The Stronach Group, the parent company of Santa Anita, purchased the only full-page advertisement in Thursday’s Los Angeles Times, arguing for the importance of being allowed to race again during the coronavirus outbreak.
A mandatory vacation was not what jockey Flavien Prat envisioned for early April. Similar to thousands of his racing colleagues worldwide, Prat’s season has been idled by the coronavirus outbreak.
Santa Anita, where Prat is leading rider at the winter-spring meeting, was ordered shut by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on March 27 after the racetrack was deemed a nonessential business during the outbreak.
Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. is scheduled to resume riding Sunday at Oaklawn Park, according to Arkansas state steward Bernie Hettel.
Santana has been in an Oaklawn-directed quarantine after riding at Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Louisiana Derby Day. He was named on horses at Oaklawn on Thursday and Friday, but the quarantine was extended from 11 days to 14 to align with state standards, according to an official with Oaklawn.
Sir Rick, who was entered in last month’s canceled Grade 3, $700,000 Sunland Park Derby, still has a mile and an eighth stakes start on his dance card. It will come in next Saturday’s $200,000 Oaklawn Stakes, according to trainer Robertino Diodoro.
The race will share a card with the $150,000 Oaklawn Mile, which will draw Diodoro trainee Pioneer Spirit.
Sir Rick worked at Oaklawn Park on Friday, going five-eighths in 1:03. The Oaklawn Stakes will be his first start since capturing the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby on Feb. 23 at Sunland Park.
Postponing the Kentucky Derby until Sept. 5 has obviously changed the future plans and schedules of dozens of 3-year-olds stabled around the country.
Take Americanus, for instance.
Originally, trainer Mark Hennig was thinking about running his up-and-coming War Front colt in one of the Kentucky Derby preps, possibly the Grade 1 Florida Derby here last Saturday. But with the Kentucky Derby now five months away, Hennig didn’t feel the need to push Americanus, who won a loaded entry-level allowance race going seven furlongs here Feb. 22.
The start of the Lone Star Park meet will be delayed as the Dallas area track complies with the latest restrictions Texas has issued in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, track president Scott Wells said Thursday.
Lone Star had been scheduled to start its meet April 16. However, new restrictions, including some concerning travel and group gatherings, will keep the track from opening its stable area until at least May 3.
I’ll Fight Dempsey came out punching when he scored a front-running 2 1/2-length victory in a six-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 29. Saturday, it’s round 2 for the speedy son of Into Mischief, who runs in a seven-furlong optional-claiming race that goes as race 11 on the 12-race program.
The temporary disruption of racing at Santa Anita has not affected the training of Game Winner, the champion 2-year-old male of 2018.
Game Winner has not raced since a win in the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby last July, and had his fourth workout of the year on Thursday, traveling a half-mile in 50 seconds at Santa Anita.
Game Winner has worked a half-mile three times since late February. He worked that distance on Feb. 26, but did not work again until March 26 when he was timed in 49.20 seconds for a half-mile.
With no short-term plans for the resumption of racing at Santa Anita, trainer Richard Baltas is making alternative arrangements for some of his stakes horses.
Baltas said on Thursday that the 3-year-old filly Venetian Harbor, the 3-year-old colt Ginobili, and the older gelding Two Thirty Five are likely to be shipped to Oaklawn Park in Arkansas for upcoming races.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Wesley Ward has had one day circled on his calendar for nearly the last six months, since the first morning he began the arduous ordeal of preparing the 50 or so yearlings in his care last fall for their 2-year-old campaigns. That day was Thursday, April 2, opening day of the Keeneland spring meet.
