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Sweetontheladies To Stand At Pleasant Acres Stallions In Florida For 2021

Pleasant Acres Stallions is pleased to announce that black type winner and multiple graded stakes-placed Sweetontheladies will stand in Florida for the 2021 breeding season with a $2,500 fee.

With 31 starts, Sweetontheladies finished in the top four in 21 races, including five graded stakes and eight black type races, with career earnings of $408,012.

“Helen and I are excited to have the black type-winning and graded stakes-placed sprinter Sweetontheladies join our roster at Pleasant Acres Stallions,” said Joe Barbazon, owner of Pleasant Acres Stallions. “He has retired sound and brings stamina and consistency as a tenacious sprinter on dirt to our stables. Sweetontheladies is the only Twirling Candy stallion in Florida, which gives breeders the opportunity to expand the Candy Ride bloodline in our state.”

Sweetontheladies is by track record-setting, Grade 1 winner Twirling Candy, out of black type-placed Whataclassybroad, by Yankee Gentleman.

Twirling Candy stands at Lane's End for $40,000 and was the number one fifth-crop sire by Grade 1 horses in 2019. He has sired 19 black type winners and graded winners on both turf and dirt, and in 2019, his yearlings sold up to $950,000, with 2-year-old sales up to $850,000. Twirling Candy's sire – Candy Ride – is a perennial leading general sire of six champions who stands at Lane's End for $100,000. Candy Ride currently has 16 lifetime Grade 1 winners, with 2019 yearling sales to $1 million.

In 2016, Sweetontheladies began his career winning a maiden special weight in his first race at Gulfstream Park. He also won the Juvenile Sprint Stakes that same year. In 2017, he won the Crystal River Handicap and placed second in the Millions Sprint Preview Stakes. The next year, Sweetontheladies placed second in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes and the G3 Smile Sprint Stakes.

He was third in the Sunshine Millions Sprint Stakes, the G1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, and the G3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes. In 2019, Sweetontheladies placed second in the Pelican Stakes and was third in the Sunshine Millions Sprint Stakes, as well as the G2 Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes.

Throughout his career, Sweetontheladies ran in good company. He beat graded stakes winner and black type winner Mr. Jordan (by Kantharos) in both the G3 Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes and the G3 Smile Sprint Stakes. Sweetontheladies also beat X Y Jet (by Kantharos) in the Sunshine Millions Sprint Stakes. In the Pelican Stakes, Sweetontheladies won against millionaire multiple graded stakes winner Imperial Hint.

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Maryland Jockey Club Announces Re-Opening Protocols For Patrons At Laurel Park

Laurel Park will reopen Thursday, Oct. 15, to a limited number of patrons after having received the go-ahead from Anne Arundel County government.

The county's approval came after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued a revised executive order allowing racetracks to accommodate up to 250 “spectators,” a number that doesn't include the licensed personnel who have had access in order to conduct live racing programs or licensed owners. Laurel Park reopened for racing May 30 after a two-and-a-half-month shutdown because of COVID-19 restrictions, and soon after permitted licensed owners to view races from the apron.

In a letter to the Anne Arundel County Health Department, MJC President Sal Sinatra noted that Laurel and Pimlico Race Course have conducted live racing “under strict protocols to ensure the safety of all participants in racing—jockeys, stewards, owners, trainers, horsemen, backstretch workers, support staff and others” with success. The MJC also submitted a list of protocols for the return of patrons to Laurel.

The grandstand entrance at Laurel Park, which is equipped with a thermal camera for temperature screening, will be the primary entrance for employees, patrons and owners each day. The Horsemen's entrance near the Racing Office and paddock will be staffed only on live racing days beginning at 8 a.m. for trainers, jockeys and backstretch personnel that require access.

Food and beverage service will offered in the concession area in the food court in the first-floor grandstand from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. subject to discretion of management. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the SportsBook Bar on the second floor of the grandstand will be open with the option to purchase food and beverage prepared in the food court.

Laurel Park will be open five days a week, with Mondays and Tuesdays dark for simulcasting until otherwise noted. Racing is currently held four days a week on a Thursday-through-Sunday schedule. Simulcasting will be available on Wednesdays in the grandstand Silks simulcast area.

Facial coverings will be required for all guests and employees. Furniture will be rearranged to accommodate social distancing, and physical barriers have been installed where person-to-person interactions will occur. There will be increased sanitization measures and disinfection of all commonly-touched areas such as self-service betting machines.

The first floor of the clubhouse will continue to be used to accommodate jockeys and valets and will not be open to the public.

The information window in the Silks simulcast area in the grandstand will be open Thursday through Sunday. On Wednesdays, check-cashing will be handled through the Guest Services booth in the Silks simulcast area.

