Sat, 01/16/2016 - 13:24

Apprentice jockey Lopez fined $300

ARCADIA, Calif. – Apprentice jockey David Lopez was fined $300 by track stewards on Friday for violating a whip rule in Thursday's fourth race.

Lopez was cited for his ride on Superside, who finished seventh of eight in a maiden claimer at a mile. The stewards wrote in a one-page ruling that Lopez used his whip when "clearly out of [the] race."

Superside was beaten 32 1/2 lengths by Motoring Around and finished 3 1/4 lengths behind sixth-place finisher Roaln With Bolen.

Lopez, 21, is fifth in the jockeys’ standings at the meeting with seven wins.

Sat, 01/16/2016 - 13:16

Grade 1 winner Warren's Veneda retired at age 6

Shigeki Kikkawa
Warren's Veneda is under consideration for the June 6 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Warren’s Veneda, a winner of four stakes at Hollywood Park and Santa Anita, has been retired and will be bred to Clubhouse Ride this year, trainer Craig Lewis said on Friday.

The decision was reached by Lewis and owner and breeder Ben Warren after Warren’s Veneda emerged from a workout Jan. 10 with inflammation in a leg. Warren’s Veneda was a candidate for the $200,000 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 15:59

Servis moving string to Oaklawn

Taylor Ejdys/EQUI-PHOTO
Bird of Trey wins the 2015 Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes at Parx Racing.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – John Servis, who trained one of the most popular horses to ever race at Oaklawn Park in Smarty Jones, said he will be sending a string of horses to the Hot Springs, Ark., track this coming week. Servis also has divisions of his stable in Florida and Pennsylvania.

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 15:57

Foster winner Noble Bird could target Oaklawn Handicap

Barbara D. Livingston
Noble Bird could make a start later this meet at Oaklawn Park.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Mark Casse, who has a 25-horse division at Oaklawn Park, said Stephen Foster winner Noble Bird could turn up in Hot Springs. The biggest offering for handicap horses at the meet is the Grade 2, $750,000 Oaklawn on April 16.

“There is a chance Noble Bird is going to come out there,” said Casse. “There’s a chance of that.”

Some of the quality runners Casse has on the grounds now include the promising 3-year-olds Siding Spring and Conquest Windycity.

“We brought some 3-year-olds because it’s such a great program,” said Casse.

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 15:50

Toews On Ice heads field of 14 in Smarty Jones Stakes

Benoit & Associates
Toews On Ice is one of 14 horses entered for Monday's $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn Park will launch its 3-year-old series on Monday when 14 horses led by Toews On Ice run in the $150,000 Smarty Jones. Entries for the one-mile race were taken on Friday.

The Smarty Jones – which will end at the sixteenth pole – offers its first four finishers Kentucky Derby points on a preference system administered by Churchill Downs. The points will be awarded on a scale of 10-4-2-1.

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 15:44

Clothes Fall Off sets track record

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Clothes Fall Off streaked to a track record for 5 1/2 furlongs over Aqueduct’s inner track Thursday and will likely make her next start in the Grade 2, $300,000 Barbara Fritchie at Laurel on Feb. 13, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.

Clothes Fall Off, a daughter of Daaher, won a second-level allowance race by 1 1/2 lengths Thursday, running 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.89. That eclipsed the previous mark of 1:03.50 set on Jan. 22, 2011, by Head Heart Hoof. Clothes Fall Off was assigned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure.

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 15:42

Carter 1-2 finishers get rematch in Toboggan

Barbara D. Livingston
Carter Handicap winner Dads Caps will start on Monday in the Grade 3 Toboggan Stakes at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – With the temperatures near 50 degrees Friday morning, there was an April feel to the air in the New York area.

That spring feeling carried over to the entry box, where Dads Caps and Green Gratto – the one-two finishers from last April’s Grade 1 Carter Handicap – topped a field of six entered for Monday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan Stakes at Aqueduct.

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 15:20

Flexibility headed right way for Withers

Michael Amoruso
Flexibility wins the Jerome Stakes on Jan. 2 at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Flexibility, winner of the Grade 3 Jerome Stakes on Jan. 2, tuned up for an expected start in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes by working a half-mile in 48.14 seconds over the Belmont Park training track Friday morning. The Withers will be run Jan. 30 at Aqueduct.

The work was done in company with Building Permit and equaled the fastest of 157 workouts at the distance on an extremely busy morning. Many horsemen moved up scheduled Saturday workouts to Friday due to forecasted overnight rain.

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 15:06

Sunbean makes progress toward return

Coady Photography
After nearly a year without racing, Sunbean is aiming to make his return during this Fair Grounds meeting.

NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana-bred millionaire Sunbean, unraced since February 2015, has gotten up to five furlongs in his workouts and is set to make his return to the races sometime this Fair Grounds meet, trainer Ron Faucheux said Thursday.

Sunbean, a 6-year-old gelding who has won 13 of 21 starts, had his first work this winter Dec. 6, and on Wednesday he worked five furlongs in 1:02.40. Faucheux, who trains Sunbean for the Brittlyn Stable, said Sunbean is being pointed to the Star Guitar Stakes for Louisiana-breds March 26.

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 15:02

Cash Back stays perfect with allowance victory

NEW ORLEANS – Cash Back is the latest in a long line of talented horses produced by the mare Hidden Assets, and the 3-year-old filly ran her career record to 2 for 2 with a comfortable front-running victory in a turf-sprint allowance race here Thursday.