Racing News

On a very rainy night in East Rutherford, Corey Callahancontinued his meteoric rise with four more wins, pulling him within one win of David Miller in the driver standings.

Most notably, Callahan guided Berkshire Bear to an eight length romp in a 1:52.1 performance. Berkshire Bear is trained by Doug Lewis for J&M Racing.

Premier, a hot property recently at Pompano Park while changing hands by claim in his last two starts, captured the $18,200 Murdock Hanover Late Closer final at the south Florida five-eighths-mile oval on Saturday night (Jan. 11), wiring his opponents with a lifetime best equaling performance of 1:51.3.

Performing over a fast dirt track for the first time in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Hal's Hope at Gulfstream Park, Lea proved to be more than just a turf and off-track specialist with a resounding win over eight rivals in the one-mile test.

Pressing 3-1 favorite Casaba through splits of :24, :47 and 1:10 4/5, Lea headed that rival approaching the quarter pole, opened up on the field in the stretch and drew off to a 3 1/4-length victory in a time of 1:35 1/5. Ridden by Luis Saez, who garnered his 1,000th career win with this the ride, the 6-1 chance paid $14.80.

Jackson Bend, who closely rated in midpack, rallied for second, a half-length clear of Neck 'n Neck and Uncaptured, who were separated by a neck for third. Completing the order of finish were Purple Egg, Csaba, Goodtimehadbyall, Simmstown, and Strike One. Nikki's Sandcastle was scratched in favor of the Ft. Lauderdale earlier in the program, where he ran third.

Mucho Macho Man breezed sharply Jan. 11 for his scheduled 2014 debut in the $400,000 Sunshine Millions Classic scheduled for Jan. 18 at Gulfstream Park, while top female sprinter Groupie Dollwas also on the tab. 

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Mucho Macho Man, winner of the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park, worked four furlongs in :47 4/5 before galloping out five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 under regular exercise rider Nick Petro Jr.

The 6-year-old son of Macho Uno   worked well off the inside rail and finished strongly through the stretch in preparation for his first start since capturing the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic.

Just four weeks remain before harness racing gets an exciting new venue with VLT-infused purses, a five-eighths-mile oval built from scratch by the reknowned Coon brothers, and an immense new 156-stall paddock attached to a modern racing administration building.

With opening night scheduled for Friday (Feb. 7), construction crews are busy completing a myriad of projects to insure a successful start to the 66-night meet which features racing five nights a week through May 4. Miami Valley Raceway will present live programs every Wednesday through Sunday with a 6:30 p.m. post time.

Condition sheets for the first week of racing are currently available on the USTA website. Ship-in applications will be available on the Miami Valley Gaming website by Jan. 20.

Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner and Horse of the Year finalist Mucho Macho Man will make his 2014 debut in the same race he has used for the past two years, the Sunshine Millions Classic Jan. 18.

The $400,000 race at Gulfstream Parkrestricted to Florida-breds and contested over 1 1/8 miles. It will be the first start for Mucho Man Man since his nose victory over Will Take Charge in the Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 2.

Trainer Kathy Ritvo had been pondering the decision for some time before making her announcement on the afternoon of Jan. 10. It will keep her star at home for his the start of his 6-year-old season. 

Thursday’s (Jan. 9) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Dover Downs and The Meadows.

Dream Out Loud N (Matt Kakaley) picked off favored Bettor's Edge (George Brennan) Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's $33,000 Open Handicap Pace.

Assigned post position No. 2, he worked out a pocket trip behind 2-5 choice Bettor's Edge. That one threw down intervals of :28.1, :57.2 and 1:25.2. All the while, he was pestered by a fumbly-gaited, but persistent longshot Eddie Sweat (Jason Bartlett).

Bad Boy Racing LLC and Whizway Farms' Blueskiesnrainbows took command of Saturday's Grade 2, $200,500 San Pasqual at Santa Anita soon after the gates opened and never looked back en route to a 1 ¼-length victory over Majestic Harbor. He paid $6.20 for the win as the 2-1 favorite against his six rivals.

With jockey Martin Pedroza aboard, Blueskiesnrainbows set splits of :23 ⅘, :47 ⅘ and 1:12 ⅕ while tracked by Spud Spivens behind and on the outside. That rival began fading nearing the turn, but Majestic Harbor was more than willing to pick up the slack. The bay six-year-old ranged up to Blueskiesnrainbows' throat latch entering the stretch but couldn't keep up as the eventual winner kicked into a another gear and drew off to finish 1 1/16 miles on the fast main track in 1:43.

"Everybody seems to think that he has to have the lead, but he doesn't necessarily," Pedroza asserted. "He's not really quick from the gate, so you have to send him to get position. Once you get him going though, he's OK. The reason we send him is because of that, he's not aggressive right away, so we send him.