The following is information specific to owners and trainers:

Owners will be allowed access to the apron from the clubhouse fence line to the apron tent, which will be exclusive to owners.
Owners will be allowed to watch from the paddock area but will not have access to inside the paddock.
Owners on the grandstand side who wish to visit the paddock area must leave the building through the grandstand exit and walk or drive to the Horsemen's paddock entrance near the Racing Office. They can return to the grandstand through the primary grandstand entrance only. The walkway along the racing surface from the paddock to winner's circle will not be available to owners.
Winners' photos will continue to be taken on the racetrack.
Trainers who enter the grandstand and need to travel to the paddock for saddling must exit the building via the grandstand entrance and walk or drive to the paddock, and return to the building through the grandstand entrance. The walkway along the racetrack will not be accessible.
Owners and trainers will have limited access to the horsemen's boxes on the second floor and can access the area via the clubhouse staircase closest to the grandstand simulcast area. The pathway will be partitioned with privacy curtains.
The valet parking lot will be reserved for horsemen only live racing days. Horsemen overflow parking will be available in the adjacent lot generally used for paid parking.

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Hall Of Fame Trainer Gary Jones, Conditioner Of Turkoman, Passes At Age 76

News regarding the passing of retired Hall of Fame trainer Gary Jones hit hard at Santa Anita Monday morning, as word circulated that Jones had passed away following a lengthy illness at age 76 at his home in Del Mar.

The son of one of California's all time training greats, Gary Jones was born June 16, 1944 in Long Beach and he was unquestionably destined for a life at the racetrack, which he certainly made the most of.

After an extended apprenticeship with his father, the legendary Farrell “Wild Horse” Jones, Gary Jones took over the Jones Stable in 1974 and from there, took it to new heights, as the barn produced an incredible 104 stakes winners over the next 22 years, including 1986 Eclipse Award winning Older Horse, Turkoman.

A trainer who redefined hands-on horsemanship, Jones operated a split stable between Santa Anita and Hollywood Park for several years and he had a bushel basket full of speeding tickets to prove it.

“I gotta seem 'em go myself,” he once said, when asked why he felt compelled to watch a set or two of his horses train in Inglewood prior to blasting up the Harbor Freeway back to Arcadia in time to oversee the training of his Santa Anita-based charges. “I've got good people, but I just can't take somebody's else's word for it. I want to see them myself.”

A two-time winner of the Santa Anita Handicap—in 1992 with eventual Hall of Famer Best Pal and in 1994, via disqualification, with Stuka, Jones ranks eighth on Santa Anita's all time Winter/Spring win list with 576 victories and he is currently ninth in Santa Anita stakes-won with 72.

Jones, who was a fierce advocate for California racing, trained an incredible 104 stakes winners prior to his retirement in 1996 that included Kostroma, Quiet American, Time to Explode, Lakeway and Wishing Well, who would go on to become the dam of 1989 Horse of the Year Sunday Silence.

Gary Jones is survived by his wife Joanie and two sons, trainer Marty and David, who is a Los Angeles-based attorney.

Services are pending.

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Maker-Trained Field Pass Ships West For Twilight Derby; Taishan Seems To Prefer Grass

Field Pass was en route from Kentucky to California this morning to compete in next Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Twilight Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita Park.

The gray son of Lemon Drop Kid is one of five horses trainer Michael Maker had nominated to what is shaping up as a race worthy of Grade I consideration down the road.

“He prefers firmer going; that was the main reason bringing him in for the race,” Maker said by phone from the Blue Grass State.

Field Pass has five victories from 13 starts, including the Transylvania at Keeneland on turf and the Jeff Ruby Steaks on Polytrack at Turfway Park, each a Grade 3 event.

The Twilight Derby drew 21 nominations, eight conditioned by “out of town” trainers, including one by Todd Pletcher and the aforementioned five by Maker.

“Field Pass is very good around the barn but a bit of a handful to gallop,” Maker said. “Other than that, he's pretty straightforward.”

Louisville native Drayden Van Dyke has the mount.

Richard Baltas hopes Taishan wins his first stakes race when he runs in the Twilight Derby.

Taishan, a Candy Ride colt, was second last out in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs Sept. 5, losing by only a half-length in the 1 1/16-mile turf race, despite being bothered at the start.

“It was his first time on grass and it was a very good effort,” Baltas said of the Kentucky-bred bay owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran. “It was a half-million dollar race and there was a lot of speed, so I think it kind of set up for him.

“That being said, I think he was always meant to be on the grass. He ran against some tough horses on dirt at Oaklawn in Nadal (winner of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on May 2).

“Candy Rides are pretty versatile but I think they prefer the turf.”

Taishan's first three races were in Southern California, but his last seven included stops at Oaklawn Park, Indiana and Churchill Downs.

Florent Geroux, who rode Taishan in the American Derby, was impressed with his performance.

“They wanted me to get a position (near the lead) but they were rolling in front so we went to Plan B,” the Frenchman said after the race. “I set off inside nicely and made one run. He ran a big race, first time on grass. He handled it perfectly.

“He's a nice horse. He'd been working very well and I'm very happy with the way he ran.”

Taishan was a distant fourth in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at a mile on dirt at Santa Anita Jan. 4 behind Authentic, who would go on to win the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5.

Any way it shakes out, the Twilight Derby has the look of a very contentious race.

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