Horse Racing News

With the racing world looking forward to an April 9 matchup between Rachel Alexandra and the John Shirreffs-trained Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom, Rachel Alexandra failed to handle the Shirreffs "B" Team on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Zenyatta kept up her end of the bargain, weaving through traffic to capture her 15th straight victory in the Grade 1, $250,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap on Saturday at Santa Anita.

Gitano Hernando is looking good for his March 27 date in the Dubai World Cup, trainer Marco Botti reported on his website on Friday. The Newmarket-based Botti was upbeat about the preparations of his recent Winter Derby Trial winner.

John Velazquez has picked himself up a Dubai World Cup ride in the shape of Crowded House.

Trainer Jeffrey Scott Raley has been suspended a year by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission after one of his grooms was found poised to give one of his horses what officials believed to be a syringe of vodka.

A deal to open a casino at Aqueduct is dead again.

She Be Wild is the reigning Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and champion 2-year-old filly, but even her staunchest supporters may have some doubts when she tries dirt for the second time in Saturday's Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs.

Kelly Breen likes how everything is shaping up for his multiple-stakes-winning filly Bickersons entering Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Cicada at Aqueduct. Everything, that is, except the forecast.

Ramon Dominguez said it doesn't feel all that long ago when he won his 1,000th career race. It was actually Oct. 8, 2001.

After running in nothing but Grade 1 stakes since last summer, Beautician will take a meaningful class drop Saturday when she starts her season in the Grade 3, $125,000 Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park.