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THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2019
by: Valerie Mellema
Here's what's happening in horse racing this week as we near the Preakness this weekend.
Preakness Field is Set
While the chance for a Triple Crown is null, the 144th Preakness Stakes (G1) is still set to have a field of thirteen this weekend. This is the largest Preakness field since 2011. Post time is set for 6:48pm Saturday at Pimlico. Here's the field:
WAR OF WILL is braking from post 1 again, a seemingly improbable chance, but trainer Mark Casse, stated "The odds of getting post 1 in the Derby and Preakness are 260-1. Nothing is ever easy. I would have preferred to draw outside, but it is what it is, and we have to deal with it."
Remington Park Stakes Schedule to Start in August
The 2019 Remington Park Thoroughbred Season will start August 23rd and run through December 15th. The marquee stakes races will include:
A total of 16 stakes races are slated for Oklahoma-breds, which will include the annual Oklahoma Classics program. The program will take place Friday, October 18th and will feature eight divisional stakes races worth more than $1 million. The park will host a schedule of 32 total stakes races with purses totaling more than $3.7 million.
Kentucky Derby Drama Continues
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission handed down a 15 day suspension to Luis Saez. Gary and Mary West also filed a lawsuit on May 14th with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Lexington Division, seeking to have the disqualification of MAXIMUM SECURITY overturned.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the commission's staff and the Churchill Downs Stewards are named as defendants. The lawsuit is based on the insubstantiality of the evidence relied on by the stewards and "bizarre and unconstitutional process" to which the Wests' were subjected before and after the DQ, according to a media statement issued by the Wests.
Based on the lawsuit, an objection was first lodged by Flavien Prat (COUNTRY HOUSE), which the stewards then disallowed as "meritless." An objection was lodged by Jon Court (LONG RANGE TODDY), which was allowed. Additionally, the lawsuit notes that the stewards did not make a statement as to whether or not the foul altered the Derby finish or if it caused any horse to be denied a better placement. It also states that neither Tyler Gaffalione (WAR OF WILL) were interviewed, although the stewards stated that he was the most "affected." Landeros (BODEXPRESS) was also not interviewed. Therefore, the lawsuit argues that the stewards were not truthful when they stated that they'd "interviewed affected riders."
Finally, the lawsuit states that as a result of the disqualification, the plaintiffs, trainer, and jockey were denied their share of the $1,860,000 purse as well as the professional accomplishment or stallion value. However, the winner's share was paid to the connections of COUNTRY HOUSE despite the fact that Prat's objection was considered "meritless" by the stewards.
Have a great week!
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