Kentucky Derby Time Prompts Memories of Fast Eddie
By GREG MELIKOV
I first saw George Edward Arcaro on July 4, 1948. He was riding Triple Crown winner Citation in the Stars and Stripes Handicap at old Arlington Park. Thanks to my dad, this 13-year-old was introduced to the world of thoroughbreds.
Citation whipped 20 or 21 older horses, including his classy stablemate Armed. It was one of 19 races my favorite thoroughbred won that championship season. He only lost once and, unfortunately, it was Arcaro’s debut on the son of Bull Lea.
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Eclipse Awards Finalists Announced
Horse racing superstars Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, who dominated thoroughbred racing, were the only horses receiving votes for Horse of the Year, however, there were 3 finalists in each of the other 16 Eclipse Award categories.
Eclipse Award winners will be announced on January 18 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
Either Rachel Alexandra or Zenyatta will become the first female to win the Horse of the Year honor since Azeri in 2002. They are virtual locks to win divisional championships.
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Jockey Injured, 2 Horses Euthanized at Oaklawn Park
A collision at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas injured a jockey and forced officials to euthanize two horses.
Oaklawn Park officials said Monday’s collision injured 54-year-old jockey Tim Doocy, who was scheduled for surgery after an early diagnosis indicated fractures to his ankle, knee and hand.
Doocy was aboard The ATM, a maiden two-year-old Trippi colt, when the horse collided with a pony ridden by outrider Chisum Ewing. The accident occurred as Doocy’s mount was pulling up from a 3-furlong workout. Ewing was not injured.
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Jockey Aaron Gryder To Ride In Hong Kong
Jockey Aaron Gryder, who rode Well Armed to victory in the $6-million Dubai World Cup this year, is moving his riding career from Southern California to Hong Kong.
Aaron Gryder said Tuesday he’s been invited to ride under contract for the Hong Kong Jockey Club. The 39-year-old jockey has ridden 3,218 winners and has purse earnings of more than $109 million since he began riding in 1987.
But he struggled during the recently ended Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park, where he finished out of the top 15 in the jockeys’ standings.
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Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame to Induct 5
By GREG MELIKOV
Five new honorees will be inducted into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame on Saturday at Retama Park.
The new members are racing legends Harold V. Goodman and Jeff Carr, plus three horses. In addition, former Texas Sen. O. H. “Ike” Carr of Dallas will receive the JoAnn Weber Distinguished Service Award.
Goodman, a prominent horse owner and breeder, was 1994 Texas Breeder of the Year. His Two Altazano, one of the few Texas-bred fillies to win a Grade 1, captured four graded thoroughbred stakes 15 years ago.
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Jockey Tyler Baze Injured
Jockey Tyler Baze is expected to be sidelined for a week after breaking his finger when he was unseated by his mount at Del Mar, where he is the second-leading rider.
Tyler Baze is wearing a cast on his broken left pinky finger. His mount unseated him Saturday, then ran off and was scratched from the day’s final race.
His agent says jockey Tyler Baze will have to give up mounts on Monterey Jazz in the $300,000 Del Mar Mile on August 29 and the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap, a Breeders’ Cup 2009 Challenge race on August 30.
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Trainer Bob Baffert Inducted To National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
Three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame on Friday along with trainer Janet Eliot, jockey Eddie Maple and 3 race horses.
Race horse trainer Bob Baffert, winner of 3 Eclipse Awards as the nation’s outstanding trainer, won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness with Silver Charm, Real Quiet and War Emblem. He has trained the winners of eight Triple Crown races, seven Breeders’ Cup races and developed 10 champions, including Silverbulletday, who was among Friday’s inductees.
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Arkansas Derby Winner Papa Clem Probable For 2009 Haskell Invitational Field
Race horse trainer Gary Stute said Thursday that he’s “95% sure” that Bo Hirsch’s Arkansas Derby winner Papa Clem will make his next start in Sunday’s 2009 Haskell Invitational (G1) August 2 at Monmouth Park.
“It’s almost definite we’re going” Gary Stute said from his Santa Anita base. “The only thing we’re not sure of right now is the jockey.”
Jockey Rafael Bejarano, who became Papa Clem’s regular rider last year and was aboard in the colt’s Arkansas Derby victory, was injured in a spill at Del Mar on Wednesday, suffering facial fractures.
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Jockey Mike Smith To Ride Kentucky Derby Winner Mine That Bird
Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will ride the Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby and the $1-million Travers Stakes 2009 next month.
Jockey Mike Smith takes over for jockey Calvin Borel, who guided the 3-year-old gelding Mine That Bird to a longshot win in the Kentucky Derby and later added a third-place finish in the Belmont Stakes.
Mike Smith guided Mine That Bird to second-place in the Preakness after Calvin Borel opted to ride filly Rachel Alexandra, which edged Mine That Bird for the win.
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Jockey Rene Douglas Likely Not To Walk Again After Accident At Arlington Park
Jockey Rene Douglas may be paralyzed after being thrown from his mount during a race at Arlington Park, his agent Dennis Cooper said.
Dennis Cooper said jockey Rene Douglas spent 7 hours in surgery on Sunday at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital and afterward doctors told him his client could not feel his lower limbs. Cooper said doctors won’t know Douglas’ status for certain until swelling reduces in about two weeks.
“They said he might not walk again … he’ll probably have use of his upper body, but they gave it to me straight that he’s not likely to walk,” Cooper told Bloodhorse.com.
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