Fri, 12/18/2020 - 14:40

Asmussen dominates Remington Park standings

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen is dominating the standings at Remington Park, which closes its meet Tuesday. He entered Friday night’s card with 72 wins, which is 46 more than second-leading trainer Austin Gustafson. Asmussen’s trainees have earned more than $1.3 million, which is tops this meet at Remington.

Heading into the Friday card, Asmussen led the owner standings by two wins over Danny Caldwell, 23-21.

Fri, 12/18/2020 - 14:40

Arrieta to ride at Oaklawn meet

Coady Photography
Jockey Francisco Arrieta will ride this winter at Oaklawn Park.

Jockey Francisco Arrieta will be riding at the Oaklawn Park meet that opens Jan. 22, said Jay Fedor, who will represent the rider at the Hot Springs, Ark., track. Arrieta is currently riding at Fair Grounds and is due at Oaklawn sometime after Christmas.

“He’s a young rising star,” said Fedor, who through the years has brought a number of top riders to Oaklawn.

Fri, 12/18/2020 - 11:20

Cox: ‘A lot of positives to being' at Palm Meadows

Barbara D. Livingston
Brad Cox, who is stabled at Palm Meadows for the first time, had his second winner of the Gulfstream meet on Thursday.

The ever-growing tentacles of the Brad Cox stable have now reached into South Florida, where Cox has set up shop at the Palm Meadows training center in Boynton Beach for the first time.

Cox was represented by his second winner of the 2020-21 championship meet at Gulfstream Park when a 2-year-old filly named Patty H was an easy gate-to-wire winner of a maiden-claiming race Thursday at the Hallandale Beach track. Cox has about 24 horses at Palm Meadows with assistant Dustin Dugas.

Thu, 12/17/2020 - 13:36

Richard Baltas can finish the year on high note in upcoming stakes

Benoit Photo
Richard Baltas (right) is well stocked for early season stakes at Santa Anita.

Richard Baltas had a career-best season in 2019, winning 13 graded stakes with a stable that earned $7.3 million. Those figures are safe for at least a year, although Baltas has an excellent chance to finish 2020 with a flourish.

With the start of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting on Dec. 26, Baltas plans to be active in several of the track’s nine stakes from opening day through Dec. 31. Baltas, 59, has 90 horses between Santa Anita and San Luis Rey Downs, a group that consists of a fair number of turf runners.

Thu, 12/17/2020 - 08:41

Snowstorm cancels Thursday card at Aqueduct

A winter storm that blew into New York overnight has forced Aqueduct to cancel Thursday’s card, the New York Racing Association announced. The Jamaica, N.Y., track is scheduled to resume racing on Friday.

The storm has brought snow and high winds to the area, and the National Weather Service has forecast snow accumulation could reach 9 to 12 inches, according to the press release from NYRA. A winter storm warning that includes calls for wind gusts of up to 50 mph and coastal flooding is in place through 1 p.m. Thursday.

Wed, 12/16/2020 - 15:26

Maxfield to return from lengthy layoff in Tenacious Stakes

Coady Photography
Unbeaten Maxfield has not raced since winning the Matt Winn at Churchill Downs in May (above).

The 3-year-old colt Maxfield, unraced since May, will make his first start following the second long layoff of his brief career in the $75,000 Tenacious Stakes, the last of 13 races Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Wed, 12/16/2020 - 15:20

Monomoy Girl nears first work since Breeders' Cup

Debra A. Roma
Monomoy Girl could begin her 2021 campaign in the Bayakoa Stakes at Oaklawn Park, then move on to the Apple Blossom Handicap.

Monomoy Girl, poised to win her second Eclipse Award, this time as champion older mare, has settled into her winter quarters at Fair Grounds and is scheduled to have her first work since winning the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Distaff sometime during December. She will launch her 2021 season, if all goes well, in the Bayakoa Stakes on Feb. 15 at Oaklawn Park.

The Bayakoa is a prep, trainer Brad Cox said, for Monomoy Girl’s major spring goal, the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap on April 17 at Oaklawn Park.

Wed, 12/16/2020 - 15:06

The Great One takes a shot in Los Alamitos Futurity

Emily Shields
The Great One has been entered in Saturday's Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity.

The Great One, a maiden after three races, was entered in Saturday’s Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity, a $200,000 race at 1 1/16 miles that will have a small field.

Owned by the partnership of Erik Johnson, Train Wreck Al Racing Stable, Niall Brennan, and Tom Fritz, The Great One, by Nyquist, has finished fourth in his last two starts. The Great One was beaten two lengths after setting the pace in a one-mile maiden special weight race on turf Nov. 29 at Del Mar, his most recent outing.

Wed, 12/16/2020 - 15:06

Pyfer unexpectedly in race for jockey title

Emily Shields
Jockey Jessica Pyfer poses with her agent Brandon O’Bryan during the fall meeting at Santa Anita.

Three wins last Saturday, and a consistent span of results in the last two weeks, has left apprentice jockey Jessica Pyfer on the verge of the unexpected this weekend at Los Alamitos – positioned to contend for the riding title at the track’s three-week meeting.

Through Sunday, Pyfer, who began riding in September, was tied for second in the standings with seven wins, one less than leader Juan Hernandez and equal with Abel Cedillo, the leading rider at the Del Mar autumn session last month. The meeting ends Sunday.

Wed, 12/16/2020 - 13:36

Former Casse assistant Jamie Begg has first starter as trainer

Jamie Begg, a former assistant to trainer Mark Casse, has taken out his license and will have his first starter Friday at Turfway Park.

Begg will saddle Weekend Fun for Windways Farm, the nom de course of his family, in the fifth race, an allowance/optional-claiming event sprinting on the Tapeta. The filly is 20-1 on the morning line in the main body of the overflow field of 14, of which 12 may start. Joe Rocco Jr. is named to ride.