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Category: Byron King

Lucky Appeal First Winner for Stallion Breaking Lucky

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Breaking Lucky stands for $4,000 at Blue Star Racing in Louisiana.

 

Lucky Appeal  became the first winner for Louisiana stallion Breaking Lucky in winning a $33,000 open maiden race by a neck Jan. 27 at Sam Houston Race Park.

The 3-year-old gelding, owned by Henry S. Witt Jr. and trained by Sarah Davidson, rallied from last to run down Flotation Station near the wire. He raced 5 1/2 furlongs on a fast track in 1:07.72 under Richard Bracho. Bred in Louisiana by Blue Star Racing, Lucky Appeal is out of the Successful Appeal mare Mythic Appeal .

BREAKING LUCKY’S RACE RECORD

Breaking Lucky raced initially for Gunpowder Farms and delivered a victory in the 2015 Prince of Wales Stakes—the second leg of Canada’s Triple Crown—at Fort Erie and placed in the Ontario Derby (G3). The following year, he won the 2016 Seagram Cup Stakes (G3) at Woodbine and placed in four other graded stakes, including a second in the Clark Handicap (G1).

 

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Spinning Aces Becomes First Stakes Winner for Hard Aces

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Spinning Aces wins the Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs
Spinning Aces wins the Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs

Coady Photography

Hard Aces went to stud at Averett Farm in Louisiana after his racing career.

Louisiana-based stallion Hard Aces was represented by his first stakes winner last week when Spinning Aces captured the Nov. 10 Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs.

Racing in third early, Spinning Aces advanced to take command and was determined through the stretch, defeating Awesome Ruta by a neck. He raced seven furlongs over a sloppy track under Joel Dominguez in 1:27.86, posting an 82 Equibase Speed Figure. He paid $19.80 to win in taking the open, $100,000 stakes event.

Spinning Aces, a 2-year-old gelding bred by Gerald Averett Jr. in Louisiana out of the Afternoon Deelites  mare Just Alex, is 2-0-1 in three starts with earnings of $89,540 for owner Lynne Boutte and trainer Allen Landry.

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Uncertainty Amid HISA Conflict Continues in Texas

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Texas tracks have been unable to send their domestic simulcast signal out-of-state.

 

Lone Star Park, like some other tracks across the country on July 4, will ignite fireworks before thousands of fans in a celebration of Independence Day, coming on the closing day of the track’s Thoroughbred season.

But amid continued opposition of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority by the Texas Racing Commission and other entities in Texas, the state’s Thoroughbred industry has taken on a less celebratory mood over the past year. Texas tracks running Thoroughbred meets have been unable to send their domestic simulcast signal out of state over the length of the dispute, which began last July when HISA began its initial responsibilities for enforcing uniform safety and integrity rules in United States Thoroughbred racing.

Since then, the overall handle has plunged at Lone Star Park and Sam Houston Race Park, the state’s other track that hosts Thoroughbred racing.

 

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Keith Desormeaux Celebrates Confidence Game’s Kentucky Derby Entry

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“We’re all celebrating what we love,” Desormeaux said.

 

When trainer Keith Desormeaux arrived at Churchill Downs in 2016 to prepare Exaggerator , his first starter in the Kentucky Derby (G1), he admits he was on edge around his barn, unaccustomed to a stable area drawing so much activity from media and observers.

Desormeaux grew frustrated when he felt they infringed upon his colt’s space, though he and his horse weathered the circus. Exaggerator performed well on Derby Day before a crowd of 167,227, running second to Nyquist  .

Two weeks later, Exaggerator captured the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course under the trainer’s brother, Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux. The colt would then complete the Triple Crown series for 3-year-olds with an 11th-place finish in the Belmont Stakes (G1).

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Keith Desormeaux<br> Horses training at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on April 29, 2023.
Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt

Trainer Keith Desormeaux at Churchill Downs

Asmussen Makes History With 10,000 North American Wins

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Hall of Fame trainer made history for a second time Feb. 20.

