Clairiere and Travel Column are tied one apiece, with Travel Column running down Clairiere in the Golden Rod Stakes last fall at Churchill Downs, and Clairiere running down Travel Column on Saturday in the Rachel Alexandra. Both 3-year-old fillies are likely starters March 20 in the Fair Grounds Oaks, and if things go as their connections hope, they’re likely to meet again in the Kentucky Oaks.
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They were first, second and third in the Lecomte Stakes on Jan. 16 and one-two-three this past Saturday in the Risen Star, and Mandaloun, Proxy, and Midnight Bourbon stand a good chance of meeting again March 20 at Fair Grounds in the $1 million Louisiana Derby.
Mandaloun won Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star by 1 1/2 lengths over Proxy, who also had been second in the Lecomte. Midnight Bourbon won the Lecomte, going wire to wire, and after chasing Risen Star pacesetter Rightandjust finished third on Saturday.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Idol, third as the even-money favorite in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes on Jan. 30, will have a new rider for a scheduled start in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6.
Trainer Richard Baltas said on Sunday that Gabriel Saez will not ride Idol back in the Santa Anita Handicap, but that the new rider has not been finalized. Saez rode Idol to consecutive wins in a maiden race and an allowance race at Churchill Downs in September and November and to a second-place finish in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Merneith gave jockey Edwin Maldonado his first win for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert in Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita.
Baffert reached his own milestone in the $202,000 Santa Monica. He had three runners in the race and swept the trifecta positions when Golden Principal finished second and Qahira was third in a field of nine.
Due to inclement weather, the Maryland Jockey Club has canceled Sunday's racing program at Laurel Park.
The National Weather Service had issued a Winter Weather Advisory and a Hazardous Weather Outlook until 10 a.m. Sunday for parts of Maryland, the District of Columbia, and portions of Virginia with forecasts for freezing rain and ice accumulations.
This is the second consecutive card canceled or postponed due to weather-related issues.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Oaklawn Park has moved the date of the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes for a second time. The race will now be held Sunday, Feb. 21, according to Jason Milligan, the track’s vice president of racing. The same card will include the Grade 3, $600,000 Razorback Handicap and the Grade 3, $250,000 Bayakoa.
Due to inclement weather, Laurel Park has transferred Saturday's Winter Sprintfest card, featuring the Grade 3 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie Stakes and Grade 3 General George Stakes, to next Saturday, Feb. 20.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory until Sunday morning at 7:00 AM EST for the Laurel, Maryland area with icy rain and drizzle expected along with freezing temperatures.
The New York Racing Association will offer 59 stakes -- 11 of which are Grade 1s -- worth a total of $16.95 million at the 2021 Belmont Park spring/summer meeting, the company announced Friday afternoon.
The 48-day Belmont spring/summer meet runs from April 22 through July 11.
ARCADIA, Calif. -- Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens on Friday said he has been hired by Drayden Van Dyke to be his new agent, beginning with the upcoming condition book at Santa Anita commencing with the races of Feb. 26.
Van Dyke was left as the odd man out earlier in the week when his agent, Brad Pegram, was hired by Flavien Prat. Agents are allowed to represent a maximum of two jockeys. Pegram also works for Mike Smith, so he let Van Dyke go.
But less than 48 hours later, Van Dyke teamed up with Stevens.
George O’Bryan, who represented five Hall of Fame riders in a career as a jockey’s agent in Southern California, died on Thursday in Arcadia, Calif., at the age of 100 of age-related infirmities, according to his son Craig O’Bryan.
A native of Illinois, O’Bryan was a jockey in his youth, riding at tracks through the Midwest and at Longacres in Washington State before settling in Southern California. Through the years, O’Brien booked mounts on behalf of Hall of Famers John Adams, Ralph Neves, Manuel Ycaza, Laffit Pincay, Jr., and Don Pierce.
