HOT SPRINGS, AR (Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016) – Because of recent outbreaks of EHV-1 virus, all horses from New Mexico and Arizona or who have been in these states since January 1 are banned from the grounds of Oaklawn effective immediately and until further notice, Director of Racing David Longinotti announced Thursday.
Furthermore, no workers from these states, including, but not limited to jockeys, grooms, farriers and trainers, will be allowed on the grounds until meeting with the stewards.
“We are being overly cautious because our main concern is for the safety of the horses currently stabled on our grounds,” said Director of Racing David Longinotti.
Oaklawn’s live meet runs through Saturday, April 16.
A Pioneerof the Nile filly drilled three furlongs in :32 4/5, the fastest for the distance at the Jan. 25 under tack show for the horses of racing age section of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s winter mixed sale.
Consigned by McKathan Bros., the unraced Louisiana-bred 3-year-old filly is out of Bojangle’s Cat, a four-time winning daughter of Tabasco Cat who has produced four winners. The filly is from the family of stakes winner Colonel Rutledge.
The sale’s horses of racing age section follows the open session Jan. 28.
(New Orleans, La.) – Louisiana Premier Night will take place on Saturday, February 6, at Delta Downs Casino and Racetrack in Vinton, La. The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association will award two (2) scholarships, each valued at $1,000, during the event.
The drawings will be after the fifth race. The races begin at 5:40 p.m. and the student must be there to register between 4:40 p.m. and 5:40 p.m. at the designated registration booth.
The requirements for the scholarship are as follows:
Must be a college student enrolled full-time for Spring 2016.
Must be in good standing with the college or university.
Must be present to win.
The scholarship will be deposited directly into the student’s account at the college or university. The student is asked to know the name and address of the college that they are attending.
“The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association is pleased to continue making an investment in the future of our state by investing in the education process,” said Roger Heitzmann, secretary/treasurer for the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association.
For more information, please call 1-800-772-1195 or visit louisianabred.com.
Hot Springs, Ark. (Friday, January 22, 2016) – Oaklawn management and horsemen made the unanimous decision to cancel Friday’s nine-race card after rain and snow left the track too saturated for racing.
“The safety of the horses and riders is always our first concern,” said Director of Racing David Longinotti. “There was nearly an inch of rain Thursday followed by an inch of snow. Our track crew will continue working the track. With cold temperatures expected tonight, we and the horsemen felt it was more prudent to keep working the track to insure its readiness for the weekend.”
Oaklawn remains open for gaming and simulcast racing. The game room will have normal business hours of 10 a.m. to 5 a.m. Saturday.
Live racing is scheduled to resume Saturday with a 1 p.m. first post highlighted by the $100,000 American Beauty Stakes.
STALL APPLICATIONS FOR 2016 MEET ARE DUE FEBRUARY 19
OPELOUSAS, LA – Evangeline Downs 2016 Thoroughbred racing season will begin on Wednesday, April 6 and continue through Saturday, August 27. There will be 84 days of live racing run on a Wednesday through Saturdayweekly schedule during the season.
All horsemen interested in submitting a stall application to Evangeline Downs must do so by Friday, February 19. To obtain a stall application, horsemen can visit the website www.evdracing.com and click on the “Horsemen’s Info” tab at the top of the homepage. To contact Evangeline Downs directly, horsemen can call the racing office at 337-594-3000.
The notable events on the Evangeline Downs Thoroughbred racing schedule include the $100,000 Evangeline Mile for 3-year-olds and up at one mile on the main track on Saturday, June 4 and Louisiana Legends night on Saturday, July 2, which will feature eight Louisiana-bred stakes race with purses totaling $775,000.
The Evangeline Mile program will also include two other stakes races: the $60,000 Need for Speed Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at five furlongs on the turf and the $70,000 Lafayette Stakes for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds at seven furlongs on the main track.
Louisiana Legends Night, a celebration of the Louisiana-bred Thoroughbred, is highlighted by the $125,000 Classic for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on the main track. There will also be six stakes races with purses of $100,000 on Legends Night: the Distaff for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, the Sprint for 3-year-olds and up at 5 ½ furlongs on the main track, the Mademoiselle for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up at 5 ½ furlongs on the main track, the Turf for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 on the turf, the Cheval for 3-year-olds at one mile on the turf, and the Soiree for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on the turf. There will also be the $50,000 Starter for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 on the main track.
First post time for each live racing night at Evangeline Downs for the 2016 Thoroughbred season will be 5:50 pm Central Time.
For more information on the 2016 Thoroughbred season at Evangeline Downs, visit the track’s website at www.evdracing.com.
VINTON, LA. – Oh Baby Oh Baby won her second consecutive stakes race at Delta Downs this season on Friday night as she took the $70,000 Eldorado under leading jockey Ashley Broussard. The Sam Breaux trainee also won the Lookout Stakes on December 18 as well as two other optional claiming races earlier in the season to give here four-race winning streak overall.
Friday’s victory by Oh Baby Oh Baby came at the distance of one mile, which was the longest of her tallies this season. In each race she took the lead early and opened up a clear lead before cruising home in front by a comfortable margin. The Eldorado win came by a length over Pacific Pink, who was another 4-1/2 lengths to the good of third-place finisher Private Promise.
Oh Baby Oh Baby, who is owned by Above The Crowd Stable LLC and Horseplayers Racing Club LLC, covered the eight furlongs over a fast track in 1:39.32.
Overall it was Oh Baby Oh Baby’s ninth win from 22 lifetime starts and she earned $42,000 for the effort. Her career bankroll now stands at $250,902.
Oh Baby Oh Baby is a 5-year-old mare by Orientate, out of the Forty Niner mare Tumble Me Right. She was bred in Louisiana by Simmons & Associates Inc. and was purchased at sale in Texas in 2013 for $52,000.
