Shared Content Archive

By T.D. Thornton  It happens just about every year leading up to the GI Kentucky Derby: A journeyman jockey has the call on a top-tier horse, but his lack of experience in the Triple Crown classics sparks debate about whether or not the mount should go to a higher-profile rider.  This year the uncomfortable spotlight is glaring upon Charles "C.C." Lopez, whose future aboard Wood Memorial third-place finisher El Kabeir (Scat Daddy) is in doubt after principal owner Ahmed Zayat of Zayat Stables LLC took to social media after Saturday's race to...

A well-beaten effort in Saturday's GI Central Bank Ashland S. will likely preclude Qatar Racing's Peace and War (War Front) from the May 1 GI Kentucky Oaks, but trainer Olly Stevens still hopes the filly will start at Churchill that day.  “She will stay [at Keeneland] for now and probably have a work in about 10 days,” Stevens said. “We will discuss our options with [Churchill racing secretary] Ben [Huffman] for Oaks Week. She showed a lot of speed [in the Ashland], so the [May 1 GIII] Eight Belles is an option...

Lady Eli (Divine Park), scheduled to make her 2015 debut in Sunday's GIII Appalachian S. at Keeneland, worked five furlongs over a yielding turf course in 1:04.80 in Lexington Monday. “She looked really good,” trainer Chad Brown said. “She worked fabulous, so she's ready to go for Sunday.” Unbeaten in three starts, Lady Eli has been off since winning last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. According to Brown, the sophomore filly spent a “quiet winter down in Florida.” He added, “We gave her some time off. We gradually started...

Ackerley Brothers Farm's Bold Conquest (Curlin), looking to improve on a third-place finish behind American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in the Mar. 14 GII Rebel S. in Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby, worked four furlongs at Oaklawn Park Monday in :48.60. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.80.  “He's doing extremely well,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “We lucked out with the racetrack today. I was very concerned with all the rain in the area, but it was a good track again this morning. His last two works have been the two best works...

Untapable (Tapit) tuned up for an expected start in Friday's GI Apple Blossom S. with a bullet four-furlong work in :48 at Oaklawn Monday. Clockers caught Untapable's final quarter-mile in :23 and she galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.40. Trainer Steve Asmussen said he will confer with owner Ron Winchell before a final decision on the Apple Blossom is made.  “I thought she went beautiful,” Asmussen said. “It looks like all systems go.”  Last year's champion 3-year-old filly, Untapable was second behind Gold Medal Dancer (Medaglia d'Oro) while making her 2015...

SANTA ANITA DERBY-GI, $1,000,000, SAX, 4-4, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:48 3/5, ft.  1--DORTMUND, 122, c, 3, by Big Brown       1st Dam: Our Josephina (SW & GSP, $190,584), by Tale of the Cat       2nd Dam: Ropa Usada, by Danzig       3rd Dam: Lakeville Miss, by Rainy Lake  ($85,000 RNA wnlg '12 KEENOV; $90,000 yrl '13  FTKJUL; $140,000 2yo '14 FTMMAY). O-Kaleem  Shah Inc; B-Emilie Gerlinde Fojan (KY); T-Bob Baffert;  J-Martin Garcia. $600,000. Lifetime Record: 6-6-0-0,  $1,289,400. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the  eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.  Click for the brisnet.com chart, the brisnet.com PPs or...

By Mike Kane New York Racing Association President and CEO Chris Kay said Friday that he will complete a report on the re-privatization of NYRA by the April deadline.  Legislation passed in 2012 that permitted New York State to take control of NYRA called for the beleagured association to be run by the NYRA Re-Organization Board for three years and be returned to private control by October 2015. A provision of the legislation said that NYRA officials should present the board with document in April 2015 with a plan for...

By Mike Kane  Saratoga Race Course is America's oldest track, home to the most popular meeting of the season in this country and a powerful economic engine for the nine-county region surrounding Saratoga Springs, N.Y.  An economic report issued Friday put the track's importance in perspective, showing that the 2014 season generated $237 million in economic activity and produced nearly 2,600 jobs. The economic activity was up nine percent and jobs were up 32 percent from the most recent survey in 2011.  Camoin Associates of Saratoga Springs compiled the updated...

With the impending scratch of 3-1 morning line favorite Promise Me Silver (Silver City) due to concerns over travel and track conditions, the complexion of today's GIII Honeybee S. at Oaklawn Park is vastly changed. No longer forced to confront the unbeaten grey, a field of eight sophomore fillies will go to post in the 1 1/16-mile event, headlined by co-favorites Sarah Sis (Sharp Humor) and Pangburn (Congrats). The former compiled two wins from three starts as a juvenile, including a four-length allowance score over 6 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland Oct. 11. The dark...

While the main event on today's Tampa Bay Downs card showcases 3-year-old males on the dirt, the GIII Florida Oaks features a full field of 14 sophomore fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the turf two races earlier. With Gulfstream Park's Herecomesthebride S. rained off the lawn one week ago, the Oaks benefitted from a number of last minute entries--namely the 3-1 morning line favorite, Consumer Credit (More Than Ready). Owned by Klaravich Stables Inc. and William H. Lawrence, the Chad Brown trainee has demonstrated an electrifying turn of foot in reeling...

While GIII Withers S. winner Far From Over (Blame) will wait for the GI Wood Memorial S., the three horses who finished directly behind him in that Feb. 7 heat are back for the Big A's GIII Gotham S. Zayat Stables's 'TDN Rising Star'El Kabeir (Scat Daddy) annexed Churchill's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. Nov. 29 and cruised in this strip's GIII Jerome S. Jan. 3, but had to settle for second in the Withers at 1-2 odds after attending the pace. "He's doing great," said trainer John Terranova. "We've been lucky...

By T.D. Thornton Jockey Roman Chapa's fine for carrying an electrical shocking device was increased from $25,000 to $100,000 by the Texas Racing Commission Friday.  Chuck Trout, the TRC executive director, wrote in a commission order that the maximum allowable fine levied by the Sam Houston Race Park stewards was "insufficient to adequately address the violation." He cited Texas Racing Act 307.69 as his power to hand down a harsher financial penalty than the stewards could legally impose. Trout cited three reasons for quadrupling the fine: 1) The Jan. 17...