Wed, 03/12/2014 - 12:41

Turf Paradise: Jockey Von Rosen sustains serious spinal injury in spill

Jockey Anne Von Rosen underwent surgery Tuesday night for a serious spinal injury suffered in a spill at Turf Paradise earlier in the day.

Von Rosen, 43, was pulling up Panchita Bonita after a 400-yard Quarter Horse event, and on the backstretch, the horse took a bad step and went down, flipping over and ending up on top of Von Rosen.

The jockey, currently third in the riders’ standings, was rushed to the local John C. Lincoln Hospital for surgery, according to track officials.

Panchita Bonita, who had run second, was uninjured.

Wed, 03/12/2014 - 00:00

2014 Pimlico Race Course Spring Stakes Schedule

2014 Racing Dates

April 3 - June 7

Post Times

12:35 p.m. ET (Thursday - Sunday); Black-Eyed Susan Day (5/16, 12:15 p.m.); Preakness Day (5/17, 10:45 a.m.).


Handicapping Information

Tue, 03/11/2014 - 16:28

Gulfstream: DRF Plus handicapping report for March 12, 2014

Race 1

Closer Looks >>

Race 2

Spot Play

Wild Swava (#4, 3-1) is 4 for 5 on the grass with her only defeat coming when she experienced a very wide trip when shipping to Tampa; won smartly over the local course last out, and should off some degree of value as the se

Tue, 03/11/2014 - 16:12

Gulfstream Park: Sunset Time might hold key to Rainbow 6 wager Thursday

Tom Keyser
Sunset Time has been training sharply in preparation for her 2014 debut in an optional claimer Thursday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The hottest topic around Gulfstream Park these days, other than the upcoming Florida Derby, is undoubtedly the Rainbow 6, with the jackpot eclipsing the $3 million mark last weekend.

With the daily pools regularly approaching or even exceeding $500,000, and field sizes starting to shrink as the championship meet nears an end, the chances of having the standalone, single winning ticket necessary to take down the jackpot continue to diminish. That means being able to ferret out a single or two during the sequence is of the utmost importance.

Tue, 03/11/2014 - 15:58

Santa Anita: Valenzuela wants to become exercise rider

Benoit & Associates
Patrick Valenzuela was winless in his first 21 mounts of the Betfair Hollywood Park meet.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who has not ridden since late January and was suspended Feb. 7 for failing to meet with track stewards, met with the same board of stewards Sunday, seeking an exercise rider’s license.

Valenzuela told Scott Chaney, Kim Sawyer, and Tom Ward that he no longer plans to ride but would like to stay involved in Southern California racing. He said he would like to work as an exercise rider or as a television commentator and has a long-term interest in training.

Tue, 03/11/2014 - 15:52

Santa Anita: Mott has pair for Santa Ana Stakes

Coady Photography
Emollient comes from last under Mike Smith to win the Grade 1 Spinster on Sunday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Bill Mott said Tuesday he will have two runners in Sunday’s $200,000 Santa Ana Stakes for fillies and mares on turf, including the three-time Grade 1 winner Emollient.

Tue, 03/11/2014 - 15:43

Oaklawn Handicap next for Will Take Charge

Barbara D. Livingston
Will Take Charge ran second in the Donn at Gulfstream in his first race of the year.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Champion Will Take Charge, the runner-up to Game On Dude in the Santa Anita Handicap last Saturday, was scheduled to return to his Oaklawn base Wednesday, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said this week. Lukas said the horse is being pointed for the Grade 2, $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap on April 12.

Will Take Charge earned a career-high Beyer of 113 for finishing 1 3/4 lengths behind wire-to-wire winner Game On Dude in the 1 1/4-mile Santa Anita Handicap, which went in 1:58.17.

Tue, 03/11/2014 - 15:21

Fair Grounds: Rise Up sharpens speed ahead of Louisiana Derby

Coady Photography
Rise Up will wear blinkers when he runs in the March 29 Louisiana Derby.

On Tuesday, trainer Tom Amoss sent Delta Jackpot winner Rise Up out to work a bullet five furlongs in 1:00. It was Rise Up’s second work since he finished seventh in the Feb. 22 Risen Star Stakes, his 3-year-old debut.

Rise Up, a front-running horse, basically lost all chance at the start when he broke very poorly and had to rush into contention around the first turn. Rise Up has worn blinkers in both post-Risen Star works, and Amoss said he plans to employ the equipment March 29 in the Louisiana Derby.

Tue, 03/11/2014 - 15:20

Oaklawn Park: Kobe's Back gets another chance in Rebel Stakes

Shigeki Kikkawa
Kobe's Back won the seven-furlong San Vicente last month (above) and stretches out to 1 1/16 miles for the Grade 2 Rebel on Saturday.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The Grade 2-winning 3-year-old Kobe’s Back lost all chance of winning his two-turn debut last December. He’ll get a second chance at the trip at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, when he runs in the Grade 2, $600,000 Rebel Stakes.

Kobe’s Back will be one of the top choices in the 1 1/16-mile race, which was expected to draw seven to nine horses when entries closed Wednesday. Other leading contenders include Tapiture and Strong Mandate, the one-two finishers in last month’s Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn.

Tue, 03/11/2014 - 14:57

Santa Anita: Field for Santa Margarita to be small but talented

Shigeki Kikkawa
Spellbound (No. 6) and jockey Victor Espinoza win the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes by a neck over Let Faith Arise on Jan. 19.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The $350,000 Santa Margarita Stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita on Saturday will be a race for locals.

After trainer Bill Mott said Tuesday that Close Hatches would start in Saturday’s $200,000 Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park, the Santa Margarita lost its potential shipper among the 12 nominees.