Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office announced that he has “activated state emergency response resources” because of the threat of severe winter weather in some areas on Friday.
Sam Houston puts on its richest card of the meet, the Houston Racing Festival, on Saturday afternoon. Right now, the forecast in the area is not threatening the card, according to track executive Bryan Pettigrew.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – One horse conspicuous by his absence when Saturday’s $175,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint was drawn on Sunday, although for good reason, was Grade 2 winner Reef Runner.
Trainer David Fawkes had originally planned on bringing Reef Runner back in the Turf Sprint following his one-length victory in the Janus Stakes on Dec. 20. The performance capped off a huge 2025 campaign during which Reef Runner also won the Grade 2 Eddie D at Santa Anita and finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Strategic Risk, the winner of both the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn and the In Reality division of the Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park, worked Wednesday at Oaklawn and remains on course for a start in the Southwest, trainer Mark Casse said.
The Grade 3, $1 million Southwest carries points for the Kentucky Derby. It will be run Jan. 31 and entries will be taken on Sunday.
Strategic Risk worked five furlongs on a track rated good in 1:02.40.
Trainer Brad Cox, who seems flush with 3-year-old prospects this year, is pointing impressive maiden winner Cannoneer to the Grade 3, $250,000 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 31, and Commandment, winner of the Mucho Macho Man Stakes, to the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 28.
Cannoneer, a son of Into Mischief, won a seven-furlong maiden race by 7 1/4 lengths on Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs, earning a 90 Beyer. That was his second career start after he finished third going 5 1/2 furlongs in his debut at Churchill on June 1.
Nitrogen, an Eclipse Award finalist for champion 3-year-old filly of 2025, will start her 4-year-old season a month earlier than anticipated if she continues to work as sharply as she has of late, trainer Mark Casse said Wednesday.
Nitrogen, who was freshened after running second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November, was targeting a return in the Grade 2, $400,000 Azeri on March 7 at Oaklawn. However, those plans changed after she breezed five furlongs in a bullet 1:00 at the Hot Springs, Ark., track on Jan. 17.
The New York Racing Association announced that it will not race at Aqueduct this Sunday due to a forecast that calls for significant snow and cold temperatures. It will instead offer racing on Jan. 28, pending expected approval from the New York State Gaming Commission.
Early forecasts for Sunday have anywhere from eight to 12 inches of snow possible, along with bitter cold temperatures.
The lure of mild January weather led Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza to return to his former base at Santa Anita this winter.
“Back East, it got too cold for me,” Espinoza said recently. “I can’t deal with the cold weather. I never got along with the cold, even when I started my career.”
Espinoza is attempting to reestablish himself among a competitive group of jockeys in California after a few quiet years for him. Espinoza, 53, has not won 100 or more races since 2014 when he won 102.
Aloha Breeze, the 2025 Horse of the Meeting at Emerald Downs in Washington, will race as a 6-year-old later this year.
“We turned her out this winter,” trainer Tom Wenzel said over the weekend. “Hopefully, we can have another successful year.”
The goal is a return to action at the Emerald Downs later this year, Wenzel said.
Owned by George Todaro, Aloha Breeze won three stakes for fillies and mares at distances of 6 1/2 furlongs and 1 1/16 miles at Emerald Downs from mid-June to early September.
Jockey William Antongeorgi is moving from California to Kentucky this week in an effort to gain more mounts.
Antongeorgi, formerly among the leading riders in Northern California, was based in Southern California in 2025. He won 21 races from 269 mounts compared to 83 wins from 463 mounts in Northern California in 2024.
There has been no racing in Northern California since December 2024. Golden Gate Fields, the hub track for that circuit, closed in June 2024.
Antongeorgi said over the weekend that he plans to be based at Turfway Park in coming months.
Trainer Jamie Ness said Tuesday that popular East Coast runner Repo Rocks has been retired after six seasons. The 8-year-old gelding is currently stabled at Ness’s barn in Chesapeake City, Md., and will remain there in retirement.
In the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup on Sept. 20 at Parx Racing, Repo Rocks finished seventh after suffering a setback early in the race. He was expected to miss time to recover from the injury, but after seeing the early stages of the process, Ness concluded that retirement was the best option.
