Horse Racing

The coronavirus pandemic has left horse racing, like all major sports, scrambling to make up for postponements and to shift to the “new normal.”

Here are some of this week’s positive developments for horse racing from coast-to-coast: • The Grade I Santa Anita Derby, postponed from April 4, will finally be run this Saturday. The Bob Baffert-trained Authentic beat Honor A.P. (trained by John Shirreffs) in the San Felipe Stakes

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1973 when Bill Shoemaker was replaced aboard popular Chilean import Cougar II by owner Mary Bradley after finishing third in the Hollywood Turf Invitational. Charlie Whittingham, who trained fa

vised on the TVG horse racing network for the first time in 20 years. The New York Racing Association, like Churchill Downs, will broadcast its races on the Fox Sports networks FS1 and FS2. First post time on Wednesday will be 10:15 a.m. Pacific. • Laurel Park started its delayed meet last weekend. With Laurel now racing, The Stronach Group, owners of Laurel Park, Gulfstream Park, Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita, will rewill race just three days a week (Friday through Sunday) except for closing weekend when there will be racing on Labor Day Monday Sept. 7. There will be 10 races planned on Fridays and Sundays with 11-race cards the new normal each Saturday. For now, racing is scheduled to be spectatorfree, though Del Mar hopes to be able to allow licensed owners and hopefully fans to attend as restrictions due to the coronavirus are eased.

My handicapping sheet for Southern California – The Lindo Report – has been available in Las Vegas free for over 13 years. Starting Thursday, it will be available in a new location – the race book at the South Point Hotel and Casino. The Lindo Report will be published on a Thursday through Sunday basis, and on days when there

Photo from Benoit Photo Authentic will be back in action Saturday in the Santa Anita Derby.

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in March, a race designed as a prep for the Santa Anita Derby. The two will face off again Saturday, and since Honor A.P. was returning from a minor foot injury in the San Felipe, expect an even better effort this weekend. Important Kentucky Derby qualifying points will be distributed on a 100-40-20-10 basis to the first four finishers. • There will be six other Stakes races on Santa Anita’s Saturday blockbuster card, including the Hollywood Gold Cup. My favorite Hollywood Gold Cup? It was vored Cougar II along with Quack, named Shoemaker on Canadianbred Kennedy Road, the least fancied of the three Whittingham trainees. Shoemaker pressed the pace of Briartic, was passed by Quack in the stretch, but Kennedy Road re-rallied to win by a nose. The crowd went wild. • Belmont Park, originally scheduled to open in April, finally gets underway Wednesday, 80 days after the last live racing card was held in New York. The Belmont meet will be spectatorfree racing, and will not be telesume their popular $1 minimum Stronach Five. The discounted 12 percent takeout wager is featured each Friday. The Stronach Five races for this Friday: Laurel Race 7 (post time 12:51 PT), Gulfstream Park Race 9, Laurel Race 8, Golden Gate Fields Race 3, and Santa Anita Race 4. • Del Mar announced they will open Friday July 10 instead of the previously scheduled Saturday July 18. The cancellation of the San Diego County Fair at the Del Mar Fairgounds made the earlier opening possible. Del Mar

is no racing in Southern California, we will publish a Lindo Report for another popular circuit. Since Santa Anita does not resume racing this week until Friday, we will produce a Lindo Report for Belmont Park for Thursday’s South Point reopening.

Additional Lindo Reports will be published on major race days around the country and when a key wager, such as a mandatory payout in a Rainbow Pick Six with a large carryover pool, is up for grabs. Thanks to South Point Race Book Manager Mary Jungers for providing The Lindo Report to her loyal horseplayers.

5 – Indy Jones (No. 8). Gelding has been treading water routing, but his best races in 2019 came in sprints. He finally cuts back around one turn and the outside post is perfect.

@RSaberGT SANTA ANITA

STARS OF BLUEGRASS: 2-year-old maiden first-time starter just ran a great race for trainer Andrew Lerner. She came with a big three-wide rally into the lane and ran on gamely to lose by a neck while more than two lengths clear of the rest. She will be a solid single in the picks next out. ZORICH: Ran his race but just could not run down the lone speed in this mile dirt race. He did cut into the winners' lead late and was almost five lengths clear of the rest. Look for him in the winners circle next out if he finds some pace to run at. CALIFORNIA KOOK: Trainer Peter Miller comebacker made a looping five-wide move into the stretch and just blasted home to win going away by more than three lengths in this mile turf race. Look for Miller to move him up for a repeat score going a mile or longer on the grass. COUNT ALEXEI: We just can't wait till this one comes back for his second start. He was making his first start for trainer Brian Koriner and ran too good to lose in this 5 1/2 furlong grass race. He showed good early speed while dueling down on the inside. He inched away down the lane only to get nailed on the line by the 7-5 favorite.