ALL stalls at the Aiken Training Track have now been reserved for Hurricane Dorian evacuees

09/01/2019 |

For those that have reserved stalls please remember the following:

There will be no fee for the stalls that are used.

You must provide your own feed and bedding as well as cleaning the stalls before leaving Aiken.

A liability release form and a COG Form must be signed.

Please keep in mind that many stores in Aiken will be closed on Monday, September 2 for Labor Day.

Our address is

Aiken Training Track
538 Two Notch Rd
Aiken, SC 29801

Office Hours:
9am – 12pm
Monday – Friday
803-648-4631
aikentt@bellsouth.net

The following people may be called if you arrive in Aiken and the track office is closed. The office will be closed for Labor Day on Monday, September 2.

Alice Knowles 502-548-0654
Jim Rhodes 706-373-6350
Jack Wetzel 803-645-7565

Aiken Equine Resources:

Aiken Saddlery, Inc.
1044 E. Pine Log Road
Aiken, SC 29803
803-649-6583
info@aikensaddlery.com.

Aiken County Farm Supply
1933 Park Ave
Aiken, SC 29801
803-649.2987
aikencountyfarm@bellsouth.net

Tractor Supply
2655 Whiskey Rd.
Aiken, SC 29803
803-648-4449

Aiken Equine Veterinary Associates
1231 Toolebeck Rd
Aiken, SC 29803
803-648-0430
aikenclinic@bellsouth.net

Southern Equine Service
1258 Banks Mill Road
Aiken, SC 29803
803-644-1544
melissa@southernequineservice.com

Carolina Equine Clinic
951 Powderhouse Rd SE
Aiken, SC 29803
803-642-9195
cec4horses@gmail.com

KILLYBEGS CAPTAIN adds G1 black-type in the Forego at Saratoga

08/28/2019 |

OBS April 2016 $75,000 sales grad consigned by Cary Frommer, KILLYBEGS CAPTAIN (Mizzenmast), became a stakes-winner in his first 2019 start winning the Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay. Since then he has not been off the board in stakes company. Stepping up into graded stakes company, he ran third in the John A. Nerud Stakes (Gr. 2) and now adds a G1 stakes placing in the Forego. The 5 year old horse was bred by Allen Poindexter and is owned by Curragh Stables and trained by John P. Terranova. He earned his highest Equibase figure yet of 110 and upped his earnings over $371,000.

ROANSMOKE graduates at Woodbine

08/25/2019 |

3 year old ROANSMOKE (Proud Citizen)  owned by The Estate of Gustav Schickedanz broke his maiden sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the all weather track at Woodbine. He pressed the pace in 2nd and then cleared for the win. ROANSMOKE was prepared at the Aiken Training Track by Mike Keogh.

Aiken trained GIOVANNA BLUES wins the $100,000 Flaming Page S. at Woodbine

08/19/2019 |

Started by Legacy Stables, GIOVANNA  BLUES (Gio Ponti) added her first stakes win in the FLAMING PAGE S., C$104,000 at Woodbine.  She was knocking on the door as last out she ran 3rd in the Ontario Matron Stakes (Gr. 3).  Racing 1 1/2 miles on the turf, GIOVANNA BLUES dropped back to last, then gradually improved her position until she dueled down the stretch to a win by 1 1/4.  The 6-year-old mare is owned by Dora Alcon, Dogwood
Plantation & Larry M. Marcus and was bred by Dogwood Plantation (KY).  She is trained by Francine A. Villeneuve.
Lifetime Record: 21-4-3-2, $229,828

BUNTING: Another stakes placed horse from the Aiken Training Track

08/18/2019 |

BUNTING (Bandbox) is a homebred for Hillwood Stables, LCC  and trained by Rodney Jenkins.  The 3-year-old filly broke her maiden this spring and stepping up into stakes company for the first time, added a stakes placing in MISS DISCO S. at Laurel to add the first black-type to her pedigree. She ran dueled through most of the race and dug in gamely in the stretch  to miss by only half a length at the wire.

Two 2 year old winners straight from the Aiken Training Track

08/18/2019 |

Two-year-old flly  THREE D FLAG (Super Saver) racing in a MSW at Ellis rushed up to vie for the lead then confronted with the favorite, she battled to the wire and edged clear by a head for the win in her second start. She was prepared at the Aiken Training Track by Legacy Stables. THREE D FLAG is owned by Mike G. Rutherford and trained by Steven M. Asmussen. She is from the amazing family of My Flag (Easy Goer) and Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat)

Also winning at two was Playground (Friesan Fire) who sprinted to score by a length in a MSW at Charles Town in his first start. He was purchased and started by Cary Frommer and is now owned by  Debbie Rhodes and trained by  Jeff C. Runco.

DUBINI 3rd in the DA HOSS S at Colonial Downs

08/18/2019 |

Purchased by Mark Grier for $162,000 at OBS March and started by Legacy Stable, DUBINI (Gio Ponti) added still another stakes placing in the DA HOSS S,  sprinting on the turf at the newly opened Colonial Downs.  The 6-year-old gelding is owned by Pewter Stable and trained by Kathleen A. Demasi. He has earned over $207,000.

