There are two $1 million stakes in North America this weekend at a racetrack you might not guess: Parx Racing. With two seven-figure purses fueled by an on-site casino, the Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion co-headline an outstanding card in Bensalem, Pa.
Richard Eng
The Arlington Million on Saturday holds a special place in American racing history. It was the world’s first million-dollar horse race and has had so many rich highlights, including a nose win by John Henry over The Bart in the first running in 1981.
Kevin Brockley, a Saratoga Race Course patron, won a contest at the New York track for a free $15,000 win bet in Saturday’s Whitney Handicap. He placed the wager on race favorite Fort Larned.
The question I am most asked is this: Do you bet your own selections? The reference is to my daily handicapping of the Southern California racetracks that appears in this newspaper.
The three colts who won this year’s Triple Crown races are taking different paths to the $1 million Travers on Aug. 24 at Saratoga. The prestigious Travers is called the Midsummer Classic for good reason.
The past three Eclipse Awards for outstanding jockey have gone to Ramon Dominguez. Unfortunately for him, there won’t be a fourth.
There is a lot of talk about how historic it would be in the Travers at Saratoga to have the winners of this year’s three Triple Crown races facing off.
There are only nine calendar days until the last summer meet at Betfair Hollywood Park ends on July 14. Then after the final 28-day fall meet ends on Dec. 22, the track of “Lakes and Flowers” will be closed forever.
Wise Dan, the 2012 Horse of the Year, makes his third start of the season Saturday in the Grade 2 Firecracker Handicap at Churchill Downs. He has already won two Grade 1 stakes — the Makers 46 Mile and the Turf Classic — so this should be an easier task.
Someday a public relations class will do a case study on what has been happening lately to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. At the center of it all are seven horses that died suddenly, while under his care, in a 16-month period.
The Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on Saturday marks a turn-the-page moment in racing from the end of the Triple Crown. Orb, Oxbow, Palace Malice plus the other top 3-year-olds will return soon enough in the Haskell and Travers. But for now the attention will be on the older horses.