Bourbon Bay takes San Luis Rey at Santa Anita
(Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:11:24 PDT)
Overwhelming favorite Bourbon Bay took the lead at the quarter pole and easily held off nine other older horses for a victory in the $150,000 San Luis Rey Handicap on Saturday at Santa Anita. Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, the 4-year-old gelding from the barn of Neil Drysdale beat long shot Romp by 2 1/2 lengths, covering 1 1/2 miles in 2:24.08.

Long shot Ice Box takes Florida Derby
(Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:23:29 PDT)
Ice Box, a 20-1 long shot, rallied from last entering the final turn Saturday to win the $750,000 Florida Derby by a nose over Pleasant Prince, another long shot, at Gulfstream Park. Favorite Rule finished third. Lentenor, a full-brother to the late 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, finished fourth.

Hollywood Park to race fewer days this spring
(Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:17:21 PDT)
Hollywood Park will reduce its racing schedule from five days to four during some weeks of its upcoming spring-summer meet because of a shortage of horses to run. Track officials told the California Horse Racing Board at its meeting Friday of the change in plans that will result in five fewer racing days than the board originally allocated.

Preakness undercard race to be named for Lang
(Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:38:23 PDT)
The Maryland Jockey Club says it will honor the late Chick Lang by renaming a race on the Preakness undercard for the former general manager of Pimlico. Lang died Thursday of natural causes at 83. The Hirsch Jacobs Stakes will be renamed for Lang. The Grade 3 sprint race will be run May 15. Lang worked at Pimlico from 1960-87, serving as racing director, vice president and general manager.

Dominguez wins 4,000th race
(Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:44:21 PDT)
Ramon Dominguez has earned his 4,000th career victory in the second race at Aqueduct. The 33-year-old Dominguez became the 58th jockey to achieve the milestone, reaching it aboard Fortyninegeorgest on Friday. Dominguez said that riding that many winners "feels great, but it's almost surreal" because it happens slowly over many years and "you're not prepared for it when it...

Imperial Commander wins Gold Cup
(Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:03:26 PDT)
Imperial Commander won the Cheltenham Gold Cup Friday, beating 2008 winner Denman by seven lengths in an impressive finish after two-time winner Kauto Star fell with four fences to go. Ridden by Paddy Brennan and trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, Imperial Commander pulled away at the last fence to win the top race of the Cheltenham Festival and end three years of domination by Paul Nicholls,...

Racing exec Lang, who transformed Preakness, dies
(Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:02:46 PDT)
Charles John "Chick" Lang, the longtime head of Pimlico Race Course who helped make the Preakness a must-watch for sports fans around the country, died Thursday. He was 83. Elizabeth Berquist said her grandfather, known as "Mr. Preakness," died of natural causes in a medical facility on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

Kauto Star favored to beat Gold Cup rival Denman
(Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:19:25 PDT)
Paul Nicholls' stablemates Kauto Star and Denman go head to head in the Cheltenham Gold Cup yet again on Friday hoping to maintain their trainer's dominance of a prestigious event they have turned into a two-horse race. While Kauto Star, considered the more talented and elegant gelding of the two, goes for his third victory in four years, tough stayer Denman is out to repeat a 2008 triumph...

Big Buck's wins World Hurdle at Cheltenham
(Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:30:20 PDT)
Big Buck's pulled away from Time For Rupert after jumping the last fence to win the World Hurdle for the second year in a row at the Cheltenham Festival. Kept near the back of the field by jockey Ruby Walsh for most of Thursday's 3-mile race, the 5-6 favorite cruised through the field of 14 to win by 3 1/4 lengths.

Barbaro's brother entered in Florida Derby
(Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:46:20 PDT)
Barbaro's brother Lentenor has been entered to run in the Florida Derby, a prep race for the Kentucky Derby. Lentenor is the co-third choice at 6-1 in a field of 11 3-year-olds entered Wednesday for Saturday's $750,000 race at Gulfstream Park. Rule was made the 5-2 favorite and brings a four-race winning streak into the Florida Derby.