GOTHAM GALA 2nd in the LADY JACQUELINE S.

08/18/2019 |

A stakes winner of the Obeah Stakes at Delaware Park earlier this summer. GOTHAM GALA (Smart Strike) had to settle for second in the Lady Jaqueline S at Thistledown. She came wide, grabbed the lead, but was passed by a closer.  She swung even wider to came on again with determination despite losing ground and missed by a nose. GOTHAM GALA was selected by Clancy Bloodstock for $260,000 as a yearling at Keeneland. She was prepared at the Aiken Training Track by Legacy Stable.   The 4-year-old filly has earned $207,090 and is owned by Mark B. Grier and is trained by Arnaud Delacour.

SWEET BLAME adds win #2 at Monmouth

08/18/2019 |

SWEET BLAME (Blame) broke her maiden this spring at Monmouth Park. Racing a mile and seventy on the dirt at also Monmouth, she rallied between horses to take over the lead willingly and score by a length. She is owned by her trainer Glenn Thompson and got her start over the Aiken Training Track.

Killybegs Captain to set sail in Tale of the Cat at Saratoga

08/09/2019 |

SARATOGA SPRINGS —  Killybegs Captain, third following troubled start in the Grade 2 John A. Nerud last out, will attempt to win his second stakes of the year when he competes in Friday’s $100,000 Tale of the Cat.

The Tale of the Cat, carded as the penultimate race on the 10-race card with a scheduled post time of 5:18 p.m. Eastern, is a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up which have not won a graded stakes in 2019.

Killybegs Captain, owned by Curragh Stables, earned his first stakes victory in his 5-year-old debut, winning the Pelican by 4 ½ lengths in February at Tampa Bay Downs. He was second over a route of ground in the Challenger in March at Tampa and enters the Tale of the Cat off three straight starts in sprints: a fourth in the listed Runhappy in May at Belmont Park, a second in the Chocolate Town Sprint in July, and earning blacktype in completing the trifecta in the Nerud on July 6.

In the Nerud, Killybegs Captain was away last of seven after stumbling and steadying at the start. He rushed up to race in third at the first point of call, and made a three-wide bid for the lead with five-sixteenths to travel before flattening out in the stretch, finishing 4 ¾-lengths behind the heavily favored winner Promises Fulfilled.

“He really ran a remarkable race, considering the circumstances,” said trainer John Terranova. “He’s trained on excellent since then, and it looks like the right spot. He just has to keep running as well as he has been and stay consistent. We’re not going to face some of the types we just faced, but all of these races are tough. I couldn’t be asking him to be doing any better.”

Ricardo Santana, Jr. will ride Killybegs Captain from post 2.

Pat On the Back, winner the six-furlong Affirmed Success in April and the one-mile Commentator in May against New York-breds at Belmont, will be seeking his third straight score and fourth in five starts. He concluded his 2018 campaign with a victory in Belmont’s 1 1/2-mile Empire Classic and a fifth in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap in December at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“If timing was a little better, I would have rather run in the John Morrissey [contested on August 4],” said Jeremiah Englehart, who trains the 5-year-old for Harold Lerner LLC, AWC Stables and Nehoc Stables. “It just happened that he needed a little more time, so the Tale of the Cat ended up being the race. I wanted to get a race into him here before we went back to Belmont. Hopefully, he can get there towards the end. He can win going six furlongs. He just needed to get the right set up.”

Dylan Davis will ride Pat On the Back from post 3.

Skyler’s Scramjet, trained by Michelle Nevin for SJC Stable and Marcello Micozzi, looks to regain his form after finishing fifth, beaten 14 lengths, last time out in the Runhappy. The 5-year-old Creative Cause gelding was second, beaten a half length by World of Trouble, in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap in April at Aqueduct and won the 2018 Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap at the Big A.

Rajiv Maragh has the call aboard Skyler’s Scramjet from post 6.

Sagamore Farm’s He Hate Me will look to prove he’s the smart choice as he steps up following a 2 ¼-length optional claiming victory July 19 at Saratoga. Winner of the Tremont at Belmont as a 2-year-old, He Hate Me will be making his first stakes start since finishing fourth in the 2018 Miracle Wood at Laurel Park.

Trained by Stanley Hough and ridden by Luis Saez, He Hate Me drew post 4.

Exiting graded stakes competition is Uno Mas Modelo, seventh in the Grade 3 Commonwealth in April at Keeneland and 10th in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs on May 4. A 6-year-old gelding, Uno Mas Modelo has won three black-type stakes in his career, including the Perseus in January and the Rough and Ready in February at Gulfstream Park.

The Anthony Quartarolo-trained Uno Mas Modelo, owned by Ron Paolucci Racing, will depart from post 1 under Eric Cancel.

Rounding out the field is Ruler of the Night, stepping up in class off three straight wins from post 6; Bon Raison, second in an optional claimer July 19, out of post 7; and Eight Town, who will be making his first start since finishing second in an optional claimer last September at Belmont, leaving from the outside post 8.