JC / Railbird - Thoroughbred racing news and notes

– Harlington is out of this Saturday’s Surburban with a foot injury (DRF); Hesanoldsalt and Malibu Moonshine are in. Corinthian is still a draw, but honestly, the Suburban has gone from being a race I can hardly wait to see to one I feel pretty meh about. The Mother Goose, also on Saturday, isn’t arousing that much more interest, with a field of five shaping up, including perennial runner-up Octave.
– Only four weeks until Saratoga opens (Saratogian).
– Bill Finley follows up with Andrew Lakeman, paralyzed from the waist down in an accident at Belmont last month, as the rider begins the long rehabilitation process this week.
– “What racing needs, is racing” (Union-Tribune).
– Elliot Spitzer continues to push a plan to close Aqueduct. “Whether or not you have racing at Aqueduct, you have an enormous piece of land there that can and should be used for some other things,” said Governor Spitzer. “That’s a remarkably valuable piece of land from a public perspective” (NY Daily News).

Florida Derby winner Scat Daddy has been retired with a tendon injury: “Our vets told us he would need 90 days rest, so we would have run out of time to get him back for the major races this year, and the decision was made to retire him to stud,” explained trainer Todd Pletcher (DRF). That 90 days was too long to wait for a minor injury to heal suggests owners Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith were planning to retire the son of Johannesburg at the end of the year anyway, which isn’t all that surprising, but is still a bit disappointing. Maybe Bill Finley’s onto something with his idea of restricting certain races to starters whose sires were at least five years old when the horse was conceived.
Elsewhere: Valerie at Foolish Pleasure argues it’s fraud to retire Scat Daddy to stud with his current record. “Here is a colt whose daddy Johannesburg was a champion 2 year old but a total bust at three … this horse proved nothing to me, except that, like his daddy, he could run successfully for a very short period …”

Congratulations to Emma-Jayne Wilson, who became the first female jockey to win the Queen’s Plate Stakes when she rode longshot Mike Fox to victory at Woodbine on Sunday (DRF). “As far as I was concerned I was very much on the best horse and he proved that today,” said Wilson. “I’m just so happy that we can say that: ‘First female rider. Girl power, go for it.’ I’m just so glad it will be the last time it will be said” (CBC).
Speaking of female jockeys, there was an interesting article in the Seattle Times a few days ago about Emerald Downs and how well women riders are doing there this year.