Horse Racing News

Racing secretary Pat Pope had some work to do hustling starters for the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes coming up Jan. 31.

Suzanne Stables' Barbados, winner of the grade III Hutcheson Stakes and Spectacular Bid Stakes at Gulfstream Park this year, will undergo surgery next week to remove a small bone chip in his left knee, said trainer Michael Tomlinson.

The New York State Gaming Commission has sanctioned trainer Bill Mott for a pair of medication overages in a single horse last fall, a decision the Racing Hall of Fame conditioner is appealing.

Due to severe winter weather conditions, the New York Racing Association canceled live racing at Aqueduct Racetrack for Wednesday, Jan. 28.

John O'Neil of Huntington Station, N.Y., topped a field of 606 entries to win the $800,000 first-place prize and an Eclipse Award as Horseplayer of the Year at the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship Jan. 23-25.

Horse of the Year California Chrome breezed one mile in 1:41 2/5 at his Los Alamitos Race Course headquarters Jan. 25 as he moves ever closer to his 4-year-old debut in the $500,000 San Antonio Stakes.

Longshot Mischief Clem won the $250,000 California Cup Derby for 3-year-olds by a head in a photo finish at Santa Anita.

Rocketing from far back, Forum Racing's Birdatthewire easily took the $200,000 Forward Gal Stakes from Gulfstream Park on Jan. 24.

Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence's Consumer Credit became a graded winner Jan. 24, closing on the outside with a solid run to capture the $100,000 Sweetest Chant Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

New York-bred Upstart proved his class Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park, tracking pacesetter Bluegrass Singer to the final turn and then drawing away impressively to win the $400,000 Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes by 5-1/2 lengths.