Sent to the gate as the 3-2 wagering favorite, Oh Baby Oh Baby returned $5 to win, $3.20 to place and $2.60 to show. Pacific Pink was worth $2.80 to place and $2.40 to show. Private Promise paid $5.20 to show.
Delta Downs will wrap up its race week on Saturday night with a 10-race program that beings at 5:40 pm CT. The Saturday feature race is the $70,000 Fremont Stakes for older horse competing at one mile.
For more information about racing at Delta Downs visit the track’s website at www.deltadownsracing.com. Fans can also get information about through Facebook by visiting the page ‘Delta Downs Racing’.
Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana, on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles, take Exit 7 and from Texas, take Exit 4.
Chuck Trout, executive director of the Texas Racing Commission, sent out a letter to various horsemens’ associations on Jan. 13 stating that if the Legislative Budget Board does not appropriate funding beyond the end of February, the commission will shut down racing at midnight on Feb. 16. This includes both live racing and simulcast racing at Sam Houston Race Park, which is the only track conducting a live meeting in Texas at the time of the proposed shut down.
The timing will allow for the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory to complete drug testing by the end of February, holding as few purses in limbo as possible should the shutdown actually happen. Trout continued: “This schedule will also allow agency staff to pay any outstanding invoices to vendors, to consolidate and safeguard the agency’s equipment and materials, and to coordinate with other state agencies for the subsequent disposition by the State of the agency’s resources.”
The Texas Horsemen’s Partnership posted a portion of the letter to its Facebook page, along with a response: “There is no cause for horsemen to panic as a result of this letter. We feel confident that funding for the agency will be forthcoming.” The THP is hopeful that it will be successful in an injuction hearing on Feb. 3, which would provide funding to the commission. If that effort is not successful, the THP stated that the Texas Racing Commissioners would meet in early February to discuss the funding issue.
Canadian Oaks winner Roan Inish, an Elusive Quality mare in foal to Arch was purchased by Evelyn Benoit’s Star Guitar Inc. for $500,000 during the second session of Keeneland’s January horses of all ages sale.
The price for the 9-year-old mare consigned by Mill Ridge Sales was the highest of the Jan. 12 session at the time she went through the ring.
A homebred racing for Robert Costigan in Ireland and Canada, Roan Inish won two of eight starts, with four placings, and earnings of $598,619.
Roan Inish was produced from the two-time Canadian grass champion mare Inish Gloria.
Georgia Keogh, the daughter of James B. Keogh, who operates Grovendale, signed the ticket on behalf of Benoit, who raced Star Guitar and plans to breed the mare to that horse who now stands in Louisiana.
“She’s a beautiful mare, she’s in foal to Arch,” James Keogh said. “We just loved the Elusive Quality, loved the racehorse. She belonged to the Costigans, and Evelyn said she just had to have her. She’ll breed her to her stallion in Louisiana.”
Roan Inish will be sent to Clear Creek Stud in Louisiana.
– JOEY FOSTER TRAINEE GOES WIRE-TO-WIRE IN VICTORY –
VINTON, LA. – Ronald Webb’s 3-year-old gelding Sea Vow wasted little time taking control of Saturday’snight’s $75,000 Big Drama Stakes as he led every step of the way while recording a two-length win over Drakarys. Mr. N reported home another three lengths behind the runner-up in third.
It was Sea Vow’s third consecutive stakes win as he also took the $150,000 Louisiana Legacy at Delta Downs on November 21 before his tally in the $100,000 Louisiana Juvenile at Fair Grounds three weeks later.
Jockey Alexander Castillo rode Sea Vow on Saturday and has been aboard him for all but one of his six career starts. Jansen Melancon rode the bay runner at Louisiana Downs when he made his career debut on August 12.
Sea Vow covered seven furlongs of the Big Drama, which is named after the 2008 winner of the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot, in a time of 1:27.04. The race was contested over a fast track.
Sea Vow has now won four races in all during his six-race career. Saturday’s effort put another $45,000 into his bankroll, which now stands at $218,240.
Sea Vow is a son of Private Vow, out of the Hazaam mare Victory at Sea. He was bred in Louisiana by his owner.
Fans sent Sea Vow to the post as the second wagering favorite at odds of 2-1 and he returned $6 to win, $3 to place and $2.80 to show. Drakarys paid $11.20 to place and $7.40 to show. Mr. N was worth $6.80 to show. The 6-5 favorite, Wild Man, finished last in the field of six.
Delta Downs will kick off another week of racing on Wednesday with a 10-race program that is scheduled to begin at 5:40 pm CT. Next week’s action includes the $70,000 Eldorado Stakes on Friday night and the $70,000 Fremont Stakes on Saturday.
For more information about racing at Delta Downs visit the track’s website at www.deltadownsracing.com. Fans can also get information about through Facebook by visiting the page ‘Delta Downs Racing’.
Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana, on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles, take Exit 7 and from Texas, take Exit 4.
James Graham announced via Twitter Saturday morning that he would be moving his tack back to the Fair Grounds from Santa Anita. A follow-up tweet reassured followers that he would fulfill his riding assignments at the southern California track on Saturday and Sunday before returning to New Orleans.
Graham said he was grateful for the opportunities he received at Santa Anita, but that his business had just not taken off the way he was hoping for. Trainers who rode Graham include James Cassidy, Sean McCarthy, and Art Sherman, among others.
Among North American jockeys, Graham was ranked 34th by earnings at the end of 2015 with a total of $5,687,324. He was also ranked 75th by wins, with 125 from 964 mounts. Graham will be represented by agent Mark Guidry at the Fair Grounds.
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