Jockeys To Resume Riding At Del Mar Without Undergoing New COVID-19 Tests

Del Mar's opening day was delayed when 15 asymptomatic jockeys tested positive for COVID-19 on July 14, but the track expects to resume racing operations this Friday. According to the Daily Racing Form, none of those jockeys will be required to present a new, negative COVID-19 test before returning to Del Mar to ride.

“The guidance from the county is you can return to work in 10 days,” track president Josh Rubinstein told the Daily Racing Form, adding that Del Mar is also following the advice of executives with medical advisers Scripps Health and the CDC.

The positive jockeys were instructed to quarantine, and they will undergo individual evaluations by a track physician, Rubinstein said. Jockeys will now be housed in 10-foot by 10-foot portions of the lower level of the grandstand, to allow for adequate social distancing, and current protocols do not allow for jockeys to work horses in the mornings.

Additionally, Del Mar's new house rule is that jockeys accepting rides at other tracks will not be allowed to return to ride at Del Mar through the end of the meet on Sept. 7.

One of the jockeys named to ride at Del Mar will be Hall of Famer Mike Smith, who told the Daily Racing Form that he has tested negative for COVID-19 on 11 different occasions. Smith rode last Saturday at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, winning the G1 Haskell Stakes aboard the Bob Baffert-trained Authentic.

“I was tested in Jersey on Saturday and when I came back here on Sunday,” Smith told drf.com. “I've been blessed to stay healthy so I could keep going. I'm trying to stay extra fit and make fitness a way of life. It's really paid off.”

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Daughter of Chicquita Debuts at Leopardstown

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday’s Insights features a daughter of G1 Irish Oaks heroine Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}).

1.00 Leopardstown, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, f, 8fT
NICEST (IRE) (American Pharoah) is a daughter of the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) who debuts for the Tabor/Smith/Magnier axis and Donnacha O’Brien. A half-sister to the group-placed Secret Thoughts (War Front), she is from the immediate family of Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
4.55 Sandown, Mdn, £6,400, 2yo, 7fT
THUNDER SUN (FR) (Siyouni {Fr}) was a 450,000gns purchase at Tattersalls October Book 1 for Saeed Suhail who starts out for the Sir Michael Stoute stable. A half-brother to last year’s G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis winner Danceteria (Fr) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}), the January-foaled bay is out of a group-winning half to Lope de Vega (Ire).

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Texas Summer Yearling Sale Catalog Available, Online Bidding To Be Offered

A catalog of 175 head is now online for the Texas Summer Yearling and Horses of Racing Age Sale set for Aug. 24 at noon CDT at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie.

Sponsored by the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star Park, the sale will welcome bidders on site with enhanced safety protocols and for the first time will also offer live online bidding for those who cannot attend in person. Online bidders must be registered at least one week before the sale, no later than noon on Aug. 17.

“We had to cancel our 2-year-old sale due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we've been working since then to ensure we are able to conduct this sale because of its importance to the region,” said Mary Ruyle, executive director of the TTA. “We normally wouldn't have a horses of racing age session at this sale, but we are happy to offer that this year to fill the needs of consignors and buyers. The HORA section is quite impressive.”

Ruyle credited higher purses in Texas and a new consignor incentive program as two of the reasons that this year's sale has twice the number of yearlings as last year.

“In addition to boosting purses in Texas, the passage of HB 2463 allows the horse industry to create new ways to grow, so we were able to provide consignors with a rebate of up to half the consignment fee,” she said. “We saw a great response to that incentive, which resulted in more consignors bringing their horses to sell in Texas.”

The sale will utilize a live online bidding system along with improved online video.

“We made an investment in technology to allow buyers to bid from anywhere,” said Tim Boyce, sales director. “Starting in early August, we will allow online bidders to register in advance, so we encourage anyone who is interested to do that on our website.”

The sale will kick off with a horses of racing age session including 2-year-olds in training by top sires such as Too Much Bling, Texas Red, Astrology and Twirling Candy. Among the older horses on offer are Herbs Love, a daughter of Etesaal who in her most recent start won the $75,000 San Jacinto Turf Stakes at Lone Star Park.

The yearling session will include 151 head by leading regional sires such as Too Much Bling, Star Guitar, Flat Out, Court Vision and My Golden Song. Top national sires including Tonalist, Sky Mesa, Bayern, Honor Code and California Chrome are also represented.

The online catalog and more information are available at www.ttasales.com.

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Gulfstream: Thursday’s Rainbow 6 Pool Guaranteed At $750,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $750,000 Thursday at Gulfstream Park.

Gulfstream will offer live racing programs on a Thursday through Sunday schedule for the remainder of the Spring/Summer Meet.

The Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Thursday's Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 5-10, including a $54,500 optional claiming allowance for 3-year-old fillies. Multiple-stakes winner Lenzi's Lucky Lady is scheduled to return from an 11-month layoff in the six-furlong sprint. The Kathleen O'Connell-trained filly was undefeated in her first three starts, including victories in the Golden Isles and the Florida Sire Stakes Desert Vixen, before finishing sixth in the FSS Susan's Girl and going to the sidelines.

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