Horse Racing News

Saturday, in his 10th attempt in stakes company, More Than a Reason graduated from hard-knocker to graded stakes winner, outfinishing Stormy's Majesty to take the Grade 3, $100,000 Queens County by a head before a decent-sized crowd of 5,444 at Aqueduct.

Saturday, Turbulent Descent stretched her unbeaten streak to three races in her first start around two turns in the $412,250 Hollywood Starlet Stakes at Hollywood Park.

The New York Racing Association is working on a number of initiatives it hopes can make up for an estimated $33 million shortfall in revenue for the company and purses caused by the shutdown this week of New York City Off-Track Betting Corp.

When Turbulent Descent made a successful debut in a maiden race at Hollywood Park in October, winning under a hand-ride from jockey David Flores, a start in Saturday's $300,000 Hollywood Starlet became a feasible goal.

Stormy's Majesty apparently had other ideas, and on Saturday he will face five rivals in the Grade 3, $100,000 Queens County Stakes over Aqueduct's inner track.

New York City Off-Track Betting Corp. planned to shut its doors permanently Tuesday night, laying off more than 800 employees, creating a vacuum of wagering opportunities for the racing industry, and putting the state another $600 million in debt.

A bill has been introduced in the state Senate that differs from the one passed in the Assembly last week in that it extends all provisions given to bankrupt NYCOTB to the state's other regional OTB networks.

Undaunted by 18-degree temperatures, an estimated 1,200 fans came from as far as Washington state, Wisconsin, and New York, and as close as the neighborhoods just across Versailles Road from Keeneland.

Santa Anita officially opened its newly installed sand-and-clay main track for training on Monday morning, although there was minimal activity from the approximately 200 horses on the grounds.

Free Pourin's victory in the third race Sunday at Hollywood Park gave trainer Bob Baffert the 2,000th win of his career, according to Equibase.