The inaugural U.S. Steeplechase Championships are set to go Saturday, Oct. 17, with six events being conducted in Far Hills, New Jersey, and five races from the International Gold Cup in The Plains, Virginia.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Race dates for 2010 were approved for California by the state's horse racing board at its meeting Oct. 15, although the panel opted to wait until next month before giving authorization to the Northern California fair circuit, which requested more time to sort out details.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Claiming a horse would no longer be a blanket "buyer beware" scenario under a rule amendment approved for a 45-day public comment period by the California Horse Racing Board Oct. 15.
Friday, October 16, 2009
John Lies will be the track announcer for the upcoming Quarter Horse racing season at Hialeah Park in Florida.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
House of Grace caught Smart Seattle at the wire to register a nose victory in the $150,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes, which was taken off the turf and transferred to Keeneland's Polytrack Oct. 15 at the rain-slickened Lexington track.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Jason, Tom, and Tim Holland of twinspires preview the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on October 17.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Due to heavy rain forecast for the New York area during the latter half of the week, The New York Racing Association has moved the scheduled feature race for Oct. 17, the $100,000 Athenia Stakes (gr. IIIT), to Oct. 21.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
New York officials have a growing urgency to resolve the long-delayed Aqueduct casino project: a ballooning deficit.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Book 3 of the Tattersalls October yearling sale started Oct. 15 in England with declines from the previous year of 8.5% in gross revenue, 17.4% in average price, and 12.5% in median price. The buy-back rate fell from 31.9% in 2008 to 23% this year.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Fasig-Tipton Texas winter mixed sale will be held Dec. 14, a day later than originally planned, at Lone Star Park.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Breeders Sales Company of Louisiana will conduct a mixed sale Oct. 17 at Serenity Farm in Folsom, La. There are 146 horses in the catalog.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
As we all know there is always an angle or two we can latch on to in the Breeders' Cup. The trick is finding them among the morass of stakes horses that line up for the 14 races. There probably are more chances of landing a longshot on a synthetic surface, because, in all honesty, does anyone really know how to handicap these races?
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tropical Storm will stand the 2010 breeding season at Alfred H. Nuckols Jr.'s Hurstland Farm it was announced Oct. 15.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Pierre Bellocq, the internationally celebrated artist better known as "Peb," was joined by officials from Keeneland and Daily Racing Form Oct. 15 to announce the donation of nearly a half-century of his humorous caricatures and equine cartoons to the Keeneland Library.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
G. Watts Humphrey's El Crespo, the lone graded stakes winner in a field of eight 3-year-olds, leads the way for the $125,000 Bryan Station (gr. IIIT) Oct. 18 at Keeneland.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Racing executives are listening to players, but not enough, according to a journalist and horseplayer. And one track executive who is willing to try some things believes the industry would balk and put up roadblocks. And so it goes in the pari-mutuel horseracing industry.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Another showdown is brewing over whether Michigan racetracks should be allowed to open casinos in an effort to revive their struggling businesses. A group called Racing to Save Michigan wants voters to decide the issue in November 2010, and on Oct. 14, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers unanimously approved the form of a petition the group plans to circulate within the next six weeks.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Through their whinnies, horses convey specific information about their identities, including sex, height, and weight, according to French researchers.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter
That this is an exceptional crop of second-year sires is not exactly news any more. Still, the point was hammered home again October 10 when two second-season horses were represented by grade I winners. Thursday, October 15, 2009
Gotta Have Her, three-for-three on Santa Anita's hillside turf course and coming off a gritty win in Del Mar's Palomar Handicap (gr. IIT) in her last start, looms as the one to beat in Oak Tree's $100,000 Sen. Ken Maddy Handicap (gr. IIIT) Oct. 17.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Marsh Side returns to defend his title in the $2-million Pattison Canadian International (Can-I) over the Woodbine turf course Oct. 17 against a field that includes German group I winner Jukebox Jury.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Keeneland was named the winner of the 2009 Simulcast Award Oct. 14 during the 17th annual International Simulcasting Conference in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Keeneland also won the award, which honors the horse racing industry's best simulcast production, in 2003 and 2008. Keeneland's latest award was for its coverage of the Vinery Madison Stakes (gr. I) from April.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Coming off a group I win in Ireland, Rainbow View can sew up a starting berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) next month with a victory in Woodbine's $1 million E.P. Taylor Stakes (Can-IT) on the turf Oct. 17.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Full siblings Mount Wilton and East Coaster won consecutive races at Suffolk Downs Oct. 14. Both horses are by Graeme Hall out of the Our Emblem mare Eastlynne. May May Stable owns Mount Wilton, who was bred in Florida by Eugene Melnyk. Frances McDonnell is the owner and breeder of East Coaster.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Dow Jones industrial average closed at 10,015.86 Oct. 14, marking the first time the figure had touched 10,000 since October of last year, when the stock market was on its way down. The statistic has enjoyed an amazing rebound of 53% since March when it dropped to its lowest point in more than a decade.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Book 2 of the Tattersalls October yearling sale crossed the finish line of its three-day run in England Oct. 14 with a gross that was up 4.5% from a year ago. The average price declined 12.2% while the median price fell 13.8%. The buy-back rate droppped from 29.2% in 2008 to 17.3% this year, which meant that more than 80% of the horses offered found new homes.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Pattison Canadian International (Can-IT) and E.P. Taylor (Can-IT) are the headliners of Woodbine's Oct. 17 card, but not to be forgotten is the $500,000 Nearctic (Can-IIT), a six-furlong turf sprint that offers the winner a chance at the $1-million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint next month at Santa Anita.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Ted Julio's Not For Silver and Windways Farm's El Brujo will carry top weight of 121 pounds each and concede four pounds to their rivals in the $150,000 Perryville (gr. III) for 3-year-olds Oct. 17 on the Polytrack at Keeneland.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
