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Live Racing Returns Over Laurel Park’s Renovated Course On Thursday

A total of 88 horses were entered in nine races, five over a newly reconstructed main track and four on its world-class turf course, as live racing makes its return to Laurel Park Thursday, Sept. 9.

Laurel Park's 59-day fall meet is scheduled to run through Dec. 31. First post is 12:40 p.m. The fall meet will include the 30th running of the $200,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) Sept. 18, five turf stakes on Sept. 18, and Maryland Million Day Oct. 23.

Laurel's live program Thursday will be the first since a multi-million rebuilding of its dirt surface and an extended Preakness Meet at Pimlico Race Course ended Aug. 22.

The first turf event of the fall season is scheduled for Race 2, a 1 1/8-mile claiming event for maidens age 3, 4 and 5 to be contested over the Dahlia course layout. It attracted an overflow field of 14 including main track only entrant King Alan; Mr. J. McKay, a full brother to Miss J McKay, winner of the 2019 Anne Arundel County over the Laurel turf; and new gelding Emphasize, a $180,000 son of 2016 Preakness (G1) winner Exaggerator.

In all, 52 horses were entered for the grass on opening day, an average of 13 per race. Laurel's expansive 142-foot wide grass course and portable rail allows for six different settings, each named for some of racing's biggest stars – All Along (rail setting), Bowl Game (17 feet), Kelso (35 feet), Dahlia (52 feet), Exceller (70 feet) and Fort Marcy (87 feet).

Eight first-time starters are among 10 2-year-old fillies entered in Race 6, a six-furlong maiden special weight sprint. Among them are Frosty Brew, a son of Frosted purchased for $160,000 as a 2-year-old in training in April and trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey; Prima Ballerina, a $150,000 yearling by Liam's Map for trainer Michael Stidham; and Determined Truth, third in the five-furlong Keswick on the Colonial Downs turf Aug. 2.

The Dahlia turf course will also host an entry-level, one-mile allowance for 3-year-olds and up in Race 7, which drew 16 entries including Manicomio, a popular last-out winner going 1 1/16 miles on the Pimlico grass July 18; stakes-placed Take Profit, most recently fourth by two lengths in the 1 ½-mile Bald Eagle Derby July 24 at Pimlico; 2020 Maryland Million Turf Starter Handicap winner Beltway Bob; and American d'Oro, a 3-year-old that beat his elders in a five-furlong turf sprint Aug. 8 at Pimlico.

Race 8 is a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up going one mile on the dirt. The field of six includes Tiz Mandate, second in the one-mile Miracle Wood Feb. 20 at Laurel; Erawan, third in Laurel's 1 1/16-mile Howard County as a 2-year-old last December; and the McGaughey-trained Romp, racing for the first time as a gelding following his third-place finish in the Sir Barton May 15 at Pimlico.

The opening day card closes with a maiden special weight sprint for 2-year-old fillies at 5 ½ furlongs over the All Along layout. Six of the 13 entered have yet to start led by Coffee Bean, a son of Uncle Mo trained by Arnaud Delacour; and Kit Keller, a Godolphin homebred daughter of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper; and Little Bit of That, by leading Maryland sire Great Notion. Determined Star, a $120,000 yearling by Honor Code, was fourth by three lengths in a 5 ½-furlong turf dash Aug. 2 at Colonial Downs.

Opening weekend at Laurel Park runs through Sunday, Sept. 12.

The post Live Racing Returns Over Laurel Park’s Renovated Course On Thursday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Pimlico’s Weekend Turf Races Moved to Main Track

With the track renovations at Laurel Park ongoing and the season extended nearly three months at Pimlico Race Course to compensate, all of the upcoming weekend's grass racing at Pimlico has been moved to the main track. The time will be used for enhanced maintenance to prepare the grass course for extended use.

There were originally four turf races scheduled for Friday and two for Saturday, with none scheduled on Sunday. All races over the weekend will be held on the dirt.

“As a result of our extended race meet at Pimlico, we will pause all turf racing this coming weekend so that we may execute an enhanced maintenance program that will allow us to sustain turf racing through August,” said the Maryland Jockey Club in a statement.

Pimlico's Preakness Meet's closing day has been extended from May 31 to Aug. 22. Following the Maryland State Fair Meet at Timonium, live racing will return to Laurel Sept. 9.

The post Pimlico’s Weekend Turf Races Moved to Main Track appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Oaklawn Horsemen Hunker Down For Second Hit From Winter Storms

Subzero temperatures and approximately eight inches of snow have caused increasingly difficult conditions for horsemen at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ak. With up to 10 more inches of snow in the forecast and temperatures remaining below freezing for the next 48 hours, grooms and their charges alike have hunkered down to wait out the weather.

