AFPRacing fears for future after crowd trial cancelled
Glorious Goodwood felt more like Gloomy Goodwood this weekend despite the sunshine after a pilot scheme to welcome 4,000 spectators was cancelled at short notice due to an uptick in coronavirus cases. The scheme had offered hope for dozens of racecourses in Britain that they could admit the public at some point this year following the financial pain of the virus shutdown. Collectively the courses are losing £5 million ($6.5 million) a month, Racecourse Association CEO David Armstrong told AFP.
- The Associated Press
Improbable wins Whitney for Baffert at Saratoga
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) -- Improbable won the $750,000 Whitney by two lengths at Saratoga on Saturday, making Bob Baffert the first trainer to notch back-to-back victories in the Grade 1 race for older horses since 1994-95.
- The Associated Press
Thousand Words pulls upset to win Shared Belief at Del Mar
Thousand Words upset 1-5 favorite Honor A. P. by three-quarters of a length in the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on Saturday, giving trainer Bob Baffert another candidate for next month's Kentucky Derby. Ridden by Abel Cedillo, Thousand Words ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.85 and paid $20.40 and $3.40 at 9-1 odds. The colt earned 50 qualifying points for the Derby, which was postponed until Labor Day weekend because of the coronavirus pandemic.
- The Associated Press
Hopeful Growth wins $200,000 Monmouth Oaks at Monmouth Park
Hopeful Growth took the lead in the stretch and drew off to a four-length victory in the $200,000 Monmouth Oaks at Monmouth Park on Saturday. Ridden by Antonio Gallardo and trained by Anthony Margotta, Jr., Hopeful Growth covered the mile and a sixteenth in 1:45.63 for her first stakes victory. Gallardo kept Hopeful Growth along the rail as favored Lucrezia and Project Whiskey battled for the lead.