The Arkansas Racetrack Chaplaincy will auction off a halter regularly worn by Thorpedo Anna, the 2024 Horse of the Year, during its annual banquet on Thursday night, March 20, Chaplain Robi Heffington said. It will be showcased in a shadow box frame and is part of a package deal with a framed Kentucky Oaks picture signed by trainer Kenny McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.
The item is one of about 15 for a live auction. There also will be a silent auction.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The mandatory Rainbow 6 scheduled for Sunday lost much of its luster after the jackpot was hit by one lucky winner to the tune of a $268,604 for a 20-cent ticket on Thursday. The jackpot was resolved just six programs after the previous mandatory force-out of the entire pool on March 2.
There were four “singles” heading into the final leg, which was won by Westhampton, who returned $101.60 to win after circling the field and drawing off to an impressive victory in the lower-level maiden claiming event on the turf.
Following his win in a third-level allowance race on turf on March 6 at Fair Grounds, Donegal Momentum has returned to New York to train as trainer Tom Morley weighs where to run the dual-surface winner next.
While Morley said the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile on turf on April 11 at Keeneland is likely, the trainer said he also would have him nominated to the Grade 2, $300,000 Carter going seven furlongs on dirt on April 5 at Aqueduct. Donegal Momentum has a win and a second from three starts on dirt, and Morley said the horse would run on dirt at some point again this year.
Bernieandtherose, who ran her winning streak to four straight with a 3 1/4-length victory in the Maddie May Stakes for New York-breds on March 8, will likely make her next start against open company in the Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle Stakes on April 5 at Aqueduct.
The Gazelle is New York’s last points race for the Kentucky Oaks, offering 100 points to the winner and 50 to the runner-up, either typically good enough to get into the Oaks field.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn Park is considering moving to a four-day race week for the majority of its meet next season in conversations being held with horsemen and Hot Springs community leaders, according to track president Lou Cella.
Oaklawn’s current meet format features a three-day race week, from Friday through Sunday.
Jockey Umberto Rispoli has a set routine on Thursday nights, the eve of the start of racing weekends at Santa Anita. Part of the evening is devoted to studying his upcoming mounts.
Lately, the homework has paid off.
Rispoli has had four two-win days at Santa Anita this month, including two stakes wins on March 1 aboard Formidable Man in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile and the exciting Kentucky Derby prospect Journalism in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes.
“I couldn’t be more happy with the way things are going,” Rispoli said on Thursday.
The adjustment on the calendar of two Grade 1 turf events and a rearranging of the New York-bred stakes program are among the changes the New York Racing Association has made to the 2025 Saratoga stakes schedule, which was released on Thursday.
The stakes program for the 40-day Saratoga meet that runs July 10-Sept. 1 will include 64 events worth $20,330,000. The previously announced July Fourth Racing Festival, while held at Saratoga (July 3-6), is not considered part of the Saratoga summer meet.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Subsanador, unraced since a win in the Grade 1 California Crown at Santa Anita last September, will have a delayed comeback from an ankle injury and will not resume training until late summer, trainer Richard Mandella said.
Subsanador recently underwent diagnostic tests that showed he needed additional time for recovery.
“He’ll get four more months and we’ll X-ray it again,” Mandella said. “We’ve sent him to Kentucky. We’ll give him more time. The main thing is to get him back.”
ARCADIA, Calif. - Santa Anita will run a rare non-holiday four-day racing week starting on Friday, recently adding Monday as a makeup day for a weekend of races lost in January because of the wildfires fires that struck Los Angeles County.
Track officials said recently that there may be more dates added to the schedule before the end of the spring season on June 15, depending on availability of horses.
“We want to run as much as we can,” said track general manager Nate Newby.
