Fri, 11/29/2019 - 15:16

Bell's the One seeks flight to California for La Brea

Coady Photography
Bell's the One will be pointed to the Grade 1 La Brea at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

One hundred years ago, it was a challenge getting from New Orleans to Los Angeles, and even now, the connections of 3-year-old filly Bell’s the One are trying to figure out how to make the trip.

Trainer Neil Pessin and owner Bob Lothenbach would like to run Bell’s the One in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita, but the logistics of shipping to that race from Fair Grounds are proving challenging.

“We want to run in the La Brea, but that’s transportation pending. It’s a little tricky from here,” Pessin said earlier this week.

Fri, 11/29/2019 - 15:16

Mr Money Bags in strong year-end position

Coady Photography
Mr Money Bags was a five-time stakes winner in 2019, capping his season with a victory in the Zia Park Derby.

Mr Money Bags wrapped up his 3-year-old season Wednesday by winning the biggest race of his career in the $250,000 Zia Park Derby. He returned to the North Texas farm of trainer Mike Neatherlin on Thanksgiving and on Tuesday will head to his winter base of Sam Houston Race Park.

“It was a pretty good year,” Neatherlin said.

Fri, 11/29/2019 - 13:56

Turf stakes rescheduled due to unsettled weather

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Midnight Disguise posted a 2 3/4-length victory in Monday's Bouwerie Stakes, a race won last year by her half-sister Holiday Disguise.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mother Nature has forced the New York Racing Association to reschedule four turf stakes.

Strong winds forced NYRA to cancel Aqueduct’s Thanksgiving Day card,, which included the Central Park Stakes for 2-year-olds and the Winter Memories for fillies and mares. The Central Park is rescheduled for Friday while the Winter Memories is now slated for Saturday.

Sunday’s card was to include the Tepin Stakes for 2-year-old fillies and the Autumn Days for female sprinters, but with rain in the forecast NYRA officials opted not to card those races.

Fri, 11/29/2019 - 13:56

Maedean looks sharp in Demoiselle work

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Maedean pulls away to win the Tempted by 5 1/2 lengths under rider Luis Saez.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Maedean, the 5 1/4-length winner of the Tempted at Aqueduct on Nov. 1, worked four furlongs in 48.75 seconds Friday morning over the Belmont Park training track in preparation for a start in next Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct.

Maedean started about two lengths behind the 3-year-old maiden Up and Onward and finished about a half-length in front at the wire. It was her second breeze since the Tempted.

“Excellent, couldn’t have gone any better,” trainer Mark Hennig said.

Fri, 11/29/2019 - 13:46

Independence Hall skipping Remsen to await Jerome

Chelsea Durand/NYRA
Independence Hall will have two months between the Nashua and the Jan. 1 Jerome Stakes.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Independence Hall will not run in next Saturday’s Grade 2 Remsen Stakes, but he will likely make his next start at Aqueduct.

Independence Hall, the 12 1/4-length winner of the Grade 3 Nashua here on Nov. 3, is being pointed to the $150,000 Jerome Stakes here on New Year’s Day, trainer Mike Trombetta said Friday. The Jerome is a logical spot in that it is run at the same one-mile distance and over the track at which Independence Hall won the Nashua. The Jerome also offers 17 qualifying points (10-4-2-1) to its top four finishers to the May 2 Kentucky Derby.

Fri, 11/29/2019 - 13:20

Scholar Athlete's accomplishments stand out in Sunday allowance.

Coady Photography
Scholar Athlete is 1 for 1 at Belmont Park. He comes into Wednesday's race off a win at Colonial Downs (above).

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Sunday’s $47,000 allowance feature is carded at 1 1/8 miles on the turf and drew a field of eight led by Scholar Athlete, who is eligible for the race by virtue of the $35,000 optional-claiming conditions. He’s one of two horses in the field who’ll run for that tag along with Basha.

Fri, 11/29/2019 - 13:16

Art G Is Back just about ready to run again

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Art G Is Back, winning the Benny the Bull Stakes at Gulfstream, worked Friday and is being considered for several races in December.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Art G Is Back, who has maintained good form throughout his 3-year-old campaign, returned to the work tab here Friday, breezing for the first time since his second-place finish in the Sunshine Millions Classic Preview three weeks earlier at Gulfstream Park West.

Fri, 11/29/2019 - 09:50

Gaffalione feasts on stakes for Thanksgiving

Coady Photography
Mylady Curlin was a 2 1/4-length winner in Thursday's Falls City Stakes.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Thanksgiving Day at Churchill hardly could have gone any better for Tyler Gaffalione. The 25-year-old jockey swept the co-features, the Grade 2 Falls City and Grade 3 Cardinal, further punctuating what already has been a breakthrough season while building momentum for his return to his Florida home.

Fri, 11/29/2019 - 09:46

Asmussen on board for Turfway meet

Barbara D. Livingston
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen is facing a lawsuit over pay practices for some of his workers in New York.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen is among the trainers who have taken stalls at Turfway for the upcoming meet, perhaps the best illustration of the impact that new Churchill Downs Inc. ownership is already making 95 miles up Interstate 71.

Fri, 11/29/2019 - 09:46

Final day features two allowances, but no huge jackpot

Coady Photography
Seven Trumpets, with Channing Hill aboard, wins the Good Lord Stakes by three-quarters of a length.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The last time Churchill Downs conducted racing in December, Joe Hirsch was 10 months old and Herbert Hoover was the president-elect.

It was on Saturday, Dec. 1, 1928, that Churchill closed a seven-day meet begun the previous Saturday, according to track archives. Ninety-one years later, they’ll finally run a December card again when closing the fall meet with 12 Sunday races.