Hiroshi Ando, stable manager for Forever Young, said Sunday that jockey Ryusei Sakai didn't claim foul because "both horses were fighting together. ... We wanted to win, we couldn't make history. We're really proud of of our horse." Forever Young & T O Password head home Tuesday
Steve Asmussen reports that Epicenter had two screws inserted into his right foreleg this morning, he is up and standing in his recovery stall and the prognosis is good for him to be a stallion.
THIS JUST IN:
@thenyra
bans Bob Baffert from entering horses or occupying stable space at NYRA tracks. Length of ban will be determined by investigation into Medina Spirit’s KY Derby positive. Story to come.
Epicenter has a lateral condylar fracture of his right foreleg, according to trainer Steve Asmussen. He is expected to undergo surgery tomorrow morning at Rood and Riddle.
Officially official. The 2024 Belmont Stakes will be held at Saratoga on June 8. The Belmont, which will get a purse bump to $2 million, will be run at 1 1-4 miles. It will be part of 4-day “Racing Festival” (6/6-6/9) that will include 23 stakes totaling $9.7 million.
Midnight Bourbon, who fell in Saturday’s Haskell, has some scrapes and abrasions, but X-rays and ultrasounds came back clean, per Asmussen. Horse vans back to Saratoga on Monday. No immediate plans as far as next start.
Larry Roman, who claimed Grape Soda for $25K on Friday, said the new name of the horse is Respect for All. He said he will donate 10-percent of the gelding's earnings to BEST, an organization that aids New York's backstretch workers.
A truly good man and terrific friend has left us much too soon.
@DaveLitfin
passed a short time ago. Condolences to
@robinlitfin
and their family. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Trainer Rick Violette has passed. A good man, who fought extremely hard for horsemen's rights while maintaining a first-class racing operation. Condolences to friends and family.
Steve Asmussen, trainer of runner-up Epicenter, on Derby result. “When they tell me this happened tomorrow I'm still going to go are you sure? Really? Like, that’s what happened?"
Sad to hear of the passing of Jonathan Sheppard. As classy a person as I've had the pleasure of talking with/covering in this game. The renaming of the New York Turf Writers Cup in his honor was a fitting tribute to this legend. Condolences to family and friends.
NYRA announces it will not allow jockeys who start riding at Saratoga on Thursday to go to another track and return to Saratoga. Also, jockeys who ride at another track starting Thursday will not be permitted to ride at Saratoga for the meet.
By order of Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, all of Saffie Joseph's horses have been ordered scratched including Lord Miles from Kentucky Derby. Now Mandarin Hero is in.
Barclay Tagg makes it official. Tiz the Law to skip Preakness & train up to BC Classic. "Since we have no shot at winning the Triple Crown our big goal with this colt is of course the Breeders’ Cup,” he said. “We really want to go into the Breeders’ Cup with a fresh, happy horse"
The NY stewards suspended Irad Ortiz Jr. 30 calendar days for careless riding Friday and Saturday at AQU. Ortiz is not appealing. Suspension to start this week, exact day unclear as Ortiz has to return and state has to accept a waiver of appeal. Ortiz rode in Puerto Rico Sunday.
Echo Zulu sustained a biaxial sesamoid bone fracture of the left-front fetlock during training this morning at Santa Anita. She has been stabilized in a kimzey splint and will undergo surgery Saturday morning, per trainer Steve Asmussen.
Preakness winner Rombauer heads to BELMONT PARK on Monday and will be pointed to BELMONT Stakes, per
@mwmracing
. Midnight Bourbon left Sunday for Churchill Downs and the BELMONT will be considered. Medina Spirit also to Churchill. Plans TBD
Chad Brown provided an update that Domestic Spending, who suffered a pelvic injury in the BC Mile, has progressed enough in his healing to have moved from Rood and Riddle to Dell Ridge Farm.
Got to credit Bill Mott for the job he’s done with 6-year-olds Art Collector, War Like Goddess, Frank’s Rockette and 5-year-old’s Elite Power and Frost Point. Still performing at a high level.
John Hertler, perhaps the nicest man I've met on the racetrack, has retired from training. Hertler had no stock (4 horses) and has been battling Parkinson's disease for years. Trained Slew o' Gold during his 1984 Eclipse Award-winning season.
Junior Alvarado appeared to escape serious injury as a result of the spill in BEL finale. Awaiting CT-Scan for possible concussion but otherwise okay, per agent Mike Sellitto
BREAKING: Arcangelo out of BC Classic. Jena Antonucci: "We are going to be scratching. We need more time to diagnose and make sure the horse is well." More later
According to Santana, the stewards told him that when Prat came out at the top of the lane he should have gone inside. Is it really the stewards place to tell a jockey how to ride a race?
