Wed, 12/18/2019 - 12:16

Untitled gets 98 Beyer in debut

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Untitled wins his debut by 11 lengths in a six-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream Park.

Ralph Nicks said he will proceed judiciously with Untitled, a 2-year-old colt who earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure when debuting Saturday with an 11-length victory in a six-furlong maiden race for Florida-breds.

Untitled finished in 1:10.17, yielding the second-highest Beyer among all 2-year-olds in the United States so far this year. The highest is a 101 by Independence Hall in the Nashua at Aqueduct.

Wed, 12/18/2019 - 10:20

Owner considers another start for J P's Delight before sale

SV Photography
With Jairo Rendon riding, J P's Delight remains unbeaten by winning the City of Ocala Florida Sires Stakes at Gulfstream on Saturday.

J P’s Delight will go through the sales ring next month, but it’s yet to be determined whether the unbeaten filly will have another race before then.

Brent Fernung, who bred and owns J P’s Delight in partnership with Eugene Cahalan, said this week that the 3-year-old filly has returned to the Ocala Training Center and will get “a week or so just to be a horse.” He said “we’ll have to decide whether or not to run her again” before she is sold at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. on Jan. 28-29.

Tue, 12/17/2019 - 10:12

Longtime racing official Wilfert dies at age 67

Gary Wilfert, who worked for decades as a high-ranking racing official in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio prior to his retirement in 2009, died Sunday night at his home in Greenfield, Ind., after years of declining health. He was 67.

Mon, 12/16/2019 - 15:00

Bank On Shea, A Freud of Mama have options moving forward

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Bank on Shea (No. 10) wins the Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes by a nose over Dream Bigger on Saturday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The Aqueduct winter meet is only a week old and already the richest races of the season have been run.

Bank On Shea and A Freud of Mama won the $500,000 divisions of the New York Stallion Stakes for males and females, respectively.

Bank On Shea beat favored Dream Bigger by a nose in Saturday’s Great White Way division. The son of Central Banker ran seven furlongs in 1:26.59 over a sloppy track and earned a 77 Beyer Speed Figure.

Mon, 12/16/2019 - 15:00

Gutsy claim Backsideofthemoon to run in the Queens County

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Backsideofthemoon was claimed out of this Nov. 24 win for $100,000 by owner Charles Hallas.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Backsideofthemoon may be on the back side of his career, but the 7-year-old gelding has proven a hot commodity at the claim box.

In August, in the 36th start of his career, Backsideofthemoon was claimed for $62,500 by a group that included owner Michael Imperio and trainer Rudy Rodriguez. Three starts later, on Nov. 24, Backsideofthemoon was claimed for $100,000 by trainer Bob Klesaris on behalf of owner Charles Hallas.

Mon, 12/16/2019 - 14:46

Taraz, Mr. Monomoy showing Cox different things

Coady Photography
Impressive maiden winner Taraz will step up to stakes company in Saturday's Letillier at Fair Grounds.

The talented 2-year-old filly trainer Brad Cox has entered in a sprint stakes Saturday at Fair Grounds strikes Cox as a route horse. But the talented 2-year-old colt Cox entered in a route allowance race Saturday at Fair Grounds, Cox isn’t totally convinced he’ll go long.

The horses in question are Taraz, who is set to start in the six-furlong Letellier Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, and Mr. Monomoy, who races in a two-turn dirt allowance that functions as a prep race for the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes next month.

Mon, 12/16/2019 - 14:36

Desormeaux hoping Shashashakemeup can use Sugar Bowl as stepping-stone

Trainer Keith Desormeaux doesn’t get in a hurry with his young horses. His normal method of operation: Give a horse a debut race to get the hang of things, then start bearing down.

“It’s not a secret I don’t usually win first time out,” Desormeaux said.

And yet the Desormeaux-trained Shashashakemeup was no secret in his first start last month at Churchill Downs. He broke from the rail, showed good early speed, and kicked into gear to run off to a 5 1/2-length maiden score, paying just $7.60 to win.

Mon, 12/16/2019 - 13:26

Trainers Dobles, Baxter score their first graded stakes wins

Coglianese Photos
War Story's victory in the Grade 3 Harlan's Holiday Stakes was the first graded win by trainer Elizabeth Dobles.

Georgina Baxter and Elizabeth Dobles now share even more in common.

They’re women who have made a pretty solid dent in the male-dominated training ranks at Gulfstream Park in the last year or two. Remarkably, they notched the first graded wins of their respective careers within a couple of hours of each other Saturday at the South Florida track when Lady’s Island dominated the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl for Baxter and War Story captured the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday for Dobles.

Mon, 12/16/2019 - 12:46

X Y Jet attempting seven furlongs off layoff in Mr. Prospector

Mathea Kelley/Dubai Racing Club
X Y Jet has not raced since winning the Grade 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in March of this year.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Jorge Navarro said he plans to run X Y Jet in Saturday’s Grade 3, seven-furlong Mr. Prospector, setting up a likely rematch with Imperial Hint, whom he defeated by 1 1/2 lengths earlier this year in the Dubai Golden Shaheen.

The injury-plagued X Y Jet, has not started since winning the Golden Shaheen on March 30 at Meydan. He returned to the work tab last month at the Palm Meadows training center, where he’s had six breezes since Nov. 9, including a half-mile in 49.80 seconds Monday.

Mon, 12/16/2019 - 12:20

Hope abounds as Churchill finalizes rebuilding plans for Turfway Park

Coady Photography
Information on the rebuilding plans for Turfway Park could be announced in the coming weeks.

FLORENCE, Ky. – John McKee walked slowly to the jockeys’ room after dismounting a filly named Dreamin’ of Munny on a recent weeknight at Turfway Park. To shield himself from sub-freezing wind chills, he wore a ski mask and insulating gloves and undergarments, his standard winter accessories.

“The weather’s not gonna change around here,” McKee said. “It’s still cold.”