Frank Fletcher’s primary objective in racing is to win the Arkansas Derby at his home track of Oaklawn Park, and he took a significant step toward making that happen last week when he purchased an Into Mischief colt for $575,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. June auction of 2-year-olds in training.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Al Stall Jr. will send out two of the favorites Saturday night for the Grade 2 Firecracker at Churchill Downs, but the veteran trainer won’t be on hand to saddle either Departing or Medal Count.
“I made a commitment a while back to be with Frankie,” said Stall. “I’ve also got Chide in the Mother Goose [at Belmont Park] Saturday, but my people have to come first.”
Jockey Sheldon Russell didn't get the good news from his doctors he was hoping for on Thursday.
Russell, who has been out since he was injured in a spill at Pimlico on April 25, has started to gallop horses and was hoping his doctors would clear him on Thursday to resume riding early in the Laurel Park meet, which begins July 3.
According to Russell's agent, Marty Leonard, Russell's doctors want him to give his injuries more time to heal. Russell will more likely launch his comeback in late July, according to Leonard.
When Hollywood Park closed at the end of 2013, its signature race for older horses was rechristened the Gold Cup at Santa Anita. The $500,000 purse, the distance at 1 1/4 miles on dirt, and its position in early summer remained the same despite a venue change.
Another mainstay has been the presence of a leading runner trained by Bob Baffert. From 2011 to 2013, Baffert won the Hollywood Gold Cup each year with either First Dude and Game On Dude. Last year, Game On Dude was fourth as the 4-5 favorite behind Majestic Harbor in the first Gold Cup at Santa Anita.
OPELOUSAS, La. – With Louisiana Legends Night at Evangeline Downs a little more than a week away, the connections of some of the major players are making final preparations for one of the state’s biggest racing days. Eight stakes restricted to statebreds and worth a combined $775,000 should provide some real fireworks the evening of July 4.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Spanish Queen, the top 3-year-old turf filly in California, posted a sharp dirt workout Wednesday at Santa Anita as she prepares for her first road trip. The Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Oaks and a showdown with the undefeated Lady Eli is next for Spanish Queen, who worked five furlongs for trainer Richard Baltas and jockey Brice Blanc.
The winner of the Grade 1 American Oaks on May 30, Spanish Queen caught company at the top of the stretch in her work.
“Brice said he was going to go around, but she wanted to go in between,” Baltas said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Warren’s Veneda wants to do more. She wants to train, and she wants to race. Trainer Craig Lewis will oblige.
Only 10 days after a solid runner-up finish to Beholder in the Grade 3 Adoration Stakes, Warren’s Veneda worked a snappy five furlongs Tuesday at Santa Anita in 58.80 seconds and will wheel back July 11 in a sprint stakes at Los Alamitos.
“She loves to train, and she loves to run,” Lewis said. “She seems to be able to do more than I want her to do. She’s been able to take a lot of hard races and bounce out very well.”
Promise Me Silver, who was undefeated in eight career starts prior to her 10th-place finish in the Acorn, will return to Belmont Park for the Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes on July 4.
Promise Me Silver was off slowly at the start of the Acorn, then rushed up to take the lead through a 22.89-second opening quarter. She tired in the stretch of the one-mile race.
The New York Racing Association has announced that it will guarantee the size of some pick four, pick five, and pick six pools at Saratoga.
The late pick four on Saturdays will be guaranteed to handle $500,000. The guarantee will be higher on Travers Day (Aug. 29, $1 million), Whitney Day (Aug. 8, $750,000), and Woodward Day (Sept. 5, $750,000).
On the Whitney and Travers cards, a $400,000-guaranteed pick five will begin in race 1, and a $250,000-guaranteed pick six will begin in race 6.