Mandella said Geaux Rocket Ride has condylar fracture that broke through skin. While no sesamoid fracture, ligaments are stretched. Plan is for arthrodesis Sunday. "It’s going to be a delicate situation, it’s going to be lucky to make it, but we’re going to do everything we can."
IMO: If circumstances allow for the Belmont Stakes to be run June 6, it should be run June 6. That card has eight G1 stakes, made more important by cancellation of Keeneland and the postponing of Churchill’s Derby week stakes. We can only hope a sense of normalcy returns by June.
Just spoke with Uriah St Lewis, trainer of Deposition. He said there is nothing obviously wrong with the horse but he will be spend the night at the Ruffian Clinic (across from Belmont) where he will be further evaluated to make sure there is no concussion or internal bleeding.
John Velazquez has been announced as the new rider for Tiz the Law, who will make his next start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup, per
@sackatogastable
Just spoke with trainer Jeffrey Englehart, who had 14 horses in Belmont Park barn 60 in which there was a fire late this afternoon. Two horses trained by Wayne Potts perished, but the remainder of his horses and all 14 of Englehart's have been safely relocated to other barns.
BREAKING: Arcangelo out of BC Classic. Jena Antonucci: "We are going to be scratching. We need more time to diagnose and make sure the horse is well." More later
All things considered, decent news for
@trevormmccarthy
who will be out 8 to 10 weeks with a broken collarbone and pelvic fracture. Both are non-displaced, so no surgery, just need time. Hopeful for a February return, per agent
@MigBloodstock
UPDATE on
@iradortiz
: Will be out probably two weeks, per agent Steve Rushing. CT Scan and X-rays negative. Has stitches in his head and arm, "just pretty banged up," Rushing said.
Jockey Trevor McCarthy suffered a broken collarbone as a result of the spill in today's 6th race at AQU. He is awaiting further scans on his back to see if there is any other issue. Obviously, will miss some time.
Update on Divine Miss Grey, pulled up in the De La Rose. She has a fractured sesamoid in her left foreleg. The ligaments remain intact. She may or may not have surgery Monday, per trainer
@GarganRacing
. She is expected to survive to become a broodmare.
Huge business on the 14-race Travers card, a record $63,023,405. Previous record was $55,559,315 in 2022 on a 13-race card. Attendance announced at 47,844.
Just spoke with
@GrahamMotion
who said Frivole, pulled up early in SAR 4th is okay. She was pulled up by Franco "out of an abundance of caution" Motion said after taking a funny step. Motion said the filly is back in her own stall.
Uriah St. Lewis was on his way to pick up Deposition from the Ruffian Clinic. Said the horse is a little body sore but all tests came back negative so everything appears to be OK. St. Lewis said jockey Dexter Haddock is also a little body sore but OK. Should ride Monday at Parx.
Jack Knowlton owner of Tiz the Law on why he doesn't want to run in BC. "One, shipping across country with a young horse going a mile and a sixteenth around two turns for the first time against the top, top competition and quite honestly still some concerns about that racetrack."
Update on Luis Cardenas from agent PJ Campo. X-rays came back clean; just very sore and banged up. Will take the weekend off and see how he feels next week.
The
@NYSGamingComm
has announced it has suspended the licenses of Jason Servis, Jorge Navarro, Mike Tannuzzo, Henry Argueta (Servis' assistant) and others named in the indictment who held occupational licenses in New York.
Maple Leaf Mel breaks down right before the wire of the G1 Test. She has to be euthanized. Jockey Joel Rosario is being attended to by EMS personnel. He is walking off with assistance. Pretty Mischievous the winner of the Test. 1-2-7-6
Jockey Luis Saez is at a local hospital awaiting X-rays. Has pain in his leg, but is otherwise OK, per agent Kiaran McLaughlin, who spoke with Luis' wife Andrea, who is with Luis.
NYRA announced that Deshawn Parker has won the Mike Venezia Memorial Award, signifying extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship He was chosen in ballots cast by more than 350 professional jockeys at North American tracks. He will be presented the award at Saratoga on Sept. 2
John Imbriale to retire as full time NYRA announcer beginning in 2023. He will still call BELMONT Park meets. Frank Mirahmadi to call Saratoga. Chris Griffin to call Aqueduct. Story later on
Leave it to Malathaat to end our season with a bang. What a way to bow out of the game 💎💙 thank you sweet girl, for always running your heart out. Thank you
@PletcherRacing
@Ameliajgreen
@ByronLp56165297
&
@ljlmvel
for proving to the world how tough this filly is.