Ricardo Santana Jr.

Jockey Dylan Davis Out Indefinitely After Friday Spill

Jockey Dylan Davis, who was injured in a spill Friday at Aqueduct, will be out of action indefinitely according to NYRA in a note released Saturday morning. Davis's agent, Mike Migliore, said that the jockey "sustained a broken right collarbone, multiple fractured ribs and a partially collapsed lung." Davis was aboard Tarpaulin (Leofric) when Heavyweight Champs (Solomini) fell near the three-eighths pole unseating jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. Tarpaulin made contact with Santana, Jr. and unseated Davis, who was placed on a backboard and immediately transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center....

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Saratoga Maidens, Presented By Keeneland: In Test Of Yaupon Maidens, Emphasis Prevails

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - A quick and eventful start provided Emphasis (Yaupon) with a strategic advantage that helped him win the seventh race Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. As a result, Emphasis--the "other" colt by first-year sire Yaupon in field of eight--led pretty much every step of the way and prevailed by a length in the $100,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-olds. Two and half lengths back in third was Stradale (Yaupon), the 4-5 favorite, who was bumped hard by Emphasis as they left the gate in the six-furlong dirt...

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Oaklawn Park Wraps 2024-25 Season Strong in Key Metrics, Meet Leaders Announced

The Oaklawn Park live racing season wrapped up last Saturday, and it delivered with strong numbers across the board, with over $56-million in purses distributed over 621 races, the track announced Monday evening. With an average of 10 races a day, and a daily purse distribution of $903,338, the racing remained competitive with an average of 9.32 starters per race. The average daily handle surpassed $6.73-million while the meet handle reached well north of $417-million. Participation from horsemen remained strong, too, as 2,030 individual horses made at least one start...

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Mitole's Carbone Debuts To 'Rising Stardom' At Churchill

A first-time starter for Steve Asmussen, Carbone (Mitole) put in a professional debut effort to earn a 'TDN Rising Star' tag Sunday under the Twinspires. Facing a mixed field of runners, including a pair of rivals exiting a key race from Keeneland in October, the William and Corinne Heiligbrodt homebred caught a flyer from his outside gate and quickly got the jump on his rivals, opening up a length on Goldbrick (Goldencents). Paced through fractions of :22.13 and :45.77, Carbone turned back Goldbrick around the far turn and drew off...

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Unbeaten Brightwork Preps For Keeneland's Opening Day

WSS Racing's undefeated Brightwork (Outwork) completed her major preparations for next Friday's GI Darley Alcibiades by working a half-mile in :48.60 over a fast track Friday morning. With Ricardo Santana Jr. aboard, Brightwork produced fractions of :24.60, :48.60 and galloped out 5 furlongs in 1:01.40. Last Friday here, Brightwork produced a best-of-20 half-mile in :47. "That was very perfect, and I am grateful that Ricardo made the drive over from Louisville both times to work her," trainer John Ortiz said. "Last week was a good drill for speed, and this...

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Classic Empire Filly Delivers Untapable Upset

Crown Imperial (f, 2, Classic Empire--Mi Fiori, by Congrats), beaten just a nose by the streaking Amidst Waves (Midshipman) in Saratoga's Bolton Landing S. Aug. 20, delivered a 13-1 upset in Wednesday's $500,000 Pepsi Untapable S. at Kentucky Downs. She was outsprinted in eighth through scorching early fractions of :20.79 and :44.32, and, after diving toward an inviting opening toward the inside beneath Ricardo Santana, Jr. in the stretch, came alive to get the money by 1 1/4 lengths. Copper Em (Copper Bullet) was second; Buttercream Babe (Twirling Candy) was...

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On Whitney Weekend, Whitney Stables Captures Spa Maiden

It's been more than four years since Saratoga socialite Marylou Whitney passed away, but thanks to her husband John Hendrickson and trainer Norm Casse, her memory is never far away when it comes to the Saratoga season. Marylou Whitney Stables, now operated by Hendrickson, won with its first starter at the meet when homebred Empire Island (Classic Empire) won the day's sixth race by three-quarters of a length over Lady Moscato (Quality Road). A six-furlong maiden race for 2-year-old fillies that was run at six furlongs, it had a purse...

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Friday Insights: Pair Of Undefeated Fillies Square Off

2nd-CD, $134K, OC, 3yo, f, 6f, 6:28 p.m. A pair of fillies will look to stay unbeaten in their third career starts at Churchill Downs on Friday evening. 'TDN Rising Star' SUNDAY SHOES (Pioneerof the Nile) came from off the pace breaking her maiden sprinting at Turfway Park Feb. 15, then got up by 3/4 of a length in Florence Apr. 1 in the Serena's Song S. over next-out stakes winner Jill Jitterbug (Cross Traffic). The $500,000 Keeneland September Yearling sale purchase trained by Wesley Ward counts among her female...

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Asmussen Picks Up Win 10,000

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen reached another personal milestone in his career on Monday at Oaklawn Park, winning his 10,000th race. The first North American trainer ever to reach that number, Asmussen recorded the historic win in the fifth race on the card with $40,000 maiden claimer Bet He's Ready (More Than Ready), an easy winner under jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. "This is very hard to put into words," Asmussen said from the Oaklawn winner's circle. "There's all the support that we have continually gotten. This is a family...

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Weekly Stewards and Commissions Rulings – Nov. 1-7

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky.    Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.    With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week. CALIFORNIA Track: Santa Anita Date: 11/06/2022 Licensee: Armando Aguilar,...

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Sunday Insights: Gun Runner Half To Twirling Candy Debuts For Three Chimneys

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency                          7th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 3:50 p.m.A Three Chimneys homebred, FLIRTING GIRL (Gun Runner) debuts Sunday at Churchill Downs for trainer Steve Asmussen. Out of the Chester House mare House of Danzing, Flirting Girl is a half-sister to GISW & Lane's End sire Twirling Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}), GSW Dubai Sky (Candy Ride {Arg]), and GSW Ethnic Dance (Tribal Rule). TJCIS PPS

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Summer of 'Love' Continues for Gun Runner With Latest Spa Debut Winner

6th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-21, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:17.93, ft, 4 3/4 lengths. GRAND LOVE (f, 2, Gun Runner--Grand Prayer {SW, $145,170}, by Grand Slam) continued the eternal hot streak for her superstar second-crop sire with a speedy debut score Sunday at Saratoga. Tipping her hand with a half-mile gate breeze in :47 2/5 (4/143) over this track July 31, the Three Chimneys homebred was let go as the 47-10 fourth choice and broke like a rocket from her inside post. Quickly two lengths clear, the bay showed the way...

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