Racing News

Happy My Way is set to make his 2015 debut in the $100,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint Jan. 17 at Gulfstream Park, where the 5-year-old gelding developed into a stakes-placed performer last season.

Trained by Joe Orseno, Happy My Way won three of four starts over Gulfstream's main track after being switched from turf to dirt last season, capturing a pair of optional claiming allowance sprints and the $100,000 Sir Shackleton Stakes. The son of Wilko  went on to win the Maryland Sprint Handicap (gr. III) at Pimlico Race Course on Preakness Day and finish second after setting the pace in the Vanderbilt (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course.

Brereton C. Jones' Albano looks to kick off what could be a breakthrough year when he heads a six-horse field for the 69th running of the $75,000 Louisiana Handicap at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Jan. 17.

Trained by Larry Jones, the 4-year-old son of Istan   exits a sophomore season that saw him win the $150,000 Pegasus Stakes (gr. III), finish second to subsequent Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Bayern in the $1 million Haskell Invitational (gr. I), and place in three other graded stakes.

Since returning to training the Kentucky-bred has worked phenomenally, including five bullet works in his last seven moves—highlighted by a five-furlong breeze in :59.60 on Jan. 6. Kerwin Clark rides from post five.  

The 30th Jim McKay Maryland Million Day, with purses and awards of more than $1 million for Maryland-sired horses, is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015 at Laurel Park.
 
Conceived by the late sportscaster and horseman Jim McKay, Maryland Million Day was launched Oct. 18, 1986.

"Thirty years later we are proud to carry on the tradition, representing a vibrant and optimistic Thoroughbred industry in Maryland," said Cricket Goodall, executive director.

The Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium, operators of the historic Fort Erie Race Track, has petitioned the Ontario Racing Commission for a revised live racing schedule that adds three dates and also extends its 2015 season deep into October.

The commission is expected to approve the request in the coming weeks.

According to documents filed with the commission, Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium, wants to drop two live racing dates in May and one in June, while picking up six dates in October. The track is also seeking to push back its post time for the first race by 10 minutes in September and October and all of its Sunday dates.

Lochte will be loaded onto a horse van atGulfstream Park West Jan. 10 for an eight-mile spin.

Trainer Marcus Vitali would ship 1,000 miles to give Lochte a chance to compete on the turf course at Gulfstream Park.

The 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro  has demonstrated a distinct fondness for the firmer going of the Gulfstream course in the past and is scheduled to seek a return to winning form in the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (gr. IIT) at 1 1/16 miles on the grass Jan. 10.

Grade I winner Hoppertunity returns toSanta Anita Park Jan.10 as the 4-year-old tops the field of 11 older horses in the grade II, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/16 miles.

After winning the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) atOaklawn Park last year, the Any Given Saturday colt ran second to eventual dual classic winner California Chrome in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I).

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Hoppertunity was highly regarded for last year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), but was sent to the sidelines and declared out of the Derby May 1 due to quarter cracks and for ankle surgery. He returned Oct. 29 to run second in an allowance race at Santa Anita for owners Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman.

Given her pedigree, pacing mare Lotsa Matzah has the potential to be a successful broodmare. But before she gives motherhood a try, trainer Ed Hart is hopeful the lightly raced 4-year-old can still be a successful racehorse.

Lotsa Matzah, a full sister to stakes-winners Heston Blue Chip and Sunfire Blue Chip, has won two of 13 career starts as she heads into Friday’s opening round of the Worldly Beauty series at the Meadowlands. One of those victories came at the Big M last week following a six-month layoff.

The nine-race Jan. 9 opening-day card atOaklawn Park drew 92 entries, three more than the corresponding date last year and seven more than in 2013 at the Hot Springs, Ark., Thoroughbred track.

The 57-day meet is highlighted by the $1 million Arkansas Derby (gr. I) on the April 11 closing-day card.

Racing secretary Pat Pope said Pope said his goal is to always use races in the condition book, a sort of road map trainers use to point their horses for specific races, and it's "nice" that the first nine races in the filled. "Very happy with how the first day of entries went," Pope said.

Gentildonna, a 6-year-old daughter ofDeep Impact who concluded her illustrious career at the end of 2014, has been voted Japan Racing Association's Horse of the Year and top older mare for a second time.

Sunday Racing Company's mare trained by Sei Ishizaka had previously taken home the top honor in 2012 when she was also champion 3-year-old filly; she was previously honored as outstanding older filly or mare in 2013.

