Trainer Christophe Clement became the newest member of the 2,000-win club when Gufo got up in the final strides to win Friday’s 11th and final race at Gulfstream Park.

Earlier in the day, Clement won his 1,999th race when Parish Poet won a maiden race at Tampa Bay Downs.

Clement, 54, is a native of France who went out on his own in the U.S. in 1991 and recorded his first victory that year in October at Belmont Park.

Over the last three decades, Clement has become a fixture on the New York Racing Association circuit as well as Florida in the winter time.

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has been suspended nine racing days – from April 10-26 – after losing an appeal for a riding infraction in the $20 million Saudi Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 29.

The suspension covers Friday through Sunday, the days of the week Santa Anita typically operates, for three consecutive weeks.

The ruling was issued late Friday morning by Santa Anita stewards shortly before the track announced it had ceased racing temporarily by order of Los Angeles county officials because of the coronavirus outbreak.

After holding discussions with Los Angeles County officials on Friday, Santa Anita has ceased racing effective immediately because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The track made the announcement in a statement texted to horsemen at 12:25 p.m. Friday, less than an hour before the day’s first race. The track was preparing for an eight-race program to begin at 1 p.m.

It was not immediately clear when the track would be allowed to resume racing.

The California Horse Racing Board formally banned the use of the anti-bleeder medication Lasix in races for 2-year-olds this year and reduced the permitted dosage for runners in other age groups to 250 milligrams at its monthly meeting Thursday.

The measure will be the subject of a 15-day public comment period before it will be enacted.

Arkansas resident Jerry Caroom has expanded his racing interests this year and he said the move has much to do with Hoonani Road.

Hoonani Road, who had a chance to go over $500,000 in career earnings Saturday at Oaklawn in the Nodouble Stakes, has long been a flagship runner for Caroom.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will seek federal authority to convert part of Aqueduct Racetrack into a temporary hospital to help with a possible shortage of beds in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic crisis.

While some trainers entered a horse in Saturday’s Curlin Florida Derby in part because they felt it was the last opportunity to run in a stakes for 3-year-olds for the foreseeable future, trainer Mark Hennig took a different approach with the promising Americanus.

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Kiaran McLaughlin will officially become the jockey agent for Luis Saez on Monday. When exactly his training career ends is not quite certain.

McLaughlin entered two maidens for Sunday at Gulfstream Park, and both wound up on the also-eligible list for their respective race. Both Prairie Wings, a filly entered in the fourth, and Ashiham, a colt entered in the sixth, would be live if they got in.

Florida Derby: News, contenders, and videos

Tax, unraced since a ninth-place finish as the second choice in the Grade 1 Pegasus Cup Invitational on Jan. 25, is now targeting the Grade 2, $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap, rescheduled for May 2 at Oaklawn Park, trainer Danny Gargan said Friday.

Like most trainers with stakes horses, Gargan has had to constantly reshuffle plans for Tax due to the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on racetracks.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Taishan, who was an impressive winner on the Rebel Stakes undercard earlier this month at Oaklawn Park, is being pointed to the Grade 1, $750,000 Arkansas Derby, according to trainer Richard Baltas.

The 1 1/8-mile race has been moved to the closing-day May 2 card in response to the Kentucky Derby being postponed to September due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Arkansas Derby continues to carry points for the Kentucky Derby.