JC / Railbird

Miscellany Archive

Headlines: March 5

– Horseplayers haven’t changed much in 100 years, writes the Happy Handicapper. (BN)
– Jockey Jill Jellison has moved into third place on the list of all-time leading female riders. Jellison won her 1770th race on Friday at Tampa Bay Downs. (BH)
– Churchill Downs officials released transcripts of a teleconference call they contend show Jockeys’ Guild officials and members conspiring to stage a boycott. (DRF)
– Trainer Jennifer Pedersen is hit with a 60-day suspension after a search turned up “improperly labeled injectibles” in Aqueduct barn. Pederson says the “injectibles” are properly-labeled everyday medications; she’s appealed the suspension and has been granted a stay. (NYDN)
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Posted in Miscellany on March 5, 2005

Headlines: March 4

– Plans for racing at the Brockton Fair in Massachusetts this summer are nixed. The decision was blamed on a scheduling conflict with Suffolk Downs. (BH)
– “The racing industry in Northern California is face-to-face with a fight for survival.” Competition from Indian gaming and an outdated purse structure figure among the challenges to Northern California tracks. (CCT)
– Churchill Downs sues the Jockeys’ Guild over the rider boycott last November. The company alleges the Guild violated anti-trust laws. Churchill also announced it was suspending payments to the organization. (MSNBC)
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Posted in Miscellany on March 4, 2005

Headlines: March 3

– Derby preps get underway in earnest this weekend, with the Santa Catalina and Baldwin at Santa Anita and the Fountain of Youth and Swale Stakes at Gulfstream on Saturday. The Santa Anita Handicap is this Saturday too: A field of 11 — including Saint Liam, Rock Hard Ten, and Island Fashion — is set to run. (LAT)
– Funny Cide’s 2005 campaign is announced. He’ll race five times this year, starting with the April 28 Ben Ali Handicap at Keeneland and ending with another try at the Breeders’ Cup Classic. (DRF)
– Jockey Mike Luzzi gets the call on Galloping Grocer for the March 19 Gotham at Aqueduct. (NYDN)
– TVG and the group Thoroughbred Owners of California are partnering to offer a short film contest for filmmakers producing movies about Thoroughbred racing. “TVG and the TOC share a commitment to exposing the great sport of horseracing to non-traditional younger audiences and this Short Film Contest embodies that commitment,” said Ryan O’Hara, president of TVG. (BH)
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Posted in Miscellany on March 3, 2005