Fri, 12/27/2019 - 15:40

Guerrero taking new approach to prep for Lasix-free Pegasus World Cup

Justin N. Lane
Spun to Run, winner of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, is under consideration for the Cigar Mile.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The fact the 2020 Pegasus World Cup events will be run Lasix-free will undoubtedly change the way some trainers bring their horses up to the races. Juan Carlos Guerrero and Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Spun to Run offer a case in point.

Fri, 12/27/2019 - 13:46

Roy H in light training, being pointed to 8-year-old campaign

Benoit Photo
Roy H, who hasn't started since winning the Palos Verdes in January, is likely to miss the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Roy H, the champion sprinter of 2017 and 2018, has resumed light training after missing most of 2019 with foot issues. Trainer Peter Miller said on Friday that Roy H could return to racing in the spring.

“We’re in no rush with him,” Miller said.

Roy H has not raced since winning the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita last January. A 7-year-old gelding, Roy H was sent to Dubai for the Group 1 Golden Shaheen at Meydan Racecourse last March, but did not start when an abscess developed in a foot.

Fri, 12/27/2019 - 10:48

Jon Schuster, longtime GM of Indiana Grand, dead at age 61

Jon Schuster, the general manager of Indiana Grand Racing and Casino the past 17 years, died on Christmas Day at his Shelbyville, Ind., home at age 61.

A 1976 graduate of Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, Schuster later attended the University of Arizona, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1995 and participated in the Racetrack Industry Program.

Schuster is survived by his wife of 14 years, Janie; four children; his mother, Rosemary; two siblings; and numerous other family members.

Thu, 12/26/2019 - 15:22

Interborough could be next for Newly Minted

Barbara D. Livingston
Newly Minted, a three-time New York-bred stakes winner, may try open company next month in the Interborough.

Newly Minted, a dominant allowance winner last Sunday at Aqueduct, could make her next start in the $100,000 Interborough Stakes here on Jan. 20, trainer Linda Rice said Thursday.

Newly Minted, a three-time New York-bred stakes winner in 2019, scored a 7 1/4-length victory in front-running fashion in an open-company allowance race, under a hard ride from Jose Lezcano. Newly Minted covered a mile in 1:37.53 and earned a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure.

“It was nice to see her get back to her brilliant self,” Rice said.

Thu, 12/26/2019 - 15:06

Come Dancing will continue racing career in 2020

Debra A. Roma
Come Dancing could follow a similar schedule in 2020 as she did this year.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – She ain’t done dancing yet.

Come Dancing, the Grade 1-winning mare, will race as a 6-year-old in 2020, trainer Carlos Martin said this week. Following her sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita, Come Dancing was retired and scheduled to be bred to Quality Road in 2020.

Thu, 12/26/2019 - 13:16

Shirreffs, Baffert well stocked with 3-year-olds for 2020

Emily Shields
Honor A. P. coasts home by 5 1/4 lengths in his Santa Anita maiden win Sunday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – John Shirreffs plays the long game. He takes his time with his young horses, hoping the payoff comes later. He has laid the foundation to be a major player this winter in the 3-year-old ranks, which annually is one of the highlights of Santa Anita’s winter-spring meeting that begins Saturday.

Mon, 12/23/2019 - 18:01

Santa Anita opener gets supersized

Barbara D. Livingston
Following numerous setbacks, Omaha Beach will run in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. If he had been able to get one more race in, he would likely be in the BC Classic.

Omaha Beach in the Runhappy Malibu, Bellafina in the La Brea, and the return of Gift Box in the San Antonio are among the many highlights of Santa Anita’s opening-day card on Saturday, for which entries were drawn Monday.

Mon, 12/23/2019 - 13:06

14-horse Tropical Park Derby a brain teaser on six-stakes card

Debra A. Roma
A Thread of Blue, shown working at Saratoga on Friday, will stretch out to 1 1/2 miles in the Jockey Club Derby at Belmont Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The $75,000 Tropical Park Derby may not be the richest of the six turf stakes on the 11-race program here Saturday but it is definitely the most intriguing. The 1 1/16-mile race has drawn a full and very strong field of 14 3-year-olds trying to squeeze in one final stakes opportunity against their own kind while also hoping to punch their ticket, perhaps, into the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational in January.

Mon, 12/23/2019 - 12:16

X Y Jet, Imperial Hint fine after grueling efforts in Mr. Prospector

Erika Rasmussen/Dubai Racing Club
X Y Jet, beaten a neck and a nose in two previous runnings, tries for a third time to win the Dubai Golden Shaheen.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Jorge Navarro reports X Y Jet came out of Saturday’s Grade 3 Mr. Prospector tired but in good order and will remain on a path that will hopefully get him back to Dubai to defend his title in the Golden Shaheen later this spring.

X Y Jet set a lively pace before easing to the wire more than 20 lengths behind the winner, Diamond Oops, in the seven-furlong Mr. Prospector while making his first start since winning the 2019 Golden Shaheen nine months earlier.

Mon, 12/23/2019 - 12:16

Math Wizard may start in Pegasus World Cup

Barbara D. Livingston
Math Wizard, winner of the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby, could make his next start in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Math Wizard did little more than work an easy three furlongs in 36.20 seconds Sunday morning at Gulfstream Park, his first recorded breeze since finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The big news came later that afternoon when trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. confirmed the winner of the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby could make his next start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 25.