Philadelphia Park Casino and Racetrack Cancels Racing

Posted on Friday, November 30th, 2007

Due to a damaged water main that was discovered one day earlier, Philadelphia Park Casino and Racetrack canceled live racing on November 30, according to published reports.

The water leak caused the casino to close for the day and forced fire officials to evacuate more than 1,000 customers and employees on the evening of November 29, mainly for precautionary reasons. There was no major damage, the Associated Press reported.

The local fire marshal originally had given word to reopen the facility this morning, but after assessing the situation further, decided against it. Eight races were planned for the November 30 card.

The facility in Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania opened its slots operation in December 2006 and has more than 2,000 machines in the main building, which also houses racing operations. Plans call for a $300-million stand-alone casino to be built next to the racetrack.

Philadelphia Park chief operating officer Joe Wilson was unavailable for comment. Racing is expected to resume December 1.

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Santa Anita To Close Main Track From December 3-10

Posted on Wednesday, November 28th, 2007

Santa Anita Park will close its main track from December 3-10 to ensure that its new Cushion Track surface is draining at optimum levels for anticipated winter rain.

“We are just not satisfied that our racing surface is ready for the winter weather, and we want to be sure it’s working properly before the start of the (Winter/Spring) meet on December 26,” said Santa Anita President Ron Charles.

The Cushion Track surface, which was installed last summer, was well received by jockeys, trainers and horsemen during the recent Oak Tree meet, which ended last November 4. However, there have been continued concerns about drainage.

Santa Anita has solicited numerous track surface and soil preparation specialists, who have conducted a number of maintenance programs on the main track and water tests in the seven furlong chute. These experts all agree that it would be advisable at this stage to conduct further investigative efforts on the Cushion Track and its drainage foundation.

Although the same major components: silica sand, synthetic fibers, elastic fiber and granulated rubber and wax are present in every Cushion Track surface, the combination of these elements is custom designed to meet the weather conditions at each track. So too is the size, porosity and composition of the underlying rock layers that cover the miles of drainage pipes that have been installed.

“We just feel we owe it to the horsemen to do everything we can to make sure the drainage system we have provides the same consistent surface we all expected and were guaranteed. Right now, I just don’t think we’re there. It’s critical that we go into our winter meet knowing that when it does rain, the track drains vertically and allows us to be back racing on a safe racing surface in a very short period of time,” Charles said.

Santa Anita Park’s inner training track will remain open for training during this period of adjustment to the main track, and will operate with extended hours to accommodate horsemen.

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Hall of Famer & 5-Time Kentucky Derby Winning Jockey Bill Hartack Dead

Posted on Tuesday, November 27th, 2007

On the night of November 26, 74-year-old Bill Hartack, Hall of Famer and five-time Kentucky Derby winner, was found dead in a cabin while on a hunting vacation in Freer, Texas.

According to Dr. Corinne Stern, the chief medical examiner in south Texas’ Webb County, he died from natural causes due to heart disease. Bill Hartack’s family has been notified, and funeral arrangements were being made.

Bill Hartack and fellow Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Arcaro are the only jockeys to win the Kentucky Derby five times. Bill Hartack won his first Kentucky Derby aboard Iron Liege in 1957 then with Venetian Way in 1960, Decidedly in 1962, Northern Dancer in 1964 and Majestic Prince in 1969.

Hartack also won the Preakness Stakes with Northern Dancer in 1964, Majestic Prince in 1969 and Fabius in 1956. Bill Hartack’s lone Belmont Stakes win was with Celtic Ash in 1960.

In the 1950s, Bill Hartack was among the rulers of horse racing. He was the leading rider by earnings (1956-57) and the leader by number of wins (1955-57 and 1960). He became the second jockey to ride as many as 400 winners in a single year (1955) when winning with 417 of his mounts.

Considered among the fiercest riders in the game, Bill Hartack rode until 1974 and had 4,272 wins from 21,535 mounts, winning an impressive 19.8% of his races. He later rode in Hong Kong from 1978-80.

Following his retirement, Bill Hartack remained in the horse racing industry as a steward at several tracks. He recently worked the Louisiana Downs meeting.

“What we’ll remember is his tenacity, his competitiveness,” said Chick Lang, Bill Hartack’s agent in the 1950s and the former general manager of Pimlico Race Course. “He liked what he was doing, and he did it very well. In his profession, there was no one better.”

Born in 1932 at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, William John Hartack Jr. was raised by his coal-mining father on a farm. At the age of 17, he took a job as an exercise and stable boy with trainer Junie Corbin at Charles Town Race Course in West Virginia. He won his first race in 1952 at Waterford Park in West Virginia and was later elected to the Hall of Fame in 1959 at age 26.

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Precious Kitten Wins 2007 Matriarch Stakes at Hollywood Park

Posted on Sunday, November 25th, 2007

Precious Kitten trained by Bobby Frankel took a commanding 1 1/4 length lead to win the $500,000 Matriarch Stakes at Hollywood Park on Sunday, November 25th.

