Sat, 01/11/2014 - 10:13

Aqueduct, Laurel cancel Saturday cards

Aqueduct canceled its nine-race card Saturday due to heavy fog, and Laurel Park canceled its nine-race card due to problems with its track caused by changing weather. There were no stakes races on either card.

Racing at Aqueduct was scheduled to resume with Sunday's nine-race card beginning at 12:25 p.m. Eastern. The featured race is the $100,000 Ruthless Stakes, a six-furlong test for 3-year-old fillies.

Laurel and Pimlico will be open for simulcasting Saturday. Live racing at Laurel is scheduled to resume Wednesday at 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 16:04

Gulfstream Park Turf, Donn handicaps moved to a Sunday

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Gulfstream Park announced Friday that it has moved its two Grade 1 races for older horses, the Donn Handicap and Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap, from Saturday, Feb. 8 to Sunday, Feb. 9 to help kick off the Jockey Club Tour on Fox television series. The races will air on Fox Sports 1.

The Donn and Gulfstream Park Turf handicaps will now join the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie on the Feb. 9 card. The Feb. 8 program will still offer the Grade 3 Suwannee River and Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint.

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 15:59

Gulfstream Park: Mucho Macho Man headed to Sunshine Millions

Barbara D. Livingston
Mucho Macho Man ended his 2013 campaign with wins in the Breeders' Cup Classic and Awesome Again Stakes.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Kathy Ritvo made it official early Friday afternoon when she confirmed that Gulfstream Park’s Sunshine Millions Classic will be the starting point for Mucho Macho Man’s 2014 campaign. The Sunshine Millions Classic will be decided at 1 1/8 miles as the marquee event on the $1.3 million Sunshine Millions card Jan. 18.

Mucho Macho Man, who has not started since winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic, is a finalist for an Eclipse Award as the top older male of 2013. The Eclipse ceremonies will be held at Gulfstream several hours after the Sunshine Classic.

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 15:42

Oaklawn Park: On Fire Baby will be back to defend Apple Blossom title

Tom Keyser
On Fire Baby is scheduled to work twice before she runs in the Aug. 25 Personal Ensign.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – On Fire Baby will return to the Oaklawn Park stable of trainer Gary Hartlage in the very near future, with the objective a defense of her title in the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap.

“In two to three weeks, she’ll be here,” said Hartlage, who trains On Fire Baby for her breeder, Anita Cauley. “Our goal is to make the Azeri and the Apple Blossom.”

The Azeri, which has been upgraded from a Grade 3 to Grade 2 and boosted in value from $150,000 to $200,000, will be run at Oaklawn on March 5. The Apple Blossom is April 11.

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 15:02

Aqueduct: Taylor Rice hopeful she can keep riding in New York

NYRA photo
Long River, with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, wins the Time for a Change Stakes by two lengths Sunday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – This has been a pretty good week for apprentice jockey Taylor Rice.

On Monday, her alma mater, Florida State University, won the national championship in college football.

Since then, Rice has made a couple of trips to the Aqueduct winner’s circle as she tries to make an imprint on the New York Racing Association circuit.

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 13:59

Gulfstream Park: Conquest Titan bound for Holy Bull

Michael Burns
Eurico Rosa Da Silva controlled the pace of the Swynford aboard Conquest Titan.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The field for the Grade 3 Holy Bull on Jan. 25, the first major test for Kentucky Derby hopefuls here this winter, continues to take shape, with one of the starters likely to be Conquest Titan, a son of Birdstone who closed his 2-year-old campaign with an eye-catching last-to-first allowance win at Churchill Downs.

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 13:50

Fair Grounds turf course problems continue

Fair Grounds continues to be plagued by problems with its turf course, a situation that came to a chaotic head during the Thursday race card.

Though there has been no significant rainfall at Fair Grounds since Dec. 30, the turf was used for only two races last weekend, on Jan. 4 and Jan. 5. Fair Grounds initially planned to use the course as scheduled on Sunday, Jan. 5, but after one race, riders expressed concern with horses slipping on the far turn, and grass racing on a course termed yielding was abandoned.

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 13:27

Fair Grounds notes: Albano among Lecomte probables

Lou Hodges Jr.
Larry Jones-trained Albano won the Sugar Bowl on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

NEW ORLEANS – The field for the Lecomte, the first two-turn stakes prep for the Louisiana Derby, is taking shape slowly.

As of Thursday, Fair Grounds stakes coordinator Scott Jones listed Albano, Gold Hawk, Got Shades, Rainbow Trip, Roman Unbridled, and Vicar’s in Trouble as 3-year-olds headed to the Lecomte. Jones said he expects the field to grow before entries are taken Wednesday for that Grade 3 race on Jan. 18.

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 12:25

Santa Anita notes: Cyclometer to California Cup Sprint

Benoit & Associates
Cyclometer wins the Midnight Lute on Jan. 4, his first stakes victory.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Cyclometer, winner of the Midnight Lute Stakes on Jan. 4, will start in the $125,000 California Cup Sprint over six furlongs Jan. 25, according to Karen Headley, assistant trainer to her father, Bruce.

Cyclometer won his first stakes in the Midnight Lute over six furlongs. A 6-year-old horse by Cyclotron, Cyclometer has won 5 of 17 starts and earned $330,254.

The Jan. 25 program will include Electric Eddie, who runs in the $250,000 California Cup Derby for statebreds over 1 1/16 miles.

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 12:06

Turfway Park notes: Bret Battaglia follows in father’s footsteps

Turfway Park photo
Bret Battaglia is the son of Turfway oddsmaker Mike Battaglia.

Concerned parent that he is, Mike Battaglia has warned his son, Bret, about the perils of working around the racetrack.

“My dad gambled and did fairly well, and so have I,” the elder Battaglia said. “But we all know a lot of people who haven’t, so I’ve tried to teach Bret the best I can.”