A homebred for the late Gustav Schickedanz. WEDGEWOOD raced mid-pack and then cleared for the win in an AOC going 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf at Woodbine. It was his 3rd win lifetime and raised his earnings to $115,705. His Equibase number was 95, the highest lifetime.
Suzy Haslup’s SIMPLY MISS RED (Langfuhr) ran 2nd in her second start last summer at Saratoga. After a break, she started up again in Aiken this winter and after legging up and 3 published works at Aiken under the tutelage of Legacy Stable, she shipped to Belmont. She worked once for trainer David Donk and then was a willing second by a length racing a mile on the turf.
Started at the Aiken Training Track by Mike Keogh, MR. DIFFLEY (Itsmyluckyday) went right to the lead and never looked back, wiring the field in a 6 furlong MSW on the dirt. He races for the Estate of Gustav Schickedanz. MR DIFFLEY’S family is all that of Gustav Schickedanz as his dam, granddam and broodmare sire are all homebreds.
TOY (Tapizar) makes it 2 in a row despite being mugged in traffic! He raced a flat mile on the Laurel dirt track in a 1 x allowance. Last out racing a mile and a sixteenth, TOY drew away for an easy graduation at a gallop – by 6 widening lengths. He was started by Cary Frommer at the Aiken Training Track and offered for sale at the Fasig Tipton Midlantic Two Year Old in Training Sale. He is a Dark Hollow Farm homebred.
by NYRA Press Office | 05.28.2020 | 3:55pm
Killybegs Captain wins the De Francis Dash
Trainer John Terranova will look to hit the ground running at the Belmont spring meet with Curragh Stables’ graded-stakes winner Killybegs Captain, who is pointed to the Grade 1, $250,000 Runhappy Carter Handicap, a seven-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and upward on June 6. The Runhappy Carter Handicap offers a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
The 6-year-old Mizzen Mast horse, who made the grade in the Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash in September at Laurel Park, boasts a record of 26-7-5-3 with purse earnings of $572,453.
Killybegs Captain, who traveled to Dubai to compete in the Golden Shaheen on the canceled Dubai World Cup card in March, last raced on February 15 when capturing the six-furlong Pelican at Tampa Bay Downs.
“He’s going to the Carter. He’s training phenomenal,” said Terranova. “We went all the way to Dubai and we were really confident going there. He came back in good order and has been training exceptionally well. We’re anxious to run him in the Carter.”
Eric Fein, Christopher McKenna, Harris Fein, Guri Singh, and Jerry Walia’s Dream Friend worked a half-mile in 51.76 Thursday on the Belmont Park inner turf.“He did fine this morning. We’re ready to run and I wanted a chance to get him on the grass. He’s ready to go,” said Terranova. “He went a half by himself. It’s his last work before he runs, so nothing too special. It was just a maintenance move.”
Terranova said the 5-year-old Ghostzapper chestnut is under consideration for the $80,000 First Defence, a seven-furlong turf sprint set for Sunday, June 7.
“He’s a good middle-distance turf runner,” said Terranova. “The seven-eighths off the layoff wouldn’t be inconceivable. He’s got plenty of speed. We’ll keep an eye on the weather.”
Gatsas Stables, R.A. Hill Stable and Swick Stable’s multiple stakes winner Funny Guy is under consideration for the $125,000 Commentator Handicap, a one-mile test for New York-breds 3-years-old and up.
“We’re going to look at that,” said Terranova regarding the Commentator. “He’s training great and we’re just looking for the spot. He’s eligible for an allowance race as well.”
Terranova also said New York-bred stakes-placed Three Jokers could be in line for the $100,000 Mike Lee, a seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred sophomores.
“He’s been ready to run and were looking at the Mike Lee coming back off the bench,” said Terranova.
Millionaire Concrete Rose, who missed the second half of 2019 with a fractured right foreleg, will have her return delayed by another setback, an ankle injury, trainer Rusty Arnold reported May 21.
The winner of last year’s Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) for owners Ashbrook Farm and BBN Racing had been training at Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida toward an intended spring return.
“She was playing one day coming off the racetrack and bucking around and jumping, and came down a little bit funny,” Arnold said of an April incident. “She showed some heat in an ankle, and we had to give her a little bit of time off. It’s what I would call a severe wrench.”
Courtesy of the BloodHorse
Double Crown defeats Green Light Go in the Roar Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Double Crown purchased privately by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing after a debut victory in September at Laurel Park, is running like money well spent.
Racing at Gulfstream Park May 16 in the $75,000 Roar Stakes, the 3-year-old Bourbon Courage gelding picked up his first black-type victory in just his second start for his new connections. Taking command with a three-wide rally leaving the turn, he turned back a resolute favorite in Green Light Go to score by a half-length.
