HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Jockey Jose Ortiz wasted little time announcing his presence at Gulfstream this winter by winning with his first mount at the Championship meet, Shar Ran ($6), in Thursday’s opener.
Shar Ran was the first horse Ortiz had ridden since undergoing knee surgery earlier this month. He inherited the mount from Julien Leparoux, who returned to Kentucky earlier this week for the birth of his second child.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The $100,000 Bay Ridge, which did not have enough entries to be carded for Friday, as scheduled, did draw a field of five New York-bred fillies and mares on Friday and will now be run on Monday’s New Year’s Day program.
Holiday Disguise, trained by Linda Rice, was a surprise entrant in the Bay Ridge, run at 1 1/8 miles, as she was expected to run in next Saturday’s La Verdad Stakes at seven furlongs. Holiday Disguise has not run beyond seven furlongs and has not raced since winning the Bouwerie Stakes on May 29.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Owner Ron Lombardi and trainer Jason Servis have a very simple and logical explanation for keeping Kentucky Derby prospect Firenze Fire in New York this winter.
“Ron and I talked about it, and he thought New York was the softest path to the Derby, and I agreed with him,” Servis said.
Weather permitting, New York’s path to the Kentucky Derby is scheduled to begin Monday with the $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct, and Firenze Fire was one of eight horses entered Friday for the one-turn mile.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – There is never a shortage of bad-beat stories when horseplayers gather, but it would be difficult to match the tale one unknown player can now tell following a bizarre incident that took place approaching the wire in Thursday’s finale at Gulfstream.
Fernando De La Cruz, who is riding at Tampa Bay Downs, plans to winter at the Oaklawn Park meet that opens Jan. 12 in Hot Springs, Ark. Tony King, who will be his agent, said the rider was due to arrive in Arkansas sometime Tuesday.
“He’s going to ride through Sunday at Tampa, and then he’s going to come straight in,” King said. “He’ll be available for training on Wednesday.”
King said De La Cruz’s scheduled arrival is weather permitting. Oaklawn, because of extreme winter weather, canceled training Friday.
Jockey Florent Geroux will be off his mounts at Fair Grounds through at least Monday following the death of his father, Dominique Geroux. The elder Geroux died Friday morning in France, according to Doug Bredar, agent for Florent Geroux.
Florent Geroux last rode Dec. 26 at Fair Grounds, leaving for France after the first few races to tend to his father, who he learned fell on Christmas Day. Dominique Geroux was 67 and a former jockey and trainer, Bredar said. He died in his hometown of Amiens, about 75 miles north of Paris.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Smokey Image, who was entered for Saturday’s Grade 3 Midnight Lute Stakes for sprinters, is likely to start instead in Monday’s $75,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita, trainer Carla Gaines said.
The Hernandez Stakes is run at about 6 1/2 furlongs and is the main race on the New Year’s Day program.
ARCADIA, Calif. – California trainer Ron Ellis is disbanding his stable this weekend in advance of the start of a 60-day suspension that begins on Monday. Ellis was suspended because a horse he trained, Masochistic, tested positive for a steroid after finishing second in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita.
Ellis has approximately 25 horses at Santa Anita, according to track officials. Ellis said on Friday that some of his horses will be transferred to Southern California trainers Blake Heap, Brian Koriner, and Gerard Piccioni, while others will be sent out of state.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Bill Mott has had a solid Aqueduct fall meet with 10 winners from 48 starters, including victories from four of his last 10 runners.
Included in Mott’s recent run of success are 3-year-old fillies Boule and Greatreviews and the 2-year-old filly Lemoona. While Lemoona has already been shipped to south Florida, Boule and Greatreviews will likely make their next starts in New York.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Control Group, winner of the Grade 3 Discovery Stakes on Nov. 25, figures to be a heavy favorite when he returns to New York-bred competition in Sunday’s $100,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes at 1 1/8 miles.
Control Group, a 3-year-old son of Posse, has won 4 of his last 5 starts, his lone loss being a runner-up finish behind Twisted Tom in the $300,000 Empire Classic at Belmont Park on Oct. 21.
