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Giant’s Causeway Victory A Double Milestone For Trainer Lovell

Horseshoe Racing's Change of Control returned to Churchill Downs shortly after her one-length victory over favored Into Mystic in Saturday's $100,000 Giant's Causeway at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

The victory marked the 500th career triumph for trainer Michelle Lovell.

“Words still can't describe how proud I am of this horse,” Lovell said of the 5-year-old mare by Fed Biz. “She is just maturing so much and is so classy. She is probably the most classy horse that I've ever trained in my career.

“That's why it was so special to win not only that stakes (her first at Keeneland) but have that be a milestone win.”

Lovell indicated Change of Control could start next in the $150,000 Unbridled Sydney going 5½ furlongs on the grass at Churchill on April 29.

The win was the sixth in 25 career starts for Change of Control, who was bred in Kentucky by John O' Meara. She was ridden to victory by Colby Hernandez.

Change of Control is a 5-year-old mare by Fed Biz

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Houghton, Machado Injured In Mahoning Valley Spill; One Horse Euthanized

Jockeys T.D. Houghton and Luan Machado were hospitalized following a three-horse spill in Saturday's sixth race, the Howard B. Noonan Stakes, at Mahoning Valley racecourse in Youngstown, Ohio, according to a GoFundMe post that is seeking contributions to help defray medical costs.

One horse was euthanized as a result of the incident.

According to the Equibase chart, Machado's mount, Startdfromdabottom, fell just past the five-sixteenths pole while in fourth position in the six-furlong race for Ohio-registered 3-year-olds. Two other horses trailing behind him, Hakman (ridden by Houghton) and Big Truck (ridden by Sonny Leon), could not avoid Startdfromdabottom and also fall. A fourth horse, To Win (ridden by Fernando Salazar Becerra) avoided the incident but was eased.

Hakman was euthanized as a result of injuries suffered from the fall while the other three horses affected by the spill walked off.

According to Ohio-based horse owner Carly Hamel, who established a GoFundMe page, Machada sustained a fractured clavicle in the spill. Houghton has multiple facial fractures and will require surgery. According to Hamel, Houghton is under sedation in a nearby hospital's intensive care unit.

Houghton is currently fifth in the Mahoning Valley jockey standings with 31 wins from 215 mounts. Machado is next with 30 wins from 177 starts.

A veteran who began his riding career in 1987, Houghton has compiled 6,066 career wins from 37,781 starts, ranking in the top 10 nationally by wins on several occasions – as recently as 2015 when he won 259 races.

Machado began riding in 2015 and has won 185 races in 1,218 starts.

GoFundMe page

Houghton's daughter, Alyssa, posted the following message on Facebook about her father's condition on Sunday morning.

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Respected Southern California Horseman Neil French, 68, Passes

A highly respected horseman, trainer Neil French passed away from heart failure Saturday morning at age 68 at Arcadia Methodist Hospital near Santa Anita. Beset with rheumatoid arthritis for the past 10 years, French marshaled on with a small stable, assisted by a golf cart which took him from his barn to Santa Anita's grandstand apron, where he was able to observe his horses train.

“The horses were his life,” said French's sister Joy from her home in Spooner, Wisc. “The arthritis was very, very hard on him and this time, he had to go to the hospital and his heart gave out. He never got married or had kids, the horses were his life.

“Our family is from Wisconsin and my dad had an uncle who was a licensed blacksmith in Los Angeles, so my parents moved out there in 1950, because my dad (Arden French) wanted to learn that trade. He did and he worked as a farrier at Los Alamitos before he became a Quarter Horse trainer in the late 50s. Neil was skinny as a rail and he used to get on my dad's horses when he switched over to Thoroughbreds.”

A licensed Thoroughbred trainer since 1971, Neil French, who trained primarily in Southern California, would have turned 69 on July 25.

Among his top horses were Pencil Point, a winner of the 1982 Bing Crosby Handicap at Del Mar and June's Reward, a California-bred gelding by Hail Bold King. June's Reward, who was owned by Ken Porter, was an unlucky third in the 1991, Grade 2 Del Mar Derby under Alex Solis. He would go on to win the 1992 California Cup Classic at Santa Anita under Eddie Delahoussaye and returned $10.80 to win.

“He was a guy with not too many horses, but I loved riding for him,” said Delahoussaye. “I won quite a few races for him, he was a real good horseman and a nice guy. We were pretty close in age and I'm really sad to hear this, he'll be missed.”

French's last stakes-caliber horse was Chocolate Coated, a Kentucky-bred filly by Candy Ride who was second in Santa Anita's Grade 2 Autumn Miss Stakes on Oct. 29, 2017.

Among some of French's other notable runners are Wanstead Gardens ($200,325), Princess V ($173,209), Slew City Citadel ($159,024), Basic Rate ($150,975), Young Flyer ($144,025) and Grinding It Out ($138,120).

French won 257 races from 2,080 starters, who earned $6,436,620.

Neil French is survived by his mother, Loretta, three sisters, Joy, Joan and Sundee, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Services are pending at this time and will be made known via the Santa Anita Racing Office in the near future.

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Paco Lopez Scores 3,000th Career Win Via Disqualification

Jockey Paco Lopez notched his 3,000th win Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., reaching the career milestone via the disqualification of the first-place finisher in Race 2.

After notching win 2,999 aboard Our Little Devil ($5.20) in Race 1, Lopez was awarded the 3,000th victory of his career by the stewards, who placed Heart of God ($6) first in Race 2 following the disqualification of the first-place finisher. The 35-year-old journeyman came right back to win Race 3 aboard Eamonn ($5.60).

“It's exciting to make the milestone with my agent Cory Moran, who was with me from the beginning. It's also exciting to win my 3,000th race in South Florida, where I started,” Lopez said. “I won a lot of races in Mexico with the quarter horses, but to win 3,000 races in America with the best horses and the best jockeys, I'm feeling very lucky to be here.”

After riding quarter horses in his native Mexico from a young age, Lopez ventured to South Florida in 2006. Lopez rode his first winner July 13, 2007, at Calder. He won 229 races and nearly $4 million in purse earnings on his way to winning the Eclipse Award as champion apprentice in his first full season in 2008.

Lopez won back-to-back Championship Meet riding titles at Gulfstream in 2010 and 2011. He also won the 2019 Gulfstream Park West crown and owns 11 riding championships in New Jersey, eight of them at Monmouth Park, where he spends the summer and early fall.

Lopez was joined in the winner's circle for a special presentation by his wife Renata and two young sons.

“I'm very excited and I thank God for my family and for the chance to ride in America,” Lopez said.

Lopez has won 89 career graded-stakes, eight of them Grade 1, including his first in the 2014 Whitney (G1) with South Florida-based Itsmyluckyday and the 2018 Breeders' Cup Sprint aboard Roy H.

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