Noted: April 16
– Sun King, with a mad rush up the stretch, won the Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland by 2 3/4 lengths. “When I needed him in spots, he was there for me,” said jockey Corey Nakatani. Also on Saturday: Wend won the Jenny Wiley Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths. “She just did a super job,” said jockey Edgar Prado.
– It was 50 years ago this spring that Needles won the Kentucky Derby, but retired jockey Dave Erb’s memories of the race are still fresh.
– Legendary Calumet Farm, having survived the death of star stallion Alydar, bankruptcy, and the death of its most recent owner, is rebuilding with the goal of making it into the Kentucky Derby winner’s circle once more. “Calumet is not a museum,” said farm manager Bill Witman. “It’s a thriving, working horse farm every day.”
– “Jockey agent John Faltynski, who works with 18-year old Anna Rose Napravnik, recalled a recent post position draw in the Laurel Park racing office for one seven-horse field that turned comical. The officials began matching the posts with the entries, and nearly every trainer had his Napravnik named to ride.”
