Wed, 07/09/2014 - 14:26

Grandeur to end U.S. visit in Bowling Green

Tom Keyser
Grandeur has finished third in the Man o' War and fourth in the Manhattan this year.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Grandeur will wrap up his North American campaign when he faces six rivals in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Bowling Green Handicap, the final graded event of the Belmont spring-summer meet.

Grandeur, based in England with Jeremy Noseda, came to New York in the spring and finished third in the Grade 1 Man o’ War on May 11 and fourth the Grade 1 Manhattan on June 7. In the Manhattan, Grandeur was 17 lengths off a modest pace under Gary Stevens and came with a late run to get beat 2 1/4 lengths, much to the chagrin of his connections.

Wed, 07/09/2014 - 13:27

Delaware commission investigating possible jockey fight

The Delaware Racing Commission is investigating a possible fight between jockeys Trevor McCarthy and Angel Serpa following the fifth race at Delaware Park last Saturday. A stewards’ hearing is scheduled for Thursday morning.

Wed, 07/09/2014 - 12:24

B.J. Wright, owner of Jeranimo and Ultimate Eagle, dies

Barbara D. Livingston
Jeranimo goes for his third victory in the San Gabriel on Saturday.

B.J. Wright, a Kentucky native who owned stakes-winning Thoroughbreds in Southern California in recent years, died early Tuesday of cancer, according to his trainer, Mike Pender.

Wright was 76, and had been battling illness in the last year.

Wright campaigned such prominent runners as Jeranimo, a millionaire and eight-time stakes winner, and Ultimate Eagle, who won three stakes, including the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in 2011. Jeranimo won the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes at Santa Anita earlier this year.

Wed, 07/09/2014 - 11:52

Evangeline trio likely headed for Louisiana Cup Day next

Coady Photography
Joy of the Saints (orange saddlecloth) wins the fillies' division of the $100,000 D.S. "Shine" Young Futurity on Saturday at Evangeline Downs.

OPELOUSAS, La. – All three of last Saturday’s stakes winners at Evangeline Downs emerged in good order and likely are headed upstate to Louisiana Downs for Louisiana Cup Day on Aug. 2. There is a small chance, however, that one might be headed out of state instead.

Wed, 07/09/2014 - 11:35

Something Extra pointing to Play the King Stakes

Michael Burns
Something Extra wins the Grade 2 Highlander at Woodbine on Sunday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Grade 2 Highlander Stakes winner Something Extra probably will make his next start at Woodbine in the Grade 2, $200,000 Play the King Stakes on Aug. 10, according to trainer and co-owner Gail Cox.

Something Extra won Sunday’s six-furlong Highlander in front-running fashion by 1 1/4 lengths over 2013 Canadian champion male sprinter Phil’s Dream after looking like he might get swallowed up inside the eighth pole.

“He seems to have come out of it really well,” Cox said. “He’s usually exhausted for a few days, but he’s pretty bright.”

Wed, 07/09/2014 - 11:24

Haskell Invitational field coming together

Barbara D. Livingston
Bayern wins the Woody Stephens by 7 1/2 lengths after turning back a bid from Social Inclusion in upper stretch.

While owner Ron Winchell and trainer Steve Asmussen contemplate whether to run their star filly, Untapable, against the boys July 27 in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational or stay within their division and point to the Coaching Club American Oaks, the field for the $1 million Haskell is beginning to come into focus.

As of Wednesday morning, Monmouth Park stakes coordinator Dan Dufford had six probables for the 1 1/8-mile race, including Bayern, runaway winner of the seven-furlong Woody Stephens Stakes on Belmont Stakes Day.

Wed, 07/09/2014 - 10:13

Normandy Invasion close to training return after lung infection

Tom Keyser
Normandy Invasion came out of the Met Mile, in which he finished 10th, with a lung infection but is nearing his return to training, according to his connections.

Normandy Invasion is nearing a return to training after coming out of the Met Mile with a lung infection, according to trainer Larry Jones.

Normandy Invasion finished 10th in the Metropolitan Handicap on June 7. He subsequently was found to have a lung infection. Owner Rick Porter transferred the 4-year-old from trainer Chad Brown to Jones soon after the race. Normandy Invasion now is based at Delaware Park.

“We're waiting for the vet's last checkup,” Jones said. “Once we get the OK, he’ll go back into training.”

Tue, 07/08/2014 - 15:40

Zia Park names Junk racing secretary

Robbie Junk has been named racing secretary for the Zia Park meet that opens Sept. 6, the Hobbs, N.M., track announced Tuesday. Zia also has hired Johnnie Jamison as its starter. The track’s 52-date mixed meet for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses will run through Dec. 2. 

Junk, 54, was the racing secretary at Zia when the track opened in 2005. He now serves in the same capacity at Sunland Park, the New Mexico track that races from December through April. Jamison, 57, comes to Zia from Indiana Grand.

Tue, 07/08/2014 - 15:30

Euro import Our Channel seems well suited to American Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
War Dancer could run in the Arlington Handicap or the Stars and Stripes.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – English trainer William Haggas’s first North American runner, a colt named Primary, performed well enough, finishing third behind Showing Up and Ivan Denisovich in the 2006 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington. Eight years later and Haggas finally has lined up his second North American starter, Our Channel, another horse for a 3-year-old turf race at Arlington, Saturday’s American Derby.

Despite Haggas’s sparse participation on this continent, he said he has long intended Our Channel for American racing.

Tue, 07/08/2014 - 15:00

Los Alamitos handles $5.6M a day during first week

CYPRESS, Calif. – The first week of the Los Alamitos summer Thoroughbred meeting ended Sunday with attendance and handle lower than during the corresponding week at now-shuttered Hollywood Park last year.

Over four days, from Thursday through Sunday, Los Alamitos had average ontrack attendance of 3,996, an average ontrack handle of $473,126, and an all-sources average handle of $5,638,202. Los Alamitos had eight-race programs Thursday and Friday and nine-race programs Saturday and Sunday.