Racing News

Manitoba's horse racing community is rallying for jockey Alyssa Selman, who suffered a severe fall at Assiniboia Downs on Saturday.

Selman fractured a vertabrae in her spinal column and was not able to feel her legs, a friend of the family told the Free Press. She had surgery on Sunday.

Leigh Court, a $1 million Fasig-Tipton Kentucky 2014 November Sale purchase by Speedway Stables after finishing fifth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) last fall, impressed with a bullet half-mile workout in :47 3/5 June 11 atArlington International for new trainer Mike Stidham. 

While under the strong hold of assistant trainer Hilary Pridham, the 2013 champion 3-year-old filly in Canada clipped off easy fractions and showed great energy. It was the second local move since returning from six months of farm rest and third overall since recommencing serious training.

Cambest p,T1:46.1, the fastest Standardbred of all time, died Wednesday (June 10) at Walnut Hall Ltd. in Lexington, Ky. He was 27.

In his four-year racing career, Cambest earned $1,444,835. He became the fastest Standardbred in history when he paced to a 1:46.1 time trial on Aug. 16, 1993, at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield.

Retired to the stud at Walnut Hall Ltd. at six, Cambest to date has progeny earnings of $134,485,044, which currently ranks seventh among pacing sires according to the career earnings of their foals.

One of Maywood Park’s signature events, the $35,600 Filly Maywood Pace, will put a field of eight Illinois conceived and foaled 3-year-old pacing fillies in the spotlight as they do battle in race eight on Friday (June 12).

Leading the way in here is this year’s Violet Stake winner Lex who comes into this tussle off a third place finish while facing the top older distaffers on the grounds at Balmoral Park last time out.

The Nelson Willis trained miss earned a bye into Friday’s final, giving the daughter of Lexington Legend a week off to freshen up for this tussle. Sporting a career record of 7-4-3 in 15 starts with earnings of nearly $85,000 for owner Kay Willis, Lex has been installed as the 9-5 favorite as she leaves from post four. Kyle Wilfong is scheduled to handle the driving duties.

Horse Racing Radio Network will launch its "2015 Road to the Breeders' Cup" broadcast series with live coverage of the Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) and Fleur de Lis Handicap (gr. II) from Churchill Downs the evening of June 13.

The Stephen Foster is a "Win and You're In" event for the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) division, while the the Fleur de Lis is a Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) "Win and You're In" race. HRRN is the official radio home of the Breeders' Cup that will hold its championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington for the first time on Friday, and Saturday, Oct. 30-31.

HRRN's Stephen Foster coverage airs from 8-10 p.m. EDT and can be heard throughout North America on Sirius channel 92 as well as on various terrestrial affiliates across the country and locally in the Louisville market on ESPN 93.9 FM along with HANK 96.1 FM in Lexington. The broadcast will also be available via live streaming provided on the HRRN website.

Just months after Bal a Bali beat a case of laminitis, the Brazilian Triple Crown winner's connections will continue to ask him for more in the $400,000Shoemaker Mile (gr. IT) June 13 at Santa Anita Park.

The 5-year-old son of Put It Back, co-owned by Fox Hill Farms and Siena Farms, won his U.S. debut in the May 9 American Stakes (gr. IIIT) after going 11-for-12 during his time in Brazil from 2013 to 2014.

When he stops by Churchill Downs June 13 to pick up his trophy from American Pharoah's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) win, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will send Juddmonte Farms' Fame and Power postward in the $100,000Matt Winn Stakes (gr. III).

The 1 1/16-mile test, which drew a field of eight 3-year-olds, will be the second graded attempt for Fame and Power, who last time out went gate-to-wire in the May 16 Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on the undercard of the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I), won by his more accomplished stablemate.

Fox Hill Farms' Normandy Invasion, away from the races for more than a year in part because of a fractured right front sesamoid, is scheduled to return in a $36,000 allowance event July 1 a tDelaware Park.

Trained by Larry Jones, Normandy Invasion, a 5-year-old Tapit   horse with second-place finishes in three graded stakes, has been working nicely at Delaware Park, where Jones is based for the summer. He most recently breezed one mile in 1:38 3/5 on a fast track June 22.

"He has been training well," Jones said June 25.

Bee A Magician set a Canadian record in her return to Mohawk Racetrack Friday night (June 12) for the Armbro Flight eliminations.

A fantastic group of 17 older trotting mares were split into two C$35,000 eliminations to qualify for the C$272,000 Armbro Flight final.

Bee A Magician, the 2013 Horse of the Year, headlined the first elimination and continued her impressive 5-year-old season with a Canadian and track record performance of 1:51.1.

It can be argued that no horse was flattered more by American Pharoah's Triple Crown run than Arnold Zetcher'sFiring Line, but the second-place Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) finisher might not be returning to racing as soon as expected.

Trainer Simon Callaghan said June 11 theLine of David   colt has been having some foot issues recently and that Firing Line is "50-50" for a possible run in the $350,000 Los Alamitos Derby (gr. II) July 4. Firing Line jogged Thursday morning at Santa Anita Park and Callaghan said he could be ready for a timed workout the week of June 14.

"(His front left foot) got very sore and I think it was about to come to an abscess," Callaghan said of the colt who was just a length back in the Kentucky Derby before a troubled run in the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I). "We caught it in time and we're working on it, but sometimes those feet—it just takes a little longer than you initially think."

As bidding stalled at $7,000 on one of White Birch Farm’s yearlings at the Standardbred Horse Sale in 2013, farm manager Steve Williams felt compelled to act. Choosing to buy the colt back for $7,500, he soon proved to be the ultimate bargain.

Making his first start on Canadian soil in the second C$50,000 North America Cup elimination on Saturday night (June 13), In The Arsenal will be looking to extend his sophomore win streak after going three-for-three to start his campaign.

In his first start of 2015, the American Ideal colt captured a New York Sires Stakes event in a tidy 1:50 before finishing on top in both his Art Rooney elimination and the $300,000 final. Choosing to forego theSomebeachsomewhere at Mohawk Racetrack on June 6, trainer Kelvin Harrison believes he is good and fresh going into the eliminations.

Shug McGaughey has trained great horses to notable victories in his day, but the June 6 NYRA.com Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) win by Honor Code is the most impressive the Hall of Fame trainer has seen from one of his runners this year.

In a powerful last-to-first move, the 4-year-old A.P. Indy ridgling closed with a rush in the one-mile event, blowing past pacesetter Private Zone and taking charge with about a furlong to go before drawing off to win by 3 3/4 lengths under a hand ride. Honor Code defeated 2014 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Tonalist in the process, with Private Zone holding for third after setting a rapid tempo up front.

About two and a half months after finishing third in the world's richest race, grade I winner Lea will return to racing and a U.S. campaign, when the 6-year-old son of First Samurai   starts in the $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) June 13 at Churchill Downs. 

After a spectacular Triple Crown series that started with American Pharoah's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) victory at Churchill, older horses return to the spotlight in Louisville with the 1 1/8-mile Stephen Foster.