Rockingham Park opened for its 100th season on Saturday in front of a crowd of 4,185. Driver Mike MacDonald started off the year with a bang, winning five races, including the day’s feature with Whosurboy, who set a track record of 1:49 in the one mile Invitational Pace. The New Hampshire track, which opened in 1906 with a 21-day thoroughbred meet, will run a 60-day harness meet this year.
Related: “Happy 100th, Rockingham Park. May you enjoy as many more birthdays as time and the economy allows, and may racing fans come to the track this summer to take part in your celebration.”
In other New England racing news: Mom’s Command, jockey Carl Gambardella, and late Rockingham owner Lou Smith will be inducted into the New England Turf Writers’ Association Hall of Fame this summer.
Posted by JC in Track Notes on 05/27/2006 @ 10:30 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
They were going to the post for the sixth race at Jamaica, two year olds, some making their first starts, to go five and a half furlongs for a purse of four thousand dollars. They were moving slowly down the backstretch toward the gate, some of them cantering, others walking, and in the press box they had stopped their working or their kidding to watch, most of them interested in one horse.
“Air Lift,” Jim Roach said. “Full brother of Assault.”
Assault, who won the triple crown … making this one too, by Bold Venture, himself a Derby winner, out of Igual, herself by the great Equipoise … Great names in the breeding line … and now the little guy making his first start, perhaps the start of another great career.
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Posted by JC in Readings on 05/26/2006 @ 8:00 am / Follow @railbird on Twitter
– Preakness winner Bernardini will skip the Belmont, said Darley USA president Jimmy Bell. “Bernardini has had three races in quick succession, and Sheikh Mohammed feels that the colt deserves a break before his next target, which will be determined in due course.” Races being considered for the colt include the Haskell and Travers. Without the Derby or the Preakness winners in the Belmont, the last leg of the Triple Crown series will be starless. That’s bad news for TV ratings and NYRA maybe, but good news for horseplayers: This year’s race should be a competitive one.
– Lost in the Fog is headed to Churchill.
– In his first workout since suffering an injury earlier this year, Corinthian breezed three furlongs :38 at Belmont this morning. Trainer Jimmy Jerkens is hopeful that the talented cold will race before the end of the Belmont meet on July 22. As long as there are no setbacks in his training, it’s possible Corinthian could start in the Dwyer on July 4.
– Another possible for the Dwyer is the undefeated Discreet Cat, who would be making his first start since winning the UAE Derby in that race. “The Dwyer is the race we’re kind of pointing for,” said assistant trainer Rick Mattee. “The timing should work out good and it’s a mile and a sixteenth.”
– Balance will have surgery on Saturday to remove a bone chip in her ankle. “They say it’s very small … the way it looks in the x-rays it doesn’t look like she’ll be out too long — maybe 75 days,” said trainer David Hofmans.
– Trainer John Servis and owner Rick Porter split up this week. “I’m all right with it,” said Servis, who declined further comment. “We left on good terms.” The 26 horses that Porter had with Servis will be moved to several other trainers, including Kiaran McLaughlin and Tom Albertrani. Round Pond, winner of the Azeri Breeders’ Cup, will go to Michael Matz’s barn.
Posted by JC in News, Triple Crown on 05/25/2006 @ 9:45 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
