Horse Racing News

In an announcement that figures to meet with disagreement with some horsemen's groups, the outgoing and incoming leaders of the Association of Racing Commissioners International have called for a five-year phase-out of equine medication in horse racing.

Jockey Eibar Coa has begun taking the first steps on the road to what he is hoping will be a complete recovery from injuries suffered in a spill at Gulfstream Park at Feb. 18 that originally left him paralyzed throughout most of his body.

Santa Anita will not run the final three Wednesdays of the winter-spring meeting, beginning this week, due to a shortage of available horses, the track announced Sunday.

Twice the Appeal, disqualified in his prior start, made the most of a second chance when he collared Astrology near mid-stretch en route to a 1 1/2-length victory in the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby in New Mexico.

Jockey Anna Napravnik put herself in position to become the first female rider to win the Kentucky Derby by guiding Pants On Fire to a mild upset victory on Saturday at Fair Grounds in the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby.

Animal Kingdom passed all 10 of his rivals before finally getting the best of a stubborn last one when stamping his Kentucky Derby ticket Saturday by winning the 40th running of the Grade 3, $500,000 Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes.

Rahy's Attorney, a Grade 1 winner at a mile in his younger days, showed there's still plenty left in the tank at the age of 7 when he stretched out to 1 1/2 miles for the first time to capture Saturday's $150,000 Pan American at Gulfstream Park.

An hour after he was involved in a one-horse spill, jockey Martin Pedroza won his first graded stakes since July when Worth Repeating held off a late threat from Honour the Deputy in Saturday's $100,000 Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita.

Daisy Devine ($11) was prominent throughout, and responded to the energetic handling of jockey James Graham to prevail by a half-length in this key prep for the May 6 Kentucky Oaks.

Content to track in third under a ground-saving ride by Edgar Prado, the Graham Motion-trained Smart Bid was no more than a few lengths behind at any call.