The main track has not been open for training or racing since Thursday, Feb. 11, and while some trainers have opted to jog horses in their shed rows, the cold has been so severe that many have elected to simply walk their charges instead.

Racing has been cancelled through Sunday, Feb. 21, with Oaklawn's major graded stakes rescheduled for the week of Feb. 25-28.

“We'll have a little more coming out here in the next couple days on how the dates are going to be shifted in terms of when we're going to run what and on what day,” Oaklawn's general manager Wayne Smith told Horse Racing Nation. “We just don't have that understanding at this point. I mean we're not supposed to get out of the 20s until Friday.”

Not accustomed to this level of winter storm, most of the town of Hot Springs has shut down, according to locals. Some off-track apartments and hotels have lost water access as lines freeze over, so several backstretch workers are relying on friends' places for water access.

At the track, additions to the grooms' regular chores are tasks like breaking open the top layers of ice on water buckets so their horses have access to water, and working to keep the racetrack's water lines from freezing.

One trainer noted: “It's really not that bad if you're dressed and stay working, but standing around is d*** cold real quick!”

Track maintenance workers spent much of Tuesday plowing snow off the track surface itself and around the backstretch, and the general hope among stable staff is that training will be able to resume when temperatures rise above freezing long enough to thaw out the track surface.

The post Oaklawn Horsemen Hunker Down For Second Hit From Winter Storms appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘It’s Gonna Be A Big Hit’: Santa Anita’s New Turf Chute Gets Rave Reviews

On a stunningly beautiful Monday morning, Santa Anita's all-new turf chute, which parallels the track's seven furlong main track chute, was put to the test as a pair of horses broke from the starting gate at a 6 ½ furlong setting and transitioned across the main track and back to the turf course “proper” with aplomb.

Trainer Vladimir Cerin's Lady Noguez, ridden by Umberto Rispoli and Neil Drysdale's Cosmo, with Flavien Prat up, were allowed to run up the backstretch prior to being pulled up as they headed to the far turn.

“What a beautiful addition,” said Prat. “This new chute is fantastic and it's in a great place. Both of the horses handled the dirt crossing with no problem at all and I can't wait to start riding races over this in the afternoons.”

Rispoli was likewise ecstatic regarding the promise of Santa Anita's newest addition.

“It's perfect, there's a slight bend to the right coming out of the gate and then you've got a nice run to the dirt crossing,” he said. “This gives us a lot of options with the kinds of races we can run and I think everybody is going to want to get their horses on it. They've done a great job getting this ready for opening day and I really think it's going to provide some great racing.”

Designed by track consultant Dennis Moore and “green lighted” by Santa Anita's Chief Operating Officer, Aidan Butler, the turf chute project was undertaken on Aug. 17 and involved removal of blacktop and extensive excavation in order to get the running surface elevated and compacted to the level of the main track, which it intersects at approximately the three quarter pole.

“This is a great step forward,” said Moore. “I wanted everything to go just like it did this morning. Those two horses crossed the dirt here with no problem.”

“It's really, really cool to see all of this hard work come together,” said Butler, who will be jetting to Gulfstream Park tomorrow morning to oversee racing operations there. “It looks terrific and this new chute really solidifies our turf offerings here at Santa Anita. It was designed to stand the test of time and here's hoping it's here for many years to come.”

Retired Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, who is now involved in racehorse ownership and is one of America's most highly respected racing analysts on Fox Sports 1, was also on-hand for this morning's demonstration.

“This provides a totally new component to our turf arsenal,” said Stevens. “I actually got a little choked up watching those horses cross the dirt because it reminds me of the downhill crossing and all the races I rode here. I think it's gonna be a big hit. I know I'd sure like to ride it.”

Two other jockeys of note, Hall of Famer Mike Smith and budding star Drayden Van Dyke, joined Stevens on the inside rail.

“It looks really good,” said Smith. “Same as with the downhill, I think Jay (Slender) will load 'em from the outside in, with that little bend to the right.”

“I think everybody was interested in how those horses would handle crossing the dirt, and they did it with no problem,” said Van Dyke. “This is great news for everybody.”

The turf chute, which is 80 feet wide and approximately 800 feet long, will accommodate sprint races at distances of six and 6 ½ furlongs, while Santa Anita's traditional Camino Real Hillside Course will continue to be available to horses running distances of a mile and a quarter and up.

To view this morning's turf chute demonstration, please click here.

While the public will not be admitted for live racing due to the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, fans are encouraged to follow Santa Anita's live racing via XpressBet.com and 1stBet.com. For more information regarding Santa Anita's upcoming Winter/Spring Meet, including post times, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post ‘It’s Gonna Be A Big Hit’: Santa Anita’s New Turf Chute Gets Rave Reviews appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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