In the span of two months, Waratah Thoroughbreds' Miss World has gone from a maiden to a grade I winner. On Oct. 17, the daughter of Bernstein will try to climb her highest hurdle yet, as she faces a short but strong group of 3-year-old fillies in the prestigious $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (gr. IT) at Keeneland.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Hill 'n' Dale Farms announced Oct. 13 that champion and leading sire Theatrical has been pensioned from stud duty.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
HRTV will present live coverage of the inaugural U.S. Steeplechase Championships Oct. 17 from Far Hills Racecourse in New Jersey.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Grade I winner and two-time track record setter Idiot Proof has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Ballena Vista Farm in Ramona, CA for the 2010 breeding season. His fee will be $1,500.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Sea The Stars, who secured his place among racing's all-time greats when he powered his way to a thrilling two-length victory over Youmzain in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) Oct. 4, has been retired to stud.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
In the opinion of a few of horse racing's customers, the sport has the best "video game" available but fails to capitalize on it.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s fall mixed sale ended its two-day run Oct. 13 in Central Florida with moderate losses of 12.8% in its average price and 6.7% in its median price. There was a smaller catalog than in 2008, when the auction was three days long, and that contributed to a 30.7% plunge in gross revenue and a 20.6% decline in the number of horses sold.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Colts by Selkirk and Invincible Spirit led the way Oct. 13 during the second session of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October yearling sale, which enjoyed upswings in gross and average price. Each colt sold for 260,000 guineas.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
With a spot into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on the line, the $150,000 JP Chase Morgan Jessamine Stakes has attracted a full field of 12 Oct. 15 at Keeneland.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
If the horseracing industry fails to make voluntary changes it has resisted for decades, the only things that may save it from doom are involuntary changes brought on by forces in the gambling and entertainment marketplace, officials said Oct. 13.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Suave Prospect, who has sired 29 stakes horses, is being relocated to Steve Prather's Doubletree Farm near Hobbs, N.M. His fee is $4,000.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
A solid field of nine was entered for the $300,000 Meadowlands Cup (gr. II) Oct. 16. They have banked nearly $5 million and have eight graded victories amongst them.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Dave Vivian sent out Soldier's Dancer to win the Calder Derby (gr. IIIT) in 2007 and Christophe Clement won the 2008 edition with Sporting Art when the race was run in the spring, and those two veteran trainers will have the favorites in the Oct. 17 renewal of the $100,000 event.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Marty Wolfson, who saddled Edmund Gann's It's a Bird in last year's Spend a Buck Handicap (gr. III), appears to have the solid favorite in the 2009 renewal with Gann's 4-year-old Motovato, a winner of three of four starts at the Calder Race Course meet.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Scientific Games Racing, a division of Scientific Games Corporation, has announced that it has reached an agreement to provide Betfair Games Limited with services and technologies to allow all Betfair account holders to view race and pool data and wager into North American pari-mutuel tote pools, with approval of relevant regulatory authorities.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
There is so much to discuss after the weekend's stakes extravaganza, but one race that likely had the most profound effect on the Breeders' Cup was the Goodwood Stakes (gr. I).
Monday, October 12, 2009
Officials assembled for the International Simulcast Conference said Oct. 12 public perception, not integrity, is the primary problem for the industry's wagering systems.
Monday, October 12, 2009
A weanling colt in the first crop of 2006 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Jazil brought $77,000 to top the consignor preferred session of the Ocala Breeders's Sales Co. fall mixed auction Oct. 12 in Central Florida. The sale opened its two-day run in Central Florida with downturns of 24% in gross revenue, 39% in average price, and 50% in median price from last year.
Monday, October 12, 2009
The number of horses sold rose 25.6% from 2008 and the gross revenue increased 11.2% during the opening session of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October yearling sale in England Oct. 12. Meanwhile, the average price fell 11.5% while the median price declined 16.7%.
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Hancock family's Claiborne Farm has announced its 2010 stud fees. Major stallion Pulpit will be reduced from $80,000 to $60,000 in spite of his continuing success.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Last weekendfs racing helped to clarify the Breedersf Cup picture for runners from Godolphin Racing, including Gayago, Girolamo, and Cocoa Beach.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Mine That Bird will remain at Santa Anita and point to the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) at Oak Tree on Nov. 7, trainer Chip Woolley said Monday morning.
Monday, October 12, 2009
