Turf Paradise, the Phoenix racetrack that has struggled financially and operationally over the past five years, is in the process of being sold to a California real estate developer who has partnered with a racetrack official with experience in operating historical horse-racing machines.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Trainer Chad Brown will be looking to extend his dominance in the Grade 1, $600,000 Jenny Wiley when he is represented by the highly regarded Peter Brant pair of In Italian and Speak of the Devil among eight fillies and mares in the 1 1/16-mile turf race.
The status of Blue Grass third-place finisher Blazing Sevens will be monitored quite closely by those on the outside of the Kentucky Derby picture looking in, but don’t expect a decision on that colt’s status for a few weeks.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Lexington Stakes on Saturday often serves as a prep for the Preakness, not the Kentucky Derby. And that would most definitely apply in the case of Arabian Lion, one of 11 3-year-olds confirmed for the final qualifying race toward the May 6 Derby.
Arabian Lion, trained by Bob Baffert, lacks sufficient qualifying points for the Derby, helping to make that a moot point. But the May 20 Preakness remains in play, especially if the Justify colt runs big in the Grade 3, $400,000 Lexington at Keeneland.
There were no injuries in a barn fire Tuesday night at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., according to a statement released by the track. The fire destroyed the north end of the Wild Again barn, and horses and staff from the area were safely relocated to other barns. The fire started shortly before 7 p.m., and as of Wednesday morning the cause of the fire is unknown.
Oaklawn released the following statement:
Kenny McPeek can keep everybody else jammed up if he wants. There’s no looming timetable as to when the veteran trainer must decide whether Sun Thunder will be entered in the May 6 Kentucky Derby, and he can take pretty much all the time he needs.
Sun Thunder, a no-factor fourth by 6 1/2 lengths as a 13-1 shot last Saturday in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, is in the Derby if so desired. Owned by R.T. Racing Stable and Cypress Creek Equine, the son of uber-sire Into Mischief is 14th on the list of qualifiers with 54 points, safely above the 20-horse cutoff.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine Entertainment announced Tuesday that Jim Lawson will be stepping down from his role as chief executive officer this fall.
Lawson, who has been CEO since 2015, said he wants to spend more time with his family and believes it’s time to hand the reins to the next leader.
Wild On Ice emerged from his first work since his Sunland Park Derby victory in good order and is now being pointed for the Kentucky Derby, trainer Joel Marr said Tuesday. Wild On Ice arrived at Churchill Downs on Sunday.
“We’re in Kentucky,” Marr said. “We trained yesterday and today and so far everything is going smoothly.”
Wild On Ice worked last Friday at Sunland Park, going a half-mile by himself in 49.40 seconds. The horse’s regular rider, Ken Tohill, was aboard for the move, said Marr.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Congruent, winner of the John Battaglia Memorial earlier this year at Turfway Park, has been transferred from Antonio Sano to Chad Brown by his owners.
Brown said he has no immediate plans for Congruent, who has raced on all three surfaces – dirt, turf, and synthetic. He won the off-the-turf Laurel Futurity last fall at Laurel Park. He raced three times on turf, with a third-place finish in the Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream Park in December his best finish on that surface. Most recently, he finished sixth in the Jeff Ruby Steaks on the Tapeta at Turfway.
