Jockey Richard Eramia is dominating the riders’ standings at Louisiana Downs, but the race for leading trainer is not so clear cut almost two months into the season. Ron Faucheux, who is winning races at a 61 percent clip, leads the standings with 17 wins, while it is one back to both Joey Foster, the defending training champ, and Jonas Gibson.
All three trainers won a race on the eight-race program Thursday, and each has horses entered Sunday.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Corey Lanerie, who will finish as the leading rider at this spring’s Churchill Downs meeting, will spend the summer riding in New York. He will be represented by agent Bill Castle.
Lanerie is scheduled to begin riding July 4 at Belmont – a week after the Churchill meet closes – then spend the summer in Saratoga, a meet that begins July 18.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Commander could be leaving his cozy confines at Northlands Park to take a shot Aug. 24 in the Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs. If he does, it will bring a sigh of relief to the connections of the horses in the older handicap division at Northlands.
Over the last three years, Commander has won nine of his 10 starts in Edmonton, and despite packing 125 pounds in his most recent win in the Spangled Jimmy Handicap, he couldn’t have won any more easily.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Caroline Thomas, who won a third-level allowance race here June 15, could make her next start July 19 in the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana Stakes at Saratoga, trainer Barclay Tagg said Friday.
Caroline Thomas rallied from off the pace to beat a quality field by 2 1/2 lengths under apprentice Taylor Rice. It was the first win for Caroline Thomas since she was elevated to first by the stewards in last year’s Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga. The Diana, like the Lake Placid, is run at 1 1/8 miles.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Uncle Sigh, who was scratched June 15 from the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park after being cast in his Belmont Park stall a few days earlier, could return to the races in the first week of July, trainer Gary Contessa said Friday.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Barn 22 at Belmont Park was placed under a precautionary quarantine Friday after a horse in the care of trainer Pat Kelly showed signs of EHV-1, equineherpes virus, according to the chief examining veterinarian for the New York Racing Association.
According to Dr. Anthony Verderosa, an unraced 2-year-old colt who arrived Monday at Belmont “experienced neurological symptoms and was febrile a few days ago. We don’t know what we have, but samples are being sent out, and we’ll know something later this weekend.”
OCEANPORT, N.J. – Just Call Kenny, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, was a veterinarian’s scratch from Friday’s feature at Monmouth Park, a $44,000, second-level optional $30,000 claiming sprint.
The race had been slated as the comeback spot for the winner of the Spectacular Bid Stakes for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park in January. The colt came out of the race with a slight condylar fracture that required surgery.
Trainer Pat McBurney had mapped out a demanding schedule for Just Call Kenny to make the meet’s main event, the $1 million Haskell Invitational on July 27.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Dale Romans has confirmed the Grade 2 Firecracker as the comeback spot for Silver Max after the 5-year-old horse breezed Thursday over the Churchill Downs turf.
Silver Max, the only horse to defeat Wise Dan in the last two years, has not raced since finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in early November. The $200,000 Firecracker, a one-mile turf race, anchors closing weekend of the spring meet with its 24th running next Saturday, June 28.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Little Mike missed his last two scheduled starts, the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs and the Grade 1 Manhattan, due to licensing disputes between owner-trainer Carlo Vaccarezza and the racing commissions in Kentucky and New York.
Little Mike’s next intended goal was the Arlington Million. But after losing out on the opportunity to get a prep, Vaccarezza has opted to pass that race as well.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – A couple of lightly raced 3-year-olds, Remembertobreathe and Far Niente, passed their first distance test with flying colors last weekend and soon will be joining their respective stakes divisions.
Remembertobreathe figures to be one of the favorites when he runs July 1 in the $50,000 Chris Loseth Handicap. He was impressive in winning a first-level allowance race going 1 1/16 miles with Ryan Pacheco aboard last Sunday.
