Sun, 01/26/2020 - 20:56

Miller considering Dubai trip for Texas Wedge, Captain Scotty

Debra A. Roma
Texas Wedge, who won the World of Trouble Turf Sprint at Gulfstream on Saturday, could target the Al Quoz Sprint.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Nationwide, trainer Peter Miller won stakes with sprinters on Saturday – the $150,000 World of Trouble Turf Sprint with Texas Wedge at Gulfstream Park and the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes with Captain Scotty at Santa Anita.

They could form part of Miller’s team for seven-figure Group 1 races at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on March 28.

Miller said on Sunday that Captain Scotty is a candidate for the $2.5 million Golden Shaheen at six furlongs on dirt, while Texas Wedge could run in the $2 million Al Quoz Sprint at six furlongs on a straightaway turf course.

Sun, 01/26/2020 - 17:42

Zulu Alpha's Pegasus Turf win especially gratifying for Maker

Barbara D. Livingston
Zulu Alpha earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 105 for his win Saturday in the Pegasus World Cup Turf.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Mike Maker certainly wasn’t resting on his laurels after sending Zulu Alpha out to upset the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational here Saturday. Less than 24 hours later, Maker was already at Sam Houston where he had six entrants in three stakes races on the Houston Racing Festival program.

Sun, 01/26/2020 - 15:42

Saudi Cup likely next for Mucho Gusto

Debra A. Roma
Mucho Gusto earned his first Grade 1 win in Saturday's Pegasus World Cup.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Before Saturday’s Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park, Mucho Gusto had won four Grade 3 races since November 2018 and finished second or third in three Grade 1 races in 10 starts at 2 and 3.

As a 4-year-old, Mucho Gusto is a different runner. The colt ran the best race of his career to win the $3 million Pegasus World Cup, a victory likely to lead to a start in the $20 million Saudi Cup at 1 1/8 miles at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 29, trainer Bob Baffert said on Sunday.

Sun, 01/26/2020 - 09:44

Lynch left with plenty to celebrate after McKnight win by Spooky Channel

Barbara D. Livingston
Spooky Channel (left) upset the W.L. McKnight at 36-1 on Saturday, eliminating many Rainbow 6 tickets.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Brian Lynch and his partners held several of the 334 live Rainbow 6 tickets heading into the two Pegasus World Cup events Saturday at Gulfstream Park, but they didn’t have one of the two eventual winners that returned $394,349 apiece.

“I singled Admission Office, too,” Lynch said early Sunday from his base at the Palm Meadows training center. “I kept the faith.”

Sat, 01/25/2020 - 15:13

Bridgmohan, Gilligan recuperating after Friday spill

Barbara D. Livingston
Shaun Bridgmohan is expected to miss the remainder of the Fair Grounds meet.

Shaun Bridgmohan suffered nothing more than a pulled groin while Jack Gilligan broke his collarbone and fractured at least one facial bone in an ugly spill in the ninth race Friday at Fair Grounds.

Fri, 01/24/2020 - 16:25

Quarter Horse World Champion He Looks Hot retired

He Looks Hot, the 2019 Quarter Horse World Champion, has been retired after finishing last of six in a division of the Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship trials on Jan. 19.

Owner and breeder Ed Allred and trainer Scott Willoughby made the announcement on Thursday evening at the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association’s annual awards dinner at Los Alamitos where He Looks Hot was honored as the organization’s Horse of the Year for 2019.

Fri, 01/24/2020 - 16:10

N.Y. governor's budget authorizes NYRA to construct drug testing lab

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Five years after the New York Racing Association began discussing the idea of constructing a world-class equine drug testing laboratory, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2021 budget gives the company authorization to do just that.

In a press release put out by the governor’s office Friday, Cuomo’s budget would permit NYRA to use capital funds to finance, construct, and equip a new state-of-the-art drug testing laboratory and research center.

Fri, 01/24/2020 - 14:56

Bridlewood Cat taking next step in allowance

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Bridlewood Cat, now 4, has the Correction Stakes as a near-term goal.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Bridlewood Cat, winner of two straight since returning from a layoff, takes the next logical step in her progression toward stakes company when she heads a field of six entered in a second-level allowance race Sunday at Aqueduct.

Bridlewood Cat, a 4-year-old half-sister to Grade 1 winner Sweet Loretta trained by Jonathan Thomas for Bridlewood Farm, is trying to use this race as a springboard to the $100,000 Correction Stakes here on March 14. Both this race and the Correction are at six furlongs, the distance at which Bridlewood Cat has already won twice.

Fri, 01/24/2020 - 14:50

Shotski, others, get in workouts for Withers

Barbara D. Livingston
Shotski, winner of the Grade 2 Remsen to cap his juvenile season, will ship in from Maryland for the Withers.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Led by Shotski, the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes winner, five horses pointing to next Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct, put in workouts Friday morning at three different venues.

At Laurel, Shotski worked five furlongs in 1:02. Trainer Jeremiah O’Dwyer said he was aboard Shotski and that he had two stablemates in front of him for the move.

Fri, 01/24/2020 - 14:36

Yeng Again, a half-brother to Owendale, makes debut on Sunday

Barbara D. Livingston
Joel Rosario has been fined $1,000 for not making it back from Saudi Arabia in time to ride at Santa Anita last Sunday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Yeng Again may turn out to be one of the bargains of the 2018 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Purchased for $75,000, Yeng Again will make his career debut in a maiden special weight race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on Sunday. The colt, by Carpe Diem, has worked well in recent weeks, including a five-furlong workout in 59 seconds on Jan. 12, the fastest of 69 works at the distance.

“He’s pretty quick, a nice, big horse,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “He’s finally ready to run.”