Headlines: February 22
– “You could say that So Long Birdie has some awfully big wings to fill.” The half-brother of Birdstone and Bird Town who began his career in a claiming race is an unlikely Kentucky Derby contender. (BH)
– Rockport Harbor’s sore foot has improved. Trainer John Servis says the colt could get back to the track on Thursday or Friday. (DRF)
– Kieren Fallon’s Florida experiment comes to an end. The six-time champion British rider cut short his time at Gulfstream and returned to Britain Monday, where he’s a favorite to become the new Ballydoyle stable jockey. (Guar.)
– Jockey Dean Butler underwent surgery over the weekend for leg injuries sustained in a spill at Turfway Park Friday night. “If Butler’s medical bills, which will include physical therapy, exceed $100,000, he would be the first beneficiary of Kentucky tracks’ new policy that provides jockeys up to $1 million in coverage for an on-track injury.” (CJ)
– The Department of Labor has begun an investigation into the Jockeys’ Guild. The Guild failed to file required financial reports on its health plan in 2002 and 2003. (SBJ)
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