revenue for purses from ontrack wagers.
Juan Hernandez, the dominant rider at Golden Gate Fields in the last year, is relocating to Southern California next month.
Hernandez, 28, will ride the final days of the Los Alamitos summer meeting, which runs from June 26 to July 5, and will focus on the Del Mar summer meeting, which goes from July 10 to Sept. 7, according to his new agent, Craig O’Bryan.
“Ideally, he wants to stay,” O’Bryan said.
ELMONT, N.Y. – The owners of Max Player will have to pay a double jockey’s fee for the Belmont Stakes after making a late switch from Dylan Davis to Joel Rosario, according to the stewards. Thus, whatever Rosario earns, Davis will also get.
The stewards said that Davis had a call with trainer Linda Rice to ride Max Player in the Belmont. On Sunday, Rice said Rosario would ride Max Player, leaving Davis without a mount for the race.
ELMONT, N.Y. – For the past five years, Larry Collmus and John Imbriale have shared the announcer’s booth on Belmont Stakes Day. Collmus would call the majority of the races, including the Belmont, while Imbriale would call the races following the Belmont.
WHO’S HOT
Late developers Uncle Chuck, who got a Beyer Speed Figure of 95 when debuting going two turns against maidens at Santa Anita, and Art Collector, who got an even bigger figure of 100 when beating allowance runners at Churchill Downs, are the two newest members of the Derby Watch top 20 following wins last week. Uncle Chuck is 15-1 on the line set by Marty McGee of Daily Racing Form for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, with Art Collector at 20-1.
WHO’S NOT
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission granting its approval Tuesday, Churchill will now extend its spring meet by one more day, through June 28, with Ellis Park delaying the opening of its summer meet to July 2.
Ellis runs July 2-5, followed by a five-day Keeneland meet July 8-12. Ellis will then resume racing July 17, conducting three-day weekends through Aug. 30. Churchill then runs its delayed Kentucky Derby week schedule Sept. 1-5, with Kentucky Downs starting its six-day meet on Labor Day, Sept. 7.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The $200,000 Wise Dan for older horses attracted 11 horses and the $100,000 Audubon for 3-year-olds has a field of eight. The races, both on turf, are the features on the Saturday card at Churchill Downs.
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Factor This figures to be favored in the Grade 2 Wise Dan off a 104 Beyer in winning the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial at Fair Grounds in his last start.