This is the fourth consecutive win in the Matriarch Stakes and a record eighth triumph in the past 11 years for trainer Bobby Frankel. He trains the 4-year-old filly Precious Kitten for owners and breeders Sarah and Kenneth Ramsey.

Ridden by Rafael Bejarano in the race for fillies and mares 3-year-old and up, Precious Kitten covered the mile in 1:33.63 and paid $7.60, $3.20 and $2.40. Precious Kitten improved her career mark to 7-8-1 in 19 starts with earnings of $1,419,688.

Coming in a second place finish, Wait a While, who was scratched out of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf by trainer Todd Pletcher due to the poor turf conditions, returned $2.80 and $2.10 in her first start since running third in Belmont Park’s Flower Bowl Invitational on September 29th.

The French filly, Lady of Venice, finished third and paid $2.80 to show. Following her are: Live Life, Dance Away Capote and Naissance Royale.

In the 8th race at Hollywood Park, Daytona, with jockey Mike Smith aboard, won the Hollywood Derby. He covered 1 1/4 miles on turf in 1:59.75 and paid $13.20, $7.40 and $5.40. Medici Code came in second and returned $11.40 and $7. Bold Hawk finished third and paid $4 to show.

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Anak Nakal Wins $250,000 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs

Posted on Saturday, November 24th, 2007

Anak Nakal, ridden by Julien Leparoux for two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Nick Zito, placed his name among the early contenders for the 2008 Kentucky Derby when he held off Blackberry Road for a half-length victory in Saturday’s Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes for 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs.

The son of Victory Gallop, Anak Nakal, covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.16 and paid $18.40, $8.80 and $5.80. Blackberry Road with jockey Calvin Borel came in second and paid $7.80 and $4.40. Racecar Rhapsody under Robby Albarado almost missed the runner-up spot by a head and paid $4.40.

They were followed by Real Appeal, Halo Najib, Mythical Pegasus and Cool Coal Man.

“He is a long-striding horse and that’s why I was kind of asking him (leaving the backstretch) because he does not have much of a kick but he just keeps on going,” Julien Leparoux said. “He is kind of a grinder. The pace in front of me was ideal and the race set up perfect for me.”

24-year-old Frenchman Julien Leparoux won three of the last four races on the 12-race closing day program at Churchill Downs, including both the Kentucky Jockey Club and the Golden Rod Stakes, to edge Calvin Borel 27-26 for his third “leading jockey” honors in the 21-day Fall Meet at Churchill Downs. He won his first Fall Meet crown in 2007 by riding Aquarian to defeat Calvin Borel and Revenge Is Sweet by a head in the meet’s final race.

Steve Asmussen edged Dale Romans 14-13 for honors as the meet’s leading trainer. It is his second Fall Meet title and fourth overall.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey won their 12th “leading owner” title and their sixth in the Fall Meet.

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Todd Pletcher Breaks North American Money Won Record

Posted on Friday, November 23rd, 2007

Gaining a trio of stakes wins across the country, trainer Todd Pletcher broke his own 2006 North American record for money won with The Leopard winning on Friday’s $111,800 Generous Stakes on opening day of the 16th Turf Festival at Hollywood Park.

Todd Pletcher had five wins on Friday, November 23rd, including victories by A.P. Arrow in the $500,000 Clark Handicap at Kentucky’s Churchill Downs and by Mini Sermon in the $150,000 Top Flight at New York’s Aqueduct as his stable earned $585,612 on the day to push his season total to $26,850,873. That topped his 2006 standard of $26,820,243 by $30,630.

“It was a good day,” Pletcher said from Louisville, Kentucky where saddled a pair of winners at Churchill Downs before heading to Hollywood Park for Day 2 of the Turf Festival on Saturday. “It’s nice to break the record with some important wins. It’s been a great year for the whole team.”

Ridden by Garrett Gomez, The Leopard covered a mile on the turf in 1:34.28 and paid $3.60, $2.80 and $2.40. It was Gomez’s record 72nd stakes victory of the year. Garrett Gomez broke Jerry Bailey’s 2003 record of 70 stakes wins when he rode Spring Awakening to victory in the Moccasin Stakes at Hollywood Park on November 11th.

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Fair Grounds Open For 2007-08 Thoroughbred Race Meet

Posted on Thursday, November 22nd, 2007

Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans once again opened on Thanksgiving Day for the 136th running of its 81-day Thoroughbred race meeting. Horse racing fans will encounter a number of improvements to the nation’s third-oldest track which includes 245 slot machines.

The Fair Grounds plans 64 stakes races, including 10 graded races that will be mostly concentrated on two programs. The races carry a combined $7.3 million in purses.

The big day will be March 8, when the track will stage the $600,000 Louisiana Derby, its Kentucky Derby prep at 1 1/16 miles, and the Fair Grounds Oaks, a prep for the Kentucky Oaks at 1 1/16 miles. Other graded stakes on that program include the $500,000 Mervin H. Muniz Memorial Handicap for older horses at 1 1/8 miles on the turf and the $500,000 New Orleans Handicap for older horses at 1 1/8 miles.

Read full story: "Fair Grounds Open For 2007-08 Thoroughbred Race Meet"...

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