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Brown: ‘Longer Distance’ Of Risen Star Should Play To Zandon’s Strengths

Chad Brown-trained Triple Crown hopeful Zandon will make his next start in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 19 at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La., reports the Daily Racing Form. The 3-year-old son of Upstart, second by a nose in the G2 Remsen last out, has been working steadily at Payson Park in Indiantown, Fla. since late December.

“We went back and forth on whether to start out with him here,” Brown told DRF, referring to the G3 Holy Bull this Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. “But we prefer the longer distance of the Risen Star, and it has more points.”

The Holy Bull is run at 1 1/16 miles, and offers 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby to the winner, while the Risen Star is held over 1 1/8 miles and offers 50 points.

Meanwhile, his Grade 1-winning stablemate Jack Christopher (Munnings) has not yet made it back to the work tab after being scratched from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and later undergoing surgery to repair a shin issue.

“He is back galloping, and we're happy about that, but we are certainly behind with him,” Brown told DRF. “We're just going to have to take it week to week with him. We are not going to rush the horse just to make the Derby. The owners are completely on board with that.”

Bay Area Trainer Delia Passes Away

Longtime west coast trainer and former jockey William 'Bill' Delia died Thursday due to the complications of COVID-19. He was 75 years old.

Born Dec. 5, 1946, he began his apprenticeship as a jockey in 1966. After a race-riding career in which he piloted 304 winners, Delia switched to training. Beginning in 1985, his career spanned over four decades, winning 975 races from 7,952 starters, with his runners amassing purse earnings of $16,735,424.

The Bay area native was honored with the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association (CTBA) Trainer of the Year award in 2019.

Delia's last winner came at Golden Gate Fields Dec. 10 with Hands Off. His final two starters raced this past Friday, Jan. 21.

“As you can imagine, our racing family here at Golden Gate is deeply saddened,” said Golden Gate Fields General Manager David Duggan. “He was one guy you looked forward to seeing every morning. He was a hard worker that loved horses and racing. He had fantastic stories to share and a great sense of humor. With the news of Bill's passing comes a dark shadow that has been cast on our backstretch this morning.”

Jockey William Antongeorgi III, who rode for Delia in recent years, posted on social media Thursday evening.

“Not only was he great to ride for…but he was also just a great guy to be around,” said Antongeorgi. “[Delia was] always laughing and having a good time. This one hurts. I'll miss you.”

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Wesley Ward Suspended 30 Days Over Positive Test For Diabetes Drug

Trainer Wesley Ward has been fined $500 and suspended for 30 days by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission due to his trainee Averly Jane testing positive for metformin in the $150,000 Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs on April 28, 2021.

According to medlineplus.gov, metformin (a Class B drug) is used to treat type 2 diabetes by decreasing the amount of glucose absorbed from food and the amount of glucose made by the liver; it also increases the body's response to insulin. Metformin has been examined in several studies regarding equine metabolic syndrome.

Fifteen days of the suspension have been stayed by the commission due to mitigating circumstances (number of violations in relation to overall
record), provided Ward does not have an additional Class A or B positive during the next 365 days. The dates Ward will serve are Jan. 26 through Feb. 9, inclusive.

“It's the fifth-most dispensed drug in the United States for diabetes,” Ward told the Daily Racing Form. “It was four nanograms. It's just a shame. I don't know how it got into the horse's system, and it obviously didn't make her run faster.”

Ward also told DRF that a shipping company employee informed him he has taken metformin twice a day for 30 years to manage his diabetes. Ward and attorney Darrell Vienna argued in a hearing with the KHRC that the case was environmental contamination, but Ward told DRF he respects the final decision of the stewards.

Averly Jane has been disqualified from her victory in the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes and purse money forfeited, moving Vodka N Water (Steve Asmussen) into first. The filly's record includes two additional stakes wins in 2021, the Skidmore at Saratoga and the Indian Summer at Keeneland, before she finished fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Averly Jane wins the Skidmore

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Trainer Mark Glatt Announces Decision To Split With Little Red Feather Racing Stable

The Daily Racing Form reports that trainer Mark Glatt informed Little Red Feather Racing Stable of his decision to part ways on Friday.

“I was asked (by Little Red Feather) to make a business decision that was extremely uncomfortable,” Glatt told DRF, adding that the move “is unrelated to any horse or racing activity.”

Six horses owned by LRF will be transferred to other trainers, including graded stakes-winning turf sprinter Beer Can Man.

The ownership group and Glatt had worked together since summer of 2020.