Northern Racing bred Gentildonna from English group I winner Donna Blini, by Bertolini. She is a full sister to Japanese group III winner Donau Blue, who is group I-placed. During her career, Gentildonna won seven stakes at the group I level, equalling a record only four other horses in Japan Racing Association history have accomplished, including her sire Deep Impact. Her career earnings of ¥1,726,030,400 (about $14.3 million in U.S. funds) rank as second highest in JRA history behind T.M.Opera O, and are the highest among females.

Trainer Billy Gowan had several options for the 4-year-old debut of Ride On Curlin, but he decided to take what he believes is the path of least resistance—a second-level allowance sprint Jan. 15 in the ninth race at Oaklawn Park.

"He's eligible for the condition," Gowan said after watching Ride On Curlin gallop 1 1/4 miles Jan. 13 under regular exercise rider Bryan Beccia. "He's been off a long time, so I didn't have to train him too hard to get him fit to go short. Plus, he set a track record going 5 1/2 (furlongs), so he's pretty fast, anyway. This seemed like a good spot back for him."

The 23rd running of the $125,000 Silverbulletday Stakes has produced arguably the most impressive field in recent memory with its nine entrants for Jan. 17 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Led by 14 Hands Winery Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) runner-up Top Decile and Golden Rod Stakes (gr. II) winner West Coast Belle, the lineup for the one mile and 70 yard test is further deepened by a regally bred full sister to last year’s winner in Forever Unbridled, along with last-out stakes winners Zooming and Money'soncharlotte, plus a double-barreled assault from the red-hot barn of Larry Jones (who has won the race twice in the last six years).

In the Nov. 8 River City Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs, Gainesway Stable'sVillandry finally notched a graded win for trainer Charles LoPresti. Following a move to the barn of David Carroll, the 6-year-old son of Mr. Greeley, with assigned pilot Florent Geroux, looms as a force to capture the $125,000 Colonel E. R. Bradley Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the lawn atFair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

The 1 1/16-mile Bradley is part of Fair Grounds' "Road to the Derby Kickoff Day" program that sees the New Orleans oval present a quintet of stakes, including the Lecomte (gr. III) for 3-year-olds.

Parranda is ready to run, and that should come as bad news to her nine rivals in the $150,000 Marshua's River Stakes (gr. IIIT) Jan. 10 at Gulfstream Park.

Purchased for $800,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November breeding stock sale by The China Horse Club after finishing sixth in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) Nov. 1 atSanta Anita Park, Parranda was being prepared for a start in February's China Equine Cultural Festival in Singapore but is ready to start now, according to trainer Christophe Clement.

"Since she has been with me, I think she has been doing very well," Clement said. "She had a bit of a break in November—we just gave her a break when she first came in—and she has been working very well since I brought her back, and I'm actually pretty excited to run her.

After racing primarily as a grass horse early in his career, Lea looked like he would be a major player on the dirt in 2014, when he began a promising campaign with victories in the $100,000 Hal's Hope Stakes (gr. III) and the $500,000 Donn Handicap (gr. I) atGulfstream Park before being sidelined with an illness.

Now healthy, Lea is back to defend his title in Saturday's $150,000 Hal's Hope, one of three graded stakes offered Jan. 10 at Gulfstream.

"He seems to be doing well, but he's coming off a long layoff and coming into a stakes race," Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said.

"Obviously, it'll be a competitive spot I'm sure. We're just looking to see how he does and hoping he makes a good showing coming off a layoff."

inalists for the 44th annual Eclipse Awards were announced Jan. 7 on HRTV by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters. 

Of the 280 eligible voters, 265 sent in their ballots, nearly 95%.

The awards will be presented Jan. 17 atGulfstream Park Racing and Casino in Hallandale Beach, Fla. The event begins at 6 p.m. Jeannine Edwards, sports broadcaster for ESPN and ABC, will host for the fourth time. 

Corey Callahan joined the 4,000-win club with driving U-B to victory, his second of three winning drives on the Tuesday (Jan. 6) card at Dover Downs while Thisdeuceiswild, made the winner’s circle taking the $20,000 - $25,000 3&5-Year-Old Claiming feature race.

The 36-year-old Callahan, a graduate of the University of Kentucky, became a driver at a rather older age in his mid-20s though from a harness family on both his father and mother’s families. Callahan, a top-10 finisher in wins and money won in 2014, has been the track's leading driver for the past five meets and currently leads Dover Downs in driving wins with 104 and more than $1 million in purses earned by horses he has driven.

Tony Morgan, driving Thisdeuceiswild, used the passing lane coming from fourth turning for home to streak down the lane and overtake front-pacing Just Bettor (Vic Kirby) in 1:52.4. Bill Emmons owns the winner, an Armbro Deuce-She’sa Ten Also gelding trained by Phil Goldwater. It was his second win in a row. Touchdown Mindale (Callahan) was the show finisher.