 

Steve Asmussen became the first trainer to win 10,000 Thoroughbred races in North America when Bet He’s Ready won the fifth race at Oaklawn Park Feb. 20.

Asmussen also has two additional wins overseas, including Curlin  ‘s victory in the 2008 Dubai World Cup (G1).

A Hall of Famer, Asmussen became the winningest trainer in North American history on Aug. 7, 2021, when Stellar Tap  won a maiden race at Saratoga Race Course, giving him his 9,446th win and pushing the late Dale Baird into second. Since then, Asmussen has continued to win races at a high rate, drawing ever closer to the latest milestone.

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Fair Grounds Suspends Turf Racing

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The Louisiana track entered its meet with plans to begin with limited turf racing.

Officials at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots this week suspended turf racing through at least late December to allow the track’s grass to recover from damage to the inner portion of the course. The New Orleans track entered its meet that began Nov. 18 with plans of a reduced schedule of turf racing, utilizing only its outermost running lane.

According to Gary Palmisano, executive director of racing for Churchill Downs Inc., which owns Fair Grounds, the course did not experience its customary growth this fall. Amid dry conditions, a well the track used for watering the grass was intruded with salt water when the Gulf of Mexico pushed into city freshwater supplies due to drought across much of the areas surrounding the Mississippi River, he said. Saltwater can kill grass.

Initial use of another water source and recent rainfall in the area has allowed officials to irrigate the turf, he added.

 

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Texas Congressman Introduces Legislation to Delay HISA

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HISA is responsible for creating and implementing uniform safety and integrity rules.

Rep. Lance Gooden, a Texas Republican, introduced legislation Oct. 4 in the United States House of Representatives that would delay the implementation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act until Jan. 1, 2024, according to a release distributed by the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.

Some portions of the federal program created by the Act took effect in July, including the Racetrack Safety Program. HISA’s Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program is scheduled for implementation Jan. 1, 2023.

Groups from Texas and from a handful of other states are among those challenging the legality of HISA in court. Rulings from judges involved in separate legal cases are anticipated in the coming weeks or months.

 

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Out-of-State Wagering on Lone Star to Suspend July 1

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HISA is scheduled to take effect at the start of next month.

 

Following through on a previously issued memorandum defying compliance with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, Lone Star Park has been denied approval to export its racing signal out-of-state beginning July 1, Texas Racing Commission executive director Amy Cook confirmed June 15.

HISA is scheduled to take effect at the start of next month, although implementation of medication rules and enforcement will be delayed pending either adoption or rejection of the rules by the Federal Trade Commission after a public comment period.

The Lone Star Park Thoroughbred season concludes July 17.

 

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Lanerie Pursues Elusive ‘Big One’ in Kentucky Derby

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Like most jockeys riding in the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs, Corey Lanerie has not yet tasted success in the 1 1/4-mile classic. But he has an inkling of the euphoria he might experience after threatening to win the 2017 race.

Riding the rail on late-running 33-1 longshot Lookin At Lee  , Lanerie grew excited on the second turn as his mount picked off rivals from the back of the pack to pull into second in early stretch, with only Always Dreaming   to catch.

 

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Un Ojo Out of Kentucky Derby, Ethereal Road Makes Field

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Rebel Stakes (G2) winner came up with bruised left fore foot after April 30 work.

 

Dreams of a Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) victory were dashed for some and sprang to life for others May 2 when Un Ojo  was declared out of the race because of a bruised left front foot, allowing Ethereal Road  to make the body of the 20-horse field.

Un Ojo’s trainer Ricky Courville confirmed the news to BloodHorse Monday.

“He came out of that work Saturday with a bruised foot and it’s just not the right thing to do to run him; he’s still a little tender on it,” Courville said. “We’ll let the dust settle … He might go to the farm here in Kentucky; he might come back home (to Louisiana), or if he’s better in a week, we might find something else for him.”

 

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