Joe Sharp

In his first season in New Orleans, jockey Jose Ortiz was the runaway winner of the jockeys' premiership at the Fair Grounds, while Joe Sharp and Godolphin took home honors as leading trainer and owner, respectively. Ortiz rode the winners of 98 races during the meet, the most recorded by any jockey since Florent Geroux accumulated the same number of winners during the 2016-2017 season. Ortiz finished some 43 winner clear of Jareth Loveberry, with Ben Curtis in third on 49 winners. "I've had huge support from the trainers and...

Typically, Scott Dilworth, along with his wife Evan, are found on the other side of the ticket. Longtime successful pinhookers, they notably purchased a yearling son of Uncle Mo for $250,000 at KEESEP in 2021 only to sell him as a 2-year-old seven months later for a sales-topping $2,300,000 at OBS April. That colt, under the tutelage of Bob Baffert, became Arabian Knight, a Grade I winner who joined the roster at Hill 'n' Dale for his first season at stud this year. Fast forward three years and it's a...

8th-Fair Grounds, $52,000, Msw, 3-13, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.20, ft, 1 length. ANCIENT WORLD (g, 3, Into Mischief--Thirteen Arrows {MSW, $277,375}, by Indian Charlie) had a pair of bullets on his worktab, including a flashy, four-furlong move from the gate in :46 4/5 (1/113) Feb. 9, and was off as the even-money favorite in this debut run. He missed the break beneath Jose Ortiz and trailed the field of eight as Sargent Sully (Instagrand), a well-beaten fifth on debut in New Orleans Jan. 20, flew through an opening quarter in :21.63....

The seven-day Kentucky Downs meet set another record for wagering, totaling $90,181,408 and up eight percent over last year, according to a press release from the track late Wednesday. That included a single-day record of $21,184,941 on the Saturday, Sept. 7 card featuring six graded stakes worth $2 million for Kentucky-breds ($1 million for others). As for the meet's leaders, jockey Tyler Gaffalione finished with nine wins, to pull even with Irad Ortiz Jr. for the riding title, while Brendan Walsh's sixth victory put him in a tie for the...

Edited Press Release Many of the trainers and owners running horses in Saturday's eight Claiming Crown races already won a critical competition before the starting gate even opens at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots: They got the horse at the claim box. With shrinking foal crops and enhanced purses in areas such as Kentucky, New York and Arkansas, there has never been more demand for a competitive claiming horse, the backbone of American racing. The Claiming Crown was created 25 years ago by the National Horsemen's Benevolent &...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-KD, $150k, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2fT, post time: 1:58 p.m. ET WinStar and Gainesway Farm's SUNDANCE (Quality Road), an $800,000 Keeneland September yearling, moves to the lawn for his second outing. The Rodolphe Brisset trainee was a well-beaten fifth in his main-track debut at Ellis Park Aug. 6. The juvenile is the first foal out of Grade I-placed Cherry Lodge (Bernardini). Richard and Connie Snyder's Tollgate Canyon (Arrogate) makes his first trip to the post for trainer Joe Sharp. Out of graded-placed Burg Berg (Johannesburg),...

Three Diamonds Farm and Joseph Besecker's Roja Ligera (City of Light) stepped forward at second asking to take an off-the-turf Ellis Park dash Sunday and become the first winner for her freshman sire (by Quality Road). She had trailed all but one rival home following a poor break in a five-furlong event at Churchill Downs July 1, but the $75,000 OBSMAR purchase (:9 4/5) got away much sharper this time out, moving between horses to contend for the lead before giving way to Catcha Later Mo (Mo Town). Roja Ligera...

by Christie DeBernardis & Jessica Martini LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of All Ages Sale, marking its 10th edition, confirmed its importance on the calendar with a strong renewal at Newtown Paddocks Monday. "It was a tremendous sale tonight," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. "It was even stronger than we anticipated. We saw an unbelievable depth of bidding activity tonight. We had activity from the East Coast, West Coast, international participation. It was very encouraging. It was a very strong marketplace overall." A total of 129...

Press Release, by Jen Roytz The family of Callie Witt, the exercise rider who died following an accident on Keeneland's training track Friday morning, would like to thank the racing community for the outpouring of support they have received since Callie's passing. "We want to thank each and every person that has reached out, said prayers, took the time to think of our daughter. We are in complete shock and overwhelmed not only with the loss of our baby girl, but by the tremendous outpouring of support we have received,"...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public and where. California Track: Santa Anita Date: 01/14/2022 Licensee: Kent Desormeaux, jockey Penalty: $500 Violation: Excessive use of the riding crop Explainer: Jockey Kent Desormeaux is fined $500.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1688(b)(8) (Use of Riding Crop--more than six times--first offense within...

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has vacated the sanctions it imposed on trainer Joe Sharp following five positive tests for levamisole in horses who ran at Churchill Downs in November 2019. A KHRC ruling issued Thursday and first reported by Blood-Horse, read, "Due to the de-classification of levamisole in August 2015 by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, all penalties previously assessed to Owner/Trainer Joe Sharp in Stewards' Rulings #21-0006, #21-0008, #21-0010, #21-0011 and #21-0012 are hereby vacated." Sharp was suspended 30 days and fined $2,500 by the KHRC last January...

5th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-13, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:01.81, fm, 2 lengths. LADY DANAE (f, 2, Klimt--Anea, by Unbridled's Song) sparked some deja vu Friday, scoring at 11-1 a week after another Klimt juvenile won first out at the same odds sprinting also on the Saratoga lawn. This :10 flat OBSAPR breezer was bidding to become her freshman sire (by Quality Road)'s eighth winner overall, but was dismissed a bit by the bettors in an event with many viable options. Sitting in midpack while out in the clear, the chestnut...