After three weeks of May Madness, the Memorial Day Weekend has arrived, allowing horseplayers a slight breather from the Triple Crown tension and turn their handicapping skills to Santa Anita for a few days.
On the West Coast, the stakes action opens Saturday with five California-bred stakes races. On Sunday, it’s the $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2) for fillies and mares 3 and up featuring a pair from trainer Bob Baffert – Splendora and Seismic Beauty, both Maryland breds, and Where’s My Ring.
And on Memorial Day Monday, it’s the $300,000 Gamely (G1) on the turf for fillies and mare 3 and up, the $200,000 Hollywood Gold Cup (G2) for 3-year-olds and up, and the Shoemaker Mile (G1) for 3-year-olds and up.
One horse to keep an eye on is 6-year-old Skippylongstocking. The 6-year-old son of Exaggerator makes his 32nd career start in the 1 ¼-mile Hollywood Gold Cup for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. He’s earned over $3.5 million with a record of 31-10-3-7. Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call.
And if you like the nice roll that trainer Michael McCarthy is on – second in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and first in the Preakness Stakes (G1) with Journalism – he’ll saddle Extensive, a 4-year-old making just his fifth start.
The five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course stages a blockbuster card on Belmont Day, June 7. The festival runs June 4-8. The graded stakes races:
$2 million Belmont Stakes (G1)
$1 million Metropolitan Handicap (G1)
$1 million Manhattan (G1)
$500,000 Woody Stephens (G1)
$500,000 Jaipur (G1)
$400,000 True North (G3)
$300,000 Wonder Again (G2)
$300,000 Pensive Ridge (G3)
Prospective field for the Belmont: Sovereignty; Journalism; Baeza; Rodriguez; Hill Road; Heart of Honor; Final Gambit; and Gosger.
Junior Alvarado, who guided Sovereignty to victory in the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 3, has appealed his fine and suspension, it was announced this week.
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) confirmed the appeal of the penalties of a $62,000 fine and two-day suspension for excessive crop use during the Derby.
“In accordance with HISA’s standard procedure, the appeal will be referred to the Internal Adjudication Panel for further proceedings,” HISA announced in a statement.
No date has been set for the appeal.
Nearly a week after the Derby, it was ruled that Alvarado had used the crop eight times – two over the limited established by HISA. The fine was based on 10% of the jockey earnings from the race – in this case $310,000 from the $5 million winner’s share – and one-day suspension.
The penalties were doubled due to a similar violation by Alvarado in the past 180 days, also according to HISA rules.
The penalty is expected to be reduced since HISA is currently reviewing its rules for a crop violation.
Larry Demeritte, the trainer who saddled his first Kentucky Derby horse in the 2024, has passed away at the age of 75.
Demeritte, a native of the Bahamas, sent out West Saratoga in the 150th Derby, with the 3-year-old ccc finishing 12. He had lived with various health issues, including a 1996 bone cancer diagnosis.
He arrived in the United States in 1976, and attended his first Derby a year later, watching Seattle Slew win on his way to the Triple Crown.
West Saratoga gave Demeritte a ride to remember. The colt won the Iroquois Stakes (G3) as a 2-year-old then made to the Derby field by finishing third in the Sam F. Davis (G3) and second in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3).
“This is truly amazing how we got to this position with this horse,” Demeritte said. “I’m hopeful people will see our story and become interested in this sport because this horse is proving anyone with a dream can make it to the Derby stage.”
Demeritte won 184 races in 2,138 career starts with purse earnings of more than $5.3 million since 1981.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
