By ED FOUNTAINE
May 12, 2008
Sorry state of the racing industry is not limited to New York. Churchill Downs will cut purses 20 percent, effective Wednesday, because Kentucky horsemen, seeking bigger share of handle, are blocking distribution of Churchill's simulcast signal to national advance-deposit wagering (ADW) sites, such as TwinSpires.com, Youbet and TVG. And Calder, owned by Churchill, announced it will slash purses for eight upcoming stakes by total of $556,000 because Florida horsemen, also seeking bigger share of handle, have blocked sending Calder's signal out-of-state.
* Track was fast, turf yielding for yesterday's 10-race card at Belmont. Apprentice Sebastian Morales was suspended 10 days for careless riding in Saturday's 10th race, when his mount Navajo Spirit came out in the stretch, bumping East End Boy, causing his jockey, Luca Panici, to fall off. Morales will continue riding pending his appeal.
SECOND RACE: Case of seconditis bites bettors again. In first three starts, Rick Violette's filly Anachronism raced second each time under Eibar Coa, last two as heavy favorite. Here, stretching out from sprints to mile-and-sixteenth, with Garrett Gomez taking over mount, she was favored again at 7-5. Anachronism went to front, set pace in hand pressed by 19-1 Unique Citizen, cut corner turning for home to open daylight. But in final furlong, Bobby Frankel's 8-5 Skylighter, also beaten choice last two starts, with blinkers off and John Velazquez replacing Gomez in saddle, came charging to get up late, as Anachronism ran her runner-up record to 4-for-4.
EIGHTH RACE: In $75,000 Volponi overnight stakes at mile-and-eighth on inner turf course, there wasn't better-bred horse in field than Shug McGaughey's Phipps homebred Parading (by Pulpit, out of Storm Cat mare On Parade, a full-sister to champion filly Storm Flag Flying from family of unbeaten champ Personal Ensign). But as 5-year-old, Parading went into Volponi with modest record of 4-for-13 and seventh-place finish in his lone stakes start. Perhaps he's ready to live up to pedigree now after tucking in behind early pace battle, rallying up rail under Velazquez to surge past front-running Strike a Deal in deep stretch at 5-1.
NINTH RACE: In $100,000 Kingston Handicap for NY-breds on turf, Banrock, 9-1 under Kent Desormeaux, wore down 5-2 Dave, Eibar Coa up, in furious drive to wire, winning by head. Banrock was making his second start of the year for Tom Bush. This was first stakes victory for 5-year-old gelding.
PICK SIX
Winning numbers: 10-5-5-7-9-7
1 winner (6 of 6) paid $46,567
Consolation (5 of 6) winners
paid $739
No carryover
