Wed, 09/06/2017 - 12:36

O'Neill may run Pavel and Irap in Pennsylvania Derby

Debra A. Roma
Indiana Derby winner Irap was set to arrive at Parx on Wednesday ahead of the Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 23.

Irap and Pavel may give owners Paul and Zillah Reddam and trainer Doug O’Neill a formidable duo in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing on Sept. 23.

O’Neill said on Wednesday that Pavel is being pointed for the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at 1 1/8 miles, and that Irap’s participation depends on the outcome of a workout on Saturday. Both colts are currently stabled at Parx.

“Irap is due to work on Saturday,” O’Neill said. “If he works as well as we hope, then it’s possible Irap would start next in the Penn Derby.

Wed, 09/06/2017 - 11:36

Gulfstream Park cancels cards Thursday through Sunday due to hurricane

Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., has canceled the four live racing cards scheduled for Thursday through Sunday due to weather forecasts predicting that Hurricane Irma will hit south Florida, the track announced Wednesday.

Hurricane Irma, which on Wednesday was being called the strongest Atlantic Ocean storm ever recorded, with winds of 185 mph, is not expected to make landfall until Sunday, but the impact of the storm, including heavy rainfall and powerful winds, could be felt as early as Friday, according to weather services.

Wed, 09/06/2017 - 09:56

Ellis Park sets handle mark for second straight year

Ellis Park set another record for all-sources handle this summer, when nearly $38.4 million was wagered during the meet, which ended Monday.

Officials at the western Kentucky track reported Tuesday that gross wagering was up 18 percent over its meet in 2016, when the previous record was set. Technically, the 2017 meet consisted of 31 days, but one card (Aug. 6) was canceled after three races and another (Sept. 1) was canceled after just one race. There were 256 races run this summer versus 259 in 2016. For the 29 full cards this year, average daily handle was $1.3 million.

Tue, 09/05/2017 - 15:00

Navarro poised to break mark for wins by trainer

Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
Jorge Navarro, after his 56th win at Monmouth Park last Sunday, is the track's leading trainer for the fourth time.

Jorge Navarro, who long ago locked up his fifth consecutive Monmouth Park training title, went 3 for 7 over the holiday weekend, equaling the meet record of 59 wins that he set in 2016.

Navarro also set a record for wins on a Monmouth card July 23, when he sent out five winners. Sharp Azteca, whom he trains, set a track record for 1 1/16 miles when he won the Monmouth Cup on Haskell Day in 1:40.19.

Tue, 09/05/2017 - 15:00

Laurel, headed in the right direction, opens meet with fresh turf course

Barbara D. Livingston
Owner-trainer King Leatherbury was disappointed his 10-old-star Ben's Cat finished last in the Maryland Million Sprint.

Laurel Park will begin its premier meet Friday on an up note following an extended summer season during which average daily handle increased 25.5 percent to $2.72 million.

Expanded to 33 days this year, the summer season closed Aug. 20 to make way for the Maryland State Fair meet at Timonium, which concluded its seven-day run on Labor Day. The down time gave the Laurel turf course time to mend and allowed the track crew to resurface the dirt track.

Tue, 09/05/2017 - 14:56

Baltas basks in warmth of first Del Mar training title

Benoit & Associates
Madam Dancealot, winner of the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap in her last start, will try to give her owners their first Grade 1 victory in Saturday's Del Mar Oaks.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Richard Baltas was beaming Tuesday morning over winning his first training title at Del Mar, one he had to share with Phil D’Amato, who won the final race of the meet to pull into a tie with Baltas at the top of the standings with 18 wins each.

“It’s not like it’s a little meet,” Baltas said. “The Del Mar summer meet – everybody’s watching. I’m happy. We work really hard. Congratulations go out to my staff. They work their butts off.”

Tue, 09/05/2017 - 14:46

Risenhoover makes first Del Mar win count

Benoit & Associates
Sasha Risenhoover exults after winning the Del Juvenile Fillies Turf aboard Terra's Angel on Monday.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Sasha Risenhoover said she was “still taking it all in” Tuesday morning at Del Mar, the day after she rode Terra’s Angel to an emotional victory in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf, giving Risenhoover her first victory at Del Mar.

“It’s something I’ll never forget,” she said. “Go out to Cali and break your maiden on a horse so special in a stakes race at Del Mar. Amazing.”

Tue, 09/05/2017 - 14:46

Bolt d'Oro heads to FrontRunner as the front-runner

Benoit & Associates
Bolt d'Oro and jockey Corey Nakatani take the Del Mar Futurity by three-quarters of a length over Zatter in the Del Mar Futurity on Monday.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Bolt d’Oro, winner of the Del Mar Futurity on Monday, was resting comfortably in his stall Tuesday morning, readying for a trip to Santa Anita later in the day before a return to Del Mar this fall in his bid to lock up a championship.

Mon, 09/04/2017 - 19:37

NYRA sets handle record for 2017 Saratoga meet

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The numbers were big for the New York Racing Association at Saratoga this summer in both good and bad ways.

On the positive side, Saratoga set a record for all-sources handle with $676,709,490 being wagered on the 40-day meet that concluded Monday. That surpassed the record of $648,272,805 wagered in 2015. This year’s handle was up 4.5 percent over last year’s figure of $647,322,503.

Ontrack handle was $157,014,965, just missing the record $157,647,599 wagered here in 2015, but up 3.4 percent from last year’s figure of $151,841,828.

Mon, 09/04/2017 - 15:50

Field coming together for first turf edition of Super Derby

Louisiana Downs racing secretary David Heitzmann had a working list of seven or eight possible starters for the $200,000 Super Derby as of Monday morning. The Super Derby, which will be run on the turf for the first time Saturday, anchors a card of seven stakes worth a total of $540,000.