The 2019 Emerald Downs live season begins Saturday with a nine-race card starting at 2 p.m. Pacific. The 67-day meet will conclude Sunday, Sept. 22.
Saturday is the only racing day scheduled at Emerald for Easter weekend. Starting next week, racing will be held on Saturdays and Sundays until May 10, when Fridays are added. Post times are the same as last year – 6:30 p.m. on Fridays; 2 p.m. Saturdays until June 15 when it changes to 5 p.m.; and 2 p.m. Sundays.
The Maryland-based, Panama-born trainer Jose Corrales was traveling in Cuba on Wednesday, but on Saturday he’ll be in West Virginia with a chance to win a $1 million race for the second year in a row.
Corrales, however, was forthright in assessing his chances at landing a second straight $1 million Charles Town Classic. The 2018 winner, Something Awesome, is among the entrants, but Corrales rates another horse, Unbridled Juan, as his leading hope Saturday night.
“My toughest horse is Unbridled Juan,” Corrales said.
The 3-year-olds Break Even and Warrior’s Charge have turned in some outstanding recent races at Oaklawn for trainer Brad Cox.
Break Even ran her record to 3 for 3 in the $150,000 Purple Martin, a six-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies on March 30. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 94. Break Even has won her three races by a combined 13 3/4 lengths.
“She’s very talented,” Cox said. “She does everything the right way. She’s a very mild-mannered, intelligent filly, does everything you ask of her. She’s nice.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – There was a bit of a buzz along with a cool breeze in the paddock at Aqueduct prior to Wednesday’s first race.
A larger-than-usual crowd gathered to watch Tesorina, the first progeny of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah to run in North America, make her debut.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Saturday’s $75,000 Roar Stakes should be a good one. The field of eight 3-year-olds includes Gladiator King, upset winner of the Grade 3 Hutcheson on March 23, and Garter and Tie, who turns back in distance after finishing 10th in the Florida Derby. Other key contenders include Jackson, winner of Tampa Bay Downs Sophomore Stakes in his most recent start; the speedy and much-improved Bronzed, exiting a pair of wire-to-wire victories at the same seven-furlong distance of the Roar; and Promo Code, a winner of his only start and trained by Todd Pletcher.
The decision by Mike Smith and his agent, Brad Pegram, to ride Omaha Beach in the Kentucky Derby instead of their other enticing choice Roadster was reached on Tuesday, three days after Omaha Beach won the Arkansas Derby.
Smith’s decision unleashed a domino effect, including Florent Geroux picking up the mount on Roadster. But to even get to that point, a series of events took place, some of Smith’s choosing, many not, that would be a case study for chaos theory, how random events can yield unpredictable, unforeseen results.
Amy’s Challenge, who established herself as one of the top sprinters this winter at Oaklawn, is now based in Kentucky and is pointing for the Grade 1, $500,000 Humana Distaff on May 4 at Churchill Downs, trainer Mac Robertson said Wednesday.
Amy’s Challenge won back-to-back sprint stakes for fillies and mares at Oaklawn by a combined 14 lengths before shipping to Keeneland and finishing second by a neck in the Grade 1 Madison on April 6. She had her first work back Wednesday, going a half-mile in 48 seconds.
Quip returned to the track Wednesday following his Saturday win in the Grade 2, $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap.
“He looked bright,” said trainer Rodolphe Brisset. “I was real happy with him. It was a good day.”
Brisset said Quip was flown to Keeneland, where he will now be based, following his Saturday win. He said the horse may be nominated to the Grade 3, $300,000 Pimlico Special on May 17, while another possibility is the Grade 2, $600,000 Stephen Foster on June 15 at Churchill Downs.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – In addition to bringing Tax to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, trainer Danny Gargan will bring along Divine Miss Grey for the Grade 1, $500,000 La Troienne on the May 3 Kentucky Oaks card.
On Wednesday, Divine Miss Grey worked a half-mile in 48.01 seconds over the Belmont Park training track, galloping out five furlongs in 1:01 57 and six furlongs in 1:15.49.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Come Dancing, the dominant winner of the Grade 3 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct on April 5, will make her next start in the Grade 2, $250,000 Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park on May 5, her connections confirmed Wednesday.
Come Dancing was also being considered for the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs on May 4.
The Ruffian, a one-turn-mile race, could be a stepping-stone to the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, a one-turn 1 1/16-mile race at Belmont on Belmont Stakes Day, June 8.
