Rob Atras

The temperature may be cooler in Lexington this week, but things heated up quickly on opening day at Keeneland with the first graded event of the spring at the Lexington oval coming down to a head bob. It took a photo to determine Red White and Blue Racing LLC's Neat (c, 3, Constitution--Orabella, by More Than Ready) had outpunched Mar. 2 Colonel Liam S. runner-up Cugino (Twirling Candy) by the slimmest of margins in the $400,000 GIII Transylvania S. for 3-year-olds going 1 1 1/16 miles on the lawn. Lagynos...

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 (or not) and where. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, 2022, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week. California Track: Santa Anita Date: 05/26/2023 Licensee: Armando Aguilar, apprentice...

The 19-day Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet, which ran from Mar. 30 to Apr. 30, closed out with jockey Manny Franco and trainer Linda Rice repeat as the leaders in their respective divisions after taking the titles at this year's Aqueduct winter meet. Franco secured his second Big A spring meet riding title with 37 wins while Rice won her fourth Aqueduct spring meet training title with 17 wins. Franco, a 28-year-old native of Carolina, Puerto Rico, earned the eighth riding title of his career. "I'm very grateful for the help...

1st-Aqueduct, $77,600, Msw, 3-26, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:18.15, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. HARRODSBURG (g, 3, Constitution--Gracer {MSW & GSP, $243,000}, by Exchange Rate), off a sharp work from the gate over at Belmont's training track Mar. 18 (.47, 1/123), vanned over to the 'Big A' for the real thing as the 3-1 third choice on the tote in this spot. Wrestling the lead away, the homebred sped down the backstretch, rounded the far turn in command by posting :45.86 for the first half-mile and extended his lead down the lane...

The New York Gaming Commission has made so many bad decisions of late that it would be laughable if not for the fact they keep going after good people who have done nothing wrong. The latest chapter is the story of NYRA clocker Richie Gazer. Back in May, Gazer was handed a 30-day suspension and fined $2,500 "for altering a published work of a horse to make the horse eligible to race." The horse in question, Papi On Ice (Keen Ice) was originally credited for a five-furlong workout on May...

Trainer Robert Klesaris and his lawyer Drew Mollica have filed an appeal of the voided claim of Battalion (Tiznow) following the fourth race at Belmont Park May 28 with the New York State Gaming Commission. Mollica has filed a brief on behalf of Klesaris and owner Mike DeBella and the matter will be heard June 7 by Peter Moschetti. Battalion finished seventh in the May 28 race and, when he received no notification of any claim, Klesaris said he had the horse returned to his barn. Once notified that trainer...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 8th-OP, $108K, Alw/OC, 4yo/up, f, 1 1/16m, 5:39 p.m. GIW MARACUJA begins her 4-year-old campaign Friday against an allowance field at Oaklawn Park. She returns off a six-month freshening following a fourth-place effort behind Clairiere (Curlin) in the GI Cotillion S. Sep. 25 at Parx, where she seemed poised to strike but ultimately weakened down the stretch. The gray/roan daughter of Honor Code makes her first trip to Oaklawn after racing exclusively on the East Coast in her career thus far. Her crowning achievement came...

Trainer Rob Atras reports that GI CCA Oaks upsetter Maracuja (Honor Code) is training nicely at Oaklawn Park, but will miss an intended engagement in next Saturday's GII Azeri S. and will likely be trained up to an appearance against the likes of Eclipse Award winner Letruska (Super Saver) in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 23. "She's doing really well but we had setbacks with how the weather has gone and we're not anticipating making the Azeri," Atras told the New York Racing Association notes team. "We've played it...

GI CCA Oaks winner Maracuja (Honor Code), who arrived at Oaklawn Park New Year's Day, is expected to target the Apr. 23 GI Apple Blossom S., according to trainer Rob Atras. Based primarily in New York, Atras will be represented by a small string of runners at Oaklawn for the first time this winter. "It's kind of the first time I've kind of really, officially, opened up a second string," Atras said. "Obviously, in the summer we have to split our string up in Saratoga and Belmont, but this is...

Beach Haven Thoroughbreds' Maracuja (Honor Code) remains on target for next weekend's GI Alabama S. Aug. 21 at Saratoga. The GI Coaching Club American Oaks S. winner covered a half-mile breeze in :47.67 last Sunday while in company on the main track in her first work back since upsetting favored Malathaat (Curlin) in the nine-furlong CCA Oaks July 24. "She went a little quicker than I thought, visually," trainer Rob Atras. "She broke off a little quick and was rolling along and galloped out real nice. I never get too...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY-Even if she had not pulled off the biggest upset of the still-young Saratoga season Saturday afternoon, Maracuja (Honor Code) would have received a major dose of love from her owners Sunday morning. The gentle gray is, after all, Beach Haven Thoroughbreds's only horse. While her status in the stable didn't change, Maracuja's victory by a head over Malathaat (Curlin) in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks no doubt raised her stature in the 3-year-old filly division. She isn't likely to be the longest shot in the field...

With a perfect five-for-five record topped by an impressive score in the GI Kentucky Oaks, 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) was bet like she could not lose a four-horse renewal of Saratoga's GI Coaching Club American Oaks Saturday. However, in the final strides of the nine-furlong event, it was the longest shot on the board, 14-1 shot Maracuja (Honor Code), who dethroned the mighty Malathaat with a narrow upset. All four broke in tandem with Malathaat assuming a narrow lead rounding the clubhouse turn. Maracuja kept the favorite honest through...