Tag: starlet

Princess Noor Retired With Soft Tissue Injury

Dual Grade I winner Princess Noor (Not This Time–Sheza Smoke Show, by Wilko) has been retired from racing with a soft tissue injury after being pulled up as the heavy favorite in Saturday’s GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos, owner Zedan Racing Stables reported Sunday morning.

“She’s a star and a very talented filly,” said Amr Zedan. “She had the race and most probably a few more Grade Is to her name. Our focus now is to get her healthy and off to Kentucky to be the best mom she can ever be. It hurts, but thank God she’s well and retirement is the best decision.”

A $135,000 Keeneland September yearling who blossomed into this year’s OBS Spring 2-year-olds sale topper at $1.35 million after blazing through a :20 1/5 quarter-mile breeze, the dark bay debuted as an odds-on favorite Aug. 22 at Del Mar and cruised to the easiest of tallies, earning ‘TDN Rising Star’ status. Backing that up with a dominant 6 1/2-length conquest of the GI Del Mar Debutante S., she made it three-for-three with an 8 1/4-length romp in the GI Chandelier S.

Fifth as the favorite in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Princess Noor was 3-5 to get back on track in the Starlet, but was pulled up by jockey Victor Espinoza shortly after taking the lead around the quarter pole. She retires with a record of 5-3-0-0 and earnings of $363,500.

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Mike Smith Tests Positive For COVID-19, Off Weekend Mounts At Los Al

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not ride at Los Alamitos this weekend, according to TVG on Twitter. The news was first reported by DRF's Steve Andersen.

“The good news is that he's feeling great,” said TVG's Brittney Eurton. “He's showing no signs of COVID-19. He did take two rapid tests, they came back positive. He's going to re-test with a normal one, a traditional test on Monday.”

All jockeys and valets are required to test for COVID-19 at Los Alamitos.

Smith was listed to ride morning-line favorite Astute for trainer Richard Mandella in the G1 Starlet Stakes on Saturday, but will now be replaced by jockey Flavien Prat.

The post Mike Smith Tests Positive For COVID-19, Off Weekend Mounts At Los Al appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Starlet, Futurity Highlight Winter Thoroughbred Meet At Los Alamitos

The Los Angeles County Fair Winter Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif. will begin Friday, Dec. 4.

Racing will be conducted Friday-Sunday (Dec. 4-6) this week and is scheduled for Thursday-Sunday (Dec. 10-13 and 17-20) the final two weeks. Post time will be 1 p.m on weekdays and 12:30 p.m. on weekends.

The LACF Winter meet will be highlighted by a pair of graded events for 2-year-olds – the Grade 1, $300,000-guaranteed Starlet for fillies Saturday, Dec. 5 and the Grade 2, $200,000-guaranteed Los Alamitos Futurity Saturday, Dec. 19.

The Starlet is one of the races on the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks'' with the winner receiving 10 points towards a berth in the Kentucky Oaks April 30, 2021 at Churchill Downs.

Among the leading candidates for the Starlet are Astute, winner of her last two starts for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, and Princess Noor, who suffered her first career loss in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies after three wins, including successes in two Grade 1 events – the Del Mar Debutante and Chandelier at Santa Anita. Princess Noor is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who will be seeking his fourth consecutive Starlet win after victories by Dream Tree (2017), Chasing Yesterday (2018) and Bast (2019).

The Futurity is one of the events on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby.'' The winner earns 10 points towards a spot in the Kentucky Derby May 1, 2021.

Among the nominees to the Futurity are Classier, an impressive debut winner for Baffert Oct. 24, Del Mar Futurity runner-up Spielberg, Best Pal Stakes winner Weston and Hot Rod Charlie, second behind Essential Quality in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

Baffert has won all six renewals of the Futurity – Dortmund (2014), Mor Spirit (2015), Mastery (2016), McKinzie (2017), Improbable (2018) and Thousand Words (2019) – since the race was moved to Los Alamitos from Hollywood Park.

Baffert has won the Futurity, which was run in Inglewood from 1981-2013, a record 12 times.

Both the Futurity and the Starlet will be run at 1 1/16 miles.

The LACF Winter meet will also feature one other graded stakes – the Grade 3, $100,000 Bayakoa. Restricted to fillies and mares (3-year-olds & up) at 1 1/16 miles, the Bayakoa will be run Sunday, Dec. 6.

Completing the stakes program are a pair of one-mile races for 2-year-olds bred or sired in California – the $100,000-guaranteed Soviet Problem for fillies and the $100,000-guaranteed King Glorious.

The Soviet Problem will be run Saturday, Dec. 12 while the King Glorious will be offered Sunday, Dec. 20.

Live racing will continue to be run with no spectators and only essential personnel allowed inside the facility to conduct the program.

The wagering menu includes the Pick Six – with the traditional 70/30 split and no jackpot provision – a pair of $1 Pick 4's – races 2-5 and the final four races – as well as the popular Players' Pick 5 – a 50-cent minimum wager with a reduced 14% takeout rate which is offered on the first five races.

Entries – which were taken Tuesday for the opening day program – were strong. A total of 85 horses were entered in eight races.

The post Starlet, Futurity Highlight Winter Thoroughbred Meet At Los Alamitos appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Los Al Winter Meet Begins Dec. 4

Five stakes races–three of which are graded–highlight the 2020 Los Angeles County Fair Winter Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos. The season will begin Friday, Dec. 4 and continue through Sunday, Dec. 20.

Racing is scheduled to be conducted Friday-Sunday the first week (Dec. 4-6) and Thursday-Sunday the final two weeks (Dec. 10-13 and Dec. 17-20). Post time will be 1 p.m. on weekdays and 12:30 p.m. on weekends.

The $300,000 GI Starlet S. and the $200,000 GII Los Alamitos Futurity will be run, respectively, Saturday, Dec. 5 and Saturday, Dec. 19. Both races are at 1 1/16 miles and being offered at Los Alamitos for the seventh time.

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert won both the Starlet and Futurity for a third consecutive year in 2019 and has won all six runnings of the Futurity at Los Alamitos.

The other graded stakes race is the GIII Bayakoa S., which will be offered Sunday, Dec. 6.

Live racing will continue to be run with no spectators and only essential personnel allowed inside the facility to conduct the program.

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