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Colonial Downs Owners Aim To Open 10 Off-Track Betting Facilities

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The new owners of Colonial Downs in Virginia plan to re-open the racing facility in 2019 with financial backing from historical horse racing machines, according to The Breeze. The long-term plan is to operate the maximum-allowed 10 off-track betting facilities across the state, including taking over the four currently in existence, though Virginia Racing Commission officials refused to speculate on the number of machines to be allowed to operate at each facility.

“It’s obviously a key question,” said D.G. Van Clief Jr., the racing commission chairman. “Ultimately, we hope that this effort is going to yield the optimum number of machines that will do a very good job of supporting Colonial Downs’ business plan while at the same time serving the commonwealth as a whole in the most appropriate way.”

Kentucky’s regulatory framework is serving as a basis for Virginia’s new regulations regarding historical horse racing, which is expected to bring in $161.9 million in revenue through 2022.

Read more at The Breeze.

The post Colonial Downs Owners Aim To Open 10 Off-Track Betting Facilities appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Aheadbyacentury Seeks Ending To 40-Year Curse In Queen’s Plate

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The so-called curse of Apollo, under which no horse had won the Kentucky Derby when unraced as a 2-year-old since 1882, was lifted this year by Triple Crown winner Justify.

Canada has its own version of that now extinct jinx, as no horse since Norcliffe in 1976 has parlayed victory in Woodbine’s Coronation Futurity into success in the Queen’s Plate.

And that is a conundrum since the Coronation Futurity, at 1 1/8-miles, is the longest race in the country for 2-year-olds and logically should be a predictor of success in Canada’s most famous race.

John Ross, who won last year’s Coronation Futurity with Aheadbyacentury, is aware of this fact but sees no logical reason for the drought.

“We’re going and try to put an end to that,” said Ross. “He’s good and fit, and he’s ready. Now we just have to keep him happy and healthy.”

Aheadbyacentury, named for the Tragically Hip song which was the encore at that group’s farewell concert in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, caught the eye of Ross at the local select yearling sale and was purchased for $67,000 in partnership with the newly-formed Jack of Hearts Stable.

And while Aheadbyacentury performed well when making his first two starts in stakes sprints, Ross had always believed that his forte would be two-turn races.

“He was coming from the back, and he’d come on,” said Ross. “You could tell he wanted more ground.”

Aheadbyacentury verified his trainer’s opinion by graduating at 1 1/16-miles and then doubling up in the Coronation Futurity.

“It worked out pretty good for us, to finish up his 2-year-old year like that,” said Ross.

This year, Aheadbyacentury has been on the fringes in three starts here, beginning with a fifth-place finish in the seven-furlong Queenston Stakes and continuing with thirds in both the 1 1/16-mile Marine and 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial, running similar races on both occasions.

“He was coming on well,” said Ross. “Now we’ve just got to up the ante a little bit more; his numbers are just a shade lower than I’d like. But I think that the horse is going to come into the Plate even better. When he worked the other day (June 20) it was just a little maintenance work but he galloped out in 1:14. Luis (Contreras) was on him and all the time he was working he was on the bridle, and he had lots of horse. That’s what we loved about it.”

Aheadbyacentury, who had raced without blinkers for the first time in the Plate Trial, will be reverting to his shaded state for this most important appearance.

“He’s a little more attentive to things, with the blinkers on,” said Ross.

The post Aheadbyacentury Seeks Ending To 40-Year Curse In Queen’s Plate appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Injury Cuts Short Career of Magnum Moon

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Robert and Lawana Low’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Magnum Moon (Malibu Moon–Dazzling Song, by Unbridled’s Song) sustained a career-ending “structural injury to a front limb” in a Saturday morning workout over the Belmont training track and was to undergo surgery Saturday afternoon at the neighboring Cornell Ruffian Equine Hospital, Jacob West, bloodstock agent to and racing manager for owners Robert and Lawana Low confirmed to the TDN Saturday afternoon. The news was first reported by the Blood-Horse.

“We’re playing the waiting game right now and we’re hoping that it’s something that can be fixed surgically. We know he’s in the very capable hands of the staff at the clinic,” West said when reached by phone Saturday afternoon.

Bred in Kentucky by Ramona Bass, Magnum Moon was debut winner at Gulfstream Jan. 13 and earned the ‘Rising Star’ designation with a smooth two-length success in a two-turn Tampa allowance Feb. 15. The $380,000 ran his unbeaten streak to three in the GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park Mar. 17 and was the wire-to-wire winner of the GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 14. Though he was well-beaten in the GI Kentucky Derby, Magnum Moon had emerged from a month off to record three previous workouts at Belmont, including a best-of-eight five furlongs in 1:00.80 June 16.

“He’d been training as forwardly as we hoped,” West reported “He bounced out of the Derby better than he went into it and we were really looking forward to a solid 3-year-old campaign and maybe even a 4-year-old campaign, but that’s on the back burner now.”

West added that the Lows were taking the news in stride.

“They’re good. The good thing about this horse is that he’s got incredible owners,” West said. “They’ve been in the game for a long time and they understand that things like this happen. But it’s still never easy to swallow. They were very adamant that they were very emotionally tied to the horse and wanted to give him the best chance they can for recovery. He’s got the best owners in the game for that.”

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Magnum Moon amassed earnings of $1,177,800.

Goldencents Colt Becomes Second ‘TDN Rising Star’ of the Day

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Bano Solo (c, 2, Goldencents-Royale Paradise, Unbridled’s Song) ran a deep-looking field of Churchill maidens off their feet to become the second ‘TDN Rising Star’ of the day Saturday.

The handsome bay first made headlines earlier this year at the OBS March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, firing a bullet quarter-mile in an eye-opening :20 1/5 at the breeze show before bringing $400,000 from Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton. He displayed a typical Steve Asmussen worktab heading into this, which included a five-furlong move in 1:01 2/5 (16/31) at Churchill Downs June 10.

The 6-5 favorite blasted out from his inside draw despite taking a bump from his outside rival and led through an opening quarter in :22.54. Bano Solo had some company on the far turn, but not for long once they straightened in the stretch. He took off from there opening about five lengths and was geared down late to win by three lengths. Stablemate Ninth Street (Street Boss) was second.

Bano Solo becomes the third winner for his freshman sire (by Into Mischief). He is the most expensive of 26 2-year-olds by the two-time GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner to change hands this year.

Bano Solo is out of the unraced Unbridled’s Song mare Royale Paradise, who is also represented by a Carpe Diem colt of 2017 and a Street Sense colt of 2018. His second dam Royale Michele (Elusive Quality) won the 2009 GII Barbara Fritchie H. at Laurel.

5th-Churchill Downs, $50,659, Msw, 6-23, 2yo, 5f, :59.08, ft.
BANO SOLO, c, 2, Goldencents
1st Dam: Royale Paradise, by Unbridled’s Song
2nd Dam: Royale Michele, by Elusive Quality
3rd Dam: Michele Royale, by Groovy
Sales history: $115,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP; $400,000 2yo ’18 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $30,600. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree or the VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. ThoroStride Video.
O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC & Willis Horton Racing LLC; B-Pollock Farms (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.