Waterford Stable's Summer Front had to catch the loose-on-the-lead Tetradrachm in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Ft. Lauderdale at Gulfstream Park, and the 6-5 favorite duly delivered his customary turn of foot to prevail. Trained by Christophe Clement and confidently handled by Joe Bravo, the admirably-consistent turf performer notched his seventh career stakes victory.

In a race lacking a dedicated front runner, Tetradrachm loomed as the likeliest to assume the role of controlling speed, and he nearly executed the theft. The 5-1 chance got away with slow splits of :25, :49 and 1:12 1/5 on the firm turf, stalked by Howe Great. Summer Front was nestled in a ground-saving spot just off the pace, traveling comfortably, and needing only a way through to establish his authority.

Tetradrachm shot clear entering the stretch, but that left a golden opening on the rail for Summer Front, and the favorite was quick to exploit it. Collaring Tetradrachm in the final yards, Summer Front pulled away by three-quarters of a length and completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 1/5.

Favored at 6-5 for his first start since Nov. 29, Waterford Stable's Summer Front ran down pacesetter Tetradrachmin the final sixteenth to win the $200,000Fort Lauderdale Stakes (gr. IIT) Jan. 11 atGulfstream Park (VIDEO).

The 5-year-old son of War Front  stalked a leisurely tempo set by Tetradrachm, who showed the way unchallenged in the 1 1/16-mile turf event through a quarter in :25.19 and a half in :49 flat followed by Howe Greatand Hierro. The leader continued through three-quarters in 1:12.32, while jockey Joe Bravo had Summer Front covered up in fourth on the rail.

WinStar Farm's multiple graded stakes winner Revolutionary returned to the races for the first time since the 2013 Belmont Stakes (gr. I)  with a solid victory Jan. 11 at Gulfstream Park, taking a one mile allowance by half a length over grade III winner Falling Sky (VIDEO).

The 4-year-old son of War Pass turned in a solid performance as the 1-5 favorite over four others in the $54,500 event, picking up horses one by one after getting off to a slightly slow start. Jockey Javier Castellano kept the colt in the clear on the outside well behind the pace set by Falling Sky, who went a quarter in :23.78 and a half in :46.41 before getting three-quarters in 1:09.84.

Whispering Oaks Farm's Street Story got the Oaklawn Park meet off to a fast start for 2013 leading jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. and trainer Steve Asmussen by winning the $100,000 Dixie Belle Stakesbefore a rain-drenched crowd of 15,031 Jan. 10 (VIDEO). 

The Street Cry   filly, sent off the 5-2 second favorite in a field of nine 3-year-old fillies, survived an objection in the race to earn her first stakes victory.

In addition to Street Story, the other star of the day was jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr., who was a perfect 4-for-4 in his first day of riding at Oaklawn. Three of his winners came for trainer Cody Autrey and owner Steve Landers. 

The Florida Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association, has announced the award winners for the 2013 harness racing season. They will be honored at the association’s 23rd annual Hall of Fame awards dinner on Friday, March 7, 2014 at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, Deerfield Beach.

Elected to the chapter’s Hall of Fame, which recognizes special individuals who have been outstanding leaders within the industry for more than ten years and who have contributed to the betterment of the Standardbred Industry, are two longtime harness racing driver/trainers, Lucien Fontaine of Coconut Creek and Mark O’Mara of Parkland.

Being inducted into the Communicators’ Corner of the Hall of Fame, which is presented to an outstanding individual who had devoted his or her print or broadcast career to promoting the harness racing industry goes to former Isle Pompano Park Marketing Director, Steven Wolf, of Coral Springs.

Less than one month after the opening of the $265,000,000 Hard Rock Rocksino, Northfield Park has announced the creation of the $500,000 Carl Milstein Memorial to be raced on Friday, August 15, 2014. 

The Milstein Memorial is an early-closer for 3-year-old-colt-and-gelding pacers. Northfield will add $250,000 to the purse, for an estimated $400,000 Final and a $100,000 Consolation.  The top eight purse earners in 2014 that enter will make up the field for the final, with the next eight drawing into the consolation.

Carl Milstein owned and operated Northfield from 1984 until his death in 1999.  His son, Brock Milstein, took over as Chairman of Northfield Park upon his passing and is now the Chairman of Milstein Entertainment, LLC, majority owner of the Hard Rock Rocksino and Northfield Park.

The Living Horse Hall of Fame nominating committee of the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame has announced the results of recent balloting to determine the 2014 inductees into the Harness Racing Living Horse Hall of Fame.

Annual members (in good standing) voted for the two horses they felt best exemplified greatness. Their choices are racehorses Donato Hanover and Precious Bunny. The other nominees were Fool’s Goal, Real Desire and S J’s Photo.

Also entering the Living Horse Hall of Fame in 2014 will be broodmare Hattie, having met the required criteria for induction (see below).