Double Crown, b, 3/g
Bourbon Courage — Two Columbus, by Two Punch
Owner: Reeves Thoroughbred Racing
Breeder: Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Bowman & Rebecca Davis (MD)
Trainer: Katherine Ritvo
Jockey: Cristian A. Torres
Pedigree Notes
Bourbon Courage stands at Anchor & Hope Farm for $5,000 (2020).
Compared to his previous race at Gulfstream April 26, when Double Crown was wide and forced to steady to avoid a loose horse, his trip was relatively smooth in the Roar. Fourth of six down the backstretch, he was always within striking range of early leader Cajun Casanova as 3-5 choice Green Light Go pressed two wide through splits of :22.39 and :45.19.
OXIDE (Golden Lad) made the most of opening up KY racing by winning on opening day at Churchill. He pressed the pace and then broke his maiden by 5 1/2 lengths. OXIDE was pinhooked by Cary from a $50,000 yearling purchase to a $120,000 2-year-old sale at Timonium last May. He is owned by Joe Sutton and trained by Eddie Kenneally. The 3-year-old colt was bred by Dark Hollow Farm.
LONG-TIME WOODBINE-BASED TRAINER, WHO HAS TRAINED IN AIKEN IN WINTER MONTHS SINCE 1994, IS INDUCTED INTO THE CANADIAN HORSE RACING HALL OF FAME
The recent induction of Woodbine-based trainer, Mike Keogh, into the prestigious Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was happily applauded by his friends and associates at the Aiken Training Track, Aiken, S.C. during the long days of the Coronavirus pandemic. “Hats off to Mike Keogh,” said Bill Gutfarb, current Board president at the training track. “He is a true gentleman and a very talented horseman.”
Keogh’s esteemed career as a trainer, winning more than 300 races including a Canadian Triple Crown sweep with Wando in 2003 is very impressive. Another Keogh trainee, Langfuhr, won the Metropolitan Handicapp and Carter Handicapp in N.Y. in 1997. He also scored in the Vosburgh Stakes and the Forego Handicapp in N.Y. in 1996. “Langfuhr is my favorite horse, “ said Keogh in a recent interview.Both Wando and Langfuhr are Canadian Hall of Fame members. Wando was Canada’s 2003 Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male, as well as Aiken Horse of the Year, 2003. Langfuhr was Canada’s 1996 champion sprinter. Woodcarver, another Keogh trained winner, winning the Queen’s Plate in 1999, was Canada’s 1999 champion 3-year old colt.
Keogh and his wife, Lou, have been bringing thoroughbreds to Aiken in the winter season from their stable at Woodbine-Ontario for many years. Keogh’s relationship with Canadian owner and breeder and Aiken Training Track supporter and friend, Gus Schickendanz, who recently passed away, is the story of one horseman appreciating the talents of another horseman. Keogh was Schickendanz’s private trainer for many years and the men shared a love of all things horses and racing.
“I’ve been training horses in Aiken since 1994,” Keogh said. “I kept horses at Gus Schickendanz’s farm in Aiken and rented a few stalls at the training track.” At the Aiken Trials, held in the month of March for the past 78 years, Keogh’s horses have shown off Keogh’s masterful training and their speed. Enoree, in 2016, for example, set a track record of 51 4/5 for the distance. In 2017, Woodbridge won the City of Aiken Trophy and so did Say No More in 2013. In the 1993-1994 period of time, Langfuhr was a yearling turning two, when Keogh first came to Aiken.
“We like coming to Aiken, it’s a nice city, the track is quiet, the surrounding dirt roads are good for the horses, ” said Keogh.
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. It is located at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.The Hall of Fame annually inducts thoroughbreds and standardbred horses, sulky drivers, jockeys, trainers and horse racing industry’s builders. Keogh will share the illustrious membership in the Canada Horse Racing Hall of Fame with the horse, Play the King. Keogh said, like a true blue horseman, “I am happy to be welcomed into the Canadian Hall of Fame with the horse, Play the King.” Keogh galloped Play the King for Roger Attfield.
Once a horseman, always a horseman. Our best and kindest wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Mike Keogh. Love from the Aiken Training Track.
A young horseman and horsewoman from Northern California are establishing themselves as Aiken Training Track’s next generation. With two unique, but horse-centric pasts, Justin Rivera and Logan Beardon now run Poplar Place Stables, their own racing stable at Aiken Training Track, with a passion for Aiken’s Thoroughbred community. Click here to read the complete article (originally published in the April-May 2020 issue of The Aiken Horse).
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